Ethics As Applied To Pain Management

Ethics As Applied To Pain Management Critically evaluate the available evidence regarding the justice beliefs in context of chronic low pain in terms of Mrs. Alices case study. Introduction The relief of pain is a core ethical duty in medicine(Johnson2007, P.1). There are many ethical issues associates with pain management. So it is important that the health care professionals should understand the ethical principles, which may help to deal with problem effectively, (Please appendix: 3 for principles of ethics related to medical practice). The people in the world have different views related to justice and injustice. They could describe numbers of examples of injustice and justice which might drawn from personnel experience or from the society .It is interesting to know that most people tend to uphold a the view of justice beliefs in the world that isthey live in a world where people generally get what they deserve, Lerner and Millier (1978,p.1030), Haferand Begue(2005). The justice beliefs are individually associated with psychological adjustment and it could be a reflection on objective assessments of the justice received by other human beings, Sutton et al.(2008) The multifaceted nature of chronic pain is influenced by pain beliefs Sloan et al. (2008). McParland and Knussen (2010) reported that a justice belief also has influence in experience of chronic pain and pain behaviors. The people who have justice belief s are motivated to belief that the world operates in a fair and legitimate manner (Sutton et al.2008), and they will be able to pursuits long-term goals and maintain physical and psychological well being,( Kathleen and Claudia 2005;Laurin et al.2011;Dalbert 2002). The human perceive injustice when they expose to a situation primarily characterised by violation from human rights or to challenge the just world beliefs. Fetchenhauer and Huang(2004). 2. Aims of the assignment The assignment aimed to explore the available evidence regarding the impact of justice beliefs in chronic pain sufferers and their reaction to injustice based on Mrs. Alices Case study. The assignment also aimed to evaluate the evidences on ethic principles. Case study Mrs. Alice is a 39-year old nurse, mother of two, who has been suffering from low back pain for last two years. The patient has no specific medical history. She attended the general practice in past in intermittent bouts. She was taking analgesics that did not make any difference for her pain. The x-ray was normal. She has been subjected to persistent suspicions of malingering from doctors and employers, as she has no objective finding. Mrs Alice currently presenting with the statement that everyone misunderstood my pain as moaning but I am in pain, might be they didnt understand me properly 3. Search Strategy A literature search was done using Science direct, pub med, google scholar, Medline, Ovid for relevant studies done in past 5 years. But this assignment only included one quote from 1978, which is relevant for this review. The key words included for the search were justice beliefs, injustice, justice, pain, pain management, chronic pain, unfairness and combination of these words. The search was limited to studies conducted in human beings and published in English. There was lack of literature regarding chronic back pain to assess the influence of injustice and justice beliefs. Hence searches were extended to other chronic pain conditions. Each of the papers were analysed for validity and rigour according to the framework given by (Rees 1997, cited in Taylor 2009). See appendix 2. The strength of evidence was established using the Hierarchies of evidence framework Dawson (2004). See appendix 1. 4. Literature Review McParland and Knussen (2010) conducted a cross sectional questionnaire design to find out the impact of general and personal beliefs to moderate psychological distress in the experience of chronic pain. The study was conducted in support groups, from national chronic pain organisation in Scotland. The recruited participants were from arthritis and fibromyalgia groups and they were asked to complete the questionnaires. The findings from the study suggests that strong general justice belief is beneficial for psychological well being in the context of chronic pain and it helps cope with pain intensity and disability. Table:1 McParland and Knussen (2010,p. 72) The study used reliable self-report questionnaires to collect data from samples. See appendix 5 for questionnaires used in the study. The use of reliable tools for the study could the increase the internal validity of the study and maximizes the value of the results. The conducted study was using the samples from National chronic pain organization in Scotland so the beliefs could be influenced by cultural and educational factors of the area. The beliefs could differ in different ethnic populations Sloan et al. (2008). As the study was conducted in United Kingdom the results would be more applicable for clinical practice for this country. There are some weak points for this study as mentioned the questionnaires wre given to interested patients from the group. This might attract samples that have strong personal and general beliefs into the study. This way of sample recruitment might bias the result and affect the validity. The sample was collected from community support groups of arthritis and fibromyalgia where they receive personal and social support from health professionals. This could be argued that these patients might already affect psychosocial distress because of their condition. Mcparland and Knussen (2010) that people experience less psychosocial distress when they hold strong personal beliefs. So there could be a chance for bias in sample selection that affects the validity of the study results. The accuracy of the completed questionnaires is uncertain as participants might already suffer psychological distress or pain. The self-report questionnaires could naturally bias the persons feeling at the time the y complete the questionnaire as the participants were requested to complete and return the questionnaire by post. It would be better if the researcher asked to complete the questionnaires in a controlled time and site. This method biases the data collection and could affect the validity and reliability of the result. More over the researcher and assistant met the participants to introduce the study and given contact details. So the study was not blinded. According to just world theory the people who has strong belief just world will be motivated to defend their belief when they encounter any evidence of injustice McParland (2011). They might find a positive explanation for injustice that is occurred and blame themselves. The reviewed study also agreed that justice beliefs in the recruited sample helped to cope with pain intensity and disability. Mrs Alice believed that she would receive a fair approach from health professionals but she experienced unfairness and injustice with the treatment. It is interesting to note that the way she tried to defend her feeling they didnt understand me properly. The reaction with injustice might not be the same in chronic pain sufferers. The chronic pain sufferer who perceives injustice or unfairness can influence their physical and mental health. This is also proposed in Perceived Unfairness Model, Jackson et al. (2006). See appendix 4 for perceived unfairness model. The recurrent episodes of perceiving unfairness (ie. Micro Agressions) can be coupled with helplessness, lack of control and compromise to physical health, (Jackson et al. 2006; Zempsky 2009). Sullivan et al. 2008; Sullivan et al.2009 also reported that perceived injustice has an impact on pain severity in samples after muskuloskeletal injury. Based on hierarchy of evidence the strength of evidence achieved for this is level 2b. So there is a need for further stronger studies to elucidate the role of justice beliefs in psychological distress, pain variables and disability. McParland et al. (2010) conducted a study to investigate the impact of justice and injustice in context of everyday life of a chronic pain sufferer. The samples from general practice recognized chronic pain as a major problem in United Kingdom. The participants recruited from different socio-economic areas upper (n=5), middle (=4), lower (n=6) to explore the impact of justice and injustice from different viewpoint. The study examined injustice related concepts like fairness, deservingness and entitlement. The finding from the study is presented in Table 2. Table:2 The main findings from McParland et al. (2010) -The justice related issues in chronic pain sufferer influenced by their social and personnel concerns and needs. -The concepts fairness, deservingness, entitlement of was dominated in participants and reflected in terms of distributive justice prin ­ciples equality and need. -The middle and lower socio economic class samples presented with egotistic construction of justice in terms of equality and need. -The chronic pain appeared as a social problem as much as a medical problem This study was conducted, as a semi-structured interview by the interviewer, which could perceive appropriate feelings of the participants that may not be possible in self-report questionnaire. It is worth mentioning that the study carefully examined the mental status of the participants and ensured the appropriateness of samples for interview. The justice beliefs, psychological distress and pain variables are interrelated McParland and Knussen (2010). Choosing the appropriate study sample is essential to achieve accurate and trusted study results. The sample size of this study was small (n=15) would affect the validity of the study. More over the recruited sample were between ages 18-65. McParland and Knussen (2010) reported that people get strong personal and general beliefs when they get older. So inclusion of these age groups (18-65) could affect the rigor of the study and validity of result. The study was exploring the ideas of injustice in chronic sufferer based on their socio-economic classes. The chronic pain sufferers from different socio-economic classes evaluated injustice based on their on social concerns and needs. The sample response highlighted that chronic pain sufferers are facing social issues which might due to injustice, that could contributing to their chronic nature of pain. So chronic pain should consider as a social problem as much as medical problem. Social issues can cause chronic pain or chronic pain can cause social issues. The heath care professionals can play a role to minimize the injustice from medical filed and they also can play a role to minimize the chronic pain too. McParland et al. (2010) highlighted that chronic pain sample experienced social issues due to injustice. In Mrs. Alice case she has the right to get appropriate treatment but her autonomy has been removed and felt unfairness. The experience of unfairness and unrelieved pain would make an impact of her family finance and employment. These factors also costs disability care and benefit system. So there is a need to uphold ethic principle, which is the duty of care to protect the patient from harm (Non-maleficence). The appropriate pain management respects the ethic principles, which included autonomy, non-maleficence, fairness and duty of care. McParland and Knussen (2009) presented a research report after conducted a second phase for the above study, which aimed to explore the justice related concept in chronic pain using Q methodology. The sample included chronic pain sufferers (n=33), spouses (n=9), health professional lecturers (n=15) and members of public (n=22). The participants are provided a grid with 47 comments ranging from +5 to -5. See appendix 5 for grid. In Q factor analysis eigen values >1 represented participants with similar concepts about injustice related to chronic pain. This study analyse six factors with eigen value >1. See table 3 for analysed factors. Participants expressed concepts of injustice in related to chronic pain in terms of blame, victimisation and perceive neglect of need after Q factor analysis. Table:3 McParland and Knussen (2009,p.1-4) The factors emerged after Q factor analysis 1) Pain is normal. Its not about injustice 2) Pain is awful. Its societys fault 3) Chronic pain is not your fault, but it is your responsibility to address it 4) Its not fair. There should be a cure for pain 5) If you are unlucky enough to suffer chronic pain, you deserve help 6) There is hope that the injustice of chronic pain will be rectified . There are some good points about this study. The statistical analysis was presented in a clear and meaningful way. The study used Q methodology, which assess the subjective viewpoints effectively like life experience, stress, satisfaction etc. , Noori (2008). So the Q methodology was an appropriate method to find the participants view about injustice that increases internal validity and maximise the result strength for the study. One of the weak points in this study was that the chance of selection bias as the study sample was recruited from primary, secondary care, support group and public from United Kingdom. The method of sample selection might extract data based on nations culture and beliefs. The beliefs could be influence by cultural and educational factors, also differ in different ethnic populations Sloan et al. (2008). Thus recruiting sample from specific population could limit extrapolating the results into general population. But will promote applicability of this study to UK population. The chronic pain sufferer from the study sample expressed concepts regarding injustice as blame victimisation and perceived neglect of need. McParland and Knussen (2009) reported that the sufferers perceived injustice when they perceived something wrong, might be about pain or related to pain management or lack of acceptance from society or influence pain in everyday life. Miler (2001) also reported that people perceives injustice when they go through sufferings that would originate from an undeserved manner. The reflection of this statement could find from Mrs. Alices case when she perceived unfairness in her treatment. The life with chronic pain may lead to significant loss to finance, employment and independence (Harris Barton 2003). These losses can be permanent or temporary, Evans et al. (2001). Its a human tendency that putting blame on others when they feel a discrepancy in their life. The chronic pain sufferer who blames others for their situation could experience more depression, stress and weak response to treatment, Sullivan et al. (2008). Sullivan et al. (2008) also reported that when chronic pain patients perceive injustice they may focus on injustice happened rather than their treatment or rehabilitation processes. According to hierarchy of evidence used in this assignment, this research report achieved level 2c. This research is still continuing, awaiting more interpretation and analysis related to concepts of injustice among chronic pain sufferers. In future more evidence-based studies should be considered to revel the complex nature of injustice in chronic pain sufferers. Zempsky (2009) presented an article, which was reinforcing the importance of fostering trust and justice in the treatment of chronic pain conditions. The article discussed a case of a 19-year-old man with sickle cell disease presented with progressive leg and back pain. The patient appeared in emergency department with pan score 9-10 but appeared in a relax manner. He was using headphone and singing songs. The perceived disbelief by clinical staff sent him into waiting room and received requested dose of morphine with doubt and disdain after several hours. In this case the clinical staff stigmatised the patient as a drug seeker or drug abuser and neglected the intensity of pain. The patient who is in pain expects justice and fairness with their treatment, where they could express their problem. They anticipate that the health care staff will listen, understand, treat with empathy and approach them in a non-judgemental way, Serpell(2011). When patients feel injustice, the situation ca n link with psychological and physical abnormalities. In case of chronic pain perceived injustice can leads to stress severe pain and disability, Zempsky (2009). This article emphasized that pain is an individual experience, which a person sometimes not able to express as well as they felt. There are chances for underestimating pain by health professionals even tough patients express the pain as they felt. Patients in chronic pain sometimes dont present with signs autonomic response (changes in blood pressure, pulse, sweating etc.) or behavioural features (moaning, wincing), Serpell (2011). The healthcare professionals should understand that severe pain with absence of physiological and behavioural changes is common in chronic pain conditions, Zempsky (2009). When we consider the case of Mrs Alice the physician might not recognise the pain appropriately. According to Notcutt (2011) there is lack of formal and continuous education regarding the pain and its management among health professionals. The American academy of code of ethics for pain management mentioned that the practitioners are responsible for maintain their professional competence and they are obligated to reveal their education, training, experience and continuous education to public. The pain management field is fast growing and moving towards more effective treatment modalities. So it emphasis the importance of continuous education for all who works in this field. The practitioners who abstain from continuous education may cause harm to the patient ( maleficence), which is against the ethic principles. Mrs Alice might be poorly managed or abandoned due to lack of knowledge of chronic pain management among health professionals. The principles of ethics emphasize that the pat ients in chronic pain are entitled to get fairness in their treatment, which is beneficial for the patient by minimising harm (non-maleficence). The pain management practitioner or all working in for pain management should keep good understanding of ethical framework regarding pain management. Notcutt (2011), presented structured criteria to face with clinical ethics situation. See appendix 7 for criteria. It is not always easy to deal with situation because of many reasons. The proper understanding of basic principles will tackle the situation appropriately. Lauris et al (2005) presented an approach for ethical reasoning and a comparison of clinical and ethical reasoning. See appendix 8 9. According to hierarchy of evidence reviewed in this assignment this article achieved level 5. So there is a need for clinical experimental studies to reinforce these findings. Sullivan et al. (2009) conducted a study to evaluate the role of pain and perceived injustice in posttraumatic stress. The samples were 112 individuals who attended rehabilitation clinics after whiplash injuries. In logistic examination the perceived injustice appeared as a unique predictor for persistence of posttraumatic symptoms. The study emphasise the importance of effective interventions which is intending to manage perception of injustice in case of posttraumatic stress after whiplash injuries. See the results in table 4. Table:4 Sullivan et al. (2009,p.329) There are some weak points for this study. The sample recruited from rehabilitation clinics where they provide multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme for patients after whiplash injuries. It could be argued that these patients might already influence by the rehabilitation programme. So the sample might not represent a generalisation of the study that result into a general population. The sampling also biased the inclusion of more female participants (76 women, 36 men), according to Sullivan et al. (2008) the men perceive more injustice than women. This would affect the internal validity of the result. The participants were asked to complete questionnaires to assess physical, cognitive and affective variables related to their posttraumatic stress. This would have been done better if the data collected based on structured interview as self-report questionnaires could naturally biased by peoples feelings at the time they complete it. Hence the method of data collection might bias th e result and affect the result validity. The identification of problems related to perception of injustice helps to identify the reason for suffering among chronic pain sufferers. Mrs. Alice perceived injustice might be due to poor interaction from practitioners or due to the attitude of negativity from practitioners. The interaction between practitioners and patients is imperative in management of chronic pain. All health care professionals should understand as part of patient treatment we have a duty of care to work towards their beneficence. The other issue might happen because of the attitude of negativity towards the patient from health care professionals. The negativity could develop due to patients appearance (eg. Obesity) or due to behaviour. The health care provider should understand listen and provide them justice in their treatment and uphold the principle of duty of care. Based on hierarchy of evidence used in this assignment, the strength of evidence achieved for this s tudy is level 2b. Further studies should be considered based on weak points of the present study. Conclusion The people who believes in just world uphold the concept that they live in a world where people generally get what they deserve. Lerner and Millier (1978,p1030). The people who have justice beliefs could be able to pursuits long-term goals and maintain physical and psychological well being, (Kathleen and Claudia 2005; Laurin et al. 2011; Dalbert 2002). McParland and Knussen (2010) conducted a cross sectional study and reported that justice beliefs have influence in experience of chronic pain and pain behaviours. The study proved that strong justice beliefs are beneficial for psychological well being and helped to cope with pain intensity and disability. The also reported that older people uphold stronger justice beliefs and experience less pain. Human beings perceive injustice normally when they expose to a situation primarily characterised by violation from human rights or to challenge just world beliefs, Fetchenhauer and Huang (2004). According to just world theory the people who h as strong belief in just world motivated to defend their belief when they encounter any evidence of injustice, McParland (2011). The chronic pain sufferers who perceive injustice or unfairness can influence the physical and mental health (Jackson et al.2006; Sullivan et al.2008; Sullivan et al.2009; zempsky2009). Mc Parland et al. (2010) reported that justice related issues in chronic pain sufferers influenced by their own social and personal concerns and needs. McParland and Knussen (2009) reported that the participants expressed concepts regarding injustice related to chronic pain in terms of blame, victimisation and perceived neglect of need. The case of Mrs. Alice highlighted that she perceived unfairness in her treatment. The reason for perceived unfairness could be the attitude of health professionals. It is essential to analyse the route cause of this attitude in order to implement efficient pain management among chronic pain sufferers. Some of the problems could be poor interaction between practitioners and patients or could be a attitude of negativity towards the patient from health care professionals or lack of individualised care plan for pain management or lack of knowledge to manage the pain, Notcutt (2011). According to Notcutt (2011) there is lack of formal and continuous education regarding pain and its management among health professionals. The appropriate pain management respects the ethic principles which includes autonomy, non-maleficence , fairness and duty of care. The reviewed studies proved that justice beliefs and perceived injustice are relevant among chronic pain sufferers. So it would be necessary to conduct more experimental studies to find more about role of perceived injustice and justice beliefs  among chronic pain sufferers. The proper understanding of these subjects would be more  helpful for efficient management plan for chronic pain sufferers. 6 References Dalbert,C. 2002 Beliefs in a Just World as a Buffer Against Anger. Social Justice Research, 15(2), pp.123-145. Dawson A 2004 Asthma in the Australian indigenous population: a review of the evidence. The international electronic journal of rural and remote health research. [cited 18th November 2009] Available from internet: Evans, T. H., Mayer, T. G. and Gatchel, R. J. 2001 Recurrent disabling work-related spinal disorders after prior injury claims in a chronic low back pain population. Spine, 1(3), pp.183-189. Fetchenhauer, D. and Xu, H. 2004 Justice sensitivity and distributive decisions in experimental games. Personality and Individual Differences, 36(5), pp.1015-1029. Hafer, C. L. and Bà ¨gue, L. 2005 Experimental research on just-world theory: problems, developments, and future challenges. Psychological Bulletin, 131(1), pp.128-167. Harris, S., Morley, S. and Barton, S. B. 2003 Role loss and emotional adjustment in chronic pain. Pain, 105(1), pp.363-370. Jackson, B., Laura, D., Kubzansky. Rosalind, J. and Wright. 2006 Linking Perceived Unfairness to Physical Health: The Perceived Unfairness Model  Ã‚  Review of General Psychology, 10(1), pp.21-40. Johnson, S. H. 2007 Legal and ethical perspectives on pain management. Anesthesia and analgesia, 105(1), pp.5-7. Kathleen, O. and Claudia, D. 2005 Belief in a just world and its functions for young prisoners. Journal of Research in Personality, 39(6), pp.559-573. Laurin, K., Fitzsimons, G. M. and Kay.A.C 2011 Social disadvantage and the self-regulatory function of justice beliefs. Journal of personality and social psychology, 100(1), pp.149-171. Lauris, C. K., Robert, F. W. and Thomas, P. 2005 A Clinicians Approach to Clinical Ethical Reasoning. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 20(3), pp.306-311. Lerner,M.J. and Miller,D.T. 1978 Just world research and the attribution process: Looking back and ahead. Psychological Bulletin, 85(5), pp.1030-1051. Mcparland, J. (2011) What is fair about pain? A quantitative and qualitative examination of justice beliefs [ppt] Glasgow Caledonion University Mcparland, J. L. and Eccleston, C. 2009 Exploring justice issues in chronic pain: sufferer and partner perspectives. Glasgow Caledonian University. Mcparland, J. L., Eccleston, C., Osborn, M. and Hezseltine, L. 2010 Its not fair: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of discourses of justice and fairness in chronic pain. Pain, 107(3), pp.220-226. Mcparland, J. L. and Knussen, C. 2010 Just world beliefs moderate the relationship of pain intensity and disability with psychological distress in chronic pain support group members. European Journal of Pain, 14(1), pp.71-76. Miller, D. T. 2001 Disrespect and the experience of injustice. Annual Review of Psychology, 52(1), pp.527-553. Noori, A. D. 2008 Methodology in Nursing Research-A Promising Method for the Study of Subjectivity. Western Journal of research, 30(6), pp.759-773. Notcutt,W. (2011) Everyday Ethical issues in Pain [ppt], Cardiff University. Serpell, M. (2011) Justice and Chronic Pain [ppt], Cardiff University. Sloan, T. J., Gupta, R., Zhang, W. and Walsh, D. A. 2008 Beliefs about the causes and consequences of pain in patients with chronic inflammatory or noninflammatory low back pain and in pain-free individuals. Spine, 33(9), pp.966-972. Sullivan, H. A., Michael, J. L., Sharon, H., Denise, M., Dan, B. and Richard, G. 2008 The Role of Perceived Injustice in the Experience of Chronic Pain and Disability: Scale Development and Validation. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 18(3), pp.249-261. Sullivan, M. J., Thibault, P., Simmonds, M. J., Milioto, M., Cantin, A. P. and Velly, A. M. 2009 Pain, perceived injustice and the persistence of post-traumatic stress symptoms during the course of rehabilitation for whiplash injuries. Pain, 145(3), pp.325-331. Sutton, R. M., Douglas, K. M., Wilkin, K., Elder, T. J., Cole, J. M. and Stathi, S. 2008 Justice for whom, exactly? Beliefs in justice for the self and various others. Personality and social psychology bulletin, 34(4), pp.528-541. Taylor, A. 2009 Critiquing quantitative research, Cardiff University [cited on 18th November 2009] Available from internet: www.cue.cf.ac.uk Zempsky, W. T. 2009 Treatment of sickle cell pain: fostering trust and justice. The Journal of American Medical Association, 302(22), pp.2479-2480. 7. Appendices Appendix 1:Hierarchy of evidence Hierarchy of evidence Level of Evidence Description 1a Systematic review of randomised, controlled clinical trials (RCT) 1b Individual randomised controlled clinical trial 1c All or none 2a Systematic review of cohort studies 2b Individual cohort study (including low-quality RCT) 2c Outcomes research 3a Systematic review of case-control studies 3b Individual case-control study 4 Case series, poor quality cohort and case-control studies and reviews 5 Expert opinion without explicit critical appraisal Appendix 2: Framework for critiquing quantitative research (after Rees 1997) Focus In broad terms what is the theme of the article? What are the key words you would file this under? Are the key words in the title a clue to the focus? How important is this focus for clinical practice? Background What argument or evidence does the researcher provide that suggests this topic is worth exploring? Is there a critical review of previous research on the subject? Are the gaps in the literature or inadequacies with previous methods highlighted? Are local problems or changes that justify the study presented? Is there a trigger that answers the question why did they do it then? Terms of reference Does the researcher state terms of reference? This will usually start with the word to e.g. the aim of this research was to examine/determine/compare/establish/etc. In the case of clinical research there may only be a statement of the hypothesis or hypotheses that the researcher(s) wished to test. Is it possible to identify dependent and independent variables Remember level 1 questions will not have both, neither will a correlation study. Are there concept and operational definitions? Study design What is the broad research approach? Is it experimental? Descriptive? Action research or audit? Is it quantitative or qualitative? Is the study design appropriate to the terms of reference/hypothesis/research question? Data collection methods What tool of data collection has been used? Has a single method been used, or triangulation? Has the author addressed the issues of reliability and validity? Has a pilot study been conducted? Have strengths and limitations been recognised by the author? Ethical considerations Were the issues of informed consent and confidentiality addressed? Was any harm or discomfort to individuals balanced against benefits? Did a local ethics committee consider the study?

Relationship Between Construction Industry And Global Warming Environmental Sciences Essay

Relationship Between Construction Industry And Global Warming Environmental Sciences Essay Global warming refers to an average increase in the Earths temperature, which cause change in climate. This phenomenon is mainly caused by human activities which emit greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). It is believed that the use of non-renewable energy has increased the carbon concentration in the atmosphere and has also increased the Earths temperature. Among all the human activities that emit GHGs, construction industry should held responsibilities too. In a recent publication by Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change, it was indicated that the largest growth in the carbon emissions has come from electricity generation, transport, industry and above all, from building operation (Radhi, 2009). Therefore, is the operation and construction of building emits CO2, not the building itself. Energy required for a building to operate is mainly on heat ing and cooling purposes. In United States (US), a full 30% of CO2 emission is caused by built environment. While in United Kingdom (UK), energy use related to construction industry amounts to around 55% of national energy consumption, which means the industry is also the source of 55% of CO2 emission (Parsa and Farshchi, 1996). In order to reduce carbon emission, constructing a building with energy efficiency or low carbon emission is a trend in nowadays construction industry. To achieve a building with low or even zero carbon emission, the design and equipment used by the building is crucial and must be energy efficient. For example, instead of using artificial lighting, natural lighting is being use for the same purpose while mechanical ventilation is replaced by natural ventilation. Besides, the issue of global warming has had governments concern. Lots of regulations and restrictions have been amends to reduce carbon or GHGs emission. Among all those regulations, Kyoto Protocal is the one most well known. The purpose of Kyoto Protocal is to reduce the emission of GHGs from industrialised countries by 5.2% of the 1990 levels by a commitment period between 2008 2012 (Hill, 2001). On the other hand, the UK Climate Change Bill will commit the UK law to a target of at least a 60% reduction in CO2 emission by 2050. 1.3 Aim To analyse how construction industry could contribute to global warming and what efforts have been made in order to reduce global warming. 1.4 Objectives To study the factors in which construction industry had caused global warming. To determine the role of governments in setting rules and regulations to reduce global warming. To identify efforts that has been done by local construction industry to follow the green footsteps. 1.5 Background Global warming has been a growing global concern in recent years. Global warming could leads to greenhouse effects, climate change, rise in mean sea level, acid rain and depletion in ozone layer (Parsa and Farshchi, 1996). Global warming is caused by emission of anthropogenic greenhouse gases. Among basket of GHGs, CO2 plays the most vital role. Due to the developing of each country, it can be seen that the carbon emission has become more serious. During the 150 years of the industrial age, the atmospheric concentration of CO2 has increased by 31 percent (West, 2009) Carbon emission comes from domestic industry, burning of fossil fuels, transport and many other factors. Among all those sources, burning of fossil fuels or non-renewable energy for electricity generation emits the most carbon dioxide. Besides, CO2 could lead to greenhouse effects as heat from sun and lighting is being trapped in earths atmosphere and causing the rise of temperature in earths surface (Mahwah, 2000). On the other hand, climate change means a change in long term weather pattern. While rise in mean sea level is because of melting of south and north pole ice due to rising temperature. Other than carbon dioxide, release of methane is another factors causes global warming. Over 150 years of industrial age, there has been 151% rise in atmospheric methane level mainly from agricultural activities (West, 2009). Emission of nitrious oxide which is another kind of greenhouse gases also emitted mainly due to various agriculture and industrial process. Besides, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) are also categorised in the basket of greenhouse gases. 1.6 Scope of Study This study will include the definition and cause of global warming, efforts made and role of government in reducing global warming. This study would reveal the awareness of construction industry in global warmings issue and what have been done to reduce it. It is done through observing whether there are increasing numbers of sustainable or green buildings. Besides, since this issue has raised global concern, this study also would show what haven been done by government regard this matter. In order to find out causes of global warming, information would be search online or in library. A case study will be conduct in order to have a further understanding of efforts made to reduce global warming. Zero energy office which is located at Bandar Baru Bangi would be visited and interviewed the relevant personnel. This building is the first completely self-sustainable building in Southeast Asia. The design, equipment and other sustainable items in that building would be studied. Interview wit h the related person should be carrying out if possible to have a deeper understanding on the buildings principal. 1.7 Methodology Stage 1: Literature review This is a stage where a lot of comprehensive review is required to have a broader knowledge about global warming. I will be looking for secondary data source at this stage which is through reading articles or journals from online resources or library. The resources that I am looking forward are mainly on causes of global warming which related to construction industry and rules and regulations set out by government to deal with global warming. Stage 2: Case study In order to have a more in-depth analysis of global warming awareness in construction industry, I will be conducting a case study in Malaysia by searching for energy efficient or low carbon emission building. The building that I found which fit to the requirement is Pusat Tenaga Malaysia located at Bandar Baru Bangi, Kuala Lumpur. I will visit to the building and conduct an interview with the person in charge of the building in order to have a deeper understanding of how it works and its principle. This case study would be used to establish the efforts that have been made to reduce global warming. Stage 3: Evaluation of case study After conducting a case study, I will review and analyse the information and photos collected in the building that I have studied. It is to identify whether the building is really environmentally friendly and is it capable of reducing the impact to environment to minimum. Stage 4: Writing up After doing all the research, understanding and getting enough information, it enables me to writing up the content following the dissertation that I proposed in this stage. Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction In this chapter, issues related to causes of global warming and environmental regulations which are related to construction industry are going to be talked about. When someone mention about global warming, many are pointing fingers to construction industry and recent studies have showed that construction industry do held responsibilities. In construction industry, the energy usage to operate building, embodied energy and construction activities are those which held responsibilities in carbon emissions. However, due to global awareness, many countries have come out with solutions to solve this issue and governments play an important role in this matter. In order to reduce carbon emissions, many rules and regulations have been set to ensure that they are complied by designers and contractors. Such rules and regulations are Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change Act 2008, Carbon Reduction Commitment, Display Energy Certificates and others relevant regulations. Regulations set are mandatory for construction parties to follow and hope that it will reduce carbon emissions and save our earth. 2.2 Definition 2.2.1 Global Warming The meaning of global warming as according to Dr. Spencer (2007) shows that global warming: is the expected slow, gradual warming of the lower layers of the Earths lower atmosphere by the slowly increasing concentrations of man-made greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide, and to lesser extent methane. These gases trap infrared radiation, which is heat radiation that cools the Earth. 2.2.2 Construction Industry Construction industry can be divided in to three groups which is heavy and civil engineering construction, general construction and specially trades (Economy Watch, 2010). Besides, based on Economy Watch (2010), construction industry brings the meaning of: This industry is mainly an urban based one which is concerned with preparation as well as construction of real estate properties. The repairing of any existing building or making certain alterations in the same also comes under construction industry. 2.3 Causes of Global Warming by Construction Industry 2.3.1 Facts that Construction Industry Caused Global Warming It is undeniable that construction industry should bear responsibilities for causing of global warming. Activities related to building are responsible for 35% to 45% of CO2 releases into the atmosphere. In Australia, 40% of its country energy is used for heating, cooling, building and demolishing of building (Dixon, 2008). Energy that generated to fulfill all the needs emits CO2. Besides, similar conditions occur in UK whereby about 50% of UKs total CO2 emissions have caused by construction, occupation and maintenance of buildings (Gibbs, 2007). On the other hand, buildings in US responsible for about 38% of the carbon emissions which is 39% of USs energy and 68% of its energy (WBDG, 2009). Although it is proven that construction industry is the main contributor to global warming, among the six gases in GHGs, CO2 is the gases that construction industry should held most responsibility. Another GHGs release by construction industry is CFCs and HFCs which were used in refrigeration in w hich every house have a refrigerator. However, one thing that need to be make clear is that not the building itself release GHGs, but the operation of buildings. 2.3.2 Energy Usage by Building During the lifetime of a building, it required a lot of energy in order to operate it and majority of buildings in the whole world are using electricity that is sourced mainly from coal power plants. For example, buildings produce high heat that radiates outside into the air and most buildings did not structured for such high temperature. In order to solve this problem, air-conditioning has been used. The usage of air-conditioning will increase the energy consumption and in the same time the emissions of CO2. During winter, buildings required some heating in order to keep the occupant warm. Besides, in order to make life easier, many appliances have been invented. One of the useful appliances is lighting. Lighting is essential to a modern society. About 5% of energy and 25% of average home electricity is used for lighting. In addition, approximately 60% of electricity is consumed in commercial sector (Energy Conservation, 2010). Therefore, when someone turns on and off a light, they are releasing GHGs (Environment Support, 2008). Other appliances that most of the people use nowadays is water heater, in order to heat water, energy is required to do so. Furthermore, refrigerators that involved heat exchange that consumes a significant amount of electricity each year is another daily used appliances. Another appliance that able to make our lives easier is washer and dryer to do our laundry everyday. Electricity is required for a washing machine to start doing our laundry. It is believed that around 40% of all the carbon emissions come from power plants (Christodoulou, 2010 ). All of our daily activities in a building required usage of energy which generate from power plants especially from coal. Coal releases the most carbon as compared to natural gas and oil power plants. 2.3.3 Embodied Energy By constructing a sustainable building, zero- carbon building and the like, emissions of carbon by building operations have been reduced. However, the embodied energy in the building materials has been neglect. Embodied energy is the energy used to produce building materials such as cement, steel, aluminium and other materials. However, it is not just as simple as that (Lane, 2010). Embodied energy can be meant by the non-renewable energy used in the acquisition of raw materials, processing, manufacturing, transportation to site and construction. Besides, energy used to transport building products to the site also consider as embodied energy (Giampietro, 2009). For example, a concrete block that located nearby the site will contain lower embodied energy that a concrete block from other states. This is because the energy used for transportation of the concrete block is different (Lane, 2010). Moreover, if a building has high energy efficiency or used less energy, its embodied carbon will be increased. The less carbon been released through constructing a building, the bigger percentage that embodied carbon contributes to the total carbon footprint. For example, a distribution warehouse that used less energy for heating and lighting have an embodied carbon of 60% of its total lifetime carbon footprint. Meanwhile, embodied carbon for supermarket which used a lot of energy contains only 20% of embodied carbon and a house has embodied carbon of 30%. Therefore, different type of building will have different embodied carbon. It is believed that by year 2019, embodied carbon will make up 100% of a buildings carbon footprint (Lane, 2010). Table below shows the embodied energy for different types of materials. According to the table 2.1, aluminium has the highest embodied energy in terms of MJ/kg which is 227 and the lowest is aggregate which is 0.10. For embodied energy measure in terms of MJ/m3, the highest amount would be copper which is 631164 and lowest is straw bale with a figure of 31. Table 2.1: Embodied energy in different types of materials Source: (Architecture 2030, 2010) 2.3.4 Construction Activities Other than energy used by building to operate and embodied energy, building or construction industry also emits CO2 in another manner which is by its construction activities. It is believed that the size of construction projects will affects the carbon emissions. Table below shows the relationship between civil values and construction carbons. It shows that the higher the civil value, the higher carbon emissions (United Utilities, 2009). Projects with higher civil value means that it is a big projects and big projects often required a lot of plant machinery such as excavators, tower cranes, forklift and other machineries in order to complete the whole construction projects. Besides, larger size of construction projects means that more waste is generated. In year 2004 in UK, the waste going to landfill from construction industry was about 100 million tonnes which was increased for 30 million tonnes since year 2000. This amount is equivalent to one house being buried when three houses was built. Moreover, wastage account for an extra 25% energy for waste (Natural Building Technologies, 2010). Thus, due to the increase of usage of machineries and wastage, carbon emissions for larger construction projects are higher than smaller size project Table 2.2: Relationship between civil value construction carbon Source: (United Utilities, 2009) In addition, below is a bar chart showing that carbon emissions during each breakdown of projects. Table below was made based on comparisons of ten projects. According to the graph, plant emissions have highest carbon emissions as compare to other activities. This is due to usage of diesel by plant machineries and it release high volume of CO2 (Natural Building Technologies, 2010). On the other hand, concrete industry plays an important role in construction activity since most of the part of a building is built using concrete. However, concrete industry also plays an important role in carbon emissions since the concrete industry is responsible for 5% to 7% of all global carbon emissions. Carbon emissions of concrete occur during the production process of concrete (Dixon, 2008). Table 2.3: Breakdown of project CO2 emissions by source Source: (United Utilities, 2009) 2.4 Environmental Regulations 2.4.1 Kyoto Protocol 2.4.1.1 What is Kyoto Protocol? In regard to reduce carbon emissions, Kyoto Protocol was carried out. Kyoto Protocol was a legally binding agreement agreed by many countries in December 1997 and it came into force with Russias ratification on February 16, 2005. Terms in Kyoto required at least fifty five parties to ratify the agreement and total emissions by the parties need to be at least 55% of global production of greenhouse gases (Bloch, 2010). A group of countries known as United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the founder of Kyoto Protocol and they have set a major goal of decreasing global emissions of six critical greenhouse gases levels that are 5.2 percent below what they were in 1990. The Protocol contains of twenty five articles and two Annexes which is Annex A and Annex B. Annex A contain of identification and sources of greenhouse gases while Annex B refer to lists of industrialized countries which agree to the Protocol (Lerner, 2006). Greenhouse gases which contain under Annex A are CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs and SF6. Meanwhile, countries that fall under Annex B such as European Union (EU), Canada, Japan, Norway, Australia and other countries. Target to be achieved by each country either reduction, increase or maintain is shown in Table 2.4. Countries such as EU, US, Canada, Hungary, Japan, Poland and Croatia need to achieve carbon reductions due to they are developed countries and economically stable to reduce CO2 in their industrial sector. Besides, EU was taking advantage on a scheme known as bubble. Under this scheme, EU countries can redistribute their emissions targets among themselves whereby some may increase their emissions while others reduce their em issions (UNFCCC, 2010). Meanwhile, for countries that are allow to increase their emissions is due to economic reasons. Those are developing countries and reduce in carbon emissions may affect their economic. Country Target (1990** 2008/2012) EU-15 -8% US -7% Canada, Hungary, Japan, Poland -6% Croatia -5% New Zealand, Russian Federation, Ukraine 0 Norway +1% Australia +8% Iceland +10% Table 2.4: Countries included in Annex B to the Kyoto Protocol and their emissions targets Source: (UNFCCC, 2010) 2.4.1.2 Emissions Trading In order for the countries to meet their target emissions, three market-based mechanisms were introduced. The first mechanism was emissions trading which also known as the carbon market. In this mechanism, Assigned Amount Units (AAUs) represents the allowable emissions by countries. Emissions trading that have been set out in Article 17 mention that for countries which have excess emissions units, they can sell the excess units to countries that are over their targets. The reason for this to be called as carbon market is because carbon is like any other commodity which can be tracked and traded (UNFCCC, 2010). The prices and quantities to be sold will be agreed upon the parties. However, penalties for exceeding the assigned amounts, expected costs required for cleaner technologies investments and amount of carbon emissions available for trading will be the factors that affect the price (Hill, 2001). 2.4.1.3 Joint Implementation (JI) JI that have mentioned in Article 6 explains that a party of Annex B may invest in an emission-reduction project of another Annex B party. This offers a party to earn emission reduction units (ERUs) (UNFCCC, 2010). Therefore, Grubb (Hill, 2001) states that JI enables a party to fulfill their Kyoto commitments by locating investments which can obtain most effective savings while another party able to contribute resources such as technological expertise or manpower. Moreover, the project at which a party is going to have a JI with must obtain approval from both the parties involved. Besides, the JI project must be able to reduce emissions or enhancement of removals by sinks. Projects that start from year 2000 may be eligible as JI projects as long as all the requirements have been fulfilled (UNFCCC, 2010). 2.4.1.4 Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Article 12 of Kyoto Protocol is stated about CDM. It is a mechanism which allows a country to establish an emission-reduction project in non-Annex countries which are developing countries (UNFCCC, 2010). The savings in emissions which been obtained can be allocate to the Annex B countries and saleable certified emission reduction (CER) credits which equal to one tone of CO2 can be earned. According to UNFCCC, CDM is seen by many as a trailblazer. It is the first global, environmental investment and credit scheme of its kind, providing a standardized emission offset instrument, CERs. Furthermore, an example of a project that has been registered as a CDM project is the Biomass Energy Plant Lumut in Malaysia (Selamat and Abidin,2010) 2.4.2 Part L of Building Regulations 2.4.2.1 Building Regulations Building Regulations are statutory instruments that applied to building works in England and Wales (Planning Portal, 2010). According to Planning Portal, the purpose of Building Regulations is to set standards for design and construction of buildings to ensure safety and health for people in or about those buildings. Besides, there are fourteen parts which include in the Building Regulations. All the parts are in relation to the building design and construction. All the parts in Building Regulations are shown as below: Part A Structure Part B Fire safety Part C Site preparation and resistance to moisture Part D Toxic substances Part E Resistance to the passage of sound Part F Ventilation Part G Sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency Part H Drainage and waste disposal Part J Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems Part K Protection from falling, collision and impact Part L Conservation of fuel and power Part M Access to and use of buildings Part N Glazing safety in relation to impact, opening and cleaning Part P Electrical safety 2.4.2.2 Part L Conservation of Fuel and Power Part L of Building Regulations is mainly focus on conservation of fuel and power in relation to the issue of carbon emissions. In year 2010, Part L has been revised and the revised version has been published on 30 April 2010. Starting from October 2010, four new approved documents and two compliance guides will be replacing the current versions. After the amendment in this year, the amendments to new dwellings in 2013 will lead to zero carbon in dwellings by 2016 (Cullen, 2010). Under Part L, it has been split into four sections which are sections for new dwellings, existing dwellings, new buildings other than dwellings and existing buildings other than dwellings (Planning Portal, 2010). In this revised Part L, carbon reduction for 25% is applied to dwellings while reductions depend on type of buildings will varies from 16% 40%. Examples for carbon emissions for types of buildings other than dwellings are 16% for hotel, 21% for retail, 22% for shallow-plan building (heated), 26% for supermarkets and deep-plan office (air-conditioned), 27% for school, 36% for warehouse and 40% for shallow-plan office (air-conditioned). Moreover, a design stage carbon dioxide emission rate and building specification is required to be carried out by the regulations to designers. The purpose of doing these is to help building control to understand the compliance strategy (Lane, 2010). On the other hand, Accredited Construction Details (ACD) is encouraged to be used for reduction of thermal bridging in dwellings (Cullen, 2010). If the ACD is not been used, 25% shall be added to the calculated values. Besides, the maximum allowable value for air permeability is 10.0 at completion of the dwelling. In order to meet with the requirement, the design for air permeability must be at most 8.0. However, for small developments, a value of 15.0 is still applicable. Since lightings are a significant component of carbon emissions, therefore for lighting requirements, minimum 75% of light fittings must be of low energy. If the remaining 25% are also low energy light fittings, it will contribute towards meeting the Target Emission Rate (TER) target (Hughes, 2010). U-Value shows how well heat transfer through a building element. The lower U-Value is, the rate of heat flowing through building elements slower (Broxwood, 2008). Therefore in Part L 2010, the limitations for U-value in building elements have decreased as shown in the table 2.5. The U-Value of elements for Part L 2010 have changed because this revised Part L is emphasis on reducing heat loss through party walls, improve thermal bridging and to have a better system efficiency improvements (Hughes, 2010). Table 2.5: New limiting U-Values including for party walls Source: (Hughes, 2010) 2.4.3 Climate Change Act 2008 Climate Change Act 2008 was an Act enforced by UK in regard of climate change. UK was the first country in the world to have a legally binding long-term framework to tackle with issue of global warming or climate change by reducing carbon emissions. Climate Change Act 2008 was that legally binding framework (Defra, 2010). The objectives of setting out such Act are to improve carbon management and create a low-carbon economy in UK and to show UKs leadership internationally (Department of Energy Climate Change, 2010). In order to implement and act as part of this Act, Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has been set up as an independent body. The CCC has recommended that the reduction targets for year 2050 targets should be raised from 60%. Therefore, according to the Act, at least 80% of reduction is required by year 2050 as compared to year 1990 levels (Committee on Climate Change, 2010). However, a reduction in emissions of at least 34% by year 2020 also needs to be achieved. On the other hand, several approach of managing and responding of climate change in UK have been created. Such approaches are: setting ambitious, legally binding targets, taking powers to help meet those targets, strengthening the institutional framework, enhancing the UKs ability to adapt impact of climate change and establishing clear and regular accountability to the UK Parliament and to the developed legislatures. (Department of Energy Climate Change, 2010) 2.4.3.1 Requirements under the Act Besides, carbon budget needs to be prepared in every five years starting from year 2008 -2012. Part 1 for Climate Change Act 2008 states that the carbon budget for budgetary period until year 2020 must at least 26% lower than level in year 1990 and for budgetary period until year 2050, carbon budget must at least 80% lower than year 1990s level. The purpose of having the carbon budget is to make sure that they are on the right track towards 2050 targets. Furthermore, risk assessment and plans to tackle with those risks needs to be carry out by public bodies and statutory as required by governments which obtain powers from the Act. On 30 September 2009, guidance been published by Defra for UK businesses and organizations in regard of ways to measure and report of their GHG emissions. After that on 1 October 2009, guidance has been issued by the government in regard of how companies should report on their GHG emissions. Then by 1 December 2010, contribution reporting that could lead to emissions reductions shall be review. Moreover, Companies Act 2008 could be applied by the governments for the purpose of making mandatory report or explanation on reasons of unfulfilling by 6 April 2012 (Department of Energy Climate Change, 2010). Although emissions of CO2 is using year 1990 as a baseline, not all other GHG use the same baseline. Table 2.6 shows the base year for other GHG emissions. Gas Base year methane 1990 nitrous oxide 1990 hydrofluorocarbons 1995 perfluorocarbons 1995 sulphur hexafluoride 1995 Table 2.6: Base years for targeted greenhouse gases other than carbon dioxide Source: (Climate Change Act, 2008) 2.4.4 Agenda 21 2.4.4.1 What is Agenda 21? Due to global awareness, Agenda 21 was established at year 1992 by United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil which contain of four sections. It is a plan for having sustainable development in 21st century. Governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), industry and general public are encouraged to get involved. Besides, Agenda 21 also plays as a commitment that was agreed by many governments in the world. International Commission on sustainable Development will be monitored on countries that have pledged to take part in Agenda 21. Furthermore, those countries are also being encouraged to promote Agenda 21 at local and regional levels within their own countries. Agenda 21 is focusing on the conservation and preservation of environments and natural resources (Encyclopedia of the Atmospheric Environment, 2000). It has become an outline to tackle with nowadays environmental issues such as poverty and excessive consumptions, pollutions , deforestation and others. 2.4.4.2 Local Agenda 21 in Hammersmith and Fulham Local Agenda 21 (LA21) is a plan established by local authority following the objective of Agenda 21 which is sustainable development (Srinivas, 2010). For LA21 in Hammersmith and Fulham, the main concerns are on recycling or waste management, air quality of transport, sustainable economy, health or disability, biodiversity and the river thames or waterways. The main objective for Hammersmith and Fulham to adopt LA21 is to create a more sustainable lifestyle and to ensure the benefits of future generations would not be endanger by our decisions today. Besides, LA21 offers alternatives to solve against wrong ways of doing things nowadays such as throwing away piles of rubbish, wastage of resources, polluting air and others (Hammersmith and Fulham, 2005). On the other hand, LA21 in Hammersmith and Fulham have six key elements which are: To supervise and enhance the local authoritys own environmental performance. It can be done through assurance by corporate, training of staff and raised awareness, a system to manage environment and the like. To integrate sustainable development aims into local authoritys policies and activities such as planning of land use, development

Free College Admissions Essays: Human Resources Management :: College Admissions Essays

I am Committed to Human Resources Management The decision for me to become an industrial relations major was not really my own, I have to admit. My uncle, a human resource manager with Welch-Allyn, spent the majority of every holiday gathering throughout my senior year of high school trying to dissuade me from becoming a business major. He would tell me, "This is a rare undergraduate degree and a growing field." Then he would frighten me by saying, "We have very similar personalities, so you would be a fantastic H.R. manager." Eventually he convinced me that it was my best option. And I haven't regretted it. Although I credit my uncle with inspiring my initial decision, my constantly growing interest in this field and desire to continue my education has grown from two sources: the Industrial Relations faculty at LeMoyne and my vocation as a martial arts instructor for almost five years. From my professors, I have learned the practical side of my intended profession: the multitude of laws protecting worker's rights in the workplace, procedures for collective bargaining and arbitration, and how compensation systems function. My job, on the other hand, has helped me acquire the "people" skills that are crucial to being an effective H.R. manager. In the course of a normal workday, I must communicate with a diverse group of people ranging in age from three to seventy-two years old. Each student has unique needs and goals that I must identify and pay attention to. I must constantly evaluate students and give them constructive feedback, walking that fine line between support and criticism. At t he same time, I delegate tasks to the less senior instructors and class helpers, while helping them improve their teaching skills. It is challenging and constantly educational. These two sources, my professors and my job, have succeeded in transforming a disinterested college freshman into a senior who has a focused career path. My ultimate career goal is to be a general human resource manager or recruiter for a high-tech or pharmaceutical company. These are industries in which I foresee great potential for growth in the future. I enjoy every aspect of my major, and I look forward to the variety of tasks and obstacles I will face as an H.R. manager. The prospect of interacting with people on a daily basis appeals to me immensely in a job.

Controversies Over Technology in Early Childhood Classrooms Essay

Controversies Over Technology in Early Childhood Classrooms The role of technology in early childhood education is a controversial topic to both teachers and parents. The main concerns of both teachers and parents is the potential benefits for young children’s learning and development.. Supporters and non-supporters agree on the importance of young children’s social, emotional, cognitive and physical development. Supporters feel children should have the opportunity to use the computer as another tool to aide in and encourage their development. Non-supporters agree the computer may be a useful tool for young children but feel many teachers may not be using the computers in the best way to promote a healthy development in the child. They also contend that introducing the computer takes away from important learning experiences such as play and art (NWREL, 2001). School programs are now working on ways to better integrate computers into the classrooms in order to offer the young children the opportunities to develop the necessary skills to grow as students (Gimbert, 2004). The purpose of this research paper is to examine the controversies that surround technology use in early childhood classrooms. Introducing Technology into the Classroom Properly introducing technology into early childhood classrooms is the first and crucial step in producing a new and useful tool for students to use to enhance their learning. Many researchers do not recommend introducing computers to children young than three because they are not developmentally ready ((Haugland, 2000). It is useful to start off introducing a computer to young children in a group setting because it is general information all children need to know. The teacher may begi... ...about the different ways in which young children experience computers in the classroom setting. It included a study done of kindergarteners from about 22,000 different public and private schools and examined they availability of computers to these children. Romeo, G. (2003). Touching the screen: issues related to the use of touch screen technology in early childhood education. British journal of educational technology, 3, 329-339. In this Journal there was a study performed on early childhood students and their reaction to touch screen computers. The results were more negative rather than positive proving that it was more productive to use the mouse and keyboard for young children. Shade, D. (1999). Integrating technology into the early childhood classroom: the case of literacy learning. Information technology in Childhood Education Annual. 1999, 221-254.

Hamlet Virtue vs. Villainy Essays -- Shakespeare Hamlet

Hamlet Virtue vs. Villainy   Ã‚   The legendary drama, Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare is a play illustrating the theme of virtue vs. villainy. The 17th century tragedy is plagued with treachery and deceit as it opens with the news of a foul murder in the kingdom of Denmark. Prince Hamlet, by word of his late father's ghost, is informed that his uncle Claudius is to blame for his father's sudden demise. Prince Hamlet's mission is to uncover the secrets surrounding the murder and to avenge his father's death. Thus, the insidious web of disease and corruption is formed. The relationship between disease leading to the greater corruption of Denmark plays a significant role in the lives of the principle players.    The literary piece, Hamlet, is riddled with an abundance of seemingly diseased attitudes, perceptions, schemes, and acts. Disease is an impairment that interferes with normal bodily function. However, as demonstrated throughout the play, disease takes on many forms, not only in a physical sense, but in a mental sense also. The young Prince Hamlet conveys his secret thoughts of helplessness and suicide. "To be, or not to be, that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them" (Act III, i, Lines 64-68). He contemplates whether it will be deemed nobler to intentionally take one's life than to face the struggles he is forced to endure. The prince is torn between his diseased mentality that drives him to express his thoughts of suicide and the promise of more corruption by avenging his father's death.   Before her suspected suicide, Ophelia gives evide nce of her mental d... ... are obviously diseased; for it is neither commonplace, nor sane to kill other people. Corruption evolves from disease.    In the renowned drama, Hamlet, the association of disease leading to greater corruption is prominent and plays a key role in the lives of the principle players.    The reader is afforded a glimpse into the tragic lives of the characters that openly deceive and betray those considered most dear to them. The murder of King Hamlet sets the stage for the disastrous ruin of the kingdom, along with the lives of those living in it. The tragic lives of the characters, whose diseased method of thought clearly illustrate the fact that disease leads to eventual corruption.    Work Cited Shakespeare, William. The New Cambridge Shakespeare: Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Philip Edwards. Cambridge: Cambridge U P, 1985.   

Protection and Freedom: Why We Need Our Right to Bear Arms Essay

Fourteen-year-old Jessica Carpenter was left to babysit her younger siblings while her parents were running errands the morning of August 23, 2000. Armed with only a pitchfork, Jonathon David Bruce, who was high on drugs, entered the home and began chasing and stabbing the children. Jessica’s father had taught her how to use a firearm, but she could not access the gun because it was locked up in accordance with California state law. She was left unprotected and unable to defend herself and her family (Pratt). Situations like these are why it is necessary for our right to bear arms to not be infringed. Guns, when allowed to be carried by citizens, can cause a decrease in crime. â€Å"If a criminal thinks his potential victim may be armed, he may be deterred from committing the crime† (Freakonomics) The right to bear arms is necessary because it is constitutionally protected under the second amendment, leads to safer communities, offers personal protection, and because gun control is essentially impossible and would only lead to a false sense of security. One of the main arguments used by proponents of gun control against the right to bear arms is that guns kill people. There are several circumstances in which guns are used to cause death: accidents, protection, and murder. As humans, we are prone to make mistakes. Sadly, mistakes with a gun can cost a life, and unfortunately, these mistakes cannot always be avoided no matter what safety precautions are taken. Murder, on the other hand, is not a gun’s decision. Whether the act was premeditated or not, it was the actions of the person with the gun, not the weapon. Therefore, an appropriate slogan is â€Å" Guns Don’t Kill People, People Kill People,† which is now the official slogan of the National Riffle Association (NRA). Lastly, guns are needed for protection. A gun is used to protect an individual from another individual, a group or the government. Often we see where a store clerk used a gun to shoot an armed person who was trying to rob him, or where a homeowner has shot a burglar. In addition, there were no means for the Jews to protect themselves from the Nazis during the Holocaust. The German government was corrupt, and the Jews were not allowed to have guns, or any other form of protection, and, therefore, had no means to defend themselves. Because of the lack of any means of self-protection, millions of innocent people died. The Constitution of the United States is based-off of John Locke’s â€Å"Social Contract,† which in essence says that the citizenry has a right to revolt against their government if it is corrupt. It is the government’s duty to fulfill our right to self-preservation. The government’s role is to protect us, and we also have a right to protect ourselves; taking away the right to bear arms restricts the ability to protect oneself. Being able to protect oneself, being armed, decreases the likelihood that a crime will be committed against that person. The Second Amendment was added to the Constitution on December 12, 1792. It stated, â€Å"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed†(Constitution). â€Å"Gun control proponents have argued that the use of the word ‘people’ in this Amendment refers not to the civilian population of the United States, but to the State National Guard Units.† (Agresti). James Madison, who was responsible for proposing the Second Amendment, argued, â€Å"that a standing federal army could not be capable of conducting a coup to take over the nation. He estimated that based on the country’s population at the time, a federal standing army could not field more than 25,000 – 30,000 men† (Agresti). This means that if the government were to be attacked, the citizenry would have to have protection from tyranny. The citizenry would have protection against the crime of tyranny because it would be armed. Therefore, revoking a citizen’s right to bear arms is not only a constitutional violation, but also threatens the freedoms of Americans. If we as citizens of the United States allow our Second Amendment right to be restricted, it only sets a precedent for other rights, such as the freedom of speech or freedom of the press, to be restricted as well. The essential purpose of the Constitution of the United States was to set limitations on the powers of government rather than grant them powers. The founders believed that the true obligation was to the citizens, and thus the bill of rights was created in order to protect individual freedoms. By mandating the control of firearms, the government is removing the Second Amendment’s guaranteed right to self-protection, and consequently allowing its citizens to be predisposed to criminals. The right to bear arms helps maintain the safety of society. This security is established through a simple apprehension of not knowing who is armed and who is not. While there are other means of protection, carrying a gun is a basic, Constitutional right, and every person is entitled to receive the most amount of protection possible. It is also evident in other countries how gun control negatively affects society. Countries that have strict gun control measures have a much higher crime rate than countries that allow its citizens to have guns. For instance, â€Å"In 1900, when England had no gun controls, the homicide rate was only 1.0 per 100,000. Moreover, using data through 1996, the U.S. Department of Justice study ‘Crime and Justice’ concluded that in England the robbery rate was 1.4 times higher, the assault rate was 2.3 times higher, and the burglary rate was 1.7 times higher than in the U.S.† (Halbrook). Laws were passed in England in 1953 and 1967 made it illegal for any person to carry a weapon (Waters). This shows that when citizens are legally allowed to posses and carry a gun crime rates are lower.

Racial Discrimination Essay

There was a time in the United States of America when white Americans and African Americans were separated through a hierarchy. With the white Americans on top and the African Americans as slaves. This lead to what was recorded in history, the American Civil war where people fought to their death for equal rights. Also in recorded history was the invasion of the Spaniards in the Philippines for 333 years. People have fought and died for our country to be free and independent. And yet, it feels like not all their efforts have reached the world. That is because our world is not free from racial discrimination. Why do people discriminate different races? Are we really so different from others that we have to be looked down upon? Just because we are not white, we are already as low as dirt? Just because we don’t look the same or speak the same language or have the same culture, we are already lower creatures? Last time I checked God didn’t create the different races. He created only one race; humans. All with the same two eyes, two ears, a nose, a mouth, hair, skin, two feet-each with five toes, two hands-each with five fingers and a heart that beats life. We all speak a language. We all have cultures. We all need a roof on our heads, clothes to wear and food on our table. We are all born the same way and in the end, we will all die. Is that so hard to accept?