River Water Pollution At Langkawi Island Environmental Sciences Essay

River Water Pollution At Langkawi Island Environmental Sciences Essay Increasing dearth of water in developing countries has made river water quality evaluation a relevant issue in recent years (Ongley, 1998). The surface water quality is a matter of serious concern today. Rivers due to their role in carrying off the municipal and industrial wastewater and run-off from agricultural land in their vast drainage basins are among the most vulnerable water bodies to pollution. The surface water quality in a region is largely determined both by the natural processes (precipitation rate, weathering processes, and soil erosion) and the anthropogenic influences viz. urban, industrial and agricultural activities and increasing exploitation of water resources (Carpenter et al., 1998 and Jarvie et al., 1998). Pollution of surface water with toxic chemicals and excess nutrients, resulting from storm water runoff, vadose zone leaching, and groundwater discharges, has been an issue of worldwide environmental concern. With an increased understanding of the importance of drinking water quality to public health and raw water quality to aquatic life, there is a great need to assess surface water quality (Campbell et al., 1993). APHA (1985), state that the use of water increases with growing population putting increasing strain in the water resources. In 1975, total global use of water was just under 4000 km3 per year, and this is expected to increase about 6000 km3 per year by the year 2000. Averaged on a global scaled, about 70% of this water is used in the agricultural sector, 20% by industry, and 10% for domestic purposes. Nowadays, there become a problem in finding adequate supplies of freshwater to meet our needs and maintaining its quality. Eventhough water availability is not a problem on a global scale, it may be a problem in finding high quality of freshwater at that required place in the required quantity. In Malaysia, 97% of water resources came from river. River can be defined as any natural stream of water that flows in a channel with defined banks. Malaysia is situated in between longitude 100 ° and 119 ° East and latitude 1 ° and 7 ° North covers a region on the subject of 329.733 km2 of land which include West Malaysia and the states of Sabah and Sarawak. The annual typical rainfall is 3000mm that contributes to a projected annual water resource of about 900 billion m3 (UNEP, 2002; FAO, 2005). Those rainfalls are stored in river, lake or either other water storage as water resources. The major water demand comes from irrigation for agricultural purposes as well as domestic and industry use (UNDP, 2005). Problem Statement As the important channel of substance cycle in biosphere, a whole river eco-system should have the functions of providing the food and water for living, industry and agriculture, amusement, shipping and commerce. Over the past century, it have been being seriously destroyed by various human activities including contaminant discharge, damming, solidifying riverside, destroying vegetation in the riparian zone and etc., resulting in deterioration of water environment, degradation of biological communities and riverbed atrophying. Therefore, the restoration and maintenance of healthy river ecosystems have become important objective of river management (Norris and Thoms, 1999). The development in Malaysia has lead to various kinds of environmental problems. Human activities such as industrialization, aquaculture activities, and urbanization caused a lot of pollution and damage the environment silently. According to the Department of Environment, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Malaysia, these activities can produce the anthropogenic pollutants and would be endangered the coastal environment (Chester and Stoner 1974; Ismail et al. 1993, 1995; Ismail and Idris 1996; Law and Singh 1991; Yap et al. 2002, 2003). The seriousness of heavy metals leads the marine environmental pollution to be recognized as a serious matter to human health concern. Industrial and agricultural activities were reported to be the leading potential source of the accumulation of pollutants in the aquatic environment including the sea (Freedman, 1989; Gà ¼mgà ¼m et al., 1994; Nimmo et al., 1998; Barlas, 1999; Tarra-Wahlberg et al., 2001; Akif et al., 2002; Jordao et al., 2002). The significance of Study Langkawi Island is one of the most attractive ecotourism spot in Malaysia with well diverse marine lives hence attracting thousands of tourists every year. To support the increasing number of tourist visiting the Langkawi Island, more development were made along the shore line such as hotels, resorts, jetties, shopping mall, and marine recreational facilities. This extensive type of development contributes to the direct impact on the productivity of the marine environment ecosystem and would cause pollution such as heavy metals pollution into the coastal and adjacent area (White, 1988). Langkawi is located in the northern west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, bordering the south of Thailand -off the coast of Kedah and is made up of 99 islands when the tide is high and 104 islands when the tide is low. The largest of the islands is Pulau Langkawi with an area of about 478.5 km2. Research on the geological resources and landscapes of Langkawi Islands has revealed the great geotourism potential of the island system. Comprising the oldest rocks and the most complete Paleozoic Mesozoic sequence of sedimentary formations, the Langkawi rocks tell the story of the beginning of the Malaysian Land. Diverse scientific records, fossil beds, geological structure and outstanding landforms further make Langkawi a living museum where visitors are able to directly experience a potential natural world heritage site. Conservation of geosites and geotopes are absolutely necessary, in the form of geological park, geological monument, protected site and beautiful landscape, to sustain its ecotourism activities (Ibrahim Komoo Kadderi Md Desa, 1989). Langkawi is one of the most beautiful islands group in Malaysia. Apart from having a distinct and unique morphological feature such as Machinchang ridge and karstic morphology in the limestone area, there are a lot of other interesting geological features. Among those are located in the already popular tourist sites, such as Pantai Pasir Hitam, Telaga Tujuh, Pantai Pasir Tengkorak, Telaga Air Hangat, Gunung Raya and Tasik Dayang Bunting. The geological features of those sites are described and is proposed to be made available in the pamphlet forms or placed at sites as geoinformation boards to increase the tourist geological understanding when they visit those sites. Apart from that, there are also many localities with interesting, as well as unique or rare geological features which are not easily found in other parts of Malaysia. All these localities are of very high potential to be promoted as new geotourism spots. Since the Langkawi Islands is very rich in either already popular o r potential geotourism localities, a number of geotourism trails is proposed. Each trail could be reach either by land or sea and may be visited in one day trip (Ibrahim Komoo Hamzah Mohamad, 1993). According to Ibrahim Komoo Kadderi Md Desa (1989), the rocks of Setul Formation are commonly found in the eastern part of Langkawi Island. Based on the change in strikes and dips of the bedding plane of the limestone, it is interpreted that the Setul Formation was folded regionally. Field observations indicate that the structures in the detrital members of the formation are more complicated than in the limestone. The limestone of this formation was faulted as well as folded. The well-known Kisap Thrust Fault was interpreted to play very important role in controlling the rock distributions in this area, which separates the Lower Paleozoic from the Upper Paleozoic rocks. Therefore, these study should be done as well as many human activities, directly or indirectly, lead to modification of the river and its basin which produce changes in the aquatic environment of the river water. Increased access to improved water sources has been a powerful factor in improving health and also in attracting the tourists visiting the Langkawi Island. On the other hand, it also may maintain the geological resources and landscapes of Langkawi Islands. Objectives The aims of this study are: To determine the concentration of selected ions for selected river water at Langkawi Island. To classify the water quality status at Langkawi Island based on water quality index (WQI). To evaluated the origin of pollution sources at Langkawi Island. Scope of Study This study involves the determination of selected ions (Na, K, Mg, Ca and Cl) by using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) at selected river in Langkawi Island. The research scope also extensive the classification of Langkawi river water status based on Water Quality Index (WQI) Formula by Department of Environment. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 The Hydrology Water is a vital element in human life and it is a renewable resource. According to Wan Ruslan (1994), water is essential for physiological existence, very much the same as every other living organism does and for many other purposes such as agricultural, recreational, industrial, hydroelectric power, navigational, propagation of fish and other aquatic life, irrigation, etc. Generally, water quality means the standards of water body especially river for any beneficial uses. Water quality with a better index value indicates cleaner water body. High water quality is suitable for man and animals consumption compared to the low water quality. Water quality refers to the characteristics of a water supply that will influence its suitability for a specific use, i.e. how well the water quality meets the needs of the consumer. Water quality status indicates the level of pollutant composition and thus relates to human activities (Anhar et al.1998; Mohd Kamil et al. 1997a; 1997b). Water quality for various types of water body varies with input loads, flow rate and quantity of water (Mohd Kamil1991; Wan Nor Azmin et al.1997). River is one of the important water sources and is classified polluted when there are changes in their chemical and physical characteristics that make it unsuitable for any objective and function (Azizi et al. 1997). Pollution standards for eac h water body usually evaluated by measuring the value of selected water quality parameters. These parameters can be categorized as physical, chemical and biological. 2.2 Water Scarcity Water has been dubbed the oil of the 21st century as its scarcity is increasingly felt globally. Over the last 50 years, the worlds population had risen by more than two-and-a-half times to about 6.4 billion. At the same time, however, the demand for fresh water went up by four times (UNEP, 2002). The United Nations predicted that at this rate, up to 7 billion people in 60 countries may possibly face water scarcity by the year 2050. Without access to clean water, not only would public health suffer because of poor hygiene and sanitation, agricultural and industrial activities could also get disrupted. A report by UNEP (2002) also state that similar stresses have also been felt on the water resources in Southeast Asia. This is because economic development had generated greater demand for water from different sectors such as agriculture, industry and domestic users. The situation is likely to worsen in the future. As the regional population is expected to rise by an additional 250 million by 2025, per capita water will fall from 10,000 m3 to 6,700 m3. These trends pose several important questions that policy-makers would have to address. 2.3 Water Pollution Commonly, water pollution is defined as physicochemical alteration in water that may gives effect to organisms (Chiras, 2001). These broadly take into account the variety of water sources including lakes, rivers, oceans, streams, and also groundwater. The sources of water pollution can be either natural (e. g. animal waste) or by human activities such as runoff of pesticides, herbicides, and feces from agricultural land (Lerner Lerner, 2009b). The majority of tropical islands have limited sources of freshwater, no surface water or streams and fully reliant on rainfall and groundwater recharge (Praveena et al., 2010). The inhabitants of these islands mostly depend on groundwater to meet their needs, particularly for drinking and tourism purposes. The demand for fresh water has been rising in response to the increase of activities and development in tourism sector (Singh and Gupta, 1999; Aris et al., 2007). Numerous islands are experiencing water anxiety at the current levels of groundwater extraction at an outstripping supply. The freshwater lens on islands may simply be overexploited or polluted and vulnerable to climate change, pressure of island resources and the related impacts to freshwater resources (Griggs and Peterson, 1993; Singh and Gupta, 1999; Climate Change, 2007). A report by EQR Malaysia in 2009 state that compared to 2008, there was a slight deterioration in river water quality. There was a reduction in a number of clean rivers compared with 2008. There were 306 clean rivers in 2009 as compared with 334 in 2008 while the number of slightly polluted rivers increased from 197 to 217. There was also an increased in the number of polluted rivers from 48 in 2008 to 54 in 2009. However, the quality of the marine environment with respect to coastal and estuarine areas was within normal variations compared with the Malaysian Marine Water Quality Criteria and Standard (MWQCS). Figure 2.1 shows the trend of the river water quality for several years. Figure 2.1 River water quality trend (DOE, 2009) 2.4 Water Pollution Sources The sources of water pollution can be categorized as point and non-point sources (DOE, 2009). Point sources include sewage treatment plants, manufacturing and agro-based industries, and animal farms. Non-point sources are mainly diffused sources such as agricultural activities and surface runoffs. EQR Malaysia 2009 by DOE state that in 2009, 20702 water pollution point sources were recorded. These comprise of manufacturing industries (9762:47.15%), sewage treatment plants (9676:46.74% inclusive of 736 Network Pump Stations), animal farms (769:3.72%) and agro-based industries (495:2.39%). Figure 2.2 shows the composition of water pollution sources by sector in 2009. Figure 2.2 Composition of water pollution sources by sector in 2009 (DOE, 2009). The decrease in the number of clean rivers were attributed to an increase in the number of polluting sources such as sewage treatment plants, manufacturing industries, and palm oil mills which contributed to high pollution loading. As in previous years, the major pollutants detected were BOD, NH3-N and SS. High BOD can be attributed to untreated or partially treated sewage and discharges from agro-based and manufacturing industries. The main sources of NH3-N were livestock farming and domestic sewage, whilst the sources of SS were from earthworks and land clearing activities (DOE, 2009). Freshwater resources in island currently have been increase in demand as it may simply be overexploited or polluted and vulnerable to climate change, pressure of island resources and the related impacts to freshwater resources (Griggs and Peterson, 1993; Singh and Gupta, 1999; Climate Change, 2007). The most significant and instantaneous consequences of climate change are increase in air temperature, increase in sea surface temperature, changes in rainfall (precipitation) patterns and more extreme weather conditions (Tompkins et al., 2005). Vulnerable to climate change has become more frequent in various countries in the recent decade and Malaysia is not excluded from this phenomenon. Effects of climate change will alter the global hydrological cycle in terms of distribution and accessibility of regional water capital. A warmer climate with its increased climate variability will increase the risk of floods and droughts (Climate Change, 2007; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 1997). Changes in rainfall during rainy season reveal the groundwater recharge, as a sensitive function of the climatic factors, local geology, topography and land use (Dragoni and Sukhija, 2008). The islands complex and dynamic system will response dynamically in variable and complex ways to climate change (Watson et al., 1998). Most research on the possible impacts of climate change to the hydrologic cycle has been directed at forecasting the potential impacts to surface water, river discharge and quality. Nevertheless, according to Mokhtar et al. (2008), to protect valuable water resources, one must understand the natural evolution of water chemistry under natural water circulation processes in mixture with knowledge about the background of the study area. This is crucial for the evaluation and protection of water resources and in the assessment of water quality for creating threshold ions composition in natural water. 2.5 Water Quality Index Water quality index (WQI) act as a marker of water quality change and be able to indicate the effects of these changes on potential water use. The WQI serves as the basis for environmental assessment of a waterway in relative to pollution load categorization and designation of classes of valuable uses as provided under the National Water Quality Standards (NWQS) (Table 2.1 Table 2.2). The Water Quality Index (WQI) consists of six (6) parameters which are Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Ammoniacal Nitrogen (NH3-N), Suspended Solids (SS) and pH. Water classes and uses were shown in Table 2.3. SUB INDEX WATER QUALITY INDEX INDEX RANGE CLEAN SLIGHTLY POLLUTED POLLUTED BOD 91 100 80 90 0 79 NH3-N 92 100 71 91 0 70 SS 76 100 70 75 0 69 WQI 81 100 60 80 0 59 Table 2.1 Water Quality Classification Based On WQI (DOE, 2009) Table 2.2 DOE Water Quality Index Classification (DOE, 2009) PARAMETER UNIT CLASS I II III IV V NH3-N mg/l 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.9 0.9 2.7 >2.7 BOD mg/l 1 3 3 6 6 12 >12 COD mg/l 10 25 25 50 50 100 >100 DO mg/l >7 5 7 3 5 1 3 pH >7.0 6.0 7.0 5.0 6.0 >5.0 TSS mg/l 25 50 50 150 150 300 >300 WQI >92.7 76.5 92.7 51.9 76.5 31.0 51.9 Table 2.3 Water classes and Uses (DOE, 2009) CLASS USES Class I Conservation of natural environment. Water supply I Practically no treatment necessary. Fishery I Very sensitive aquatic species. Class IIA Water supply II Conventional treatment required. Fishery II Sensitive aquatic species. Class IIB Recreational use with body contact. Class III Water supply III Extensive treatment required. Fishery III Common, of economic value and tolerant species; livestock drinking. Class IV Irrigation. Class V None of the above. 2.6 Water Quality Index Parameter 2.6.1 Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Oxygen is essential to all forms of aquatic life, including those organisms responsible for the self-purification processes in natural waters. Low levels of DO are indicative of greater pollution in the river. Pollution can cause DO concentration to drop below the necessary level to maintain healthy biota (Radojevic Bashkin, 2006). DO can also be expressed in terms of percentage saturation, and levels less than 80 per cent saturation in drinking water can usually be detected by consumers as a result of poor odour and taste (Chapman, 1996). According to Laenen and Dunnette (1997), DO is a good indicator of the overall ecological health of a river. Although other indicators also signify general river health, an adequate supply of oxygen is essential for animal life. For many species of fish, DO levels below 6 mg/L for any length if time can be lethal. 2.6.2 Biochemical Oxygen demand (BOD) Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) is the mass of dissolved molecular oxygen which is needed by microorganisms for the oxidation and conversion of organic substances in a sample (20 °C) of water under defined conditions and within a defined period of time (index n in days and hours) (Fresenius Schneider, 1988). Fresenius Schneider (1988) also state that standardized laboratory procedures are used to determine BOD by measuring the amount of oxygen consumed after incubating the sample in the dark at a specified temperature, which is usually 20 °C, for a specific period of time, usually five days. This gives rise to the commonly used term BOD5. BOD measurements are usually lower than COD measurements. Unpolluted water typically have BOD values of 2 mg/L O2 or less, whereas those receiving wastewaters may have values up to 10 mg/L O2 or more, particularly near to the point of wastewater discharge. Raw sewage has a BOD of about 600 mg/L O2, whereas treated sewage effluents have BOD values ranging from 20 to 100 mg/L O2 depending on the level of treatment applied. Industrial wastes may have BOD values up to 25,000 mg/L O2 (Chapman, 1996). 2.6.3 Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) is a measure of the oxygen equivalent of the organic matter in a water sample that is susceptible to oxidation by a strong chemical oxidant (e. g. dichromate). The COD is widely used as a measure of the susceptibility to oxidation of the organic and inorganic materials present in the water bodies and in the effluents from sewage and industrial plants. Correspondingly, it does not indicate the total organic carbon present since some organic compounds are not oxidized by the dichromate method whereas some inorganic compounds are oxidized. However, COD is a useful, rapidly measured, variable for many industrial wastes and has been in use for several decades (Chapman, 1996). 2.6.4 Ammoniacal Nitrogen (NH3-N) The presence of ammonium ions in water is connected to the process of the biochemical decomposition of protein substances contained in household and industrial sewage (Chan, 2002). Ammonium ion is in equilibrium with dissolved oxygen in any aqueous solution. All nitrogen that exists either as ion or in equilibrium with NH3 is considered to be ammonia-nitrogen. The relative value for NH3 varies from 0.1 to 5.0% of total sum of ammonium and ammonia at typical pH value of 6-8 and temperature between 5-30 °C (Radojevic Bashkin, 2006). According to report by DOE (2009), the main sources of NH3-N were livestock farming and domestic sewage. 2.6.5 Suspended Solids (SS) Suspended solids are matter held in suspension in the water or wastewater and retained by a filter (Chan, 2002). The type and concentration of suspended solids controls the turbidity and transparency of the water. Suspended solids consist of silt, clay, fine particles of organic and inorganic matter, soluble organic compounds, plankton and other microscopic organisms. Such particles differ in size from approximately 10nm in diameter to 0.1mm in diameter (Chapman, 1996). 2.6.6 pH pH is important in natural waters and in water treatment. Aquatic organisms are sensitive to pH changes and require a pH of 6 to 9. The pH is an important variable in water quality assessment as it influences many biological and chemical processes within a water body and all processes associated with water supply and treatment. When measuring the effects of an effluent discharge, it can be used to assist determine the extent of the effluent plume in the water body. Generally, pH is a measure of the acid balance of a solution and is defined as the negative of the logarithm to the base 10 of hydrogen ion (H+) concentration. The pH scale runs from 1 to 14 (i.e. very acidic to very alkaline), with pH 7 representing a neutral condition. At any given temperature, pH (or the H+ activity) indicates the intensity of the acidic or basic character of a solution and is controlled by the dissolved chemical compounds and biochemical processes in the solution. In unpolluted waters, pH is principally controlled by the balance between the carbon dioxide, carbonate and bicarbonate ions as well as other natural compounds (e. g. humic and fulvic acids). Unpolluted water usually gives the neutral pH value or slightly alkaline. The natural acid-base balance of a water body can be affected by industrial effluents and atmospheric deposition of acid-forming substances. Changes in pH can indicate the presence of certain effluents, particularly when continuously measured and recorded, together with the conductivity of a water body. Variations in pH can be caused by the photosynthesis and respiration cycles of algae in eutrophic waters. The pH of most natural waters is between 6.0 to 8.5, although lower values can occur in dilute waters high in organic content, and higher values in eutrophic waters, groundwater brines and salt lakes (Chapman, 1996; Jonnalagadda et al., 2001). 2.7 Previous Study on River Water Quality Status Water Quality Index (WQI) value are inconsistent based on the activity and the sources of the impurity. A report by Yusoff Haron (1999), the study of river water quality status of Ayer Hitam Forest Selangor showed that the upstream water quality was better than the downstream river water quality throughout the phase of sampling. The study shows clearly that as the river flows from uninterrupted (upstream) to the distressed environment (downstream), the physicochemical characteristics vary and thus degrades the water quality status. The value of water quality index based on the DOE-WQI was in the ranged 89.6 99.8. Thus indicate that the water quality status within the vicinity fall under Class I and II. It reveals that there is a close relationship between the river water quality and the land use pattern within the vicinity of the sampling stations. Besides development activities, natural factors such as organic matter decomposition may also contribute and hence influence the river water quality in the study area. Refer to Suratman et al. (2005), river profile status in Ibai River Basin have value of WQI in between 65.0 85.4, which have been categorize under Class II with slightly polluted water status. The major activities that contribute to the decline of water quality are the contribution of domestic sewage from residential and from the small workshops. Table 2.4 below shows some previous study done by researchers on river water quality status at different location. Table 2.4 Previous study of WQI in Malaysia Study Area WQI Value

The Fall of the House of Usher :: essays research papers

In "The Fall of the House of Usher", Poe uses the life-like characteristics of the decaying house of Usher as a device for giving the house a supernatural atmosphere. This not only makes the story act upon the reader in a grabbing way, but it also creates an impression of fear, mystery and horror, typical for Poe’s literary works. For example, from the very beginning of the story, the reader can tell that there is something unusual and bizarre about the old house. As the narrator approaches the home of his long-time friend, Roderick Usher, he refers to the house as the "melancholy House of Usher". This description in the beginning of the story prepares the reader for the mysterious events that will follow. Upon looking at the building, he even feels some sense of intolerable darkness which pervades his heart. The windows appear to be "vacant† and "eye-like† as if watching at the narrator and wandering through his mind. With an insecure feeling he goes to observe the "rank sedges," and the "black and lurid tarn," in which he sees the reflection of the house. He later says, "when I again uplifted my eyes to the house itself, from its image in the pool, there grew a strange fancy...". Although, the narrator tries to view everything he sees in a rationa l manner, upon seeing the house and its surroundings, he has an elevated sense of dread. He goes on to say that, "about the whole mansion and domain there hung an atmosphere peculiar to themselves and their immediate vicinity". This statement indicates that perhaps the house does indeed have some thrilling and spiritual nature. The narrator observes the details of the house once more and finds that the house has mold growing all over it and the masonry of the building is decaying. He says, that " there appeared to be a wild inconsistency between its still perfect adaptation of parts, and the utterly porous, and evidently decayed condition of the individual stones". This observation suggests that perhaps something eerie is holding the house whole, otherwise it would have fallen to the ground long ago. With this description, the house is also represented as a witness of many fates and a long period of history. It is as a mute observer of the time, knowing more, tha n anybody who lives in there. Later on, when the narrator enters the house, he sees its inside as well as the odd behavior and personality of its inhabitants and is increasingly convinced that the house has some strange impact on the people living in it.

Categorizing of People in Shakespeare’s Tempest and Dante’s Inferno :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Categorizing of People in Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Dante’s Inferno Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Dante’s Inferno both exhibit Foucault’s idea of categorization and subjectification using â€Å"dividing practices.† (Rabinow 8) Foucault argued that people can rise to power using discourse, â€Å"Discourse has the ability to turn human beings into subjects by placing them into certain categories.† (Rabinow 8) These categories are then defined â€Å"according to their level of deviance from the acceptable norm.† (Rabinow 8) Some examples of such categories are the homosexual, the insane, the criminal and the uncivilized. (Rabinow 8). By the above method, called â€Å"dividing practices,† people can be manipulated by socially categorizing them and then comparing them to norms. In this way human beings are given both a social and a personal identity (Rabinow 8) and this is how superiority among human beings can be established. In the play, The Tempest by William Shakespeare, Prospero took control of Caliban and made him his servant. Prospero was able to do this because he viewed Caliban as an uncivilized being; Caliban was portrayed as a beast. Thus, Prospero was able to assume power over Caliban. It can be seen from Prospero’s speech that he thinks that Caliban is inferior to him when Prosper says, â€Å"I have used thee, Filth as thou art, with human care [†¦]† (1.2.348-349). Prospero tries to justify enslaving Caliban, but all he really does is place Caliban into a category of bestial and uncivilized and as a result enslaves him. Even Miranda, Prospero’s daughter, speaks in a way that categorizes Caliban as an uneducated and uncivilized savage. â€Å"I pitied thee, Took pains to make thee speak, taught thee each hour [†¦] When thou didst not, savage, know thine own meaning [†¦]† (1.2.356-359) Miranda doesn’t stop there; she continues labeling Caliban, â€Å"But thy vile race, though thou didst learn, had that in’t which good natures could not abide to be with; therefore wast though deservedly confined into this rock [†¦]† (1.2.361-364). Exactly this kind of discourse turns Caliban into a subject. If Caliban had not been alone on the island, then Prospero and Miranda would have categorized a whole group of human beings rather than just one. In addition to the above, Prospero also accused Caliban of trying to rape Miranda. The fact that in the play Caliban doesn’t contest this challenge shows that his character is being categorized as a â€Å"black rapist† (Loomba 324). The â€Å"black rapist† theme is the thought that black men have a lust for white women and that they are much more likely to rape a white woman.

Modern Family Essay

In September 2009, America was introduced to Modern Family, the new award-winning show. The show centers around three families, all of which interact with each other. Not only does Modern Family deal with the traditional family, but also introduces a homosexual couple, and a mixed marriage. Given that these families are interrelated, Modern Family can reasonably be described as â€Å"modern.† The combination of traditional and new elements grows from the blended dialog, which the producer of this show tries to communicate. These elements lay only on the surface, and deeper looks within each family structure prove that the show’s title is misleading. New family visions are never fully embraced, but instead altered to fit into a common family thought. In contrast to its title, Modern Family promotes traditional gender roles and stereotypes of women, which result in the portrayal of an inaccurate image of the female and weakens the stance of women in todays U.S. society. Even though Modern Family tries to communicate an new idea of family, the show’s trust on male structures has created plotlines modeling traditional thoughts within each family. With Mitchell Pritchett and Cameron Tucker, the producers of Modern Family succeeded in creating a liberal homosexual couple characterized by their progressive denial of a traditional family structure. The intermarriage of Jay Pritchett and Gloria Delgado also deviates from the norm, not only by highlighting Gloria’s Latin American origin, but also by their visible age difference. With this interracial relationship, Modern Family follows the trend of recent television series such as Lost Grey’s Anatomy and Emergency Room to include mixed partnership in their story-lines. The significance of these examples is that the audience assumes that Modern Family promotes new families and dismisses the classic gender construction; however, it lacks resistance towards male family dominance, showing t he false approach this show tries to communicate Stability is constructed around the promotion of a male, and traditional formation of the dominant thought of the â€Å"The Standard North American Family (SNAF),† as argued by Dorothy E. Smith. In her article about â€Å"SNAF as an Ideological Code,† she states that the clear division of work sphere and domestic sphere between husband and wife characterizes the concept of a family. The men are  the families’ principal earners, making the women dependent on their husbands’ income. As seen in Modern Family neither Claire Dunphy nor Gloria Pritchett is responsible for contributing to her family’s income, which forces them to rely on their husbands’ earnings. The show’s reliance on the deeply fixed thought becomes even more evident by looking at Mitchell Pritchett and Cameron Tucker. Their progressive portrayal seems to make a classical gender distribution unlikely, but the episode â€Å"Mothers Day† reveals that Mitchell takes the role as mother, while Cameron functions as father. Modern Family focuses on female gender stereotypes to further promote a male-dominant family thought. The mass media’s tendency to resolve so cial change and reproduce â€Å"assumptions about women’s appropriate roles† creates inaccurate images of Gloria and Claire as modern women (Dow 19). The work â€Å"Constructing Gender Stereotypes Through Social Roles in Prime-Time Television† gives a definition of the construction of female identity and communication throughout television. It states â€Å"stereotypes offer overviews about people on the basis of their group membership† (Lauzen, Dozier, and Horan 201). While both women share the identity of motherhood, home life, and family-orientation, their individual characteristics differ. Gloria’s Latin American origin deviates from her white, American colleague. Gloria’s character symbolizes views many Americans have regarding Latin American women, such as being â€Å"‘passive, and dependent on men. ABC’s official description of Gloria states that Jay â€Å"married the much younger, much hotter, much more Colombian Gloria. Numerous episodes also make fun of her strong Latin American accent. The episode â€Å"The One That Got Away â€Å"features Jay’s birthday and instead of his wish to get a â€Å"saxophone,† Gloria gets him a â€Å"sexy phone,† a phone in the shape of a mouth. Additionally, little is known about Gloria’s educational or professional background in Colombia. This results in the motives of her marriage to the much older Jay Pritchett are being questioned. Gloria is accused of being a gold digger for wanting to marry a rich white American, most likely to obtain the American Dream for her and her son Manny. Contrary to Gloria’s racist stereotypical description, Claire Dunphy represents the traditional stay-at-home-mother, who dedicates her life to the domestic land. Compared to Gloria’s glamorous looks, Claire is dressed more casually, indicating that her priorities lie within the family. Throughout the series the audiences discovers that she  once had a successful profession, which she quit for her family. This shows that despite her strong, controlling character, she is not an independent woman. Claire’s description of vacation as a â€Å"business trip† demonstrates that she takes her position as mother very seriously, even more than her previous occupation. Through the promotion of traditional family values and the stereotypical presentation of women in the U.S. show Modern Family, an inaccurate image of the reality and impact of women in U.S. society is created. Even though feminist scholar Andrea L. Press argues that it is not the role of television to immediately and accurately reflect social and political behavior in one’s society, she draws the attention to the representation of â€Å"contradictory notions about feminine gender identity and female roles† in mass media (Press, Women Watching Television Andrea Press has also studied the relationship between women and work on television, and has identified that the image of working women on U.S. sitcoms correlates with the rise of women’s participation in the U.S. labor force, resulting from the changing shape of the American family through rising divorce rates and increasing acceptance of alternative family forms (Press,†Gender And Family† 148). While currently 58.9 percent of married women with younger children, and 70.7 percent with children aged six to seventeen are employed, it is questionable why none of the women in Modern Family holds jobs (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Of course, the concept of women working is not the only controversial family-related issue that inconveniently left out of discussion in the television series. Even though the introduction of sensitive issues, such as sexuality and race, in present television shows (Press, â€Å"Gender And Family† 140) can be noticed, these narratives often minimize the real problems American women face today (Press, Women Watching Television27-28). This observation does not meet the ideals of Modern Family, whereas issues like race, sexuality, and career decisions might be shown, but not openly be discussed. The longstanding moral concept of the traditional family is promoted through the show and by constantly repeating gender roles; the audience assumes these structures as true and authentic (Lauzen, Dozier, and Horan 201-202). A critical review on Modern Family easily reveals old-fashioned values. Despite its success, this show is not as modern as it claims to be and could  easily have been aired in the 1980s, a television era that was also characterized by a return to traditional family values. Nevertheless, Modern Family, airing in the 21st century, is continually stereotyping women in an old fashioned manner as mothers and housewives. These lines do not meet real female ambitions or provide a satisfactory reading of today’s American women. As Bonnie J. Downotes: â€Å"the danger is not in enjoying television series but in mistaking these images for something more than the selective, partial images that they are† (Dow 214).

Pro Audio Sales Agent Program

Pro Audio Sales Agent Program 1. Major Facts / Major Problems: – The program is an administrative nightmare at retail level – Retailers have problems in delivering the product -many dealers were spending time training customers and later losing them to other dealers. -there were errant sales agents working against the retail price -the product image of PSX-360 was on the verge of damage because of the new plan. 2. Possible Solutions: Solution A: Control the retail price of electronic, and sound processing equipment through public awareness programs Pricing is a relevant issue in procurement at all levels.Individuals purchasing the commodities of an organization should receive clarity on pricing. There is confusion in this organization because dealers are giving different prices for the equipment. This makes customers shop around for the lowest price and buy from such a dealer. Ensuring the same retail price for all dealers will ensure a level playing ground for all the dealers. This means that customers will buy from any dealer in the market. This will help in streamlining the market and reducing the problems faced currently. Solution B: Canceling agreements with errant sales agentsThe reason for the state the organization is facing might be the issue of errant sales agents. These rights should be cancelled to ensure that all dealers have a say in the market. This will stop dealers who take local markets from far, leaving local dealers with no market. This will ensure that sales increase in the market without having to sideline other dealers. 3. Possible Solutions: Advantage A: Controlling the retail price ensures that dealers get a level playing field. Furthermore, dealers will not lose customers after training them. This is because the retail price is the same at all levels.The problem of persistent discounting of products will be solved with a common price. Complaints on the loss of sale by other dealers will be an issue of the past. Evaluation of the sales agents was a step in the right direction for Pro Audio. Disadvantage A: The errant sales agents who were getting the largest chunk of profits will lose in this new move. This is because other dealers in the market will get an opportunity to sell their products in the market. Customers can get products locally with the change. Some suppliers can still get a way of working around the pricing issue to increase their sales.Advantage B: An increase in sales will translate to profitability in the organization. This in turn translates to revenue increase in the organization and dealers. Canceling agreements to exclusive rights of sale will give all dealers similar opportunities. This means that the dealers in the market have an opportunity to reach any consumer. Additional dealers will help in leveling the playing field. Disadvantage B: Canceling sale agreements may constitute a breach of contract, which means that dealers can sue the organization where there is no proof of e rror.This cancellation might make dealers feel shortchanged in the organization. This means that it is critical to have a clear direction so that such occurrences do not happen in organizations. 4. Choice and Rationale: Solution A: Control the retail price of electronic, and sound processing equipment through public awareness programs. Rationale Pricing is a pertinent issue in procurement and acquisition in organizations. Consumers buying the commodities of an entity should get clarity on pricing related issues. There is uncertainty in Pro Audio because dealers are presenting differing prices for the products.This makes buyers look around for the lowest rates and buy from these dealers. This means that customers will buy from any dealer in the marketplace. Maintaining the same retail price for all dealers ensures a level playing field for all the traders. This will help in reformation of the market and reduce the troubles faced currently by Pro Audio. Furthermore, making the custome rs aware by providing a hotline where queries can be lodged is relevant. Public awareness gives consumers information that helps them in making sound decisions. In this context, any retailer found on the wrong loses the contract. 5.Implementation: 1) Termination of old contracts would be the first step. This would mean that the terms would change to favour the retail market. 2) New contracts would be given to suppliers to ensure that they are aware of the retail terms of agreement. These contracts must be given on the basis of performance. 3) Retail agents should be hired to train and demonstrate consumers on the use of the products in all dealerships. 4) Orders will be processed by the company on the basis of payment to avoid losses. 5) The prices for the products should be fixed to stop issues of discounting and negotiating with dealers.

Drover’s Wife Reflection Essay

The Drover’s Wife, whose writer is Henry Lawson, portrays a bushwoman who was left to live in a small house with four children and one snake-dog while her husband was away droving. One day, when a snake entered the house, her house-dog, her son, Tommy, and she tried to kill it, but it disappeared into the cracks. While sitting, sewing and watching for the snake all night, she thought of her past hard times such as droughts, floods, bulls, drunken man and swagman. Finally, when dawn approached, the snake came out; it was killed and burnt. The drover’s wife is the character whom I am interested in the most due to a few reasons. Firstly, she is a responsible wife and a protective mother; for instance, to maintain the properties her husband had earned for years, she struggled to dig an overflow gutter in a rainstorm, which was too hard for a woman. Also, she protected her children from danger by spending all night guarding them carefully. Lastly, she is brave; despite risks, she went into the flames just to save her baby. I think if other people face this situation, they might do nothing besides weeping. After reading this story, I have gained an important experience which is that woman, herself, has to be independent and responsible because living in society is complicated as she might encounter many difficulties and cannot always depend on other people or men. As can be seen, although the bonny drover’s wife was left with four children and had to deal with the hardships of life, she independently strived to protect herself and children and overcame each challenge. Although the story is short, it has captured almost all my attention and has provided many useful tips for livings; thus, I would strongly encourage my friends to read it in order to let them perceive the precious experiences and develop their personal growth.

Arguments against abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Arguments against abortion - Essay Example The controversy lies on when and whether abortion should be done and the extent to which it should be denied or encouraged. It is this debate that has caused other countries to legalize abortion, such as the US, while others, such as Brazil, still consider the procedure illegal (Naden, 2008). This paper argues against abortion, based on its conflict with religious and moral standards, and thus supports its illegalization. First, abortion involves taking human life away, hence tantamount to murder. With this argument, it would be critical to understand when life begins. Proponents of abortion argue that an embryo is not a human being. They argue that it is only until such an embryo acquires human characteristics that it shall be recognized as a human (Thomson, 2010). However, these proponents do not draw a clear line from which an embryo becomes human. Therefore, it would be more reasonable to consider an embryo as a full human or a person (Beckwith 1992). According to England (1996), the embryo starts developing immediately an oocyte is fertilized by a sperm, a process that results in the formation of a zygote. A zygote is a large diploid cell and is the beginning of human life. It means that life begins at conception and thus the humanness of an embryo immediately after fertilization. This pro-life argument has been in existence in the history of the world for a long time. For instance, Naden (2008) observes that the Bible refers to the unborn as a child. It therefore recognizes the fact that an embryo already qualifies as a human being. Therefore, life begins at conception. This means that at whatever stage of pregnancy, from the first day to the last day of the ninth month, whatever is borne in the womb is a human being. As such, aborting pregnancy at any stage amounts to murder, and thus immoral. Secondly, having observed that abortion is tantamount to murder, it is against religious principles to decide on the death of a person, in this case the embryo, as only God reserves the sole power to decide when one should die. In basic terms, abortion is killing. No one holds the right to decide on the death or even life of an innocent person. However, Thomson (2010) observes that in situations where the life of the woman is at risk of death, say due to a cardiac condition that could prevent carrying the pregnancy to term, then she has the right to abort. Both the mother and the fetus have the right to life. Carrying out an abortion amounts to killing the fetus while doing nothing does not mean killing the mother, but rather letting her die. Furthermore, killing the fetus would be killing an innocent life that does not aim at killing the mother. Choosing between letting one die and killing an innocent person, the former holds moral expectations. However, if the mother opts for an abortion, it would not be considered as immoral, but rather an act to save her life. The mother’s right of deciding what happens to and in her body outweighs the right of the fetus to life. Finally, there are a myriad of physiological and psychological risks associated with abortion making it impermissible. Abortion remains an elusive area of study for a majority of doctors. Even after the procedure was legalized in the US, a Columbia University Medical Center professor of obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. Carolyn Westhoff, observes that the situation has not changed significantly with large teaching hospitals and medical schools not treating abortion as an important training area (Naden, 2008). This means that the area lacks adequate qualified personnel to handle the procedure. This leaves the task to physicians at freestanding clinics, exposing the women