A Study And Report On Social Work

A Study And Report On Social Work Social work has always been considered as a difficult and complex occupation, with a complicated and perplexing framework. This is due to its different settings accompanying different tasks. An inevitable part of social work is its values and ethics and the questions and debates that surround its structure. Although values can be considered as personal and individualistic, it is also possible for a group with the same beliefs to share the same values, such as social work. It is important to acknowledge that values continually shape our actions and it is of the opinion of Ronnby (1992) â€Å"that someone becomes a social worker because they have the same ethics and values and attach them to the position†. Biestek developed traditional values in the late 50s. (Biestek, 1961). His principles outlined the basics of traditional social work and were constructed of a seven-point scheme. The principles consisted of 1. Individualism.2. Purposeful expression of feelings. 3. Controlled emotional involvement. 4. Acceptance. 5. Non-judgmental attitude 6. User self-determination.7. Confidentiality, Many of Biestek beliefs were very traditional and were criticised for their diversity in their interpretation. Controversies relating to different principles caused many problematic conclusions e.g. individualisation and confidentiality. Individualisation could not be possible in the fast moving modern world, people lose their identity and individualisation is not respected. Confidentiality has its limitations to be enforced e.g. If a user divulges information where someone will be harmed, the social workers duty is to share it as a right to other individuals. It was clear these key issues had to be developed and advanced to help social workers. It was considered that there must be guidance on values and ethics for social workers, as they play a major part in their work Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work was a significant part in the development in education for social workers. It is also acknowledge by (CCETSW, 1998) that it is a necessary part as the title suggest, that social workers must gain an understanding of ethical awareness as part of the professional practice. Skill development gave social workers a range of skills that are needed to ensure that social work is a high quality profession. The CCETSW set out details of a number of competencies that they should be able to cover in their work. It is considered that there are two main ideologies within social work, social justice and personal caring. These were considered to be benefit for social workers as they exercised anti-oppressive practice. They produced a list that social workers had to identify with. This stated that a social worker: . Should be committed to: Respect and value of individuals Promote peoples rights to choice privacy protection and confidentiality, while looking at the rights and demands The right of individuals to make choices Strengths and skill embodied local communities Right of protection for those at risk Social workers should be able to do: Develop awareness of inter-relationship of the process of structural oppression, race, class and gender Understand and counter act the impact of discrimination from poverty, age, disability and sectarianism Demonstrate an awareness of individual and institutional racism Understand gender issues and demonstrate anti-sexism in social work practice Promote policies and practices which are non- discriminatory and anti- oppressive Demonstrating these skills in learning, acknowledge that they had competence in practice. The Central Council for Education in Social Work stated that ‘practice must be founded on, informed by and capable of being judged against a clear value base (CCETSW, 1995). This knowledge base was very important, but it did not give ready-made answers as to how social workers should continue in any particular situation. However it gives lots of insight and clues about situations that social workers may face, it also enabled them to have an appropriate response for any particular predicament. Never the less it is still down to the individual social worker to acquire and expand their knowledge base for practising in social work. The range of skills that can develop from learning will be responsible for an established and high quality in the service that are offered to service users. There are professional ethical standards that are relevant to social workers in practice. These allowed social workers to work at a professional standard and to behave professionally. These standards concern ethical responsibilities to clients, colleagues, social work profession and responsibilities to the broader society. Some of the standards are guidelines for professional conduct, such as the code of ethics for social workers. For social work the code of ethics plays a major role in its training, policy making and its professional literature. These guidelines provide a framework for making sense of the practice in social work. The code of ethics for social workers (BASW 1996) was put in place in 1975 to ensure that social workers had a set of guidelines for professional activities. The primary objective of the Code of Ethics is to make these pragmatic principles clear for the protection of clients and other members of society. Its principal objectives are to ensure that the professional social workers were recognised as a non-bias worker. The code covered two main areas, including principles and practice, The statement of principles covers social workers understanding and identifying of the values and dignity for every human being, irrespective of origin, race, status, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, or religious belief. Social workers are expected to prevent and eliminate exploitation and discrimination against any person, group, or class on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, colour, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, political belief, religion, or mental or physical disability. Millerson (1964) argued that the code of ethics could become irrelevant, as it was difficult to use, as it could not be dominated by one specific area within social work. Millerson noted that there were many areas of specialist including child protection, community care, mental health and family therapy, that it becomes more difficult use the code as a principal source of moral guidance. Ethical awareness is a necessary part of the professional practice of any social worker. His or her ability to act ethically is an essential aspect of the quality of the service offered to clients. It has been thought that the code of ethics was set in place to allow social work to be recognised as a professional occupation. Social workers were expected to Identify and interpret the basis and nature of individual, group, community and social problems. Illustrating their ability to recognise professional and personal limitations, and refrain from any behaviour that may damage the profession. The uncertainty of day to day practice brings with it many ethical dilemmas, which are a challenge for many social workers. The complexities of ethical dilemmas arise when a social worker has two or more possible undesirable conclusions that go against their own moral principals, these dilemmas cause a battle because they have to make a choice and they dont know which one is right. Professional service shall assist clients to take responsibility for personal actions and help all clients with equal willingness. Social work is a decision making occupation that can lead to many problems, the feeling of guilt and blame for the outcome of many decisions that they have been involved in. This may cause much stress and strain for social workers in having to make major decisions and choices, but also to take responsibility for any outcomes that may go wrong. This essay has described the value base of social work in its development and education, also looking at its effect and consequences. Learning base work can give possible solution as to how social workers should proceed in a situation; it can also give lots of insights into fields that they have no experience in. The codes of ethics standards were explained and considered it has been argued of its effect and purpose, its usefulness and its guidance for the profession of social workers. How we deal with them will always be a challenging and stimulating process for all social workers. There are many instances in professional social work where simple answers are not available to resolve complex ethical issues. A case study has been discussed and analysed, showing anti-oppressive practice. It is shown that power and oppression of all kinds must be regulated and resisted, we must acknowledge that power and oppression is always present in individuals and within society. In conclusion social work can be a challenging subject and one that will actively push the boundaries of all social workers on a personal level and professional level. It is agreed within social work that ethics, morals and values are all an inescapable part of professional practice and ‘Ethical awareness is a necessary part of practice of any social work (IFSW, 1994). Values and ethics are not simply reasonable matters that we can unravel through logical arguments; they are a combination of thoughts and feelings closely linked to action. There must be distinctions on how to apply social work values and ethics into their professional work, without causing personal conflict. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Moreover, the Social work values emphasises that the social workers should â€Å"identifies and question their own values and prejudices, and their implication of practice;†¦ and they should â€Å"Respect and value uniqueness and adversity†¦.and identify (discrimination), analyse and take action to counter discrimination, racism, disadvantage, inequality and injustice using strategies appropriate to role and context† (CCETSW, paper 30 referred in UB. 2002: 6). Therefore, the social work value gave people a direct power to clients by letting them choosing and decide for themselves and social worker are advised to â€Å"promote opportunities for people to use their own strengths to make decisions for themselves (CCETSW, paper 30 cited in UB. 2002: 4). In other words, social work has widened the concept of ‘freedom and ‘toleration by being considerate for all members of the community, which is now-a-days known as ‘anti-discrimination, freedom of choice and ‘equality. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// There are also issues regarding to social workers practice e.g. practicing in ‘traditional way due to personal prejudices, which has oppressed the clients and has stigmatized the social work itself. Thompson (1997: 11) emphasise that the â€Å"†¦social work practice which does not take account of oppression and discrimination can not be seen as ‘good practice†¦.†. The ‘bad practice is portrayed through the media but the good practice is not awarded and neither praised by media. The social work constantly reviews the policies to encounter prejudices and emphasises high on anti-discriminatory practice. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// The concise oxford English dictionary defines â€Å"values† as â€Å"principles or standards of behaviour†. Personal values can very dependent on our social, cultural and religious background. Although being inherent these values can change as we develop and mature and become less dependent on the values that are important to our parents, family and peers. David Howe (1999) advises that â€Å"values are important because they help to guide action† (Study Unit 1, p.18) he also suggests â€Å"values spell debate and trouble† (Study Unit 1, P.18), values can cause conflict and tensions which need to be reflected upon. I come from a large family and lived on a council housing estate where family and neighbours â€Å"looked out† for one another. I have six brothers and one sister and, although we were disciplined, our parents always showed their love for us. Within my immediate and extended family there was a feeling of security in that we all knew we ha d people who cared for us and who would always be there for us no matter what. It was inherent in us to care for each other and I perhaps made the assumption that most families had the same values as ours. I think I considered people who did not have these values to be untrustworthy, unreliable and uncaring and at that time I did not realise that this was a preconceived opinion based on no actual experience. It was not until I started to work in residential childcare that I began to question my prejudices. I realised that not everybody was brought up with the same values as I had been and that my values and beliefs would change and grow through my experiences within my work. I worked with many children and young people from varied cultural, religious, racial and social backgrounds with a wide range of emotional and behavioural difficulties. I saw how little some parents/carers valued their children and how badly they treated them. As parents/carers have such a big influence over a c hilds life this meant that the children themselves had very little self worth or value, with low self- esteem and feelings of social isolation. They found difficulty in forming relationships, having been subjected to various levels of physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Through this experience I achieved a greater sympathy and understanding of how peoples life history can affect their future. People have individual life experiences and because of this their values and beliefs are very often different from our own. The speakers on tape one (K111 Side 1 Band I) state that we should â€Å"reflect on our own prejudices and not skip over them and we should be willing to accept others beliefs†. I have learned through experience that we cannot impose our own personal values and opinions on others; we must constantly re-evaluate our thoughts and actions. Ian Parr PI M5564134 K111 TMA02 Page 2 An experience with one of the young people in the Childrens Residential Unit where I worked illustrates how my values have been called into question and reflected upon. The young person had only had contact with his mother, who was white and had never met his father, who was black. His father had a long troubled history involving drug and alcohol abuse. When he was 9 years old, the young person chose to make contact with his father, against the wishes of his mother and siblings, who were born to a different father. They thought that contact would split the family even further and this put a lot of pressure on the young person. The father at first offered consistency but this was short lived and there were problems with his lack of basic parenting skills. To alleviate these problems it was necessary to build a working relationship with the father to improve the lack of support given to the young person. Whilst dealing with these problems it was important to work in a non-judgmental wa y as there were issues that whilst they may have seemed adequate to some, I did not totally agree with. This taught me that it was important to allow the young people choices, and to respect those choices, and to allow them to take control of their lives. Empowering a young person will give them â€Å"more control over their lives, to have a greater voice in institutions, service and situations which affect them†(Bray Preston-Shoot, 1998:48 cited in set book Adams, Dominelli and Payne, p.38) There were also issues surrounding the fathers race. The mother and the siblings were all white and lived in a white environment and this caused some strain between the children. By using positive encouragement and working in an Anti-Oppressive (seeking fundamental change in power structures and exploitative relationships which maintain inequality and oppression)(Bray Preston-Shoot 1995 cited in Study Unit 1, Part A, p.77), Anti-Racist and Anti-Discriminatory (challenging unfairness or inequity)(Bray Preston-Shoot 1995 cited in Study Unit 1, Part A, p.77) way I managed to alleviate some of the problems. This made me reflect on how important a persons culture is to their identity and I have learned not to discriminate on the grounds of race, religion, culture, language, social status and life-style. In â€Å"identifying and questioning my own values and prejudices†(CCETSW 1996 p.18 Aids to Practice Cards) I am constantly re-evaluating my thoughts and actions through reflection. During my past experience I have also become aware that â€Å"our professional values may sometimes conflict with those of organizations for whom we work† (Aids to Practice Card, Valuing). I took care of two young brothers who, when they were placed in the residential care home where I worked, had serious attachment disorders, behavioural problems and mental health issues. My colleagues and I worked closely with them in conjunction with other relevant agencies, which included Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, in order to enable them to gain trust and establish relationships with us. The children were thriving in our care and had stopped self-harming but, after two years of working with them, the funding local authority decided, because of lack of funding, to remove the boys from their placement and return them to a facility in their hometown. This was done against their wishes and against the advice of the mental health team. Ian Parr PI M5564134 K111 TMA02 Page 3 The childrens right to choice was disregarded. As social workers are challenged to be advocates for those who are unable to advocate for themselves and â€Å"all the social workers efforts should be directed towards removing the obstacles which enable the service user to take control of their own life†(Aids to Practice card Advocacy Empowerment) the decision was contrary to my personal and professional values and a difficult one to accept. This experience made me reflect that there will be times during my practice when my values will conflict with others but difficult decisions will always have to be made. I hope I can learn from past mistakes within the system and continue to practice within my professional code as described in the course reader, â€Å"will respect their clients as individuals and will seek to ensure that their dignity, rights and responsibility shall be safeguarded† (BASW 1986 Set Book Adams, Dominelli, Payne, p.34) Describe your current understanding of professional social work values and how you have arrived at this understanding. Outline those issues which you find problematic and want to work on during your present placement. Professional social work values as listed in the course material (K111 stage 1 p.20) are part of the core competencies. The K111 aids to practice card (valuing) defines these as â€Å"having a clear set of values which actively informs your social work practice, particularly concerning promoting the intrinsic ‘worth or ‘value of another human being†. These are values that need to be inherent within any professional and indeed hopefully within each worker on a professional and a private basis. My own understanding of professional social work values has changed and evolved over time through my own past experiences. I feel that, fundamentally, respect for other people is the most important value as ultimately you should treat people the way that you would wish to be treated yourself â€Å"There is a long tradition in social work that emphasises the importance of ‘respect for people'(Study Unit 1, Part A, P.76). Bisteck, 1961 (as cited in K111 study unit 1 p.76) listed â€Å"seven principles of casework which included acceptance, self-determination, confidentiality, individualisation and a non-judgemental attitude. These are grouped together under the umbrella of ‘respect for persons†. I feel that I have learned to build on my respect for others through past contact with service users, especially in residential care where the majority of children and young people had little or no self-respect. Valuing something means that we know its worth. â€Å"This is essential in social work precisely because many service users are seen as ‘undeserving by society, or as worthless. Indeed, some service users have this view of themselves†(Aids to Practice Card, Valuing). Treating them as individuals, each with their own identity, and not as part of a homogenous group, helped me to understand how important self-identity, self-awareness and self-worth is. Ian Parr PI M5564134 K111 TMA02 Page 4 I have been able to reflect on this and bring it into my practice. Although I did not necessarily agree with or approve of the values and behaviours of the families of some of the young people it was imperative that I was guided by the ‘values of social work (CCETSW 1996 p.18, Aids to Practice Card, The Values of Social Work) and that I communicated a non-judgmental attitude toward them. Acceptance of others and a belief in the worth and dignity of every human being are values that are conveyed through non-judgmental behaviour. To be able to respect another persons privacy and safeguard confidentiality affirms that persons worth and dignity. I presently work with children from areas that are classed as â€Å"disadvantaged†; these areas have a high transient population from all over the country, including the travelling community. This makes for a wide range of cultures, religions, social status, ethnic minorities and to treat people as individuals and â€Å"respect and value uniqueness and diversity†(Aids to Practice Card, The Values of Social Work) is essential when practising in such diverse social settings. The travellers who I have worked with have views which are very different to my own. They believe that girls do not need to be educated at all and that boys only need formal education until the age of ten. Because this goes against my personal values I sometimes find it difficult to promote peoples right to choice in such situations but I do recognise the need to â€Å"work with individuals and families from backgrounds and cultures of which I may have little direct experience in a way which is sensitive to this diversity† (Study Unit 1, Part A p.19). I try to recognise that changes must come from within the service user and that we cannot impose our standards and values on them. However, I am always conscious of the need to be aware of any child protection issues and the need to â€Å"assist people to increase control of and i mprove the quality of their lives, while recognising that control of behaviour will be required at times in order to protect children and adults from harm†(Study Unit 1, Part A, P.20) I am constantly learning about myself and other people and re-examining my own attitudes and prejudices. The K111 Aids to Practice card Valuing, informs us that â€Å"the assumption is that the values which inform training will come to influence practice† and perhaps more importantly, â€Å"having a set of principles to apply to the practice of ‘valuing the existence and contribution of another human being, of respecting them and upholding their rights and responsibilities, is seen as essential to accountable social work†. The values that are central to social care should affect all aspects of my working practice. My current understanding is that the profession of social work centres on the improvement of quality of life for people and the enhancement of human potential for full, productive participation in society. If we let our own personal values be guided by the â€Å"values of social work†(Aids to Practice Cards, The Values of Social Work) then we woul d allow everyone that we come into contact with to try and develop their full potential whilst also giving them the choice of and responsibility over their own actions. Ian Parr PI M5564134 K111 TMA02 Page 5 References: Adams. R, Dominelli. L, Payne.M, 2nd Edition Social Work: Themes, Issues and Critical Debates, Palgrave K111 Social Work Practice Learning, Stage 1, 2002, Aid to Practice Cards, The Open University, Milton Keynes K111 Social Work Practice Learning, Stage 1, 2002, The Open University, Milton Keynes. K111 Social Work Practice Learning, Stage 1, 2002, Tape 1, Bands E-I Pearsall. J, The Concise Oxford English Dictionary (2002), 10th Edition, University Press /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Day 2: Users expectations of social workers The main points that I felt were reiterated during the sessions led by the service users were; an expectation that the partnership with their social worker would possess the positive qualities of any good relationship. The focus was on an open and equal attitude, mutual trust and respect. Empowerment was crucial to the service user as it addresses their feelings of impotence within society; this can be achieved by being informative e.g. sign posting to other agencies for support and empowerment and assisting with direct payments so that service users can make their own decisions regarding their care. I learned that it was the positive qualities of any good relationship that were most appreciated such as a personal and friendly approach; practical offers of practical help i.e. useful phone numbers and keeping to appointment times and agreed timescales and these made the difference between a good working partnership and a poor one. One service user felt that, because she presented as v ery articulate and independent, she had not been offered assistance with filling in forms for direct payments, which highlighted to me that a positive assumption can lead to needs not being met. (193) Day 3: Carers expectations of social workers One of the key things that I learned from the meeting with carers and my own experience within my family was the emotional rollercoaster of the 24hour commitment involved. One of the case studies we looked at during the module highlighted how the focus of support is mainly directed at the service user and the needs of the carer are often overlooked. One point that stood out from one of the lectures was how personality has some influence on what care is appropriate for that person. The example given was a service user whose mental health problems sometimes conflicted with the delivery of care for his physical health problems adding extra stress for the partner and carer. As a family carer myself I identified with how good sign posting from the social worker can assist with the frustrating process of trying to gather knowledge of how and where help can be accessed. I also identified with other carers experiences of the need for the professionals involved with our family members care to respect our family members individuals needs e.g. her religion and her food preferences to maintain dignity. Maintaining good interprofessional relationships was highlighted, to maintain cohesion and continuity of care and to be prepared to advocate on behalf of the carer and service user. (217) Day 4: Cultural competence Cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and economic differences impact on how individuals and groups access and use health, education, and social services. They can also present barriers to working in partnership in health care interventions particularly when practitioners stereotype, misinterpret, make faulty assumptions, or mishandle with insensitivity their encounters with individuals and groups viewed as different in terms of their backgrounds and experiences. Adopting an anti-oppressive approach by admitting and reflecting on personal biases, stereotypes, and prejudices is the starting point of developing cultural competence, the next stage is to be sensitive to cultural norms, attitudes, and beliefs; in fact valuing the diversity of cultural difference. Other important ways in which you may become more culturally competent and avoid potential pitfalls would be in learning verbal and nonverbal cues of other cultures, becoming more comfortable in cross-cultural situations by assessing wha t works and what does not. By assessing how the beliefs and behaviours of the cultural group affect the service user, their interaction with services offered, learning to negotiate between the persons beliefs and practices and the culture of your profession, cultural competence can be achieved. I am valuing the opportunities this course is affording me in developing my cultural awareness by learning from and with people from a variety of different cultural and social backgrounds. (214) Day 5: Social workers use of power and authority My concerns about using professional authority are about finding myself in situations that require careful judgement due to the consequences for both service user and myself because of my own actions or non-actions. I can ensure that I acquire up-to-date knowledge of the values and principles of the British Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics for Social Work and work by them at all times. Other sources of help in verifying that I was not using the powers and authority invested in me appropriately would be talking to line managers, referring to the General Social Care Council codes of practice and referring to the National Occupational Standards for Social Work. Other ways of seeking assistance would be to discuss dilemmas and reflect upon similar case studies weighing up the consequences of certain courses of action. Seeking help from other professionals and agencies may give a fresh perspective, however, it is a case of balancing personal and professional judgement in the c ontext of codes and guidelines of the profession and treading the thin line between safe holding and violation. (178) PART 2 The personal impact of the learning that took place on the topic of cultural competence was that it gave me greater understanding of how everybody differed in their own individual perceptions of their culture, background and religion. This realisation has increased my self-awareness of my own cultural identity and how that has shaped my own values and opinions. I am aware that in society we often group people according to their cultural background, based on appearance or religion, when what real

History And Overview Of The Horse Breeds History Essay

History And Overview Of The Horse Breeds History Essay Horse is a majestic animal which has been domesticated more than 7000 years ago and has spread all over the word during the last 5000 years. It is an animal loved by every human being without an exception for its majestic look and the ability that the horse could be easily trained for various purposes of mankind due to the creatures intelligence and docility when compared with other animals. Due to its reliability people have used this animal as a widely accepted land transport method with mobility and speed until the horse got replaced in the recent past with the dawn of motoring age. The different roles it had played in war as war mounts, chargers, gun draughts in the armies of renowned emperors like Alexander, Napoleon and Genghis khan and the role that horse played in World War I could never be matched. Still most of all the countries in the world use this animal for ceremonial purposes, for sports activities and some still utilize it for heavy work and agricultural purposes as w ell. Evolution of this mammal that belongs to the family of Equidae and biologically known as Equus ferus caballus at present, has taken place for more than 45 million years. There have been mainly three types of wild horses, namely Feral, Tarpan and the Przewalskis horse from which the modern day variants have developed. The Feral horses are still in existence while Tarpan horse is extinct where the last animal has died in captivity at a Russian zoo in 1909. Przewalskis horses which were also thought to have become extinct from the world were rediscovered in the remote parts of Mongolia. With the help of the science and the conservation efforts taken by the animal lovers, it still roams in the prairies of Mongolia and Russia. In the modern horse family there are seven family members other than the horse, namely Ass or the Donkey, Mountain zebra, Plains zebra, Grevys zebra, Kiang and the Onager. Most importantly and interestingly, these types can be crossbred with each other to develop new types though some are sexually infertile (although the result of crossbreeding a donkey and a horse is a mule, two mules cannot reproduce another mule). Another interesting point is the difference between the horse and the pony; though people have a common belief that they belong to different species, they dont and the only difference is based on the height of the animal. The standard unit of measurement for the height of horse is known as Hands  [1]  (4 inch). If the height of the animal is above 14.5 hands it is known as a horse and animals below this height are known as ponies. However there are few breeds that measure below 14.5 hands and still called as horses than ponies despite the international standard being 14.5 hands. There are many types (more than 300) of modern horses and ponies available in the world according to the general stud book of horses but they belong to three groups based on the ancestral blood lines; the benchmark quality considered for breeding and upgrading. Hot blood These were the horses that evolved in the Middle East and Far East towards Mongolia, adopted to live under hot climates. They are small built with shiny coats and are widely renowned for their speed and endurance. They are also called the oriental horses. Cold blood These horses got evolved in the cold climes in the northern highlands in Europe and Scandinavia adopted to the cold weather conditions with a heavy build and thick coats and were generally used for farm and draught work. Warm blood When Europeans and the easterners started to interact through war, trade and diplomacy, hot blooded and cold blooded horses too interacted with each other, resulting in the development of the warm blooded horses suitable for riding purposes. This new breed led the process of developing the dominant thoroughbred horse. During the renaissance in Europe, equestrian sports became the popular leisure time of royals, regents and nobles creating the need and urge of demand to have horses with agility, speed and sprinting capabilities to win competition races. The breeders in England developed the Thoroughbred by crossbreeding the European breeds with oriental Arab horses. Thoroughbred is considered the hallmark of all horse breeds right around the world for the last couple of centuries. Though there are thousands of thoroughbreds round the world, interestingly their ancestry could be traced back to three Arab stallions called Darley Arabian, Godolphin Arabian and the Byrely Turk, thoroughbred horses belong to the category of hot blood type. Most of the warm blood breeds could be upgraded to thoroughbreds which will be the core of this research paper as well. Picture Although the presences of horses have been reported in Sri Lanka since the Vijayan times, the existences of horses were more prominent after the arrival of Europeans to Sri Lanka. In 1505AD when the Portuguese arrived, they found that their native horses were not much adopted to the tropical environment prevailed in Sri Lanka, hence they started developing a new breed using Indian and Middle East horses that could fare well in the existing environment. But they had only a limited area of control within the country and by 1600 AD they utilized the Delft Island to breed horses, since it was an island, remote from the main Island and they had easy access to India to bring horses, the breeding of horses took place very easily and effectively while the island won the title Ilha Das Cavallas or Island of the horses. Delft_Horse.jpg After the arrival of Dutch, they took over control of the coastal areas of Sri Lanka and further developed the Delft horse breeding facility by introducing new blood lines in to Delft from Far East. Picture During the early British time they used the same facility much more effectively by appointing a subaltern superintendent for the purpose, subsequently when the entire country was conquered, they abandoned the facility at Delft and utilized Nuwara Eliya and Diyathalawa as their new breeding grounds marking the golden era of equestrian sports in the country. British colonists were able to construct and have racing in Race courses at Colombo, Nuwara Eliya, Avissawella and Boossa in Galle and had a much prestigious polo grounds at Diyatalawa. Their control over the country for a longer time invariably had a positive impact in developing good breeds for their day to day requirements and leisure.DSCN4327.jpg CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY AIM The aim of the research paper is to study, analyze and prove the possibility of breeding native thoroughbred horses. Statement OF PROBLEM It is evident that we have used horses since very ancient times and the history proves that horses are brought here from India and Arabia. The Mahawansa says in 236 BC two tradesmen Sena and Guthika who came to Sri Lanka for the trading of horses took the control of the Anuradhapura city and ruled the country for 22 years. There are some older records in Mahawansa about the horses at the period of King Pandukabhaya (436BC-367BC). The existences and breeding of horses were more prominent after the arrival of Europeans to Sri Lanka in 1505BC. However after the colonial era this majestic animal had been neglected by the people and the breeds which were available got deteriorate in terms of quality with time, limiting the entire breed to a pony in the island of Delft and to a negligible number of horses with few private owners. Horses have been recorded in Sri Lankan history for more than 2000 years; however we have been unable to establish a thorough bred horse breed presently in Sri La nka unlike other countries in our region and world over. JUSTIFICATION Although this research is limited to five thousand words and for a period of little over two months which places lot of implications on the outcome of such a vast topic, considering the fact that Sri Lanka Air Force have initiated in setting up of an equestrian sport unit, this research can be reasonably justified based on the impact that could be made on this majestic field as a capable public organization through a collective effort with Mounted Police division, Sri Lanka Army and other relevant and interested agencies to add a sense of glamour and pride by replacing foreign horses with our own, that are being used during major state functions such as Independents day parade, Victory day parade and introduce them in military parades. Further if the objectives of this research could be achieved. At the end of the day it would save exorbitant amounts of money spent on importing horses and enable to introduce and revive horse riding, Polo and other equestrian sports and make a massive contribution to the inflow of tourism and foreign currency. SCOPE OF THE STUDY This study will be based mainly on documentary sources. It is intended to gather primary and secondary data information as follows. Primary source of collection of information are based on documentary sources including publications, Newspaper articles, private horse breeding organizations and government organizations. Secondary source will be interviews conducted with the professionals of the veterinary science and experts on horse breeding in the country. OBJECTIVES General Objective. Analyze the possibility of breeding native thoroughbred horses. Specific Objectives. The specific objectives of the research are as follows. The background of horse breeding in the world. The background of horse breeding in Sri Lanka. Study about breeding and developing native thoroughbred horses in Sri Lanka. Study about the problems faced in breeding horses in Sri Lanka. Analysis on breeding native thoroughbred horses and the advantages of having such a breed in Sri Lanka. Hypothesis It is possible to develop and establish a native thoroughbred horse in Sri Lanka. METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION The data collection has planned to carry out based on documentary sources including publications, browsing the Internet, private horse breeding organizations and government organizations. Information will be collected from interviews of the professionals of the veterinary science and experts in horse breeding. DATA ANALYSE TECHNIQUES The most part of the data analysis will be Predictive analytics. The collected data from different sources such as professionals and experts in the field will be taken in to consideration. CHAPTER ORGANIZATION Chapters will be organized on following manner Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Methodology Chapter 3 Back ground Chapter 4 Data Chapter 5 Analysis Chapter 6 Conclusion and Recommendation LIMITATIONS The time available to conduct this research will be approximately 3 months which does not permit a biological analysis with the help of the experts using the Delft ponies or to do a test breeding of a native horse practically by using Delft pony. The length of the paper will be limited to about 5000 words, and it will not be possible to collect data from all the reliable sources. CHAPTER 3 THE BACKGROUND Once the British rule in Sri Lanka ended in 1948, breeding of horses died a natural death with time due many reasons. Non availability of qualified veterinary surgeons in the country became the top most and there were only a handful of elite locals who had the capacity and influence to maintain their animals. Apart from that the Europeans during their time never let the horses in to the wild for natural breeding. Some religious beliefs against animal cruelty and gambling also contributed towards the downfall. After the existing numbers dwindled, people had to buy them from the other countries paying a large amount of money. Picture Though there are no native horses within the country, as mentioned in Para 9 after abandoning of the Delft Island stud, few horses left in the Island (Picture 1, 2 3) did survive and the reproduction has taken place naturally. But due to poor natural resources they have adopted well to the harsh environment of the Delft Island.DSCN4328.jpg As a result, the quality of the animal deteriorated in terms of height and athletic ability thus reducing the entire standard from horses to hard adopted ponies. The Delft Island was not in the proper control of the Sri Lankan government for thirty years due to the war, but as a result of timely action that included the Delft pony in 1970 in to the schedule iii of the fauna and flora protection ordinance that covers the list of Absolutely Protected Species we are still lucky to know a herd of more than 500 wild ponies are in the Island at the moment  [2]  . According to the Director (operations) Wild life Sri Lanka, a programme with the help of the Sri Lanka Navy to protect the wild ponies existing in the Island is under way. No proper veterinary research has been done to identify the type of the ponies available and their adoptability and however, Dr. Sampath Lokugalappathi an enthusiast at the Veterinary faculty of Peradeniya believes that the Delft pony descends from hot blood lines and Warm blood lines taking in to account the recorded ancestry. A proper analysis using the DNA technology could resolve the mystery and according to him since the Delft stud was maintained by Portuguese, Dutch and English, the ponies might carry quality genes of their European ancestors. HORSE BREEDING IN THE WORLD AND IN SRI LANKA The earliest people who recorded the breeding of horses are known to be from the Middle East since 1330 AD. Even Europeans started horse breeding many long years back. And further its believed that the nomads of the Mongolian steps have bred horses for several thousand years. In the modern day world, many of the countries breed horses on their own for many purpose but Americans Arabians and Europeans mainly breed horses now for equestrian sports. Also many of the western countries breed horses for commercial purposes. Considering the horse breeding in post independence era in Sri Lanka, most significant developments came as the horse lover cum business tycoon Mr Upali Wijewardane started breeding horses and it is said that he had upgraded the delft blood lines to a certain extent by the time of his untimely death. Then in the mid eighties, the Government of Sri Lanka started the much awaited project of upgrading the delft blood lines in to the Sri Lankan thoroughbred horse with introducing Australian thoroughbred blood lines by importing a white stallion named Sydney through the mount police division. The first official half bred of this project was a grey stallion named Super Charger that stole the hearts of local horse lovers. Later the project was expanded through the Mahaweli scheme by establishing an official breeding farm at Kalawewa with the horses owned early by Mr Upali Wijewardane and the new Australian influenced local blood lines, success went to the extent of being able to breed a thr ee quarter bred horse. But during the insurrection in 1988, the facility was destroyed unluckily and all the horses and some pregnant mares carrying the embryos of the upgraded horses were killed by the insurgents. Picture Although some efforts made to revive the project using Pakistani blood lines in early nineties had not flourished due to various constrains including health complications. Since then no government projects were conducted for breeding of horses. But some of the animal lovers started breeding horses in private capacity. And they were not much interested in breeding a native thoroughbred since it was time and resource consuming and the inability of access to use the new technology. But a horse lover named Mr Ajit Chitty who is a very enthusiastic still do horse breeding in his farm at Galewela. He has started breeding horses using Delft ponies and according to Mr Chitty they have bred up to three quarter bred level by cross breeding with an Indian thoroughbred (Picture 4). 256729-horsesthe-farm-dambulla-sri-lanka.jpg Further Gamini Jayarathne Stables are also pioneers on horse breeding in Sri Lanka. They have tried to breed thoroughbred horses in 2005 but had failed due to lack of qualified veterinary staff specialized in horse breeding  [3]  . Premadasa Riding School is also another famous equestrian sports establishment in Sri Lanka. They have number of horses in their inventory, they are mainly Indian thoroughbreds. Though they use the term Sri Lankan thoroughbreds  [4]  for some samples the breed has not been registered in the general stud book for horse breeds in the world. The Mount police division mainly participate and hold dominance in equestrian activities in all the major national ceremonies, they are mainly the experts on horse handling and horse training, and to a certain extent have the know how to deal with horse health. They have done horse breeding during early period but not in resent past. They mainly import castrated horses rather than breeding them for their purpose. CHAPTER 4 DATA USING DELFT PONIES TO DEVELOP A NATIVE THOROUGHBRED HORSE AND PROBLEMS FACED IN BREEDING HORSES IN SRI LANKA Selecting a location for breeding. Before selection of the sample it has to be confirmed that the type of the ponies (Hot, Warm, Cold blood) and the quality of the genus. This will be a main concern before starting the project. It is very much important to locate a site closer to the Peradeniya since there are no any other veterinary experts on horse breeding within the country other than the experts at the Veterinary Faculty of Peradeniya. Space of the location should be sufficient enough to cater more than 20 horses with an area for their activities. This facility should have sufficient number of stables for the horses. Selection and transporting of Delft ponies. Authority should be obtained from the Wild life Conservation to capture wild ponies from Delft Island. Veterinary expertise should be taken when selecting of ponies at Delft with the help of the Veterinary Faculty of Peradeniya to select healthy and adequately grown samples. It will be ideal to obtain 5 or more mares as well as stallions. Transporting the animals from the island to the mainland will need expertise support and they will be needed to be transport by road to the location taking time and giving adequate rest to the animals. Special protection will be needed to take care of their health during transportation. Breeding methods. There are several methods used to breed horses in the world and each technique has advantages and disadvantages. They are as follows Normal mating of the stallion and the mares. This will be the easiest method of reproduction of horses. All the stables in Sri Lanka use this method since it doesnt need any special tools, techniques or training. But this method has disadvantages such as requirement of a healthy good quality stallion and accidents during contact (kicking by the mare). Artificial insemination. This is known to be as a much more secure method. It will emit the risk of having reproduction disabilities of the stallion. And this will allow transferring quality genes from a required type of a stallion. Embryo Transfer. Flushing out the mares fertilized embryo a few days after the insemination, and transferring to a substitute mare. This method will require qualified veterinary surgeons with the technology, proper equipments and a proper facility. Egg Transfer. Egg is removed from the mare and transferred in to a second mare, which is then bred. This method will also require qualified veterinary surgeons with the technology, proper equipments and a proper facility. Breeding techniques. There are mainly three techniques used during breeding this will enable to transfer required qualities of a particular horse to the new generations. Inbreeding. It is a way of mating two genetically related animals (horse). This can result the offspring to be effected with unwanted (deleterious) traits. Linebreeding. It is a way of inbreeding, to fix desirable traits of one particular animal (horse) to the next generation. Outcrossing. This technique is used to introduce unrelated genetics in to a breeding line. Selection of the Breeding Method and the technique. Since it is much costly to buy a thoroughbred stallion and considering the risk of failing, the normal mating will not be considered. The Embryo Transfer and Egg Transfer methods require the technology and the qualified veterinary surgeons; therefore Artificial insemination method will be selected to fertilize the mares.E:No 35 JC SCDelft pic2000px-Intense_inbreeding_-_Continuous_sire_to_daughter_mating.svg.png Figure 1The requirement of developing a new thoroughbred with the genetic traits of the delft ponies will require using Linebreeding technique. The requirement of transferring genetics of the delft ponies with a thoroughbred will be full filed by using this technique, it will transfer genetic traits of delft ponies and thoroughbred to the next generation. The basic concept of the linebreeding is using high quality desirable traits in animal (thoroughbred) (S) to its daughter (D) and again to her daughter (D1) and so on (Figure 1). This will increase the presence of the genes of the father in the offspring. At the level of the fourth generation offspring will carry more than 93% of genes of the father (Table 1). Further linebreeding will create a near clone of a desirable individual. Table This technique is commonly used by the horse breeders to rare high quality horses by mixing the genes. Also this method will allow having a clear trace by the comparison with the parents about genes transfer rate and the improvement of the quality of the offspring. Hence it is recommended to use linebreeding with artificial insemination for the beginning of the breeding. Veterinary surgeon Dr Somarathne highlighted the advantages of using linebreeding with artificial insemination which is very much cost effective and much more reliable method for a country like ours. Breeding the mares. Horse semen  [5]  is available in the international market. America, Arabia, Australia and United Kingdom are the main and most reliable and good quality horse semen producers to the international market. Horse semen can be selected by checking quality of the pedigree of the donor stallion. Figure 2The most important thing which will need the veterinary expertise support to carry out will be the artificial insemination. During this process the sperms of a thoroughbred horse will be placed in to a reproductive tract of a Delft pony. The knowledge of the oestrous cycle (Figure 2) of the mare will indicate when the mare is ready for breeding. Normally ovulate every 3 weeks during the natural breeding season. To do the artificial insemination successfully one must identify the fertilizing period of the mare accurately. Picture 5This cycle will be control by the hormones released by the pituitary glands. Mares will start its oestrous cycle at the puberty, which is normally 1 ½ years from birth. After that they are suitable for use for the reproduction. During the artificial insemination process (Picture 5) more than one mare has to be bred to increase the next generation live stock. Artificial insemination will be done by a veterinary surgeon and all the required veterinary procedures will be adopted.E:No 35 JC SCDelft picai.jpg The Pregnancy. This will be the period that the foetus  [6]  is developing within the mares uterus. Special requirement to care for the mare during this period is essential specially giving the proper nutrition. The period from the fertilization to birth is known as gestation period. This period is normally 333 to 336 days (11 calendar months) for a mare but it may vary for thoroughbreds as 310 to 374 days. Also environmental factors and nutrition of the foetus may change the length of the pregnancy. Figure 3The pregnant mare will have to be checked periodically by a veterinary surgeon to asses and to check the proper growth of the foetus. This will enable to identify disorders of the foetus if any. The development of the foetus during the pregnancy is given in the following diagram (Table 2). It elaborates how the foetuses develop inside the womb with the time up to the birth. Day of Pregnancy Primary Development 1 24 hours after conception, the conceptus, i.e. the combination of egg and sperm, start to divide into two cells. This cell division continues into 4,16,32,64, ect. 6 The dividing cell bundle arrives in the uterus and at the same time breaks open its outer layer and hatches 18 Fetus now takes on C shape. Gut tube developing and umbilical cord is identifiable 23 All the basic body structures, neural tube (central nervous system and brain), pharynx, gut tube and major muscle block are present in a basic from 26 Forelimb bud and eye now evident 40 Nostrils seen, ears forming, all limbs are present, and elbow and stifle joints are discernible 45 External genitalia present 63 Eyelids fused while eye development continues. Sole and frog areas of hoof evident 120 Chin hair and eyelashes growing 180 Tail and mane present 320- 355 Birth of a well developed foal that is capable of walking 20 minutes after birth Table Birth of the foal. Before the foaling process the mare will be separated from the other ponies in order to ensure the safety of the foal  [7]  . Delivery will be encouraged naturally under supervision of a veterinary surgeon. A healthy foal can walk within 20 minutes after the birth and it has to be cared and kept separate from the other ponies for safety until it grows 4 weeks. After 4 weeks it will start to eat hay, grass and grain. After 10 weeks it needs more nutrition than the mares milk. When the foal completes one year it is called as a Yearling  [8]  and sometimes called as colt for male horses and filly for female horses who are from one to four years of age. Though the filly is suitable for use for the reproduction after 1 ½ years, due to abnormalities that can occur in mares animals at the age of four or more will be used for the reproduction in upgrading process. This same process has to be done to few other ponies to get maximum number of  ½ bred horses to be used for the next generation reproduction. Mainly the fillies have to be taken care of for the next generation reproduction and they have to be kept away from other stallions to avoid unnecessary pregnancies. Continuing this process for three generations will allow to rare 7/8 breed as given in the figure 4. The fourth generation of breeding will be a thoroughbred with Delft pony genes. The total of average reproduction time and the time the fillies utilized for the next generation reproduction is given in the following diagram (Table 3). Time Reproduction process 1 Year 1 Month To transfer from fillies to mare 4 Years Total 5 Years 1 Month Table Problems faced. The main problem that can face is the time duration that will take place for the linebreeding with artificial insemination. As per the Table 3, it will take more than 5 years to complete the first step up to the half bred horse. To achieve 7/8 bred stage will take 15 years and the thoroughbred more than 20 years. Problems may arise during obtaining authority for such a project from the relevant authorities since the wild ponies belong to the wild life department and to obtain and transport them for breeding has to be done with their authority. And the breeding process will be required to have the patronage of a permanent or a frequent visiting veterinary surgeon which will incur a very high cost. Unavailability of the qualified horse handlers in the country will be another serious problem. To care off more than 10-15 horses will require a staff of nearly 5 men who are trained on the subject. Although Artificial insemination is a proven technique in the world for breeding, this method will be used for the first time in the country for this particular animal. There are no references on artificial insemination for horse breeding in the country to refer during this project.  ½ Bred 3/4 Bred 7/8 Bred Figure 4 CHAPTER 5 ANALYSIS Since the only major project which was done in 80s was destroyed completely and not any private horse breeder have done this project properly according to the scientific requirements, there are no proof to be shown as the project can be really succeed. According to the horse breeding manuals  [9]  and as per the veterinary experts it is possible to develop a new breed using Delft pony and thoroughbred horse. The mixing of genes with a thoroughbred will increase the height of the new offspring and by the fourth generation they will grow beyond 14.5 Hands and will changed the category from pony to horse. The whole programme will be dependent on the blood type of the Delft pony. If it carry cold blood, the expectation on developing a thoroughbred will be much more difficult, time consuming and more costly. But as per the expertise such as Mr Ajith Chitty confirm that they do not belong to cold blood type (No any scientific proof). As per the table 3 it will take more than 20 years to complete four reproduction steps to achieve the thoroughbred horse with Delft pony genes. And since it is done through line breeding, during the third and fourth breeding it will not be practical to find out semen (sperms) of same donor stallion. But during third and fourth breeding using another stallion that is related to the first donor stallion will help out to increase the gene pool of the offspring. As the equestrian activities are very limited among the Sri Lankans the sample taken for the questionnaire was very narrow, but the qualifications, experience and the knowledge on the subject of the sample taken was very high. According to the questionnaire (Annex A) distributed among the sample the following results were obtained. Table Table Table CHAPTER 6 CONCLUSION Since there are no any past records of a project of this nature, this proje

The Hobbit :: Essays Papers

The Hobbit In this most appealing book, Bilbo gets caught up in an adventure he never dreamed of, that will later change his life. In the beginning Bilbo Baggins runs into an old acquaintance, Gandalf, a wizard, who he had met many years earlier at festivals, where Gandalf had made fireworks with his magic. Bilbo and Gandalf talked for a while and Bilbo being the kind and polite hobbit he was invited him for tea in his hill the next day. There at about the time Bilbo was expecting Gandalf he heard a knock at the door, but when he opened the door it was in fact not Gandalf but a little dwarf. The dwarf introduced himself to Bilbo as Thorin Oakenshield, son of Throror, son of Thrain. He then let himself in. After that many dwarves followed, actually 9 more had come to the little hobbit's doorstep. Then finally after all the dwarves had made themselves comfortable he heard another tap at the door, and sure enough it was Gandalf, but with 3 other dwarves. That night Gandalf and the dwarves spoke of wondrous tales and of a dragon’s gold that had once belonged to Thorin’s father. They also told of an adventure they were about to embark on, and then turning to Gandalf they asked what of the 13th member of the party? Gandalf spoke up and said, "My, the one I have chosen is the burglar Mr. Baggins." Bilbo did not seem pleased, for he had no need of adventure with his pleasant yet simplistic life. Even though he was secretly intrigued, but more so he was very scared. After a bit of chitchat Bilbo agreed to go and they all went to bed. When morning came Bilbo found no one in his hobbit hole, and it’s needless to say that he was very pleased, yet at the same time also a bit disappointed. He found a note from Gandalf on his Mantle telling him to meet them at the inn. So Bilbo embarked on his journey to the inn as well as his adventure. Many divergences transpired during their trip to the lonely mountain where the dragon lay with the adventurers’ soon to be gold. The journey was no walk in the park. Many fights sprung up, traps triggered, dark forests in need of paths appeared, and having to deal with creatures like trolls, goblins, elves, spiders, and many others.

Poverty In the Philippines Essay example -- Poverty Essays

Poverty In the Philippines The rich, the middle class, and the poor; are described by the way we live and the amount of money one has. There are many different ways of describing what poverty is, whether it is by how you live or how much money you have. What is poverty and what does it mean to be poor? Not many of us know the true meaning of these terms. Poverty is an issue dealt with throughout the world, but we are not all aware if its conditions. Poverty is a very serious problem around the world. Poverty is defined as the equality to poorness and impoverishment -- (the state of having little or no money and few or no material possessions). A question to ask ourselves is: â€Å"Should poverty be defined strictly in terms of monetary income, as opposed to some qualitative formula which takes into consideration styles of life as well as material possessions?† (Sheppard 13) Because there are so many different ways we can express the term poverty, maybe there should be a certain way we ca n determine poverty world wide? A person might look like they are poor or think that they are, but by definition they really are not even close. Every country has poverty levels that decide if they are poor or not. The Philippines is a country that deals with this issue on a daily basis. The Philippine islands are located in Southeastern Asia, between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam. The country is made up of about 7000 islands, only 2000 of those islands are inhabited. The population of the country includes about 84,619,974 people. The people of this country are all very close to their families. They work together to make the income that their family needs to survive. Sometimes th... ... rest of my life. Works Cited American Poverty and Welfare Reform. 2002. Women's Policy Research. . Cruz, Maria C., et al. Population Growth, Poverty, and Environmental Stress: Frontier Migration in the Philippines and Costa Rica. N.p: World Resources Institute, 1992. 1-92. Sheppard, Harold L. Poverty and Wealth in America. Chicago: Quadrangle Books, 1970. 3-279. Davis, Leonard. The Philippines People, Poverty and Politics. New York: St. Martins's P, 1987. 1-225. Philip M. Finnegan. Philippine Islands 2000. Catholic Encyclopedia. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12010a.htm The Real World Fact Book.Map. 1 August 2003. http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/rp.html Poverty In the Philippines Essay example -- Poverty Essays Poverty In the Philippines The rich, the middle class, and the poor; are described by the way we live and the amount of money one has. There are many different ways of describing what poverty is, whether it is by how you live or how much money you have. What is poverty and what does it mean to be poor? Not many of us know the true meaning of these terms. Poverty is an issue dealt with throughout the world, but we are not all aware if its conditions. Poverty is a very serious problem around the world. Poverty is defined as the equality to poorness and impoverishment -- (the state of having little or no money and few or no material possessions). A question to ask ourselves is: â€Å"Should poverty be defined strictly in terms of monetary income, as opposed to some qualitative formula which takes into consideration styles of life as well as material possessions?† (Sheppard 13) Because there are so many different ways we can express the term poverty, maybe there should be a certain way we ca n determine poverty world wide? A person might look like they are poor or think that they are, but by definition they really are not even close. Every country has poverty levels that decide if they are poor or not. The Philippines is a country that deals with this issue on a daily basis. The Philippine islands are located in Southeastern Asia, between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam. The country is made up of about 7000 islands, only 2000 of those islands are inhabited. The population of the country includes about 84,619,974 people. The people of this country are all very close to their families. They work together to make the income that their family needs to survive. Sometimes th... ... rest of my life. Works Cited American Poverty and Welfare Reform. 2002. Women's Policy Research. . Cruz, Maria C., et al. Population Growth, Poverty, and Environmental Stress: Frontier Migration in the Philippines and Costa Rica. N.p: World Resources Institute, 1992. 1-92. Sheppard, Harold L. Poverty and Wealth in America. Chicago: Quadrangle Books, 1970. 3-279. Davis, Leonard. The Philippines People, Poverty and Politics. New York: St. Martins's P, 1987. 1-225. Philip M. Finnegan. Philippine Islands 2000. Catholic Encyclopedia. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12010a.htm The Real World Fact Book.Map. 1 August 2003. http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/rp.html

Ka :: essays research papers

Karma Paper The concepts of Varna and karma are each closely related to the eastern civilization religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Varna and karma go hand in hand with each other to explain themselves, as does karma with the doctrine of reincarnation. The complicated explanation of all of these concepts follows. In order to understand the concept of karma, one must first understand the term varna. An appropriate definition would be the rise of class system, which the Hindus adhere to. An English translation of Varna, however, means color. There are four social classes that break down the class system otherwise known as varna. Beginning with the highest class, there is the Brahmins or priests, followed by the ruling Kshatriyas, the Vaisyas (common people), and finally the Shudras (servants). The Brahmins said that if one was a member of any of the first three classes to be extremely careful to avoid the Shudras. Now that we have somewhat of an understanding of varna, the concept of karma can be more easily explained. Karma simply stated is that the way one lives his or her life now determines destiny or fate. In other words, the consequences of one’s actions in this life will determine what they do or become in the next life. Therefore, karma is what made one who he or she is in the present life due to the actions the person portrayed in his or her previous life. Karma is the cause of one’s destiny in the future life, and is what caused a person to be who he or she is today. Now we will explain the relationship between varna and karma. Let’s imagine the following situation. There are two people living in the Vaisyas class of commoners. One of them does only good deeds, has good thoughts, and portrays an all around good sense of well being. The other person commits crimes, has bad thoughts, and portrays an over all sense of evil or no good. The first person will perhaps become a member of the Kshatriya class, moving up on the wheel of samsara. The other person will most likely become a Shudra in the next life. So, perhaps in their most recent previous lives’, the first person was a good person of the Shudra class, and samsara declared that he or she rise in class; and the second person may have been a bad person of the Kshatriya class, therefore he or she declined in class.

Web Design Report

| Coursework 1 Website Report | Diarmuid Bogner / B00614798| | Dr Hui Wang Dr Hui Wang Contents Page Introduction____________________________________________________________ pages 3 -4 Analysis_______________________________________________________________ pages 5 – 6 System Design_________________________________________________________ pages 7 – 11 Implementation_______________________________________________________ pages 12 – 16 Conclusion___________________________________________________________ pages 17 – 21 Appendices______________________________________________________________ page 21Introduction Purpose The purpose of this website was for a web development based company showcase the web sites they have created, the services they offer, help and support for new and old clients and to display contact information. Another purpose for creating this website was to help increase the amount of clients that the web development company was getting. Creat ing this website also allowed me as a beginner web developer to further develop the skills that I have already acquired such as XHTML and CSS. Organisation and Function of the Website The website I created is organized into several pages.Each page was named with an appropriate name to correspond with the information that was viewed on that page. For example the contact page was named â€Å"contatct. html†. This easily allows me to identify which page I was currently working on and would help if I had to make any changes or updates in the future. The website is made up with 15 different pages. In my website directory there is also a CSS file called style. css. This file contains all the style information on my website for example the background colour or the text font, size and colour. Naming the . ss file â€Å"style† again would help me or anyone else having to edit the file knows what the purpose of the file is. The website layout follows the standard top to bottom o rganization. The website has a logo at the top, and then below is the navigation which is easy located by visitor so they can easily navigate around the website. The function of the navigation bar is to create links between different pages of the website. For example clicking on the â€Å"About† link will bring you to the about page. There are also links on the links page which bring the user to external pages on other websites.Outline of Information to Be Included In the Report This report will contain quite a large amount of information. Below I will briefly outline the information included in the report: Introduction – In the introduction section of the report I will explain the purpose of the website I created, the organisation and the function of the website which basically means how the website works. Analysis – In the analysis section of this report I explain what the target users are and what they require from my website.The report will also contain a da ta collection which is where I sourced all my information to create the website. System Design – The system design will contain an outline design of each page that will be created for the website and the rationale. Also this area will contain all the links of the pages and the type of information that has to be included on each of these pages. Implementation – In this section the report there will be screen dumps of each page and I will explain the main features of each page. Also I will have a description of how my main features where added to the website.Conclusion – the conclusion section of the report will contain a complete evaluation of the website, and if I feel that my finished website has meet all the user requirements and how I have met them. I will review what went well and what didn’t go as well as expected when designing and implementing my website. Also I will include some ideas that I think my make an improvement to my website. Appendices à ¢â‚¬â€œ The appendices section will contain any references that were used throughout the report, design and implementation of the website. Analysis Target Users and their RequirementsThe target users for my website can be anyone. But the main focus is for users that are interested in obtaining a website for their personal use or for a business. The website has requirements that I need to insure that I meet them all. Requirements * Clear layout website for easy browsing – The website must be made up with a simple, effective a clear layout and not seem confusing. * Easy functionality – Users on the website must be able to use the functions of the website with ease. * Appealing colour scheme/template – The colour scheme and the template/layout need to be appealing using bright colours and nice imagery. Corresponding information – The information on the website needs to be relevant to the website, for example information about football would not be relevant t o a web development organisation. * Follow the HCI guidelines – The website needs to strictly follow the Human Computer Interaction guidelines. For example I need to take into consideration that some visitors on my website maybe colour blind so using colours that users can see clearly wither colour blind or not. * Easy to update and maintain – The website needs to allow easy maintain and update when needed.To achieve this using proper indenting and comments on the code will help me to find areas of the code that need updated. * User friendly – I need to make sure that the website is user friendly and that the users browsing my website can easily navigate around the site and can read the information that my website displays. * Compatible – Making the website compatible with all browsers is a requirement. This is because if one user is viewing the page using Mozilla Firefox another user using internet explorer may see the website differently and this could affect the users overall experience of the website.Data Collection All of the information I used for my website was written by me, I did however use the internet for some information such as my images, icons and links. For my icons and images I used a website called http://www. iconfinder. com/ and I also used Google image search. For some of the definitions on my â€Å"Links† page I searched Google, and at the top of the search results page a definition appeared. Throughout writing my CSS code I used http://www. w3schools. com/ as a reference for certain CSS techniques such as creating my website background. Outline of Page DesignsI found that using text boxes in Microsoft Word was a great way for me to design the layout of each page on my website. You can see below how I achieved this. Logo created using Adobe Photoshop Logo created using Adobe Photoshop Homepage Navigation Bar Navigation Bar Future Designs Affordable Web Development Future Designs Affordable Web Developmen t Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Content Area (this area is used to display the main text and images for the users to read and view.Content Area (this area is used to display the main text and images for the users to read and view. Button used for users to request quote Button used for users to request quote Links to pages on website Links to pages on website â€Å"Get quote† â€Å"Get quote† Footer Navigation Bar Footer Navigation Bar Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Logo created using Adobe Photoshop Logo created using Adobe Photoshop About Navigation Bar Navigation Bar Future Designs Affordable Web Development Future Designs Affordable Web DevelopmentHome | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s About Content Area (this area is used to display the main text and images for the users to read and view. About Content Area (this area is used to display the main text and images for the users to read and view. Relevant image for page. Relevant image for page. Links to pages on website Links to pages on website Footer Navigation Bar Footer Navigation Bar Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’sLogo created using Adobe Photoshop Logo created using Adobe Photoshop Services Navigation Bar Navigation Bar Future Designs Affordable Web Development Future Designs Affordable Web Development Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Services Services Icons to represent a service Icons to represent a service Icons to represent a service Icons to represent a service Icons to represent a service Icons to represent a service Links to pages on website Links to pages on website Icons to represent a service Icons to represent a serviceIcons to represent a service Icons to represent a service Icons to represent a service Icons to represent a service Footer Navigation Bar Footer Navigation Bar Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Logo created using Adobe Photoshop Logo created using Adobe Photoshop Portfolio Navigation Bar Navigation Bar Future Designs Affordable Web Development Future Designs Affordable Web Development Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’sPortfolio Portfolio Thumbnail image of previous designed website. Thumbnail image of previous designed website. Links to pages on website Links to pages on website Thumbnail image of previous designed website. Thumbnail ima ge of previous designed website. Thumbnail image of previous designed website. Thumbnail image of previous designed website. Footer Navigation Bar Footer Navigation Bar Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Logo created using Adobe Photoshop Logo created using Adobe Photoshop ContactNavigation Bar Navigation Bar Future Designs Affordable Web Development Future Designs Affordable Web Development Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Image of Office Image of Office Contact Contact Content Area Contact form, and information such as the address and telephone number will be shown. Content Area Contact form, and information such as the address and telephone number will be shown. Links to pages on website Links to pages on website Google Map of Office Google Map of Office Footer Navigation BarFoot er Navigation Bar Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Logo created using Adobe Photoshop Logo created using Adobe Photoshop Links Navigation Bar Navigation Bar Future Designs Affordable Web Development Future Designs Affordable Web Development Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Links Links Link description Link description Link Icon Link Icon Links to pages on website Links to pages on website Link descriptionLink description Link Icon Link Icon Link description Link description Link Icon Link Icon Footer Navigation Bar Footer Navigation Bar Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s FAQ’s Logo created using Adobe Photoshop Logo created using Adobe Photoshop Navigation Bar Navigation Bar Future Designs Affordable Web Development Future Designs Affordable Web Development Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s FAQ’s FAQ’s Content AreaFrequent questions and answers to them will be viewable on this area. Content Area Frequent questions and answers to them will be viewable on this area. Links to pages on website Links to pages on website Footer Navigation Bar Footer Navigation Bar Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Home | About | Services |Portfolio | Contact | Links | Faq’s Links of the Pages (Site Map) This is the logo I created using Adobe Photoshop and various techniques for the desired effect. This is the logo I created using Adobe Photoshop and various techniques for the desired effect. ImplementationNavigation links, when the mouse cursor is over the top of the link it changes to a lighter shade of grey. Navigation links, when the mouse cursor is over the top of the link it changes to a lighter shade of grey. Home Footer navigation, again with the use of rollover links. Footer navigation, again with the use of rollover links. Background image, which I found on Google images. Background image, which I found on Google images. Rollover â€Å"Get Quote† button which becomes a lighter shade of grey when mouse is over it. Rollover â€Å"Get Quote† button which becomes a lighter shade of grey when mouse is over it.Form created with HTML to allow user to send an email for a quotation. Form created with HTML to allow user to send an email for a quotation. Quote Reset Button resets the data that has been inputted into the form. Reset Button resets the data that has been inputted into the form. Submit button sends the form. Submit button sends the form. About The text on this page has been formatted into bullet points to make it more user friendly and easy to read. The text on this page ha s been formatted into bullet points to make it more user friendly and easy to read.Image added to page to make it more appealing. Image added to page to make it more appealing. Icons to represent services that the company offer. This makes this page look a lot more appealing. Icons to represent services that the company offer. This makes this page look a lot more appealing. Services Thumbnails of web designs to add a gallery effect to the portfolio page. Thumbnails of web designs to add a gallery effect to the portfolio page. PortfolioLarge Image shown so users can clearly view the previous work. Large Image shown so users can clearly view the previous work.Portfolio Image Example Back button to return the user to the previous page. Back button to return the user to the previous page. After clicking on any of the previous design images will load a larger scale of the image with the exact same layout and format as the screenshot above. After clicking on any of the previous design ima ges will load a larger scale of the image with the exact same layout and format as the screenshot above. Image of office added to page to give users an insight to what our offices is like. Image of office added to page to give users an insight to what our offices is like.Contact Contact information and a form added for users to complete and submit to website admin email. Contact information and a form added for users to complete and submit to website admin email. Google maps embedded to show users where the office is located on Google maps. Google maps embedded to show users where the office is located on Google maps. Links Information about each link. Information about each link. Icons added to represent the links, the icons are also clickable which brings you the new external link. E. g. clicking the YouTube icon brings user to youtube. om Icons added to represent the links, the icons are also clickable which brings you the new external link. E. g. clicking the YouTube icon brings user to youtube. com Questions and answers clearly formatted for easy reading, this is proof of following HCI guidelines. Questions and answers clearly formatted for easy reading, this is proof of following HCI guidelines. FAQ’s Button to bring user to continued support page. Button to bring user to continued support page. Help & Support Form to request future help & support.Again this form is emailed to the website administrator. Form to request future help & support. Again this form is emailed to the website administrator. Conclusion Evaluation of Website I feel that my website has met all the user’s requirements. You can see evidence of each of the users requirements from the screenshots above. Below are all the requirments and how I felt that I have met them. * Clear layout website for easy browsing – My website has been made using a simple layout which only contains a header, navigation, content area and a footer navigation.The website is also easy to brow se as I asked members of my family and friends to try and navigate around and they could do this with ease and no confusion. * Easy functionality – All of the functions that my website uses are all easy to use. For example the forms which the users complete to contact the website administrator are all very self-explanatory and users have no problem completing the form. * Appealing colour scheme/template – The colour scheme and the template that I have created is very appealing. Again I have got friends and family to try to use the website and they have all commented that it is very olourful. You can see evidence of this with the use of the background image and icons on different pages of the website. * Corresponding information – All of the information on the website corresponds to the type of the website that I created. * Follow the HCI guidelines – I have followed the HCI guidelines very strictly when creating this website. An example of this would be t hat the website does not use any colours that colour blind users may find difficulty viewing. * Easy to update and maintain – The layout created allows for easy updating and maintenance.For example if I wanted to add a new page to the website all that must be done is a copy of the page, delete the information that was copied, add new information to the page and add the page into the navigation bar. * User friendly – I find that my website is quite user friendly. The website is easy to use and the information is clear and users would have no problem reading and understanding the information. * Compatible – I have fully tested the website with a few of the most popular web browsers. You can see evidence of this below: Chrome Internet Explorer Mozilla FirefoxAs you can see from the above screenshots that the website displays correctly in all browsers so I have met the compatibility requirement. Review of Successes and Problems I found that my design was very succes sful. Creating the plan of the design was crucial in creating a fully functional website. I found that making a clear and an easy to follow plan allowed me to implement my website with very few issues and it gave me an insight to what the website would look like when completed and what look I was aiming for. Meeting the user requirements I thought would be a hard obstacle to overcome.I did a module in a computing course which solely focused on Human Computer Interaction This gave me the knowledge of HCI guidelines and ideas on how to follow them and how to stop barriers. Along with my knowledge and a full plan I was able to meet all the user requirements whilst overcoming HCI difficulties. The only thing that didn’t go to plan was the CSS code for my background. When attempting to add the background using CSS I could not get the desired look. The image kept stretching and as I added more content to the page the image repeated. After researching some more CSS online using W3sc hools. om I came up with the idea that the background should stay fixed and the rest of the page should scroll. This fix completely fixed this issue. The code I used is as follows: Ideas on Improvement & Further Development After reviewing my website I have came up with areas that I could improve on and areas of the website that could be further developed. I found in my portfolio gallery when clicking on the image instead of having a text button â€Å"[Back to previous page]† I could have used a rollover button which users would have a lot less difficulty trying to find and also it would make the page more interactive for the user.Instead of having a text button on this page I could have either added a button or better added a support link on the navigation bar. This improvement also gave me an idea where I could further develop my â€Å"Continued Support† area by using a PHP help desk script which allowed users to register and they could write issues on tickets that a re then viewed by administrators and support is given.Also adding a help chat room where clients can speak live with support staff. An example of this type of software that could be integrated is â€Å"oS Ticket† which is an open source software. http://osticket. com/ References: www. google. com/images www. w3schools. com http://www. iconfinder. com/ http://stackoverflow. com/questions/1150163/stretch-and-scale-a-css-image-in-the-background-with-css-only

Marketing Plan Hybrid Car Essay

HONDA MOTORS hereby launches the all new family Honda EC CRV, the new eco friendly car that makes others â€Å"go green† with envy for Oxygen is priceless. Save the earth, plant a tree because their is no Planet B†¦ all you got to do is drive a Honda EC CRV. Introduction For the purpose of this assignment, I will choose hybrid automobiles that run on gasoline as well as alternative fuel i. e. Electricity. The rising fuel prices and increasing air pollution along with depleting resources of fossil fuels is forcing more and more automobile companies to manufacture hybrid vehicles. Moreover, people are increasingly buying these environment friendly and cost effective hybrid vehicles in many countries around the world. According to (Hybridcar. com, p. 1), Hybrid-electric vehicles (HEV) combine the benefits of gasoline engines and electric motors to provide improved fuel economy. â€Å"The engine provides most of the vehicle’s power, and the electric motor provides additional power when needed, such as for accelerating and passing; this allows a smaller, more-efficient engine to be used†. The current hybrids on the market do not have to be â€Å"plugged in† to an electrical outlet to recharge. The Hybrid Car Market The market for the hybrid car is slowly growing that primarily led by the U. S. and Japanese Markets. In the past five years, sales for the hybrid in the U. S. increase from 9,500 in 2000 to 100,000 in 2004. By the end of 2005, the number of hybrid cars in the U. S. increased to 212,000, accounting for 1. 3 percent of the total U. S. light-vehicle market. J. D. Power estimate the hybrid car market will account for 3. 5% of the U. S. market by the year 2010, whereas, other researchers such as ABI Research & Automotive Technology Research Group give a more optimistic projection for the market. These researchers estimated the hybrid market penetration between 5-6% of the overall U. S. light-vehicle market. According to a forecast by J. D. Power-LMC Automotive Forecasting Services, by the year 2012 hybrids that accounted for 0. 5 percent of the U. S. market in 2005 are expected to gain 3. 5 percent of the U. S. market. The JD Power reports say that the price premium associated with alternative power train vehicles continues to be a barring factor that will restrict the potential for both hybrid vehicles. The report notes that manufacturers will have to reduce this premium to attract buyers who are not currently motivated to purchase these vehicles as a means to improve the environment, or as a means to save money by consuming less fuel. Existing Product Research The Prius, Insight, and Civic were the first set of hybrids. These vehicles utilized the core strategy of a smaller engine which provides â€Å"on demand† power from the electric motor and batteries. A smaller engine is one of key attributes of hybrids to gaining better fuel economy. The newer hybrids—the Accord, Lexus SUV, and Highlander—maintain the size of the gas engine, and add power by way of the electric components which does little to boost fuel efficiency. According to (Larson, 2005), while the hybrid’s claim to fame is reduced fuel consumption, there are various factors that will reduce the performance levels of these vehicles. Such factors include acceleration, idle time, air conditioning, temperature, and driving speed. Competitive Scenario It has been noted that Honda and Toyota are the pioneers in the hybrid car market now. According to JD Power, However, â€Å"they are becoming more commonplace due to licensing of their technologies by other Japanese and American companies, and the new trend towards hybrid SUVs. † The Toyota Prius, considered a midsize sedan, is the number-one selling hybrid vehicle. Toyota has sold more Priuses than all other hybrids combined—and for good reason. Since the second model of the Prius was introduced in 2003 (as a 2004 model), this midsize sedan has received numerous awards. Today, it continues to be a top seller. The success and tremendous rise in Toyota hybrid sales can be partly attributed to the company’s marketing campaigns. Most hybrids recognized increasing gains each year, with the exceptions of the Accord Hybrid and the Lexus RX400h. Sales of both models have decreased during the past year, proof perhaps that today’s hybrid buyers demand a noticeable improvement in fuel economy when buying a hybrid model (Hybridcar. com). Typical profile of hybrid car buyers â€Å"Hybrid car drivers have a level of education higher than any group of car drivers that I’ve ever seen,† says Walter McManus, director of the Office for the Study of Automotive Transportation at the University of Michigan. McManus further describes these drivers: They have higher income, than the average car buyer at approximately $100,000 a year versus $85,000 a year for the average buyer. They are more likely to be female. Hybrid drivers are a few years older than the average car buyer—closer to fifty rather than the average age of forty. California strongly outpaces all other states for new hybrid vehicle registrations. Beyond these demographics, McManus describes the profile of hybrid car drivers in terms of their behavior and attitudes: They drive on average fewer miles than the average car buyer Hybrid car drivers plan to keep their car longer than the average person They are willing to pay more for an environmentally friendly product. They personally want to do something to help reduce vehicle pollution. They expect fuel prices to grow a lot faster than other people do. McManus adds, â€Å"It doesn’t mean that they’re right. It does not mean that the other people are right. But they’re much more pessimistic about the future of fuel prices than the average person. † Price According to research, Hybrid cars and SUV’s prices range from an estimated $19,000 to nearly $55,000 for the basic models. The lowest price range for this type of car is the manual transmission 2006 Insight at an MSRP of $19,330, whereas the Lexus hybrid sport sedan, the GS 450h is the highest at $54,900. The following table summarizes average prices of the hybrid cars: Hybrid City mpg Hwy mpg MSRP(in USD) Honda Insight -Manual 60 66 $19,530 Honda Insight -CVT 57 56 $21,530 Toyota Prius 60 51 $21,725 Honda Civic Hybrid 49 51 $21,850 Honda Accord Hybrid 29 37 $30,140 Toyota Camry Hybrid 40 38 $25,900 Ford Escape Hybrid 2WD 36 31 $27,515 Ford Escape Hybrid 4WD 33 29 $29,140 Mercury Mariner Hybrid 33 29 $29,225 Toyota Highlander Hybrid 2WD 33 28 $33,030 Toyota Highlander Hybrid 4WD 31 27 $34,430 Lexus RX 400h 31 27 $49,060.