Howl's Moving Castle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Howl's Moving Castle - Essay Example The researcher states that hyperrealism in digital media essentially refers to the magical element present in the characters in the way they act and do unrealistic things. The castle walks with its chicken legs across the mountain tops causing different hissing and groaning sounds. The castle appears like a strange living being, as it moves with clang of the engines, spin of the flywheel, creaks of the shifting towers and oddment and the â€Å"gun-turret iguana eyes and boat-like mouth riding in front†. Its stairs and the main entrance hang behind like a tail. This surely holds the fancy of the human mind. The values and textures assigned to the colors and light add to the element of hyperrealism. The director uses dark colors, moving walls, infringing swollen figures and half visible images to create the gloomy and dim ambience of the room. While depicting the war of the wizards, the beautiful landscapes are instantly bombed and turns into destruction. The interplay of bright lights and darkness adds on to the magical impact. The mystical sunsets, organic machineries and the characters flying through air add to the hyperealistic element. Despite the animated characters and matching voiceovers the story manages to keep the viewers engaged. Sophie manages to talk life into the characters around her including the scarecrow. The way the apparently inanimate objects begin to move and talk shows a magical component. The leap of the girl through time under the spell of the wicked witch, who transforms her into an old woman, is also a hyperrealistic concept.

Consumer Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Consumer Behavior - Essay Example To succeed, or simply to survive, companies need a new philosophy. To win in today's market place, companies must be customer centred - they must deliver superior value to their target customers. The study of Consumer Behaviour helps the marketers to understand their target customers and what influences their buying decisions. Consumer Behaviour can thus be defined as, "The study of individuals, groups, or organizations and the processes they use to select, secure, use, and dispose of products, services, experiences, or ideas to satisfy needs and the impacts that these processes have on the consumer and society." On the basis of the factors that influence consumers buying behaviour, the companies can tailor their marketing programmes to the needs, and wants of narrowly defined geographic, demographic, psychographic, or behaviour segments. The ultimate form of target marketing is the customized marketing in which the company adapts its products and marketing programmes to the needs of a specific customer or buying organization. There are three major steps in target marketing. The first is the market segmentation, where the marketer divides his market into distinct groups of buyers with different needs, characteristics or behaviour, who might require separate products or marketing mixes. The second step is the market targeting - evaluating each market segment's attractiveness and selecting one or more market segments to enter. The third step is market positioning- setting the competitive positioning for the product and creating a detailed marketing mix. To have effect target marketing it is important to consumer behaviour and the factors which affect it . Characteristics Affecting Buyer's Behaviour : The major factors which influence the consumer behaviour are : 1. Cultural Factors - Culture, Sub culture, Social class 2. Social Factors - Reference groups, Family, Roles and Status. 3. Personal Factors - Age and lifecycle stage, Occupation, Economic situation, Lifestyle, Personality and self concept. 4. Psychological Factors - Motivation, Perception, Learning, Beliefs and Attitudes. 1. Cultural Factors : These exert the broadest and deepest influence on consumer behaviour. The marketer needs to understand the role played by the buyer's culture, subculture and social class. Culture : The child growing up in a society learns a basic set of values, perceptions, preferences and behaviours from the family and other important institutions. This forms his culture. Subculture : Each culture contains smaller subcultures, or groups of people with shared value systems based on common life experiences and situations. Subcultures include nationalities, religions, racial groups and geographic regions. Social Class : Social classes are society's relatively permanent and ordered divisions whose members share similar values, interests, and behaviours. It is not not determined by a single factor, such as income, but is measured as a combination of occupation, income, education, wealth, and other variables. 2. Social Factors : A consumer's behaviour is also influenced by social factors, such as the consumer's reference group, family, and social roles and status. Reference groups : A person's behaviour is influenced by many small groups. Some are primary groups with whom there is regular but informal interaction-

Solid waste management the most important element constituting the environmental health

Solid waste management the most important element constituting the environmental health Abstract Solid Waste Management is perhaps one of the most important element constituting the environmental health and sanitation of urban developing sector. The management system has several components which are integrated as well as interdependent thus the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire system is affected when any of its functional component fails or does not perform up to the level mark of operation. Karachi metropolis has been growing in population and expanding in area since mid 1800s. The present estimated population has reached over 18 million with approximate daily generation of solid waste reaching quantities up to 9000 tonnes. There are 18 municipal administrative divisions (TMA) and in addition 4 cantonment areas in Karachi which are responsible for managing solid waste in their respective jurisdictions. Prior to administrative devolution (2001) Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) was responsible for the management of solid waste of the entire city. It is estimated that nearly 80% of the municipal solid waste is being collected and transported to the two designated disposal sites as proper sanitary landfill sites are yet to develop. Hence there has been an improvement in the waste collection and transportation system since 90s when only 2/3rd of the municipal waste was managed. The transportation mechanism is through garbage vehicles using either hauled or fixed container system employing crew for mechanical or manual loading. The number of garbage vehicles is inadequate and due to comparatively long haulage to disposal sites there are certain problems of frequent vehicular maintenance and high fuel costs. The role of informal sector in collection of waste from streets and removal of recycling items from the solid waste stream is significant. However this unaccounted component needs to be acknowledged and integrated in the formal solid waste management system. Hospital waste is another significant component to have environmental and health impact on the urban society. In Karachi around 30% of the total MSW may be regarded as of hospital origin out of which 0.6 tons per day is infectious. At source segregation practice is exercised at most hospitals and laboratories with few large private and public hospitals having their own in-house disposal facilities, incineration units. City district government has also facilitated centralised incineration operation for public and private hospitals (health care units) through private contract having a capacity of 1000 kg/hour. Improvement schemes have been proposed for Karachi solid waste management system. There is a need to adopt engineered approach in the redesigning of existing system such as; community bins and receptacles have to be designed and constructed for adequate storage capacities according to the generation rates, collection frequencies and safety requirements to control disease vector, over spilling and check unwanted access of waste-pickers. In most of the towns street sweeping operations have been mechanised and done by machinery operated by vehicles. Construction of Garbage Transfer Stations (GTS) at number of locations within the city will cut the cost of transportation of waste to disposal sites as long haulages will be reduced. Material processing, recovery of recyclables, compaction, volume reduction, and increase in density will enable transportation of waste to disposal sites / landfills via long vehicles (bulk transport), minimising transport/traffic and environmental pollution re lated issues. Development of disposal sites into proper sanitary landfill sites are being considered and appropriate budgeting and planning is underway. Integration of informal (micro level) and formal (macro level) waste management system is envisaged to be a plausible working solution for an efficient and sustainable system achieved through integration of primary collection system and waste recycling adopted from informal system. It may be concluded that solid waste management system is undergoing a change over time due to constructive approach, positive policy and decision making. However more concrete steps are to be taken beyond planning stage. The impact of SWM on the environment and aesthetics of Karachis urban scenario have been significant due to growing and expanding city and also owing to administrative transformations occurring over decades. The shortcomings in the SWM system of Karachi are being gradually met and it is envisaged that if the political will is sustained it will soon meet its present requirements as well as shall be able to cater the future demands of the city. Introduction The title of this research paper is very profound, diversified and intricate when addressed particularly in context to the demographic features of the Karachi metropolis, quantities and characteristics of solid wastes, the prevailing issues of management system and practices of solid waste disposal in the city. Though it is difficult to encompass and comment on all the aspects in detail but an attempt has been made to highlight the most critical issues and recommend possible measures for improving the existing solid waste management system. Statement of the Research Problem Solid waste management (SWM) is an integral component of urbanisation and infrastructure development of cities and becomes more essential and critical in the domain of mega cities which are rapidly growing and expanding. The planning and design of solid waste management system which comprise of its components; storage, collection, transfer, transport, processing and disposal requires detailed studies, extending from physical surveys, demographic and socioeconomic data collection, solid waste generation estimates and characterisation analyses, various options for processing and disposal and finally technical and financial analysis for implementation and operation of the system. The present study is limited to defining basic components of SWM system that are functioning in Karachi. The problems and issues of the existing SWM of Karachi need to be identified with the suggestions of possible solutions for the improvement in functioning and effectiveness of the system. Hypothesis The hypothesis of the issue of solid waste management of Karachi can be expressed as sustained deficit in meeting the physical requirement of resources due to unprecedented growth in urban population resulting in uncontrolled and increasing quantities of solid waste continuously requiring restructuring of the management system, procurement and reallocation of physical and human resources and development of infrastructure which has not yet been achieved due to lack of priority and financial constraints. Significance of the Research The paper provides an overview of the general aspects of solid waste management in urban sector. The case study of Karachi shall be discussed in context to the functions of the SWM components and their infrastructure in effective removal and disposal of solid waste. The issues and problems associated with the management, operations and policy making is highlighted which will be significant to serve the purpose of this research document as well to serve as a baseline for further research in the area. Research Methodology The adopted methodology is simple yet comprehensive in defining and achieving the objectives of the research. The research statement has been laid so as to address the problem, issues and objectives of the research study. The scope of the study has been clearly delineated based on the objectives of research. A brief review of relevant literature encompassing scope and its research has been undertaken leading to identification of paramount issues with an analytical approach to problem solving in solid waste management. The conclusion outlines remedial measures, solution and recommendations for an integrated approach to Solid Waste Management in Karachi. Historical Background and Existing Scenario A substantial increase in the solid waste production, particularly municipal solid waste (MSW) has been observed over the past few years from nearly 6,600 tons per day in late 90s to 9,000 tons/day of solid waste being generated in the city of Karachi in 2005 (KSDP 2020). For over a half century, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has been administering the management of municipal solid waste of Karachi. After the devolution of the administrative structure in August 2001, the above service fell under the City District Government of Karachi (CDGK). Solid Waste Management within the City District is the combined responsibility of CDGK, the Town Municipal Administrations (TMAs) and Union Councils. Present City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has 18 towns and altogether 178 union councils. Each union council is responsible for providing waste collection services to an average of 9,500 households which is considered to be an ideal load for the management of municipal solid waste efficiently and effectively within its jurisdiction. In addition, the Cantonment Boards, Karachi Port Trust and Pakistan Steel Mills carry out their own waste collection and transfer. The key agencies responsible for collection are the TMAs, who either use their own equipment or contract private sector operators in managing and operating the primary collection system. In many low income areas community based organisations (CBOs) are active in collection from households and transfer of MSW to community bins or katchra kundi. Also in many areas sweepers are operative and have organised to collect garbage from residences, neighbourhood and communal streets. Few high-income areas have house-to-house colle ction organised by appropriate garbage vehicles that transport refuse to disposal sites. There is an average population of about 560,000 coming under town administrations that are responsible for collecting and transporting solid waste to designated landfill site. District government is liable to provide and develop landfill site(s) for the city of Karachi at appropriate locations. It should also manage and operate those sites. Presently, there is as such no sanitary landfill site for Karachi. Only couple of designated pieces of land have been allocated for dumping of solid waste on daily basis. The CDGK is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the two official open disposal sites at Jam Chakro and Gond Pass each 35 km from the city centre. Any landfill developmental activity or standard sanitary operation practice on these dumping sites is yet to be carried out. it is estimated that of the total household solid waste generated daily within the City District around 4,500 tons is lifted and of this, not more than 2,000 tons makes it to one of the two designated city landfill sites actually open dumping sites. The remainder is either recovered for recycling (an estimated 1,500 tons per day) or is disposed of by burning or by illegal dumping into open drains or onto roadsides or open land (an estimated 1,400 tons)[1]. It is estimated that some 55,000 families depend on the informal solid waste recycling industry for their livelihood and with more than 1,000 operating units that the industry is worth some Rs 1.2 Billion per annum[2]. Hospital (infectious) wastes are co-disposed with the regular solid waste stream. The availability of incineration facilities is on a very limited scale hence most hospital waste is co-disposed with general waste, representing a significant health risk. Onsite incineration facility is available in 3 to 4 major hospitals operating in public and private sector. However CDGK has facilitated collection and incineration facility to hospitals through private contractor(s) operating at one or two incineration plants[3]. Literature Review Concept of Solid Waste Management The source of waste; the producer, its generation; quantities, volumes and characteristics of wastes all are essential to determine and critical for the designing, planning and operation of solid waste management system. Definition of Solid Waste It includes all types of semi-solid and solid waste arising due to human or animal activity as well as due to natural calamity(s) that is useless / undesirable / unwanted or regarded as discarded material requiring removal and subsequent disposal. Usually if not removed from the source of generation or disposed off properly may of potential hazard to environment (life and property). Waste is a relative term i.e. for one it may be useless or unwanted but for someone it may be a useful item (a commodity recovery, reuse, recycling) Defining Solid Waste Management It is the integration of various activities associated with solid waste into well defined and coordinated manner to optimise the use of human, physical and economic resources and to prepare for the future needs. Solid waste management are the principles and practices comprised of effective management tools applied to different components of solid waste processes which include; collection, storage, transportation, treatment and safe disposal. A comprehensive definition of SWM may be given as: It is a discipline associated with the control of generation, storage, collection, transfer and transport, processing, and disposal of solid wastes in a manner that is in accord with the best principles of public health, economics, engineering, conservation, aesthetics, and other environmental considerations, and that is also responsive to public attitudes. There are a number of concepts about waste management which vary in their usage between countries or regions. Some of the most general, widely-used concepts include: Waste hierarchy refers to the 3 Rs reduce, reuse recycle, which classify waste management strategies according to their desirability in terms of waste minimization. The waste hierarchy remains the cornerstone of most waste minimization strategies. The aim of the waste hierarchy is to extract the maximum practical benefits from products and to generate the minimum amount of waste. Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is a strategy designed to promote the integration of all costs associated with products throughout their life cycle (including end-of-life disposal costs) into the market price of the product. Extended producer responsibility is meant to impose accountability over the entire lifecycle of products and packaging introduced to the market. This means that firms which manufacture, import and/or sell products are required to be responsible for the products after their useful life as well as during manufacture. Polluter pays principle (PPP) is a principle where the polluting party pays for the impact caused to the environment. With respect to waste management, this generally refers to the requirement for a waste generator to pay for appropriate disposal of the waste. Hierarchy of Solid Waste Management in Karachi Metropolis As defined above waste hierarchy means classification, according to the facet of desirability, of waste management strategies. The strategies could be to reduce waste or to reuse, recovery waste or intention to recycle waste, the 3 Rs of waste management. Another recent strategy is to rethink or review the present system for an improved system. Whatever the classification, the main and sole object of waste management is to treat and dispose waste completely or minimize it from the environment, to safeguard the health of the community. Concurrently, the supplementary object is to extract maximum benefits from the waste by turning it in to a useful product. In case of Karachi these elite goals are still to be defined and strategies laid as the primary task of cent percent collection of solid waste and its disposal i.e. providing waste management services to entire metropolis area is yet to achieve. Waste Source Reduction and Segregation No information from official sources is available on this subject. There is no scheme launched by the solid waste management department of the district government to promote waste reduction of municipal solid waste at household level neither citizens are encouraged to segregate the waste into recyclables or non-recyclables at source. However public in their own interest for some financial gain with collaboration and cooperation of informal sector domestic commercial waste producers segregate and sell their disposable or recyclable waste items to door-to-door collectors kabadis. Similarly, industries sell and dispose their waste to middle dealers and recyclers. Also a large volunteer force of waste pickers on mobilised on streets is operational as scavengers. These are mainly self employed labour of Afghan origin who collect recyclables from streets, community bins and open areas on daily basis sale to middle dealer to onward sale to recyclers. Hence a very strong system of waste rec overy from general solid waste stream and subsequent recycling exists in the informal sector which is playing its part in the management of solid waste and reducing the burden on the overloaded formal sector of SWM but unfortunately its role has neither been recognised nor acknowledged. Integrated Solid Waste Management System It is a methodology for solid waste management applied to all of the activities associated with the management of societys waste. The term integrated implies that the activities are interdependent and inter-related so as to formulate a comprehensive and effective waste management system. Integrated Solid Waste Management may be defined as: It is the selection and application of suitable techniques, technologies, and management programmes to achieve specific waste management objectives and goals. The basic aim of the integrated solid waste management is to manage solid waste in a manner that meets public health and environmental concerns and the publics desire to reuse and recycle waste materials. Hierarchy of Integrated Solid Waste Management A hierarchy (arrangement in order of rank) in waste management can be used to rank actions to implement programmes within the community. The integrated solid waste management hierarchy used may be sequenced as; Source reduction, Recycling, Collection Waste transformation and Disposal ISWM programmes and systems should be developed in which the elements of hierarchy are interrelated and are selected to support each other. The Functional Elements of Solid Waste Management. The Functional Elements of a Waste Management System may be classified as those activities which take place within the system to meet the targets and objectives defined for the effective management of the solid waste. The components are those which are acquired and or physically developed (work force, infrastructure facilities, resources, etc.) to facilitate the functions of the SWM system. The typical functional elements of SWM in an urbanised developed sector may be listed as follows: Waste generation Waste handling and separation, storage and processing at source Collection Separation and processing and transformation of solid wastes Transfer and transport Disposal Waste Generation It encompasses activities in which materials are identified as no longer being of value and are either thrown away or gathered together for disposal. It is important in waste generation to note that there is an identification step and that this step varies with each individual waste. At present waste generation activity is not very controllable, however, it is expected that more control will be exercised over waste generation in future. As already mentioned that waste generation phenomenon is dependent upon the demographic characteristics of town or city particularly the changing demography i.e. the population due to growth and expansion with modernisation and urbanisation process. Solid Waste Generation in Karachi In case of Karachi the devolution of city administration in towns though ease off the administrative bottle necks to certain extent particularly in context to management of public services but with solid waste management which is more or less demographically controlled system the magnitude of the problem is not much reduced. It would therefore be appropriate to present the generation rates municipal solid wastes of different towns of Karachi in perspective of their respective populations for certain year of study and projected likewise. As established the quantities of solid wastes depend upon the demographic characteristics and its composition is highly variable factor attributed to socioeconomic features as well as waste management practices. The overall composition of solid waste determined at household level is given as follows: Estimated Per Capita Waste Generation Rate in Karachi According to survey carried out in 2005 waste generation rate is estimated as 0.3 to 0.5 kg/capita/day. It is to be understood that generally the waste generation rate depends upon a number of factors such as: Income level of waste producer Socioeconomic and living style Festive occasions Waste management policies and programmes Awareness education about environment and waste concerns Sources of waste generation in Karachi In case of Karachi, sources of waste generation may be categorized as under: Domestic Commercial, Green wastes Hospital Industrial The types of wastes or garbage generated are: household, commercial, institutional and street sweepings. On the basis of nature of waste it is classified as degradable (organic), non-degradable (recyclable / non-recyclable). The estimated figures given in the SWM document of Karachi Master Plan 2020 draft report 2005 are as follows: Major markets where organic waste is generated are: Vegetable market: 100 ton per day, Empress market: 70 tons per day High-income localities generate garbage: Organic Waste: 60% Garden Waste: 12% Recyclables: 8% Low-income localities generate garbage: Organic Waste: 40% Garden Waste: 5% (max) Recyclables: 15% The solid waste generate that is recovered at; Household level, Community bin level (prior to transfer / transportation) and Disposal site Waste Handling and Separation, Storage and Processing at Source Waste handling and separation involves the activities associated with management of wastes until they are placed in storage containers for collection. Handling also encompasses the movement of loaded containers to the point of collection. Separation of waste components is an important step in the handling and storage of solid waste at the source. The best place to separate waste materials for reuse and recycling is at the source of generation. Processing at the source involves activities such as compaction and yard waste composting. Collection Collection includes not only the gathering of solid waste and recyclable materials, but also transport of these materials, after collection to the location where collection vehicle is emptied. This location may be materials processing facility, a transfer station, or a landfill disposal site. In small cities, where disposal sites are nearby, the hauling of wastes is not a serious problem. In large cities, however, where the haul distance to the point of disposal is often greater than 15 miles, the haul may have significant economic implications. Where long distances are involved, transfer and transport facilities are normally used. Collection and Transportation of Solid Waste in Karachi Stages of collection of garbage is from house hold to community bin sites, (kachra kundi) and then to disposal sites. This is done in the following ways: Stage 1: From house MSW is collected by private sweepers and resident brought to temporary storage / communal waste transfer facility i.e. community bins. Stage 2: From dust bins municipality vehicles transfer and transport solid waste to disposal sites OR to unofficial dumping ground (Primary transportation, 2-3 trips a day which by definition are long trips) Problem Analysis This is the most uneconomical way of SWM because the haulage is extraordinarily long and several vehicles have to make this long trips several times a day. Hence due to shortage of infrastructure and physical human resources with handling of large quantities of waste required the SWM becomes inefficient in handling, transporting and disposing waste effectively. The following problems arise in Karachi in primary collection: Poor attendance of sanitary workers. Estimated number of employed sanitary workers employed in CDGK is 12000. Gradual decrease in number of community bins (4100), as a large number of garbage containers Katchra Kundi are in the workshop for repairs. Haphazard accumulation of garbage on streets, in open spaces and in drains. Uncollected waste usually finds it way in sewers, is eaten by the cattle, or left to rot in the open, or burnt on roadsides 15 to 20% garbage vans remain out of order. Total number of waste vehicles estimated is 560. Landfill sites are situated at long distance ranging from 10 to 70 km (up down) Hardly 300 to 400 trips of garbage vehicles are off loaded daily at landfill sites out of 1500 trips. Transfer and Transport This involves two steps; the transfer of waste from the smaller collection vehicle to the large transport equipment, and the subsequent transport of the wastes, usually over long distances, to a processing or disposal site. The transfer usually takes place at a transfer station. Although motor vehicle transport is most common, rail cars and barges are also used to transport waste. The two systems for transfer and transporting solid waste through roads comprises of hauled and stationary container system. Transfer and Transport of Garbage in Karachi Past Experiences In mid 90s an experiment of using train carriages was done for hauling MSW of Karachi by the name of Garbage Train project. The project was launched by defunct KMC in 1995-1996. Garbage from Saddar, Lyari and other adjacent areas was brought to Wazir Mansion Railway station for onward transportation to Dhabeji through railway. The system ran for about 4 to 5 months. Rs 27 Million were spent on the project. The system failed due to: High charges levied by railway authorities Wagons provided by the railway authorities were obsolete (not in good service condition) No proper infrastructure for loading unloading of garbage could be developed at transfer stations. Processing and Recovery of Solid Waste It includes the recovery of separated materials, the separation and processing of solid waste components, and transformation of solid waste that occurs primarily in locations away from the source of waste generation. The types of means and facilities that are now used for recovery of waste materials that have been separated at source include kerbside collection, drop off, and buy back centres. The separation and processing of wastes that have been separated at source and the separation of commingled wastes usually occur at a materials recovery facility, transfer stations, combustion facilities, and disposal sites. Processing often includes the separation of bulk items, separation of waste components by size using screens, manual separation of waste components, size reduction by shredding, separation of ferrous metals using magnets, volume reduction by compaction and combustion. Transformation processes are used to reduce the volume and weight of waste requiring disposal and to recover conversion products and energy. The organic fraction of MSW can be transformed by a variety of chemical and biological processes. The most commonly used chemical transformation process is combustion which is used in conjunction with the recovery of energy in the form of heat. The most commonly used biological transformation process is aerobic composting. The selection of a given set of processes will depend on the waste management objectives to be achieved. Processing of Organic Waste in Karachi An experiment A compost plant was established in the early 80s by a private contractor in North Karachi which remained operative for a short period and then was closed down due to following reasons: Supply of non-segregated refuse, gradually damaged the plant. Heavy operational losses. Gained favour during import of plant machinery and also acquisition of land for installation of the plant, as such there was not much financial stake of the contractor was involved. Deployment of untrained and unskilled staff. Non-cooperation from the municipal administration (informal sources). Disposal of Solid Waste It is the final functional element in the solid waste management system. Nowadays, the disposal of wastes through landfill or land-spreading is the ultimate fate of all solid wastes, whether they are residential wastes collected transported to a landfill site, residual materials from materials recovery facilities (MRFs), residues from the combustion of solid waste, compost, or other substances from various solid waste processing facilities. A modern sanitary landfill is not an open dump; it is an engineered facility used for disposing of solids on land or within the earths mantle without creating nuisances or hazards to public health or safety. Landfill or more specifically sanitary landfill is an engineering term, which may be defined as: An engineered facility developed on a designated piece of land that principally receives waste as a fill over a period of time until the designated area is fully utilised. The development and operation of facility is usually cost effective while maintaining appropriate health, safety and environmental standards. Sites for Solid Waste Disposal in Karachi Only two official landfill sites available and are in use in the city are: Jam Chakro near Surjani Town (500 acres) Gondpass near Hub river Road (500 acres) In addition to the above two marked sites, CDGK also acquired Dhabeji Landfill site (3000 acres) through notification of 2006 for the purpose of landfill operations in 2007 but the operations could not commenced due to administrative and financial constraints. Earlier the project of the Transfer and Disposal of Karachi City through Garbage (Kachra) Train started in mid 90s which used open and closed cargo wagons to transfer collected MSW from garbage transfer station (Wazir Mansion) hauling it to Dhabeji site for open dumping / disposal. The project was also not successful and ceased due to administrative issues and financial

Essay --

Introduction Before the inevitable fall of the mighty Third Reich, several Jewish prisoners were unwillingly forced into deadly, horrifying experiments orchestrated by the Nazis. These helpless individuals underwent what most would call gruesome and inhumane procedures for the benefit of Nazi research and development. Others would, perhaps surprisingly, call them not gruesome, but necessary. The Nazis simulated scenarios they might find their soldiers in during and between combat periods, and used the Jewish people as test dummies in place of their own. This way, they thought, they could acquire data that would help them in the long run without sacrificing their own soldiers, since the Jews were to be executed later anyway. There has been a long going debate over the ethical problems of using the acquired data for modern scientific applications. Description of View There are two main sides of the controversy, one being for the data's use, and the other against. The data was the result of many different experiments, some of which were †¢ measuring a person's response to exposure to...

‘Social-Class and the Link with Employability’

MM33920 – Management Research Methods Assignment 1 Select a research topic of your interest and explain relevance of the selected topic. Clearly define how it will benefit the industry and/or society. Also provide literature review. Robert Sumnall Aberystwyth University Tel: +447581448829 Aber E-Mail: ros27 Research Area: ‘Employability’ Research Topic: ‘Social-Class and the link with Employability’ General Research Question: ‘Is a Graduates Socio-economic background a determinant on their employability? Throughout this assignment I will be writing about my proposed research model in three sections. The first section will be the relevance of my selected topic of research; this will be written to give the reader a clearer understanding of what the research will consist of, as well as the reasoning behind doing it. The second section of my assignment I will clearly define how it will benefit the industry/society, by doing so it will help explain w hat my research can bring to the table, in terms of coming to a resolution or developing upon already existing resolutions.The final section of my assignment will be a literature review. The ideology behind a literature review is a means of reviewing the main ideas and points already known about the research relating to my area of interest, it also shows that I have a deepened understanding of the current literature and I am competent in the subject area. (Alan Bryman, 2011) 1) Explain relevance of Selected Topic So why choose employability and social class? What relevance does this topic have?To start with, being a under-graduate myself who has a genuine interest in this topic simply due to growing up in what I would consider a ‘middle class’ family, there were also those around me who had life harder financially, or could be considered a lower class family. I always remember they struggled with certain areas of schooling and my thought process has now led me to be cur ious about whether those backgrounds can affect employability as a graduate.Before I go in to commenting on why this research will be beneficial for my chosen area, let us first dissect the topic. As stated in the prior paragraph, my topic is focusing on Employability and Social class. The topic itself has a variance of sub-topics and questions that can stem from it, as social-class stretches across a lot of issues, and employability stretching even further.Some examples of sub-topics could be employability for international graduate students and their financial backgrounds, what top level CEO’s socio-economic background was like, and then stretching into more in-depth thought processes such as do school children who had free school meals show a correlation between employability and their peers who were without free meals, later on in their life.That last sub-topic has been considered from TeachFirst’s application handbook which had statistical data to show that  "Just 16% of pupils eligible for free school meals make it to university, compared to 96% from independent schools† (TeachFirst, 2013). Exclusive of the relevance to me personally, the relevance also stretches to my academic subject of study: Business & Management, the main reason being that because a keen eye for efficient ‘Employability’ in a person is one of the most crucial skills a business manager can have sometimes (Employing the correct employees for the job). Andrews. J, Higson. H, 2008) (McQuaid, R. W. , & Lindsay, C. 2005) those two articles develop their research and text on the fundamentals of employability and its relevance to success, and what contributes to that success. Bringing that back to the relevance of my own topical research, by being relevant and effective in my course it holds a heightened level of relevance to me both personally and academically. So what relevance does the topic bring to the reader?More importantly than just writing abou t the relevance of the topic generally, what relevance does this topic have on the reader? This is not to get confused with the benefits which will be addressed in the next paragraph. After the research has been completed, the reader will be able to take away a much clearer understanding of the results, this can both inspire and motivate the reader to create or carry out their own research into the topic, or at very least bring them to start looking into the topic themselves.A topic like Social-Class and the implications on Employability is a relevant topic because every person comes from a certain financial/socio-economic backgrounds themselves, and typically everyone wants to be employed at some point. The research will open the reader’s eyes into the advantages or disadvantages of coming from certain backgrounds, and sometimes the truth can be harsh. The potentially harsh truth of the research will hold validity to the reader, and give them something to work with themselve s to counteract such harsh truths from affecting their own lives.To summarise my last paragraph, the reader will hold a personal similarity with the research somewhere down the line because everyone has their own background they can relate to. The research can be confusing and frustrating to the reader, but there are benefits to this topic being explored, and I will cover those now. 2) What benefits will the research have on the industry/society? Before going into the benefits of the research, I feel it is appropriate to say that the research can only benefit the industry/society if it is noticed.By this I mean that all the research in the world can be done on a topic, but if nobody reads it or sees it, or inspires someone to put the research into an outcome, it will not benefit anybody. With that said let us get to the benefits, the research is based upon employability and social-class, the topic is broad and covers a lot of grounds. The first and foremost obvious form of benefit w ould be an increase in knowledge on the topic for the society, with increased knowledge people are more comfortable with understanding the topic and how to get more from it.For example, should the government be informed of the research on employability and social-class, it may spur them on to solving the problems of unemployment with creating schemes or models, as both topics are amongst the government’s list of problems to resolve in the UK. Where the government could step up would be in education centres like primary and secondary schools and certain colleges, ensuring those students who come from financially struggling backgrounds have an equal chance of success in their future as their peers, who are better off.A statistic from Labour Force Survey (2011), shows that a staggering 20% of 16-24 year olds are classified as NEET (Not in education, training or Employment). (BBC, 2011) That’s approximately 1/5th of all teenagers and young adults essentially doing nothing with their lives in terms of employment, for one reason or another. Let us compare that figure with the statistic that nearly 50% of children who claim free school meals achieve no GCSE passes above a D-grade, (Cassen and Kingdon, 2007).This existent research has helped to create charitable (non-government funded) services such as FirstTeach to prevent these statistics increasing. By the government being notified of the research it may increase the likelihood of the government bettering the educational system to ensure that there are no students left without, simply due to their financial backgrounds. I understand that there are other variables that will affect a student’s chances of success, but the current statistics are appalling and the knowledge increase can bring about a resolution.Without getting too philosophical in terms of whether there are benefits of increased knowledge to mankind, let us consider this research to be done in an altruistic sense to help those who a ren’t going to succeed or their chance of success is hindered. Another benefit to the industry from conducting the research is to help those existing educational improvement foundations which use the statistics and research to fuel their business goals, or even use them to motivate people to join.As already mentioned, one service that set out to provide every chance of success to students whose socio-economics background is limited is TeachFirst, they employ graduate students to teach. Founded in 2002 they have built their way up the ladder to being 4th in the Times graduate employers, whilst the teachers they employ have helped hundreds of thousands of students achieve success (FirstTeach, 2013). In terms of making an impact on employment and social-class issues, they are killing two birds with one stone.They help under-privileged younger students whilst employing graduates. Services like this will benefit from the research through relaying back to graduates to motivate them to join, ultimately growing and helping more and more younger students. A potential outcome of this research is that it ends up in the eyes of an inspired individual who wants to give back to the community; they set up their own version of TeachFirst and go about helping younger students, even though an extreme instance it would not be able to come about without the topical research.Ultimately the aim of this research is to bring to realisation the problems that lower-class/socio-economically disadvantaged students may face, and to then improve the employability and prospects of those students. 3) Literature Review The idea behind writing a literature review when writing research is to understand what is already known about the subject you are going to be researching, it helps to show where the existing knowledge is strong or weak and what other author’s mistakes in the field were.On top of these it can also help to inspire the researcher and develop their research direction more if their precise question of research is not yet set in stone. (A. Bryman, E. Bell. 2011). Whilst reviewing the literature on graduates employability based on social-class, it became evident that a set of particular trends were continuously showing up throughout the research, interestingly my original considerations of what would be a factor affecting employability was matched slightly (employer’s wish to hire the best people from the best socio-economic background), but with other interesting factors.The major trends involved with the literature are broken down as follows: Students from a disadvantaged socio-economic background/lower social-class lacked the same level of confidence as their advantaged peers, students from a lower social-class struggled to build there CV/employability with voluntary work experience due to funding and availability and students who aren’t a custom to having the middle/upper-class role models found it difficult to associate themselv es with those higher level jobs, e. g. ad no contacts in a professional field and had no one they could relate to/look up to back home. As there are similarities throughout the literature, there are also common limitations to the research, which are equal throughout the reading also. I go into further details of this literature below. Since employability and social-class/socio-economic background take on such a wide range of factors and variables, to save word space this literature review is going to look mostly at graduates employability status and their socio-economic backgrounds and ‘social class’ factors whilst at university.Considering the statistics that were written earlier, it is argued that there is a correlation between social class and employability, particularly from a younger age (taking into account the school meals and pass rates). Greenbank and Hepworth’s research that took place highlighted three key areas for a graduate’s employability; t hose were financial issues, networks and values.They stated that usually financial issues that lower-class students were faced with is the availability to do un-paid voluntary work to boost their CV, however not being able to do so, due to working paid part-time jobs to have some income that just get them by. Ultimately this is not increasing their employability. However their study showed that in this report’s circumstance it was not the financial issues that prevented them from working voluntarily, but more that the lower-class students did not realise that employers valued that type of experience.In terms of ‘networks’ the rationale of their study was that working class students were disadvantaged in the graduate market because they lacked the presence of social capital, unlike their middle-class peers who were more frequently around professionals and the lack of a ‘role-model’ meant the students desire and optimism to reach such a level was lower . (P. Greenbank, S. Hepworth, 2008).However, there are limitations to this research, the first major one being that the research was taken place at one individual university institution, to make their research more viable on a wider-spread case they would have to involve other universities, maybe other local universities to get an area specific set of data. There is already controversy on certain universities holding higher or lower amount of distinct social-classes.A Similar result was found by Cheri, their analysis which was constructed from a survey and HESA statistics, on ‘the factors determining graduate employability and how these effect employment prospects of students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, from ethnic minorities and mature students’. Their findings establish graduates from socially-disadvantaged groups do less well in employability due to the institutions they attend, the subject choice of study, the class of the degree they obtain and the entry qualifications the higher education (GCSE, A-Level).The analyses also showed that regardless of those factors being controlled for, socio-economic background will have an effect upon employment. Similar to Greenbank’s findings, Cheri found graduates that participated in substantial work experience whilst in higher education had employability benefits to all students, however the type of work that differed between the lower-class and socio-economically disadvantaged and he middle-class resulted in work experience being obtained but not really useful in terms of boosting employability. To conclude their findings, socio economics background, ethnic background and age all had indirect effects upon employability through the institution such as type, subject of study, entry qualifications and degree classification. Even when the above factors were controlled for, those with a disadvantaged socio-economic background were still not doing as well as their middle-class and above peers .Inclusive is a table (table: 1) which represents ‘factors which are associated with successful employment outcomes’, it clarifies that the socio-economically advantaged student has an employability advantage over their disadvantaged peers, as they are able to access the employment outcomes easier. I have also included a chart (chart: 1) which represents ‘the effects of social origin on the graduates’ labour market situation’; it highlights factors which are likely to have a direct relationship between biographical background and employability.The chart includes parent’s social status and education, ethnicity and age of entry as determinants to ‘success’ in the labour market. (Cheri, 2002). As with Greenbank’s research, this study was taken out on a single university this time it was the Open University. Although the research is extensive, it is very singular, and the research would be made more wide-spread viable if it was conducted in various institutions, it was also taken in a questionnaire form which has potential limitations of students not telling the complete truth in their answers due to embarrassment or fear e. . not wanting to admit they come from a disadvantaged background. There is further clarification of lower social classes being disadvantaged in Forsyth & Furlong’s research on socio-economic disadvantage in further and higher education. Their theorem and research was that lower social class members of the UK typically lacked confidence to go after more prestigious courses of study or qualification and almost tolerated going for a less advanced course.They argued that certain lower-class students didn’t pursue the longer period courses (Architecture or nursing which are 5+ years in some institutes) simply because the student didn’t want the extra years of debt, and the way the student finance support was set up Forsyth claimed the research showed ‘the current student finance policy tends to push the most talented disadvantaged school-leavers towards courses well below their full academic otential’ This research backs up the already existent evidence (Cheri, Greenbank) that lower social-classes are disadvantaged for various reasons, each researcher has mentioned some slightly different reasoning. Inclusive of the research which showed that a high percentage of upper-class students were studying a degree by the time they had left school (70% studying a university degree, 15% Not studying at all and 15% studying a HND), these figures showed that the lower-class students had a lot of competition, paired with their employability disadvantages meant for a hard time post-university to get ahead in the labour market.The Bar graph was created from a study with 198 full-time students. (Forsyth, 2003) This research was more widespread unlike Greenbank and Cheri’s, as this was a continuation of research already conducted from 1999, th is brings about a limitation that the previous research could have changed from that time making it out of date, and this research was then based off that out of date work. The research was taken out on around 400 pupils who had left secondary school in 1999, this meaning that they were basing results on what that graduate year had done with their lives after school.Limitations present here would mean that it could be coincidental that certain social-class backgrounds of that graduate year went onto university and those with lower social-class aren’t in education or at a degree level of education. Below are some charts and tables to further clarify what has been written in the literature review. Tables and Document Related Charts Chart: 1 (Cheri, ‘the effects of social origin on the graduates’ labour market situation’, 2002) Table: 1 (Cheri, ‘factors which are associated with successful employment outcomes’, 2002)Bar Graph: 1 (Forsyth, Social class and final destination. 2003) Bibliography Alan Bryman, E. B. , 2011. Business research Methods. New York: Oxford. Alan Bryman, E. B. , 2011. Business research Methods. New York: Oxford, Chapter 4, Page: 103. Andrews, J. & Higson. H. (2008). Graduate Employability, â€Å"Soft Skills† Versus â€Å"Hard† Business Knowledge: A European Study. Higher Education in Europe, 33(4), 411-422. Doi: 10. 1080/03797720802522627 BBC, 2011. ‘NEET’ youths figure at second-quarter high. [Online] Available at: http://www. bbc. co. k/news/education-14644613 [Accessed 13 March 2013]. Cassen, R. & Kingdon, G. (2007). Tackling low educational achievement. Joseph Rowntree Foundation (pp. 1-94). London. Cheri, I. (2002). Access to what: analysis of factors determining graduate employability, a report to the HEFCE by the centre for Higher, (November), 1-8. Cheri, I. (2002). Access to what: analysis of factors determining graduate employability a report to the HEFCE by the cent re for Higher, (November), 1-8. Page 8, Table 1: ‘Factors which are associated with successful employment outcomes’ Cheri, I. (2002).Access to what: analysis of factors determining graduate employability, a report to the HEFCE by the centre for Higher, (November), 1-8. Page 13, Chart 1: ‘The effects of social origin on the graduates’ labour market situation’ City And Law Leaflets, (2013), TeachFirst ‘The challenge starts here’, London. (Published: 2013) [Online] Available at: http://www. teachfirst. org. uk/TFhome [Accessed 13 March 2013] Forsyth, A. , & Furlong, A. (2003). ‘Losing out? Experience in further and higher education’. Joseph Rowntree Foundation, The Policy Press (pp. 1-68). Bristol Forsyth, A. & Furlong, A. (2003). ‘Losing out? Experience in further and higher education’. Joseph Rowntree Foundation, The Policy Press (pp. 1-68). Bristol, Page 13, Figure 3: Social class and ‘Final’ Destin ation. Greenbank, P. & Hepworth, S. (2008). Working class students and the career decision-making process. (January) McQuaid, R. W. & Lindsay, C. (2005). The concept of employability. Urban studies, 42(2), 197-219. DOI: 10. 1080/0042098042000316100 TeachFirst, 2013. ‘Our history’ [Online] Available at: http://www. teachfirst. org. uk/ourhistory/ [Accessed 13 march 2013]

Human Development Essay

In this paper we will discuss the life span perspective of human development. Then we will summarize three theories related to human growth and development and identify at least one influential theorist for each. Then we will identify aspects of the life span perspective. Finally we will explain how heredity and the environment influence human development. There are six lifespan perspectives on human development the life expectancy (measured at birth) of American men and women, differentiated by race. For the 2005, the latest data available, the life expectancy for men of all races is 75. 2 years and 80. 4 years for women. Life-long which is no age period dominated development. Multi-dimensional that development is about biological, cognitive, socioemotional and spiritual dimensions. Multidirectional is some aspects of development increase while other decrease. Plastic is depending on one life conditions and what development paths our body takes. Historically-embedded is development influenced by historical conditions. Multidisciplinary is psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, neuroscientist and medical researchers all study human development and share different concerns. Contextual is the individual continually responds to and act on context. According to (Hernandez, 2008) â€Å"The lifespan perspective is about understanding that changes occur in every period of development and these changes must be looked at as a product of the culture and of the specific situation surrounding the change. † There are a lot of things that define lifespan but one perspective is life-long. Life is not dominated by one moment or period in your life. According to experts, the life span perspective of human development involves three key developmental domains (Hernandez, 2008). These are the physical domain, the cognitive domain, and the social domain. The physical domain deals with the physical changes that a person goes through. For example, height, shape changes, weight fluctuations, and puberty can all be described as changes that happen in the physical domain. Here are three theories: Freud’s psychosexual development theory, Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development and Havighurst’s developmental stage and tasks. * What influence me about Freud’s view is I believe there is some truth that in some way we all have sexual impulses repressed. But on the other hand I believe that Erikson view about we learn to be assertive and learn to be create is also true. Finally Havighurst of development tasks are based on personal independence stages. Lifespan perspective is contextual meaning â€Å"the individual continually responds to and acts on contexts, which include a person’s biological makeup, physical environment, and social, historical, and cultural contexts† (Santrock, 1999). The heredity and the environment influence human development is how researchers tend to be interested in dimensions that determined by genetics. For example, Javier has two biological daughters who share the same biological mother. Both are tall, well mannered, and musically inclined. Despite these similarities, the older child appears socially reserved and quiet, while the younger one, who was born into the same family environment, seems more outgoing. In addition, one of his children has been diagnosed with a learning disability while the other seems exceptionally well-functioning cognitively. You must understand that nature versus nurture, heredity is in your genealogy their no way to change it accept your lifestyle choices-drinking-smoking and doing drugs will affect all organs muscles and brain functions leading down the path to cancer, heart attack, stroke, emphysema, hallucinations, depression, suicidal thoughts and so on, eat healthy exercise and get a genealogy test done of your immediately family to see what if any â€Å"diseases† carry over to your blood line. Grandparents-mother and father of both and siblings-slap stepmothers and stepchildren as well as aunts and uncles-with or without children. * In this paper we discussed the life span perspective of human development. Then we summarized three theories related to human growth and development and identify at least one influential theorist for each of them. Then we identify aspects of the life span perspective. Finally we explained how heredity and the environment influence human development. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reference 1. Bowen, J. R. (2011). Infant Social Development. Retrieved from http://www. ehow. com 2. http://social. jrank. org/pages/300/Heredity-Versus-Environment. html#ixzz1HJ4qvhaS 3. Santrock, (1999). The Lifespan perspective on Human Development. Retrieved from http://www. sasked. gov 4. Hernandez, (2008). Heredity Versus Environment-The Nature-nurture controversy exploring heredity and environment: Research methods, beyond heritability. Retrieved from http://social. jrank. org 5. : Life Expectancy at Birth by Race and Sex, 1930–2005 — Infoplease. com http://www. infoplease. com/ipa/A0005148. html#ixzz1HMEhhXPX *.