Pros and Cons of being Malleable

Clay might be more related to the word malleable instead of metal. The word malleability is defined mostly as the property of metal to be shaped into the craftsman’s design.The same word can be attributed to humans but has different meanings. Malleable (in human terms) can either mean being able to adapt to changes or the trait of being influenced easily. This paper discusses about the implications of being malleable as it relates to personality.Pros of being MalleableCharles Darwin should change his theory on evolution. Survival is not about who the strongest specie is, rather, survival is about who can adapt easily to changes in the environment. The positive side of being malleable means that a person can get through with any obstacle that he or she faces.A malleable person can simply ‘contort’ his or her personality to suit the changes that happen in his or her life. Whatever these obstacles are, being malleable allows us to come up with different strategies on how we can cope with the changes. A malleable personality means that we are capable of dealing with difficult people or circumstances.We may need to adjust to avoid conflict with other people. It does not necessarily mean that we have to change, remember, the definition of malleability is not to change entirely but to bend. Sometimes, people with culture alien from us become part of our lives, in work, school, or even in the family, anywhere in the society that has some sort of connection with us.As a sign of respect, we may have to restrain ourselves from speaking out loud about certain practices that we might find weird or even wrong. This does not mean that we are changing for them. It just means that we are willing to tolerate (at a certain extent) unfamiliar customs. Being malleable would come in handy on travels abroad.Another instance when being malleable might come in handy is during tough times, it may be financially or emotionally. During times of ‘financial drought ’ learning how to adjust is vital. Cutting unnecessary expenses is one way of adjusting.Old habits that use money need to be cut. In an emotional sense, adjusting to a new environment is also vital. An outsider has to learn the norms of the new environment if he or she is to move to that new environment. The outsider may have to overcome language barriers, and other aspects of culture.Cons of MalleabilityVirtually everything has cons, in this case, a negative definition. One definition of malleability is the trait of being controlled or influenced easily. This definition of malleability means that we let others control our decisions, and therefore our lives.Some people are too malleable that they hardly make decisions on their own. They allow themselves to be the puppet of others, doing whatever the strings of the puppeteer tells them too. This negative definition of malleability makes a person loose his or her identity because what defines us are the decisions we make in our livesConclusionLike most things, being malleable has its pros and cons. Being malleable can either mean we can adjust easily to life’s challenges or we let others decide for us. Adaptability is key in survival, those who can adapt the easiest survive. While being malleable means we can adjust to changes, it could also mean that we can easily be manipulated.Referenceâ€Å"malleable.† Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. 10 Nov. 2008..

Plaw 210 Memorandum of Law Essay

You asked me to answer the question, â€Å"Are the Virginia courts likely to follow the unconscionability doctrine as set out and applied in Jones v. Star Credit Corp.†, based on the opinion and rulings of previous similar cases. SHORT ANSWER The Virginia courts are highly likely to follow the unconscionability doctrine that has been set out and applied in Jones v. Star Credit Corp. The Jones purchased a freezer unit from Star Credit Corp for $900, three times the retail value of the unit. In this case, the court held that the contract between parties was unconscionable because it violated [HN2] U.C.C.  § 2-302 (1964), which is set in place to prevent the oppression and unfair surprise of the consumer. Jones v. Star Credit Corp., 298 N.Y.S.2d 1 (Sup. Ct. 1969) The U.C.C.  § 2-302 (1964) enacted the moral sense of the community into the law of commercial transactions. Jones v. Star Credit Corp., 298 N.Y.S.2d 1 (Sup. Ct. 1969) There was no fraud involved in this case. Jones v. Star Credit Corp., 298 N.Y.S.2d 1 (Sup. Ct. 1969) [HN6] U.C.C.  § 2-302 explains that the meaningfulness of choice essentials to the making of a contract can be negated by a gross inequality of bargaining power. Jones v. Star Credit Corp., 298 N .Y.S.2d 1 (Sup. Ct. 1969) Since the salesman was aware of the plaintiff’s limited financial funds, and coerced them into signing the agreement, then that agreement is deemed unconscionable under this law. Jones v. Star Credit Corp., 298 N.Y.S.2d 1 (Sup. Ct. 1969) ANALYSIS 1. Jones v. Star Credit Corp. Standard of Unconscionability Plaintiffs Clifton Jones and his wife, both welfare recipients, purchased a $900.00 home freezer unit, with a maximum retail value of $300.00, for a total of $1,234.80. Jones v. Star Credit Corp., 298 N.Y.S.2d 1 (Sup. Ct. 1969) Their income is grossly unequal to the salesman. Jones v. Star Credit Corp., 298 N.Y.S.2d 1 (Sup. Ct. 1969) The total price of the home freezer unit included the credit charges, credit life insurance, credit property insurance, and  sales tax. Id. Their first payment towards this unit was $619.88. Jones v. Star Credit Corp., 298 N.Y.S.2d 1 (Sup. Ct. 1969) Star Credit Corp, the Defendant, claims that with the various added credit charges paid for an extension of time the Jones still owes a balance of $819.81 Jones v. Star Credit Corp., 298 N.Y.S.2d 1 (Sup. Ct. 1969) The credit charges alone exceed more than $100.00 the retail value of the unit. Jones v. Star Credit Corp., 298 N.Y.S.2d 1 (Sup. Ct. 196 9) Plaintiff argues that the sales agreement was unconscionable according to the Uniform Commercial Code, U.C.C.  §2-302 (1964), which is intended to encompass the price term of an agreement. Jones v. Star Credit Corp., 298 N.Y.S.2d 1 (Sup. Ct. 1969) As welfare recipients, the Plaintiff(s) has/have limited finances; therefore the Defendant was able to take advantage of [them]. Jones v. Star Credit Corp., 298 N.Y.S.2d 1 (Sup. Ct. 1969). This was taken into consideration, also whether or not an exploitive and callous act had taken place. Id. â€Å"The very limited financial resources of the purchaser, known to the sellers at the time of the sale, is entitled to weight in the balance. Indeed, the value disparity itself leads inevitably to the felt conclusion that knowing advantage was taken of the plaintiffs.† Jones v. Star Credit Corp., 298 N.Y.S.2d 1 (Sup. Ct. 1969). The court ruled in the Plaintiffs favor, declaring that the defendant has been amply compensated by the $600.00+ already paid. Jones v. Star Credit Corp., 298 N.Y.S.2d 1 (Sup. Ct. 1969) The court believes that the sale of a freezer unit having a retail value of $300.00 being sold for $900.00, not including credit charges and $18.00 sales tax is unconscionable as a matter of law. Jones v. Star Credit Corp., 298 N.Y.S.2d 1 (Sup. Ct. 1969) a. Derby v. Derby, 378 S.E. 2d 74 (Va. Ct. App. 1989) Sandra A Derby was seeking a divorce from her husband, George E. Derby, of 22 years. Derby v. Derby, 378 S.E. 2d 74 (Va. Ct. App. 1989) Husband filed a cross-bill on claims of his wife’s adultery, and persuasion to sign a property settlement agreement without consultation with counsel. Derby v. Derby, 378 S.E. 2d 74 (Va. Ct. App. 1989) The husband claimed he was coerced into signing the papers with a false pretense of his wife’s eventual return to the family home. Derby v. Derby, 378 S.E. 2d 74 (Va. Ct. App. 1989) In this case, Sandra A. Derby had been married to George E. Derby, Jr. for 22 years before seeking a divorce alleging cruelty. Derby v. Derby, 378 S.E. 2d  74 (Va. Ct. App. 1989) The wife managed to persuade her husband to amend their property settlement agreement, allowing her to receive the entire value of essentially all of the valuable real estate that they owned. Derby v. Derby, 378 S.E. 2d 74 (Va. Ct. App. 1989) This took place in a parking lot with no consultation or counselor present. Derby v. Derby, 378 S.E. 2d 74 (Va. Ct. App. 1989) The husband explained that he signed the agreement because he thought if he did, his wife would return to the home. Derby v. Derby, 378 S.E. 2d 74 (Va. Ct. App. 1989) Evidence of his wife’s adultery was presented at trial and the husband was granted a divorce on that ground by the trial court. Derby v. Derby, 378 S.E. 2d 74 (Va. Ct. App. 1989) The trial court also held that the separation agreement was invalid due to terms of unconscionability and constructive fraud or duress. Derby v. Derby, 378 S.E. 2d 74 (Va. Ct. App. 1989) The courts applied this rule because a contract can be deemed unconscionable if â€Å"oppressive influences affected the agreement to the extent that the process was unfair and the terms of the resultant agreement unconscionable.† Derby v. Derby, 378 S.E. 2d 74 (Va. Ct. App. 1989) Also, the separation agreement can be held as invalid because â€Å"marriage and divorce create a relationship which is particularly susceptible to overreaching and oppression.† Derby v. Derby, 378 S.E. 2d 74 (Va. Ct. App. 1989) This case applied to Jones v. Star Credit Corp. b ecause the plaintiff was taken advantage of by the defendant. Derby v. Derby, 378 S.E. 2d 74 (Va. Ct. App. 1989) The wife had knowledge of inflicted emotional distress on her husband when she coerced him to sign the agreement. Derby v. Derby, 378 S.E. 2d 74 (Va. Ct. App. 1989) The trial judge held, and the evidence supports that finding, that Mrs. Derby, â€Å"played upon the weakness of her husband and his desire to reconcile† to exact Mr. Derby. Derby v. Derby, 378 S.E. 2d 74 (Va. Ct. App. 1989) The Virginia court affirmed the order granting the divorce and invalidating the separation agreement. Derby v. Derby, 378 S.E. 2d 74 (Va. Ct. App. 1989)The court affirmed the order for divorce on grounds of adultery, also holding that the separation agreement was unconscionable due to credible evidence. Derby v. Derby, 378 S.E. 2d 74 (Va. Ct. App. 1989) b. Friendly Ice Cream Corp. v. Beckner, 597 S.E. 2d 34 (Va. 2004) In this case, Beckner and her husband entered into a commercial lease with Friendly Ice Cream Incorporation commencing in 1976 with an original term limit of 15 years. Friendly Ice Cream Corp. v.  Beckner, 597 S.E. 2d 34 (Va. 2004) Lease required annual payment of 2% of the store’s g ross earnings above $275,000. Friendly Ice Cream Corp. v. Beckner, 597 S.E. 2d 34 (Va. 2004) In 2002, Mrs. Beckner signed agreement to redevelop the property. Friendly Ice Cream Corp. v. Beckner, 597 S.E. 2d 34 (Va. 2004) Shortly after, Beckner’s son indicated concern for his mother’s actions, thus requesting the documents be considered invalid and withdrawn for further consideration. Friendly Ice Cream Corp. v. Beckner, 597 S.E. 2d 34 (Va. 2004) This is considered establishing a prima facie case of undue influence. Friendly Ice Cream Corp. v. Beckner, 597 S.E. 2d 34 (Va. 2004) If the party seeking rescission of the deed or contract produces clear and convincing evidence of great weakness of mind and grossly inadequate consideration or suspicious circumstances, and absent sufficient rebuttal evidence, is entitled to rescission of the document. Friendly Ice Cream Corp. v. Beckner, 597 S.E. 2d 34 (Va. 2004) The trial court found that Beckner suffered from â€Å"great weakness of mind† and the consideration was grossly inadequate and the transaction had taken place under suspicious circumstances; however court found no support of a grossly inadequate compensation. Friendly Ice Cream Corp. v. Beckner, 597 S.E. 2d 34 (Va. 2004) The Virginia court found, on the contrary, that the lesser, Beckner, was a business woman. Friendly Ice Cream Corp. v. Beckner, 597 S.E. 2d 34 (Va. 2004) On March 22, 2002, Ms. Beckner filed a bill of complaint against Friendly and FriendCo. Friendly Ice Cream Corp. v. Beckner, 597 S.E. 2d 34 (Va. 2004) The chancellor entered into judgment, ruling in Ms. Beckner’s favor on Count II of her Bill of Complaint-grossly inadequate consideration. Friendly Ice Cream Corp. v. Beckner, 597 S.E. 2d 34 (Va. 2004) The court reversed the trial court’s decree rescinding the amendment to the lease and requiring repayment of funds by Mrs. Beckner. Friendly Ice Cream Corp. v. Beckner, 597 S.E. 2d 34 (Va. 2004) Galloway v. Galloway, 622 S.E. 2d 267 (Va. Ct. App. 2005) Diana Ruth Galloway, former spouse, appeared before the court seeking review of the Mathews County Circuit Court’s ruling reversing the trial court’s ruling that the property settlement agreement between wife and former husband was unconscionable under Va. Code Ann.  §20-151. Galloway v. Galloway, 622 S.E. 2d 267 (Va. Ct. App. 2005) Wife failed to prove any  overreaching by the husband, even if she had been able to prove a gross disparity in the division of assets. Galloway v. Galloway, 622 S.E. 2d 267 (Va. Ct. App. 2005) Also there was no clear and convincing evidence of overreaching or oppressive behavior by the husband. Galloway v. Galloway, 622 S.E. 2d 267 (Va. Ct. App. 2005) The parties were married on June 1, 1984, and separated on October 1, 2001. Galloway v. Galloway, 622 S.E. 2d 267 (Va. Ct. App. 2005) They had neither born nor adopted children into this marriage. Galloway v. Galloway, 622 S.E. 2d 267 (Va. Ct. App. 2005) After their separation in 2001, husband brought the property settlement agreement to wife’s apartment where the wife read it and proposed no changes. Galloway v. Galloway, 622 S.E. 2d 267 (Va. Ct. App. 2005) The agreement was executed on September 29, 2001. Galloway v. Galloway, 622 S.E. 2d 267 (Va. Ct. App. 2005) The commissioner found the agreement to be unconscionable, because there was a â€Å"gross disparity† that existed between the value of the property each party would receive. Galloway v. Galloway, 622 S.E. 2d 267 (Va. Ct. App. 2005) The trial court sustained husband’s objection to the commissioner’s finding of unconscionability. Galloway v. Galloway, 622 S.E. 2d 267 (Va. Ct. App. 2005) This case relates to Jones v. Star Credit Corp in the similarity of monetary value. The freezer was worth a lot less than was priced; the Jones were unaware of the actual value of the unit. Similarly, in thi s case, the value of the property was not made known to the wife. Chaplain v. Chaplain, 682 S.E. 2d 108 (Va. App. 2009) Appellant wife, Rabha Chaplain, â€Å"challenged the order of the Circuit Court of the city of Virginia Beach (Virginia), which granted appellee husband’s motion to strike the wife’s evidence and found that the parties’ premarital agreement was not unconscionable on its face and was enforceable.† Chaplain v. Chaplain, 682 S.E. 2d 108 (Va. App. 2009) The wife had no source of income and was also foreign, having limited knowledge of English, therefore not allowing her to read or understand the agreement. Chaplain v. Chaplain, 682 S.E. 2d 108 (Va. App. 2009) She claimed that her husband had also failed to sit down and explain the terms of the agreement to her before it was executed. Chaplain v. Chaplain, 682 S.E. 2d 108 (Va. App. 2009) The wife’s native language was Arabic, having lived in Morocco until the summer of 1996. Chaplain v. Chaplain, 682 S.E. 2d 108 (Va. App. 2009) Six months after  coming to the United States to visit her brother, she met her husband. Chaplain v. Chaplain, 682 S.E. 2d 108 (Va. App. 2009) They were married on September 4, 1997. Chaplain v. Chaplain, 682 S.E. 2d 108 (Va. App. 2009) She spoke limited English and relied on a translator. Chaplain v. Chaplain, 682 S.E. 2d 108 (Va. App. 2009) Husband testified that she could read the English menu in a Chinese restaurant. Chaplain v. Chaplain, 682 S.E. 2d 108 (Va. App. 2009) Within two months of meeting, parties became engaged. Chaplain v. Chaplain, 682 S.E. 2d 108 (Va. App. 2009) The wife signed a premarital agreement â€Å"because she trusted her husband.† Chaplain v. Chaplain, 682 S.E. 2d 108 (Va. App. 2009) She had no knowledge of what the agreement held, or that it was a premarital agreement. Chaplain v. Chaplain, 682 S.E. 2d 108 (Va. App. 2009) She thought it was just â€Å"a paper for marriage†¦like [a] license or something.† Chaplain v. Chaplain, 682 S.E. 2d 108 (Va. App. 2009) This case also relates to Jones v. Star Credit Corp because the husband failed to disclose a [his] net worth to his wife prior to the execution of the agreement. He declared to his wife that he was a â€Å"poor man† and â€Å"didn’t have the money much.† Chaplain v. Chaplain, 682 S.E. 2d 108 (Va. App. 2009) Jessee v. Smith 278 S.E. 2d 793 (Va. 1981) Jessee, Plaintiff, sued store owner, Smith, seeking $2673.26 for labor pursuant to an oral contract for interior finishing work. Jessee v. Smith 278 S.E. 2d 793 (Va. 1981) The parties are disputing the method of determining the labor charge, there being evidence that the plaintiff’s oral contract aligned with the trade custom. Jessee v. Smith 278 S.E. 2d 793 (Va. 1981) The trial court held that there had been no meeting of the minds concerning the labor price and the price demanded by plaintiff was â€Å"exorbitant† and contrary to public policy. Jessee v. Smith 278 S.E. 2d 793 (Va. 1981) The Defendant, Jesse, a carpenter, testified that he was asked by Smith and by Brenda Garrett, manager of Smith’s store in Norton, if he would finish the work on the interior of the store for a price of â€Å"cost plus ten percent.† Jessee v. Smith 278 S.E. 2d 793 (Va. 1981) He declined and presented a† cost plus twenty-five percent†, explaining he would have to pay for the materials. Jessee v. Smith 278 S.E. 2d 793 (Va. 1981) Garrett called Smith at home and told him to â€Å"go ahead and start on Monday.† Jessee v. Smith 278 S.E. 2d 793 (Va. 1981) Smith refused to pay when Jessee presented  Smith with a labor bill of $2,673.26, representing 125% of the cost of the materials. Jessee v. Smith 278 S.E. 2d 793 (Va. 1981) Smith contended there had been a misunderstanding concerning the labor charge. Jessee v. Smith 278 S.E. 2d 793 (Va. 1981) The trial court moved to strike down the evidence of the oral contract. Jessee v. Smith 278 S.E. 2d 793 (Va. 1981) It also ruled the contract unenforceable on the ground of public policy. Jessee v. Smith 278 S.E. 2d 793 (Va. 1981) The judge had reasoned the labor charge was â€Å"exorbitant.† Jessee v. Smith 278 S.E. 2d 793 (Va. 1981) The courts reversed the trial court’s judgment, which dismissed the carpenter’s action against the store owner to recover under an oral contract, because they failed to submit the contract question to the jury. Jessee v. Smith 278 S.E. 2d 793 (Va. 1981) The case was remanded for a new trial, if the parties were advised to do so. Jessee v. Smith 278 S.E. 2d 793 (Va. 1981) This case is similar to Jones v. Star Credit Corp. because monetary value was an issue of controversy. The monetary value of this job was not made clear or explained properly to the Plaintiff beforehand. Conclusion Because the salesman was dishonest in his dealing with Jones, and did not reveal the actual price value of the home freezer unit, the courts will find the contract unconscionable based on previous rulings of similar cases. Jones v. Star Credit Corp., 298 N.Y.S.2d 1 (Sup. Ct. 1969) The Virginia court will apply the same standard as set forth in Jones, and will not apply any other standard. In each of these cases, people were misled into or coerced into signing a contract, when they were unsure of the terms and conditions, and were without counsel, causing the defendant to feel as if they had the upper right hand in the matter. In each case the plaintiff was left unknowing the actual monetary value of the issue, the defendant failed to reveal it. A contract is considered unconscionable when the defendant does not take the proper steps to ensure that the plaintiff is made fully aware and understands what is involved in the contract, and also the exact monetary value in the contract. So in answer to the presented question, yes, the Virginia courts are highly likely to follow the unconscionability doctrine that has been set out and applied in the Jones v. Star Credit Corp. case.

Test Bank: Introduction to Probability and Statistics

True/False Questions 1. The standard deviation of any normal random variable is always equal to one. Answer: False Type: Concept Difficulty: Easy 2. For any normal random variable, the probability that the random variable will equal one is always zero. Answer: True Type: Concept Difficulty: Medium 3. The graph of a standard normal random variable is always symmetric. Answer: True Type: Concept Difficulty: Easy 4. The formula will convert any normal distribution into the â€Å"standard normal distribution. † Answer: True Type: Concept Difficulty: Easy 5.Any normal random variable with standard deviation equal to one is a standard normal random variable. Answer: False Type: Concept Difficulty: Medium 6. The notation X – N(4, 32) indicates a normal distribution with mean 2 and standard deviation 3. Answer: False Type: Concept Difficulty: Easy 7. The total area under a normal curve is always equal to one. Answer: True Type: Concept Difficulty: Easy 8. The notation Z  œ N(0, 1) indicates a standard normal distribution. Answer: True Type: Concept Difficulty: Easy 9. The probability that a normal random variable will be within two standard deviations of its mean is approximately 0. 8. Answer: False Type: Concept Difficulty: Easy 10. The normal distribution is a continuous distribution. Answer: True Type: Concept Difficulty: Easy 11. The normal distribution can be used to approximate the binomial distribution when both np and n(1 – p) are at least five. Answer: True Type: Concept Difficulty: Easy 12. The normal distribution approximation to the binomial works best when n is large. Answer: True Type: Concept Difficulty: Easy 13. The formula can be used with both a normal and binominal distribution. Answer: True Type: Concept Difficulty: Easy Multiple Choice Questions 4. Find P(-2 < Z < 2). A)0. 9544 B)0. 4772 C)0. 9772 D)0. 6826 E)none of the above Answer: A Type: Computation Difficulty: Easy 15. Find P(-0. 5 < Z < 0. 5). A)0. 3830 B)0. 1915 C )0. 6515 D)0. 3085 E)none of the above Answer: A Type: Computation Difficulty: Easy 16. What is the probability that a standard normal variable will be between -0. 5 and 1. 00? A)0. 2857 B)0. 5328 C)0. 6687 D)0. 2500 E)none of the above Answer: B Type: Computation Difficulty: Easy 17. Find the probability that a standard normal random variable has a value greater than -1. 56. A)0. 0332 B)0. 0594 C)0. 9406D)0. 9668 E)none of the above Answer: C Type: Computation Difficulty: Easy 18. Let X be a normally distributed random variable with mean 100 and standard deviation 20. Find two values, a and b, symmetric about the mean, such that the probability of the random variable being between them is 0. 99. A)90. 5, 105. 9 B)80. 2, 119. 8 C)22, 78 D)48. 5, 151. 5 E)90. 1, 109. 9 Answer: D Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 19. A professor grades his students on a normal distribution, with mean at 75 and standard deviation of 15. If there are 39 students in his class, about how many score bet ween 80 and 90? A)5B)21 C)8 D)13 E)none of the above Answer: C Type: Computation Difficulty: Hard 20. A calculator manufacturer performs a test on its calculators and finds their working life to be normally distributed, with a mean of 2,150 hours and a standard deviation of 450 hours. What should the manufacturer advertise as the life of the calculators so that 90% of the calculators are covered? A)2,555 B)1,947 C)1,410 D)1,745 E)1,574 Answer: E Type: Computation Difficulty: Hard 21. You have two stocks: A and B. The price of each stock is normally distributed. Stock A has a mean of 25 and a standard deviation of 3.Stock B also has a mean of 25, but the standard deviation is 5. If I buy stock A at $25 and sell it on a randomly chosen day in the future (without knowing its price then), what is the probability that I will make at least $2 on each share? Answer the same for stock B. A)0. 2514, 0. 1554 B)0. 2514, 0. 3446 C)0. 2486, 0. 1554 D)0. 2486, 0. 3446 E)none of the above Answer: B Type: Computation Difficulty: Hard 22. Find two values symmetric around a mean of 20 such that they include an area equal to 0. 75. (standard deviation = 5). A)16. 65, 23. 35 B)19. 25, 20. 75 C)16. 25, 23. 75 D)14. 25, 25. 75E)none of the above Answer: D Type: Computation Difficulty: Hard 23. A spark plug manufacturer believes that his plug lasts an average of 30,000 miles, with a standard deviation of 2,500 miles. What is the probability that a given spark plug of this type will last 37,500 miles before replacement? A)0. 0228 B)0. 0114 C)0. 0013 D)0. 0714 E)0. 0833 Answer: C Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 24. Fluctuations in the exchange rate of dollars against the pound sterling over a short time period were approximated by a normal distribution with a mean of 2. 01 and a standard deviation of 0. 13.What is the probability that the rate on a particular day was more than 1. 90? A)0. 8461 B)0. 3023 C)0. 8023 D)0. 3461 E)none of the above Answer: C Type: Computation Difficult y: Medium 25. The average time it takes for a letter in the United States to reach from one place in the 48 contiguous states to another is 3. 2 days, with a standard deviation of 0. 85 days. What is the probability of a letter arriving at its destination no more than four days after mailing? Assume a normal distribution. A)0. 1736 B)0. 3264 C)0. 8264 D)0. 6736 E)0. 6528 Answer: C Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 6. The contents of a particular bottle of shampoo marked as 150 ml are found to be 153 ml at an average, with a standard deviation of 2. 5 ml. What proportion of shampoo bottles contain less than the marked quantity? Assume a normal distribution. A)0. 2192 B)0. 1151 C)0. 4452 D)0. 0548 E)none of the above Answer: B Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 27. The age of people in a town is normally distributed, with a mean of 34 years and a standard deviation of 11 years. Find two values for age that will give a symmetric 0. 95 probability interval. A)28. 78, 39. 23 B)32. 3 0, 66. 30 C)23. 55, 44. 45D)12. 44, 55. 56 E)15. 91, 51. 10 Answer: D Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 28. The weight of apples in a farm is normally distributed, with a mean of 110 grams, and a standard deviation of 15 grams. Find the probability that an apple selected at random will weigh between 95 and 105 grams. A)0. 3413 B)0. 4706 C)0. 1293 D)0. 2108 E)0. 5294 Answer: D Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 29. A grocery store has a mean accounts receivable of $264, with a standard deviation of $55. The accounts receivable are normally distributed. What proportion of all accounts will be greater than $275? A)0. B)0. 1 C)0. 4207 D)0. 0793 E)0. 0228 Answer: C Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 30. A grocery store has a mean accounts receivable of $264, with a standard deviation of $55. The accounts receivable are approximately normally distributed. Find the value such that 45% of all the accounts exceed this value. That is, find x such that: P(X > x) = 0. 45. A)$257. 13 B)$3 54. 48 C)$270. 91 D)$309. 00 E)none of the above Answer: C Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 31. The waist measurement of students in a college is normally distributed. The standard deviation is known to be five inches.It is found that 15% of the students have waist sizes less than 28 inches. What proportion of students will have waists between 30 and 35 inches? A)0. 3795 B)0. 2389 C)0. 1406 D)0. 0983 E)none of the above Answer: A Type: Computation Difficulty: Hard 32. The IQs of the employees of a company are normally distributed, with a mean of 127 and a standard deviation of 11. What is the probability that the IQ of an employee selected at random will be between 120 and 130? A)0. 2389 B)0. 3453 C)0. 1064 D)0. 1325 E)0. 4638 Answer: B Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 33.The mean life of a computer disk drive is 2,000 hours, with a standard deviation of 140 hours. Assuming the life-time of the drives to be normally distributed, find the probability of a disk-drive lasting m ore than 1,800 hours? A)0. 4236 B)0. 9236 C)0. 8472 D)0. 5764 E)0. 2118 Answer: B Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 34. The average bill for car repairs at a car service center is $196, with a standard deviation of $44. Assuming the bills to be normally distributed, find the probability of a bill exceeding $300. A)0. 4909 B)0. 0182 C)0. 9819 D)0. 1406 E)0. 0090 Answer: E Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 35.The GMAT scores of students in a college are normally distributed with a mean of 520 and a standard deviation of 41. What proportion of students have a score higher than 600? A)0. 9744 B)0. 2372 C)0. 4774 D)0. 0255 E)none of the above Answer: D Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 36. The probability that a normal random variable with mean zero and standard deviation one will equal the number 1. 00 is: A)1 B)0. 9 C)0. 3413 D)0. 1587 E)0 Answer: E Type: Concept Difficulty: Medium 37. Suppose that X is a normal random variable with mean 17 and standard deviation 10. The proba bility that the value of X will be between -2. and 36. 6 is: A)0 B)0. 90 C)a number very close to 1 D)0. 95 E)0. 99 Answer: D Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 38. Suppose that X is a normal random variable with mean 10 and standard deviation 4. Then the probability that X will be greater than 12 is: A)0. 1587 B)0. 3085 C)0. 1915 D)0. 4772 E)none of the above Answer: B Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 39. A normal random variable has a distribution that is: A)always symmetric B)never symmetric C)sometimes symmetric D)symmetric if the mean is positive E)symmetric if the variance is negative Answer: A Type: Concept Difficulty: Medium 0. The distribution of X, the number of cars sold per day, where X can be 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 is: A)sometimes normally distributed B)never normal C)always normal D)a uniform distribution E)none of the above Answer: B Type: Concept Difficulty: Medium 41. What is the probability that a normal random variable with mean 15 and standard deviation 5 will have a value of exactly 25? A)0. 0228 B)0. 0456 C)0. 9772 D)0 E)1 Answer: D Type: Concept Difficulty: Medium 42. If X is a normal random variable with mean 12 and standard deviation 2, then the probability that X will exceed 16 is? A)0. 4772 B)0. 0228 C)0. 9772 D)0 E)1 Answer: B Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 43. If X is a normal random variable with mean 15 and standard deviation 10, then the probability that X will have a negative value is: A)0. 0668 B)0. 432 C)0. 9332 D)0. 8664 E)none of the above Answer: A Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 44. If X is a normally distributed random variable with mean 16 and variance 64, the probability that the random variable will have a value between 0. 32 and 31. 68 is: A)0. 99 B)0. 90 C)0. 85 D)1 E)0. 95 Answer: E Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 45.For a normally distributed random variable with mean zero and standard deviation five, the probability that its value will be greater than -5 is: A)0. 4772 B)0. 9544 C)0. 3413 D)0. 8 413 E)none of the above Answer: D Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 46. What is the probability that a standard normal random variable is between -0. 4 and 1. 4? A)0. 3413 B)0. 4254 C)0. 5746 D)0. 2638 E)none of the above Answer: C Type: Computation Difficulty: Easy 47. All of the following are characteristics of the normal distribution, except: A)symmetric about the mean B)bell-shaped curve C)total area under the curve is always oneD)it is a discrete distribution E)probability that x is equal to any specific value is zero Answer: D Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 48. Find two values symmetric about a mean of 100, standard deviation of 10, such that they include an area equal to 0. 95. A)90, 110 B)80. 4, 119. 6 C)98. 04, 101. 96 D)70, 130 E)none of the above Answer: B Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 49. A tire manufacturer believes its tires will last an average of 48,000 miles, with standard deviation of 2,000 miles. What is the probability that one of these tires, cho sen at random, will last at least 50,000 miles?A)0. 6587 B)0. 3413 C)0. 1587 D)0. 4772 E)none of the above Answer: C Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 50. Suppose that an instructor gives an exam. This instructor wants to give those students in the top 2. 5% an A on this exam. What will the cutoff be for an A, if the average score on this exam is 80, with a standard deviation of 5? A)about 80 B)about 90 C)about 85 D)about 86 E)none of the above Answer: B Type: Computation Difficulty: Hard Use the following to answer questions 51-54: LittleAir operates a fleet of regional jets on a contract basis for a major air carrier.LittleAir's jets seat only 50 passengers, but because passengers' travel plans often change, LittleAir books up to 60 reservations for a typical flight. Booked passengers have a â€Å"no-show† probability of 0. 25. 51. Suppose LittleAir loses money if the number of passengers on a flight is less than 40. What is the probability that a randomly selected Littl eAir flight will have fewer than 40 passengers? A)0. 0367 B)0. 0505 C)0. 0681 D)0. 0901 E)0. 1492 Answer: B Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 52. What is the probability that a randomly selected LittleAir flight will be overbooked (i. . , have more passengers show up than there are seats available)? A)0. 1170 B)0. 0901 C)0. 0681 D)0. 0505 E)0. 0367 Answer: D Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 53. What is the probability that a randomly selected LittleAir flight will be full? A)0. 1170 B)0. 0901 C)0. 0681 D)0. 0505 E)0. 0367 Answer: B Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 54. Suppose LittleAir gives compensation vouchers to any passenger who is denied a seat on an overbooked flight. Because these vouchers are valuable (> $200), management would like to keep the number of them on-hand at a minimum.How many vouchers should be held at the gate such that there are enough for at least 99% of all situations? A)1 voucher B)2 vouchers C)3 vouchers D)4 vouchers E)5 vouchers Answer: C Type : Computation Difficulty: Hard Use the following to answer questions 55-57: The ski season at a popular resort destination lasts 120 days. Experience has shown that the probability of snow on any given day is 0. 55 and is independent of whether or not there was snow on the previous day. 55. What is the probability of there being more than 60 days of snow in any given year? A)0. 7967 B)0. 8438 C)0. 8643D)0. 8830 E)0. 8997 Answer: B Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 56. What is the probability of there being fewer than 55 days of snow in any given year? A)0. 0409 B)0. 0268 C)0. 0217 D)0. 0174 E)0. 0139 Answer: D Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 57. Suppose a particular hotel at this destination breaks even or makes money so long as there are at least 50 days of snow but no more than 70 days of snow. What is the probability of the hotel's losing money in any given year? A)0. 8438 B)0. 7955 C)0. 7944 D)0. 7664 E)0. 7657 Answer: B Type: Computation Difficulty: Hard 58.If, for a bi nomially distributed random variable n*p = 5 and n*(1-p) = 5, then a _____________ distribution with a mean equal to _____ and a standard deviation equal to _____ typically can be used. A)Normal; ; B)Normal; ; C)Exponential; ; D)Exponential; ; E)Hypergeometric; ; Answer: A Type: Concept Difficulty: Easy Short Answer Questions Use the following to answer questions 59-67: If x ~ N(40, 32): 59. Find p(X ; 37) Answer: 0. 8413 Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 60. Find p(X ; 47) Answer: 0. 0099 Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 61. Find p(42 ; X ; 47) Answer: 0. 415 Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 62. Find p(X ; 41) Answer: 0. 3707 Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 63. Find p(36 ; X ; 41) Answer: 0. 5375 Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 64. Find p(36 ; X ; 39) Answer: 0. 2789 Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 65. Find x1 such that: p(X ; xl) = 0. 0475 Answer: 45 Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 66. Find xl such that: p(40 ; X ; xl) = 0. 3770 Answer: 43. 48 Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 67. Find x1 such that: p(X ; x1) = 0. 0154 Answer: 33. 52 Type: Computation Difficulty: MediumUse the following to answer questions 68-69: There are two shipping routes between a plant and a distribution point. The average time by route A is 220 minutes with a standard deviation of 20 minutes. The average time and standard deviation by route B are 200 and 40, respectively. Assume the distributions of trips can be approximated by normal curves. 68. What proportion of route B trips takes longer than the average route A trip? Answer: 0. 3085 Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 69. 95% of route A trips take between what two values that are equidistant from the mean? Answer: [180. 8, 259. 2] Type: Computation Difficulty: MediumUse the following to answer questions 70-73: The amount dispensed into bottles by a machine in a ketchup plant is supposed to be normally distributed with a mean of 10 ounces and a standard deviation of 0. 5 ounce. If the machine is working properly, what is the probability that a single bottle chosen at random from the assembly line will have: 70. More than 11 ounces or less than 9. 5 ounces? Answer: 0. 1815 Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 71. Between 9. 5 and 11 ounces? Answer: 0. 8185 Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 72. What would you think if a single bottle chosen at random had less than . 5 ounces? Answer: p(x ; 8. 5) = 0. 0013, so we might conclude the machine is operating improperly. Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 73. Between what two values symmetric about the mean would you expect to find 99% of the bottles filled by the machine, if it is operating properly? Answer: [8. 712, 11. 288] Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 74. If the contents of bottles coming off a production line are normally distributed with a mean of 16 ounces and a variance of 0. 625, what's the probability of choosing a bottle at random and finding its contents to be less than 15. 1 ounces? Answer: 0. 2676 Type: Com putation Difficulty: Medium 75. A seed packet says that 90% of lettuce seedlings should be between 2 and 2. 5 inches high after 5 weeks. Assuming an average height of 2. 25 inches (and a normal distribution), what's the standard deviation of heights of 5-week-old seedlings? Answer: 0. 1520 Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium Use the following to answer questions 76-78: If the distribution of heights of mature poppy plants is normal, with a mean of 16 inches and a standard deviation of 3 inches, what proportion of the poppies will be: 76.Between 10 and 20 inches? Answer: 0. 8854 Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 77. Less than 9 inches? Answer: 0. 0099 Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 78. More than 24 inches? Answer: 0. 0038 Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 79. You are interested in the incomes of your customers. A random sample of customer incomes yields a mean income of $35,000 with a standard deviation of $4,421. A) Determine what percent of the population would have a salary above $38,000. B) What income range that is symmetric about the mean would include 95% of your customers? Answer:A) 24. 83% have incomes above $35,000. B) 95% of your customers have an income between $26,330 and $43,670. Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 80. Half of all mutual funds of a particular class charge up-front administration fees. Assuming that a random sample of 60 of these mutual funds is taken, calculate: A) The mean and standard deviation of the normal approximation of the binomial. B) The probability that no more than 40 of the mutual funds sampled charge an up-front administration fee. Answer: A) Mean = 30, standard deviation = 3. 873 B) Prob(# charging fee = 40) = 0. 9966Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 81. The owner of a 100-room hotel has discovered that his reservations team has booked 110 reservations for an upcoming weekend. Experience has shown that 10% of reservations are â€Å"no shows. † How likely is this hotel to be overbooked (i. e. , have more guests arrive than there are rooms available) for this particular weekend? Answer: 0. 3156 Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium 82. Harry Highroller likes to bet on the roulette wheel when he is in Las Vegas. Roulette wheels in Las Vegas typically have 38 spaces: 18 of them are red; 18 are black; and 2 are green.Harry's â€Å"strategy† is simple: He bets $2 on every spin, he always bets on red, and he always plays exactly 100 spins. If red comes up, Harry wins $2. If either black or green comes up, Harry loses $2. Suppose Harry has decided to play his usual strategy tonight. A) What are the mean and standard deviation of the normal approximation of the binomial in this instance? B) What is the probability that, after 100 plays, Harry will be ahead (i. e. , have more money than he started with)? Answer: A) Mean = 47. 37 and standard deviation = 4. 993 B) 0. 2643 Type: Computation Difficulty: Medium

Explain the processes involved in a space shuttles flight path Essay

Explain the processes involved in a space shuttles flight path - Essay Example The paper is aimed to present and focus on the Space Shuttle flight path which is considered as the stages of the flight missions of the craft. The Space Shuttle flight path is composed of different stages. The first stage is taking off which can be compared to a rocket. The second stage is orbiting like a satellite. The last stage then is going back to Earth and landing like a glider. These routine flights are important for different purposes such as maintenance of the Hubble Space Telescope and the International Space Station. Other missions are also related to military, scientific and commercial purposes (Barrett, 1985; Dwiggins, 1985). The main system is officially referred to as Space Transportation System (STS). It is composed of the shuttle, the launch boosters and other components. The flight path of the Space Shuttle is composed of the launch, the SRB separation, fuel tank separation, orbit, retrofire, entry, approach and landing. These stages of the flight path are enabled by the different components such as the solid rocket boosters (SRB), the external fuel tank (ET), the orbiter or the shuttle itself and the three main engines integral to the orbiter (Barrett, 1985; Dwiggins, 1985; Freudenrich, 2001). The typical routine flight path of the Space shuttle starts with getting into orbit which is composed of the launch the ascent and the orbital maneuvering burn. The said stage is followed by the orbit phase when the main objectives of the mission are undertaken such as repair and maintenance of the different spacecrafts in orbit and the delivery of crews and supplies needed. After a few days to a maximum of 14 days in orbit, the Space Shuttle will re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere again. Landing is the last stage of the mission wherein the aircraft requires the glider-like capability to be able to stay intact (Freudenrich, 2001). Launching a Space Shuttle can be considered as one of the most challenging

Columbus and Vespucci Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Columbus and Vespucci - Essay Example I recognize him for his efforts to discover and explore new lands that would eventually prove to humanity that religious persecution, warfare, and slavery can be defeated. Now, why do I least prefer Amerigo Vespucci? It is because of his cruelty to the people he discovered. It is without a doubt that he is one of the most remarkable explorers that had ever lived, but his evil deeds were terrible. His letters reveal all these cruelties. Vespucci and his comrades became very bored, doubtful, tired, and heartless to the native population. They disrespected and maltreated those who refuse to become Christians. They invaded small communities and sold indigenous people to slavery for money. They looted villages and plundered everything that will make them rich; they killed a lot of native people not only for practical and selfish reasons, but for entertainment as well. Partly because of these evil deeds, Vespucci became very controversial and

Stigmas of Mental Illness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Stigmas of Mental Illness - Essay Example Thus, it will result in a lack of understanding of the mentally ill by the society. The mentally ill, shameful of being seen as psycho, lunatic, crazy, and as a black sheep, will often stay silent about their condition which, in turn, deprives them of essential services. Evidently, there is little that has been done to educate the public of the predicaments and stigmatization that mentally ill people face (Eric, 2010). Some of the stigmas faced by the mentally ill when they disclose their conditions include rejection and ridicule at schools or workplaces, discrimination in social relationships, housing, employment as well as the rejection and ridicule on their families (Eric, 2010).The media has also been observed to exacerbate this discrimination, by presenting this illness negatively (Eric, 2010). This paper shall seek to understand the effects of adverse representations of the mentally ill. It will also show how society creates a vicious cycle of effects that leads to the mentally ill not getting the facilities that they would require to lead a happy and productive life. Through research and interviews, it will be established that some of the stigmas of mental illness include rejection and ridicule at school or work. Family members of the mentally ill are also affected with these similar rejections. Media portrays mental illness in a negative light and, thus, does not promote awareness issues. First, this study will explore how people are treated at work and school when they disclose their mental illness. Second, it will explore the impact that disclosing a mental illness has on family members. Lastly, it will explore the treatment of the media towards mental illness. A mentally ill patient faces two kinds of stigma. The most prevalent is the public stigma. This is the reaction that that the public has on the mentally ill (Corrigan & Watson, 2002). Most people with mental illness face a higher level of discrimination in western countries than

Applying Sociology to Public Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Applying Sociology to Public Practice - Essay Example Sociology is defined as the 'scientific' study of the relationship between human social organization and human behavioural processes. Its early proponents and even sociologists today believe that they can develop a scientific way of studying mankind and his social nature in the same way as natural scientists have formulated a scientific approach to explain the physical world. Fundamental to the field is the notion that the relationship between human organization and social behaviour are subject to law-like processes and forces which can be revealed thru a systematic and careful observation and study. The theoretical models of causality should also be subject to empirical tests. (James, 1996) The problem with sociology which can be observed in the article authored by Francis et al (2007) entitled "Attitude toward Christianity among secondary school pupils in Northern Ireland: shifts in denominational differences" is that sociology tends to become unscientific. Sociology attempts to understand human behaviour not thru a set of a step-by-step analysis of characteristics of individuals but on the influence of interactions among individuals. It emphasizes the social forces present in a certain group which cannot be generalized to other groups much like the way scientific laws work. Social forces cannot be observed directly but must be inferred from human behaviour. In other words, there is no assurance that an observed and analyzed social phenomenon could be applied on another set of events. For example, the case for the article can only be found in Ireland. Sociology, therefore, becomes ambiguous. There is no finality in sociological pursuits because it is subjected to change and what is much more pressing is that mechanisms are often unidentifiable. Even if it was identified, there is always the question of finality. In the article by Francis et al, one can note that there was not even an attempt to determine the mechanism which caused the change in the regard for Christianity by male and female Irish children. All they did was to determine whether there was a change without even attempting to identify whether this was expected or whether it followed some kind of process. There was not even a discussion of a theoretical background discussing the mechanism of change for religious perception. They even conveniently stated that they did not deem it proper to know the underlying cause because it was out of the limits they have set. While it is good to know that there is an improvement in religious perception, wouldn't it have been more useful if one knows what is causing the chan ge so that it may be further developed Sociology will only assume the science mantle when it shakes off its reliance on first person subjective evaluations and surveys. The article itself depends widely on previous studies for comparison and does not even provide a scale of similarity with the procedures used. Most sociologists have little or no understanding of calculus yet they often present least-squares results as with the article. Sociology is for the most part verbal rather than quantitative. (James, 1996) Competing Perspectives As can be deduced from the previous discussion, there is a tendency for sociological knowledge to become of little value. According to Levin (2006), while there are indeed sociological researches that

Globalization Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Globalization Strategies - Essay Example The simplest and easiest globalization strategy to implement is exporting. There are two types of exporting: indirect and direct export. When a company begins to use exporting to achieve globalization they implement indirect exporting. Indirect exporting involves the use of intermediaries to introduce a product into a foreign market. One of the disadvantages of indirect exporting is that the profits have to be shared with the intermediary. The second type of exporting strategy is direct exporting. Direct exporting can be implemented in several ways. Four ways to implement direct exporting are: Domestic based export department or division Overseas sales branch or subsidiary Traveling export sales representative Foreign based distributors or agents (Kotler, 2003). A second market entry strategy is licensing. Licensing is also considered a relatively easy way to achieve market penetration into a foreign marketplace. In a licensing agreement the licensor licenses a foreign company to use a manufacturing process, trademark, patent, trade secret, or other item of value for a fee or a royalty (Kotler, 2003). Due to the fact that a second party is involved in the process the profitability of this market entry strategy is lower than other options.

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Philosophy - Essay Example Sources of Knowledge Rationalism as a source of knowledge includes non-experimental sources such as logic, beliefs and mathematics. A person cannot experience any of these sources of knowledge, but can derive a sense of reality and purpose from them. Empiricism source of knowledge in the world today include acquiring information through experience such as seeing, feeling and hearing (Lemos, 2007). Non-experimental knowledge about the modern world comes from reasoning and beliefs. The knowledge in mathematics of adding two numbers such as 1+1 equals 2 is true because of the rational insight of the world around us. Non-experimental knowledge such as mathematics enables people to add money, fruits, clothes and numbers among others. Logic is using reasoning and mental capacity to find the truth about information. An example where logic applies in the modern world is trying to explain to people that men and women are mortal beings. This statement is true because everyone will die. However , the person saying or hearing this statement has not experienced the death to know that men and women are mortal beings. The last non-experimental knowledge of the world today is religious and cultural beliefs. This is the knowledge about God, the devil and ancestors spirits. People have not experienced the presence of God, the devil, heaven and hell because these are beliefs that are considered true from the Holy texts in religious books. Knowledge from experience includes experimental, introspection, memory and testimony (Lemos, 2007). Experimental knowledge thrives on perception such as seeing, feeling, tasting and touching and smelling. Scientific research and other common experiences of acquiring and assessing knowledge in the modern world involve the use of the five common... This paper approves that the major religions in the modern world include Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism and Buddhism, among others. Religion teaches that there is a powerful Supreme Being who is omnipresent and located in the heavens. The Supreme Being created man in his own likeness, the world and values to be followed and obeyed. In the contemporary society, religion is still popular because people are shopping for values, beliefs and guarantees that meet their individual needs. The most commons reasons why religious beliefs are still popular in the 21st century include marriage, diseases, life challenges and uncertainties among others. Memory is an important source of knowledge in the modern world because the mind records events and experiences that are used in future. People remember their childhood memories with their friends and project these memories to their children’s future happiness. Patients remember previous appointments to the doctor and the description of their ailments. This essay makes a conclusion that assessing knowledge in the modern society is through rationalism and empiricism, which deal with experiences and faith, respectively. Religious and scientific theories differ in their definition of reality, but they have similarities in dealing with invisible things, end of the world and seeking wisdom through extensive studies. Religion in the modern society is still popular because of the promise of heaven, virtues, cohesion, globalization and perseverance.

Gender & Sexual Studies. Joan Acker-Class Question, Feminist Answers Assignment

Gender & Sexual Studies. Joan Acker-Class Question, Feminist Answers - Assignment Example Acker uses the term to describe the general position of women and how the society has come to accept and practice the dictates of hegemonic masculinity which is an extension of the patriarchal leanings. In the book, Acker talks of the general imbalance of men and women in senior position and privileged positions within our corporations. She explains that this is no way a reflection of education but representative of hegemonic masculinity. In practice, the term implies that our society is still laden with gendered inequality. This prompts questions and effort on how such inequality can be addressed to achieve a balanced society that does not judge on gender but on ability. Beyond the book, the term can be used in creating awareness on how gender biasness has created a chasm in our society. Question 2-Means of provisioning Acker constantly uses the term provisioning to describe the activities that people engage in, mostly informal, to be able to cater for their basic needs. She cites a ctivities such as babysitting as a means of provisioning. In a wider scope, and in relation to the economy, means of provisioning appears to refer to all activities that hold the capacity to provide a means of livelihood for members of various classes within an economy. An example of how she uses the term is in her efforts to define class; in this instance she cites â€Å"class as a differing and unequal situation in access to and control over the means of provisioning and survival† (Acker 55). The term implies a struggle between classes, an effort to compete for the limited economic means which are largely beneficial in ensuring livelihood. Question 3-Corporate Nonresponsibility In Acker’s view, corporate nonresponsiblity represents a situation where modern day corporations pass on certain responsibilities, mainly survival and caring work, to households. This places greater responsibility to women who are in essence home keepers. Through corporate nonresponsibility, o rganizations relay responsibility from centers of wealth and power to those with little resources. In a large scope, Acker uses this term to bring into perspective the role of wealth centers, mainly corporations, in compounding the culture of class suppression and gender biasness. This is because these centers refuse to take on responsibilities that would otherwise grant women a favorable chance in competing for opportunities in the corporate world. In the book, Acker uses the term severally, but perhaps one situation where she draws on a practical illustration is when she notes Wal-Mart as an example of corporate nonresponsibility. She notes the corporation as a â€Å"prime example of corporate nonresponsibility mainly by turning workers into lowest cost, easily replaceable, factors of production† (Acker, 162). Question 4-Unpaid Labor/reproductive labor Unpaid labor or reproductive labor is brought to the fore in an attempt to describe the value and contribution of women to a capitalist economy. In essence, it represents labor that is actually not compensated but one that has value to the economy. An example of unpaid labor is domestic labor. In her larger argument, Acker appears to â€Å"monetize† this class of labor and also brings into perspective the idea that women are basically the victims of unpaid labor. In this context, she appears to link unpaid labor and the unfortunate position of women whose efforts are not duly compensated and whose position is majorly determined by the men they support. An example of how

Information Technology Act Paper Essay Example for Free

Information Technology Act Paper Essay Information Technology Acts Paper Shawanda Donelson BIS/220 March 31, 2012 Jacquelyn Jones Information Technology Acts Paper In the 1990s the Internet became popular, which children then had unsupervised access. Children were exposed to porn and other harmful materials. Congress tried to stop it and put it into law, but each direction it went was determined as being unconstitutional. To an extent, technology finally prevailed. Congress should not pass a law penalizing distributors, but they should pass a law that would affect those who receive Federal funding. Pornography has been around since the 1970s, which was controlled from minors. On December 15, 2000, President Bill Clinton signed into law the Children’s Internet Protection Act. This act puts restrictions on receiving federals funds. They must use technology and policies that filters or blocks certain material from being Internet accessible. These young children are being targeted because they do not fully understand the dangers of using the internet inappropriately. Therefore, if their parents are not educated about the dangers of Internet predators it makes it harder to educate their children. The Federal Trade Commission gave Congress a report in March 1998, showing that the children’s personal information did not have enough protection from hackers and predators. On April 21, 2000, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) was put into law. The act applied to online services and commercial websites aimed for the attention of children. COPPA law attacks online communication which is sexually explicit that lacks artistic, scientific, serious literary, or political value (Child Online Protection Act and Child Online Privacy Protection Act, 2002). Conclusion In conclusion, the main advancement of technology was the Internet of both acts, one prevented others from collecting information from children, and the other prevented others from sending information to the children. The type of information that was disseminated was controlled by the development of the software technology. Both laws resistance were major, not from collecting or sending information but from people who they are trying to protect. References Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). 2003). In Websters New Worldâ„ ¢ Computer Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www. credoreference. com. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com/entry/webstercom/children_s_internet_protection_act_cipaChild Online Protection Act and Child Online Privacy Protection Act. (2002).

Vladimir Putin & successor Essay Example for Free

Vladimir Putin successor Essay Vladimir Putin was the hand-picked successor of Boris Yeltsin and was elected as the president of the Russian Federation in 2000. After earning a law degree in 1975, Putin joined the KGB, the security force of the former Soviet Union. He spent years working primarily in East Germany, then left the service in 1991 and became active in the politics of St. Petersburg. He was brought to Moscow by Yeltsin in 1996 and served as an administrator in the Kremlin and an official for the security organizations which replaced the KGB. In 1999, Putin became Yeltsins fifth prime minister in 17 months, and then became acting president when Yeltsin left office. He was officially elected to the office in 2000 and then re-elected in a landslide vote in March of 2004 (Montinola 148). Putin moved quickly to reassert the central governments authority over the various republics, regions, and other administrative units and has sought to exert control over elements of the independent media. He also has worked to revamp, and reduce the size of, the military. He won enactment of liberal economic reforms and ratification of international arms agreements, while also renewing ties with former Soviet client states and maintaining Russias strong opposition to proposed U. S. ballistic missile defenses (Fish 119). Although Putin has been, in the main, popular with the Russian public, his reputation suffered when he was perceived to have acted belatedly after the Russian submarine Kursk sank in Aug. , 2000 (Baker 27). By the end of his second year in office, however, the Russian presidents position had visibly strengthened, as he became apparently successful in stabilizing the government and the economy, the latter achieved in part through banking, labor, and private-property reforms and in part through a fortuitous rise in oil prices (Russias principal export). Legal reforms gave greater protection to the accused and increased powers to judges, bringing Russian judicial practice more in line with that of the West. In 2001 and 2002, Putin criticized, but accepted, the U. S. withdrawal from the ABM treaty as it proceeded with its development of its missile defense system, while signing a treaty reducing the number of U. S. and Russian nuclear warheads and establishing closer relations with the United States and NATO. Many reforms that had been enacted faltered in their enforcement in the second half of Putins term, or were not built upon. Russias regions and provinces managed to resist central government control in many instances, and Chechnya remains an ongoing, festering problem. Putin was reelected in Mar. , 2004, in an election that European observers criticized as unfair (Baker 257). Putin subsequently obtained changes that allowed him to appoint regional and provincial governors, increasing the central governments control over the federations constituents. Given this background, the policies of Putin can now be assessed. This analysis will cover some of the most influential and questionable policies of Putin during his tenure as the president of Russia. The first issue is the way that Putin has dealt with welfare policies in Russia. According to various Russian and western media reports, Putin is extremely concerned about the ongoing demographic problems (death rate being higher than birth rate and immigration rate), cyclical poverty, and housing concerns within the Russian Federation. In 2005, four national projects were launched in the fields of healthcare, education, housing and agriculture (Hanson 660). In his May 2006 annual speech, Putin proposed increasing maternity benefits and prenatal care for women. While these developments in the Russian policy on healthcare have had a fair degree of success, it cannot be properly and completely assessed without first examining the economic policies of Putin since these have a direct effect on the ability of the Russian government to implement these welfare policies. The Russian economy has grown strongly under Putin, thanks mainly to the good luck of sustained high oil prices, but helped too by sound macroeconomic policies (Hanson 661). Foreign investors, forgetting that they were badly burnt by Russias default in 1998, have flocked back. But the imminent demise of Yukos and the evidence that Putin is more interested in reasserting state control over the economy than in pursuing economic liberalization are making many pause once again (Hanson 670). But the attack on Yukos, the best-run and most western-looking of Russian companies, was the worst cure of all: capricious, selective and motivated by politics not the rule of law. Fears that it might presage attacks on other companies seem confirmed by this weeks news of an abrupt tax claim on VimpelCom, a telecoms firm. Businessmen in Moscow say that, far from Putins new order helping to squeeze out corruption, it is now more pervasive than in the worst of the Yeltsin years. Corruption lies at the heart of many of Russias most intractable problems, from the poor state of the army, to the war in Chechnya, to its ineffective policing and counter-terrorism (Montinola 152). Putin has admitted that many Russians might fear the police more than they do criminals. But his efforts to tackle corruption have been half-hearted at best—and, because he has fostered more state control and little respect for the rule of law, he has created precisely the conditions in which corruption thrives best. Meanwhile, the pro-business reforms promised for his second term are largely in limbo (Montinola 153). Russias notorious â€Å"oligarchs† have also been tamed. Boris Berezovsky and Vladimir Gusinsky, two of the most unco-operative, are in exile. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, on trial for fraud and tax evasion, has been in prison since his arrest in October 2003. And Yukos, the oil company Mr Khodorkovsky once ran, looks set to be eviscerated when most of Yuganskneftegaz, its oil-production subsidiary, is sold on December 19th. What remains of Yukos may also be seized, to requite alleged tax debts of some $25 billion. The near-certain purchaser of Yugansk is Gazprom, the state-run gas monopoly. Swallowing Yugansk will turn Gazprom into an energy behemoth that serves Russias foreign-policy interests even more powerfully (Montinola 148). Mr Putin is emerging more and more as a tactician, not a strategist. Economic reform, for example, has stalled since high oil prices offered an easier path to growth. His commitment to democracy now looks to be a tactic too. He may not yet have decided what to do in 2008. Boris Nemtsov, co-founder of a committee set up to make sure he leaves on schedule, says that, if he does want to stick around, international obloquy would give him greater pause than domestic opinion. European and American leaders would react badly to a restructuring of the government, and with horror to a change in the constitution (Baker 375). Perhaps one of the most controversial policies of Putin is directly related to Putins rise to public office in August 1999 which also coincided with an aggressive resurgence of the near-dormant conflict in the North Caucasus, when Chechen nationalists regrouped and invaded neighboring Dagestan. Both in Russia and abroad, Putins public image was forged by his tough handling of this dire challenge (Fish 125). His war in Chechnya was hugely popular, but its brutality also raised real questions about Putins commitment to human rights. References: Baker, Peter and Glasser, Susan Kremlin Rising: Vladimir Putins Russia and the End of Revolution Scribner Book Company May 2005 464 pages Fish, Steven Democracy Derailed in Russia: The Failure of Open Politics, (Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005), pp. 119-127. Hanson, Philip and Teague, Elizabeth â€Å"Big Business and the State in Russia,† Europe-Asia Studies, 57, 5:657-680, July 2005 Montinola, Gabriella and Jackman, Robert â€Å"Sources of Corruption: A Cross-Country Study,† British Journal of Political Science Vol. 32, 2002, 147-170 Putin, Vladimir First Person, Public Affairs, 2000, 208 pp. (collection of interviews). Russian title: Ot Pervogo Litsa. Razgovory s Vladimirom Putinym (From the First Person. Conversations with Vladimir Putin), Moscow, Vagrius, 2000.

Motivation Of Volunteer Tourists And Leisure Traveling Decisions Tourism Essay

Motivation Of Volunteer Tourists And Leisure Traveling Decisions Tourism Essay Travel experience is, restrictedly, perceived as seeking relaxation including sun, beaches, shopping and freedom. However, volunteering could actually be happened during a vacation or become the main reason of the trip which highly involved in the local culture (Maureen, 2006). According to the Tourism 2020 Vision report made by the United Nation World Tourism Organization, which normally abbreviated as UNWTO, international tourism will possibly encounter a 4.1% increment of annual growth rate on average from 1995 to 2020 meaning to around 1.56 billion visitors. However, travel promotes not only world peace and friendship, but economic inequalities, cultural and environmental deteriorations (Poelzl, 2002). Figure 1: Conceptual map of alternative tourism (Mieczkowski, 1995, p459) Mass tourism mainly consists of purchasing standardized products and visiting those prevailed and well-developed tourism destinations (Robinson Novelli, 2005). Having more leisure time and higher purchasing power triggered the desire to have different experiences (Hall Weiler, 1992). Nowadays people are looking for unique, novel and meaningful travel experience to satisfy themselves (Robinson Novelli, 2005). Due to globalization, nations become closer neighbours, and unveiling each others problems. Closeness helps the less fortunate and raises the environmental awareness (Uriely, Reichel Ron, 2003). It gives raise of alternative tourism, which including a diversity of tourism forms into niche markets such as nature and special interest tourism which is abbreviated as SIT. SIT offers customized leisure and travel experience according to increasing needs from the individuals (Derrett, 2001). For instance, several projects related to volunteer tourism and ecotourism have been actively promoted mainly in developing countries while conservation projects have been executed in developed countries (Britton, 1977; Saglio, 1979; Wearing, 2001). SIT travellers involve in cultural and leisure activities developing their special interests, gained insights and satisfied themselves by fulfilling the higher level of needs namely self-esteem, belonging and self-actualization (Neulinger, 1982; Henderson, 1984; Hall Weiler, 1992; Wearing, 2001, 2004). Volunteer tourism is a potential profitable market as the majority of this segment are higher educated and more sensitive to the environmental and social costs they brought (Hall Weiler, 1992; Lynne, 1993). Volunteer tourism and ecotourism both offer an alternative tourism experience and their underlying focus is sustainability in order to ensure the impacts on destination are minimized (Sofield, 1991, Wearing, 2001). Both forms are aiming to balance development to meet present needs without compromising the ability to meet the needs of future generation (Mieczkowski, 1995; Wearing, 2001). This can be found by the fact that volunteer tourism pays special attention to the environmental and social carrying capacity, coinciding with the aims of sustainability (Colton, 1987; Wearing, 2001). 1.2 The Global Development of Volunteer Tourism Since 1915, the phenomenon of overseas travelling of international volunteers, existed and is supported by a range of organizations and groups around the globe (Gillette, 1968; Clark, 1978; Beigbeder, 1991; Wearing, 2004). However, it was not being regarded as a tourism form. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, which is abbreviated as OECD, estimated over 33,000 overseas volunteers engaged during 1990 (Beigbeder, 1991; Wearing, 2001, 2004). Furthermore, the renowned guidebook, Mcmlillon, noted there were 75 organizations in 1987 (Campbell, 1999), with contrast to 275 in 2003. In addition, there are other sources also suggesting the significant growth in volunteer-based organizations (Holder, 2002; Brown Morrison, 2003; Brown, 2005). Based on a survey of over 300 volunteer tourism organizations worldwide, it is estimated overall market has grown to 1.6 million volunteer tourists a year, with a total market value of between GBP 832 million and GBP 1.3 billion (Association for Tourism Leisure Education, 2008). The most substantial growth in the sector has taken place since 1990 (Association for Tourism Leisure Education, 2008). These figures show a rapid growth in volunteer tourism. The popularity of alternative tourism has increased significantly such as volunteer tourism and ecotourism (Wearing, 2001, 2002; Mustonen, 2005). This is further witnessed by leisure travellers desiring to connect with locals and their culture in order to stimulate and fulfil their need of cultural immersion by combining travel, adventure and service (Brown Morrison, 2003; Hall Raymond, 2008). Several reports indicated 77% of organizations are non-government such as Youth Challenge International and Earth-watch, while 13% are commercial such as i-to-i, 5% are government ran such as Volunteer Service Aboard New Zealand, and 3% are operated by universities like University of Californias University Research Expeditions Programme (Ellis, 2003; Board, 2003; Coghlam, 2008). 1.3 The development of SIT and volunteer tourism in Hong Kong SIT is still developing in its infancy stage in Hong Kong. Despite the fact that little Hong Kong residents thoroughly know about SIT, a number of volunteer travel service suppliers do exist in Hong Kong. For-profit tour operators such as Hong Kong Study Tours Centre (Hong Kong Study Tours Centre, 2007) organize conservation volunteer tours to Australis and New Zealand for students. Other volunteer travel opportunities are usually provided by non-profit organizations. For instance, International Youth Culture Exchange Association (H.K.) Ltd. occasionally provides volunteer tours for secondary students and undergraduates. These volunteers will usually be involved in teaching English and simple hygiene knowledge in China (International Youth Cultural Exchange Association (H.K.) Ltd., 2007). Global Neighbor Network is dedicated to promoting volunteer tourism in Hong Kong by organizing volunteer tours regularly to different needy communities such as Sri Lanka, Kenya and Jordan (Global Ne ighbour Network, 2006). It has also worked with local universities such as medical students from The University of Hong Kong to provide basic medical care and treatment for patients in Indonesia. Besides, volunteers in Global Neighbour Network will partner with international volunteers in Global Hope Network to participate in different volunteer tours. Other non-profit organizations involved in volunteer tourism include Yellow House, Volunteer Space and LoveFaithHope Charitable Foundation. Due to insufficient awareness of the general public, volunteer tourism is still not very well-known in Hong Kong and the number of participants is limited, yet it has been gaining popularity in these few years. Both secondary school and undergraduate students are given more opportunities to give back to the needy community in China, although they may only do voluntary work for one or two days of the entire tour and engage in cultural exchange activities for the rest of the tour. In addition to students, religious groups make up most of the volunteer travellers in Hong Kong. They will visit various impoverished places on mission travel, with some of the time spent on volunteering. In general, they will provide education and development aid in the needy communities. 1.4 Problem Statement Volunteer tourism is a relatively recent phenomenon around the world. Though there has been increasing research on the motivational factors of volunteer tourists, little of such research has been done in the Asia-Pacific context, let alone within the Hong Kong context. It is of paramount importance to understand the travel motivation of volunteer tourists because it is the driving force behind their behaviors (Schiffan, Bednall, OCass, Paladino Kanuk, 2005). In addition, studying their perceived value of the volunteer trips will help to determine their intentions to recommend and repurchase the volunteer travel opportunities (Petrick, 2004a; 2004b). This research is designed to explore why Hong Kong residents participate in volunteer tours, what motivates them and what their perceived values towards their volunteer trips are. With a better understanding of the aforementioned issues, tourism marketers and professionals and potential service providers such as travel agencies will be a ble to identify if there is any market potential to organize more volunteer tours and diversify the tourism products in Hong Kong. The results of this study will help non-profit organizations to better understand why people choose to volunteer overseas, then they will be able to segment and target the markets, create tailor-made volunteer tours to recruit more warm-hearted people to become volunteers, as well as develop appropriate marketing strategies to promote volunteer tourism in Hong Kong. 1.5 Objectives To examine the motivational factors behind Hong Kong residents towards volunteer travel. To examine the perceived constraints of repeat participation among volunteer tourism among participants. To examine the influence of a volunteer tourism experience on future leisure travel decisions. Chapter 2 Literature Review This chapter offers a review of the literature with reference to the theme and research purposes of this study. There are four sections in this chapter. The first section will define volunteering and volunteer tourism. Second, tourism motivation, development of motivational theories and volunteer motivation is reviewed, followed by a summary of previous related research on volunteer tourism. The concept of perceived value an individual holds when evaluating travel experience is then discussed. The summary section will provide a conclusion of this chapter. 2.1 Volunteering vs. Volunteer Tourism Volunteer tourism, or also known as Voluntourism or volunteer vacation, actually combined two major elements which obviously are volunteering and travelling. More accurately, it contains the motivations of both volunteering and travelling sides and shows how they pertain to and interplay with each other. 2.1.1 Volunteering Volunteering is widely perceived and defined as freely chosen and generally providing aids and services for the host community simultaneously without any incentive to gain any financial rewards from them (Beighbeder, 1991; Van Til, 1979 cited in Stebbins, 1982). Supposedly volunteering or voluntary service is both beneficial to the community and the well-being of the volunteers (Cnaan et al., 1996; Stebbins, 1982) since it could build up a social network and develop a mutual understanding, friendship and adventurousness between each other (Gillette, 1968; Wearing, 2001, 2004). Volunteering may benefit volunteers in acquiring skills such as communication skills, teamwork and interpersonal skills which would absolutely be useful for their career (Broad, 2003; Brown Lehto, 2005). It provokes participants contemplation, encourages their concerns for others, offers them with an opportunity to develop an interest and creates a sense of deep personal fulfillment (Stebbins Graham, 2004). S tebbins (1992) also suggests that volunteering may achieve volunteers self-actualization, recreation or renewal of self and feelings of accomplishment. The volunteer is the one who gains mutual learning, friendship and adventure (Gillette, 1968). Volunteers from all age groups will most likely feel happier and less depressed. Neulinger (1982) and Henderson (1984) both noted that volunteerism and leisure fulfil higher level needs such as self-esteem, belonging and self-actualization. 2.1.2 Volunteer Tourism Volunteer tourism is slightly like an expansion of volunteering. Undoubtedly it includes the motivation of volunteering and, meanwhile, involves desires or incentives of travel. The term volunteer tourism intends to the tourists who organize to provide voluntary service during their vacations which is described by Wearing (2001): aiding or alleviating the material poverty of some groups in society, the restoration of certain environments, or research into aspects of society or environment In fact, the definition of volunteer tourism has become gradually ambiguous since a large number of individuals, who are willing to spend most of the time during vacation on volunteering, may not perceive themselves as volunteer tourists. However, there is a conceptual framework of volunteer tourism developed to classify volunteer tourists into different classes (Callanan Thomas, 2005). The framework was drawn on another framework related to ecology (Sylvan, 1985 cited in Callanan Thomas, 2005, pp. 196-197). It mainly divided volunteer tourists into shallow, intermediate and deep class based on the duration of their trips, their required skills or qualifications, degree of both passive and active involvement, level of contribution to the host communities and focus of the experience. Another way to classify the volunteer tourists basically depends on their mindsets. Volunteer tourists should be further divided into two types. Some of them may be willing to spend most of or even all of their holidays on volunteering, they, therefore, are identified as volunteer-minded tourists. The other type of volunteer tourists are identified as vacation-minded tourists who will possibly just treat volunteering as a short-term, may be only a half-day or up to three days out of a trip, activity during their vacation. (Brown Morrison, 2003; Brown Lehto, 2005, p. 480). 2.2 Motivation As motivation is a very significant variable in the contribution of explaining peoples travel behavior, this section aims at providing a comprehensive literature review on tourism motivation and volunteer motivation. The definitions of motivation and tourism motivation will first be given, followed by a description of the development of motivational theories. 2.2.1 Travel Motivation To understand travel motivation, a variety of scales and theories have been proposed and empirically tested in the tourism literature. Many researchers have used motivational theory to try to interpret the motivations of tourists. Wahab (1975) argued that travel motivation is so basic, essential and fundamental while doing tourism studies or tourism development. Generally, motivation is usually defined as the driving force behind all actions (Crompton, 1979; Fodness, 1994). At the meantime, motivation would be a key factor influencing ones travel decisions and be closely related to their psychological needs to explore something they have never met in their home countries. Travel motivations will probably be affected by any changes occurred in ones life stages. However, travellers may commonly be influenced by a certain number of motivators other than just one. (Swarbrooke and Horner, 2003). 2.2.2 Tourism Motivation Theories A few definitions have been developed for tourism motivation. Dann (1981 cited in Snepenger et al., 2006, p.140) stated that tourism motivation is: a meaningful state of mind which adequately disposes an actor or a group of actors to travel, and which is subsequently interpretable by others as a valid explanation for such a decision Crompton and McKay (1997) built their definition of tourism motivation on those suggested by Crompton (1979) and Iso-Ahola (1989 cited in Crompton McKay, 1997). Crompton and McKay (1997, p.427) which included the concept of optimal arousal level. For example, homeostasis (Snepenger et al., 2006) helped describe tourism motivation as: a dynamic process of internal psychological factors that generate a state of tension or disequilibrium within individuals. Moreover, Fodness (1994) and Crompton (1979) agreed and suggested that more knowledge of tourism motivation were necessary to assist tourism marketers in understanding individuals travel patterns so that they could develop and promote tourism products according to customers needs and wants. Over the years, a myriad of tourism motivational theories have been developed. There are some prominent theories which contribute to a better understanding of why individuals choose to travel. 2.2.3 Motivation Theory Maslows Hierarchy of Needs When discussing motivation theory, Maslows five-stage hierarchy of needs ought to be of the utmost importance. It emphazizes human needs could be differentiated into five different levels from extrinsic to intrinsic needs. These five levels are also in hierarchical order of increasing motivational importance. From the least to the most importance, they are physiological, safety, social, self-esteem and self-actualization need (Maslow, 1970). This hierarchy could be highly related to the travel industry since it mentioned individuals will less likely be interested in high-level needs if they cannot meet their physiological and safety needs. It implies the individuals will less likely be interested in travel. Additionally, Self-actualization could be considered the end or goal of leisure (Mill Morrison, 2002). Analyzing all five stages can derive some potential hints and clues to help understand the motivation of volunteer tourism. 2.2.4 Motivation Theory Travel Career Ladder (TCL) TCL is actually partly based on the Maslows Hierarchy of needs. According to TCL, tourists who own more experience would more probably seek satisfaction of higher needs (Pearce, 1991; Ryan, 1998). It reflects travel motives are changing according to life span and accumulated travel experience (Ryan, 1998; Schewe, 1988) and describes travellers motivation as consisting of five different levels, respectively they are relaxation, safety or security, relationship, self-esteem and development and self-actualization or fulfillment need. Normally travelers are not dominated by only a level of need but a set of needs. They will not always remain in the same stage and will probably descend as well as ascend on the ladder. 2.2.5 Push and Pull Factors Except the two hierarchical needs of human mentioned above, there is a two-tiered scheme of motivational factors, push and pull factors. Several theories also refer to these two factors to carry out, for example, Iso-Ahola personal interpersonal motives. Push factors mean all social-psychological motives which push individuals to go travelling. They are intangible and more like intrinsic desires of individuals, for instance, relaxation and exploration. On the other hand, pull factors mean those external forces which affect or attract individuals to travel to fulfill their identified wants. Any tangible things including the architectures, historical resources and the intangible elements including local culture, the attractiveness of the destination itself can also arouse travellers interest (Andreu, Bigne Copper, 2000). However, a travel is normally occurred based on the reason why individuals would like to leave their home country rather than the appeal of the destination which lure the travellers to visit. Travellers motives and behavior are markedly self-oriented (Witt Wright, 1992). Obviously, the push and pull factors may not be perceived appropriate to understand the motivation of volunteer tourism because 2.2.6 Motivation of volunteers being engaged in voluntary services Altruism (Bussell Forbes, 2002; Callanan Thomas, 2005) and doing something meaningful (Cnaan Goldberg-Glen, 1991 cited in Ryan, Kaplan Grese, 2001) are believed to be the central motives for individuals to participate in volunteer work. Individuals who desire to assist others are more likely to become volunteers. However, egoism may probably be included in the motivation of volunteers as well (Bussell Forbes, 2002; Ryan, Kaplan Grese, 2001). Participating in voluntary work can actually provide individuals with change to satisfy their social and psychological needs (Cnaan Goldberg-Glen, 1991 cited in Bussell Forbes, 2002). The first self-interested motivation is social which involves volunteering together with ones family members and old friends to strengthen kinship and friendship (Bruyere Rappe, 2007; Ryan, Kaplan Grese, 2001) as well as meeting new people with similar interests. The next motivation is learning and career. Volunteers may learn deeper about the natural environment (Bruyere Rappe, 2007); develop new skills and abilities which may be useful with ones career (Broad, 2003); obtain job-related experience and explore career opportunities which may aid future employment or career advancement (Bruyere Rappe, 2007; Riecken, Babakus Yavas, 1994 cited in Bussell Forbes, 2002) Another prominent motivation of volunteer is values and esteem. Volunteers can share their core values and thoughts with other people (Bruyere Rappe, 2007; Clary Snyder, 1999); gain a sense of self-worth as well as boosting self-esteem (Bruyere Rappe, 2007; Bussell Forbes, 2002). Some of the less obvious reasons for people to volunteer may include a desire to wear uniforms which symbolize authority, mixing with celebrities, travel opportunities (Wilson Pimm, 1996) and religious involvement (Mattis et al., 2000). 2.3 Previous Related Research on Volunteer Tourism Having looked at travel motivation and volunteer motivation individually, it is necessary to review the previous studies on volunteer tourism. A very similar research on the motives and benefits of volunteer vacationers in the United States was done by Brown and Lehto (2005). They employed focus group and in-depth personal interviews as their data collection methods to gain a deeper understanding of this rarely researched phenomenon. The results showed that there were four main motives of why people volunteer while taking a leisure trip. First, travellers were motivated to volunteer because they would have precious opportunities to interact with local people and immerse oneself in the local culture and community (Brown Lehto, 2005, p.487) Second, volunteer tourism was seen as a way to give back and make a difference in others lives, especially the less unfortunate. Third, travellers sought camaraderie on volunteer vacation trips. They were motivated by the fact that they would be ab le to make friends with people with common interests, values and minds. Fourth, volunteer tourism was perceived as an educational opportunity for children. It was believed that the volunteer experience would instil the value of giving to the younger generation in their lives. Another related motive was the opportunity to build a better bonding between parents and children. The major benefits of participating in volunteer tourism found in this research were greater satisfaction with the overall travel experience, self-fulfilment, opportunities to directly interact with the local community, the meaningful experience and wonderful memories, personal growth and enhancement of family relationships, Among the aforementioned benefits, self-fulfilment and personal growth were believed to have an enduring effect on individuals after the volunteer vacation trips. A case study conducted by Broad (2003) investigated the relationship between volunteers, their volunteering and the outcomes and impacts at the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project (GRP) in Phuket. Four categories of motivation were identified in this study using qualitative method. Volunteers participated in the GRP because they wanted to travel to a different country and learn something about the country. They would like to obtain experience with reference to their studies and future career plans and they support conservation based on altruism. (Broad, 2003, pp.66-67). Their self-interested motivation was related to meeting like-minded people or developing their personalities. Her findings supported Gazleys (2001, cited in Broad, 2003) claim that both volunteer motivation and tourism motivation may apply to volunteer tourism. Similarly, it was found in Broads (2003) study that the volunteer travel experience had inspired some changes in the participants and their life. The experience was a life turning point for some of the volunteers, for instance, finding a career direction or entering into relationships with the locals. Other volunteers indicated that they had gained more confidence, knowledge and skills, and learned more about themselves. They had also developed a different view of life and the world. 2.4 Chapter Summary Chapter 3 Methodology The purpose of this research is to explore the motivations, constraints and how volunteer travel experiences influence travel decision among volunteer travellers. Since little academic research had been conducted in this area, especially in the Asia-Pacific context, no confirmed theories or methods were available to be adopted for this study (Brown Lehto, 2005). An exploratory study thereby seems appropriate to offer a better understanding of this research topic. The methodological issues were discussed in four sections: (1) research design, (2) data collection, (3) data analysis and, (4) limitations. 3.1 Research Design This is an exploratory research which is inductive in nature. The study used a qualitative approach with in-depth interviews (Brown Lehto, 2005). Qualitative research approach helped to gain more knowledge as to how individuals gave meaning to their volunteer vacation experiences (Halpenny Caisse, 2003). Simultaneously in-depth interviews provoked interviewees to express their thoughts which were neglected by marketers before so they can actually cater to the potential needs. (Patton, 1990; Jenning, 2001). The data gathered were helpful to reveal the what. how and, more importantly, explore the why for individuals to participate in volunteer travel (Saunders, Lewis Thornhill, 2007). The value of the knowledge is largely based on the context and the use of the knowledge. (Steinar, 1996) It can, for example, be used to examine travellers attitude towards volunteer travel, and the knowledge gained used to motivate leisure travellers to join volunteer travel. In addition, the interviews embraced different kinds of interview questions so as to deeply examine why potential travellers in Hong Kong are motivated to join the volunteer travel. Introducing questions were used since such open-ended questions may 3.2 Data collection Since it was improbable to identify and interview all volunteer travellers in Hong Kong, the interviewees were chosen from a population of Hong Kong residents who had participated in any volunteer travel before. Snowball sampling technique was used to collect the data until the required sample size was reached (Jenning, 2001). There were 8 desirable interviewees invited to participate in the individual interview which fitted the required sample size determined by theoretical sampling principle (Glaser, 1992). Furthermore, the interview process lasted till the theoretical saturation, where no new ideas or themes could be developed. 3.3 Data Analysis The personal interviews were transcribed word for word immediately. Owing to the time limit, the researcher translated the Cantonese discussions directly into written English. The transcripts 3.4 Limitations Fundamentally people, time and place would be the major limitation of the research. Finding appropriate interviewees was the first to be concerned so the researcher kept asking referrals from friends. After finding the right people, the researcher needed to make respective appointments with all interviewees in terms of Secondary data were so limited that could not sufficiently cater to the needs of this research, detailed and in-depth data and descriptions were therefore required (Geertz, 1973; Jenning, 2001). However, secondary data sourced from newspapers, academic journals, websites and books were so useful to provide understandings of initial concepts. Chapter 4 Research Findings Development of volunteer tourism in Hong Kong is still in its infancy at this stage. Hence, the aims of this chapter are to look into and have a better understanding of the motivation and constraints of repeat volunteer travellers. In addition to exploring how the experience influence their leisure travel decisions. Findings of aforementioned eight in-depth interviews were concluded in terms of three research objectives. Original statements of the interviewees were used as evidence to support each concept. 4.1 Motivations of repeated participation in volunteer travel All of the interviewees showed that they are very likely to attend volunteer travel again. There were six major motivational factors found which can be dissected by and highly related to Maslows Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow, 1970). Altruism and broadening personal horizons can be defined as self-actualization, which is of the highest level of the hierarchy. Furthermore, changes of self-image can be defined as self-esteem, which is positioned in the second highest level whilst desire for escaping from daily bustling life and enhancement of social life belong to belongingness and love, which is of the middle level of the hierarchy. Apart from those could be analysed by the Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, previous experience can either be one of the motives for taking volunteer travel again. 4.1.1 Altruism Personal altruistic desire for providing others with assistance and sympathy was stated by the interviewees as an important factor motivating them to partake in volunteer travel. Five interviewees considered it their first priority whilst other three interviewees considered it the second motivation. They volunteered, for example, to teach the local students, to provide necessities, to take care of the elderly and children, to bring happiness, to show love, and to encourage people to live under a stern environment. Three interviewees shared that it helped the organization to further understand the genuine needs amongst the locals, so more effective assistance could be provided in the future. I can help others or bring them (the local) caring and happiness to them. (Interviewee F) Most of their parents left them (local children) and work in other provinces, come back only one or two a year only. Theyre lack of parental love. (Interviewee A) One of the interviewee was eager to raise public awareness of the poverty gap between Mainland China communities and Hong Kong people. the number of participant is just 30, but if I spread the idea and my experience it would be many times than the number of participants. Perhaps, they know more after hearing from me, they are more interested in, and know the suffering of others in the world. Because I have my personal experience, it is more persuasive than the related TV episodes. (Interviewee E) So i think the children living in Hong Kong are having luxury lives. (Interviewee D) Similar concepts shared by all interviewees were meaningful because they felt happy with contributing to help and thus enhanced their sense of self-satisfaction and accomplishment. The word meaningful was mentioned at least once by each interviewee and three of them even emphasized this word for up to five times. It showed that participants looked for a meaningful experience in volunteer travel. I feel I gradually become kinder after volunteering every time as I am willing to help others even though I may not have contributed to the society a lot. Anyway, I learnt how to return the society rather than taking advantages from it. (Interviewee A) You can feel more satisfied with partaking in a volunteer trip and benefit much more from it than from ordinary travel., I