Dq-Sheila Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Dq-Sheila - Essay Example Qualitative research is categorized as studies conducted in order gain an understanding of phenomenon based on their environment and their interaction with the environment. Another important feature of this research is that those conducting the study have to make their own effort to collect as well as analyze data. These studies are based on observations so the researcher has to himself visit the settings in order to observe constructs and their behaviors (Tracy, 2013). This form of research is conducted for inductive purposes. This means that this type of research helps in developing theories as well as hypothesis that is used in further researches. For example a study was conducted by Heslehurst et al. in which the researchers tried to understand the perception of healthcare practitioner’s regarding ways through which maternity services can be further developed (Heslehurst, 2011). For this study the researchers personally interviewed 30 participants and they identified that maternity services can further be developed in order to counter obesity among pregnant women by increasing communication between private and public healthcare organizations. There are major differences in the characteristics of both qualitative as well as quantitative researches. The quantitative ones are objective in nature and the qualitative ones are subjective and the quantities ones try to answer the question of how strong is the connection between environment and the phenomenon, while the qualitative ones only focus on why the phenomenon occurred and the definition of the phenomenon. The quantities ones focus on identifying whether the theory developed through qualitative research is true or false. The outcomes of the study in quantities are based on statistical tools, while in qualitative study the outcome is interpreted by the researcher. For example a quantitative study was conducted by Van den Broeck et al. in

John Berger Essay Essay Example for Free

John Berger Essay Essay While in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, I traveled through the different galleries and their various cultures; discovering all sorts of arts from Contemporary art, to American art, Japanese art, and even the Egyptian art where I could appreciate the complexity of mummies. Throughout all these diverse cultures of art, I was questioning myself and started to wonder how I could understand art beyond others’ opinion about them. Moreover, I realized that it was a question John Berger, critic of art and author of the Ways of Seeing, raised in his essay, and it is a question that will always be raised while demanding how to understand a certain art. Walking through a room where various French artists had their paintings exposed, I fell in front of the artwork (see above) painted by Paul Gauguin. I did not choose a French artist to make me remember the French culture that I am missing here in Boston, nor to pretend that the French are advanced in art, but a way to analyze and understand, with the experience of a famous art critic, an artwork from an artist who astonished me in my previous art classes. Dou venons-nous, Qui sommes-nous, Ou allons-nous? By Paul Gauguin I chose a painting that had a warm expression, and complex story emanating from it. As the title of my essay indicates, the title of the painting translated in English is â€Å"Where are we from? Who are we? Where are we going? So many questions in the title and the painting, but there were as much coming through my mind while studying this image. This artwork is very ambiguous because I do not know how to start looking at it. I can observe people appearing half naked in the foreground, but we cannot really tell why they appear there. The statue in the back makes the questioning more obscure. It seems like an Ora cle that gives people their destiny, and that is maybe why they all look so sad. Truly, I felt that this image was a representation of my origin country, West Indies, by the color Gauguin used. He used the blue to symbolize the ocean surrounding the island, and the mixed race of the habitants by the warm and beige color or the characters. I felt as if I was in the center of the painting, more precisely in the position of the child being observed in the right corner, and waiting to be reassured. I also felt like the person in the middle of the painting, standing up and waiting for answers while traveling through this painting. Gauguin’s artworks are extremely complicated to decipher, so are they to analyze. Gauguin is an artist I studied back in France in my art classes. Consequently, I had seen many of his works, and even the painting I chose; However, I had never asked myself how knowing about his life could help me study his paintings. I was taught in my art classes how to analyze art in a more technical way than in an analytical way like Berger supported. Indeed, when we were looking at the entire structure of the painting with my art class method, we were focusing on the brush strokes, the color, the tone, lines and forms, and the composition of the painting. If I had to describe the work of art I chose based on technical features, I would examine the painting saying that the brush strokes could express many emotions at the same time, and describe the painter style and art movement. Gauguin was also part of the post-impressionist painters with artists such as Paul Cezanne or Van Gogh. Post impressionist art was more focused on color, lines, outlines and perspective. Concerning Gauguin, the complexity of shapes is very important in his paintings due to their abstract significations. In fact, the lines were not straight; they were round and suggesting bodies that we did not see in art before. Moreover, the color had its importance. Post impressionist artists like Gauguin used color and color combination in order to create ‘vulgar’, ‘calm’ or ‘bold’ impressions (Robert Hughes). The analysis of the painting I just did was very technical and structural, but in no sense relevant for understanding the thought process as Berger explained. I was subject to mystification as John Berger explained in his essay as â€Å"the process of explaining away what might otherwise be evident† (103). Indeed, mystification appeared while I was looking at the painting. I could sense a certain limit of my understanding due to the previous art classes I had. In other terms, it meant for me that words were coming before seeing whereas seeing should come before words as Berger deciphered in his essay. My mind was already set for a certain critic about the painting based on the knowledge I had; Consequently, I could not have another point of view vis-a-vis the painting I was staring at. Although I learned a lot from my art classes, especially how to describe an artwork contextually, the observations and point of view of Berger about art gave me enough elements o have a complete analysis of an image, both contextually and historically. Using Berger as a guide for art description helped me to learn more about the painting historically, and much more about the painter himself to have a complete understanding of the artwork. Prior to this assignment, it had never occurred to me to use the biography and the background of the painter in order to facilitate my understanding of the painting. When Berger quoted â€Å"When we see a landscape, we situate ourselves in the it. If we saw the art of the past, we would situate ourselves in history. † (100) in the essay led me to start the analysis of Gauguin’s painting in a very different way. Actually, when I focused more on the painter’s life, and follow Berger’s analysis, I learned that Gauguin wanted to commit suicide after he painted this image. Plus, even though there was a caption under the image saying that it was his last painting, I would not have noticed that it was his last painting, which refers to what Berger described when he talked about Van Gogh’s last painting. Berger cited â€Å"The way we see things is affected by what we know or what we believe† (97). Clearly, it means that the details you know about a certain painting will prevent you from analyzing it innocently. Based on the art experience I acquired in class, I would have said that the image implies sadness because of the choice of colors, which were darker than his previous works. However, I think that the title gives us more details about his thoughts while he was painting. Through reading of artistic reviews or even my art book, named Shock of the New by Robert Hughes, I discovered that this work of art should be read from right to left, with the three main groups of people illustrating the questions that are asked in the title. The first group with the three women looking at the child represents the beginning of Gauguin’s life, making a reference to his parents, then there is the group in the middle which symbolizes all the experiences he went through while being a young adult. The last group shows an old lady close to death because of the darker color he used, moreover, there is an odd white bird at her feet, which could represent the guide to heaven. In the background of the painting, there is a blue statute, which represents what Gauguin described as the hereafter. This painting seems like a flash back of his life, and these three questions lead us to comprehend him better. Gauguin left a lot of non-answered questions about this painting, considered as a testimony to his life by many critics of art. Indeed, this painting is very complex. I learned by reading my previous art book, that Gauguin wrote a letter to his friend stipulating the reasons of the painting. In this letter, Gauguin said that he had decided to commit suicide in December; therefore, he wanted to paint on a huge canvas all the things he had on his mind for so long. Things he absolutely wanted to paint before his death. In this letter, Gauguin also confessed that the value of this painting is so much ahead of his precedents, and that it was a one of a kind that he could not nor would not try to produce a better painting. This sentence clearly explains that he reached the height of his life, and that now he drew this painting, there was nothing else he could do better or similar except terminate his life. Gauguin was wondering a lot about the existence of the world, and this perpetual questioning led him to the entitlement of this painting. As I said earlier in my essay, each group of people appearing in this painting is applied to a specific question of the title. Those questions made me think about my own life. Indeed, the questions he used are somehow important to everyone to really understand the meaning of their lives. Berger said â€Å"The way we see things is affected by what we know or what we believe† (97). While looking at this painting, I could recognize some events of my life, for instance, I could recall where I am from and what are my origins, as well as how I did to accomplish such academic success and arrive in the United States. Furthermore, due to my art background, I could understand better the expression and feelings Gauguin was trying to deliver in this painting with his powerful colors and thick traits. Approaching art is not easy at first glance, thus approaching it with different methods makes it more difficult to understand. Throughout my life, I have been able to view art in many different context, either artistically speaking when I was in art classes in France, or analytically this year when I had to analyze art with the support of an art critic opinions. For me, both ways were complementary to each other and drastically improved my understanding of art. Complementary in the sense that I could rely on my technical knowledge of art to understand the structure of a painting, and also analyze the story of the painting as Berger mentioned to fully understand the underlying message of an artwork.

Total quality management and service

Total quality management and service There are many ways you can explain Quality, for example Service or product which meets or exceeds the expectations of its consumers is known as Quality Product or Service. Product quality and Service Quality plays were important role in Hospitality Industry because if you exceed your Guest Expectation they will surly come back to you and they vll also recommend you to their friends and family, which will increase the business. Hospitality Industry is known for their Products and Service and so it is important for them to maintain and gradually increase there quality according to their customers need. Defination Of Quality: According to Oxford Dictionary â€Å" Quality can defined as a degree of Excellence†Jurans defins Quality as â€Å"fitness for intended use† the defination says that Quality is meeting or exceeding customer expectations. Ref: http://www.shsu.edu/~mgt_ves/mgt481/lesson1/lesson1.htm Example: If the Guest Stays in the 5 star hotel property, he is quite sure of the products and service he is going to get from them, and if the hotel is successful in providing expected service that means they have given the guest quality service and products. According to Deming- Quality should be aimed at the needs of the consumer, present and future. Ref: http://www.balancedscorecard.org/TheDemingCycle/tabid/112/Default.aspx Example: In the hotels there are guest who vist same property more offently may be every month, hotel should keep the record of their special needs such as what type of room they prefer, any special dietary requirement, any special products they like having in there room for eg. Fridge, fan etc. And providing all the recorded needs of the guest on his every vist, i called as Quality Service and Product. Both the definition have almost same meaning that is quality can only be achieved if the guest is satisfied with the service and products. According to me â€Å"Getting good Service or Product for less amount is quality† For Example : For me staying in BB is more satisfying than a big property because you get all basic things and service in very low price than a big hotel. Difference Between Product Quality And Service Quality Product Quality Service Quality Product Quality can be owned once purched. For eg, booking of room in a hotel. Service Quality can only be Experienced as Good or Bad For Eg, food service given on table. Product quality,is not dependant on service quality Service Quality is dependent on Product Quality It is Tangible, for eg it can be seen It is Non tangible, can only be experienced It is capital based, for eg. Room s, food, It is labour based, staff can only give service Product Quality can remain constant. For eg. Rooms remain same Service Quality can not be constant. For eg. Depends on nature of staff when he is giving service. It includes features( eg food, interior etc), defects(a/c in room is not working) It includes Delivery Time( providing service on give time), Knowledge of Delivery( can give explanation about what is served to the guest) The above given points shows us that both Product Quality and Service Quality plays very important role in hospitality industry. If both the qualities are well balance by any company they can easy achieve their goals. From customers point of view both qulaities are important. For Example if a luxuries hotel, providing all facitiles to the guest but cant provide service according guest expectation, than its sure that guest vll not come again. Implementing Quality Model: There are different types quality models available now such as, Total Quality Management, EFQM, Balbridge Award, Continuous Professional Development (CPD), Six Sigma, ISO 9000, Bench Marking and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) this quality models are helpful to almost all different organization. Hilton Kensington: Six Sigma is an very important model in hospitality industry : Six Sigma is very important model in Hospiality Management, Hilton Hotels have used this model, the model helps every organization to increase revenue, it increases customer loyalty, it also reduce cost, To maintain optimal inventory : Hilton hotel as good records of their inventory, there is perfect count of all equipments used in restaurant, in kitchen also chef has proper count of all the food items required, counting of equipments are done on regular basis. In restaurant and other department of hotel trainings are given to all staff about things required in there specific departments, by which staff has good knowledge about their inventories. Minimize wastage/pilferage: In every department of the Hilton hotel there is very low wastage because of trainings they get from the department heads. For example in front office all the paper which are used are recycled, all the water bottles which are opened and which has water in it remaining are brought in restaurant and are used in breakfast, it helps lot of wastage. Reduce the time : staff of department get all required trainings on regular basis from department manager and also from GM, they are told how to work fast and effectively, for example: if the front office staff are trainined with latest softwares, and system they can check in the guest quickly and so Hilton has all training which helps to reduce the time. Hilton hotel keeps record of every staff and the training they received, which helps them know how will knowledge the staff is. Conclusion In the above given report I have disscussed about different definitions of quality in the Hospitality industry and the various quality theories developed by the quality gurus like Deming and Juran. The report also mentions the difference between service quality and product quality. I have also disscussed about use of Six Segma in Hilton London Kensington. Bibliography Websites: http://www.businessballs.com/dtiresources/quality_management_gurus_theories.pdf Ref: http://www.shsu.edu/~mgt_ves/mgt481/lesson1/lesson1.htm http://www.balancedscorecard.org/TheDemingCycle/tabid/112/Default.aspx Interviews: Mr stephane FB Manger, Hilton London Kensington, Date 1 oct 2009 Mr Daniell Operational manager , Hilton London kensington, Date: 2 oct 2009 Books: There were no single book on Quality Management In the Library So could not reffer from books

Conjectures and Refutations by Sir Karl Popper :: Science Sir Karl Popper Scientists Essays

Conjectures and Refutations by Sir Karl Popper In a broad sense science is a systematic quest for knowledge. With this working definition in mind one can see that many areas of human endeavors could qualify as science. Therefore, Popper attempts to find a point of demarcation between science and psuedo-science. "Is there a criterion for the scientific character or status of theory."(1) The most widely accepted answer to this problem Popper says is induction and empirical method. At this point I find it necessary to define these two terms. One, the idea of induction as it is used in this context is the process of deriving general principles from particular facts or instances.(2) Two, the empirical method is basing an idea on observation or experiment or an idea guided by practical experience and not by theory.(3) The most notable contributor to modern thinking about these two concepts was John Stuart Mill. Mill formulated proofs that he believed to characterize empirical science in his System of Logic (1843).(4) Popper believes that these two things alone cannot differentiate between science and psuedo-science. He emphasized the hypothetico-deductive character of science.(5) Whereby scientific theories are hypothesized and statements from them can be tested. If experimentation falsifies these statements then they are refuted. However, if the statements survive experimentation then and only then can they be tentatively accepted. No theory, however well tested can be conclusively established. Popper further goes on to say that every attempt to test a theory is an attempt to falsify it. Testability is Falsifiability. At a convention of the Aristotelian Society at Oxford in 1936; Popper gave his hypothesis which was to become world famous -- "what we call scientific knowledge is hypothetical, and often not true, let alone certainly or probably true".(7) Theories are never really confirmed by experiment, they can only survive from one test to another, remaining hostage to possible disproof tomorrow. For the first part of Poppers argument I must adamantly agree. Science is a continual process through which induction and empirical method play a major part, Nonetheless, if a theory is to be scientific it must be able to be tested. It must have this component of Falsifiability! If we do not continually test ourselves and strive for reaffirmation we risk falling in to a pit of conjecture and; I would further say that any theory that cannot be falsified by either present means or by proposed means cannot be a scientific one.

Free Writing Essay

Many annoying habits exist and bother so many human beings on earth. This is because there are so many people who are forgetting the importance of having good manners and do not practice it at all (Granato). One of these people is my friend whom I treasure like a family. However, despite her annoying habit, I still remain a true, loving and loyal friend to her. While friends are one of the most important people in one’s life, there are times when they do some things that can be really exasperating and annoying, such as habits that they cannot get rid of which can make one’s nerves and blood boil. In the case of my friend, she has this habit of burping for no reason at all. For instance, she burps while watching a movie, shopping or strolling in the mall, talking, and worst, while and after eating. She considers it as an amazing talent and not a disgusting behavior. On the contrary, she laughs and always feels proud of herself every time she does it. It bothers me a lot, and I feel ashamed of her whenever people around us hear her burp. Thus, I confronted her about her disgusting habit. I told her that having good manners is one of the most important values, and it is something that people should always bring with them wherever they go and whatever they do in their lives. However, it seems that it does not affect her at all. She just said that if I am a true friend, then I would just have to accept her and deal with her annoying habit. After all, I have some habits that annoy her too. Fair enough, I think that she has a point and that she is right on what she said. I probably have a habit that annoys her too or other people and that I am not really aware of. In that sense, having good manners rarely can be found on people, or only a few value it and think that it is still important these days. After all, true friends accept each other’s attitude, manners or behaviors no matter how good or bad it is because true friends never judge nor deny their friends for who they are and what they have or do not have. Consequently, I realized that no matter how annoying the habit of my friend is, I should just accept and deal with it if she really cannot get rid of the habit because for me, friendship is more important than any annoying habits in the world. Works Cited Granato, Sherri. â€Å"11 Highly Annoying Habits of Rude People. † Associated Content. 8 January 2007. 20 January 2009 .

All About Levees in the U.S.

All About Levees in the U.S. A levee is a type of dam or wall, usually a man-made embankment, that acts as a barrier between water and property. It is often a raised berm that runs along a river or canal. Levees reinforce a rivers banks and help prevent flooding. By constricting and confining the flow, however, levees can also increase the speed of the water. Levees can fail in at least two ways: (1) the structure is not high enough to stop rising waters, and (2) the structure is not strong enough to hold back rising waters. When a levee breaks at a weakened area, the levee is considered breached, and water flows through the breach or hole. A levee system often includes pumping stations as well as embankment. A levee system can fail if one or more of the pumping stations fail. Definition of Levee A man-made structure, usually an earthen embankment or concrete floodwall, designed and constructed in accordance with sound engineering practices to contain, control, or divert the flow of water so as to provide reasonable assurance of excluding temporary flooding from the leveed area. - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Types of Levees Levees can be natural or man-made. A natural levee is formed when sediment settles on the river bank, raising the level of the land around the river. To construct a man-made levee, workers pile dirt or concrete along the river banks (or parallel to any body of water that may rise), to create an embankment. This embankment is flat at the top, and slopes at an angle down to the water. For added strength, sandbags are sometimes placed over dirt embankments. Origin of the Word The word levee (pronounced LEV-ee) is an Americanism - that is, a word used in the United States, but not anywhere else in the world. It should come as no surprise that levee originated in the great port city of New Orleans, Louisiana, at the mouth of the flood-prone Mississippi River. Coming from the French word  levà ©e and the French verb lever meaning to raise, handmade embankments to protect farms from seasonal floods became known as levees. A dike serves the same purpose as a levee, but that word comes from the Dutch dijk or German deich. Levees Around the World A levee is also known as a floodbank, stopbank, embarkment, and storm barrier. Although the structure goes by different names, levees protect the land in many parts of the world. In Europe, levees prevent flooding along the Po, Vistula, and Danube rivers. In the United States, you will find important levee systems along the Mississippi, Snake, and Sacramento Rivers. In California, an aging levee system is used in Sacramento and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Poor maintenance of the Sacramento levees have made the area prone to flooding. Global warming has brought stronger storms and greater risks of flooding. Engineers are seeking alternatives to levees for flood control. The answer may lie in modern flood control technologies used in England, Europe, and Japan. Levees, New Orleans, and Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, Louisiana, is largely below sea level. The systematic construction of its levees began in the 19th century and continued into the 20th century as the federal government became more involved with engineering and funding. In August 2005, several levees along waterways of Lake Ponchartrain failed, and water covered 80% of New Orleans. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers designed the levees to withstand the forces of a fast-blowing Category 3 storm; they werent strong enough to survive the Category 4 Hurricane Katrina. If a chain is as strong as its weakest link, a levee is as functional as its structural weakness. A full year before Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, Walter Maestri, the emergency management chief for Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, was quoted in the New Orleans Times-Picayune: It appears that the money has been moved in the president’s budget to handle homeland security and the war in Iraq, and I suppose that’s the price we pay. Nobody locally is happy that the levees can’t be finished, and we are doing everything we can to make the case that this is a security issue for us. - June 8, 2004 (one year before Hurricane Katrina) Levees as Infrastructure Infrastructure is a framework of communal systems. In the 18th and 19th centuries, farmers created their own levees to protect their fertile farmland from inevitable floods. As more and more people became dependent on other people for growing their food, it made sense that flood mitigation was everyones responsibility and not simply the local farmer. Through legislation, the federal government helps states and localities with engineering and subsidizing the cost of levee systems. Flood insurance has also become a way for people living in high risk areas can help with the cost of levee systems. Some communities have combined flood mitigation with other public works projects, such as highways along riverbanks and hiking paths in recreation areas. Other levees are nothing more than functional. Architecturally, levees can be aesthetically pleasing feats of engineering. The Future of Levees Todays levees are being engineered for resilience and built for double duty - protection when needed and recreation in the off-season. Creating a levee system has become a partnership among communities, counties, states, and federal government entities. Risk assessment, construction costs, and insurance liabilities combine in a complex soup of action and inaction for these public works projects. The building of levees to mitigate flooding will continue to be an issue as communities plan and build for extreme weather events, a predictable unpredictability from climate change. Sources USACE Program Levees, US Army Corps of Engineers at www.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/LeveeSafetyProgram/USACEProgramLevees.aspxUnited States of Shame, by Maureen Dowd, The New York Times, September 3, 2005 [accessed August 12, 2016]History of Levees, FEMA, PDF at https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1463585486484-d22943de4883b61a6ede15aa57a78a7f/History_of_Levees_0512_508.pdfInline photos: Mario Tama/Getty Images; Julie Dermansky/Corbis via Getty Images (cropped)