Small-Scale Mining in the Philippines: a Case Study

SMALL-SCALE MINING (Lives at risk in the Philippine Gold Mines) INTRODUCTION Gold is the number one mineral produced by the Philippines in value terms. Although total local production was low relative to world production, it ranked 2nd to Africa in gold production per unit land area in 1988 and ranked 29th as top gold producer in 2002(Israel and Asirot 2002). In the year 2002–2007, the Philippines’ gold production increased by 8. 2%. This contributed an average of 2% gross domestic product (GDP) in the same period. The country was ranked 18th in the GFMs Gold Survey list of top 20 Gold Producing countries in 2007 (Teves 2008).The 2008 and 2009 data of the Philippine mining Almanac showed a significant amount of gold production by the small-scale gold mining operations in the country. Reports revealed that the small-scale mining sector contributed almost 80% of the total gold production. This is equivalent to a Php32B contribution to GDP in 2007 (ibid). The following 200 8 and 2009 data are based on the amount of gold sold to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The highest amount of gold produced in the country at 28,198 kg and 26,112 kg, respectively were generated by the small-scale mines (fig. ). Local governments hosting the sector acknowledged the industry’s economic contribution, as it somehow provides livelihood to the local community and unemployed migrants. There are some reports on the adverse impact of small-scale mining on the environment, health and human lives. However, research studies documenting the impact of small-scale mining industry on the local economy, environment, human health, public safety and the socio-cultural condition of indigenous peoples (IPs) in the mining areas, are limited.The socio-political dynamics between small- scale miners and other stakeholders like community and civil society organizations, regulatory bodies, the government and large-scale mining companies remains undocumented. There were concerns regarding the implication of some regulatory policies on the small-scale mining industry as the application of such will prevent some IP communities from accessing their properties. Furthermore, questions arise on the actual impact of the industry on poverty alleviation. Some theory suggests that the small-scale industry may have aggravated poverty because of the weak regulation of the industry.While economically significant, small-scale gold mining has been the target of strong opposition in recent years mainly because of its various adverse environmental and social side effects. Foremost of these is mercury pollution. BACKGROUND Small-scale mining (SSM) refers to mining by individuals, groups, families or cooperatives with minimal or no mechanization, often in the informal (illegal) sector of the market. Small-scale mining relies heavily on manual labor and does not use explosives. The scope of the area allowed for small-scale mining should not exceed 20 hectares per contractor ( 1991).In the Philippines, small-scale mining operators include subsistence mining (estimated 75%), individual or family businesses (estimated 15%) and established commercial mining firms (estimated 10%) (Hentschel 2002). According to the different interviews and focus group discussions, the operation of small-scale gold mining in the country can be traced as early as 10th century or even since time immemorial in the north and as late as 1990s in south Cotabato. Furthermore, numerous foreign studies already investigated the problem of mercury pollution due to small-scale gold mining, concentrating on the experience in Brazil.High levels of mercury concentrations were found in the hair and blood samples ofthe miners and other affected people as well as in fish, soil sediments and forest and river ecosystems in small-scale gold mining areas of the Amazon region. In the Philippines, several studies also looked into mercury pollution based on the experience in Diwalwal, the largest small -scale mining site in the country (e. g. Mahinay et al. 1998, Bacani et al. 1996, Breward 1996, Balce and Cabalda 1992, Williams et al. 1995). High levels of mercury pollution were found on-site as well as in the affected places downstream.Williams et al. specifically asserted that there were already considerable mercury loads in some sectors of the Agusan River, where Diwalwal drains into, and that the water samples from the mining site itself showed higher concentrations than those in the other gold rush areas in the world. Although studies on the impact of mercury pollution due to small-scale mining were already numerous, they were generally technical in nature. Few works touched on the economic aspects of the problem and did so only in a superficial and summary manner.So far, there is no available study that conducted an economic analysis in a more detailed and quantitative way in the Philippines or elsewhere. Small-scale mining is not an important public revenue-generating sect or for the government at present because of its largely illegal nature. Viewed in a more positive light, the activity should become a solid tax base when fully licensed, given the large number of people and economic activities dependent on it. LAWS AND INSTITUTIONS IN SMALL-SCALE MINING Laws The earliest mining law in the Philippines was Commonwealth Act 137 promulgated in 1936.This legislation had no separate provision for small-scale mining since the activity was not practiced extensively then. It took effect for many years until the martial law era when it was amended through Presidential Decree (PD) 463, otherwise known as the Mineral Resources Decree of 1974. Like its predecessor, this legislation did not have separate provisions for small-scale mining. In 1984, PD 899 established small-scale mining as a new dimension in mineral development and defined it as a specific activity. Succeeding orders based on this law stipulated, among others, the rules and regulations governing he granting of small-scale mining permits and ordered the selling of the gold recovered through the activity only to the Central Bank and its authorized representatives. During the term of President Corazon C. Aquino, the Congress of the Philippines passed Republic Act (RA) 7076 or the People’s Small-Scale Mining Act of 1991. Among its important provisions, this law established the People’s Small-Scale Mining Program and described the small-scale mining areas that can be opened under it. During the administration of President Fidel V. Ramos, RA 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 was passed.This law stipulated that small-scale mining will continue to be governed by the provisions of RA 7076 and PD 1899 and their implementing rules and regulations. Institutions Prior to PD 899 in 1984, no government agency managed small- scale mining since it was not described as a formal economic sector yet. Those engaged in the activity did so without any government interference. With the passing of the law, the MGB was given the authority to administer small-scale mining. SMALL-SCALE GOLD MINING PROCESS The initial process of gold mining starts with prospecting.In prospecting, the ore quality, â€Å"vein† geologic formation and ore assaying are examined. An area with a good ore quality is prepared for tunneling. In tunneling, holing and drilling are done using pick and shovel. Others who can afford it use electric hammer jacks. These initial stages of prospecting and tunneling are the expertise of the abanteros, whose knowledge of gold mining has been shaped by years of experience. In Benguet, the Ibaloi and Kankanaey miners are known Abanteros, having inherited their skills from their ancestors. Some migrant miners from the lowlands have also learned the skill.In South cotabato, the abanteros came from diwalwal, monkayo, compostela Valley. Mine workers are hired to work on the tunnels. These are the ore and muck ore packers, Atraseros (ore exporters from inside the tunnel), ore washers (usually women), habal-habal drivers, horses and horse owners/guides as transporters of ores from the tunnel site to the processing area. Extracted ores are processed in the ball or rod mill plant for mercury amalgamation. The tailings that have accumulated for several weeks will be subjected to further cyanidation in the carbonin-Pulp (ciP) Plant.The mercury amalgamation process will recover 40% of gold from the ores while the cyanidation will recover up to 60% of gold, both refined right after the smelting and/or firing process. Gold produced in button shapes will be sold to licensed gold buyers. A detailed process flow is presented in the following diagram (fig. 2). POWER RELATIONS IN THE SECTOR The mine is viewed as a resource, with various interested key players aiming to access it and benefit from it. There are several key players in the small-scale mining industry. With respect to the mining operation, the key players include: land owners †¢ tunnel owners (individuals or cooperative and association) †¢ financiers (foreigners, migrants or local, IPs and non-IPs) †¢ the abanteros or skilled miners †¢ the mine workers which include the atraseros (ore packers and haulers) †¢ ore and sack washers (usually women and young workers) †¢ ore transporters (habal-habal drivers, horse owners or guides) †¢ processing plant workers †¢ gold traders On the trading side, gold produced by the small-mining operations are purchased by the licensed gold buyers and subsequently sold to the Bangko Sental ng Pilipinas (BSP).Non-licensed traders are also present in the areas and are commonly labeled as the â€Å"black market. † Black market traders would usually visit the community or are based in the community. Purchase price is lower in the black market but the miners save the cost of transportation in going to the city. Because of the savings in transportation, miners are encouraged to sell t heir gold to the black market. Regulation and enforcement of policies related to small-scale mining industry are under the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB).This is composed of the DENR- Mines and Geo Sciences Bureau (MBG) as the chairman and the Provincial Governor as the vice-chairman. The other members of the board are representatives from the SSM Association, large-Scale mining Operators and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs). In Benguet and South Cotabato, a number of local officials are involved in mining either as tunnel owner, land owner or financier. This presents a conflict of interest between regulating small-scale mining and operating mines. The Abanteros are usually the ones with knowledge, skill and capability to engage financiers because of their prospecting and tunnelling skills.Financiers initially provide funds for the operation of the mine but they are expected to engage with venture capitalists to expand the operation in the site. Venture capitalists can be foreign investors or locals who have the capital to infuse into the industry. Land owners, on the other hand, have the priority access over the resource, being the rightful claimants of the area. However, the land owners usually do not have the skills and the financial capacity to start a mine. Abanteros and financiers can negotiate with land owners to tap the resource.In some cases, the land owners can be financiers and tunnel owners, too. Some abanteros who have been successful in mining now act as financiers and tunnel owners; some have even managed to operate processing plants. it is common to see big-time tunnel owners and financiers also operate the processing plants in the area. Normally, all plant owners have tunnels but not all tunnel owners have processing plants. Owners of small mining operations with no processing plants pay for the use of existing processing plants, depending on the number of bags processed.MERCURY POLLUTION DUE TO SMALL-SCALE MINING The Amalgamatio n Method of Gold Processing Mercury gets into the picture in small-scale mining because it is the main agent used to separate the gold from the mined ore employing the amalgamation method of processing. Amalgamation is popular in small-scale mining areas since it is simple to apply and requires relatively low investment. The Carbon-in-Pulp (CIP) Method of Gold Processing Gold can also be processed using the CIP method. This method can process the slurry produced by amalgamation or the milled ore coming from the rod and ball mills directly.However, CIP is not used widely in small-scale mining because of the high cost of investment that it requires. The Health Impact of Mercury Pollution There are different ways by which the amalgamation method of gold processing causes mercury pollution. One way is when mercury is unintentionally spilled into the ground because of careless handling. Another is when mercury is discharged together with other wastes into inadequate tailings ponds, or wo rse, thrown away directly into rivers and waterways. Still another way is when vaporized mercury is released into the atmosphere when the amalgam is blowtorched and refined.Once in the environment, mercury is dangerous because of its potential adverse impact on human health. In the case of water pollution, part of the mercury discharged into rivers and waterways is transformed into methylmercury eaten by aquatic species and in turn consumed by people. Once inside the human body, mercury could trigger neurological disturbances as well as problems in the reproductive and other body organs (Viega 1997a). The likely symptoms are visual constriction, numbness of the extremities and the impairment of hearing, speech and gait.The release of mercury into the atmosphere during blowtorching also puts to risk human health. The activity is usually done in open containers and closed houses so the inhalation of vaporized mercury is highly possible among the people conducting it and those close by . The long-term effect of this type of exposure is the impairment of the metabolism of the human nervous system that eventually leads to certain neurobehavioral disturbances. The visible symptoms are the exhibition of exaggerated emotional responses and muscular tremors and gingivitis. PROBLEMS IN SMALL SCALE GOLD MININGPollution due to Aside from mercury pollution, small-scale mining is beset with other problems that are also important and needing serious attention. These are enumerated and discussed in brief below. Environmental Problems Cyanide Pollution Pollution due to toxic and hazardous substances other than mercury that are used in small-scale mining can also endanger human health. The highly poisonous sodium cyanide used in CIP processing, in particular, could easily kill people and fish when discharged in rivers and waterways. Despite its dangers, cyanide pollution from CIP processing has not been investigated at all in any literature.A probable reason is that, unlike merc ury, cyanide is biodegradable and eventually decomposes into carbon dioxide and ammonia (Yannopoulos 1991) making it potentially less harmful over time. Deforestation Deforestation is a natural consequence of small-scale mining since many sites are located in forested uplands. The influx of miners and their families into mining areas results to the clearing of forests for habitation space and other human activities that causes deforestation. No study investigated in detail the impact of small-scale mining on deforestation.One likely reason is that areas covered by small-scale mining are actually very small when compared to those used for other economic activities like forestry and logging (Veiga 1997b). Soil Erosion Soil erosion is another natural consequence of small-scale mining because of the mountainous and sloping topography of many mining sites. Miners level sloping land and scrape topsoil to make surface foundations stable for houses and other structures. They develop pathway s and roads across highly sloping and erosive areas and cover fertile soil with waste materials dug out of underground tunnels.There are also no studies that probed in detail the soil erosion effects of small-scale mining although this environmental impact is potentially large. Biodiversity Loss The loss of biodiversity due to small-scale mining is a direct after-math of deforestation and water pollution. Trees are cut leading to receding jungles that are natural habitats of terrestrial flora and fauna. Water pollution damages the rivers and waterways that are homes of aquatic plants and animals. As in the case of deforestation and soil erosion, there are no studies that investigated this issue.Siltation and Sedimentation of Downstream Water Bodies Siltation and sedimentation of downstream waterways occur when mine tailings and eroded soil finds their way into water bodies. They decrease the viability of affected waterways as fishing grounds, recreation sites and port areas. They al so contribute to flooding and hamper the efficient functioning of dams and irrigation networks. Like the other environmental problems, siltation and sedimentation due to small-scale mining have received scant research attention. Legal and Institutional ProblemsMining Rights Conflicts between Small-Scale Miners and Large-Scale Mining Firms Many small-scale mining areas are situated within the mining claims of large-scale companies. This situation has created conflicts between the large-scale miners on one side and the small-scale miners on the other side and prevented the smooth operations of the mining industry in general. Presence of Medium-Scale Mining Operations in Small-Scale Mining Sites Dominant presences of medium-scale mining operations have been competing for domination resulting in the significant loss of lives and deterioration of peace and order.Social Problems Worsening Social Instability in Small-Scale Mining Areas Many small-scale miners are migrants in the areas wher e they mine. Hence, they find it difficult to adapt socially with the local population. To some extent, vices like alcoholism and gambling also exist in these areas that add to the conflict. Limited Basic Services in Small-Scale Mining Areas The supply of basic services such as those relating to health and transportation and others has been limited in small-scale mining communities. This has greatly exacerbated the poor conditions and social problems within these areas.Exploitation of Women and Children in Small-Scale Mining Women and children are engaged in the gathering of ores inside tunnels and even in processing which are activities suited only for grown- up men. Although small-scale miners deny this, key informants and ocular inspection in the two case study areas confirmed this problem ECONOMIC PROBLEMS Low Price for Gold Received by Small-Scale Miners Small-scale miners sell their gold to the tunnel owners, processors or to other traders instead of directly to the Central Ba nk or its representatives.Key informants reported that underpricing of gold often occurs in these marketing channels and this contributes to the poor economic conditions the miners are in. Loss of Gold by the Country Due to Illegal Gold Trading Because small-scale miners sell their gold not to the Central Bank but to various buyers, the national government loses great amounts of gold to the detriment of the entire economy. Lack of Formal Sources of Credit for Small-Scale Miners There is lack of formal sources of credit for small-scale miners in times of need or for starting an alternative occupation.This forces them to borrow from the tunnel owners, processors, traders and unscrupulous money lenders who exploit them by charging higher interest rates or buying their gold at low prices. Lack of Alternative or Supplemental Employment Opportunities for Small-Scale Miners Small-scale mining is the only employment opportunity for many miners. Few have an alternative occupation like farmin g. Also many miners have been in mining for an average of 10 long years, which further confirms their lack of alternative employment. Technology-related ProblemsInefficient Technologies Used in Small-Scale Mining The technology used in ore extraction and gold processing results to poor ore output and gold recovery in small-scale mining. The poor ore and gold output performance has been confirmed by national and local key informants. Unsafe Technologies Used in Small-Scale Mining The unsafe techniques and procedures used in the mining of ore, such as poor timbering support, poor ventilation, and other practices have resulted to cave-ins and other accidents that disabled or took away the lives of miners.CONCLUSIONS The conflicting policies on resource extraction/development versus environmental protection and weak governance as indicated by the absence of local regulations threaten the environment and public health. The negative impacts of small-scale mining activities have been obser ved in many of these communities. Poverty and the attractiveness of immediate money from the mining industry attract children and women to work in the mines. These expose women and children to hazardous chemicals and unsafe mining practice.Small-scale mining contributes to the local economy through job creation, increasing economic activity in the communities. There is a need for the development of sound policies and laws to balance economic development and environmental sustainability. Strong enforcement of laws is a must. However, the conflict of interest of local officials who are in charge of regulation and governing the community and who also have interests in mining operations poses a threat in the strict enforcement of laws in the communities. RECOMMENDATIONS Mercury PollutionA review will show that the existing laws and regulations related to mercury pollution in small-scale gold mining are fairly adequate but monitoring and enforcement is weak. To improve on monitoring and enforcement, the following actions are suggested: * Licensing by the LGUs of all small-scale gold mining and processing operations within their jurisdiction and imposition of membership in a cooperative as a licensing requirement. * Earmarking of the licensing proceeds for the establishment and operation of a small-scale mining monitoring and enforcement unit within the management framework of LGUs. Development of an effective internal system within cooperatives that will force the proper use of hand gloves, mercury retorts and tailings ponds in small-scale mining. * Active involvement of NGOs and other responsible members of the local population in monitoring and enforcement by selectively deputizing them. * Strengthening of the Small-Scale Mining Section of the Environment and Safety Division of the MGB * Concerted effort by the national government, LGUs and NGOs to conduct education and awareness campaigns on mercury pollution. Involvement of international organizations in the fi ght against mercury pollution particularly in the promotion of technologies that can prevent or minimize it. * Serious consideration of the promotion of the CIP method of processing for small-scale mining Other Environmental Problems The national government should undertake detailed studies on cyanide pollution, deforestation, soil erosion, biodiversity loss and siltation and sedimentation in small-scale mining areas. Understanding these problems will go a long way toward finding their appropriate solutions.For the time being, the government must do better in monitoring and enforcing pertinent laws so that the problems are minimized. Legal and Institutional Problems The government should prioritize the early settlement of conflicting claims between small-scale miners and large-scale miners. One way of conducting this is to create dialogues between the two parties with the government as arbiter to find an amicable solution. Key informant from the large-scale firms in the two case stu dy areas explained that generally they are actually open to a negotiated settlement that can buy peace, goodwill and cooperation within their claims.Social Problems The social instability in small-scale mining is inherent in places where many of the population are poor and migrants. Improving the economic status of the people can help a lot to decrease the instability. This could happen when small-scale mining becomes a fully licensed activity and accepted as part of the economic mainstream. The provision of better basic social services will also help alleviate the deprived economic conditions and ease a lot of the social tensions. The exploitation of women and children is not confined to small-scale mining since it is prevalent, especially in the underground economy.The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) should take a closer look at this problem and devise ways to minimize it. Again, improving the economic lot of the miners will help curve the exploitation of women and children. The conduct of effective programs which can provide guidance and counselling to mining families will also promote compliance by the miners to the laws against exploitation. Economic Problems The problem of low price received for the gold by the small-scale miners will be addressed to a large extent when they are organized into cooperatives.As a group, they can negotiate better in the market or pay for the transportation cost to sell gold in bulk to the Central Bank. The Central bank should consider putting up buying stations in the more important mining sites. This will not only help the miners economically but also lower significantly the amount of gold lost to the black market. Technology-Related Problems The problems of inefficient and unsafe technologies are part and parcel of small-scale mining as long as the miners remain poor.Economic conditions force them to use said technologies since they cannot afford to employ more sophisticated and costly ones. Sources: * Mercury Pollution Due to Small-Scale Gold Mining in the Philippines: An Economic Analysis http://dirp4. pids. gov. ph/ris/rps/pidsrp0202. pdf * A Background Study on the Small-scale Gold mining Operations in Benguet and South Cotabato and their Impact on the Economy, the Environment, and the Community http://bantaykita. ph/pdfs/Small%20Scale%20Mining. pdf * Inquirer News Online: http://newsinfo. inquirer. et/305986/small-scale-miners-sell-less-gold-due-to-bsps-7-tax http://newsinfo. inquirer. net/338689/13-men-in-quezon-clash-met-gold-miner http://newsinfo. inquirer. net/343869/gold-miner-says-he-didnt-betray-siman http://business. inquirer. net/106807/miner-sets-aside-digging-turns-to-planting-cacao http://newsinfo. inquirer. net/359389/sleepless-miner-recounts-seeing-friends-buried-alive-2 http://newsinfo. inquirer. net/362277/police-arrest-19-small-scale-miners http://newsinfo. inquirer. net/362687/execs-say-arrests-halted-mindoro-illegal-

Discuss Nationalism in the ERa of Good Feelings Essay

Nationalism, not sectionalism, was the driving force during the era of good feelings. Nationalism became the leading ideology of the American republic. While sectionalism proceeded in bringing the nation into turmoil and constant bickering among the politicians, as in the case with dealings leading to the Missouri compromise, nationalism was able to unite the nation into a headstrong body, led by an ever-increasing, more powerful central government. Nationalism, many can argue, was a guiding light that helped the populous in Europe unite. As early as the late great Roman Empire, it was that notion of being a part of a uniform body of civil, governed people who helped these places flourish. In early 19th century America, during the â€Å"Era of Good Feelings† as one newspaper put it, Americans began to root themselves in all that the nation stood for which helped them in turn begin to think about moving the United States into a respectable position among the world’s super powers. For example, Stephen Decatur toasts the country and acknowledges that it is our country, for better or for worse. This is a sharp contrast to the views of our founding fathers because George Washington himself, the â€Å"father of our nation†, saluted king George although he was a part of the attempt to establish a separate nation. Poets and writers also began to capture the nation’s spirit. In her Address to the New York State Legislature, Emma Hart Willard, explains how America has no problem in setting precedents and taking risks for the benefit of the country. For example, did the country take a risk in having a democracy instead of a monarchy? The answer to this question is yes, because no one in the history of the world before America, was able to successfully run a government the way that new nation ran. Although they had to switch from the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution, this just proved that the nation could adapt with its people, thus setting precedents. Sectionalism only succeeded in dividing the country. This is because sectionalists always had their own agendas, which often clashed with that of their opposition. The division of votes on the tariff of 1816 was a pretty noticeable one, although the final vote was not really affected by  non-tariff votes. Sectionalism can be found here in the numbers of each region. The majority of New England Votes were cast against the tariff. This should be of no surprise because New England, which at the time was largely federalist, was against the whole war of 1812 effort from the get go. If it were not for the nationalistic pride of the western and southern regions, this protective tariff would have not been passed. Nationalism creates an atmosphere which attempts to propel the nation forward instead of becoming entangled in issues which cause a separation of agendas, thought, and eventually causes a rift in peoples beliefs. The nationalism brought about by the Era of Good feelings helped the United States get on track to becoming what it is today. If you look at current events, you can see that the United States operates with more fluidity when we have a common enemy instead of creating enemies out of our brethren because of our ideals.

Handphones should be banned from schools Essay

Based on my opinion, I strongly believe that hand phones should be banned from schools. This is because the detrimental effect of students’ usage of hand phones in school weighs heavier than its benefits. Firstly, hand phones should be banned in school because students’ easily loses focus in class. Acquiring knowledge, learn something new and to educate one-self are the reasons students go to school. If learning is the priority, then what role do hand phones play in classrooms? They serve as distracters, what else? Students who use hand phones in class get distracted and distract the learning of process of the other students in class as well. For instance, if a student’s hand phone rings, everyone’s attention is set on the student rather than on the teacher standing in the frontier of the class. Moreover, on many occasions students’ have been caught text-messaging each other in class or playing games on their phones. Other than that, hand phones should be banned from schools because students’ tend to surf the websites in the classroom. When the lesson is taking place in the class, students who chooses to rebel, shows complete attachment to the phone. Rather than, paying attention during the class, students surf the internet and actively interact in social medias such as Face book and Twitter. Worst still, students who use hand phones are prone to visit illegal and inappropriate websites for their age. For instance, there are chances for students to have access to pornography in hand phones. Many students have been known to download pornographic pictures from the Internet to their phones. Adding on, students tend share those videos with their peers through Bluetooth which opens gate for social problem. Moreover, hand phones should be banned from schools because it creates opportunity for thefts to occur. It is a norm for teenagers to display their belongings to their fellow peers. Additionally, if they own something new, latest, trendy and mostly what the others do not own. This allows the occurrence of petty thefts in school as hand phones, especially those that are expensive and have additional features that draws unnecessary attention, gets stolen. Here, the safety of students also comes into the picture. Especially students who hold their expensive gadgets are sometimes accosted and assaulted outside the school gate as they lure the attention of snatch thieves. Victims with hand phones and other valuable will most certainly have these items taken away by force when they are not aware. Who is to be blamed here? The student with the hand phone? Or the thief? In addition, hand phones should be banned from schools because it encourages dishonesty. Students who have access to hand phones in class, may cultivate the habit of cheating. For instance, students can text test answers to other people in the classroom or also the school. Students too may have internet access on their phone and look up answers for examinations that way. Even though cheating has always been an issue, using cell phones in school only makes the issue bigger. Stressing again; I strongly believe that hand phones should be banned from schools because students’ easily loses focus in class, students’ tend to surf the websites in the classroom, creates opportunity for thefts to occur and finally encourages dishonesty. Since, the usage of hand phones in school contributes to multiple problems, I assert that hand phones should be banned from schools.

Journal Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Journal Summary - Essay Example These needs imply the needs for self-preservation and economic independence. These are the needs for being free from physical danger, threat and deprivation. Man is a social animal. He therefore wants association, belonging, friendship, love and affection. These are the need to seek affiliation and affection of one’s fellow beings. People form informal groups to seek meaningful association, companionship. This implies ‘a desire to become more and more of what one is, to become everything that one is capable of.’ It involves self-fulfilment or achieving what one considers to be his mission in life. It urges an individual to realize his full potential for continued self development and for being creative in the broader sense of the world. Maslow pointed out that the first three categories are lower level needs. The remaining two are higher order needs. He states that the needs have a definite sequence of priority. They arise in certain order of preference and not randomly. Safety needs do not dominate behaviour until physiological needs are satisfied. Man is a wanting animal. He always continues to want something or the other. He is never satisfied. If one need is satisfied, another takes its place. If one need is satisfied it ceases to be a motivating factor. Thus, if lower level needs are satisfied an individual can be motivated only by satisfying his higher level needs. Physiological and security needs are finite while the other needs are to a large extent infinite. Maslow suggests that the various needs levels are interdependent and overlapping, each higher level need emerging before the lower level need has been completely satisfied. Finally, Maslow points out that an individual may jumble the order and importan ce of the needs according to his preference. Motivation theory is concerned with the employee’s needs and preferences. Frederick Herzberg and his associates conducted

The use of Knowledge in Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The use of Knowledge in Society - Essay Example Moreover, it is based on the misconstrued nature of economic problems of the society and uses predefined assumptions, ignoring the changing social phenomenon that is inherently linked to social construction of society. The economic order thus, developed cannot be applied in general as it would not be able to address the problems of the diverse society. But this is not the only issue discussed within the article which has explored wide spectrum of knowledge and how it can be best utilized for the betterment of the society. It emphasizes that the implicit knowledge that exists across the populace need to be retrieved and applied within the planning process to make it more realistic. The precepts and concepts of knowledge are distinct in their diversity and changing formats and become important tools for widening the scope of utilization of the existing resources. The expanding database of knowledge is testament to the changes that are witnessed within the developing societies. Indeed, the propagation and application of knowledge is symbolic of advancing society. The myriad resources as well as the means of acquisition of knowledge therefore emerge as the central issue within the article. It is true that there is no permanent solution to the economic problems of the society mainly because the constantly changing environment creates new challenges for the people. It has to be constant endeavour for anticipating changes and how they would impact society at large.

FDI Inflow in India through Manufacturing Sector Essay

FDI Inflow in India through Manufacturing Sector - Essay Example Although India is an under developed country and the government has taken all possible measures to boost up the FDI in all the sectors specially the manufacturing sector. The best econometric model which suits the inflow of FDI's in manufacturing sector is "Time Series Econometric Model". The variables of time series econometric model are stated below: After developing the variables, firstly, we need to assess their properties. Its existence both in long and short term is outlined through the time series analysis. Secondly, one needs to find out those variables which are dependent to each other so as to categorize them either in short term or medium term basis. Moreover, corrective and appropriate measures need to be taken in selecting the variables because only some of these variables produce good results in the long run while the rest do not. The most important thing regarding the application of this model in the manufacturing sector is the data provided. Because in third world or under developed countries like India the manipulation in the data might occur which may create problems in analyzing the real model. The Indian market is very attractive for the foreign investors due to its massive growth in population, economy and various other demographic factors. The Indian government has taken every possible measure to attract the foreign investors and due to this fact stock market of India has attained a new height and its trading volume has grown up exponentially over the last few years, right before the world economy went into a recession (Mehul). In the last 10 years, 27 billion dollars have been injected in the Indian economy, most of which was invested in the manufacturing sector, as availability of cheap labor is one of the key factors that attracts foreign investors. On an average India's overall manufacturing base has attracted investments worth 3.4 billion dollars from 2000 to 2008 in the form of FDI (The Financial Express). There is a huge potential in the manufacturing industry of India and economists estimate more than 12 billion dollars to be injected or invested in India's manufacturing sector in the next 5 years (The Financial Express). Statistics reveal that India is the fourth largest country in terms of FDI but they are still way behind in comparison with China, to refer to the proportions of FDI in India's manufacturing industry is around 37 in comparison to 67 per cent of China (Bhanu 3). Although there is a huge potential and flexibility in both the markets but due to the government policies, tax free zones, availability of cheap labor and resources, China finds its way comfortably at the top (Swapna ). Similarly, another important statistic, is comparison between the manufacturing and the service sector. Service sector in India has only been able to attract $2.34 billion of FDI in the past years. To Examine Motives of FDI Inflow in India Indian economy has made huge impact on the global economy being a huge market

Religious Opposition To Modern States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Religious Opposition To Modern States - Essay Example Several deadly terrorist attacks by radical Islamic fundamentalists have targeted American citizens and interests. But the hatred reached a new intensity with the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killing nearly 5,000 people and demolishing global symbols of American economic might. Now, even as the United States and its allies seek to destroy Osama bin Laden's terrorist network, critics are questioning America's sensitivity to the concerns of the Islamic world and beyond. In his article, Juergensmeyer continued to cite about how politics have come to become inclined to subsume religious issues:Insofar as the US public and its leaders embraced the image of war following the September 11 attacks, the US view of the war was also prone to religionization. "God Bless America" became the country's unofficial national anthem. US President George Bush spoke of defending America's "righteous cause" and of the "absolute evil" of its enemies. However, the US military engagement in the months following September 11 was primarily a secular commitment to a definable goal and largely restricted to objectives in which civil liberties and moral rules of engagement still applied.   In purely religious battles waged in divine time and with heavenly rewards, there is no need to compromise goals. There is also no need to contend with society's laws and limitations when one is obeying a higher authority. In spiritualizing violence, religion gives the act of violence remarkable power.

Probation Officers versus Parole Officers Research Paper

Probation Officers versus Parole Officers - Research Paper Example A prisoner may also be allowed a time of freedom (with conditions) at the time of sentencing. The United States and individual state laws provide two options namely probation and parole which allows a period outside prison. It also allows for the provision of officers for close supervision and monitoring of persons let out of prison either on probation or parole. Most people, not associated with law may think that both these terms are similar and exchangeable with each other. But this is not the case. This paper compares the roles and responsibilities of each of these posts and will discuss the similarities and differences in the process. Probation officers vs. parole officers: Many states have both these posts and these officers are playing an invaluable role in helping offenders out of jail on probation and parole. Working with other agencies, they help offenders to integrate into the society while they are out of prison. Basic roles and duties are common across most states even th ough some factors like number of days outside of prison, conditions etc may vary from state to state. The purpose here is to provide a general view of these roles in order to provide an understanding of what a probation and parole officer is expected to do. Meaning of probation and the Roles of probation officers: Probation is a court directive that places an accused under the control, supervision and care of a person so that the offender need not enter a prison to carry out the judgment meted out to him or her subject to certain conditions (Petersilia, 1998, p. 14). The primary role of the probation officer is interacting, helping and supervising the probationer. In order to make the system effective, their roles require them to â€Å"work not only with federal judges and other court professionals, but with U.S. attorneys, defense attorneys, Federal Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Parole Commission officials, state and local law enforcement agents, treatment providers, and community le aders. Officers deliver services that benefit the court, the community, and the offender† (US Trial and Pretrial Office – Western Missouri, n.d.). The quote indicates that the roles required are complex and varied since a large number of agencies are involved. The post was formed after the implementation of the Probation Act of 1925 (US Probation Office, n.d.). Unless otherwise stated, all information given below is sourced from the article on the roles of a probation officer published by the US Probation Office. The first role required by the officer is to conduct a background check of the accused before a final verdict by the court. All factors such as the personal life, background, financial dealing, and previous criminal history of the accused need to be taken into account. The nature of the crime and the events that led to subsequent arrest will also be a part of the investigation. After a logical analysis of information collected, the officer then has to prepare a concise report, stating all relevant facts to the court in which the trial is held. This report will be an additional source of investigative information (apart from what has been presented during the trial) that will assist the judge in arriving at a verdict. As in the case of parole, probation officers also need to provide a supervisory role. The

Surgical Sites Infection Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Surgical Sites Infection - Research Paper Example Surgical infections were a very common eventuality from the early 19th Century. Evidently, the sheer magnitude of the risk imposed by SSIs to both the medical practitioners and, in particular, patients cannot be overlooked. Its impact on the healthcare system is truly innate-costs, mortality, and morbidity. In the year 1992, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) renamed all infections related to operation procedures from surgical wound infections to surgical site infections for a wider coverage and more accurate representation of related infections. The close relationship between healthcare practice, mortality, morbidity, and the cost element associated with the aforementioned shall constitute the crux of the case for greater innovation for effective SSIs management. It is possible that majority of SSIs are preventable. To this end several bodies are tasked with the responsibilities of policy formulation (guidelines and recommendations) that are aimed towards largely preventing and co ntrolling surgical site infections by all healthcare professionals. Although there has been much improvements in surgical site infections prevention, hospital acquired infections continue to increase globally (Alvarado, 2000). Most contamination by SSIs occurs through contamination of the incision by microorganisms from the body of the patient during surgery. Consequently it is prudent that in light of this mechanism of infection that substantial reduction of SSI infections can be undertaken in essentially one of three stages: Pre-operation phase, intra-operation phase, and post-operation phase. In the pre-operation phase, I observe how surgical practices influence patient-infection right before undergoing the surgical procedure itself. The larger working area in surgical operations is the skin. Various types of bacteria inhabit the skin with up to 50% being staphylococcus. The primary source of wound infection during surgical operation has been found to be the skin. Evidence from a research done on the effects of body disinfection on intra-operation wound infection shows that by washing the skin where the incision is to be made with a pre-operation wash having chlorhexidine reduces the bacteria add up on the skin by eighty to ninety percent, and as such a reduction in the wound infection (Bryne, Cuschieri, Napier, & Phillips, 2003). A ten year research on 62,939 wounds determine whether or not the removal of hair from the skin to be operated on (shaving) and its timing could be contributive to surgical site infections. It was established that infection risk amplifies with the increase in duration of the time spent between shaving and conduction of the actual operation. Surgical sites that were shaved two hours before surgery were found to have a clean wound infection rate of 2.3% (Cruse & Foord, 2000).Where the body hair was clipped instead of being shaven recorded a clean wound infection rate of 1.7%. Where the body hair was neither shaved nor clipped, the w ound infection rate was seen to drop to a mere 0.9%.The study concluded that where shaving is essential before surgery, then it should be done as closest to the commencement of the surgery as possible. Perhaps the most successful method of combating surgical site infections was seen through the pioneering use of antiseptic surgery by Ignaz

Debord, Rutherford and Giroux Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Debord, Rutherford and Giroux - Essay Example Nothing, not even an essay into the general nature of meaning of things, should be viewed out of its context. Thus, at the very onset, this essay admits that its purpose in being is to examine the political nature of the present age through the light of communication media. Probably the most emblemic symbol of the present age of international development is the media - electronic and otherwise. This is because the media sells things - goods, services, ideas, opinions, etc - all that is necessary to sustain this present generation of enhanced civilization in the present day and well into the future. Whether it is a commercial enterprise selling biscuits for profit or a politician selling him- or herself for self-aggrandizement the media is there to help do the job. Thus, it is necessary to know how the media views the nature of things and influences it so that it can be better understood how the media's pervasive influence on life in the 21st century moulds its modes of epistemology. This shall be done so now with the views of three European thinkers - Debord, Rutherford and Giroux - on how the individual consciousness thrives or languishes amid the greater world at large. The essay shall begin on the following very germane note - Hegemony, the rule of the dominant, in the individual consciousness is the subjectivity that the hegemony itself has instilled psychologically in it. This is so according to Louis Althusser (Lecture Notes 2) and quite in line with what Gramsci thought of it as the subjected class accepting the values and mores of the dominant class as 'common sense' and 'natural' to sustain hegemony - Gramsci's definition of the rule of the dominant class over the subjected one (Lecture Notes 2). The hegemonistic rule is thus natural and second nature in the subject, who may have been subjected to its influence right from birth, though it may not stand in his or her stead.DeBord and the 'Spectacle' To understand DeBord better it is necessary to understand his conception of what he terms as the 'spectacle' better - "The spectacle is not a collection of images; rather it is a social relationship between people that is mediated by images". And, - "The spectacle cannot be understood as either a deliberate distortion of the visual world or as a product of the technology of the mass dissemination of images. It is much better viewed as a Weltanschauung that has been actualized, translated into the material realm - a world view translated into an objective force". (Lecture Notes 2) So what do these two statement signify In terms of mass communications DeBord can be correlated with Gramsci in the following sense - The spectacle is the otherness that is imposed around the individual consciousness, the being-in-itself, that it must acknowledge all

Kant Moral Ethics Essay Example for Free

Kant Moral Ethics Essay Immanuel Kants moral theory can be best explained by comparing it to a math equation. Kants moral system will always hold true no matter what the circumstance just like how two plus two will always equal four. According to Kant, our lives should be lived according to maxims that can be willed into universal law (Kant, Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals, p 303). However the action regarding a moral decision is not judged by the consequences of that action, rather by the motive of that action. Kants the method of moral reasoning starts off by first realizing the principle the rational agent is acting under. To fully understand what this means, a rational agent is to be defined as an entity who is capable of making rational decisions regardless of their natural inclinations. This condition excludes such examples as, animals, infants, and people in a coma from being considered to be a rational agent because they do not show the capacity to reason. After realizing the principle the person is acting under, determine if the reason is morally right. In order to determine if the maxim is ethical and able to be willed into universal law, it must pass three tests: autonomy, respect for humanity, and the kingdom of ends. Autonomy describes the feeling of accomplishment. This can be illustrated as a man who promises his wife that he will take off the weekend from golfing and file their tax reports. By keeping his promise to his wife he not only feels the satisfaction from finishing their tax report but also, more importantly feels good about following through with his promise. Autonomy is important because if the husband breaks his promises and lives his life as a promise breaker then this maxim is clearly self-defeating. The entire maxim of promising to break promises does not pass the test of autonomy therefore could never be passed as a universal law. However, if after passing the autonomy test, then a principle must also respect everyone elses autonomy. In order to respect humanity, make decisions that show an overall concern for rational agents. If by treating them as a rational agent, then the principle will not affect another persons ability rationalize. In order to do this, it is never acceptable to treat a rational being as merely a means (Kant, Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals, p 307). That is to say, the act of rape treats the rational agent as a means to sexual gratification. The act of rape does not respect the agent as a rational being and could never be willed into a moral universal law. However if a principle was able to pass the first two conditions, then it is necessary to subject it to the kingdom of ends test. The kingdom of ends is composed of a group of rational agents all with different objectives in life. The importance of having different objectives in life insures that all perspectives and backgrounds have been covered. These agents have been given the responsibility of creating a free society. A free society entails laws that every rational agent in that society would agree upon. If the principle is not a measure that the kingdom of ends would enact, then the principle, by Kants definition, is immoral. Let us analyze the principle of apathy. Living an apathetic life does indeed pass the test of autonomy and by showing indifference to other rational agents it also passes the test of humanity. However, apathy would not pass the kingdom of ends, as no rational being would accept such a maxim. As a result, an apathetic life could not be passed as universal law. As an example, we will refer back to the persecution of Jews during World War II. Say a man is hiding a Jew in his house and the Gestapo comes knocking on door. However, as the Gestapo questions the man of the whereabouts of the Jew, the man cannot lie and say that no one is hiding within his house, but at the same time, if he were to tell the truth he would be indirectly bringing harm upon himself and the Jew. The man should question the Gestapo about what they plan on doing to the Jew once they have located him. According to Kant, consequences have no relevance, although if all possible consequences were known, then it would be permissible to lightly take them into account. Since telling the truth by giving the Gestapo the whereabouts of the Jew would bring direct harm, it is permissible to lie. The maxim would be to never lie unless the truth results direct or indirect harm. This maxim respects autonomy and human nature and would be pass the kingdom of ends test and thus can be willed into universal moral law. Now take the case of Harry and Sally, according to Kantian moral reasoning, should Sally seduce Harry? If Sally were to seduce Harry by taking him back to her place and having sex with him, she would be using him as a means to her ends. By Sally using Harry simply as a means to achieve her ends, that moral decision is breaking a fundamental Kantian principle. Using people as only a means is never acceptable. The difference between Sally seducing Harry into sex and Sally having consensual sex with Harry is the difference of deception and coercion. According to Mappes, deception and coercion are the methods for sexually using someone (Mappes, Sexual Morality, p. 166). The whole idea is based off the respect for an individual person to voluntarily make their own decisions. By deceiving someone, it is clearly misleading a person to make a decision that they would not have made, had it been on their own regard. However the objection can be made that Sally should do what ultimately brings her pleasure. Using Utilitarian morality, something that results in the greater pleasure, or avoidance of harm, of the populations involved is morally correct. Even though Harry is somewhat apprehensive of the whole casual sex idea, he is not defiant or strongly against it. It can even be reasoned that Harry might even enjoy himself once him and Sally are having sex. And also, casual sex is perfectly okay if there is no lying, deceiving, or exploiting (Elliston, In Defense of Promiscuity, p. 170). I believe Ellistons definition of deceiving is different that Kants definition. Kant covers all and any type of deception as immoral. Elliston agrees that deception is indeed immoral, but his definition of deception would be a man telling a woman he does not have herpes when indeed he does. As long as sex is consensual, there is no harm. Sally would only be seducing Harry back to her house under, say, the premise to watch a movie, however when the actual act of intercourse happens, Harry is not being deceived at all. Even with the arguments above, Sally would ultimately be using Harry simply as a means to achieve her ends of sexual pleasure. By using Kantian morality, Sally should not pressure Harry to going home with her nor should she try to seduce him. Kant reasons that human beings have been given this gift of free will to act as the dividing line between humans and animals. Animals are considered animals because they lack the ability to rationalize. What then, is the ultimate value and purpose of having a free will? If the point of having a free will was to seek pleasure and avoid harm, then we are nothing more than animals and have wasted this ability to reason. Instead, humans have free will so they could follow moral law. Therefore, follow moral law even in situations where social laws or natural inclinations could conflict. By following Kants moral reasoning, what we do in our lives is right not only because we ourselves believe it to be right but also since we have willed it to become universal law, it could not possibly be wrong. The maxims that we base our lives on are intrinsically good because we are able to will it into universal law. Therefore, moral decisions made using Kants ideas can be applied universally. Kants ideas show respect for humanity and peoples decisions are not made for selfish pleasure seeking reasons by treating people as a means, but rather they are made based on universal morals and by treating everybody as an rational agent. By following Kants moral reasoning a rational agent will be able to make the right decision when faced with any type of moral dilemma.

Lives of the Saints Essay Example for Free

Lives of the Saints Essay In Shakespeares Hamlet and Nino Ricci’s Lives of the Saints both demonstrate different visions of women. Comparing weak and indecisive women in Hamlet as to strong and independent women in Lives of the Saints. Ophelia in Hamlet is characterized many times as a weak women especially in the quote, â€Å"frailty thy name is woman.† She is completely dependent on her father and proves her dependence when she acts cruel to Hamlet. Which goes against her true feelings toward Hamlet. Afterwords Ophelia agrees to not see Hamlet anymore, â€Å" I shall obey my lord.† Which shows Polonious’s control over his daughter. Ophelia’s actions show that she will do anything to please her father, even making a personal sacrifice which she doesn’t agree with. Ophelia’s desire to please her father leads her to be used as a puppet in order for the King and Polonious to spy on Hamlet, Ophelia’s willingness to spy on a person she truly loves, shows her true nature toward her father. Even when Hamlet harasses Ophelia and tells her to go to a nunnery, Ophelia had the inability to defend herself. When her father passes on, Ophelia is left by herself, with no one to give her guidance. Instead of trying to move on with her life, she calls for her brother hoping he will have a plan for her, â€Å"My brother shall know of it and so I thank you for your good counsel.† Polonious’s was irreplaceable and finally Ophelia realizes this â€Å" I would give you some violets, but they withered all when my father died.†The significance of the violets are that they symbolize faithfulness and they all died because she felt useless without her father. Ophelia’s death is in result of her dependence and weakness of character.Overall, Ophelia goes mad because she has no position in society. Men have continuously ordered her around, used her, pulling her mind in every direction. She put her faith in one person and never made her own decisions. Similar to Ophelia is Gertrude. She is also characterized by the quote, â€Å"frailty thy name is woman.† Gertrude depends on her husband. Gertrude longing for the attention that she loses when her husband dies, quickly marries Claudius, her husbands brother. Shakespeare displays that women have no back bone and our weak. As if they could not live with out others, men especially. Nino Ricci demonstrates a whole different side of women, he shows that women are strong and independent. The character that illustrates these qualities is Cristina, she raised her child Vittorio alone. Unlike the women in Hamlet, Cristina didn’t need a man to help her raise her child or to get through life. When her son gets beat up at school, she doesnt just ignore it. She takes physical action about the situation Ill make her pay for this, Vittorio, youll see, by the blood of Christ Ill make her pay. The wiping at some tears in her own eyes, she took me suddenly by the hand and marched me out the door into the street. (107). Cristina is defiantly not a pushover and stands up for what she believes in. She lives in a village where the women stay at home and the men work out in the field and everyone believed in strange superstitions. Cristina was against her village’s expectations and went against what everyone thought. Cristina is outspoken and self-assured. She has a feminist point of view and is vey confident in it, she says â€Å" He’s probably slept with every whore in America by now, but for me its a disgrace. (154)†. Cristina is explaining about her husband Mario but it is also a statement in general about men. Guys can go around going from girl to girl to girl and its not a problem. But if a women were to do the same thing, even if it was just with one guy its an absolute disgrace. This book was based in 1960 and the same sentence could apply to 2012. Also has significance to the text because she had an affair and the whole town found out, which then they treated her with disgu st. Cristina also states â€Å"Women have had their faces up their asses for too long, they let their men run around like goats and then they’re happy if they don’t come home and beat them! (154)† It is demeaning that women are seen as whores when they have affairs, especially when its said by other women. They’re oppressing their own gender when saying it. She finally decides to move away and says her final words to the village â€Å" You are the ones who are dead,not me, because not one of you knows what it means to be free and to make a choice, and I pray to God that he wipes this town and all its stupidities off the face of the earth! (184)† Most women wouldn’t have spoke there mind, especially a woman like Ophelia or Gertrude. Cristina constantly fought with her father and always disagreed â€Å"Long arguments were carried on daily between kitchen and bedroom, tension hovering around.(154).† She finally got fed up with living with her father and hearing his opinion she said â€Å" Then to hell with all of you! I’ll go to Rome, Naples, anywhere.† She had the courage and strength to leave her father and start a life somewhere else, mean while Ophelia couldnt last a couple days with out her father and killed her self. Nino Ricci illustrates women to be outspoken, independent and powerful. In the end of each story both women characters die. The difference is the way they lived their life. Cristina at least lived her life, standing up for what she believe in and having her own opinion. As for Ophelia lived a lie, as she was a spineless imbecile always doing what others told her to do and had a pathetic death. Shakespeare and Nino Ricci may have very different vision on women but at the same time they are both very accurate views.

The Biggest Cause Of Waste On Building Sites Construction Essay

The Biggest Cause Of Waste On Building Sites Construction Essay One of the major problems in the construction industry is the wastage of materials. The construction industry generates more waste than the household sector and can account for more than 50% of the deposited material in a typical landfill. Construction waste can be separated into three major categories: material, labour and machinery waste (Ekanayake and Ofori 2000). Material waste however is a greater concern as it is extremely expensive and is made up of non-renewable resources. According to H Lau (2008), large amounts of material wastes are generated from construction sites. Great amounts of costs on construction projects are directly increased through the wastage of materials. Construction waste is an international problem as In the UK construction waste results for more than 50% of waste deposited in a landfill (Ferguson et al. 1995) and according to Rogoff and Williams (1994) 29% of solid-waste in the USA consisted of construction waste. Levels of waste within the construction industry need to be reduced for environmental and financial reasons. The current unrestrained use of natural resources and the pollution levels resulting thereof are becoming unsustainable (Chong, Tang Larsen 2001) Waste management is a low project priority and there is a lack of appropriate resources and incentives to support it (Loosemore, 2001). Judging by the aforementioned statement one can already assume that waste management is something contractors are not too keen on. The minimising and disposal of waste has become one of the most significant environmental issues of recent years, especially as the total volume of available landfill is decreasing (Institute of civil engineers). A landfill can be defined as a method of solid waste disposal in which refuse is buried between layers of dirt with the aim to fill in or retain low-lying ground. One can clearly assume that sometime in the future landfill space will eventually run out. This is indeed a problem in Cape Town. The disposal of construction waste is becoming a major cost in construction projects. Many case studies have been done to monitor construction waste trends on construction sites and the impacts that it has on costs. In South Africa the construction industry generates an estimated 5 8 million tons of construction and demolition waste per annum. Over one million tonnes of building rubble reach landfill sites every year throughout the country (Macozoma, 2002). In order for contractors in the construction industry to be competitive, ways of minimising construction waste need to be addressed with benefits of lower construction costs and higher productivity. This can be beneficial to the contractor in terms of cost and it can assist in contractors doing their duties towards a good clean environment. Objectives of the study Aim of study: The aim of this research is to identify what is the major cause of materials wastage on site. Research Objectives: The main objective of this research is to find out what elements is causing wastage on construction projects. The research will be supported by a literature review showing the current wastage situation that the construction industry is faced with. Importance of the study According to Chang and Chen (1998) every business is started for earning profit. Waste has a negative impact on producing profit as it results in increasing expenses. One of this studies objectives is to investigate and recommend steps to eliminate wastage which will automatically reduce the companies expenses and therefore increase its profit. When materials are damaged and cannot be used for its intended purpose it is considered to be a waste. This leaves the material useless with no other alternative but to dispose of it. All this waste eventually adds to the already increasing negative statistics concerning construction waste. Many contractors fail to adopt a proper controlling procedure as they see it as an expensive and time consuming process (Illingworth Thain 1987). The approach has been that it is more efficient to allow losses to occur than to involve the use of extra resources to control them. Contractors require some sort of incentive to enable them to be more motivated when it comes to monitoring waste on site. 1.5 Research design and methodology The method of research to be used for this investigation will be in the form of qualitative and quantitative research. Qualitative data will be gathered from interviews taken to determine the nature of the problems with regards to construction waste and what contractors are doing to control it from competent staff in the building industry. A literature review will be done by gathering information from various textbooks, the Internet, web pages and journals etc relating to the research topic. All interviews will have pre-determined questions which were formulated before the interview, without the individual knowing about them, so as to effectively use the time. Quantitative data will also be obtained by sending out a questionnaire to various construction companies in Cape Town. The results will then be recorded and various graphs and charts will be drawn up to represent the data collection process. 2: Literature review 2.1 Construction waste It is important to understand the concept of construction waste. Listed below are definitions of waste. 2.1.1 Definitions: According to Mossman (2009) Material waste can be defined as anything that is not required to create value for the end-user. Waste can also be defined as an excessive use or carelessness of material (Chandler 1978). Construction and demolition waste means non-hazardous waste resulting from the construction, repair and demolition of structures. 2.1.2 Types of waste Construction and demolition waste can be categorised into five categories, namely roadwork material, excavated soil, demolition waste, site clearance waste and renovation waste (Alarcon 1995). It also results from natural disasters such as earthquakes and tornadoes. Construction and waste includes but is not limited to concrete, bricks, asphalt, glass, carpeting, roofing, site clearance, excavation material and site sweepings. Waste such as timber, plastics and steel should be recycled as they form majority of the waste material 2.1.2.1 Direct waste: According to Skoyles (1987) this type of waste is the physical loss of a material. It is the complete loss of materials which are damaged and cannot be repaired or used. Below are forms in which direct waste occurs: Deliveries waste comprises all loses in transit to the site, unloading and placing into the initial storage. Site storage and internal site transit waste comprise losses due to bad stacking and initial storage, including movement and unloading around the site to stack at the work place or placing into position. Conversion waste comprises losses due to cutting uneconomical shapes, e.g. timber and sheeted goods. Fixing waste comprises materials dropped, spoiled or discarded during the fixing operation. Cutting waste include losses caused by cutting materials to size and to irregular shapes. Application waste includes materials such as mortar for brickwork, paint spilled or dropped during application. Similarly, materials left in containers or cans that are not resealed. Mixed materials like mortar and plaster left to harden at the end of the working day. Waste due to the incorrect type or quality of materials. This includes waste stemming from materials wrongly specified, waste due to errors, particularly in the bills of quantities and specification. 2.1.2.2 Indirect waste: Indirect waste is distinguished from direct waste in that the materials are not usually lost physically only the payment or part or the whole of the value. Indirect waste is normally only a monetary lost and can be referred to as materials used for purposes other than that for which they were ordered (Skoyles 1987). Below are forms in which indirect waste occurs: Substitution, where materials are used for purposes other than those specified. Production waste, where materials are used in excess of those indicated or not clearly defined in contract documents, e.g. additional concrete in trenches, which are dug wider than was designed, because no appropriately sized digger bucket is available. Operational waste, where materials are used for temporary site work for which no quantity or other allowances have been made in the contract documentation, e.g. tower-crane bases, site paths, temporary protection. Negligent waste, where materials are used in addition to the amount required by the contract owing to the contractors own negligence 2.1.2.3 Natural waste: Natural wastes are wastes which cannot be avoided and is therefore inevitable. Cuttings required for tiles and timber and resulting in unusable material or off cuts are examples of natural waste. (Skoyles 1987) 2.1.3 Causes of building waste on site Waste is generally caused by a series of events and not due to a remote aspect (Skoyles and Hassey 1974). Guthrie (1998) mentions however that wastage of material can be directly involved to one of the following: damage and spillage, contamination, storage beyond expiry date, over supply, out of specification, theft and vandalism. There are many contributory factors and theses factors are outlined in the diagram below: Figure 2.1: the origin of waste (Department of Civil and Building Engineering) Low and Tan (1997) states that construction waste can be classified into seven types: Transportation and storage Over-production Delays Unnecessary processing Surplus inventory Unnecessary movement Defects Table 2.1 sources and causes of construction waste (Gavilan and Bernold 1994) Source Cause Design Error in contract documents Design Contract documents incomplete at commencement of construction Design Changes in design procurement Ordering error and over ordering procurement Suppliers error Materials handling Damaged during transportation to site Materials handling Inappropriate storage Operation Error by tradesmen or labourer Operation Equipment malfunction Operation Inclement weather Operation accidents Operation Damage caused by subsequent trades Operation Use of incorrect material Residual Conversion waste from cutting uneconomical shapes Residual Off cuts from cutting material to length Residual Over mixing of material due to lack of knowledge Residual Waste from application process Residual packaging Other Criminal waste due to damage or theft Other Lack of onsite materials control and waste management planning 2.1.3.1 Theft and vandalism 2.1.3.1.1 Theft According to Skoyles (1987) criminal activities cause waste. The construction industry in South Africa is constantly challenged with the high crime rate in our country and theft is an everlasting setback from staff on site to the public off site. Theft has a huge impact on time, money and productivity because material has to be reordered and more money has to be given out for the purchase of new material (K Brulliard 2005). Criminal waste is inevitable and the cost of extra security has an additional cost on the contract sum. Contractors must establish their own security measures like taking more caution and recording any irregular activities. 2.1.3.1.2 Vandalism The construction project is most vulnerable to vandalism during the finishing stages. Graffiti artist and children tend to play a big role in vandalism which ranges from breaking windows to spray painting freshly painted walls. Vandalism is an international problem, even occurring in the Soviet Union (Skoyles 1987). There are two types of vandalism namely: intentional and unintentional. Intentional vandalism is hard to prevent as these are people who get pleasure out of ruining other peoples property but boosting up security should sort out the issue. To prevent acts of unintentional vandalism tougher and stronger material should be used that resist damage like special paints and glazes to resist scratches (Skoyles 1987). 2.1.3.1.3 Principal points to control criminal waste Cause Preventative measures Minor items stolen Keep all valuable goods in lockable storage and keep a record of all materials withdrawn. Theft Control access to site and prohibit strangers from entering. Vandalism Make sure there is security during work and after work. Prevent items from being accessible which are vulnerable to vandalism. Trespass: By public Keep boundaries defined. By children Advise schools of how dangerous building sites are. By builder Ensure drawings and setting out are carefully checked near boundaries and make sure deliveries are supervised and always placed on site. Table 2.2 Skoyles (1987) As soon as graffiti is noticed it should be removed to prevent encouragement of further graffiti. After hour security should be hired to prevent any unauthorized entry. No Trespassing signs should be put up around the construction site to daunt unauthorized entry. 2.1.3.2 Sub-contractors Many main contractors are adopting a new attitude towards sub-contracting a large portion of their work so that their work load can be decreased. According to Costantino (2001) main contractors sub-contract a large portion of their work to cut down on the high overhead expenses which is needed to manage a large work force. There are two types of sub-contractors the first one is labour only sub-contractor. They are groups of artisans and labourers and are usually employed by the main contractor to undertake labour intensive work such as brickwork, plastering and formwork. The second category of sub-contractors performs specialist work on site such as the construction of piles and installation of escalators or lift systems (Wong, 1990). Sub-contractors are usually employed to provide labour only on a job. This type of sub-contractor is called a labour only sub-contractor as they will be providing labour and the main contractor will provide the material required. It is therefore imperative for the main contractor to have control over the sub-contractors usage of material and to encourage the sub-contractor to have a wasteful attitude. Since large portions of the main contractors work are being sub-contracted, sub-contractors are therefore to blame for wastage. Sub-contractors see waste minimization activities as an extra workload and are seemed to be irrelevant (Lingard et al. 2004). The main contractor is the principal player and must set a good example of waste minimisation by motivating an attitude which puts reuse and recycling in use (Ofori and Ekanayake, 2003). Material planning and waste control policies should be included in the invitation for sub-contracts to cover the main contractor from any risk caused from waste (Skoyles and Skoyles 1987). Disciplinary clauses should be inserted to prevent and discourage wastage from labour only sub-contractors. Wasted materials are wasted profits and waste concerns everyone involved from the client and contracts director to the sub-contractor and labourer. Providing adequate training for sub-contractors will improve their attitude to minimize waste and will lead to more efficient and productive waste minimization. The contractor will by incur a small expense from the training but will gain a large return as the construction process proceeds. 2.1.3.2.1 Most common causes of waste by sub-contractor and effect on building operations. Labour only sub-contractor 1 Waste of materials causes profit loss to main contractor 2 Waste causes delay to sub-contract operations 3 May become liable if penalizing clauses used Labour and material sub-contractor 1 Loss to business for material wasted 2 Delay and consequential waste to own and contractors work 3 Can add to waste accumulating on site and therefore adding to contractors waste 4 May be liable for penalizing clauses in sub-contract for consequential waste, particularly damage to other trades Table 2.3 Skoyles and Skoyles 1987 2.1.3.3 Design A building is designed without any consideration of the method of construction being used. The size of materials is not taken into consideration and a vast amount of wastage results from cutting and excess use of materials (Skoyles and Skoyles 1987). It is recommended that designers should prepare designs which have less potential to cause site waste (Ekanayake and Ofori 2000). One of the major contributors to waste is the change in design while construction has already commenced. It is therefore imperative for the parties involved in the construction and design to co-operate closely to avoid any unnecessary waste related to design issues (Ekanayake and Ofori 2000). Wasteful practice should start in the design stage already by specifying materials that will reduce the amount of wastage and also resist any harmful activities against vandalism and theft. Designers should educate themselves with the sizes and lengths materials come in so that unnecessary cuttings will not occur (Skoyles and Skoyles 1987). 2.1.3.4 Manufacturers Most of materials are manufactured in standard sizes and comes in standard packaging. Materials should be manufactured in such a manner that it is in favour of the contractor. A typical example is cement, this product comes in a 50kg bag which most labour find extremely tricky to handle. This product is extremely heavy and strenuous handling results in the packaging being damaged and the product being wasted. Suppliers should give the end users necessary knowledge on how to handle, store and transport their products (Skoyles and Skoyles 1987). Mehta (2008) states that a large amount of waste results directly from the packaging the material is stored in and more environmental friendly packaging should be used which can be used on site after the goods are unpacked. Materials are usually damaged when they are delivered because buyers do not state the requirements. When material is transported it should be protected against rain or dirt from the road. Careful checking should be taken when materials are delivered and any damaged goods should be reported immediately. Manufacturers can reduce waste by: Placing appropriate protection around materials. Sizes of bags of cement to made available for easier handling. Metal banded goods to be protected from the weather Delivery vehicles to be designed to guarantee that materials will be protected during transit. Loaded vehicles should Have less loose material delivered. 2.1.3.5 Storage and handling Skoyles (1978) identified that storage and handling were the major causes of waste. Majority of the labour in the construction industry are unskilled. Unskilled labour is available at abundance as the country is currently faced with a recession and people are desperate for work. The availability of this cheap unskilled labour has a major impact on construction wastage. Poor workmanship and incorrect use of tools are key factors which contribute to wastage. Skilled tradesmen are less cautious about wastage as they can rely on the unskilled labour to clean up after them. Proper site supervision should be instituted at all construction sites to encourage workers to minimize wastage. Workers should be trained to make use of building materials effectively and efficiently. A well trained employee should be given the responsibility of keeping control of all materials. Storage facilities should be well managed and correct inventory list must constantly be attended to. The location of the storage area is vital to avoid double handling and travelling long distances to the place of work. There should be sufficient space at storage areas to accommodate for all the materials. Expensive materials should be stored in a lockable room to prevent theft and material should be stored in such a manner to prevent any damage. Material with a high value should not be stored on the job site any longer than necessary. 2.1.3.6 Delivery of materials All deliveries should be thoroughly checked for any shortages or damages. It is important for deliveries to be properly planned to reduce the risk of materials laying around that will only be used in the future. Contractors should make use of appropriate material delivery planning systems. Copies of the schedules should be kept on site to assist site management in the control of materials. Proper material delivery management will eliminate double handling and reduce wastage dramatically. Expensive materials should be delivered only when it is required on site. 2.1.3.7 Site security Access points to the site should always be locked and controlled. All access points should have gates so that it can be locked after hours. There should always be someone monitoring the access points to restrict any unauthorised entry. Lighting the site is very useful. Thieves are generally more comfortable in the dark and by lighting up the site the public will be able to see if any criminal activities are taking place A good fenced site will reduce the risk of theft and vandalism dramatically. Barb wire on top of the fence will secure the site even further. 2.1.4 Summary of literature review It is inevitable for a Construction company to produce waste. Identifying and categorizing the types and causes of waste help in minimization. It is important to enlist the cooperation of all parties involved in the construction project because they are the parties using the construction materials. Through proper planning and control, material wastage can be minimized without compromising on quality and time of completion. 2.2 Construction waste management 2.2.1 Introduction to waste management In terms of Schedule 5B of the Constitution of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996), waste management is a local government proficiency that must be executed to protect human and environmental health (Constitution, S.24). Macozoma (2006) stated that 40% of a countrys waste is contributed by the construction industry and 15% of materials purchased ends up as waste. Waste dumping has huge effects like filling landfills and damaging the environment. It is vital for construction companies to get involved with waste management so that pollution levels, natural resources and energy can be reduced. The key component in waste management is waste minimisation (WBDG 2010). The definition of waste minimisation is: any activity that can prevent the amount, supply and environmental impact of waste (City of Cape Town 2010). The following are benefits from waste minimisation (Camm and Nuttall 1995): Reducing the amount of landfill space Saving natural resources Saving energy Minimizing pollution 2.2.2 What is a waste management plan? According to Macozoma (2002) it is a plan that gives the guidelines and conditions to how waste should be handled and managed on site. Waste management should not only be the contractors responsibility but everyone involved in the project. A typical waste management plan will contain the following fundamentals: Waste management goals Waste prevention strategies Waste salvage strategies Material storage strategies Recycling methods A waste audit Waste disposal options Waste handling requirements Transportation requirements The following are benefits from good waste management practice (Clacksweb 2010): Decrease in disposal costs Decrease in waste transportation costs Increase in the reuse of materials Decrease in levels of material wastage 2.2.3 Why construction wastes management? The following are answers generated from Oikos (2010) 2.2.3.1 Cost By re-using materials you are cutting down cost by not purchasing new materials and you are therefore increasing your profits. 2.2.3.2 Efficiency Material should be salvaged to prevent ordering of new materials. 2.2.3.3 Resource Conservation Contractors can conserve natural resources by recycling their wastage materials. 2.2.3.4 Liability Contractors should take responsibility by getting rid of their waste through legal sources 2.2.3.5 Marketing Contractors who make use of waste management planning will have a positive situation in the market. 2.2.4 Summary of literature review Construction waste management planning is vital to the construction industry and to the environment. By applying waste manageable construction pollution levels will drop and contractors will reap the benefit of producing larger profits. South Africa is a growing country and should follow first world countries by adapting to waste management. 3: Fieldwork 3.1 Introduction The design of the data collection was undertaken in two parts. In Part one a questionnaire was drawn up based on the literature review and part in part two personal interviews were done to establish further information in concluding this research. 3.2 Questionnaire A questionnaire was drawn up relating to Table 1.1 sources and causes of construction waste (Gavilan and Bernold 1994). The questionnaire had 15 short questions which had to be rated on a scale of one to five. One was were the person strongly agreed and five was were the person strongly disagreed. The person who under took the questionnaire had to state their job title in order to get results from competent staff. The questionnaires were sent via email to 25 building companies in Cape Town out of the 25 companies only 22 responded. The data is therefore a representation of only 22 companies opposed to 25. (Refer to appendix A for copy of the questionnaire) 3.2.1 Questionnaire response 22/25*100=88% response to questionnaire The response received is more than sufficient. A failure to respond rate was targeted at 20% and an actual failure to respond rate of 12% was achieved. 3.2.2 Position of Respondents who under took the questionnaire This was vital because the questionnaire was designed for competent staff to fill out. Chart 3.2 Respondents positions According to the results received all the questionnaires were filled out by competent staff and all the questionnaires can be used for the data collection process. Quantity surveyors: 9/22*100=41% Site managers: 7/22*100=32% Contracts manager 2/22*100=9% Buyer: 2/22*100=9% Contracts director: 1/22*100=4.5% Foreman: 1/22*100=4.5% 3.2.3 Data analysis Chart 3.3 Survey response Table 3.1 Data recorded 1-strongly agree 2-agree 3-neutral 4-disagree 5-strongly disagree question 1 16 4 2 question 2 15 2 3 2 question 3 4 8 2 6 2 question 4 11 1 7 2 1 question 5 12 6 4 question 6 2 6 12 2 question 7 2 9 9 2 question 8 4 2 6 7 3 question 9 4 10 6 2 question 10 1 9 7 5 question 11 2 4 7 8 1 question 12 3 5 11 3 question 13 7 7 8 question 14 4 3 5 6 4 question 15 2 3 14 3 3.2.3.1 Analysis of questions Question 1 73% of the respondents felt that errors in the contract documents caused wastage. Question 2 68% of the respondents strongly agreed that a variation in the contract causes wastage. Question 3 Only 54% of the respondents thought that a lack of waste management planning causes wastage. Question 4 50% of the respondents believed sub-contractors have a major influence on wastage. Question 5 0% of the respondents disagreed that cutting of standard material to sizes causes waste. Question 6 54% of the respondents had a neutral feeling that vandalism and theft influences waste. Question 7 50% of the respondents believed proper storage has an effect on waste. Question 8 45% of the respondents disagreed that security could minimize waste. Question 9 63% of the respondents believed unskilled labour influences waste. Question 10 54% of the respondents believed that are not any waste caused from the transportation of material from the suppliers. Question 11 40% of the respondents disagreed that waste is caused due to machinery malfunctioning. Question 12 50% of the respondents had a neutral feeling that waste could be resulted from the lack of waste minimization training on site. Question 13 The sum of 5% of the respondents felt that over ordering influenced waste. Question 14 45% of the respondents believed over production causes waste. Question 15 63% of the respondents had a neutral feeling to waste minimization being of any importance. 3.2.3.2 Ranking of questions A ranking of the questions was done in order to clearly illustrate the main cause of waste according to the questionnaire. Neutral answers were ignored and strongly agree and agree were joined together to form yes and strongly disagree and disagree were joined together to form no. Table 3.2 Ranking of questions yes no total Question 1 20 0 20 Question 5 18 0 18 Question 2 17 2 19 Question 9 14 2 16 Question 3 12 8 20 Question 4 12 <

Who Is To Blame? :: essays research papers

Throughout the Elizabethan Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet there have been key people responsible for the two young lovers' deaths. The main reasons for the death of these two fine individuals may be found on the consciences of the people surrounding them both. It may also be the feud. between their families, and the well-meaning but misguided assistance of others? Before all of this may by judged, we must think if this was nothing but fate that brought these two lustful teens to their deaths.Before the facts may be stated, I must first introduce the main people that may have had a powerful effect on Romeo or Juliet. The friends of Romeo, Merutio and Benvolio, are slightly to blame. Benvolio, the peace maker, may have tried to help but most likely he wasn't to blame. Mercutio, the mean prankster, was largely responsible for the death of himself and Tybalt. Mercutio was the main reason for Romeo's anger toward Tybalt. The main person responsible for Romeo's death was most likely Friar Lewernce. He was the person that took these too newly met, lustful children into their marriage. Since the two children were married so soon and at such a young age, this made them very unable to make their own important decisions. This can be proved about Romeo when he was banished he bellowed like a little baby. The nurse had to make young Romeo act like a man just to think about Juliet instead of just himself. The main reason for the Friar's decision to make the two be married is because this may help their families stop fighting. In the end this was proven to be indispensably the motivation for the two kids to kill themselves.Numerous individuals were accountable for the death of Juliet. The main people that were responsible for this happening were the nurse and lady Capulet. The nurse, being a blabbermouth out spoken person, was most responsible for her death. She never acknowledged that maybe Juliet wasn't ready for this immense of a step in her life. The nurse never took any responsibility for her deadly actions for Juliet. In Act two-Scene four the nurse warns Romeo to be true to Juliet.

Literary Analysis Of The Red D Essay -- essays research papers

Literary Analysis of â€Å"The Masque of the Red Death† In the story, The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe, the author tries to create a specific atmosphere to emphasize the action within the story. The setting of the story immensely helps to create this atmosphere. Poe’s descriptive setting aids in creating the atmosphere of the story by developing mood, evoking feelings from the reader, and creating a false sense of security.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The setting of The Masque, which Poe effectively and thoroughly illustrates, helps to create a desired atmosphere by developing the mood of the story. Poe describes the masque as â€Å"a gay and magnificent revel† in which â€Å"the prince had provided all the appliances of pleasure.† This creates a joyous and blissful mood, and shows that the masque, for the most part, was a rather jubilant occasion. However, Poe also illustrates how a gigantic ebony clock, located in the westernmost apartment of the abbey, causes â€Å"the giddiest to grow pale† with the sound of a loud, deep, and rather peculiar note when the clock strikes each hour. The â€Å"uneasy cessation of all things† resulting from the sound of the clock creates an unpleasant and apprehensive mood, directly opposite from the joyful mood described earlier. These descriptive settings of the clock and the rest of the masque are what assists in creating a desired atmosphere throu ghout the story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another key element of how the setting affects the at...

The Knights of Labor Essay -- Labor Issues

The Knights of Labor represented the pinnacle of the up lift labor movement. They, at one time, had membership that numbered in the hundreds of thousands and nearly hit a million members. This organization was unique in its time because it espoused many of the ideals we hold today as statutory for an ethical and equitable society as well as employee and employer relationships. The Knights of Labor did not begrudge industry or capitalism, moreover they were less of a concern than the organization’s larger goal to protect and promote social equity in labor and society, for the common man. The organization was distinctive for is time. There were other labor unions, but the Knights supported trade craftsmen, common laborers, and worked for the well being of both. According to Dessler (2011) â€Å"the Knights of Labor had engaged in a class struggle to alter the form of society, and thereby get a bigger chunk of benefits for its members† (p.544-545). In contrast the American Federation of Labor (AFL) concentrated on practical concerns. â€Å"Samuel Gompers aimed to reach the same goal by raising day-to-day wages and improving working conditions† (Dessler, 2011, p. 545). Rituals and rites, secrecy, and a belief that labor was a key component to the industry of the country and as such should also have a voice in the organizations, community, and country the supported the ideas of their organization. The preamble of the constitution of the Knights of labor spells out the main goals of the organization. According to Kaufman 2001, The Knights listed their principal aims as to bring within the folds of organization every department of productive industry, to secure to the toilers a proper share of the wealth that they create, to educate wo... ... of Labor Unions in Labor Markets. In R. C. Free (Ed.), 21st Century Reference Series. 21st Century Economics (Vol. 1, pp. 163-172). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Reference. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.library3.webster.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX1700400026&v=2.1&u=edenweb_main&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w Dessler, G. (2011). Human resource management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Kaufman, J. (2001). Rise and Fall of a Nation of Joiners: The Knights of Labor Revisited. Journal of Interdisciplinary History, 31(4), 553. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/ stable/206859 Kemmerer, D., & Wickersham, E. (1950). Reasons for the growth of The knights of labor in 1885-1886. Industrial & Labor Relations Review, 3(2), 213-220. Retrieved from http:// library3.webster.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost. com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sih&AN=6447264&site=ehost -live