Essay about Future Concerns - Gattaca and Fahrenheit 451

Popular fictions texts expressing views of the future educate audiences about current issues and the dystopias that develop from them. Texts such as the film ‘Gattaca’, directed by Andrew Niccol and novel ‘Fahrenheit 451’ by Ray Bradbury explore futuristic societies and the implications that become of their innovation. Although entertaining, texts such as these are didactic and must be taken seriously, as they communicate messages to audiences regarding prevalent concerns and possible futures based on society’s choices. ‘Gattaca’ (1995) directed by Andrew Niccol, follows the story of the underdog Vincent, who is challenged by genetic discrimination against ‘in−valids’ like himself. Through an elaborate identity switch and the help of†¦show more content†¦Sterility and cleanliness is suggested by the use of cold, deep blue hues. The use of blue is constant throughout the film, as is the significance in detail. These concepts tie to other scenes, such as ‘The Eyelash’, where Vincent’s own ‘invalid’ eyelash is discovered during a murder investigation. This concept highlights the precision of technology in the future, and that life with such structure becomes complicated. Audiences can learn lessons from examples such as these scenes as they can relate the situations Vincent is put in with possible futures based on the direction society is heading in present times. Another effective technique demonstrated by Niccol is the first person narration by the central character, Vincent. This is important for the development in the movie, as Vincent is the protagonist we are encouraged to empathise with. Therefore, the use of bias narration and perspective is effective in supporting the ideas presented in the film. Following the opening scene is ‘The Not Too Distant Future’, which cuts to a low angle shot looking up to the bold, symmetrical lines of the building. In this shot, Gattaca is shaded in black and grey tones, also indicating the power and formality of the institution. As the camera tilts down, the strong lines and colouring remain constant as view of the staff are also brought into the frame. Directors have dressed actors in blue business suits, again, enforcing the concept of formality, conformity andShow MoreRelatedFarenheit451/Gattaca, Relationship Between Man and Machine1243 Words   |  5 PagesESSAY Science fiction is a genre of fiction revolving around science and technology, usually conveying the dystopian alternative future context, the pessimistic resultant of society. Ray Bradbury s Fahrenheit 451 (1953) and Andrew Niccols Gattaca (1997) both explore the values and concerns of human existence. Despite the difference in context, Gattaca and Fahrenheit 451 both extrapolate the relationship between man and machine in a metaphorical sense. Both pose similar dystopian concepts of a machineRead MoreFahrenheit 451 Gattaca Comparative Study - Historical Context2281 Words   |  10 Pagesthe issues within their existing societies, in which they are writing from. The writer delivers a message to the audience, educating them about the current contextual concerns and the possibility of the dystopias that are developed as a result. This is demonstrated in the novel Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury and the film Gattaca, directed by Andrew Niccol. Both of these composers illustra te their fears for the fate of their society through the structural and language features of their textsRead MoreMedia Magic Making Class Invisible2198 Words   |  9 Pagesto be aware of how it affects us, because not only does it affect us, it will affect our children and our childrenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s future. Mantsios does a great job at showing us the harsh reality of what class we are in affects us in everything we do. In His article about the media portraying the poor in a negative way he targets mainly, the poor and the media; however it can be a concern for everyone, in that it affects everyone. Mantsios states: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Poverty also impacts dramatically on the non poor. It has

Parent Child Relationship in Greek Mythology Essay

It is inferred that the parents should take care of their children and have their best interest at heart. This however, is not the case in Greek and Roman mythology. The killing of ones own children, or filicide, was not viewed as negative upon in their era. The contemporary times contrast with the ancient Greek and Roman’s because it was justified to use any means necessary to obtain a higher status. The Greeks and Romans valued keeping a high social reputation and having respect for those of great power. The motherly union between their children conflict with the reality that the father strives to retain or gain control. These circumstances cause a tense bond between the members of the family. The strained parent to child relationship in†¦show more content†¦Knowing that having the kingdom would make his name great throughout the nation, Pelias struggled to keep it however way possible. This patriarchal love for control in turn leads to a discord of the family, espe cially between the child and father. In contrast to the father, the mother had a connection with their children, often leading to an overthrow of the husband. This materialistic love is easily shown in the myth of Demeter and Persephone. â€Å" The joy of Demeter’s eternal lifetime was her daughter, Persephone, whom she had borne to Zeus â€Å" ( Rosenberg Demeter 94). After Persephone was taken away, Demeter became infuriated and even â€Å" withdrew her life sustaining powers,.. she broke the plows, killed oxen, and caused the earth to shrivel† ( Rosenberg Demeter 96). Seen from Demeter’s reaction to the situation, the bond between mother and child was very strong compared to that of the father. When Persephone returns, she takes comfort in her mother rather than her father. Children usually took the mother’s side and went against their father’s will. In the creation myth of the Greeks, there were two generations in which the mother wanted to protect her children from the grasps of the father. Gaea was afraid of what Uranus would do to their fearful children, and sought to protect them ( Rosenberg Creation 86). The wives of Cronus and Uranus both schemed the overthrow of their husbands,Show MoreRelatedThe Relationships Between Parents and Children in Greek and Roman Myths1422 Words   |  6 Pagesinvolving the relationships between parents and children, Greek and Roman myths show us that at one point in time, incest was considered socially acceptable. Many Greek and Roman myths contain twisted relationships between parents and children. These twisted relationships can be broken into three different categories: mothers and sons that have exceptionally strong bonds, parents that are threatened by their children, and the betrayal of parents or children. Greek and Roman Mythology often employsRead MoreEssay about Greek and Roman Mythology1513 Words   |  7 PagesGreek and Roman mythology is well know. The people of that time period were passionate about the gods and did everything in their power to please them. Like most religions the goal is be like one of the gods in order to achieve good fortune or to gain everlasting life. One of the most interesting characteristics about the Greek and Roman Gods is how the gods are not perfect in that they make the same mistakes that the average human would make. These characteristics were put into place to allow ancientRead MoreGreek Mythology : Greek Gods And Goddesses1577 Words   |  7 PagesGreek Mythology In my research I have learned an addition of facts and stories about Greek mythology. Like how â€Å"the Pegasus and Chrysor came from the blood of Medusa’s head after Perseus cut it off† (Greek Mythology). Or how the â€Å"Amazonian group of warriors was all females† (Greek Mythology). The more that I have research about my topic the more fascinating and interesting it becomes. I hope that everyone will further their research and knowledge on this topic whether it’s reading a book, researchingRead MoreThe Symbolism Behind Parents and Children in Mythology Essay1993 Words   |  8 Pagesbond between parents and children is something that was created soon after the first man was created. Unlike certain animals, whose children go off and fend for themselves right after birth, the care given to children by human parents is different. As humans, parents care and provide for their child until he/she is ready to live on their own. It is during this process of caring, that the true relationship between parents and their children form. The antiquity of parent child relationships is seen throughRead MoreThe Characteristics Of Dionysus700 Words   |  3 PagesIf you ever have a celebration, make sure to invite the life of the party and wine supplier, Dionysus. Dionysus is one of the Twelve Olympians. He took over Hestia’s position on Mount Olympus when she left, making him the last Greek mythology figure to arrive on Mount Olympus (â€Å"Dionysus - Facts and Information†). However, he does not reside there often as he holds a domain over the earth and wanders around teaching winemaking skills to men. In his wanderings, Dionysus can be caught carrying his thyrsusRead MoreThe Mythology Of The Greek Mythology1438 Words   |  6 Pagesthat the Ancient Greeks were and still are such a great influence towards our Western culture. Of course, they are not the only ones who have contributed to our knowledgeable society. Though, when it comes to the category of psychology I believe that the Ancient Greeks contributed the most, specifically with their mythology. A myth is defined as a traditional or legendary story, collection, or study. It is derived from the Greek word mythos, which simply means story. The Greek myths had many purposesRead MoreGenesis Vs Greek : Families1362 Words   |  6 PagesGenesis vs Greek: Families When most people hear the word â€Å"family† they usually picture the first definition that appears in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: â€Å"a group of individuals living under one roof†. However, a family can also be defined as â€Å"a group of persons of common ancestry†. Most importantly, family is about the relationships that a group of individuals has with one another, whether they are related by blood or not. The creation story found in Greek culture portrays a completely differentRead MoreResearch Essay - Trojan War1431 Words   |  6 PagesGoddesses lived among mortals, controlling every aspect of life. For every act of nature, rain or sun, war or peace, there was a God who was responsible. In the early centuries, religion was often considered the most important aspect of life. Mycenaean Greeks (Spartans) and the Trojans believed that the gods they prayed to were at war and because of this, they were at war too; this lasted for ten bloody years. In br ief, the Trojan War began when the Supreme God of the Olympians, Zeus was asked to judgeRead MoreThe Impact of Greek Mythology on Western Culture5592 Words   |  23 PagesI. Background Information of Greek Mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece. Modern scholars refer to, and study, the myths, in an attempt to throw light on the religious and political institutions of Ancient Greece, its civilization, and to gain understanding of theRead MoreSexuality And Same Sex Relationships Essay981 Words   |  4 Pagessex relationships, as well as the social, cultural and political factors that have affected same-sex families in North America. History of Same-Sex Relationships Many people point to examples of same sex love from the western world, but these relationships were seen much before Canada and the United States were developed. The ancient Greeks did not have terms or concepts that explain the modern day ‘heterosexual’ or ‘homosexual’, but there is a great deal of proof that same sex relationships did

Azande Free Essays

We are strong Catholic believers, and we know there is ore to this world than just what our eyes can withhold. Much like the Agenda, I believe that there are people who have gifts given to them at birth as well. The Agenda people know that once they are born, they are given the gift of witchcraft. We will write a custom essay sample on Azande or any similar topic only for you Order Now Just like some people In my culture have the ability to see, talk, and hear those who are no longer living. We both believe In the aspects and lurks about death. 2. Think about the ways in which members of your society are compelled to behave in socially acceptable ways. How do these differ from one another? The way I see this is that in our society we are all mixed and in different areas. We are all forced to learn about respect, and cooperation towards one another. In our society men and women can play the same roles, have same work ethic, and children. We are such a diverse country others might see this as a dishonor or Just straight up â€Å"unusual†. There could even be those who see our life style as a freedom. The Agenda people remind me as of being â€Å"old-fashioned†. Just for the fact that the men, play the big role in the family. They are the leaders basically the â€Å"big man on amp’s† but for the family. Now the women stand by their men and take care of their children. In their community they all stick together and marry within them. They aren’t so diverse like us; they even have websites so they could stay connected and together. In our society we do whatever we want basically, we really do not have much to follow but government policies. Agenda people have rules and standards they must be obeyed. We don’t care and they respect their living situations. 3. Do you employ logic that Is similar or different when explain negative thoughts? I am the type of person who always thinks negatively, even when the outcome turns out to be a positive one, but I do believe that some Incidents are Just accidents. Thoughts are always luring in everyone’s mind, even when nothing bad Negative either could have stepped wrong or you couldn’t have been paying attention. Necessarily, Just because that occurred doesn’t mean it was planned or plotted against you. The Agenda believe that the simplest injury is never Just a coincidence or an accident, either its witchcraft or someone is against you. I can understand their viewpoint, but sometimes bad luck Just happens in life. Like say for those who are â€Å"accident prone† for instant, they are Just people who can’t help but get injured in their own majestic ways. It is not that they have enemies; they are just not the most careful people in the world. I do think negative a lot, but in my standing point sometimes nature Just takes its course and things happen without our control. I’m probably the most negative person out there, but I do consider the saying â€Å"accidents happen†. . Is there several different â€Å"System of logic† that may be invoked, depending upon the circumstances? If you are depending on the situation, then yes there are different logics. Accidents do happen, but from another moral they aren’t always a random act of kindness. This is a cruel world, and no one is going to hold your hand. You will always have somebody who dislikes, envies you, or Just wants you gone . Then this could possibly happen, some humans in this world will go beyond the circumstance to get there way. Agenda believe in attacking their enemy with the powers and magic f witchcraft. When someone gets injured or has a medical issue we’d all like to think it was not intentional, right? That isn’t always the case now. When death takes place in our society, it is usually attempt of murder, actual murder, or suicide. Getting hurt now or hurting others isn’t always an act of kindness, therefore the Agenda people do have a point when they are feeling victimized by one another. Everyone has different methods of reaction when it comes to their enemies, but they are not always a â€Å"wise† choice. How to cite Azande, Papers

Adoption A Complex but Rewarding Process free essay sample

A brief description of the American adoption process. This paper discusses the procedures that adopting parents need to go through before they are granted a child. It compares different laws applicable in certain states as well as special criteria and conditions which apply. It looks at adoption within a family due to the tragedy of abusive conditions and also examines the cost of private adoption. Adopting a child is a major decision. A prospective single parent or couple or family may come to the decision of adopting a child through many different paths. For instance, they may have tried to have children and failed, or they may have some children of their own but they want to adopt an orphaned child from a poor socio-economic situation. Whatever the path to adoption, it is a process that is rife with legal requirements and obstacles And of course, once the child is adopted, the responsibilities are huge. We will write a custom essay sample on Adoption: A Complex but Rewarding Process or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page But, in the end, the act of adopting a child is immensely satisfying and interviewed adopted parents always gush that the experience and the adoption of child was life-changing.

The weight of the nation free essay sample

More than 40 million children under the age evolve were overweight In 2011. Obesity is preventable. Most of the food commercials make you want to eat. My reaction to this movie is that people started eating more food over the 30 years so they should start taking food seriously. What makes people obese is: an increased Intake of energy-dense foods that are high In fat; and Increase In physical inactivity due to the increasingly sedentary nature of many forms of work, changing modes of transportation, and increasing urbanization. Not only the food matters but your physical activities that you do every day. childhood obesity Is associated with a higher chance of obesity, premature death and disability In adulthood. But in addition to Increased future risks, obese children experience breathing difficulties, increased risk of fractures, hypertension, early markers of cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and psychological effects. overweight and obesity, as well as their related noncommunicable diseases, are largely preventable. We will write a custom essay sample on The weight of the nation or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Supportive environments and communities are fundamental in shaping peoples choices, making the healthier choice of foods and regular physical activity the easiest choice (accessible, available and affordable), and therefore preventing obesity. At the individual level, people can: limit energy intake from total fats and sugars; increase consumption of fruit and vegetables, as well as legumes, whole grains and nuts; engage in regular physical activity (60 minutes a day for children and 150 minutes per week for adults). The weight of the nation essay By 611 The movie we watched is called The weight of the nation. I learned that: 200 million men and nearly 300 million women were obese. 5% of adults aged 20 and over were overweight in 2008, and 11% were obese. 65% of the worlds

scream 3 essays

scream 3 essays Scream is a movie created by Wes Craven (creator of A Nightmare on Elm Street) is a turn of the tables on the typical horror flick. The problem with todays slasher movies is that the characters are all one-note stereotypes, the plots are ridiculous, the action always follows the same dreary pattern, and the only creative effort is in the new bloody makeup effects. Wes Craven changes all this. He reinvents what makes going to the movie such a thrill by scaring you all over again. The killer in Scream is very eccentric, in that, he can quote literally all of every other horror film ever made! He uses this talent by terrorizing certain teens in a California town. At the top of the killers list is Sidney who is played by Neve Cambell. Her past is what has makes her the killers target. Her mother died one-year back in a brutal murder, (which is somehow linked to the killer) so she is too depressed to make time for her boyfriend (Skeet Ulrich.) She is also very upset at a tabloid-TV reporter ("Friends" co-star Courtney Cox) because her book claims that Sidney pointed at the wrong guy responsible for her mothers death. The first scene of Scream, in which Drew Barrymore is used as the killers first success, makes the audience sit at the edge of their seats throughout the rest of the movie! First, Barrymore gets a mysterious call while making popcorn. Just few minutes later, a failed trivia quiz made by the killer about "Friday the 13th" leads to a murder that puts a small California community on the alert. David Arquette, who played Dooy, is goofily charming as a semi-naive deputy who's infatuated with Cox. He is a less than qualified deputy who is truly committed in attempting to keep his sister, her best friend Sidney, and of course Courtney Cox safe. The real action of the movie really gets rolling at a teen keg party - the prime location for any slice-and-dice movie....

Articles Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Articles - Article Example Similarly, consider a farmer giving maize to a consumer in exchange for money. Definitely, the two parties are made better off in the second case, but the farmer is made worse off in the first case. So it is just better to have a free market. After reading the article, I thought that greed may be important as suggested by Williams, but it may also be used in a negative way. It is not that I oppose the argument of Williams; it is only that I do not fully agree with him. It is indeed true that most economically beneficial activities are performed as a means of pursuing one’s own interests. However, doing something with the interest of others in mind could lead to honesty and quality of service. For example, if Texas ranchers hated New Yorkers, they would decide to deceive them in terms of weighing scales. This would be unethical and socially irresponsible, and it would cause a decline in overall welfare of New Yorkers and ranchers of Texas. As much as I also think that the author was clever in the manner in which he used the example of ranchers and potato farmers, I also believe that he left out an important aspect of sustainable development – business ethics and social responsibility. Caring about one’s interests alone is unethical and has negative repercussions in the economy. I think this article explains capitalism and the free market in such a way that a common man can realize the importance of free market. I have learned that capitalism has given the common man an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of the free market just like the rich people. I think equal distribution of resources can be achieved if the free market works effectively. I think this post has demonstrated a good observation of the author. Nowadays the common man can enjoy some luxuries that were not enjoyed back in the yesteryears. Indeed, it is interesting; and I think it is all because of the great opportunities that the free market and capitalism have

Project Finance in the FertiNitro Company Coursework

Project Finance in the FertiNitro Company - Coursework Example Polar is a passive sponsor of FertiNitro and is not directly involved in the business of construction and operation of the fertilization plant. Polar is mainly a food and beverage company with present joint ventures in companies like Koch and Pequiven which are the major stakeholders of FertiNitro. The total revenue generated by the Polar group is the US $1.9 billion. More than 2% of the company goes to Venezuela’s non-oil GDP (Duff & Phelps, 1998, p.5). Impact of the Sponsors’ contribution on the project in terms of viability as a stand-alone project financing The strategy adopted by Polar in the investment of export projects has generated profitable returns to Venezuela. The first project to invest in Polar is FertiNitro. The indirect involvement of Polar in the project of FertiNitro has resulted in being the important mitigant to it. PDVSA gas is the subsidiary company of Polar Group which contributes to the major portion of the gas requirement of the country made available by FertiNitro. The foreign exchange over the past decades has been favorable for PDVSA which gives FertiNitro another reason to make the Polar group a part of its sponsors. The indirect participation of PDVSA in FertiNitro the foreign transfers and the risk convertibility gets minimized. PDVSA also has the leading market in urea in South America along with Pequiven which is the petrochemical wing of PDVSA. PDVSA is also responsible for offsetting the risk of the volatile market by lowering the cost of the feedstock gas supply. PDVSA is the world second largest Oil and Gas Company contributes the most to the FertiNitro as the company both directly and indirectly invests in the company. Even the internal funds of Pequiven are sponsored by PDVSA. Thus the viability of FertiNitro based on the stand-alone project financing of the Polar Group will bring about remarkable results as the company in engages in both direct and indirect financial investment for the company. Both the cost overruns and the time overruns of the company will be under check in spite of the fact that as Polar the company contributes to the 10% of sponsorship to FertiNitro and is a passive sponsor. Following aspects of the project with relevant matters Off-taker, The Polar Group has signed an offtake agreement with both Pequiven and Koch Off takers which are both joint ventures. The Koch Off taker bears the obligation of 75% of the ammonia and 43% of an area of the company that is available for sale during the year. Similarly, the rest of the obligation of the Polar Group’s off-take agreement lies with Pequiven. Certain specification of the company related to the off-taker agreement has to be abided by the mentioned companies like appointing an independent inspector regarding the approval of the off-takers who will be in charge of determining the quality of the product to be delivered. Based on the independent inspector’s assessment the rejection of the non-conforming products is made or availed at a discounted rate. At the initial level of agreement, Koch will have the rights to sell the products and delivering the same in North America while Pequiven will follow a similar act in South America, Caribbean, and Central America.  Ã‚  

American politics questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

American politics questions - Essay Example Moreover, the mighty state government can ask the central government to remain close to the people in state governments and to be more concerned with the needs and aspirations of the people especially relevant to small and isolated places. On the other hand, there are a number of demerits attributed to the states having a strong political role in America. As the state government is in warm relation with the central government, it is forced to obey even the one-sided decisions of the central government. It leads to duplication of government and inefficient, over-lapping or contradictory policies in such states. The unilateral policy making and decisions of the central government may lead to inequality between the states and thereby unhealthy competition and rivalry between them. The double ruling of the central as well as state government in the constituents may pave way for corruption. The phrase tyranny of majority means a situation in democracy where the party that gets majority of votes has the sole role in formulating policies and making decisions completely snubbing the interests and role of the minority. The term also indicates that the interests of the ruling party will be prevailed and this ignores individual interests; and such a situation can be regarded as the rule of a dictator or tyrant. Even if the decision taken by the ruling party has some evil effects, it will remain in force. Suppose the majority is 51% and the minority is 49%, a huge number of 49% people will have to suffer for the tyranny of a simple majority. To overcome the deficiencies of such a government Madison proposed the establishment of a new Constitutional republic government in which the scheme of representation takes place. According to him, it can avoid the tendency of â€Å"tyranny of majorities† that occurs in pure democracy through two basic means (Bardes, Shelley, and Schmidt, 45-47). In the first place, the representative

Industrialised Building System: Precast Concrete Elements

Industrialised Building System: Precast Concrete Elements In Malaysia, the implementation of Industrialised Building System (IBS) by using precast concrete elements were introduced since 1966 when the government lauched two projects which involves the construction of Rifle range Road Flats in Penang and Tuanku Abdul Rahman Flats in Kuala Lumpur. From the survey conducted by CIDB Malaysia, the level of usage in IBS in the local construction industry is 15 % in 2003 although many government initiatives have been introduced to encourage the use of IBS. Therefore a study is conducted to study will be conducted to study the current awareness of the usage of IBS in Malaysia. Furthermore this study will be conducted to analyse ways to improve the implementation of IBS in the local construction industry. Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Rationale for the Research Industrialised Building System (IBS) was introduced since the 60s in Malaysia. There are several benefits of IBS such as speed up the construction progress and possibly reduce labour force, construction cost and risk as well. Even IBS have many benefits but there is still have some problems in implementing IBS into the construction industry mainly due to lack of knowledge in IBS among the contractor. Research done by Lim Sin Peng in year 2009 showed that the usage or implementation level of IBS is still low in Malaysia construction industry. According to Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) (2003b) report construction project using IBS in Malaysia stands 15 percentage (%) in the year 2003 and the complete project using IBS in year 2006 only 10 % ( CIDB, 2007b) less than one-third of the total construction project (using at least one IBS product) in year 2006 (CIDB 2007a). The first IBS project, Pekeliling Flat, was initiated by the Government at Jalan Pekeliling, Kuala Lumpur in 1964. The implementation of IBS in Malaysia was not well accepted by the construction industry after the first adoption of IBS proves to be a failure in keeping to construction cost within the estimated budget. Thus, the aim of study is to change the perception of the construction industry towards IBS. 1.2 Problem Statement The implementation level of IBS is perceived to be lower compared to the advantages outlined by the construction industry. The following questions need to be answered before the issues could be addressed: Question 1: What is the implementation level of IBS in Malaysia construction industry? If the implementation level of IBS is consider low in Malaysia construction industry, then only can proceed to the next research question. Question 2: Why there are fewer contractors implementing in IBS? This will provide some ideas that about what stop the contractors from using IBS. Question 3: How to motivate contractor to implementing in IBS? This will provide recommendation to increase the level of implementation to meet the objectives of CIDB and Government to provide better production in construction industry. 1.3 Research Aim The research aim is to examine the reasons and factors of why fewer contractors implement IBS in Malaysia construction industry 1.4 Objectives The objectives of this study are to establish the implementation level of IBS here in Kuala Lumpur as general of Malaysia. The study also determines the barriers to contractors for not implementing IBS. In addition, it also evaluates the usefulness and advantages of using IBS. Moreover, the study also is to recommend factors that would encourage contractor to implement IBS. 1.5 Importance and Benefits of Study The importance of this study is to find out the reasons of unpopularity of this system in Malaysia in comparison to other countries such as Japan, Singapore, and United Kingdom (UK) which have implemented the IBS successfully. In chapter 2, the literature reviews will discussed further. Beside that, the benefits of this study are Getting familiar with the concept of IBS Clear of view on the type and characteristics of IBS Get to know the level of acceptance of IBS in Malaysia construction industry Visualized the benefits and limitation of using IBS 1.6 Scope of Research and Limitation In the dissertation, the scope of study will on focus on the adoption level of using IBS especially in the contractor point of view. Further more, some reasons and factors that might affect the implementation of IBS and what would be the best motivations for contractor to use IBS will be discuss as well. The limitation of this research is the questionnaire requires a lot of respondent around 200 and it does not ensure that they will make any feedback. Due to the limitation of the transport and there are many contractor firms, so this research will only remain in Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley area. 1.7 Research Methodology 1.7.1 Questionnaire Quantitative method will be used to conduct this research. Question survey will be conducted for targeting respondent from Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley area to determine their awareness of the certain issues or factors. This method will take some time of conducting a survey, so time must be allowed for late returns and responses to follow up attempts. Moreover, this is the simplest way to obtain information from targeted groups. Data collected from questionnaire will firstly check for the accuracy before carried out to work out the analysis by using statistical analysis software such as SPSS. Objective 1 To find out the implementation level of IBS in Malaysia Objective 2 Determine the barriers for contractor to implement IBS Literature Review Quantitative method Objective 3 Evaluate the positive effect of using IBS Questionnaire Objective 4 Give factors that would encourage contractor to implement IBS Analyze and develop solutions SPSS software Achieve aim and objectives. Conclusion and Recommendation Figure Research Methodological Method 1.8 Structure of Dissertation This dissertation is consists of five (5) chapters as described as below: Chapter 1 Introduction This chapter includes brief description of the problem statement with the purpose of conducting this research and its aim and objectives. It also includes the scope of study and benefits of the study. In addition, a brief description of the method that used in study, collecting relevant data and information. A brief introduction on the subsequent chapters is discussed as well. Chapter 2 Literature Review This chapter focuses on the review made from articles, journal, newspapers cutting, quotes from authors and online articles related to IBS. The fundamental part of this chapter is to discuss in depth about the benefits of using IBS, limitation of using IBS and barriers implementing IBS in construction industry of Malaysia. Chapter 3 Research Methodology This chapter explains the methodology will adopted in detail including the method used by the researcher to achieve the earlier mentioned objective for the research purpose. Chapter 4 Analysis of the Results This Chapter will covers the presentation on the result from carries out the data collected from the respondents through the survey questionnaire will be analyzed and will be tabulated in the form of chart and discussed in detail. Chapter 5 Conclusion and Recommendation This chapter concludes the research, its findings and analysis regarding the issue of the study including the limitations encountered during the research. The last part of this chapter is the recommendations and some personal comment had been given to improve the study as well as future research. Chapter 2.0 Literature Review 2.1 Introduction In this chapter, the author reviewed works done by others through journals, articles, newspaper cutting, and quotes from authors and online articles collected. IBS system is a process to speed up the construction work and to minimize the dependency of labour on site. The objective of this study is further discussed about the barriers of contractor in implementing IBS. Besides that, this chapter also will focus on the basic review of IBS such as definitions, background, types and characteristics in IBS and have a basic introduction about the detail of IBS. Industrialised building is the term given to building technology where modern systematized methods of design, production planning and control as well as mechanized and automated manufacture are applied (Ingemar Lofgren and Kent Gylltoft, 2000) While Building system mean a building system includes design rules and a product system whose parts have compatible interfaces, thus permitting the use of several alternative components and assemblies is assured by means of a dimensional and tolerance system as well as connection and joint (Ingemar Lofgren and Kent Gylltoft, 2000) 2.2 Definition of IBS There was no commonly accepted or agreed definition of IBS. Several authors have defined IBS as process or a technique. Blimas et. al. (2006) and Pan et. al. (2008) defined that IBS is often referred by literatures as off -site construction, off-site production, industrialised and automated construction. Warszawski (1999) explain in detail that an industrialized process is and investment in equipment, facilities, and technology with the objective of maximizing production output, minimising labour resource, and improving quality while a building system is defined as a set of interconnected element joint together to enable the designated performance of a building. Another definition by Trikha (1999) claimed that IBS also may be defined in which all building components such as wall, floor slab, column and staircase are mass produced either n factory or at site under strict quality control and minimal on site activities Another definition that clarified by Junid (1986) where IBS as process by which components of building are conceived, planned and fabricated, transported and erected at site. The system includes balance combination between software and hardware component. The software elements include system design, which is complex process of studying the requirement of the end user, market analysis and the development of standardise component, establishment of manufacturing and assembly layout and process, allocation of resources and materials and definition of a building designer conceptual framework.The software elements provide a prerequisite to create the conducive environment for industrialised to expand. According to Junid (1986), the hardware elements are categorised into three major groups. These include frame or post and beam system, panel system, and box system. The framed structures are defined as those structure that carry the loads through their beams and girders to columns and to the ground whilst in panel system load are distributed through large floor and wall panels. The box systems include those system that employ three-dimensional modules (or boxes) for fabrication of habitable units are capable of withstand load from various directions due to their internal stability. CIDB defined IBS as construction system whereby the components are manfactured in a factory, on-site or off-site, then positioned and assembled into structures with minimal addtional site work. 2.3 Classifications of IBS This section will focus on the classification of the building system that are published internationally and in Malaysia There are four types of building system under IBS in Malaysia and there are namely conventional column-beam-slab frame systems with timber and plywood as formwork, cast in-situ system with steel or aluminium as formwork, prefabricated system and the composite building system is shown in figure 2.1. Each building system is represented by its construction technology, functional and geometrical configuration (Badir et al, 1998). (cited at Thanoon et. al., 2003) According to Majzub (1977) has different concept in classifying building system that is the relative weight of the components should be used as a basis for building classification shown in figure 2.2. The factor of weight has significant impact on the transportability of the components and also has influences on the production method of the components and their erection method on site. This classification method is found to be inadequate to incorporate other building system flourish recently. There are five types of IBS had being used in Malaysia: (IBS Road Maps 2003-2010) Type 1: Pre-Cast Concrete Framing, Panel and Box System The most common group of IBS products is pre-cast concrete of elements in construction industry. For example, there are including columns, beams, slabs, Three-Dimension (3D) components (balconies, staircase, toilet, lift chambers), permanent concrete formwork, and so on. (CIDB, 2005). Pre-cast concrete framing, panel and box system is under categories of prefabricated system. The advantage using this is because it cans minimum waste due to work environment in factory is easier to control. Panel system is use for the construction of interior walls and exterior walls offer speed of construction in many ways. For box system will achieve ultimate objective of industrialization that is a maximum saving of human labour on site. Figure Pre-cast Concrete Elements Type 2: Steel Formwork Systems This system considered as least prefabricated IBS, as they generally involve site casting and subject to offer high quality finishes and fast construction with less site labour can come in tunnel formwork, beams, columns, and slab moulding forms permanent steel formworks (metal decks) and so on. (CIDB, 2005) The steel formwork is prefabricated in the factory and then installed on site. Figure Steel Formwork Systems Type 3: Steel Framing System This system always be the popular choice and used intensively in the fast-track construction of skyscrapers. Recent development in this types system included the increased usage of light steel trusses. Steel is non combustible material and improves fire safety and reduces amount of structural damages in the event of a fire happen. Example: Steel beam, columns, portal frames, roof trusses. (CIDB, 2005). Steel framing also consider as prefabricated system and it to be erected whereby welding at joints are conducted. This system cans faster the progress construction. Figure Steel Frame Systems Type 4: Prefabricate Timber Framing System While the latter are more popular, timber building frame offering interesting designs from dwelling units to buildings requiring high aesthetical values such as chalets for resorts Example: Timber frame, timber roof trusses (CIDB, 2005). The advantage of the system is mainly in the interior flexibility, as large space can be used for different functions and can be easily changed or modified according to the use. Figure Prefabricated Timber Framing System Type 5: Block Work System This system has revolutionizes by the development and usage of interlocking concrete masonry units (CMU) and lightweight concrete blocks. The tedious and time-consuming traditional brick-laying tasks are greatly simplified by the usage of there effective alternative solutions. Block work system also consider under prefabricated system. The benefits of block work system are faster construction and increase bricklayer longevity. Moreover, its also increased energy savings like lightweight concretes resistance to heat flow is twice of medium and heavy weight concrete, its mean that less heating/cooling energy is needed. Figure Block work 2.4 Characteristics of IBS It is important to have the following characteristics only consider to be accepted as part of the IBS and ensure the achievement of proven benefits of IBS. Each of them will be discuss briefly at below (CIDB 2008): Industrial production of components though pre-fabrication; or highly mechanized in-situ processes. For example, permanent steel formwork Reduced labour during pre-fabrication of the components and site works. Modern design and manufacturing methods involving information Technology such as the usage of Computer Aided design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) Systematic Quality control such as ISO 9000 principles Open Building Concept i.e permitting the hybrid applications, and adaptable to standardization and Modular Coordination (MC) Figure The Characteristics of Building System Sources: Adopted from Abdullah M.R., 2009 2.5 Implementation Level of IBS in Malaysia The use of IBS have various advantages such as the reduction dependency of foreign workers, less wastage, less volume of building materials, increased environmental and construction site cleanliness and better quality control compare to conventional method. These advantages also promote a safer and more organised construction site, and reduce the completion time of construction. Many world-class Malaysian developers have chosen IBS over the conventional methods for important projects such as the Petronas Twin Towers, Putrajaya, KL Sentral, and KLIA. (IBS Roadmap, 2003 -2010) Even so, the usage level of IBS in building is still low. From a survey conducted by CIDB Malaysia, the usage level of IBS in the local construction industry stands at only 15% (IBS Survey 2003). The early efforts of the Government to encourage the use of IBS in the construction sector has yet to garner a good response, and this sector is still practicing conventional construction methods that have proven time and again to be wasteful, dangerous and messy. Relatively, the low labour cost in this country is the root cause of the industry failing to reform and being complacent with the current level of productivity, quality and safety. (IBS Roadmap, 2003 -2010) Moreover, according to the newspaper the star 2009 stated that Jamilus explained that IBS was a construction technique in which components were manufactured in a controlled environment (on-site, off-site), transported, positioned and assembled into a structure with minimal additional site work. Beside that, out of 1,400 contractors in Johor, there only 4% of it are using this systems. Moreover, he said that since year 2008, there only 51 contractors in the state have been reported to use the IBS system in their building projects and the number were expected improve in time. (The star, 2009) 2.6 Malaysias Experiences in IBS The usage of IBS is not new in the Malaysia construction industry. The idea using IBS in Malaysia was first purpose during the early 60s when the Minister housing and Local Government visited several European countries and evaluated their building system performance. At the time, the government makes a big decision to give a try on a two pilot projects using IBS concept. The first project, Pekeliling Flat was constructed along Jalan Pekeliling with construction of 7 blocks of 17 storey flats, and 4 blocks of 4 storey flats comprising around 3,000 units of low cost flats and 40 storey shop lot and this project using large panel industrialized prefabricated systems. On the other hand, the second project was built in Penang with the construction of 6 blocks of 17 storey flats and 3 blocks of 18 storey flats comprising 3,699 units and 66 shop lots along the Jalan Rifle Range and this project was using the French Estiot System (Din, 1984). Even though the first implementation IBS was not successful due to the failure to keep within cost estimation but there are some successful adoption too. Among the significant projects that implement IBS are including KL Sentral. KL Convention Centre, KLIA, etc Following is the Successful implemented of IBS throughout Malaysia (CIDB Malaysia, 2003) Year 2007 Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART Tunnel), Kuala Lumpur The Spring Shopping Mall, Kuching, Sarawak Year 2006 Kuching International Airport, Kuching, Sarawak Persada Johor International Convention Centre, Johor Bahru Year 2005 Serdang Hospital, Serdang, Selangor The Curve, Mutiara Damansara, Selangor Year 2001 Kuala Lumpur Sentral ( KL Sentral), Kuala Lumpur Likas Stadium, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Year 1998 Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Sepang, Selangor Malawati Indoor Satdium, Bukit Jalil, Selangor Year 1997 Petronas Twin Tower, Kuala Lumpur Bukit Jalil, Bukit Jalil, Salangor Year 1984 Daybumi Complex, Kuala Lumpur Year 1981 High end bungalows and low cost houses throughout Selangor 2.7 The Advantages for IBS adoption in Construction Industry There are some several advantages using IBS (MCRJ, 2009) 1. Reduce Remittances by foreign worker: The Government aimed to achieve 100 percent usage of IBS and to reduce to 15 percent or approximately 50,000 of foreign workers in the construction industry by 2010. With the current foreign workers totaling 227,000, the remittances of the foreign workers amounted to about 7.5 billion. It is expected that the Government would be able to reduce the remittances with the full implementation of IBS. (Bernama.com, 2006) 2. Enhance Efficiency of Construction Process and Higher Productivity: IBS is a methodology whereby a local construction industry is driven towards the adoption of an integrated and encouraging key players in the construction industry to produce and utilize pre-fabricated and mass production of the building at their work sites. This will help to enhance the efficiency of construction process, allowing a higher productivity, quality, time and cost saving. (CIDB, 2004) 3. Produce Better Product: IBS promises elevated levels of expertise throughout the industry, from manufacturers, installers, engineers, planners, designers, and developers. The benefits of IBS will ultimately produce better products for the population (CIDB, 2003) 4. Reduce Wastage, Less Site Materials, Costs, Cleaner and Neater Environment: The IBS, which enables on-site prefabricated or pre-cast building components manufactured at factories offers minimal wastage, less site materials, cleaner and neater environment, controlled quality, and lower total construction cost (CIDB, 2003). For example, the repetitive use of system formwork made up of steel, aluminium, etc and scaffolding provides considerable cost savings (Bing et al. 2001). 5. Higher Quality of Component: An industrialised building system component produces higher quality of components attainable through careful selection of materials, use of advanced technology and strict quality assurance control (Din,1984) 6. Reduce Labour at Site: Prefabrication takes place at a centralised factory, thus reducing labour requirement at site. This is true especially when high degree of mechanisation is involved (Warszawski, 1999) 7. Faster Completion: An industrialised building system allows for faster construction time because casting of precast element at factory and foundation work at site can occur simultaneously. This provides earlier occupation of the building, thus reducing interest payment or capital outlays (Waleed et al., 2003) 8. Not Affected by Adverse Weather Condition: Construction operation is not affected by adverse weather condition because prefabricated component is done in a factory controlled environment (Waleed et al., 2003) 9. Flexible Design: An industrialised building system allows fexibility in architectural design in order to minimise the monotony of repetitive facades (Warszawski, 1999). An industrialised building system provides flexibility in the design of precast element as well as in construction so that different systems may produce their own unique prefabrication construction methods (Zaini, 2000) 2.8 Barriers of Adoption in Malaysia Construction Industry IBS can replace the conventional building system which is labour oriented However, since the first project of IBS not well accepted by construction parties because of fail to deal with the risks such failure of keep within the cost estimate. For example, the first project incurred 8.1 % higher costs than a similar building that using conventional construction method, while the second project was 2.6% lower than the cost. Both projects also completed in 27 months in term of compare to the construction speed but are inclusive the time of set up the recasting factories too. When come to the quality, the conventional method seems have better quality than IBS. In conclusion, there is a competitive with conventional construction method. Even though IBS is good to implement due to its advantages but the implementation of usage level is still very low. According to Waleed et. al. (2003), the common consensus of all the stakeholders of construction in Malaysia is that, the IBS implementation in Malaysian building construction industry is still very low compared to the conventional methods. This is due to several reasons(MCRJ, 2009): 1. Costs and Return Investment: Wide swings in houses demand, high interest rate and cheap labour cost, make it difficult to justify large capital investment. At present there is an abundance of cheap foreign workers in Malaysia and contractors prefer to use labour intensive conventional building system because it is far easier to lay off workers during slack period. The economic benefits of IBS are not well documented in Malaysia and the past experiences indicated IBS is more expensive due to fierce competition from conventional building system. 2. Lack of skilled and knowledgeable manpower: Fully prefabricated construction system requires high construction precision. Malaysian labour force still lack of skilled workers in IBS implementation. 3. The Practices: The construction industry is very fragmented, diverse and involves many parties. Consensus is required in the use of IBS during planning stage. 4. Knowledge based: Lack of Research Development (RD) in the area of novel building system that uses local materials. Majorities of IBS in Malaysia are imported from developed countries, thus driving up the construction cost. Engineering degrees in local universities seldom teach about the design and construction of IBS. 5. Low Quality: The use of IBS in Japan and Sweden are so successful due to high quality and high productivity but it sis the opposite in Malaysia. Previous projects constructed with IBS concept were of low quality and high construction cost. 6. Lack of Incentive and Awareness: Due to the lack of incentive and promotion from government in the use of IBS, many many architects and engineers are still unaware of the basic elements of IBS such as modular co-ordination. 7. Lack of Scientific Information: An IBS system can only be acceptable to practitioners if its major advantages are valuable compared to the conventional system. However, up to date, there is inadequate corroborative evidence to substantiate the benefits of IBS system. It is therefore, arguable that the implementation of IBS is particularly hindered by lack of scientific information (Badir et al., 2002) 8. Wastage of Material: Standardization of building elements faces resistance from the construction industry due to aesthetic reservation and economic reason. One good example of this is when a 300mm thick modular standardized floor slab has to be used although a 260mm thick floor slab can achieve the similar structural performance. This results wastage of material (Waleed et al., 2003) Issue that related to IBS and contractor 1. IBS first time use by DBKL in infrastructure project of build a bridge Jalan Dewan Bahasa-Jalan Hang Tuah because of time saving and reduce traffic jam. This also can give benefit for those students that around the school area. Beside that, around 75 % of IBS have been use to prevent any problem that not complete according to the schedule. Ibs also can save time, reduce labour and site very clean, tidy and have quality. Mostly IBS is use for building. This project is the first infrastructure project using IBS. Moreover, the rest of the project will be using IBS. 2.9 Summary of the Chapter Nowadays in Malaysia, IBS still being developed and applied in new building. Mean while, the implementation level is still very low what has anticipate by the government. The purpose of IBS is very clear as an alternative for conventional method and also reduces the dependency of labour, and increase the performance in time, cost, and quality. The Government of Malaysia promote IBS component to the construction industrials. In the literature review have proved that there are many benefits of IBS but still is low usage among contractors and the implementation of using IBS level is still very low. Chapter 3 Research Methodology 3.1 Introduction Research methodology explains methods that used in the research study, what data have been collected, what method is adopted, why particular technique of analyzing data used; all of these will be answered in this chapter. The quantitative approach will be carried out in this research and the questionnaire survey method will be used in this research. This section of study will focus on the method of the study to achieve the objective of this research. The questionnaire has been chosen to survey the factors, and degree of acceptance, usage, advantages and comment of adoption in IBS. This method is saving in terms of time and cost as well as convenient as it can distributes to large amount of respondent but the possible also did not get receive any respond from respondent and the quality of the information gather from questionnaire might inconsistent and inaccurate and also need to be carefully analysis. 3.2 Method of Research Figure 3.1 shows the methods that be carried out in order to achieve the objective of this study and followed by the explanation of each step. Constructing Questionnaire Distribute Questionnaire Results Gathering and Analysing Conclusion Figure Method of Research 3.2.1 Construct the Questionnaire For the purpose of designing the question, the research objectives and literature review had been taken into account to lead to differentiate various issues, topics and ideas to create the questions in the questionnaire. The quantitative questionnaire will be use in this study. Before questionnaire to be produce out, there should be required to review thoroughly to the literature review and the research aim and objectives. This is to make sure that there will not be out of topic from the research, this is the initial stage for formulating question. Secondly, produce question that can achieve aim and objectives and related to literature review. The third stage is to make the questionnaire easy to understand and suitable with comprehensive but short enough, no leading question and double question. This will make respondents can fill up easily and faster due to the possibility that the respondents are busy. 3.2.1.1 The Rationale of Questionnaire Design The first part is ask about the background or experiences a

An Annotation of Emily Dickinsons I Taste A Liquor Never Brewed Essay

An Annotation of Emily Dickinson's I Taste A Liquor Never Brewed This poem by Emily Dickinson is much harder to figure out compared to her usual poems. She writes about a topic that is not normally written about at this time especially by a woman. At first glance, it is thought that this poem is about liquor and all of the bad things that go along with it, when in all reality it is a poem about sheer happiness. Dickinson is speaking not of a high derived from any alcoholic beverage, but rather of one acquired from life itself. I taste a liquor never brewed (214) Emily Dickinson I taste a liquor never brewed-- From tankards scooped in Pearl-- Not all the Vats upon the Rhine Yield such an Alcohol! Inebriate of Air--am I-- And Debauchee of Dew-- Reeling--thro endless summer days-- From inns of Molten Blue-- When "Landlords" turn the drunken Bee Out of the Foxglove's door-- When butterflies--renounce their "drams"-- I shall but drink the more! Till Seraphs swing their snowy Hats-- And saints-- to windows run-- To see the little Tippler Leaning against the Sun-- Despite the existence of metaphorical comparisons with drunkenness and liquor, this is definitely not a poem about any form of chemical intoxication. It is an expression of the author's love for a "drunken state"', created by how wonderful she believes life to be. In the second line, I realized the genuine depth of Emily Dickinson's affection for life. Here, she wrote, "From tankards scooped in Pearl," indicating special beer-drinking glasses, outfitted in pearl rather than in ceramic or in clay. According to my research, these were used during her time to drink in a more exquisite, elaborate fashion, usually when one had a notable fondn... ...y. It was the little things that gave her joy and pleasure. Just being surrounded by nature and other creatures gave her the happiness that others need marriage and money to find. Many of Dickinson's poems focus on the themes of life, love, and nature. This one has a little bit of all of those themes tied into it. It describes her love of life and nature by comparing it to the feeling one gets when they are drunk. Dickinson is very inspirational in this poem by showing us that there are many things in life to be greatful for and that we should experience this sense of joy and tranquility when we are surrounded by the simple pleasures of life that have been given to us all. Works Cited Dickinson, Emily. "314." The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson. Ed. Thomas H. Johnson. Boston: Little, 1960. Encyclopedia Britannica. 12/05/01. Online. www.britannica.com.

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 4

The Worst Ending Imaginable Knowing that Nikki does a big unit on Hemingway every year, I ask for one of Hemingway's better novels. â€Å"One with a love story if possible, because I really need to study love – so I can be a better husband when Nikki comes back,† I tell Mom. When Mom returns from the library, she says that the librarian claims A Farewell to Arms is Hemingway's best love story. So I eagerly crack open the book and can feel myself getting smarter as I turn the first few pages. As I read, I look for quotable lines so I can â€Å"drop knowledge† the next time Nikki and I are out with her literary friends – so I can say to that glasses-wearing Phillip, â€Å"Would an illiterate buffoon know this line?† And then I will drop some Hemingway, real suave. But the novel is nothing but a trick. The whole time, you root for the narrator to survive the war and then for him to have a nice life with Catherine Barkley. He does survive all sorts of dangers – even getting blown up – and finally escapes to Switzerland with the pregnant Catherine, whom he loves so much. They live in the mountains for a time, in love and living a good life. Hemingway should have ended there, because that was the silver lining these people deserved after struggling to survive the gloomy war. But no. Instead he thinks up the worst ending imaginable: Hemingway has Catherine die from hemorrhaging after their child is stillborn. It is the most torturous ending I have ever experienced and probably will ever experience in literature, movies, or even television. I am crying so hard at the end, partly for the characters, yes, but also because Nikki actually teaches this book to children. I cannot imagine why anyone would want to expose impressionable teenagers to such a horrible ending. Why not just tell high school students that their struggle to improve themselves is all for nothing? I have to admit that for the first time since apart time began, I am mad at Nikki for teaching such pessimism in her classroom. I will not be quoting Hemingway anytime soon, nor will I ever read another one of his books. And if he were still alive, I would write him a letter right now and threaten to strangle him dead with my bare hands just for being so glum. No wonder he put a gun to his head, like it says in the introductory essay.

Tda 3.4 1.1

Summarise the policies and procedures of the setting relevant to promoting children and young people’s positive behaviour In my setting there are several policy documents that advise both parents and teachers what procedures are in place to help the children to perform to the best of their abilities and also set out guidelines of what the school expects off the staff, pupils and parents. Our schools behaviour policy also incorporates both the code of conduct, dealing with inappropriate behaviour and the rewards and sanctions guidelines, separate to this are the anti bullying policy and the whole school attendance policy . The behaviour policy firstly sets out the aims of the school, explaining how the school promotes good relationships so that people can work together with a common purpose of helping everyone to learn and work together in an effective and considerate way, this is aimed not only at the pupils but to parents and staff alike. It continues to explain that this policy is in place to enable children to grow in a safe and secure environment, and to become positive, responsible and increasingly independent members of the school community. It then goes on to explain the code of conduct expected off children, staff and parents. This includes rules such as parents and staff not smoking in the school grounds, conduct of parents when collecting their children from school i. e. not swearing and being too loud while lessons are still ongoing, to giving guidelines on what is expected from the children while at school. In these guidelines it explains how the school has it’s set of rules but also that each class teacher, at the beginning of the school year, discusses with the children what is expected, behaviour wise, in their class. The children are also invited to give ideas for these class rules, these rules are then printed out and displayed in the classroom. This document then goes on to explain the rewards and sanctions policy, this explains how the children are rewarded for good behaviour in a variety of ways, such as, the giving of house points and presenting their work in school assemblies, it also states as the child gains more house points they work towards certificates Gold, Silver and Bronze, all the achievements the child earns are stored in their Record of Achievement file, which is presented to them as they leave school in year 6. In the explanations of the sanctions the policy, this is under the dealing with conflict and inappropriate behaviour section, gives examples of behaviour that is unacceptable, this can be things such as shouting out in class, being in areas they shouldn’t be and goes, on to the extreme cases such as bullying and assault. It then goes onto the giving of detentions or missing playtimes because of this behaviour and in the more serious cases it explains the fixed-term and permanent exclusions policy. Finally the document goes to explain the roles of all staff members within the school this includes support staff, teachers, head teacher and finally the school governors. These roles are explained in a brief way and if there are any questions to any part of the document not to hesitate to ask for more guidance. The schools anti-bullying policy firstly explains the schools definition of bullying, which is, â€Å"bullying is action taken by one or more children with the intention of hurting a child, either physically or emotionally†. It then goes on to give the schools aims and objectives in this matter, this covers developing the schools ethos in which bullying is regarded as unacceptable, aiming to produce a safe and secure environment where all can learn without anxiety, aiming to produce a consistent response to any bullying that may occur and to make all connected with the school aware of the schools opposition to bullying and to make clear each person’s responsibilities with regard to the eradication of bullying. It then goes on to explain the roles of staff and parent in both dealing with and eradicating bullying, this includes:- 1) The Governors, their role is to support the headteacher in eliminating bullying in the school, they monitor any incidents that occur and review the effectiveness of the school policy regularly. 2) The Headteacher, it is the responsibility of the head to implement the policy and to ensure all members of staff (both teaching and non-teaching) are aware of the policy and how to deal with any incidents that may arise. The head also reports to the governors about the effectiveness of the policy and if it needs amending. ) The Teaching Staff, teaching staff should intervene at the first sign of any bullying, they must keep records of all incidents that happen involving children in their class, if they see another child from another class being bullied or bullying they should immediately inform that childs class teacher so they can intervene and monitor the situation. T eachers routinely liase with each other through staff meetings and discuss existing or new anti-bullying strategies. 4) Non-Teaching Staff, they are instructed to report any signs of bullying straight away to a member of the teaching staff, who can then direct the ssue to the correct teacher. They should intervene straight away and get the names of all children involved so it can be followed up correctly and efficiently. 5) The Parents, any parent that is concerned that their child might be being bullied, or who suspect their child may be the perpetrator of bullying, should contact their childs class teacher immediately. Parents have a responsibility to support the schools anti-bullying policy and to actively encourage their chaild to be a positive member of the school. The policy then goes on to state that it is monitored by the headteacher , who reports to the governors about its effectiveness. The schools whole school attendance policy starts with an introduction as to why it is important the child attends school and has as fewer absences as possible, including the missing of work and how this can affect their education and intellectual development. It then goes on to explain types of absences both authorised and unauthorised, authorised absences include sickness, medical appointments and any emergencies. Unauthorised absences are those that the school does not consider reasonable, these include, truancy, children being generally late, birthdays, holidays in term time not agreed with the school and holidays that exceed those agreed by the school. It is explained that persistent absenteeism at my setting is classed as missing 20% of the school year, it goes on to say that this severely hampers a childs intellectual development, persistent absentee pupils (PA’s) are tracked and monitored closely and all of these cases are automatically made known to the Local Authority Attendance Team. The policy then states the absence procedure of contacting the school as soon as possible , if not contacted the school will telephone the parent/carer on the first day of absence, if absence persists invite in the parent/carer to discuss the situation and refer to the Early Intervention Officer linked with the school if attendance moves below 85% as per Local Authority protocol. It then explains the role of the Attendance Officer, which is to try and resolve any issues with the school and make a signed agreement with the parent/carer about future attendance, if the matter still persists they can sanction penalty notices or even prosecutions in the Magistrates court, these are of course the last resort if all other avenues have failed. It then goes on to holidays in term time where it says how taking these holidays can affect the childs schooling and that any monetary saving of these holidays can be at the cost of the childs intellectual development. Religious absences such as Eid are authorised but no more 3 days in a school year. Finally the policy states the roles of individuals and their responsibilities of them in keeping to this policy, they are:- Parent/ carer should ensure regular attendance, contact school, try to avoid in term holidays Pupils attend school/registration punctually, speak to an adult if any issues arise that may effect school attendance Headteacher should take lead in ensuring attendance has a high profile in the school, ensur all staff know their responsibilities, take overall responsibility for ensuring the school conforms to all statutory requirements in respect of attendance All school staff should provide a welcoming atmosphere to encourage childrens attendance and provide a safe learning environment, provide a sympathetic response to pupils concerns, be aware of the factors that may contribute to non-attendance, participate in training regarding school procedures. Finally the policy document shows an example of the application for absence from school form to be filled out for any holidays or extended leave, a copy of this is included in this assignment.

Death For Your Country Essays - France, Battle Of The Somme

Death For Your Country Essays - France, Battle Of The Somme Death for Your Country Is it glorious to die for your country?.... This question has been posed to many young people about to embark on war although the answer has usually been 'yes' in response to their country due mainly to the fact that the government instills it in the people of the country to support one's country and one way is to send young abled bodied men into the army. If you were one individual that was not in favour of fighting for your country you would surely become an outcast by the countries people. To avoid ridicule and becoming outcasted by the people living around you, you would join the army just in the thought that you were obligated to for the sole sake of your country. Such thoughts were reinforced by the government promotion of propaganda. Glorifying death is not needed to be taught and should be up to the sole individual. School systems should teach an unbiased point of view of war to enable the child to make their own decision to fight for one's country. Within the education system it was instructed to the teachers to teach the children at a young age during the brink of war to instill that their the life of the country and for them to defend their country against the enemy. Teachers showed being in a army was representing honour and the pride of the country. Guilt was laid on the students who showed rebellion by the teacher. Many times the teacher would try to show a soldier that looks happy and content trying to represent being a soldier makes you happy and content. Many young inexperienced soldiers were sent to training camps near the battle fields that they would soon be sent to fight, for their country and their life. The training camps were situated on similar enviroments that resembled the battle fields of where the fighting would take place. Reinforced displine to the young and ignorant men. Trench warfare is when many soldiers of opposing countries fight against each other across a vast desolate, dirt covered land, and the only sense of cover was to crouch in a usually water logged trench. The sense of death engulfed your very soul, the conezt bombardment of shells echo in your mind long after it had ceased. On the Western front conditions were horrible to say the least, stench of death remained coneztly in the air, bodies riddled with bullet wounds lay across the bottoms of the trenches, dismembered bodies scattered across the landscape and the sounds of agonizing and dying men echo across the battle grounds. Very limited rations offering very little in flavour was the only food available to the soldiers. Often raining, it caused muddy, damp conditions. The men staying in a trench filled with water and muddy conditions often caused such diseases as trench foot and trench mouth. Contagious diseases were spread quickly. Lack of cleaniness gave many soldiers lice and rats would run through the trenches feeding on the garbage and human wastes. Thousands of soldiers would line up under the cover of their trenches for a stretch of miles and wait for the leading officer to give the signal for the charge. When the signal was given the thousands of soldiers would all try to run across the no-man's land to attempt the breach of the enemies trench. This charge would be under conezt machine gun fire and mortar shelling by the enemy. These kind of attacks usually failed maily due to the fact the odds were already stacked against the attacking party. The diezces the charging men had to run to get to the enemies trench was far enough for the enemy to use it's conezt shelling and it's machine gun fire to dwindle the attacking army significant enough for the attacking army to retreat. Counter attacks were quickly attempted after the attacks. The counter attacks were similiar to the actual attacks except the difference was that the counter attack involved the killing of the retreating of the enemy instead of attacking someone under the cover of the trench. During the war all soldiers were affected either physically or phsycologically. Shell shock was an

Using Social Media to Market a Chiropractors Practice Essay

Using Social Media to Market a Chiropractors Practice - Essay Example The essay "Using Social Media to Market a Chiropractor’s Practice" looks at using social media to market a chiropractic practice looking at some of the options that are available, the costs, critical issues and advantages and disadvantages since integrating social media into marketing can help to significantly expand into other areas. The question of the extent to which chiropractors make use of social media to market their practice is one which is increasingly being debated. It has been argued that many chiropractors are constantly ignoring the reality as well as the potential that accompanies social media marketing subsequently leaving them behind. Integrating social media into any efforts at marketing can help to significantly expand into other areas that were previously not possible. Far from the days when one had to log into their Facebook and Twitter accounts in order to post updates, technology has evolved to provide tools including Hootsuite which present the chance to post updates to many social networks at once. Another perception is that social media is an expensive undertaking especially with regard to the notion that one will need to hire specialists and companies to put in place a social network profile for the practice. It is true that companies can enable the individual chiropractor to save a significant amount of time with regard to tasks that are related to the internet including setting up fan pages. Communication with the audience is a responsibility that can be carried out by the office staff.

Research project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Research project - Essay Example The projected net income before bonuses for the year is $17.2 million. The preliminary net income before bonuses for the first quarter is $3.7 million. According to (FASB 11) inaccurate recognition of bonuses result into inaccuracies within financial statements and hence it is important to make appropriate recording of bonuses as well as well as taxes associated with the same. Treatment of accounting transactions often requires careful consideration of the implications of the same both technically and at ethical levels. Reliable sources often emphasize the importance of accruing bonuses whenever it is expected that the company’s financial/operational performance will at least be equivalent to the set performance levels to warrant issuance of bonuses (Kimball 12). The accrual decision requires considerable judgment of the performance of the entire period which encompasses many future months during which one thing or another may impede achievement of the bonus plan objectives. A number of alternatives have been proposed for accrual of bonuses. These include: Non-accrual of expense until a reasonable probability of achieving the bonus is present Accrual of a smaller expense early in a given performance period to reflect high performance failure risk and accrue a larger expense in future when success probability is extremely high It is not advisable that one accrues significant bonus expense in an instance where probability of awarding the bonus is extremely low (Stickney 80). Such accruals provide a false expense which might be reversed later when the performance period comes to an end. A sample bonus accrual expense for the case presented could be as follows,    Debit Credit Bonus expense 185,000      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Accrued bonus liability    185,000 Where payment for the accrued bonus is made later, the journal entry eliminates accrued bonus liability whilst recognizing any arising payroll tax liabilities which are associated with the accrued bonus. A entry for this could be as follows,    Debit Credit Accrued bonus liability 185,000   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cash    xxx Taxes    xxx As a matter of fact, when a percentage bonus is issued at the end of every quarter, it is important to recognize a portion of the bonus at the end of each month’s closing financial statements. For instance, the 5% bonus at each quarter’s end, an accrual of 5% of total salary expense is recorded at the end of every month’s cycle closure (FASB 54). A debit is posted to employee bonuses account for total accrual amount and credit is made to bonus accrual account. In the case discussed in the report, the bonus payment is pegged to the projected net income before bonuses of $17.2 million. However, going by the earnings for the current quarter, there is no high likelihood of attaining the projected income before payment of bonuses and hence its non-accrual is recommended until such time that the probability of attaining the projected i ncome before bonus is achieved. In general, the best way to treat the bonus expense is to handle it as an accrued expense or rather an expense incurred but not yet paid. This is consideration of the fact that whilst the bonus is anticipated, changes in the financial results of the company can prevent the company from incurring this expense at the end of the financial period. Incurrence of this expense is pegged on a condition which must be achieved for it to be affected.

Energy Conservation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Energy Conservation - Research Paper Example Though the imperative to conserve energy is as old as the use of energy itself (Wulfinghoff, n.d.) it could be argued that the modern push for energy conservation has been driven by overreliance on fossil fuels and the accompanying fear over their rate of depletion, rising costs of fossil fuels and the effects of fossil fuels on the environment. Herein we can single out the production of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that lead to global warming as a significant environmental problem within energy conservation. Greenhouse gases are those gases that absorb and emit heat in the atmosphere e.g. carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor and nitrous oxide. Water vapor and carbon dioxide are the greatest contributors to the greenhouse effect. However, according to Jacob (1999) water vapor resides in the atmosphere for a period of about nine days before it condenses and precipitates, unlike carbon dioxide and the other greenhouse gases which mix in the atmosphere and reside there for years. It is this lack of natural processes to remove the greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide that leads to the earth heating up because the gases entrap heat within our atmosphere. Seas / lakes, vegetation, land, wildlife and livestock are some of the living and nonliving factors that contribute to or are affected by energy conservation. Seas have a huge potential with regards to providing an alternative source of energy in the form of wave or tidal energy. Tidal energy provides a renewable source of electricity that should lessen our dependence on fossil fuels thus reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases. However, it must be noted that harnessing tidal energy through building of dams near bays or estuaries could result in negative impacts on aquatic and shoreline ecosystems (Ocean Energy Council, n.d.). Secondly, utilising seas/oceans for energy generation would reduce the need to open up more oil exploration in the seas which could lead to leaks and

Immanuel Kant Essay Example for Free

Immanuel Kant Essay Introduction 1What does philosophy mean? -Everyone has a philosophy -We have ideas concerning things, people, the meaning of life, death, God, what is good and bad. -We may have certain attitudes to life, certain ways of looking at things. -For example: -I am an optimist. I can always see a positive side to most unhappy situations. -I don’t believe in worrying too much. I think about today. Tomorrow can take care of itself. -Although an individual claim this to be his philosophy and rightly so. But this is not philosophy as a discipline. It is too broad, vague, superficial, impersonal and unclear. It does not adequately describe the work of a philosopher. -We need to define philosophy more specifically. 2The word â€Å"philosophy†. -The Word â€Å"Philosophy†. -Philia (love) + Sophia (wisdom) = the love of wisdom. 3Definitions of philosophy a. The study of the nature and meaning of the universe and of human life Online Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. b. Philosophy is a rational attempt to look at the world as a whole. 4What does philosophy seek to do? -Philosophy seeks to examine fundamental questions about the universe and about ourselves with the hope of coming up with consistent principles by which we can understand and live. 5Human beings have always sought answers to certain fundamental questions What are these fundamental questions? -What makes an action write or wrong? -What is my purpose in the world? -What is truth? -What makes a good life? -Is God important in our lives? -Where does knowledge come from and how do we know that our knowledge is true. -What is the relationship between mind and body? 6Why do we need philosophy? Why do we need philosophy when we have science and technology? -We have advanced so much in science and technology -We live in cities, we have conquered the air and have ventured into space? -Communication is so developed that distance no longer matters -We have immense power over nature -We are able to produce more goods and services than ever before -So, why do we still need philosophy? 7Yet all these advances cause us to be disturbed and anxious -There is a danger that the very technology we have developed could destroy us. -For example nuclear technology. -We seem to be unable to deal with the problems of war, famine, terror, distribution of wealth, pollution, the threatened extinction of wildlife, exploitation and oppression of the weak . -Knowledge and values appear to be divorced. -This is where philosophy comes in. It helps us to examine our lives as individuals and groups. -Philosophy may not be able to provide solutions to all the world’s problems. But it helps to examine issues clearly, consider options and help us to make informed decisions. -With poor, incomplete and shallow reasoning we cannot build an enlightened society -If we are unable to distinguish between valid and invalid reasoning, then we become victims of persuasive orators, cult leaders and unscrupulous political leaders. -Philosophy helps us to see more deeply and clearly into an issue. It helps us to question traditional and outdate beliefs so that we can make informed choices -Knowledge of ethical systems help us to live ethical lives at the personal and communitarian level. -Knowledge of what constitutes beauty helps us to appreciate and respect differences in individual and cultural concepts of beauty and art. -Being able to think critically will help us to be aware of any irrational and oppressive beliefs in religion. 8The traditional divisions of philosophy. a. Logic b. Metaphysics c. Epistemology d. Value Theory LOGIC aLogic. -The systematic study of rules to distinguish or recognize good arguments from bad. -In an argument, groups will give opposing views. -How do we know which argument is good and which is not good. -Logic helps us to do so by providing rules to recognize right argument from wrong argument. -It is concerned with tests to find out which arguments are valid. -Logic runs through all the other branches of philosophy. METAPHYSICS -bMetaphysics The study of the nature of being and of the world. -It is concerned with the fundamental nature of all reality, both visible and invisible. -It asks what reality is, why it is, and how we can understand it. Ontology That part of metaphysics that studies being or existence. EPISTEMOLOGY cEpistemology The study of the sources, nature and validity of knowledge. -It deals with issues like: -What are the sources of knowledge? (Origin of knowledge) -Where does genuine knowledge come from? -How do we know? -What is the nature of knowledge? (Appearance and reality) -Is there a real world outside the mind? -If so, can we know it? -Is our knowledge valid? (Truth/Verification) -How do we distinguish truth from error? Two traditional schools of thought have sought to answer the questions above: -Rationalism -Human reason alone can discover the basic principles of the universe -Empiricism -All knowledge ultimately comes from sense experience, and therefore our knowledge is limited to what can be experienced. There is a relationship between metaphysics and epistemology. Our understanding of reality (metaphysics) depends on our understanding of what can be known (epistemology). Our theory of knowledge (epistemology) depends on how we understand ourselves in relation to the whole of reality (metaphysics). VALUE THEORY dValue Theory The branch of philosophy that studies values. -It can be subdivided into ethics, aesthetics, and social and political philosophy. iethics: is concerned with morality; right or wrong behavior. -the three areas of ethics are : descriptive, normative and metaethics. -descriptive ethics (what is ) identifies motives, desire and intentions of human conduct and acts. It describes moral actions. -normative ethics (what ought to be) proposes the principles by which people ought to act and live. These are called ethical theories. -Meta-ethics(analysis) on how we understand, know about, and what we mean when we talk about what is right and what is wrong. It deals with the meaning of key concepts, techniques of reasoning and analysis, and linguistic conventions It deals with matters like what do moral terms mean? What sort of mental state is involved in accepting a moral claim – a belief, an emotion? Is there any sort of moral reality or facts? Is ethical knowledge attainable? If so, how? In fact, drawing the conceptual distinction between Metaethics, Normative Ethics, and Applied Ethics is itself a metaethical analysis. ii. Aestheticsis concerned with the theory of art and beauty. -Many philosophical problems in aesthetics involve critical judgements.? -It deals with concepts of concepts of beauty. Is beauty subjective or objective? iii. Social and political philosophyisconcerned with value judgments concerning society, the state and the individual’s relation to these institutions -It deals with issues like -Why should individuals live in society? -What should be the social ideals of liberty, rights, justice, equality and responsibility -Why should anyone obey any government? -Why should some individuals or groups have political power over others -Who should have political power over others? -What should the scope of political power be? -What are the goals of government? Glossary 1philosophyphilia (love) + Sophia (wisdom) = the love of wisdom 2logicThe systematic study of rules to distinguish or recognize good arguments from bad 3metaphysicsThe study of the nature of being and of the world 4epistemologyThe study of the sources, nature and validity of knowledge 5value theoryThe branch of philosophy that studies values. It can be subdivided into ethics, aesthetics, and social and political philosophy. 6rationalismHuman reason alone can discover the basic principles of the universe 7empiricismAll knowledge ultimately comes from sense experience, and therefore our knowledge is limited to what can be experienced 8aesthetics Is concerned with the theory of art and beauty.

Legal Issues of ICT Use in the Construction Industry

Legal Issues of ICT Use in the Construction Industry Abstract While in the 21st century the construction industry prefers to conduct business using the information and communication technologies (ICT), the presence of legal issues pertaining to this mannerism of business cannot be ignored. The aim of this project is to provide a better understanding of these legal issues which are associated with their use. The objectives entailed to achieve this aim are to determine the existing legal issues and to estimate the awareness about them in the industry. The aim and objectives have been addressed by conducting two types of field investigations namely, questionnaires and interviews with lawyers, architects and engineers with different backgrounds. The project concludes with the identification of the legal issues present in the industry and an attempted comparison between the legal scenario in the U.K. and India. 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background and Scope of the Research Almost a decade ago the information technology invaded our lives like never before. The advancement in information and communication technologies (ICT) and their utilisation has been tremendous with the recent years witnessing the development of several IT-based technologies such as e-commerce. Information technology solutions have paved a way to a new world of internet, business networking and e-banking, budding as a solution to reduce costs, change the sophisticated economic affairs to an easier, speedy, efficient, and time-saving method of transactions and exchange of information. Though the internet has emerged as a boon for the present pace of life yet at the same time it has also resulted in posing various threats to the consumers and other institutions for which it has till now proven to be the most beneficial. Various criminals have been able to pave their way to interfere with the internet accounts through various techniques like hacking the Domain Name Server (DNS), Internet Providers (IP) address, spoofing, phishing, internet phishing etc. and have been successful in gaining an unauthorised access to the users computer system thereby gaining enormous profits from the stolen data. These and other problems have forced the business community, the legal community and the law enforcers i.e. the government to look at the current legal scenario. These problems, therefore, need to be studied in detail by investigating legal issues pertaining to the construction industry. This study is an attempt at understanding the legalities which are related to the mannerism of conducting business while using ICT. As part of this study an effort will be directed towards comparing the legal stance of the United Kingdom and India. 1.2 Aim and Objectives The aim of this project is to provide a better understanding of the legal issues involved while using information and communication technologies (ICT) in the construction industry. To achieve this aim, the following objectives should be fulfilled during the course of this project:- To study the legal issues pertaining to e-commerce (for e.g. electronic contracts, digital signatures, etc.). To assess the importance of jurisdiction issues in cyberspace (for e.g. engaging in e-commerce on World Wide Web may expose the company to the risk of being sued in any state or foreign country; law applicable to contractual obligations, etc.) To study the various legal problems that can arise out of miscommunication between the client, consultants and contractors (court actions, out-of-court settlements of disputes, etc.) To study and compare the legal stance of India and the United Kingdom, in using the information and communication technologies in the construction industry. 1.3 Justification for the Research Computers and more importantly internet governs our lives to the kind of extent that we do not even realise its significance. Today companies, especially in the concerned area of construction, are conducting business by means of the latest advancements in information communication technologies. Bearing in mind the current flourishing e-commerce, it becomes quite easy to get embroiled in lawsuits. The reasons maybe several, for instance either there may be disputes between the client and the company; or there might be an issue with jurisdiction; or there may be concerns related to the security of level of exchange of information electronically. In most of the cases it can be assumed that there is a highlighted ignorance of the legal framework with respect to ICT, and this ignorance may be a deterrent in the popularity of conducting business in this manner. In lieu of these issues, I believe it becomes the need of the hour to undertake a study of this kind. 1.4 Methodology Outline Owing to the nature of the research project and its data, the research approach adopted is mostly quantitative. However, some aspects of qualitative research have also been incorporated. Source of information will be taken from journals and books. The method of collecting data for this research project has consisted of online questionnaires (surveys) and unstructured interviews. Case studies of previous lawsuits with respect to the topic have been studied. 1.5 Dissertation Contents The research project includes a detailed study into the methodology to be followed and also provides the justifications for the chosen methodology. The project also includes a literature review about the various legal issues which are related to the use of information communication technologies for conducting business in the construction industry. It sheds light on the some of the legal terms associated with the legal framework of e-business. The project report additionally contains with analysis and evaluation from the interviews conducted and the online questionnaire filled in by architects, engineers and lawyers. It supplies information on the â€Å"legal future† of using the various existing and upcoming information communication technologies in construction, providing an insight into the implications; the solutions available; the problems faced while conducting research; and manner in which ICT can be utilised for the growth of the construction industry worldwide. It concludes with summarisation of the research and recommendations and scope for further study on this research subject in the construction industry. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction The intentional use of information technology by cyber-terrorists or cyber-criminals for producing destructive and harmful effects to tangible and intangible property of others is addressed as ‘cyber crime. Cyber crime is clearly an international problem with absolutely no national boundaries; hacking attacks can be launched from any corner of the world without even an iota of fear of being traced or prosecuted easily. A cyber-terrorist can collapse the economic structure of a country from a place where that country might not even have arrangements such as an extradition treaty to deal with that criminal. The only safeguards can be better technology; to combat such technology which is already well-known to the hackers; and to evolve stricter and tighter laws which can be accepted universally. 2.1.1 An introduction to the construction industry A maxim in India states, to live a comfortable life all one needs is three basic essentials- food, clothes and a house. This has held true across all civilisations and centuries. Building a house was just a first step. The world has advanced much further constructing palaces, forts, dams, skyscrapers, factories, energy-efficient buildings and lots more. In a world of today, the 21st century, the construction industry is an important sector of a nations economy; providing employment to millions; employed by countries across the world as an economy regulator! In U.K. alone, construction industry had an output of  £102.4 billion at current prices (2004); 8% of Gross Domestic Product (G.D.P.). In the European Union the construction sector accounts for 9.9% of G.D.P. and 50% of Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF). Considering the scope and importance which the construction sector enjoys worldwide, it becomes quite easy to understand that this industry functions at an incredible level and involves working with many organisations. â€Å"The construction industry is frequently described as fragmented by its critics; however, disseminated would be a better description .For each construction project a whole new organization is created involving the client, designers, contractors, sub-contractors, material suppliers, plant hire companies, government, local authorities and agencies such as the environmental agency, Health and Safety Executive and many others. Each ‘new and ‘transient project organization is, in fact, a virtual organization or enterprise† (McCaffer, 2008). Communication, thus, becomes an important aspect of conducting a successful business in construction ensuring successful collaboration between the various components of the industry. 2.1.2 An introduction to e-business/e-commerce and e-construction With age time the concept and means of communication have also evolved. Earlier communication meant travelling to places near and far, then the concept of letters came and with the advent of telephone postage lost some of its significance. The world was however still is in store for more inventions and the 1940s took the world by storm as the computers were born. Computers and internet are a lethal combination, a form of communication which rules over our lives as much as eating food does. Every day, man makes new discoveries regarding these two, trying to find out how our day-to-day activities can be undertaken in an improved efficient manner. The term ‘electronic commerce (e-commerce) was coined by Lawrence Livermore in 1989. E-commerce is a consolidation of people, technology, materials and â€Å"the processes on an electronic network for commercial transactions† (Johnston et al, 1997, p 37). As specified by the European Commission (1997, cited in Bruin, 2002), electronic commerce is all about doing business electronically involving the electronic processing and transmission of data (which consists of data, text, sound and videos). It encompasses various activities consisting of electronic trading of goods and services, electronic share trading, on-line delivery of digital content, on-line sourcing, electronic fund transfers, direct consumer marketing, electronic bills of lading, commercial auctions, collaborative design and engineering, public procurement, and after-sales service (European Commission, 1997). To be speaking strictly its not really the electronic aspect of e-commerce but the digital part which imparts the revolutionary, efficient and versatile character to e-commerce (Johnston et al, 1997). E-commerce involves both the services; e.g. financial, information and legal services); and the products; e.g. consumer goods, specialised mechanical equipment. It also constitutes the combination of traditional activities such as education and healthcare and new activities such as virtual malls (European Commission, 1997). This is also agreed with by Johnston et al, 1997 who state that e-commerce supports the selling, buying and distribution of services and goods. Johnston et al (1997) while discussing the definition of electronic commerce noted that it involves the conduction of business electronically across the spectrum of inter-enterprise relationships. E-commerce has the advantages of being a paperless economy, engaging in outsourcing and entails the convergence of all information in a single form (Johnston et al, 1997). In this day and age e-business has emerged as a field of immense potential. The use of information and communication technologies to conduct business has gained momentum, and, like just about any other business the construction industry too has embraced the concept of e-business. â€Å"Strong information technology (IT) capabilities have been a competitive necessity in nearly every industry sector. The post-Latham (1994 and Egan (1998) era has seen many construction firms investing in technology tools to improve business performance, which subsequently led to an increase in technology investments in construction firms† (Ruikar et al., 2008, p 23). The use of information and communication technologies in construction, however, depends upon a number of factors such as the size of the construction firm, its position in the market, the markets that the company operates in etc. 2.1.3 Introduction to the legal problems in e-business Before jumpstarting onto the e-business wagon, a company should have some reasonably placed apprehensions. The question in front of the management of a company should be: whether conducting business using information and communication technologies is legally safe or not? Other questions should follow as well, such as: what is an e-contract? will the companys information be secure when shared through ICT? what are the liability issues? what are the jurisdiction issues? is a scanned document valid and legal? what is a digital signature, an e-signature? Questions such as above are justified because in actuality the companies are unaware of the legal risks involved while conducting e-business, hampering the chances of fruitful commerce. Sieber (2001) brings to light the need for new laws when he says that the increased significance of information and information technology is closely linked to increased potential dangers, and these dangers bring an increased necessity to reassess the existing information law regulations and to formulate new ones. Sieber (2001, p8) further makes this statement to back up the formulation of new information law regulations, â€Å"It must encourage- in the interest of communal justice (iustitia commutativa) and as a contribution to distributive justice (iustitia distributia)-the creation of new â€Å"information† values (e.g. by means of economic incentives in copyright law), ensure a just distribution of the newly created goods (e.g. through the regulation of rights to particular information), reduce the number of new risks stemming from information technology (in particular, by provisions in the area of liability, administrative law and criminal law)and ensure a just compensation in cases where harm is caused†. Exchange of information in construction and engineering based businesses is a universal occurrence but it is not accounted for by contractual practice. Insufficiently defined responsibilities, overlapping communication techniques and mistrust all hamper the fuller use of inter-enterprise ICT (Hassan et al). A major problem exists with the enforcement of electronic law. Particularly practical difficulties arise from the fact that data containing most of the information is available at the discretion of the recipient. As is the case electronic data is not actually visible and can be altered, deleted or hidden through manipulation of technology (Sieber, 2001). Data can also be encoded or encrypted by offenders to escape imprisonment. Several terrorist, bank robbers, paedophiles, etc have attempted to escape or have been able to escape by encrypting data. Encrypted data is data which has been converted into incomprehensible codes which can only be unlocked by using a key which only a holder of that matching key can reconvert them into plausible data. All in all there is clearly an urgent need to study and understand the legal issues involved while using information and communication technologies for conducting business. 2.2 Legal Aspects of using ICT When the concept of e-commerce as introduced it was greeted with hysteria which has now been replaced by a concern voiced by many over the impact of using ICT for business. The industry is now closely examining the after-effects of e-business business world (Ismail and Kamat, 2008). Hurtado and OConnor Jr (2009) deliberate on the contractual issues concerned with the use of construction Building Information Modeling. They explain that the legal community is struggling to help out in developing meaningful contract terms in relation to the use of BIM technology. In their paper for the Society of Construction Law, they have contemplated upon the issues to be considered when preparing contractual provisions, including the proposed use of the model; the mannerism of data transfer from one model into the other models; the deliverance schedule expected from the model; reliability of the modelled information; management of the modelling process; and usage of the model after the completion of construction. Some of the legal issues and terminology pertaining to the use of ICT for business purposes shall now be discussed. 2.2.1 Types of legal risks involved in e-business in construction Every new day is coloured with a new discovery; this holds as much truth for ICT as for any scientific discovery. The only drawback with ICT is that a new discovery brings along with it a new set of legal issues. These legal issues are a drawback because they take time for implementation and regulation; sometimes damage has already been done before any sufficient action can be taken. Ismail and Kamat (2008, p-212) correctly state, â€Å"The difference between the rates at which e-business technology develops to the rate at which legal framework and rules develop is substantial. Legal risks have not been studied in relation to construction e-business†. The legal risks discussed include risks posed by web-based agencies, risks related to jurisdiction; contract formation; authentication; electronic privacy and risks associated with intellectual property. These legal risks inflicting e-construction have been discussed as below: †¢ Insecurity regarding electronic privacy In the digital economy privacy claims have been of paramount concern. An issue forever causing concern amongst the construction and business community is the insecurity of their personal and private information which is exchanged and stored electronically. A popular, efficient and inexpensive means of information exchange and data transfer is the electronic mail systems, popularly known e-mails. While emails now incorporate information in various forms which includes photographs, typed memos, video clips, spreadsheets and bar codes; they are deemed to be as insecure as a postcard if they are not protected by encryption and elaborate password systems (Johnston et al, 1997). Construction companies involved in e-business will need to manage the risks associated with sharing private information; private information may refer to personal privacy concerns about their own firms (Ismail and Kamat, 2008, p214-215). â€Å"Online portals and marketplaces collect more information than is needed for legally authentically an e-contracting party† (Smith and Clarke, 2000). The information thus collected may be in the form of registration forms, cookies, etc. Though the question remains as to who owns this information, the risk associated is with the privacy being challenged. In case of hacking or a virus, the information may end up being passed onto a third party. †¢ Risk posed by the web-based agents Web-based agents are information brokers. A new brokerage model can substantially change the equilibrium and re-adjust the interests of existing stakeholders. Also, software agents pose the biggest and truly exclusive risk to the current legal system as pointed out by Ismail and Kamat (2008). Agents control decisions and they learn and act upon their perception of the environment to make the maximum goals of its user or programmer (Dzeng and Lin, 2004; Lee, 2004; Ren and Anumba, 2004). Agents act on behalf of their owners to promote the owners desires, unlike support software that supports the owner in making a decision but leave the decision for the owner to make (Schoop et al., 2003; Ren and Anumba, 2004). †¢ Risks related to electronic authentication When doing business via the electronic networks, it become increasingly difficult to establish the other partys trustworthiness without having physically met them, in other words doubts about authenticity are raised (Bruin, 2002). Smith Clarke (2000 cited in Ismail Kamat, 2008, p 216) debate authentication by stating, â€Å"The drive to authenticate e-business buyers and sellers and attribute contracting actions to the proper buyer and seller is in direct conflict with privacy laws†. Pacini et al (2002, quoted in Ismail and Kamat, 2008, p 216) support this statement when they say, â€Å"Attributing an electronic message for an offer or acceptance of an e-contract to the person who purports to send it is yet another risk†. The Uniform Electronic Transaction Act (UETA) addresses this risk from a legal perspective by making it necessary that certain authentication levels are acquired and thus proper authentication and attribution is ensured and a protection is provided to the e-business participants from the attack of hackers (Belgum, 1999; Moreau, 1999; Thelen Reid Priest LLP, 1999a; Pacini et al., 2002, cited in Ismail and Kamat, 2008). †¢ Risks inflicting electronic contracts Consider this scenario. Two parties engage in a negotiation for the purchase of cement for the construction of an institutional building. The seller offers it at say  £5 per kg and the buyer refuses and wants to buy it at say  £4 per kg and also wants the seller to bear the shipping cost. The seller agrees, transaction is completed, cement is shipped and the buyer transfers money into the sellers account. This sounds like a simple business contract; however, the difference here is that this contract has been formulated and fulfilled electronically (Johnston et al, 1997). In a commercial context, promises are exchanged in the form of an offer and an acceptance of the order. The offer and the acceptance supported with a valid consideration and mutual assent would, subject to certain limitations, constitute a valid contract. Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) technology is an advanced form of cyber-contracting. EDI is conducted between trading partners who already have a negotiated agreement which rules the relationship. In this form of technology, the computers contact each other as well as negotiate (based on programmed instructions). If a reply which rejects the offer is received then a counter-offer is also made. This continues till an agreement is arrived at or one of the system stops the process (Johnston et al, 1997). However, in the e-business transactions, it is not an easy job to distinguish between the offer make and the acceptor. This is considered critical because a contract is considered to be invalid until an offer has been made and the acceptor has accepted the offer and communicated the same to the offer maker (Ismail and Kamat, 2008, p 213). Although the laws governing electronic contracts have improved significantly over the year, yet there is always scope for improvement because of the ever changing evolving nature of the communication technologies. Business risk and uncertainty are always on a high level in the electronic world. Legal difficulties in an e-contract arise when the parties expectations are not met with or when a transaction does not progress as planned. Bruin (2002, p 146) shed some light on TrustUK and explained that, â€Å"in July 1999, the Department of Trade and Industry published its Consumer White Paper Modern markets: Confident consumers..The White paper among other things contained plans for the approval of on-line codes of conduct by a new body provisionally called TrustUK†. Section 4 of TrustUK Code of Practice deals with the various aspects of e-contracts and its implications (liabilities included). †¢ Risks related to varying jurisdictions Jurisdiction is a legal term describing which law is in effect at a given period of time and which courts decisions will be legally binding. Jurisdiction issues arise when parties dispute over a contract and want to settle as to which jurisdiction will decide over the issue (Ismail and Kamat, 2008). The problem becomes more intimidating where the issue of e-commerce comes into picture. The internet simplifies the carrying out of business globally. But then different countries follow different laws, especially those with respect to construction and therefore, the risk of encountering lawsuits in foreign land increases. In an electronic contract it should be very clear as to what law applies to the contractual obligations, what court of law will be presiding over to judge any dispute arising from the contract (Bruin, 2002). As pointed out by Rowe (1998, cited in Ismail and Kamat, 2008) a dispute judged under varying set of regulations, laws and rules have as different judgement. â€Å"Although the laws regulating e-business vary, the general opinion of the courts implies that companies engaged in activities or online advertising may have to defend lawsuits in different jurisdictions if those activities violate the local laws†, Thelen Priest (1997 quoted in Ismail and Kamat, 2008, 213). The problem of jurisdiction exists becomes all the more relevant in the 21st century, now that there are so many countries existing worldwide and when global expansion has occurred in the business scenario with the arrival and explicit use of the information and communication technologies. However, there are quite a lot of countries which are at the moment unable to make any kind amendments in their legal framework on construction, especially where the amendments in law are concerned with e-construction. At the same time, it is good news that some governments are making changes to the construction law executed in their countries to make e-construction and e-business a more feasible and legally secure venture. However, the point to be noted here is that despite all the positive proceedings in the respective field, the possibility of two countries sharing the same law on e-commerce and that too in the construction sector are negligible. In a scenario where the choice of law is absent, legal uncertainty may arise regarding the application of law to an electronic contract (Bruin, 2002). This information clearly implies that risk attributed to varying jurisdiction remains. Bruin (2002, p42) clearly points out that in a specific case of â€Å"cross-border electronic consumer contracts, a court procedure may involve such difficulties that a contract term defining a foreign jurisdiction may de facto exclude or hinder the consumer to take legal action†. As a result the service provider also ends up providing an unfair contractual term. From the literature on jurisdiction which has been studied and mentioned here, it has been found that although there are quite a lot of provisions in legal frameworks of countries which address the jurisdiction issues, yet it would be beneficial to make changes and improvisations to these existing laws. 2 Brief description of some of the legal terms associated with the legal framework of e-business To understand the legalities involved in using information and communication technologies for business, one needs to be aware of some terms associated with the legal framework of e-business. In this section these common yet important terms shall be discussed briefly. Identification of the potential legal gaps and problems within the cluster projects issue 2, a report on the findings of Hassan et al, forms the main basis for defining these terms. The discussed terms are as follows:- †¢ Electronic / digital signatures Electronic and digital signatures allow the recipient of a piece of information to know when the information has arrived, who has sent it, and to check whether the information has been changed or tampered with since it was sent. Digital signatures are electronic codes specific to individual users, which can be used to identify the originator of a message or file, and to indicate approval of the transmitted information. There are different types of digital signatures available (i.e. public key infrastructure, asymmetric cryptography, account numbers and passwords), and the level of security that is required dictates the choice of method to be used. Digital signatures are easily to transport and all the more difficult to imitate by anyone else, and more importantly they can be automatically time-stamped. A digital signature is basically a unique ‘key that provides, if anything, stronger authentication than any written signature (Wacks, 2001). Asymmetric cryptosystem involves two keys, one public, the other private. Its main advantage is that if you are able to decrypt the message, you know that it could only have been created by the sender (Wacks, 2001) The Electronic Transaction Act 1999 (in Australia) gives legal recognition to the use of electronic signatures and one may find them useful in executing electronic contracts on your website. The risk of e-businesses dealing with parties which might misuse digital signatures is similar to the commercial risk of fraud that arises through forgery of signature on a paper contract. †¢ Here is an example which depicts the working of a digital signature. Assume that man named A has to the draft of a contract to his lawyer who at present is in another town. A wants to assure his lawyer that the information sent across has not been tampered with and it really is what he had sent. To ensure that, heres what A has do: †¢ Copy-and-paste the contract into an e-mail. †¢ Using specialised software, A obtains a message hash (mathematical summary) of the contract. †¢ A then uses a private key that he had previously obtained from a public-private key authority to encrypt the hash. †¢ This encrypted hash becomes As digital signature of the message. It is to be noted that the digital signature will be different each time a message has been sent. Now, how will As lawyer detect that this document is the same unchanged one that A had sent across to him? Heres what he will do: †¢ As lawyer makes a hash of the received email to ensure that the document is intact and has been sent by A only. †¢ As lawyer then makes use of As public key to decrypt the message hash or summary. †¢ The received email (document in this case) is considered authentic and valid if the hashes match. Thus we understand that using a digital signature is an easy and safe method to protect privacy of information. A digital signature consists of the concerned persons public key, his/her name and e-mail address, the expiry date of the public key, name of the company, serial number of the digital ID, and digital signature of the certification authority (Magalhaes, 2003). The fact that digital signature increase the security and ensure privacy is confirmed by Wacks (2001, p 80) when he states, â€Å"Blinding or blind and digital signature will significantly enhance the protection of privacy†. †¢ Digital notaries Digital notaries provide a time stamping service, thereby proving the existence of a piece of information at a particular time. These are often used in conjunction with an electronic / digital signature. Timestamping can ensure non-repudiation. Indeed, a digital signature is only legally binding if it was made when the users certificate was still valid, and a timestamp on a signature can prove this. Timestamping involves the following parties -client, timestamping authority (TSA) a verifier. Feather in 1999 expressed his opinion on digital notaries. He articulated that the purpose of a digital notary is to certify that a document as produced by a person is a true copy of that