Examine the factors affecting the domestic division of labour among couples Essay

The Division of Labour refers to the range of tasks within a social system. This can vary from everyone doing the same thing to each person having a specialised role. The division of domestic labour is the tasks given to each person in a house unit. For example the wife may do the housework, whilst the husband goes out to work. The division of domestic labour can also include childcare and emotion work, two things that previously were completely down to the wife but now are becoming more evenly spread between family members. Cultural factors that affect the division of labour are aspects like lagged adaptation. Jonathan Gershuny said wives who are in paid work do less housework (men do 27%), but the tasks are still sex-typed: men focus on DIY where as women cook. His explanation was there are gradual changes in values- known as lagged adaptation, and that over time parental role models will show children that men do housework too. Different ethnicities have different family structures- in many American families especially, the man is still the breadwinner and head of the household, while the wife cooks, cleans, and bears and raises children. Conjugal (marital) roles will vary depending on culture, if the society around a family typically has the man working then spending his leisure time with colleagues, that’s how that family will function because they are socialised that way. Some legal factors influence the division of labour, for instance it’s now easier and more socially acceptable for couples to get a divorce, so in a way there’s more pressure on men to keep things civil in the household. If the wife is unhappy, she can just leave. On the other hand, men and women don’t always have equal pay, which affects the division of labour as a popular belief in families is that the highest earner should do the least domestic work. Economic factors have had a significant impact on the division of labour,  ¾ of married/cohabiting women in the UK make money, which has resulted in ‘The New Man’. This is the idea that since women are bringing in an income, men are more willing to do domestic work. Rosemary Crompton pointed out that men do more in the home when the woman’s economical power increases (though the DOL is still unequal). However, women only earn  ¾ of what men earn, so men can never do quite as much housework based on their wives income. Feminists on the other hand feel that instead of a change in men, all that has altered is that women now bear a dual burden; this is the combination of paid work and domestic work. They believe modern men are benefiting from their wives’ financial income on top of them doing the housework and looking after the children. Lydia Morris found that even when the male partner is unemployed, the woman still does the domestic work as the male suffers a crisis of masculinity, so they refuse to demean themselves with housework. Women’s working hasn’t impacted on the division of childcare either; fewer than 4% of men were deemed the main child-carer in 1996. Additionally, Hochschild defined the concept of emotion work as a job where you manage someone’s emotions (for example an air stewardess). Feminists say women are working, looking after children/domestic labour, and are emotionally supporting the family. Jean Dunscombe and Dennis Marsden call this a triple shift (emotion work + domestic labour + paid work). So, in reality, the division of labour hasn’t changed through economic factors as much as perhaps it should have done. Many technological advances have made domestic labour easier, including effective contraception (the pill, implant and condom) as modern families are often smaller than in previous years. Most births are planned, and so the household is well prepared for the extra work. In addition, labour saving devices, like the Hoover and dish washer have resulted in men being more likely to help with housework as it’s now less time consuming and strenuous. Social factors that have influenced the division of labour include the lack of stigma attached to cohabiting couples; consequently they feel no pressure to get married. This could mean that gender roles aren’t as strictly enforced. Another important consideration is that in recent years, religion has become a less prominent aspect of life, a lot of families now won’t be religious at all and therefore don’t feel the need to treat each other a certain way as dictated by religion. Most social interaction of the current day can be traced back to religious codes of conduct, it’s possible than non-Christian societies expect wives to be treated differently to Christian ones. Theoretical perspectives such as functionalism and the new right support the division of labour. They state that families need segregated conjugal roles because it’s biological instinct and that it benefits everyone, they feel these marital roles help to organise the family. One functionalist, Talcott Parsons believed that males should take on an instrumental role; they should work and will be the ones to achieve success, while females should assume the expressive role (looking after the children, and catering for the emotional needs of the family). A popular view in right-wing politics, functionalism and the new right is that couples shouldn’t be equal, as the male should be the head of the family, while retaining the role of breadwinner. March of Progress sociologists (like Elizabeth Bott, Young and Willmott) argue the family is becoming more symmetrical with joint conjugal roles. These joint roles have become typical of working class life, in Young and Willmott’s opinions. Feminists like Ann Oakley disagree and say that segregated conjugal roles are socially constructed by men to benefit men as we still live in a patriarchal society. Her research found that men only have to do a small fraction of the domestic work for the household to qualify as symmetrical. This shows that although the UK advertises itself as a modern society, sexist views of the past are a frequent occurrence in our families. (A.N: This was marked by my AS-level Sociology teacher and was given 18/24 marks, making it a Grade C essay. Some tips she gave- Use AO2 phrases to show evaluation, and cite evidence to support perspectives. It is written in UK English. Apologies for any spelling errors and incorrect Sociologist names.)

Mcdonalds Case Study

McDonald’s case study For at least 30 years McDonald’s had the lead consumer base in the fast food market. They seemed to have the market monopolized, however in time it’s consumer base drifted away. It would appear that Mcdonalds had become comfortable in the position it was in and put little to no emphases on product variety or quality and simply focused on the speed and convinience as the customer draw. Mcdonalds was suffering from low growth and market base as well as decreasing profits. The factors which affected this low growth and lack of profit was not only its competitors but also public opinion of the quality and variety of the food not being up to the same standards of the competition such as Wendy’s or Burger king. Public opinion on Mcdonalds was that the food it sold was of poor quality with little to no variety and people would sacrifice the convinience and speed of their order for taste and variety. To solve this problem Mcdonalds needs to bring back the once reliable customers that it lost to the competition. This can be done a few different ways. – Introduce new aspects to the existing menu, maybe different choices for existing products, possible rebrand and remarket some of these products with a possible price break. – Possibly improve the flavour of its beef as to improve the taste in all its burgers. -Introduce new items on the menu similar to products of the competition ie. Burger King and Wendy’s. – New slogan, new product apperance on the cups and containers. This is to represent the â€Å"new† Mcdonalds. The previous list of ideas can be implemented the easiest by a complete marketing blitz of the new product line and image for the company. The size of the company allows it to have the resources to do this type of campaign with very little financial risk, basically the company has nothing to loose but more customers. Mcdonalds Case Study McDonald’s case study For at least 30 years McDonald’s had the lead consumer base in the fast food market. They seemed to have the market monopolized, however in time it’s consumer base drifted away. It would appear that Mcdonalds had become comfortable in the position it was in and put little to no emphases on product variety or quality and simply focused on the speed and convinience as the customer draw. Mcdonalds was suffering from low growth and market base as well as decreasing profits. The factors which affected this low growth and lack of profit was not only its competitors but also public opinion of the quality and variety of the food not being up to the same standards of the competition such as Wendy’s or Burger king. Public opinion on Mcdonalds was that the food it sold was of poor quality with little to no variety and people would sacrifice the convinience and speed of their order for taste and variety. To solve this problem Mcdonalds needs to bring back the once reliable customers that it lost to the competition. This can be done a few different ways. – Introduce new aspects to the existing menu, maybe different choices for existing products, possible rebrand and remarket some of these products with a possible price break. – Possibly improve the flavour of its beef as to improve the taste in all its burgers. -Introduce new items on the menu similar to products of the competition ie. Burger King and Wendy’s. – New slogan, new product apperance on the cups and containers. This is to represent the â€Å"new† Mcdonalds. The previous list of ideas can be implemented the easiest by a complete marketing blitz of the new product line and image for the company. The size of the company allows it to have the resources to do this type of campaign with very little financial risk, basically the company has nothing to loose but more customers.

Book Emperor Of The Air English Literature Essay

Book Emperor Of The Air English Literature Essay Throughout many of his stories in his book â€Å"Emperor of the Air† author Ethan Canin explores the theme of happiness in relation to his characters. Depending on which source one uses, happiness ranges from the â€Å"quality or state of being happy† to â€Å"a state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy† and according to the Oxford English Dictionary â€Å"Good fortune or luck in life or in a particular affair; success, prosperity†. Based on this, happiness is subjective to the individual. Every story in the book deals with the theme in its various forms but the three pieces I will examine each deal with this subject and its various definitions in their own ways, and I feel are the best representations of â€Å"happiness†. In his second story â€Å"The Year of Getting to Know Us† Canin introduces the idea of happiness directly and very matter-of-factly. Canin first questions the happiness of Lenny while he is at the counselors when he is asked â€Å"You sound as if you don’t want to let people near youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Right?† and Lenny responds with â€Å"I’m a reasonably happy man† (Canin 26). After reading this, we get a sense that maybe Lenny is lying, that he is holding something back. How can someone be happy, going through what he has, and will continue to go through? The events that are explained further in the story: his fathers death and his wife’s affair, impose on this question further. On the very next page Lenny goes on to talk about his life saying â€Å"I am struck by the good fortune of my life† (Canin, 1988). Perhaps Lenny truly is happy, as he early states an exact definition of the word in his thought of â€Å"good fortune†. Despite all that has happened in his life, he remains optimistic, and believes himself to be happy, and maybe he is. The opposition to Lenny’s apparent happiness is the nearly consta nt â€Å"nagging† he receives questioning his emotions and ability to feel anything at all. Canin mentions such an instance immediately after mentioning Lenny’s good fortune in life when he states â€Å"Anne says that I don’t feel things† (Canin 27). Lenny never questions whether or not if he is able to â€Å"feel†, but also never goes out of his way to show any emotion other than stating that he is indeed happy. Even after witnessing his wife’s affair firsthand, the only way Lenny can express himself is by writing down on a napkin â€Å"you are a 40 year old man with no children and your wife is having an affair† (Canin, 1988). Lenny’s apparent lack of any emotion that would come naturally to anyone in the same circumstance is quite intriguing and leaves the reader questioning his feelings, if he has any. Another moment where Lenny’s feelings are under fire comes when he is a child and his mother asks him if he is angry and he responds with â€Å"I don’t know† (Canin, 1988). This shows the reader that even though he was young, Lenny was indecisive about his feelings, and whether or not he felt anything. Canin leaves the decision of whether or not this character is happy or if he can feel, up to the reader.

Significant Others and Art Partnerships Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Significant Others and Art Partnerships - Essay Example Apart from this shallow painting he received from his father, Ernest did not get any formal education in painting and instead forged his own methods of statistics painting in a self-taught way. Max Ernst met his wife in the year 1942 and introduced her to the Surrealists who were living in New York City by then (Klingsöhr-Lero & Grosenick, 2006). They got married in 1946 and shifted to Sedona, Arizona, and later moved to France. The partners are said to have strong and well established relationship due to the facts that Tanning introduced Max to her favorites and Tanner accepted, such as the Surrealism (Klingsöhr-Lero & Grosenick, 2006). It was a serious equal relationship since these partners supported each other in their painting works. The legacy of this relationship was when the two married each other and stayed happily (Tanning & Morgan, 1995). My favorite social site is Facebook. Facebook has currently been voted as the world’s leading social site. This site is significant in my life since it helps me to interact with my friends all over the world. It is also easier meeting and socializing with new people from all kinds of cultural backgrounds across this site. Through Facebook, it is also easier to catch up with the trending news and even shop online through the advertisements that are posted on the site. The most significant person in my family is my mother. She is currently forty-five years old and have an average body size. What I admire in her is how she cares about her family. She does everything possible to ensure that her family accesses all the basic needs like clothing, food and water. She has also ensured that we have accessed the best educational facilities, in our country. THE Oregon Cultural trust is a cultural organization, in my study, which is a global funding agency, supported by donations from individual donors, who receive

Critical Thinking Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical Thinking Questions - Essay Example These principles include dialectical critique, risk, reflexive critique, collaborative resources, theory and plural structure. An exemplary example is the action research process that has been initiated in the Caribbean Windward Islands. This was after the Caribbean government realized that the process involved several organizations and numerous business groups. Therefore, an action research approach was recommended as the best alternative in this situation. There are several categories of evaluation studies that can be employed in a program. These six categories of evaluation studies include objectives-oriented, management-oriented, consumer-oriented, expertise-oriented, adversary-oriented and naturalistic and participant-oriented evaluations (Fitzpatrick, Sanders, & Worthen, 2004). These evaluation approaches are quite critical in certain programs. An objective can be defined as the declaration of a result that is to be accomplished (Fitzpatrick, Sanders, & Worthen, 2004). Objectives can be broken down into several precise declarations that determine the activities or means that attribute to the success of a program. Research asserts that the objective-oriented evaluation approach is the best methodology that can be employed in a writing center. This approach has a positive significant impact on the writing of students. In fact, this approach mainly focuses on the outcomes of the program. This approach is also accepted globally, and it is also easy to use, hence; it enables objectives to be set. However, the approach majorly overlooks some unintended outcomes. Management-oriented evaluation is normally geared to serve the decision makers. In addition, the success of the program is mainly based on the teamwork between the decision makers and the evaluators. This clearly asserts that the decision maker is the individual on which the evaluation is directed. This approach is useful in program management. It has been employed in educational

Qanswer questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Qanswer questions - Essay Example She used her position and to fraud the consultancy. Colluding with bricks supplier they defraud the firm a total of $ 100,000. Construction of the houses was halted due to insufficient funds this was five months after the fraud had taken place. The Chief Executive Officer of the firm instructed an auditor to examine what had happened. In his report, he suggested $ 150,000 had been spent and cannot be accounted. An organization should always try to assess the state of its employees who have influential power and monitor their acts (Frederickson, n.d). Domestic problems are hard to control if one has a chance to fraud the organization. For the firm to stop future frauds of this form then it should ensure construction materials are delivered, the foreman signs and a copy sent to the finance director. Inherent risks refer to those risks that can result in the misstatement of the audit if there was no any control at all. On the other hand control risks refer to those risks that cannot be mitigated by the current internal control and would result in the misstatement of the audit. As an auditor, it is expected of you to hand-in a non-bias and sound report. According to Hindson (2011), assessing the inherent risks for the organization will help an auditor have an overview of the anticipated risks in his auditing. The risks are narrowed down when he identifies control risks. The control risks make the auditor aware of the contentious areas where risks are likely to occur and go unnoticed (Tursi, 1989). For instance, there are times when the internal control to prevent fraud cannot detect and control fraud committed by finance director. In such cases, the auditor should be very keen when analyzing any financial activities initiated and authorized by the

Global Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Global Marketing - Assignment Example As such, this memorandum will outline specific key tactics that shall be used in order to create a robust marketing strategy. Making 100 percent increase in sales revenue is no mean feat meaning various facets of the marketing mix will require to be addressed in order to achieve this goal. The marketing research exercise will seek to gather information on economic and demographic data, cultural and sociological data, overview of market conditions, level of awareness of the Mayo Clinic, reputation of Mayo Clinic and attractiveness of Mayo clinic internationally. Economic and demographic data shows data on growth and statistics in the health industry, analysis of stability of economies and how it influences the health decisions of the target markets and population trends. Cultural and sociological data provide insight into the ecological, climate history of common diseases, eating habits and their potential impact on insurance coverage and clinic choice. Finally, overview of market conditions involves analysis of the level of technology including internet knowledge in the target market, level of proficiency in resident clinics, level of health mindfulness and insurance coverage inclinations. Mayo clinic, as a brand should be in a position to exude exceptional qualities that will attract people around the world. Since its humble beginnings, nearly a hundred years, the founders of Mayo clinic sought to create an international legacy by traveling around the globe. In their expeditions, they compared notes and surgical methods with other physicians around the world in order to increase or change expertise. Mayo clinic continues in these traditions as in so many other areas of medical practice. Mayo clinic is focused on delivering exceptional care that recognizes no limits. Mayo clinic currently seeks to establish and position itself as the best service provider based in knowledge and superior care. Mayo clinic also prides itself on being multi-lingual,

Royal mail Privetisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Royal mail Privetisation - Essay Example Many governments owned so-called natural monopolies such as water, power, and postal services on the assumption that market efficiency would be attained if there were only a single seller. It is easy to see why a monopoly may be needed in some markets, as in the case of utilities where large investments are needed, or in postal services where a number of mail delivery routes are not profitable enough to attract private investments. But as many nations eventually experienced through the years, this market structure became characterised by inefficiency and wasted resources. This was the situation at Royal Mail in 2002. Its vehicle repair centre situated in the Isle of Wight was a case in point. The poor location entailed unreasonable expenditures, a factor for inefficiency and a destroyer of value. Since it would be a better use of resources for broken down vehicles from different parts of the British Isles to be repaired in the nearest motor shops, this vehicle repair centre would be under-utilised. Its facilities would be better off sold, closed down, or put to other use, for example as a conference centre for its workers. Monopolies lead to inefficiency and waste because the absence of competition leads to complacency, as the company enjoying a monopoly position would not have the incentive to improve itself and be efficient. Like a pensioner unmotivated to work because of a guaranteed income, monopolies know that their market has no choice but to buy its products, no matter how poor the quality. And when the monopoly, like Royal Mail, is labour intensive, not only do the workers become a formidable political force that can influence the outcome of elections (â€Å"forcing† politicians to listen to their pleas), but also their lifetime employment status binds the state to pay until retirement, a disincentive for increasing

Theme of Life in Hamlet- Revenge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Theme of Life in Hamlet- Revenge - Essay Example One thing which stands out in the play is the ability of Shakespeare to manipulate the language; this has been very effectively done in the play. The play is based upon revenge; Hamlet takes revenge of his father’s death in the play. Revenge is a very dangerous motive but a very powerful one. â€Å"This drama is one of the great tragedy themed plays by William Shakespeare. The themes of the plot cover indecision, revenge and retribution, deception, ambition, loyalty and fate. Prince Hamlet mourns both his father's death and his mother, Queen Gertrude's remarriage to Claudius. The ghost of Hamlet's father appears to him and tells him that Claudius has poisoned him. Hamlet swears revenge. He kills the eavesdropping Polonius, the court chamberlain. Polonius's son Laertes returns to Denmark to avenge his father's death. Polonius's daughter Ophelia loves the Prince but his behavior drives her to madness. Ophelia dies by drowning. A duel takes place and ends with the death of Gertr ude, Laertes, Claudius, and Hamlet.† (The Summary of Hamlet). Delay in Avenging the Death of his Father Hamlet is a very intriguing play and the play is based around the story of revenge which gets delayed. Claudius is the protagonist in the play and Hamlet plays the role of a tragic hero in the play. He gets many chances to kill Claudius but he delays avenging the death of his father, Hamlet gets possibly the finest opportunity when Claudius is seen to be praying in the play but Hamlet does not kill him there, this prolonging of revenge shapes up the play very well and it is easily the highlight of the play. The impulsive nature of Hamlet is another very interesting aspect of the play. ... The impulsive nature of Hamlet is another very interesting aspect of the play. Had Hamlet killed Claudius earlier in the play, the play would have lost its charm, the delay in Hamlet’s revenge is one of the biggest factors that intrigues the readers. Let’s now take into consideration the character of Hamlet, as discussed earlier, it can be easily made out that Hamlet was an impulsive person. His Father was the king of Denmark and he was killed by Claudius, who has now become the king by marrying Hamlet’s mother. A ghost tells Hamlet that his father was murdered by King Claudius and this allegation was later proved. Based on this assumption that Claudius killed his father, Hamlet decides to take revenge of the death of his father. Hamlet’s rash actions go on to decide his fate. In the sense that he succeeds in killing King Claudius but prior to this Hamlet ends up killing innocent old man by the name Polonius. Hamlet decides not to kill Claudius while he wa s praying; this causes an unnecessary delay and only goes on to make the readers believe that the actions of Hamlet were very Impulsive. To conclude with the character of Hamlet it can be said that since revenge was his sole aim, no one could have predicted the future and there are risks involved when a person seeks revenge, so it is fair to say that the death of Hamlet was not surprising as a reader and he pretty much deserved it. This is purely based on the fact that anything can happen when one seeks revenge. â€Å"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.† (Hamlet). Marcellus speaks this line the word rotten goes to show the atmosphere in Denmark. The atmosphere is very bad because of the crime committed by Claudius. He killed Hamlet to come to the throne and this is

The Abuse of Alcohol Essay Example for Free

The Abuse of Alcohol Essay A large part of the population in the United States abuse or used to abuse alcohol. The health and social problems are enormous, leading to an increase in unemployment, homelessness and even death. Alcoholism can cause a lonely and poor life style. Many people use certain excuses to drink such as; â€Å"it is just one party†; or even â€Å"I will just have a couple† of drinks, but the fact is that they are addicted to alcohol. The Doctors claim that fifty percent of alcoholism is due to genetic inheritance, but drinking habits also are influenced by their environment and lifestyle, such as group of friends or stress levels. There are a signs that we can use to identify alcohol abuse, like problems at school or work (including being late or not showing up) due to drinking. Also, when you cannot control how much you drink, make excuses for your drinking, wake-up in the morning drinking or drink alone and many others signs. Alcohol is a psychologically addictive drug that can provide a new world for some people, a world where they are important and happy. When the alcohol wears off they find they are no different so they need to drink more to again became happy. The reality is, that people drink to forget their problems or to relieve their stress, not realizing that drinking causes more problems than it can solve, but unfortunately it is a legal drug that the society does not discriminate against.

Water Level Control System Of The Tank Engineering Essay

Water Level Control System Of The Tank Engineering Essay The report provides an interim account of water level control system of a tank. The step-test experimental results for both (old and new) tanks and the method of calculating the water flow rate into the tank has been discussed. In addition, the techniques to work out the pump horsepower, motor power and the pump efficiency had been covered in this report. Future work on the laboratory experiment on proportional gain (P) and proportional plus integral gain (PI) testing and its relevance to industrial process and the approach to accomplish the set objectives of the project were discussed. CONTENT SUMMARY i CONTENT ii LIST OF FIGURES iii LIST OF TABLES iv AIM 4 OBJECTIVE 5 1.1 EXPERIMENT COMPONENTS 5 1.1.1 AMPLIFIER 5 1.1.2 SENSOR 6 1.1.5 VANE PUMP 9 1.1.5.1 PUMP TEST 10 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 12 3. CONTROLLER 12 3.1 P ONLY 13 3.2 P+I CONTROLLER 14 3.3 PID CONTROLLER 15 4. METHODOLOGY 15 4.2 P ONLY EXPERIMENT 16 4.3 P+I EXPERIMENT 17 5. RESULTS DISCUSSION ANALYSIS 18 5.1 SYSTEM TRANSFER FUNCTION 18 5.2 SYSTEM MODELLING 19 5.3 SYSTEM PERFERMANCE 19 5.4. RESULT DISCUSSION 20 21 6. CONCLUSION 21 7. REFERENCES 22 8. APPENDIX 23 LIST OF FIGURES Graph 1: Outcome of Pump Testing Graph 11 LIST OF TABLES NOMENCLATURE P Proportional PI Proportional Integral PD Positive displacement PID Proportional-Integral-Derivative PWM Pulse width modulation Qo Output Qi Input INTRODUCTION In years back level control has been a major issue in the industrial processes. The controlling of liquid level is essential in most industrial processes such as: food processing, nuclear power plants, water purification systems, industrial chemical processing, boilers etc. Although, most industrial problems such as: controlling the speed of motor, or fluid level in a tank, or temperature of the furnace are due to the installation of control process when the control concepts had not been properly understood (Dutton et al., 1997). However, the ingenuity of control engineer can often overcome these challenges by producing a well-behaved piece of equipment. Mostly, proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers are used for liquid level control in most applications and can be applied to many industrial processes and mechanical systems. PID controllers proven to be a perfect controller for simple and linear processes, but when it comes to controlling of non-linear and multivariable processes, the controller parameters have to be continuously adjusted (Bhuvaneswari et al., 2008). In process control systems, nonlinearity is the rule rather than the exception. Most control loops such as pressure, temperature, composition, etc., are significantly nonlinear. This may be because of nonlinearity due to control valves, or on account of variations in process gain, time constant, and dead time, as discussed in (McMillan et al, 1994). Therefore, the study of control system has contributed to huge impact positively to our modern day development. A plant can be controlled manually or automatically and the control system consists of a plant with its actuators, sensors and a controller. Manual controlling process of a plant cannot be as accurately enough compared to automatic control. An automatic controller is made up of device, electronic circuit, computer, or mechanical linkage etc. The interface between the plant and the controller requires actuators (control elements) to provide control action. In instrumentation, detectors and sensors (measurement elements) are needed to provide information about the plant status to the controller (Golten and Verwer, 1991). However, the most important characteristic of a plant is its stability, which indicates that a system can be control smoothly without undue oscillation or overcorrection. The behaviour and performance of a control system depends on the interaction of the entire element. The difference between the set-point and the actual value of the variable is called error. Another important characteristic of a control system is how quickly it can respond to an error and correct it. The smaller the error, the better it would be for the control system. The basic types of process control are open loop and closed loop system. + The open loop system has no feedback because it has no sensor to sense the fluid level in the tank. While the closed loop system is characterised by a sensor and a feedback signal which carries information from the measurement device to the comparator. Typical actuators used in liquid level control systems include pumps, motorised valve, on-off valves, etc. In addition, level sensors such as displacement float, capacitance probe, pressure sensor (Bateson, 1999), etc., provide liquid level measurement for the purpose of feedback control. In a closed loop feedback control system, the forward path transfer function is G(s) representing the process or plant being controlled together with any controller dynamics. The feedback path transfer function, H(s), represents the measurement system or transducer which provides the feedback signal (Golten and Verwer, 1991). The overall transfer function relating the controlled variable Qo to the desired value or reference, Qi is Qi Qo Figure 1: Closed loop block diagram Hence, the procedure of deriving the equation above can be found in the appendix page. In addition, the prime objective of feedback control systems is to minimise the differences between the output and the reference input since this represents the error. The control system should be quick as possible in reducing this error to zero (or to some reasonable low value) when there is either a disturbance or change in reference value (Golten and Verwer, 1991). Feedback has similar advantages when applied to automatic control system, it has the ability of controlling a system that deals with unexpected disturbances that might occur within the system and adapt to changes in the plant. Therefore, with the advancement of electronics and its applications, the understanding of close loop control system increased rapidly, since feedback amplifier is essential (Healey, 1975). A simple control system is used to maintain a constant water level in a tank, example of such is toilet systems in various homes. The swinging arm attached to the input valve of the WC water tank allows water to flow into the tank until the float rises to a point that closes the valve. When the water level is low in the tank, the swinging arm moves downwards which allows more water to flow into the tank. This continues until the swinging arm returns to its initial state. This is a simple and effective level control system for water tank. Another level of control system is a steam boiler where the level of the water in the boiler must be maintained between certain limits; otherwise, it may lead to serious damage to the boiler and building as well as cause hazard to the building occupants (Miller et al, 2004). Water gages serves as a means of measurement level in the boiler. In an engineering context, the addition of control systems must be justified in terms of their profitability, or environment safety. A control system must be effective and efficient, and remain so throughout the life of the plant (Dutton et al., 1997). The performance of a system is often expressed in terms of their parameters such as: speed of response, stability and steady-state error. A good speed of response may often be achieved at the expense of steady state error and stability (Premier, 2008)  [1]  . Stability is one of the most important characteristics in any system. For a system to be stable, the system components must be appropriatel y sized for the application and the system must be correctly adjusted (tuned). The objectives of this project is to investigate the control of water level in non-linear water tank which is fed by a centrifugal pump and discharges to a sump tank through a valve. The tank is a V shaped tank which has a straight wall. The system inflow would be adjusted alongside with the control signal to the outlet valve and the outlet pump during the simulation. Furthermore, the project task includes designing a proportional (P) only and proportional + integral (PI) controller for a specific operating point and implementing it as an analogue s-domain system. The objectives would be accomplished by examining the dynamics of the water tank, modelling it from first principles and by applying step tests to identify the system model at various operating points. The diagram below shows the equipment used to carry out the experiment. Figure 2: Water tank level control system Figure 4: Block diagram of V Shaped Tank system AIM To characterise a new V tank Conduct identification and control experimentation Comparing it with an existing replicate system OBJECTIVE Relating level control to industrial applications. Understanding the dynamics of water tank, modelling it from first principle Application of step-test to identify the system model at various operating points. Designing a proportional + integral controller for specific operating point. 1.1 EXPERIMENT COMPONENTS In order to perform the laboratory experiment on process plant (V-tank), the experimental components used are: amplifier, sensor transducer, water tank, valve, and pump which are discussed below. 1.1.1 AMPLIFIER The amplifier is a very important part of any control system. Basically, it is used to deliver an output signal which is larger, in a prescribed way, than the input signal. A good designed amplifier mostly requires that the input impedance should be large so that the source is not loaded, and the output impedance should be small so that the power element can be easily driven (Anand Zmood, 1995)  [2]  . An amplifier could be referred to as the signal conditioner use in this experiment. An am In pulse width modulation (PWM) the amplitude and repetition rate remain constant, and the width of the pulse is varied according to the modulation signal amplitude (Parr, 1996)  [3]   Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) signals are increasingly being used to drive continuous actuators such as d.c. motor, hydraulic servos and a.c. motor. If the switching frequency of the PWM amplifier is sufficiently high in relation to the actuator time constants, then the signals will be average around the value (Olsson Piani, 1992)  [4]  . The motor is driven by a Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) power amplifier, which supplies power to the motor proportional to a voltage signal from the controller. Pulses are produces at regular intervals, the duration or width of the pulse being proportional to the size of the voltage at each of the times concerned (Bolton, 1991)  [5]  . The reason why pulse width modulation is used is that conventional power amplifiers would simply burn at high power levels. The advantage of switching is that the solid-state devices are not continuously loaded with high power and therefore their power dissipation is low. This fact makes PWM amplifier very efficient. In PWM amplifier, the switching can be directly controlled from the digital output ports of a computer. 1.1.2 SENSOR In virtually every engineering application, there is the need to measure some physical quantities, such as displacements, speeds, forces, pressures, temperatures, stresses, flows and so on. These measurements are performed using this physical device called sensors, which are capable of converting a physical quantity to a more readily manipulated electrical quantity (Onwubolu, 2005). A sensor could be referred to as transducer. Although, there are different kinds of liquid level transducers which are used in variety of control applications with different function such as: float-type liquid level transducers, hydrostatic pressure liquid level transducers, capacitance probes, and so on. But with respect to this project, the pressure transducer will be the point of focus. The pressure transducer is used to measure the height (or head) level in the tank For a sensor to function effectively there is a need for signal conditioner and a display system. This signal conditional obtains signal from the sensor and manipulates it into a condition which are suitable either for display, or control system usefulness. Hence, a display system shows the output readings from the signal conditional (Bolton, 1999)  [6]  . Since the dynamic and static characteristics of the sensor or measuring element affect the indication of the actual value of the output variable, then the sensor plays an important role in determining the overall performance of the control system. The sensor usually determines the transfer function in the feedback path. If the time constants of a sensor are negligibly small compared with other time constants of the control system, the transfer function of the sensor simply becomes constant (Ogata, K., 1997). In selecting a good transducer with respect to its performance and system measurement, certain criteria had to be fulfilled. The accuracy of the transducer to which it has been calibrated, its response to error within the system, its stability i.e. the ability of the transducer to give the same output reading when used to measure a constant input over a period of time, etc (Bolton, 2008)  [7]  . 1.1.3 WATER TANK Water tank is a The tank characteristics are non linear depending on the operating point and are such that tank level surface is a function of the level. Figure 5: Tank fluid level system The objective of the controller in the level control process is to maintain a level set point at a given value and be able to accept new set point values dynamically and this level control system must be controlled by the proper controller. In considering the top section of the tank as shown in fig. 5 above, the flow-rate can be calculated using Bernoullis equation. From Bernoullis law the flow through a valve q (m3s-1) is related to the pressure head across the valve h (m) by the following equation, in which g is the acceleration due to gravity, Cd is the coefficient of discharge (m2) (Dutton et al., 1997). Modelling the Tank The tank can be modelled from first principles with the provision of certain assumptions. For the sake of simplicity, it is possible to consider the top section of the tank with parallel sides and then extend this model to deal with the whole tank. The prismatic section of the tank can be considered to be a simple rectangular tank with an inflow Q and an outflow, QL as in Figure 2. By considering conservation of matter, we can say that the flow into the tank must be equal to the flow out plus the flow converted into a change in level. but if then 1.1.4 VALVE Control valves are commonly encountered elements in process plant and the equation that describes their flow behaviour are nonlinear. Other nonlinear effects may exist because of the valve characteristic and the equipment surrounding the value. Control valves are used to regulate the flow rate of fluid in a system. The control of flow rate can be achieved by varying the size of the passage through which the fluid flows (Stenerson, 2004)  [8]  . The control valve modulates the flow of a fluid by introducing a variable area aperture into the pipeline. The volumetric flow rate, Q, of a particular liquid through a valve is proportional to the pressure drop across it, à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  P. Thus, let kv be the valve coefficient which is the function of the valve opening or lift, h. in order to avoid dimensionality, the lift, h is defined as a fractional lift, i.e. when h is 1 the control valve is fully open, and when the h is 0 the value is shut. 1.1.5 VANE PUMP In selecting a pump for a specific task, there are certain factors that needs to be considered such as: the height at which the pump will be moving the liquid to, the speed that is required, and the pressure flow at the pumps outlet. A pump is a mechanical device that changes mechanical power into fluid power. Positive displacement (PD) pumps perform work by expanding and then compressing a cavity, space, or moveable boundary within the pump. In most cases, these pumps actually captured the liquid and transport it through the pump to the discharge nozzle (Bachus Custodio, 2003)  [9]  . However, the flow through PD pump is mostly a function of the speed of the driver or motor. A D.C motor drives the pump at a constant speed in most cases so that the delivery would be constant, i.e. the flow Q is normally constant (Healey, 1975). The pressure or head that a PD pump can generate is mostly a function of the thickness of the casing and strength of the associated accompanying parts (seals, hoses gaskets). In addition, a PD pump has been designed to have some strict tolerance parts. This strict tolerance controls the flow, and pressure that these pumps can generate. The ability to pressurize the fluid to higher pressures will depend on the tolerance of the components within the pump. Hence, the closer the pumps tolerance, the higher the capabilities would be (Brumbach Clade, 2003).  [10]  Furthermore, there are three types of positive displacement pumps in use nowadays which are: vane pump, gear pump and the piston pump. These kinds of pump had different similarities depending on their performance but based on this task it would be concentrated on vane pump. Vane pump are used in hydraulic systems. When the rotor rotates the pumps vanes in a counter clockwise direction which caused the vanes to slide in and out of their slots within the pump housing, a large amount of fluid would be carried from the inlet to the outlet (Onwubolu, 2005)  [11]  . This results from the eccentricity of the centre of the rotor with respect to that of the housing. Figure 3: Vane Pump 1.1.5.1 PUMP TEST In order to examine the pumps accuracy, a test was carried out on the pump. The pump was used to move water from one container to the other within a time limit. Using the laboratory scale machine, the empty container was measured to weighs 0.585Kg. However, the pump was tested at different voltage supplied to the pump from 1v 10v at every one minute and then measured the filled container to know the actual weight. The reading was measured in kilogram (kg) which was converted to litres per minute. The conversion was 1kg to 1litre at a constant time. The outcome of the pump testing experiment could be seen in the graph below. Graph 1: Outcome of Pump Testing Graph In addition, the pump testing results obtained from the graph above shows that the pump was not functioning perfectly. The inaccuracy of the pumps efficiency is as a result of imbalance modified vanes inside the pump. The actual dimension of the vane inside the pump was 8mm inner diameter, 52mm outside diameter and 22mm thickness. The out diameter of the vane was cut-down or modified to roughly about 40mm for the vane to rotate easily within the casing. Hence, the graphs shape should be linear and not the linear curve shape in graph 1. From this experiment, it was observed that at any increase in voltage supplied to the pump; there will be large amount of pressure increase from the flow outlet and vice versa. Pump Figure 4: Modified Vane Size Figure 5: Actual Vane Size 2. LITERATURE REVIEW Literature review 3. CONTROLLER A controller is a device which monitors and influences the operational condition of a given dynamical system. In closed loop control system, a controller is used to compare the output of a system with the required condition and convert the error into a control action designed to reduce error. The error might be as a result of some changes in the conditions being controlled or because of changes in the set value. Most industrial controllers use electricity or pressurized fluid such as oil or air as power sources. Controllers may also be classified according to the kind of power employed in their operation, such as pneumatic controllers, hydraulic controllers, or electronic controllers. For this kind of controllers to be used for a particular task, it must be based on the nature of the plant and the operating conditions (Ogata, K., 1997)  [12]  . 3.1 P ONLY With proportional control the change in the controller output from the set point value is proportional to the error (Bolton, 1991)  [13]  . This means that the correction of the control element such as valve will receive signal which depends on the size of the correction required. Although, a system with a proportional control may have a steady state offset (or drop) in response to a constant reference input and may not be entirely capable of rejecting a constant disturbance (Mutambara, 1999). For higher order systems, large values of the proportional feedback gain will typically lead to instability. For most systems there is an upper limit on the proportional feedback gain in order to achieve a well damped stable response, and this limit may still have an unacceptable steady state error. Therefore, there is a limit on how much the errors can be reduced by using proportional feedback only. One of the ways to improve the steady state accuracy of the control system is to introduce integral control. Set point Error Process variable Amplifier Actuator signal Plant 3.2 P+I CONTROLLER The primary reason for integral control is to reduce or eliminate constant steady state errors within the plant or system. Several limitations of proportional control are resolved by integral control. The steady state response to this class of load disturbance is completely eliminated. Thus, as long as the system remains stable, the system output equals the desired output regardless of the value of KP and its dynamic response (Mutambara, 1999)  [14]  . If the designer wishes to increase the dynamic speed of response with large integral gain, then the response of the system becomes very oscillatory. Hence, in order to avoid this oscillatory behaviour of the system then both proportional and integral control should be used at the same time. Set point Error Process variable Amplifier Actuator signal 3.3 PID CONTROLLER Most industrial processes are controlled using proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controllers. The popularity of PID controllers can be attributed to their good performance in wide range of operating conditions and partly to their functional simplicity, which make it easy to operate (Dorf and Bishop, 2005)  [15]  . PID controllers are so effective that its controlling ability are standard in processing industries such as petroleum, refining, etc. In order to design a particular control loop system, the constants value of KP, KI and KD had to be adjusted to an acceptable performance. Increasing KP and KI tends to reduce system errors but may not be capable of also producing adequate stability, while increasing KD tends to improve stability. The combination of the three control components in this system yields complete control over the system dynamics. The proportional-integral-derivation (PID) controller provides both an acceptable degree of error reduction and an acceptable stability and damping. 4. METHODOLOGY 4.1 STEP-TEST EXPERIMENT The first part of the laboratory experiment involves determining the theoretical model at various level (h) of the water tank which include the prismatic bottom of the tank, the V shaped section and the top parallel sides of the tank. The water level in the tank was measured by a pressure sensor which was calibrated in the instrumentation laboratory prior to the experiment which showed that the pressure transducer produced a voltage signal proportional to the head. To start this experiment, the centrifugal pump was switched on and the Lab View step input programme was opened. The centrifugal pump was used to fill the water tank from a rectangular sump tank and also ensuring that there was enough water in the sump tank to perform the experiment. Although, the control valve was ensured to be fully open so that there would be continuous flow of water from the sump tank into the main tank as a result of constant running of the pump. After warming up the pump for some time, the pump bias was then set on the Lab View program to 1.3 volts (constantly) were the water is just about to start dropping into the tank. Using one second sampling time, the step volt was increased repeatedly by an additional 0.1 volts each time the head (h) settles from 0v 0.1v, 0.1v 0.2v, and so on. As a result of increases in voltage, the water level would be increased as well in the tank. Once the water level reached the top of the tank, in order to prevent the water from overflowing the step volt was reduced back to zero volt (0v) which allows the water to be empty back into the sump tank from the main tank and data or result was collected from the PC. 4.2 P ONLY EXPERIMENT In order to perform the P only experiment, the proportional gain has to be calculated to get the accurate value that would be input into the system. The proportional gain value can then be input into the LabVIEW package to run the experiment. The set point can be changed form one point to another to see how the plant would responds to the sudden changes to increase in set point The second part of the experiment entailed the design of the P only controller and P + I controller. As regards to the P only controller, once the values of the steady state gain and time constant were found from the initial step input experiment, the next step was to design a P only controller which will give closed loop dynamics 1/3 that of the open loop plant, which was then used to calculate the values of Kp at known head (h). Having calculated the Kp values, the pump was then switched on and allowed to warm up, also the Lab View P only controller programme was initiated. With the pump warmed up the Kp value was then entered into the P only controller programme alongside the same value for the pump bias and the sample time used in the previous experiment, i.e. 1.28 volts and 1 seconds respectively. The P only controller programme was allowed to run and the results for the sensor output (volts), the error (e) and the control effort were recorded and retrieved. 4.3 P+I EXPERIMENT Finally to control the level of water in the tank and eliminate the steady state error the Proportional Integral Controller experiment was initiated, the hf (design level to which the tank is to be controlled) was defined and further derivation resulted in two unknowns, Kp and TI. The values for Kp and TI were then calculated for, then input into the Proportional Integral Controller program and allowed to run with a sample time of 1 seconds. The results for the sensor output (volts), the error (e) and the controller output were recorded and retrieved. 5. RESULTS DISCUSSION ANALYSIS 5.1 SYSTEM TRANSFER FUNCTION AMPLIFIER WATER TANK SENSOR CONTROL VALVE PUMP PROPORTIONAL ONLY PROPORTIONAL PLUS INTEGRAL 5.2 SYSTEM MODELLING 5.3 SYSTEM PERFERMANCE 5.4. RESULT DISCUSSION Graph 1: Step-test experiment of voltage against time. Graph 2: Step-test experiment of voltage against time 6. CONCLUSION FUTURE WORK Filter design discussion: noise reducer 7. REFERENCES Bateson, R.N., 1999. Introduction to control system technology. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, London: Prentice-Hall. Bhuvaneswari, N.S. Uma, G. and Rangaswamy. T.R., 2008. Adaptive and optimal control of a non-linear process using intelligent controllers. Applied Soft Computing [e-journal] (9) pp.182-190. Available through: Science Direct database [Accessed 26 November 2010]. Dutton, K. Thompson, S. and Barraclough, B., 1997. The art of control engineering. Harlow; Reading, Mass.: Addison Wesley. Girdhar, P. and Moniz, O., 2005. Practical centrifugal pumps: design, operation and maintenance. Oxford: Newnes. Golten, J. and Verwer, A., 1991. Control system design and simulation. London: McGraw-Hill. Healey, M., 1975. Principles of automatic control. 3rd ed. London: English Universities Press. Miller, R. Miller, M.R. and Oravetz, J., 2004. Audel Questions and Answers for Plumbers Examinations. USA: Wiley Publishing. Shinners, S. M., 1998. Modern control system theory and design, 2nd ed. Canada: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Wahren, U., 1997. Practical introduction to pumping technology: a basic guide to pumps. Houston: Gulf Pub. Co.

Two Nation: The War Continues... Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"So the question for white Americans is essentially moral: is it right to impose on members of an entire race a lesser start in life and then to expect from them a certain degree of resolution that has never been demanded from your own race?† With this question the author concludes his book. The book is called â€Å"Two Nations: Black and White, Separate, Hostile, Unequal.† The author is Andrew Hacker, a professor of political science at Queens College. He has written many books along with this one mostly dealing with race and other social problems faced in America. He believes that race plays a larger role in America than it does anywhere else in the world. The title has many sources and foreshadows some of the conclusions he makes in the book. The â€Å"two nations† being discussed are the White nation and the African-American (Black) nation. It has been said many times in history that the two major races in this country have been separ ate, hostile and unequal. It is interesting to find out what Mr. Hacker thinks about all of this as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book is separated into three parts. In the first part Hacker wishes to give the reader insight on how â€Å"we† define and divide people into races. He will also discuss what it feels like to be black in this country and why white Americans act the way they do to those of African-American descent. In the second part he will focus more on the role race plays in such areas as education, family life, economy, politics and crime. In the third section there are statistics based on race and an index. In the opening chapter of the book Hacker discusses the â€Å"origin† of races. Separation and the giving of names to peoples belonging to a group have been done since the first time differences in physical appearance began to appear. He argues that the Native Americans have been at a low population but the population suddenly increased when many individuals began to claim their race as being Native American. He also says that the race once known as â€Å"mongoloid† and other races from the Asian continent have all been combined and renamed by the majority white race to â€Å"Asian-American†. The author then discusses how ridiculous it is that the people in this country have designated everyone in the world to a separate group. Defining them before they can define themselves.   Ã‚   ... ...urban areas anymore. After going to public schools for almost 16 years I can say that there is a lot of segregation everywhere because people feel more comfortable among those of their own race. Does this mean that if there are a group of white kids hanging out together that they are racist? No, this just means that all they are is a group of kids. For someone to point out their race and the fact that they are all the same and then to judge them and their beliefs without knowing anything for sure is a racist statement in itself. Overall, Andrew Hacker is a good writer. I don’t agree with all of his beliefs but he makes a very good argument. There are many people that feel strongly about an issue and do not speak up. The admirable thing about Hacker is that he said what he feels and he is not scared to speak his mind. That is a respectable trait. Don’t you agree? â€Å"A huge racial chasm remains, and there are few signs that he coming century will see it closed. A century and a quarter after slavery, white America continues to ask of its black citizens an extra patience and perseverance that whites have never required of themselves† -Andrew Hacker (On the final paragraph of his book)

The Nature of Bryants Poems :: Biography Biographies Essays

The "Nature" of Bryant's Poems Most of the poems in our anthology are ruminative poems about the nature of nature and the nature of life. The key word within his works is simply "nature". He uses works of nature to express his works of art. He meticulously chose objects to which everyone could relate, transforming them into ideas and expressions of his mission. This expression is evident throughout the poetry. "Thanatopsis" revolves around the issues of life and death, using nature as their common ground to describe the overall message. "The all-beholding sun shall see no more in all his course; nor yet in the cold ground, where they pale form was laid, with many tears, nor embrace of ocean, shall exist they image" ( Bryant 2673 ). He vividly paints the picture of oneà ­s death and thus a lack of life. He goes on to depict the earth and her surroundings as manà ­s eternal tomb, expressing all that will be left behind when man leaves this world. "The vulnerable woods - rivers that move in majesty, and the complaining brooks that make the meadows green; and, poured round all, Old Oceanà ­s gray and melancholy waste, - are but the solemn decorations all of the great tomb of man" ( Bryant 2673 ). He continually demonstrates this behavior throughout the rest of the piece, solidifying his intricate pattern towards nature. Bryantà ­s love of nature is overtly expressed within "The Yellow Violet". He paints the picture of a peaceful Spring day, describing the flower and its place within the structure of the season. I found it interesting how he alluded to the "April showers bring May flowers" beginning with line 21 by saying "Oft, in the sunless April day, they early smile has stayed my walk; but midst the gorgeous blooms of May, I passed the on they humble stalk" ( Bryant 2675 ). However, I did feel as if he could have written this about his love of a relationship, not just his love for nature. What do you think? "The Prairies" focuses on his personal look at nature, through his eyes. This piece gives one a first-hand look at Bryanà ­s compassion for all things, great and small. He takes the reader on a journey, looking at individual pieces existing in nature, and taking note of their importance and placement in life.

Creutzfeldt - Jakob disease :: essays research papers

Plenty of people love the fact that they can enjoy life normal because their brain functions accordingly. Well not every one has the gift of normality. In this harsh world people are dying of all types of diseases and things that are undetectable or even treatable due to the fact that they have unknown origins. Many of the world’s diseases such as HIV, AIDS, some cases of Multiple Sclerosis and Muscular Dystrophies. Among these fatal and life threatening ailments Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, other wise known as (CJD), takes precedence. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is an unusual, degenerative, consistently terminal brain disorder, typically onset of symptoms occurs at about age 60. This disease has been categorized into three major categories: 1) sporadic CJD, 2) hereditary CJD, 3) acquired CJD. In sporadic CJD, the disease occurs even though the affected does not have any known risk factors that would cause an occurrence of the disease. This sudden occurring CJD is indisputably the most frequently diagnosed type of Creutzfeldt - Jakob disease. This statistically accounts for at least 85 percent of CJD cases. Due to that there are some fifty to sixty deaths per year due to sporadic CJD in the United States alone. Similar figures are seen in other countries such as Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. In hereditary CJD, the infected person has inherited an abnormal gene due a family history of the disease or takes a test in which their results are positive for a genetic mutation that is associated with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. About 5 to 10 percent of cases of Creutzfeldt - Jakob disease in the United States are hereditary and the United Kingdom has a population in the region of 58 million and there are only a few instances of deaths due to genetic CJD in a year. In acquired CJD, the disease is transmitted by exposure to brain or nervous system tissue, usually through certain medical procedures. Acquired CJD is also very rare; so far there has been no solid evidence that CJD is transmittable through casual encounter with a patient with CJD. Since Creutzfeldt - Jakob disease was first discovered in 1920, less than 1 percent of cases have been diagnosed as acquired CJD. Creutzfeldt - Jakob disease (CJD) belongs to a family of human and animal diseases known as the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Spongiform refers to the distinctive look of contaminated brains, which become filled with holes until they bear a resemblance to sponges when seen under a microscope.

Compare and Contrast the Response of Economic Policymakers to the Great Depression of the 1930’s and the Great Financial Crisis Today.

David Pattinson ‘Industrialisation, Imperialism and Globalisation: The World Economy since 1800’ Professor John Singleton Compare and contrast the response of economic policymakers to the Great Depression of the 1930’s and the Great Financial Crisis today. Essay 2 10/1/13 Word count: 2,299 The financial crisis that began in 2007-8 was the first time since the 1930’s that both the major European countries and the US had been involved in a financial crisis.com/financial-statements-2/">Financial StatementsIn comparison, the disastrous 1931 banking crisis involved countries that accounted for 55. 6 per cent of world GDP, whereas the banking crisis of 2007-8 only involved countries that accounted for 33. 5 per cent of world GDP. Though, all the key economic variables fell at a faster rate during the first year of the later crisis. Keynes had argued in 1931 that ‘there is a possibility that when this crisis is looked back upon by the economic historian of t he future it will be seen to mark one the major turning points. ’ Keynes was correct.As a result of the lessons that were learned, policy in response to the Great Financial Crisis has contrasted sharply with policy during the Great Depression era. I will examine how national policy responses and international co-operation have differed, as well as highlighting how in creating the Euro, policymakers have unwittingly replicated many of the structural weaknesses of the Gold Standard. I will also consider how policy in the recovery phase has so far compared to policy during the recovery from the Great Depression.The Great Depression was marked by bank failures. A total of 9,096 banks failed between 1930 and 1933 amounting to 2. 0% of GDP. Friedman and Schwartz highlight the failure to increase the money supply whilst liquidity was tight as the primary cause. Bordo and Landon-Lane provide econometric analysis using examiners’ reports on failed banks that support this argume nt. Epstein and Ferguson have suggested that Federal Reserve officials understood that monetary conditions were tight but believed that a contraction was a necessary corrective. The otion that governments should ‘let nature take its course’ formed a central pillar of the contemporary economic orthodoxy. However, other economic historians have pointed out that Federal officials believed that monetary policy was actually loose, due to them conflating low nominal interest rates with low real interest rates (which were high as a result of deflation). Wicker argues that Federal Reserve officials feared that open market purchases would renew gold outflow by bring into question the Federal Reserve’s commitment to maintaining gold convertibility.When faced with a policy choice the Federal Reserve always opted to support the Gold Standard. Rather than shore up the battered banking system, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates during late 1931 and the winter of 1932-3 to protect the dollar from speculation in order to halt gold losses. Regardless of the deficiencies of Federal Reserve policy, the US entered the 1930’s with a poorly regulated banking system that was undercapitalised and based on unit banking. Calomiris and Mason argue that eventually, banking collapse would have been inevitable.In general, economists argue that the depth of the downturn is explained by the monetary shocks interacting with the dramatic falls in demand (that emanated from the collapse in investment and consumption). Loss of income and uncertain employment conditions combined to undermine consumer spending, whilst there was little incentive to invest while prices were falling. Deflation also increased the burden of existing debt. Fiscal policy did not fill the gap in demand as belief in the Gold Standard and balanced budgets prevailed.A coherent theoretical justification for expansionary fiscal policy was absent from the contemporary economic discourse. Expans ionary fiscal policy remained unused, even after states left the Gold Standard. In Europe, fears of inflation weighed heavy on the minds of policymakers. The dominant view in Washington was that over-production was responsible for the crisis. Consequently, the New Deal spending was funded by tax increases. Roosevelt concentrated on limiting competition, sharing work and promoting high wages in order to increase purchasing power.Cole and Ohanian argue that these policies undermined the recovery by raising real wages and unemployment. The consensus view is that, by subordinating monetary and fiscal policy towards maintaining gold parity, the Gold Standard transmitted the crisis to the rest of the world. The return to the Gold Standard, after the First World War, was unbalanced. Countries such as France and Belgium joined at exchange rates that were well below their 1913 levels which gave them a substantial competitive advantage. Conversely, after a deflationary squeeze, the UK re-join ed at its 1913 exchange rates, leaving the sterling over-valued.The US and France exasperated the problem, by sterilising (so not to inflate the money supply) the gold that they accumulated (sixty per cent of the world’s gold supply by 1928). The lack of reserves forced many countries into further deflation. The world economy could only be kept going by the US economy continuing to absorb imports and provide international lending to cover gold shortages. By 1928, the US proved unwilling to do the latter and was eventually unable to do the former. During the depression, this austerity debilitated economies and resulted in banking collapses, notably in Germany and Austria.In response to the systemic threat posed by the imminent German banking collapse, the nations in a position to offer assistance acted unilaterally. President Hoover proposed a one year moratorium on reparations and war debt. The French, furious at the lack of consultation opposed the measure, believing that th ey lost more than they gained. Instead, they made an offer of help to the Germans that attached political conditions that made it impossible for the Germans to accept. Ultimately, international co-operation proved impossible as states that were able to help were unwilling to risk their own privileged positions.Between 1929 and 1932, the volume of world trade fell by 25%, about half of which was due to higher trade barriers. The Smoot-Hawley Act in 1930 is often cited as the genesis of protectionist policies, but Irwin points out that the protectionist avalanche did not begin until the world financial crisis struck in 1931. Irwin locates the incipience of this round of protectionism in the ‘open economy trilemma’ which limits countries to choosing two of three objectives: a fixed exchange rate, an independent monetary policy, and open trade policies.In attempting to marry membership of the Gold Standard with independent monetary policy, policymakers adopted protectionist measures. Countries that maintained gold parity such as France and Switzerland used import quotas on 50-60% of their imports. Whereas, the Sterling block countries which allowed their currencies to devalue, only used import quotas on 5-10% of their imports. In the wake of the financial meltdown, policymakers in the US attempted significant banking reform with the Emergency Banking Act in 1933 followed by the Banking Acts of 1933 and 1935. Deposit insurance was created, and it brought an end to bank runs.The Reconstruction Finance Corporation was formed to provide capital to banks. It was successful to the extent that it owned stock in nearly half of all commercial banks by March 1934. Investment and commercial banking were separated, though White has provided evidence that banks that engaged in both commercial and investment banking were better diversified and were less likely to fail than banks that specialised in just one area. Calomiris also sees the legislation as flawed, as it preserved unit banking, which was a major source of instability in the banking system.The Great Depression altered economic thinking and policy. Hannah and Temin argue that it led to an emphasis on correcting market failures through government intervention. Federal spending rose, and inter-state transfers became acceptable. Though, unlike the UK, there was no move to Keynesian demand management in the US. The Great Depression also left a legacy in terms of the macroeconomic trilemma. Controls on international capital movements remained with the return to pegged exchange rates under the Bretton Woods Agreement which allowed independent monetary policy.Economists such as Wray have seen the policy legacy of the Great Depression as having constrained the destabilising role played by finance. Moreover, it provided the framework for an unprecedented period of prosperity after the Second World War. In response to the Great Financial Crisis, policymakers have been largely cognisant of the lessons of the 1930’s. The Federal Reserve officials of the 1930’s argued that they could not increase credit by purchasing government securities as they were not eligible as collateral.In contrast, based on Bernanke’s view that banking collapse leads to a failure of the credit allocation mechanism, the Federal Reserve combining with the Treasury created a range of extensions to its discount window to encompass every kind of collateral in the hope of unblocking the credit markets. States co-ordinated massive injections of liquidity (double digits fractions of GDP in advanced economies). The Bank of England, the Bank of Japan and the Federal Reserve undertook large scale quantitative easing. Interest rates were reduced to almost zero in the US and Britain and to very low levels in Europe and elsewhere.Governments nationalised insolvent institutions deemed ‘too big to fail’ such as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae in the United States, BNP Paribus in France and Northern Rock in Britain. Despite China’s minimal direct exposure to the financial crisis, its response to the downturn in demand has been sweeping. Focusing on developing infrastructure it undertook a stimulus package that amounted to 14% of GDP in 2008. Keen notes that the massive amount of government spending in 2010 meant that government debt was responsible for 12% of aggregate demand in contrast to only 1. % of aggregate demand between 1930 and 1932. Furthermore, unlike the 1930’s, governments have not tried to over-ride, the now much larger, automatic stabilisers. However, the experience of the 1930’s has not effectively militated upon the policy makers of the Eurozone, where a dramatic collapse in employment and living standards has mirrored the Great Depression. Like the Gold Standard, the Euro was unbalanced from its inception as the weaker economies joined at a relatively high rate of exchange on the premise of avoiding inflation.The gap in compe titiveness has widened due to Germany suppressing nominal wages much more effectively than the rest of the Eurozone. Easy credit provided to peripheral areas by German banks created markets for German exports and saddled those areas with debt. Monetary and fiscal policy has focused on creating an international currency to rival the dollar. Consequently, monetary policy has targeted inflation through low interest rates. As monetary policy is unitary, the peripheral economies are denied the opportunity to reflate their economies.Furthermore, unlike other major advanced economies since the crisis began, the Eurozone has required that Fiscal policy be placed under tight constraints via the Fiscal Stability Pact. The retrenching of the crisis on to sovereigns has exposed a central weakness of the Eurozone project. The ECB supports banks but lacks the power to support states. Similar to the deflation that was necessary under the Gold Standard, the peripheral economies of the Eurozone are locked into a mutually reinforcing cycle of debt and austerity.Having pursued national self-interest from the euro’s inception, Vines argues Germany is unwilling to provide the hegemonic leadership that its responsibilities in Europe require of it. Though, Lapavitas et al argue that abandoning fiscal discipline would be incompatible with the avowed aim of maintaining a currency that attempts to compete with the dollar. The value of the euro would probably fall, destroying the large Eurozone banks’ ability to operate internationally. If German policy has followed narrow self-interest to the detriment of others, it has not been alone. China has held down their exchange rates over a long period of time.It is widely estimated that Chinese currency is 30% to 40% overvalued. Martin Wolf of the Financial Times has asserted that Chinese interventions to keep the exchange rate down are tantamount analytically to trade protectionism. Judging by its reserves it has ‘†¦ kept its exchange rate down to a degree unmatched in economic history. ’ States have also been quick to ‘ring-fence’ assets in their own jurisdiction. For example, the fear of the imminent collapse of the Icelandic banks led UK supervisors to resort to using the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act to ring fence Icelandic bank assets in the UK.Claessens et al point out that in general, national interventions have been uncoordinated and driven by pure national interest. However, the major international banks have co-ordinated massive injections of liquidity into the system at various points. Moreover, protectionism has not been a feature of the current crisis in the way that it was during the great depression. Research has shown that only 2% of falls in world trade in 2008-9, can be attributed to trade barriers. This can be primarily attributed to the system of flexible exchange rates, the lessons learnt from the great depression and the system of trade rules ov erseen the WTO.As of yet following the great financial crisis, there has not been significant banking reform. Attempts at co-ordinated international regulation have proved difficult. The former governor of the Bank of England Mervyn King attributes this to the heightened awareness that global banks are global in life and national in death. The draft proposals for the Basel III accords put forward some significant reforms which were ultimately watered down. Key elements such as a mandatory countercyclical capital buffer were omitted from the final agreement.Although the accords raised the minimum capital requirements, they are still held by many economists to be too low. Attempts at reform including the Dodds-Frank Act have not addressed the problem of ‘Too Big to Fail Banks’ (whose size necessitates that they be bailed out in the event of insolvency due to the systemic risk that they pose). A situation of moral hazard thereby exists where banks know they can engage in a ny risky behaviour they like. If anything should go wrong they know they will be bailed out by the state.In summary, the response to the Great Financial Crisis has differed from the Great Depression as a result of the increased understanding of macroeconomics. The scale of the policy response to the Great Financial Crisis would have been unthinkable during the Great Depression era. Despite the unprecedented response, the economic crisis that began with the financial crisis in 2007-8 is far from over and many problems remain. In the advanced economies, growth has been weak and fears of a triple dip recession persist. The Great Depression precipitated a reappraisal of policy by policymakers and resulted in considerable changes in policy.This has not happened so far to the same extent in response to the Great Financial Crisis. Many of the policy mistakes of the Great Depression have been avoided. The challenge now is to construct a macroeconomic framework that can aid the recovery and eventually facilitate a new period of economic expansion. The change in policies as a result of the Great Depression had some success in this respect. Banking regulation proved inadequate prior to both crises. In response to the Great Financial Crisis, this has yet to be rectified. This time policymakers will have to tackle the issue of ‘too big to fail’ banks.In the Eurozone, Germany has taken on the role of both the US and France during the Great Depression by failing to shore up weaker areas and by pursuing policies to the detriment of everybody else. During the Great Depression, the most important factor in the recovery was the abandonment of the Gold Standard. The countries that devalued in 1931 performed much better than those who had continued with exchange controls. The cost of reverting back to a national currency makes leaving the Euro and devaluing a less viable option for the Eurozone states. Bibliography Barrell, R. and Holland, D. ‘Monetary and Fisca l Responses to the Economic Downturn,’ National Institute Economic Review, No. 211, (Jan 2010) pp. 51-62. Bernanke, B. , ‘Nonmonetary Effects of the Financial Crises in the Propagation of the Great Depression,’ American Economic Review (June 1983), pp. 257-76. Bordo, M. and Landon-Lane, J. , ‘The banking panics in the United States in the 1930s: some lessons for today,’ Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Vol. 26, No. 3, (2010), pp. 486–509. Calomiris, C. and Mason, J. , ‘Consequences of Bank Distress during the Great Depression,’ American Economic Review, Vol. 93, (2003a), pp. 937–47.Calomiris, C. , Monetary Policy and the Behavior of Banks: Lessons from the 1930s for the 2010s. 28th March 2011. Accessed: 16th December 2011. www. economics21. org/files/pdfs/in-depth†¦ /calomiris-spring-11. pdf Claessens, S. , Dell’Ariccia, G. , Igan, D. , and Laeven, L. , ‘Lessons and Policy Implications from the Global Fin ancial Crisis,’ IMF Working Paper, No. 14 (2010). Cole, H. and Ohanian, L. , ‘New Deal Policies and the Persistence of the Great Depression: A General Equilibrium Analysis,’ Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Research Department, Working Paper No. 597, (July 2000). Crafts, N. nd Fearon, P. , ‘Lessons from the 1930s Great Depression,’ Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Vol. 26, No. 3, (2010), pp. 285–317. Epstein, G. , and Ferguson, T. , ‘Monetary Policy, Loan Liquidation, and Industrial Conflict: The Federal Reserve and the Open Market Operations of 1932,’ Journal of Economic History (December 1984), pp. 957-83. Fishback, P. , ‘US Monetary and Fiscal Policy in the 1930s,’ Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Vol. 26, No. 3, (2010), pp. 385–413. Friedman, M. and Schwartz, A. , ‘A Monetary History of the United States, 1867-1960’ (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1963).Goldstein, M. , ‘Integ rating Reform of Financial Regulation with Reform of the International Monetary System,’ Peterson Institute for International Economics, Working Paper No. 11-5 (February 2011). Irwin, D. , ‘Trade Policy Disaster: Lessons from the 1930’s’ (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2011). Kee, H. L. , Neagu, C. , and Nicita, A. , ‘Is Protectionism on the Rise? Assessing National Trade Policies during the Crisis of 2008,’ World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 5274, (2010). Keen, S. , Empirical and theoretical reasons why the GFC is not behind us. 13th June 2010.Accessed: 16th December 2011. http://www. debtdeflation. com/blogs/2010/06/13/empirical-and-theoretical-reasons-why-the-gfc-is-not-behind-us/ Keynes, J. M. , ‘An Economic Analysis of Unemployment,’ From Q. Wright (ed. ), Unemployment as a World Problem, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1931). Lapavitsas, C. , Kaltenbrunner, A. , Lindo, D. , Michell, J. , Painceira, J. P. , Pires, E. , Powell, J. , Stenfors, J. , and Teles, N. , ‘Eurozone crisis: beggar thyself and thy neighbour,’ Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies, Vol. 12, No. 4 (2010), pp. 321-373. Hannah, L. , and Temin, P. 2010), ‘Long-term Supply-side Implications of the Great Depression,’ Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 561–80 Helleiner, E. and Pagliari, S. , ‘The End of an Era in International Financial Regulation? A Postcrisis Research Agenda,’ International Organization, Vol. 65, (Winter 2011), pp. 169–200 Vines, D. , ‘The Global Macroeconomic Crisis and G20 Macroeconomic Policy Coordination,’ The Journal of Applied Economic Research, Vol. 4, No. 2, (2010) pp. 157-175. Vines, D. , ‘Fiscal Policy in the Eurozone After the Crisis,’ Paper prepared for lunchtime talk at Macro Economy Research Conference on Fiscal Policy in he Post Crisis World, (Tokyo, 16 November, 2010). Wheelock, D. , ‘Monet ary Policy in the Great Depression: What the Fed Did, and Why,’ Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Review, Vol. 74, No. 2, (March/April 1992) pp. 3-28. White, E. N. (1986), ‘Before the Glass–Steagall Act: An Analysis of the Investment-banking Activities of National Banks,’ Explorations in Economic History, Vol. 23, pp. 33–55. Wicker, E. , ‘Federal Reserve Monetary Policy, 1917-1933’ (Random House, 1966). Wolf, M. ,‘Why China’s Exchange Rate Policy Concerns Us,’ Financial Times (8th of December 2009)Wray, L. R. , ‘The rise and fall of money manager capitalism: a Minskian approach,’ Cambridge Journal of Economics, Vol. 33, (2009) pp. 807–828. Yu, Y. , China’s Policy Responses to the Global Financial Crisis, Richard Snape Lecture, Productivity Commission, Melbourne (25th November 2009). ——————————————– [ 1 ]. N. Crafts and P. Fearon, Lessons from the 1930s Great Depression, Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Vol. 26, No. 3, (2010), pp. 287 [ 2 ]. J. M. Keynes, ‘An Economic Analysis of Unemployment’, from Q. Wright (ed. , Unemployment as a World Problem, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1931). [ 3 ]. C. Calomiris and J. Mason, Consequences of Bank Distress during the Great Depression, American Economic Review, Vol. 93, (2003a), pp. 937–47 [ 4 ]. M. Friedman and A. Schwartz, A Monetary History of the United States, 1867-1960, (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1963) [ 5 ]. M. Bordo and J. Landon-Lane, The Banking Panics in the United States in the 1930s: Some Lessons for Today, Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Vol. 26, No. 3, (2010), pp. 486–509 [ 6 ]. G. Epstein and T.Ferguson, Monetary Policy, Loan Liquidation, and Industrial Conflict: The Federal Reserve and the Open Market Operations of 1932, Journal of Economic History (December 1984), pp. 95 7-83. [ 7 ]. P. Fishback, US Monetary and Fiscal Policy in the 1930s, Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Vol. 26, No. 3, (2010), p. 394. [ 8 ]. E. Wicker, Federal Reserve Monetary Policy, 1917-1933, (Random House, 1966) [ 9 ]. Crafts and Fearon, Lessons from the 1930s Great Depression, p. 292 [ 10 ]. Calomiris and Mason, Consequences of Bank Distress during the Great Depression, pp. 937–47 [ 11 ].Crafts and Fearon, Lessons from the 1930s Great Depression, pp. 291-3 [ 12 ]. Fishback, US Monetary and Fiscal Policy in the 1930s, pp. 401-5 [ 13 ]. Cole and Ohanian, New Deal Policies and the Persistence of the Great Depression: A General Equilibrium Analysis, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Research Department, Working Paper No. 597, (July 2000), p. 41. [ 14 ]. Ibid. pp. 294-5 [ 15 ]. Crafts and Fearon, Lessons from the 1930s Great Depression, pp. 295 [ 16 ]. D. Irwin, Trade Policy Disaster: Lessons from the 1930’s, (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2011) Ch. 1 [ 17 ]. Ibid. , Ch. 4 [ 18 ].Crafts and Fearon, Lessons from the 1930s Great Depression, pp. 304-5 [ 19 ]. E. White, Before the Glass–Steagall Act: An Analysis of the Investment-banking Activities of National Banks, Explorations in Economic History, Vol. 23, (1986), pp. 33–55. [ 20 ]. C. Calomiris, Monetary Policy and the Behavior of Banks: Lessons from the 1930s for the 2010s. 28th March 2011. Accessed: 16th December 2011. www. economics21. org/files/pdfs/in-depth†¦ /calomiris-spring-11. pdf [ 21 ]. L. Hannah and P. Temin, (2010), Long-term Supply-side Implications of the Great Depression, Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Vol. 26, No. , (2010), pp. 561–80 [ 22 ]. White, Before the Glass–Steagall Act: An Analysis of the Investment-banking Activities of National Banks, pp. 33–55. [ 23 ]. L. Wray, The Rise and Fall of Money Manager Capitalism: A Minskian Approach, Cambridge Journal of Economics, Vol. 33, (2009) pp. 813 [ 24 ]. Bernanke, B. , Nonmonetary Effects of the Financial Crises in the Propagation of the Great Depression, American Economic Review (June 1983), pp. 257-76. [ 25 ]. R. Barrell and D. Holland, Monetary and Fiscal Responses to the Economic Downturn, National Institute Economic Review, No. 211, (Jan 2010) p. 56 [ 26 ]. Y.Yu, China’s Policy Responses to the Global Financial Crisis, Richard Snape Lecture, Productivity Commission, Melbourne (25th November 2009) pp. 9-10 [ 27 ]. S. Keen, Empirical and theoretical reasons why the GFC is not behind us. 13th June 2010. Accessed: 16th December 2011 [ 28 ]. C. Lapavitsas et al, Eurozone crisis: beggar thyself and thy neighbour, Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies, Vol. 12, No. 4 (2010), p. 367 [ 29 ]. D. Vines, Fiscal Policy in the Eurozone After the Crisis, Paper prepared for lunchtime talk at Macro Economy Research Conference on Fiscal Policy in the Post Crisis World, (Tokyo, 16 November, 2010). 30 ]. Lapavitsas et al, Eurozone crisis: beggar thyself and thy neighbour, p. 367 [ 31 ]. D. Vines, The Global Macroeconomic Crisis and G20 Macroeconomic Policy Coordination, The Journal of Applied Economic Research, Vol. 4, No. 2, (2010) pp. 157-175 [ 32 ]. M. Wolf, Why China’s Exchange Rate Policy Concerns Us, Financial Times (8th of December 2009) [ 33 ]. S. Claessens et al, Lessons and Policy Implications from the Global Financial Crisis, IMF Working Paper, No. 14 (2010) p. 16 [ 34 ]. L. Kee et al, Is Protectionism on the Rise?Assessing National Trade Policies during the Crisis of 2008, World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 5274, (2010), p. 3 [ 35 ]. E. Helleiner and S. Pagliari, The End of an Era in International Financial Regulation? A Postcrisis Research Agenda, International Organization, Vol. 65, (Winter 2011), p. 184 [ 36 ]. M. Goldstein, Integrating Reform of Financial Regulation with Reform of the International Monetary System, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Working Paper No. 11-5 (February 2011), pp. 5-7. [ 37 ] . Crafts and Fearon, Lessons from the 1930s Great Depression, pp. 311

Literary Response

In May, the author tells of his/her chance encounter with a copperhead on the road one night as it lay â€Å"golden under the street lamp,† silent and tense and fearless. Having long wanted to see one, he/she kneels down transfixed, fascinated by its lethal grace, its being unlike the common black and green and garter snakes that evince only shyness; here is a real death striker within arm’s reach. The author remembers not its distinct markings or size or other physical characterstic other than the fact that its head is â€Å"wedge-shaped and fell back to the unexpected slimness of a neck,† its body â€Å"thick, tense and electric.† He/she moves a little, catching the creature’s attention; it jerks as if to attack, and he/she jumps back.   The snake flows â€Å"on across the road and down into the dark,† leaving him/her alone to contemplate the woods and the stars.Only a reptile, but what feelings it does evoke! Meeting the copperhead is an exciting experience that leaves one more capable of appreciating life. â€Å"I hope to see everything in this world before I die,† says the author, speaking of a hope that is uniquely human. The poem captures an impression, a feeling, and by so doing prints an image of the poet as well: curious, contemplative, daring, desirous to embark on a quest to discover everything that life has to offer.Almost everyone shares the author’s wish to â€Å"see everything in this world† before he/she dies, like the boy in Van Dyke’s The Blue Flower who, seeing his own burial lot already allotted to him, becomes terribly restless, â€Å"longing to see the world and to taste happiness† before his time comes to sleep beneath the elm tree where his future graveyard lies. Such, to my mind, is the author’s yearning: she is drawn to the copperhead as a moth is drawn to a flame, or a soldier lured to the battlefield, not by dreams of glory and honor, but by some v ague notion that a face-to-face confrontation with death would make him better appreciate the joy of living.But why does one have to look for excitement in things as wild, as unpredictable, as deadly as a copperhead? Perhaps, humans are drawn to the snake by the realization that they have a thing in common: a vulnerability without the fang. Remove man’s weapons, and he is but a feeble animal.   Of course, one can learn everything about snakes through books or the Internet or the science lab.   The author, if he/she wants to, can view the copperhead in its glass cage as it sleeps, coiled and undisturbed.   But a snake in the open, especially in one’s yard, always strikes terror.Like the serpent in the garden of Eden, it suggests cunning, mystery, power. Gliding and winding and recoiling, it has a beauty that seduces and mesmerizes. One must see a real snake up close and personal to have a glimpse of the real world. In this regard, â€Å"to see everything† d oes not simply amount to viewing things through a microscope, or watching a lion in its kingdom in the veldt from the safety of a car. It is akin to courting danger for the love of being scared, to feel one’s blood pulsing upon coming face to face with real-life demons. It is not seeing the world the way a tourist normally does, nor as a nature lover admires butterflies.   Nor is it a foolhardy man’s courtship of danger. The author does not go out of his/her way to meet the snake; it happens by chance. His/her wish â€Å"to see everything in this world† does not necessarily refer to making a solo voyage across the ocean, or free-falling from a cliff, or climbing the Himalayas â€Å"because it’s there.† It is not seeking danger for its sake, but finding comfort in deliverance when real danger comes along.The author’s desire â€Å"to see everything in this world† before dying echoes Thoreau’s self-admonition on his quest, livin g by himself in the woods, â€Å"to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life . . . to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms† (Walden). May’s author may not have gone to the extent of exploring the earth’s frontiers, at least not that we know of, to see everything in this planet: his/hers is only a hope, perhaps a childish one, for nobody can ever hope to see everything in a multiple of lifetimes. It is a powerful voice, nonetheless, emanating from within, that is always heard above the din of humanity.In a sense,   May is Rubaiyat-like in its simplicity: â€Å"make the most of what we may yet spend,/ Before we too into the Dust Descend.†   Of course, May never tells us to indulge before we die, nor does it preach or call our attention to the plight of endangered species. But it gives an impression of urgency: life is too short to be squandered on trivial pursuits.The author sees the copperhead not in some desert but in an in habited town, perhaps a city fringed by woods, illumined not by the sun or moon but by a street lamp. Perhaps it is a reminder of our affinity with the wild.   Maybe it is one way of telling us that material comforts and soft living have deprived us of the age-old need to go out and face our monsters. After the copperhead has flown â€Å"across the road and down into the dark,† the author â€Å"stood a while, listening to the small sounds of the woods and looking at the stars.† He/she notes that â€Å"after excitement we are so restful† and that â€Å"when the thumb of fear lifts, we are so alive.† Restfulness and vivacity are the aftermath of excitement and fear. But is it possible to become restful and alive at the same time? Meditative, or thoughtful, would be more apt. One can be brimming with life and excitement even when confined to a sickbed.The encounter with the copperhead heightens the author’s appreciation of nature’s other gift s, such as the small sounds of the woods and a view of the stars. At night, one can hear faint stirrings in the forest as predator and prey make their nocturnal rounds: a squirrel being caught in a coyote’s jaws, a rat being snatched by an owl on the wing. Yet humans do not really know, cannot really comprehend the life-and-death struggles that occur in their midst unless they too assume the role of predator or prey, killer or victim. The former is excited by the fact that it has power over the weak; the latter by the fact that it can outrun, even outwit, its pursuer. Has this not been the lot of all creatures since time began? In meeting the copperhead, the author unexpectedly catches a glimpse of what life really consisted of before civilization. By listening to the woods, one can hear the coming and going of life. By looking at the stars, one can wish life would go on forever.Every human at some point early in life feels an itch to set out and conquer the world, like the f rog in the parable of the well, or like the pioneers in the old West who could not settle down despite the abundance of game and the rich land of the frontier; they always wanted to move on, to find out what lay over the horizon all the way to the Pacific. That is man’s nature, and nothing has stopped him – not if it took all the copperheads in the world – to go and see what there is to find, even if it would only lead to frustration and despair. Every person yearns to find his/her El Dorado.May suggests endless possibilities, once-in-a-lifetime chances, secrets waiting to be discovered, if only we are willing to face them. Day after day we meet common people that do not impress us by their shyness, ordinary people, boring people. The daily routine becomes a blur and before we know it we are old, confined to a wheelchair, unsure of whether or not we had ever lived at all.   But once in a rare while we come across a deadly copperhead.May is all about someoneâ⠂¬â„¢s feelings after a brush with a poisonous snake. Maybe it is not about crossing the Sahara or climbing Mount Everest after all, but simply a matter of having to confront our own copperheads as we chance upon them in our everyday lives.WORKS CITEDDyke/The_Blue_Flower/>Khayyam, Omar. The Rubaiyat. 31 May 2007.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚