The Mirror of the Other and America: The Multinational Society

The issues explored in â€Å"The Mirror of the Other† and â€Å"America: The Multinational Society† point out problems I society that are compounded by the â€Å"mono-cultural† attitudes that Reed and Fuentes tell us to try and avoid. Social problems that take part in â€Å"mono-cultural† attitudes include racism, poverty, and ageism. Carlos Fuentes talks about the interactions between Hispanic culture and Americans inside the United States. In â€Å"America: The Multinational Society†, Ishmael Reed discusses the fact that many cultures influence the United States more than people think. Ishmael Reed believes strongly in the â€Å"western† influence, and incorporates many ideas from it. â€Å"By which they mean, presumably, a civilization created by the people of Europe, as if Europe can be viewed in monolithic terms† (Reed p256). Racism in todays culture filled United States is at an all-time high. The Hispanic culture and the American culture coexist whether we like it or not. â€Å"The two cultures coexist, rubbing shoulders and questioning each other. We have too many common problems, which demand cooperation and understanding in a new world context, to clash as much as we do† (Fuentes, p251-252). Fuentes would believe that â€Å"mono-cultural† attitudes are curable and seen as a disease. Fuentes would address this problem by coming together and living with our differences cooperatively and peacefully. Reed would also agree to come together as one and not be racist. â€Å"Such blurring of cultural styles occurs in everyday life in the United States to a greater extent than anyone can imagine and is probably more prevalent than the sensational conflict between people of different backgrounds that is played up and often encouraged by the media†(Reed, p257). Poverty is the state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of support. We live in the world's wealthiest nation. Yet 13 percent of people living in the United States live in poverty. In most areas, a family of four needs to earn twice the poverty line to provide children with basic necessities. The â€Å"mono-cultural† attitude towards poverty needs to stop. All cultures need to come together as one and conquer what Hispanics and Americans live through. Fuentes has his own view on family and the way we should act and also pursue closeness with our siblings. â€Å"And of course there is the family – family commitment, fighting to keep the family together, perhaps not avoiding poverty but certainly avoiding a lonely poverty†(Fuentes p252). Ageism is a tendency to regard older persons as debilitated, unworthy of attention, or unsuitable for employment. Fuentes states that elders are like a storybook and are never shunned from society. The care and respect for the elders is something called respeto, the respect for experience and continuity, less than awe at change and novelty. This respect is not limited to old age in itself; in a basically oral culture, the old are the ones who remember stories, who have the store of memory† (Fuentes p252). In Fuentes’s mind the elderly are respected to the highest degree. In his culture the elderly are perceived as a royalty and are of the highest honor. One could almost say that when an old man or an old woman dies in the Hispanic world, a whole library dies with the person† (Fuentes p252). When going through â€Å"The Mirror of the Other† and â€Å"America: The Multinational Society† there are many social problems that take on â€Å"mono-cultural† ideas. Fuentes and Reed challenge this by giving their own ideas. They address problems like racism, poverty, and ageism by giving their answers of combining cultures. Each author takes on these problems with their own ideas and resolutions to stop these social issues.

The Woman Behind the Mask Essay

Social media has distorted the views and minds of young women in our society today. Due to being of the female gender, the author of Mascara, Aurelie Sheehan, empathizes with women by diving into the routes and tasks of their everyday lives. When first skimming over and reading Mascara, the mind picks up a routine of young women getting ready for an event. Sheehan is attempting to portray and reveal to the reader that society has put a false image in the minds of young women—if they are not perfect, they are not good enough. Women have been corrupted by society into thinking they must be perfect and have become overwhelmed with doing the simple day-to-day tasks or they will not be accepted in this world. Many men today do not realize that the media is having an effect on how they see women and how they believe women should look. The author is trying to express the fact that women believe they have to become something they are not. This goes back to the title Mascara, which is the Spanish word for mask, and that is exactly what women do today. Women today have become overwhelmed and insecure, and due to the corruption in society and the media they have been tricked into thinking they must be perfect. Today many women have become overwhelmed with doing the simple day-to-day tasks. Most women get up one to two hours before actually starting their day just to feel and look presentable. Throughout the story Mascara, the phrase â€Å"and then she† is displayed in almost every sentence. This story is not just about someone’s routine but it is in fact a list. A list that most women feel they have to go though everyday or every time they are going to go out somewhere. Most women have a false perspective of what they have to look like due to the corruption in today’s society and media. The overwhelming idea that society and the media have put into young women’s minds make them feels as if they have to keep changing who they are. Many people think that women enjoy and are happy to doll themselves up everyday, when in fact everyday they are overwhelmed with trying to look a certain away for either the morning or for going out. A young woman is carrying out a routine of forty-nine things she need to do before going on a date. Needing to do this forty-nine item routine before going out has insecurity written all over it. In the last sentence of Mascara it says, â€Å"And then she went to him† young women today feel as if they need to be all dolled up for a guy. When in fact guys like girls for who they are and not for who they are trying to be. Which goes back to the title Mascara† which is the Spanish word for mask and that is exactly what women do today. They put on a mask. When the young woman in this story is putting on her makeup she applies eight items to her face. Applying all of this to her skin shows the reader how insecure she is to show her true and real self. The saying,â€Å" Yeah. She is pretty now but have you seen her without her makeup on?†, plays a key role in why so many girls are insecure with themselves. Many young women today are afraid of what others will say about them if they show their true self or their true face and this is what the short story Mascara is really about. Thinking she needs to do a forty-nine item routine to her body before going out in public, tells the reader that young women today are always being judged and ridiculed by their piers and by society. This is why young women are so insecure with themselves. Every girl today feels as if they must be perfect. No matter what every girl looks like or who they are, women will find at lest one characteristic that they would change about themselves if they could. Women are rarely happy with who they are and feel as if they need to be perfect to be accepted or liked. The sad truth is that many women will not accept that there is no such thing as perfection. Many have come close to achieving perfection, but they will never actually achieve it. â€Å"And then she realized she had forgotten to weigh herself† the woman that is being spoken about in this story does not feel perfect because she thinks she needs to weigh herself, and in weighing herself it would tell her if she has reached the weight perfection or not. Media today with all the health and weight loss magazines are very misleading to young women into thinking they must be a certain weight and have their body look a certain way or they are not skinny enough. Women have taken this false image to heart and have put themselves at risk by trying to achieve the unachievable â€Å"perfection† statues. â€Å"And then she looked in the full-length mirror†¦.and then she turned to the side to look form a different angle.† Even after completing her whole routine, she has to look in the mirror to see if she had missed anything or if she needs to change anything about herself. Women feel as if they do not just have to weigh a certain amount but also have to look a certain way too. Many women feel the need to possess certain qualities of perfection, such as perfect height, perfect weight, perfect looks, and perfect skin. These thoughts do not just randomly pop into women’s heads, it is society and the media that is putting these false hopes into their minds. For example in every magazine or on every poster the models in them have perfect bodies and you cannot find one flaw in them. There are no overweight or imperfections in the models in this form of media, which has corrupted women into thinking that looking anything other than what they see in this form of media is n ot acceptable. Many men today do not realize that the media is having an effect on how they see women and how they think women should look. The media has also put a false image in men’s heads in thinking that all women need to look the same or they are not good enough. This has put pressure on young women today because they think they need to look and be someone that they are not. A lot of women do not just wake up and look like they do every morning. Many women go though long routines and list to obtain their looks. This is displayed in the short story Mascara because a young woman does a routine of forty-nine items just to go on a date with a guy. She does not just do every thing in her routine once but rather does a few of them at least two times. Men do not realize that women put a lot of time and effort into getting ready, which men take for granted. Mascara is short story that displays the truth on what many women do before going on a date. Many women go though long routines to get ready so they can feel good about themselves. Many women have become insecure with themselves due to the false and negative images in the media that is displayed around them. Many women feel as if they need to look and act a certain way to be accepted and to not be judged by their peers. From how media shows how women are suppose to look, many women have become insecure with themselves, and feel the need to be perfect when in fact perfection is unachievable. Women today have become overwhelmed and insecure due to the corruption in society and the media, into thinking they must be perfect.

Rate Law and Activation Energy Essay

Introduction In this experiment we are analyzing the relationship between reaction rates at different concentrations and temperatures to determine the true rate constant, activation energy, reaction orders, and half-life of a reaction. The reaction of interest is the addition of a hydroxyl group to the nucleus of Crystal Violet. Crystal Violet, or hexamethylparaosaniline chloride for short, is a strongly colored purple dye with the chemical formula C25H30N3Cl and disassociates completely in solution. The relevant structure for this compound can be seen in figure 1 Figure 1 The base that is being used for the reaction is the strong base Sodium Hydroxide, or NaOH. This molecule also completely disassociates in water. Because measuring the concentrations of reactants is difficult in a simple lab setting, the reaction between Crystal Violet and Sodium Hydroxide will be measured through light absorbance. As the reaction between the chemicals takes place and the Crystal Violet receives the hydroxide the overall intensity of the purple color will decrease thus affecting the absorbance. The absorbance of the solution will be measured with a colorimeter as the reaction takes place and will be interpreted as a direct representation of concentration of Crystal Violet. After the reaction has taken place, through analysis of graphs plotting absorption vs. time, the natural log of absorption vs. time, and the inverse of absorption vs. time the reaction will be determined to be either zeroth, first, or second order with respect to crystal violet. From here the a pseudo rate constant can be determined, and using comparisons of different constants at different concentrations of NaOH solution and different temperatures, the reaction order with respect to hydroxide, the true rate constant for the reaction, and the activation energy for the reaction can all be determined with the following equations respectively. equation 1 Where k2’ is the pseudo rate constant of the reaction using twice the initial OH- concentration as is used in the k1’ reaction and n is equal to the reaction order with respect to OH-. equation 2 Where k’ is a pseudo rate constant based off of absorption and n is the reaction order with respect to OH- determined by equation 1. equation 3 Where k1 is the reaction constant at temperature T1, a is a constant that can be ignored due to the way the equation will be utilized, R is that gas constant, and Ea is the activation energy. Procedure The following materials were needed for the experiment: 4 100mL beakers 250mL beaker 2.5Ãâ€"10-5M Crystal Violet Stock solution 0.10M NaOH Stock solution Distilled Water 10 dry plastic cuvettes and caps Stirring rod Vernier Colorimeter 50mL volumetric pipet 100 µL syringe 2 10mL vials Logger Pro software Vernier computer interface Hot plate Vernier temperature probe 1. First, 100mL of 0.10M NaOH solution was obtained using a 50mL volumetric pipet, and 0.05M was prepared using a the pipet, the stock 0.10M NaOH solution, and distilled water. 2. The Logger Pro software was engaged and both the Vernier colorimeter and temperature probe were plugged into the appropriate channels. The temperature of the room was measured and the colorimeter was calibrated by setting the 0% light and 100% light conditions. 3. The colorimeter was set to 565nm and 1mL of 2.5Ãâ€"10-5M Crystal Violet solution was mixed with 1mL of 0.05M NaOH solution and quickly added to the colorimeter. Data correlating time, temperature, transmittance, and absorbance was then recorded for seven minutes as the reaction between the two solutions took place, and this data was saved. 4. This previous step was repeated two additional times with the 0.05M NaOH solution, and then three times with the 0.10M NaOH solution. 5. Last, two 10mL-vials of 0.05M NaOH and 2.5Ãâ€"10-5M Crystal Violet solution were prepared in a warm bath solution on the hot plate. Once the temperature reached 35ËšC and was recorded, steps BLANK through BLANK were repeated again twice with the heated solutions of Crystal Violet and 0.05M NaOH. All of the data that was collected was saved and distributed between the two lab partners and all excess solutions were disposed of properly under the fume hood. Results The following are the graphs obtained from the absorption and time recordings of the third run for the reaction between 1mL of 0.05M NaOH and 1mL of and 2.5Ãâ€"10-5M Crystal Violet carried out at 22.62ËšC. figure 2 figure 3 figure 4 These plots show that the reaction order with respect to crystal violet is clearly 1st order due to the great r2 value of the linear trend line. Since our pseudo rate constant based off of absorption is equal to the negative slope of our linear plot, our k’ in for the reaction of 1mL of 0.05M NaOH and 1mL of and 2.5Ãâ€"10-5M Crystal Violet carried out at 22.62ËšC is 0.1894. These next three plots are the graphs obtained from the absorption and time recordings of the first run for the reaction between 1mL of 0.10M NaOH and 1mL of and 2.5Ãâ€"10-5M Crystal Violet carried out at 22.50ËšC. figure 5 figure 6 figure 7 As expected, these results still indicate a reaction order of 1 with respect to crystal violet as demonstrated by the linear plot on the figure 6. Our k’ in for the reaction of 1mL of 0.10M NaOH and 1mL of and 2.5Ãâ€"10-5M Crystal Violet carried out at 22.50ËšC is 0.2993. Now that we have two pseudo reaction constants in which the OH- concentration differs by a factor of 2, we can use equation 1 to obtain the reaction order with respect to OH-. Since the reaction order must be an integer we can see that the n must be 1. It is now know that for the reaction, the reaction orders with respect to both reactants are 1. At this point, the true rate constant can be determined using equation 2, where n is 1, the initial concentration of OH- is 0.05, and the pseudo rate constant k’ is 0.1894. These next three plots are the graphs obtained from the absorption and time recordings of the first run for the reaction between 1mL of 0.05M NaOH and 1mL of and 2.5Ãâ€"10-5M Crystal Violet carried out at 36.09ËšC. figure 8 figure 9 figure 10 Once again it is apparent from the three plots that the reaction is first order with respect to crystal violet. However, the reason we performed this last kinetic run was to obtain a value for k at a different temperature. This way we have two sets of values for equation 3 with two temperatures, and two rate constants. With this information we can cut out the pre-exponential factor a and solve for the activation energy. But first k must again be calculated for the reaction at the new temperature. Doing this the same way as done in calculation 2, we obtain a reaction constant of 4.964 – a higher value, which is to be expected with the increase in temperature. Now, manipulating equation 4 we obtain that equation 4 While plugging the proper values provides which after some arithmetic leads to a calculated Ea of 15,254.67J, or 15.25467kJ. The calculation for half-lives for the different conditions is simple, and just requires the following equation. equation 5 When using the rate constant found in calculation 1, t1/2 for the kinetic run for the reaction between 1mL of 0.05M NaOH and 1mL of and 2.5Ãâ€"10-5M Crystal Violet carried out at 22.62ËšC is found to be 0.183 seconds. Error Analysis In this experiment there are several things calculated and several sources of error to take into account. Error needs to be calculated for the rate constants k, for the half-lives, and for activation energy. The errors for the pseudo-rate constants are obtained using the LLS method. Once these are obtained the next step is to calculate the error in the true rate constants. When calculating the error in true rate constant once must apply both the error in the pseudo rate constant and the error in the measurement of volume for the 100 µL syringe as it pertains to the concentration of hydroxide. The error in the syringe is 0.02mL, which for 0.05M NaOH solution leads to an error in concentration of approximately 1Ãâ€"10-3M and 2Ãâ€"10-3M for 0.10M NaOH. Equation 2 is manipulated to solve for the true rate constant. The following equation is used to solve for the error in the true rate constant. equation 6 And when the derivatives are solved is equal to equation 7 And when the numbers are plugged in for the first kinetic run looks like calculation =.08 In other words, the rate constant for the first kinetic run came out to be 3.79 ±.08. Now when calculating the error in the half-life the only thing that has to be taken into consideration is the error in the rate constant, which was just calculated above. Using the same method, equation 5 is solved for half-life, and the error is calculated like so. equation 8 Which after the derivatives are solved is equal to equation 9 And of course after the correct values for example the first kinetic run are plugged in provides calculation = .004 And last but nowhere near least, is the error analysis for the activation energy. With this the error for the true rate constant must again be taken into consideration, and the error for the temperature probe. The error for the true rate constant has already been calculated, while the error for the temperature probe is provided in the lab manual as being  ±0.03K. Taking these into consideration, a very complex process follows. The same process as above was used but involving much more complicated and lengthy derivatives. First equation 3 was manipulated to the following form. equation 10 The derivative of this equation with respect to each variable (T1, T2, K1, and K2) was then taken squared, and multiplied by the square of the respective variables uncertainty. These were added up and the square root was taken as in the above methods. The end result was a calculated error of 2 KJ for the calculated activation energy of 15kJ. Figure 11 Overall this lab was very successful in the use of absorption as a method of monitoring change in concentration. The calculated errors all seem to be about what one might expect. This lab was very analytical outside of one glaring hole. You can see in figure 9 a slight curve in the plot that isn’t found on either figure 3 or figure 6. To me this seems to be because the reactants are heated up to a temperature around 35-36ËšC, but once the chemicals are mixed and placed in the cuvette the temperature is no longer controlled as the reaction takes place for the following seven minutes. Thus, as the temperature falls the rate of the reaction slows, and the pseudo rate constant is lower than it should be. This of course leads to a rate constant lower than it should be, and then the activation energy is affected as well. If I were going to change one thing about the lab, I would try and do something to control the temperature as the reaction persisted. Aside from that, there is little room for error outside of obvious blunders. Conclusion A reasonable value for activation energy was calculated from the data collected in this experiment. There were no major mistakes made in the laboratory, and the calculations all went smoothly. This experiment demonstrated that there are creative ways around difficult problems in the laboratory, such as measuring absorption in place of concentration to follow the progress of a reaction. References- Alberty, A. A.; Silbey, R. J. Physical Chemistry, 2nd ed.; Wiley: New York, 1997. Department of Chemistry. (2013, Spring). CHEMISTRY 441G Physical Chemistry Laboratory Manual. Lexington: University of Kentucky

Week 3 team assignment outline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Week 3 team assignment outline - Essay Example ICQ, or an internal control questionnaire, has been filled out by the auditors, based on information provided by the internal audit department of Apollo Shoes. That information was pertaining to Revenue Cycle and processing of sales transactions. However, the information was not capable of assessment as a part of Revenue Cycle of Apollos shoes, and the applicability of internal control procedures designed for sales transactions processing, on those transactions, could not be identified. It was necessary for that all Sales transactions would be identified accurately and processed according to the established procedure in order to be capable of going through the process of risk assessment of internal controls. There was another risk of understated revenue and fraud. It is very important that number of sequences should be present on all invoices, shipping documents and processing checks. There was missing information as to the number sequence used for invoices, processing checks and shipping documents in order to ensure completeness. In case of missing invoices, shipping documents and processing checks, it will be difficult to identify and may lead to financial loss, inappropriate quality of relation with suppliers/customers and even Fraud. The above two issues can materially misstate the amount of revenue and receivables, and the quality of work will be affected. These two issues can possibly be an indication of Fraud, and auditors may need to be withdrawn from the audit altogether. It is very necessary for the management to pay close attention to our audit finding and investigate the reasons of any deviations from established control procedures. In case of absence of any related control procedure, management should consult auditors on establishing new internal controls or finding any substitute methods to mitigate the identified

No topic Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

No topic - Case Study Example However, it is important to ensure proper management and assignment of duties to teams, otherwise, the teams will harbour more competition among members than creativity. Hence producing more frustration than facilitation spending more energy and time than it would take one person to complete the same task. Teams face a number of challenges during their time of operation. The most common problem among workers is poor communication, which can lead to project failure more so when it depends on proper communication among members of the team. Secondly, some teams may face unproductive conflicts where members of the team yell at one another and gossip hence breaking the working relationship among members. Identify common goal, develop open communication, and clarify roles and responsibility (Costa, Passos, & Bakker, 2014). Organisations should learn on how to avoid challenges or manage them as outlines in the article. One the companies should ensure that they identify a common goal of the team, develop open communication and clarify goals and responsibilities. The Coca-Cola Company sees its employees as the most valuable assets, the company’s organizes its members of staff into teams hence ensuring better performance. They are grouped into teams in their different areas of speciali sation. Torrente, P., Salanova, M., & Llorens, S. (2013). Spreading engagement: On the role of similarity in the positive contagion of team work engagement. Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 29,

Land Law Contentious Situations Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Land Law Contentious Situations - Case Study Example The best course of action is to have the sellers remove the rubbish. This will enable the company to begin operating with a clean slate. The rubbish must be coming in the way of cleaning up the premises. It has to go and the sooner it is gotten rid of the better. In case the seller obliges the buyers and gets rid of the rubbish, it is fine. In case the seller prevaricates or even declines to oblige the buyers, then the buyers have little option other than taking legal action or clear the rubbish themselves. In the instructions, there is no mention of the conditions under with the land was purchased. In the absence of the conditions under which the property was purchased it is not possible to give a clear answer. Generally when a property is purchased the buyers make an appraisal of the things that are there on the property premises. When a company buys land and buildings, it is mandatory to have a complete list of the buildings and the men and material within each of those buildings. It is not possible to make changes or modifications without this list. ... It is not possible to make changes or modifications without this list. Even if the purchasers are intending to make changes in the buildings to cater to their field of operation, it is necessary to get such a list so the purchasers have a clear understanding of the contents in each building and where they need to make changes. In the present circumstances, there is no such information. It is hoped that the company has not made the complete payment. If there is any balance in the payment to be made, it is easier to get the sellers to carry out cleaning operations and also make needed restorations.  

Final Ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Final Ethics - Assignment Example This is to mean that altruistic individuals live for the sake of the good of others. As seen in the research conducted by Albee (2014), the author also explains that individuals have the obligation to act not on their own needs but on the needs of others. On the other hand, utilitarianism works on the grounds that a good act is one that increases the satisfaction of individuals as well as the society at large (Albee, 2014). However, the individuals in question are expected to lead a happy life. A maximization of utility is the basis on utilitarianism such as individuals seeking to lead a successful life, having stability in life, minimize chances of them suffering (Albee, 2014; Braybrooke, 2004). This means that the ends substantiate the means for the case of utilitarianism. The proponents of utilitarianism include Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham. One of the major differences between altruism and utilitarianism is that altruism does not advocate for any form of individualism while utilitarianism advocates for general good, but the individual can to satisfy their needs. Utilitarianism produces happiness while altruism focuses on reducing any chance that unhappiness may occur in individuals (Albee, 2014; Braybrooke, 2004). Altruism and utilitarianism are similar in that both advocate for happiness as the end result of all actions of humans. Both ethical perspectives have some element of morality in them. The two also have some form of pain and satisfaction after an action (Albee, 2014; Braybrooke, 2004). The case of altruism can be well explained in the case of volunteering in a job as opposed to getting a job that would be well paying. When an individual forego a well-paying job to go for a volunteer job such as planting trees or caring for the elderly or sick patients, this may be termed as altruism since the individual has opted to sacrifice

The Psychodynamic Theory PS240 WK6 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Psychodynamic Theory PS240 WK6 - Term Paper Example According to Freud, the structure of personality consists of three components, which are the id, ego, and superego. The id is in control of instincts that are related to survival and aggression, biological urges, and the need to seek pleasure, which is referred to as the pleasure principle. The id, being illogical, irrational, and driven by impulses, is distinguished by primary process thinking. The second component of personality is the logical and rational ego, which is characterized by secondary process thinking. The reality principle plays a role in the ego’s functions, making it aware that appeasing to impulses cannot always occur due to the demands of the real world. As such, the ego â€Å"manages the conflict between the id and the constraints of the real world (Freud, 2010).† The final component is the superego, which is the part of the personality that maintains the moral standards adapted from society and family. The superego is the purveyor of guilt and force s the ego to adapt to the real world and to concepts of morality. Given the complex structure of personality, Freud noted that the id, ego, and superego are in permanent conflict with one another. Freud claimed that these conflicts most likely dealt with sexual urges and aggressiveness as society has rules surrounding these urges, their prevalence, and how they are tended to. Due to the constant conflicts of these personality components, it is believed that individuals feel anxious when the ego becomes incapable of balancing the demands of both the id and superego. As such, an individual’s personality resorts to unconscious and automatic behaviors known as defense mechanisms to fight against the internal conflicts of their personality. Defense mechanisms include repression, projection, displacement, reaction formation, and regression. Repression is when a thought, feeling, desire, or memory is suppressed so that it becomes unconscious.

EC can be used to create strategic advantage for a firm Essay

EC can be used to create strategic advantage for a firm - Essay Example Thus, it is important that an e-commerce strategic projection has to be incorporated in a company's strategic business plans. (King, et al, 2004) For the purpose of this paper we shall examine the details of a specific Electronic Commerce tactic in this case the electronic data exchange and analyze the effects it has on three companies which are Amazon inc., MySpace Company and First American bank. For firms, e-commerce implies using the web and the internet as a channel of distribution in marketing and selling of goods and also service to the firm's customers. This is a narrow definition, of e-commerce as it only describes internet commerce. E-commerce is much wider in what it entails. According to King, et al (2004) e-commerce is the exchange of information, services, goods and payments electronically and it involves formation and continuation of Web-based relationships. Thus, e-commerce encompasses the internet, extranets, intranets, electronic data exchange (EDE) and other electronic aspects. Examples of activities performed using e-commerce includes; Internet has globalized this world and in the same e-commerce is global. Difference in cities or countries even does not affect e-commerce if you have any kind of crises you can log on from any where in the world and can solve your problem in a faction of a minute. Transaction is very fast and effective; many online business sites now offer sophisticated tools to help consumers manage all their assets more effectively and conveniently. (King, et al, 2004) A simple example of this can be taken from the simple accounting software e.g. in the banking sector. Some online banks provide to simplify record keeping. Another importance of e-commerce is that less paper work has to be done and once u have entered information, it doesn't need to be re-entered for similar consequent checks, and future payments can be programmed to occur automatically. Importance of e-commerce on companies E-commerce serves as a vital strategic tool for companies. When e-commerce is well used in companies it brings considerable opportunities to the company. The importance of e-commerce to companies can be classified in two main classes; the tangible advantages and the intangible advantages that are brought about by information technology. E-commerce is vital for many companies, today e-commerce has assisted many companies and organizations to revolutionize the manner in which they operate and manage their operations. Though, for a company to realize maximum benefits of e-commerce it must invest in the technology and manpower. (Chan, Lee, & Dillon, 2001) Tangible benefits The tangible benefits of e-commerce touches on the monetary aspect of the company, it touches on the financial benefits that occur due to the company investing in e-commerce that can only be measured using tangible metrics. For example, cost saving, market share, productivity and profitability of the company. These benefits enables the company to make a lot of saving and the money goes along way in improving other aspect of the company. (Chan, Lee, & Dillon, 2001) Intangible benefits T

Consumer Relationship and Personal Selling Essay

Consumer Relationship and Personal Selling - Essay Example Personal selling remains important independent of technologically driven sales processes because it is the â€Å"only communication† process that â€Å"allows a marketing message to be adapted to the specific needs and beliefs of each customer† (Spiro & Weitz, 1990, p.61). Other sales promotions such as promotions, point-of-sales’ exhibitions, packaging, and so on are directed toward the â€Å"typical customer†. Personal selling is rather more flexible as it allows for adjustments to be made to the sales’ message in response to observable consumer reactions. With other forms of selling processes, marketers have limited opportunities for adjusting messages as they typically have to wait it out and interpret consumers’ purchasing behaviour.It would therefore appear that personal selling has become even more important with technological advancements. While consumers are more inclined to rely on, and expect technological solutions, consumers valu e and expect superior customer services (Spiro & Weitz, 1990). Personal selling provides consumers with superior customer services since it puts the consumer in touch with sales’ personnel and offers a unique opportunity for consumers to ask questions or to register concerns and to have those concerns addressed. Moreover, personal selling is focused on specific consumers and as such creates and fosters the feeling that the consumer is special and valued. Personal selling is an important customer service technique.... nication† process that â€Å"allows a marketing message to be adapted to the specific needs and beliefs of each customer† (Spiro & Weitz, 1990, p.61). Other sales promotions such as promotions, point-of-sales’ exhibitions, packaging, and so on are directed toward the â€Å"typical customer† (Spiro & Weitz, 1990, p. 61). Personal selling is rather more flexible as it allows for adjustments to be made to the sales’ message in response to observable consumer reactions. With other forms of selling processes, marketers have limited opportunities for adjusting messages as they typically have to wait it out and interpret consumers’ purchasing behaviour (Spiro & Weitz, 1990). It would therefore appear that personal selling has become even more important with technological advancements. While consumers are more inclined to rely on, and expect technological solutions, consumers value and expect superior customer services (Spiro & Weitz, 1990). Personal selling provides consumers with superior customer services since it puts the consumer in touch with sales’ personnel and offers a unique opportunity for consumers to ask questions or to register concerns and to have those concerns addressed. Moreover, personal selling is focused on specific consumers and as such creates and fosters the feeling that the consumer is special and valued. In other words, personal selling is an important customer service technique that is particularly important at a time when modern technology is especially impersonal. Personal selling functions to personalise the relationship between the consumer and the firm and thus facilitates the superior customer services that consumers have come to expect. 2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of building customer relationships by the internet. Chen

Corean Healthcare System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Corean Healthcare System - Essay Example Just like in most of the western world, women in South Korea have monthly OBGYN visits. Sonograms are also part of the routine. Along with the routine checkups and sonograms that women undergo are certain foods that Koreans believe to be beneficial for prenatal care. For instance, pregnant women are strongly encouraged to eat only foods that are fresh, some of which are uncooked. In addition to these practices, women are also encouraged to relax and think about nothing negative. Koreans believe that doing all of these things will promote the health of the baby.During the labor and delivery process, the mother-in-law was traditionally the only one present. Now, however, other family members can be present. Women are to endure the delivery process in a manner that is quiet. They are not to shout loud. They are to just endure the pain. When the woman has gone through with labor and delivery, she is to come home and relax. Only the immediate family is allowed to visit the mother and baby, until the baby is one month old. To continue to maintain health after pregnancy, it is advised to consume seaweed soup twice a day for the first two weeks after giving birth (Korean National Statistical Office-Women's Lives Through Statistics). Nutrition As far as maintaining optimal health and nutrition is concerned, Koreans prefer to utilize natural methods. Some of the natural methods they make use of are getting plenty of fresh air, taking walks, and using traditional Oriental health practices as a means of preventing illness, such as the use of a fomentation bath or sauna to promote blood circulation (Shin et al, 2004). Other long standing traditions are observed, as well. For instance, traditions to show respect for parents and ancestors are observed routinely. In addition to this, there are traditions that are practiced in regards to the birth of the child, as well as on the child's first birthday to promote long life and happiness (Vogler, 2005). Korea offers a great variety of hearty and healthy dishes. Kimchi (fermented spicy cabbage) is the most popular, as it is eaten and enjoyed by almost everyone in Korea. Koreans are practically vegetarians; however, several dishes can be found that contain a wide variety of seafood's, as well as different meats. Many noodle and soup dishes are favorite among Koreans, and the variety of courses varies, depending on the class of people. Lower class individuals typically eat a meal that consists of three courses, while royalty will typically eat twelve (Shin et al, 2004). Since the introduction of western way of life into Korea, such as the eating habits and the westernized fast-food restaurants, obesity is on the rise. The South Korean media uses educational materials to

What Is Political Philosophy Essay Example for Free

What Is Political Philosophy Essay What is philosophy and particularly political philosophy? Philosophy is a broad or specific study of areas concerned with existence, values, ethics, knowledge and reason. The word philosophy is rooted in the Greek word philosophia which literally meant ‘the love of knowledge’ So questioning human existence is one example: Does God really exists etc. Important as well are questions about what we know and what we can know; both constitute the area of philosophy known as epistemology (the theory of knowledge) Ethics is also a part of philosophy dealing with human conduct. What responsibilities do we have to ourselves as well as others? The study of political philosophy asks questions surrounding a just society and or state. David Rafael defines political philosophy as a doctrine or ideology setting up norms or ideal standards for the society. He claims that the ideal philosophy tells us what we ought to be or to do. In this regard political philosophy differs from political science. Political science seeks to explain facts as instances of general laws, but political philosophy is more idealistic. Hence; †¢philosophy- what ought to be done (idealist). †¢science- what actually happens/ based on facts (more realist) In studying philosophy, a central feature or one can say is the most dominant feature is the Western Civilization. Western civilization should not be confused as a geographical concept. As noted by Ebenstein and Ebenstein (2000) â€Å"Its birthplace is the Mediterranean  ¬ Greece, Palestine and Italy. From there it spread through Europe and the Middle East. A penetration into Asia and Africa lasted for several centuries. † Importantly, the spread of the west should not be confused with mere colonial expansion. It’s broader than that. It is the way of thought, Language yes, but religion, ethics, morals, ideas of life and livelihood are only some of the broader areas that the â€Å"West† embodies. E. g. Less than two hundred and fifty years old, the United States is now the centre of gravity of western civilization in terms of economics, politics, culture and military power. In antiquity, Athens, Jerusalem and Rome were the leading points. During the Dark Ages, Byzantium was the most important site of cultural, literal, and administrative leadership. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries Paris was the undisputed cultural capital of the West. In the nineteenth century, London inherited that place. New York became the leading artistic, scientific and intellectual clearing-house in the world during the twentieth century, and its place in the year 2000 is being taken, in terms of cultural influence by Los Angeles demonstrating the geographical mobility of western civilization. Western political thought (Philosophy) The tradition is generally associated with historical Greek cultures. In the early days Greece was a divided polis (city-state) which was constantly at war: an example is the Peloponnesian War between the democratic Athens and the Authoritarian Sparta. The Greek World view; intellectual culture and political practice spread as a result of colonial expansion. It spread further when Europe colonized the rest of the world. The Greeks idea of democracy and of course its political traditions spread to other areas with the rise of Macedonia whose leader at the time was Alexander the Great and he was taught by Aristotle. Alexander the great formed an empire that encompassed a federation of Greek states. It included Egypt, parts of India and other territories which we know now as Uzbekistan. The western traditions in Political Philosophy became more dominant in the European conquest, its creation of the plantation system, the dominance of African labour and eventual colonial subjugation of the non-European world. So here we are: how do we identify the defining features of Western Political thought? Ebenstein says that we have to find the things that are so central to the society and strip them away and see if the society exists without them. The Roots of the West are as follows: †¢the Greeks concept of Reason †¢two, the Jewish belief in one God (monotheism) †¢and three, the Christian conception of love. In the Great Political Thinkers (Ebenstein and Ebenstein, 2000) †¢Rationality: â€Å"The belief and use of reason are not inventions of the 20th century. However they argued that the Greeks invented rationality. They noted that Greeks did not start from scratch, as various Oriental people influenced them but they noted that Greek civilizations has it imprinted itself on the rest of the world, was Originally, the Greeks were not derived from earlier people in the direct way the rest of the world barrowed the ideas from the Greeks. The supreme Greek ideal was to think clearly. †¢Monotheism (belief in one God) is the second root of the West, with the resulting concepts of brotherhood of mankind (all men and women being children of the same Father) and one of one world ruled by a higher law which is above human whim and arbitrariness. It could be argued that other societies came close to the concept of â€Å"one God† before the Jews did; but the Jews were the first to build their whole life around their belief in God, and to base their thoughts, ethics, laws and government on this belief. †¢Love (Christian conception) is the third root of the West. Christianity incorporated Greek rationalism and absorbed Jewish monotheistic ethics, and added a new dimension that went beyond both: the principle of love as the basis of people’s relation with God, and more importantly, each other. Here, the point can be made that Greek thought and life put a great value on â€Å"sympathy† (a Greek word meaning â€Å"to feel with†) and friendship, the latter considered by Aristotle, for example, to be the basis of all social and political organizations. The Greeks were intensely interested in love; Plato’s dialogue Symposium is one of the great conversations on love in world Literature. Yet love in Symposium is primarily the mutual embrace of two souls soaring together to the heights of perfection in life of reason. On a lower level, love was seen by the Greeks as a fierce demon, something approaching madness. Similarly, classical Jewish thought emphasizes compassion and charity, and admonishes its adherents to â€Å"love thy neighbour as thyself†. But neither the Greek nor the Jewish conception of love has the unconditional, universal character of Christian love. In Christian thought, love is not in the periphery of life, in the rare moments of ecstasy, but in the centre of life: Love is life itself. EXERCISE QUESTION 1 (This question is only for discussion in the first tutorial and will not be accepted as coursework). What is the meaning of epistemology, ontology, and agency? How do you define and identify yourself? What are the sources of ideas and meanings you have been using to define and identify yourself? What are the epistemological bases of your personhood? Why do you believe what you believe? What beliefs, what set of ideas have shaped your concept of self and who you are and are becoming?

What Is Catholic Marriage Religion Essay

What Is Catholic Marriage Religion Essay In this chapter I will first attempt a definition of marriage and more specifically Catholic marriage; I will then review existing literature on the topic and present different views about cohabitation, reasons why people get married, expectations about marriage among Maltese individuals, the changes in marital traditions and also the Cana Movement. From the beginning of the second century to the middle of the 20th Century the catholic tradition institution, viewed and modelled marriage as a procreative institution-a stable, social and religious institution in which a man and a woman became husband and wife to procreate children. Their procreative activity, which defined marriage, included not only to the creation of a child but also to the development of motherhood and fatherhood and the fabrication of a functioning adult. Since the parents life expectancy was not long beyond the early adulthood of their children, marriage was therefore easily defined as lifelong. In truth this procreative institution is the result of a contract in which, according to the 1917 Code of Canon Law, each party gives and accepts a perpetual and exclusive right over the body for acts which are of themselves suitable for the generation of children (Canon 1081, 2) (Lawler. M ,2001) The Second Vatican Councils Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World describes marriage as a communion of love (No. 47), an intimate partnership of life and love (No.48). Love between the spouses was declared by the council to be the very essence of marriage. The council underscored its preference for an interpersonal union model by making another important change in the received tradition. Marriage is founded in a conjugal covenant of irrevocable personal consent (No. 48). The legal word contract gives way to the biblical word covenant, a word saturated with overtones of mutual steadiest and personal love, qualities that are now applied to marriage. (Lawler. M ,2001) Adrian Thatcher in his book Marriage after Modernity: Christian Marriage in post modern times describes marriage as a universal institution which theologically speaking is given with creation itself, But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 7For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh (Mark 10: 6 8).He explains that marriage is an eminently human love, a love that brings together the human and the divine. Therefore married couples are capable of being simultaneously recipients and mediators of that relational love of God which led to the creation of the world and restored through Christ. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains marriage as a sacrament of Matrimony in which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, it is by its nature regimented for the good of the spouses and the education and procreation of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the solemnity of a sacrament. It is very interesting to note how romantic marriage has only been common in the west for quite a short period of time. In fact according to sociologist Anthony Giddens (1997), modern ideas of romantic marriage had not been common or accepted even as late as the 1500s. On the other hand religious institutions saw marriage as pragmatic solution to unhealthy sexual emotions and not something to be done for affection, romance or satisfaction. Attitudes towards marriage Without any doubt peoples own family life experiences is major influence on their multidimensional development, and hence different people have different views, expectations and reasons for marriage. Ones home is the starting point, for one to learn about marriage, this is because parents continuously teach their children what partnership involves and what its like by following in the footsteps of their parents marital relationship .In fact Toben and Joanne Heim (2000) think that where you come from and your family history lies beneath just about every issue youll face in your entire marriage not just in the first year (p.17). The quality of the ones parents marital relationship and also the quality of attachment to ones parents and siblings is influenced by the adjustment in marital relationships .Azzopardi (2007). The effect of parental conflict and divorce on childrens attitudes toward marriage has been examined by a number of researchers. Some studies have shown that children of divorced parents: do worse than those in intact families in several aspects of their development (Dowling Gorell Barnes, 1999; 2000) are fearful and anxious about their own future marriage (Schwartberg, 1981; Sorosky, 1977) and have a negative view of marriage (Kelly, 1981; Long, 1987). Also Children from broken homes, predominantly daughters, are less interested in marriage (Booth, Brinkerhoff, White,1984) and have low expectations and evaluations of marriage (Long, 1987). On the other hand some research has indicated that it is not parental separation and divorce per se that influence expectations of marriage but it is family integration (Coleman Ganong, 1984). In the study by Kalter (1987), Grych and Fincham (1990), and Markland and Nelson (1993), which involved college students, found that conflict and inter-parental hostility is a key feature influencing young adults expectations of marriage. It was therefore concluded that children who are exposed to such conflicts seem to form pessimistic impressions of marriage. In contradiction Muench and Landrums (1994) research suggest that family dynamics play an important role in expectations of marriage formation. Therefore, even though some peoples expectations of happiness and success in marriage may have been tainted by prior experience (divorced parents), they still strongly desire having a positive marital and family relationship (Jones Nelson, 1996, p.173). Similarly, Coleman and Ganong (1984), and Jones and Nelson (1996) did not find significantly different attitudes towards marriage between low and high conflict background individuals. These different results suggest for the requirement for further research on the subject. The media have also been attributed with the power to influence peoples expectations of marriage. However, there is yet to be evidence for this claim. (Segrin Nabi, 2002, p.247). Vexen Crabtree explains that marriage consists of many parts. The first is the legal contract, which according to him is the bare bones of what a marriage is . Nevertheless at the end of the day it is our cultural expectations that give marriage more meaning than merely a contractual agreement. He further explains that our upbringing including our culture and stereotyped ideas portrayed in the mass media together with society create unconscious ideal roles that we are under pressure into filling. In fact Rev. Rebecca Densen (2001) states: Marriage partners are also bombarded with role expectations and stereotypes of what it means to be a husband and wife. In general these roles are detrimental to the relationship. People simply cannot fit into pre-set moulds (). Healthy relationships on the other hand are entered into and maintained by individuals free and loving ongoing choice. Also it is very important to note how according to the Constitution of Malta in the second article is says that (1) The religion of Malta is the Roman Catholic Apostolic Religion. Therefore one can argue how the laws of ones country reflect and reinforce a citizens perception of an orderly environment and every citizen is bound to abide by them Religious and Traditional Influences Without a doubt religion plays a major role in how a marital relationship is conducted. Although the importance to religion is declining and the Maltese no longer base their life on a singular moral view, religion still plays a major role in the establishment of ideals (Tabone,1994). The 1999 European Values Survey (Abela, 2000) reveals that in spite of the reported secularization (Tabone, 1987) 80% of the Maltese give religion third priority, following the family (first) and work (second). Women generally value religion over work, whereas men give second importance to work, women give priority to religion (Abela, 2000. p.45). Tabone (1994) argues that in spite of traditionalism and institutionalism the church still has a great impact on the individual In fact, almost all Maltese individuals are baptized, and attend catechism, they receive their first Holy Communion, receive confirmation, and generally marry in the Church. Tabone continues that regardless of their faith (p.295). About 75% of all marriages are sacramentalised in church (Archdiocese of Malta, 2003; L-Orizzont, 2004). Consequently Maltas culture, tradition, and social life relation to religious activity may point out how the Maltese may find it hard to separate from the religious familiarity in ones life. Nevertheless, it is quite evident that values could be changing especially amongst the Maltese youth .in one recent survey conducted by the University Chaplaincy in 2009 on the subject of religious practices among University students, 91% claimed to be Catholics. With regards to confession, 36.7% never receive this sacrament. 68% report to attend mass on a regular basis, while 32.4% rarely or never do. With regards to religious beliefs the highest percentages were for belief in God (93.5%), Jesus the Son of God (81.2%), Mary, the mother of God (78.4%), The Holy spirit (75%) The Trinity (74.8%), God the creator of all that exists (74%).A lower amount of participants responded yes, in relation to their belief in Afterlife (68.5 + %), The incarnation of Jesus (67.1%), The Virginity of Mary, the mother of God (65.4 +%), Heaven and Hell (65.4%), The Devil (63.9%). When asked about morality, 62.9% state that Abortion is always morally wrong, 43.8% said that divorce is morally wrong, 14.7% see contraception as morally wrong. 24.0% state that pre-marital sexual intercourse as prohibited and 73.5% approve of premarital cohabitation. Moreover 9.5% wrote that abortion can be carried out in the case of a disabled child, while 56.7% said that divorce should be legalised in Malta and 44.3% have practised sexual intercourse in the past year. Another verification of declining religiosity is the 2006 Sunday Mass Attendance Census (Inguanez, 2006) which revealed an 11% fall in church attendance among the Maltese since 1995. So the question of why one still chooses to marry in the church remains. As cited in a qualitative study carried out by Azzopardi (2007) all the couples saw marrying in the church as an automatic and unquestionable construction. Many influences were seen throughout the interviews including Cultural and extended family influences. They did not reflect on the true understanding of a Catholic marriage and its distinctive requirements. In fact when asked some of the couples stated Im doing it to make him happy or my parents would have thrown me out, Therefore in this study the construction of marrying in the church emerged as one of the tensions between secularism and traditionalism. Most of the participating couples, viewed marrying in the church as a public statement of their commitment as opposed to a sacramental union. Also narratives about the visual and lavish aspects of Maltese weddings sustain the idea. In fact in 2002 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬17.5 million was spent amongst 2240 weddings, bringing the average wedding expenses to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 7900 (L-Orizzont , 2003). On the other hand during the interview many couples admitted that if it was up to them, they would have done nothing of the kind. Cohabitation Marriage is an institution which can join together peoples lives in a wide range of behaviours including those economic and emotional. In many Western cultures, marriage usually leads to the formation of a new household uniting the married couple, with the married couple living together under the same roof, often sharing the same bed, however in some other cultures this is not the tradition, and opt for cohabitation ( Paul, 2006). A cohabiting couple is a co-resident man and woman, living together within a sexual union, without that union having been formalised by a legal marriage , (Gordon, 1995). Cohabitants could be engaged couples, common-law husband and wife, or singles living together in a romantic relationship. As said before at present many individuals are opting for cohabitation as opposed to marriage. One can distinguish between 2 types of cohabitation: pre-nuptial and non- nuptial cohabitation. Pre nuptial refers to people who plan to marry and live together first. The latter refers those who live together but do not intend to marry (Thatcher. A, 2001) There are also those who cohabit out of convenience. A growing amount of literature is focused on how and why partners come to cohabit. According to one study, when asked why they began sharing a household, many people reported that they entered it without much thought (Manning Smock, 2005). Another study found that when asked the same question, mos t reported that they wanted to spend more time together and that it was more convenient than living apart (Rhoades, Stanley, Markman, in press).Some individuals report using cohabitation as a way to test the relationship before marriage, although this type of cohabitation represented only a small minority in one study (Rhoades et al., in press).Many cohabiting individuals report that they plan to marry their current partner (Brown Booth, 1996). The Church of England report, titled Something to celebrate states further reasons for cohabitation, these include reaction to the clear failure of traditional patterns of partner selection, courting, marriage and setting up home, the ability to avoid or delay conception through reliable contraception, the wish to avoid promiscuity, the wish to avoid the possible consequences of being married, such as the cost of a legal divorce or of a grand wedding. Other reasons include peer pressure; saving on rent; or waiting to conclude higher education. (Thatcher A, 2001). Hence I question why people go into all the trouble of getting married in the church when they could easily cohabit without any problems. In reality it is more problematic to marry in the church as opposed to cohabiting or marrying civilly. According the Maltese Marriage Act Chapter 255 ,Catholic marriage means a marriage celebrated in accordance with the norms and formalities of Canon Law or with a dispensation therefrom granted by the competent organ in accordance with Canon Law; In fact the Catholic Church together with the law teaches that for one to marry in the church one of the partners must be a baptized Christian .Both partners do not have to be Catholic in order to be sacramentally married in the Catholic Church, but both must be baptized Christians (and at least one must be a Catholic). Non-Christians cannot receive the sacraments. For a Catholic to marry a non-Catholic Christian, permission is required from his or her bishop. A Catholic can marry an unbaptized person, but such marriages are natural marriages only and not sacramental marriages. The Church, therefore, discourages them and requires a Catholic who wishes to marry an unbaptized person to receive a special dispensation from his or her bishop. Still, if the dispensation is granted, a non-sacramental marriage is valid and can take place inside of a Catholic church Legal prohibitions on marriage between close blood relatives are prohibited by the church. Before 1983, marriages between second cousins were prohibited. Today, second-cousin marriages are allowed, and, under some circumstances, a dispensation can be obtained to allow a first-cousin marriage. However the Church still discourages such marriages. If one of the partners, Catholic or non-Catholic Christian, has been married before, he or she is free to marry only if his or her spouse has died or he or she has obtained a declaration of nullity from the Church. The sheer fact of a divorce is not sufficient to prove the nullity of a marriage. During marriage preparation, you must inform the priest if you have been married before, even in a civil ceremony. They must also be of opposite sex .Marriage, by definition, is a lifelong union between one man and one woman. The Catholic Church does not recognize, even as a civil marriage, a contracted relationship between two men or two women. Finally it is a myth that some Catholics only see the inside of a church when they are carried (at Baptism), married, and buried. But since marriage is a sacrament, and for the sacrament to be properly received the Catholic partners in a marriage must be in good standing with the Church. This not only means normal Church attendance but also avoidance of scandal, for example cohabitation. Furthermore research about married couples has shown that they enjoy a better standard of living than single individuals (Waite Gallagher, 2000; Hirschi, Altobelli Rank, 2003). They also e have better physical and psychological well-being (Schoenborn, 2004; Williams, 2003). Additionally children are most likely to succeed when brought up in a happily married couple. (Amato Booth, 1997; Mc Lahahan Sandefur, 1994; Ford, Goodman Meltzer 2004) The Change in Marriage Values and Traditions In Thatchers (1999) book titled Marriage after Modernity Christian Marriage in postmodern times David Lyon refers to the term modernity to the social order that emerged following Enlightenment. This includes the many changes that occurred from the mid sixteenth century onward in all fields. As a result of all the changes based on science, economy, democracy or law, modernity is continuously questioning all the conventional ways of doing things. As a result he explains that it unsettles the self; if identity is given in traditional society, in modernity it is constructed. Without any doubt marriage is entangled in the changes signified by the transition from modernity to post modernity as it is a historical and social institution. Peter Hodgson states that although modernity has given us many gains such as rationality, freedom, dialogue, human rights, subjectivity etc Its has also resulted in a series of crises including cognitive, historical, political, socioeconomic, religious, economic, sex and gender. In fact : The sexual revolution has exposed the repression deeply ingrained in Western culture and Christianity, but it has also led to a great deal of freedom of sexual practice beginning in adolescence, much of it destructive, and it has rendered problematic all of the established sexual institutions, including the nuclear family and marriagethere is also a gender crisis the beginning of the ending of patriarchy as a way of organizing male- female relations and distributing social power. To add on undoubtedly marriage is one of the established sexual institutions which have been affected by the crises of modernity. The sexual crisis unmasks the linkage of religious beliefs with sexual repression and calls into question the authority of scripture on issues vital to human sexuality, while the gender crisis is disrupting long established ways of imagining divine power and presence, namely in androcentric and patriarchal terms (Hodgson, Winds of the Spirit p. 62). Consequently Hodgson believes that the above mentioned crises resulting from modernity have led to the absence of God in postmodern consciousness. According to Franà §oise Zonabend, a French anthropologist, the instability of the marriage institution is due to the increasing number polygamous marriages between women, The  divorces and remarriages, the free unions and the common law marriages which are on the increase in Western societies, also point to the vulnerability of the institution and show above all that the functions that have been ascribed to marriage-the transfer of goods, the sexual division of labour, the solidarity between the relations, rearing of children-cannot be the consequence of any natural imperative. Therefore we can only call for a rethinking of the universality and durability of marriage. In an article by Don S Browning titled Christian Ethics and the Family debate: An Overview it is stated that there are many different reasons for these crisiss that are happening in todays Western Society. He explains how many Conservatives, neo-conservatives, and some neo-liberals highlight the importance of cultural values; they claim that values have changes and largely for the worse. As an example Neo-liberals for instance David Popenoe and Robert Bellah, and also historians like Edward Shorter and Lawrence Stone, place emphasis on the rise of Enlightenment individualism. Conservatives such as James Dobson claim modern society is more immoral and does not respect marital, family, and parental commitments as before. Moreover demographers such as Ron Lesthaege and Larry Bumpass talk about individualism to explain the escalating family fragmentation. Additionally deteriorating economic conditions and decreased welfare support for the family crises are blamed by many Marxist, liberal, progressive, and many liberal-feminists. Max Weber, Alan Wolfe and Jà ¼rgen Habermas stress the spread of technical reason as the causative factor. They explain how technical reason can mean two different things: one being market logistics enter the private lives of families and as a consequence replace family loyalties with an ethical-egoist and cost-benefit mentality. The other reason can be stated in bureaucracies which take over family functions and as a result make them dependent client populations. The Economy also plays a role in this change. In fact economists Diane Reglis and Victor Fuchs describe how during the 1980s and 90s economy has been declining and this shift has influenced families negatively. Accordingly many social changes are caused because of these economic changes like Legal changes: the legal recognition of domestic partnerships, divorce and the trend toward the deinstitutionalization of the family which all account to the shift in family values. One can also mention Psychological factors. In fact Frances Goldscheider and Linda Waite, state that the family crisis results from the fact that mens commitment to housework and child care has not been in line with womens opening into the salary economy. Evolutionary psychologists go on to reveal how evolutionary forces have created uneven reproductive strategies between males and females. They point out that males of most mammalian species procreate as widely as possible with a range of females however do not become concerned in the care of their offspring. The Cana Movement The Church organizes marriage preparation course with the hope of increasing Catholic values among Maltese families. Courting couples preparing for marriage attend the compulsory marriage preparation course as indicated by the Church. The course aims to help couples in their preparation for the sacrament of marriage to arrive at a better evaluation of their relationship and their commitment to each other, and to a Christian marriage. It consists of eight group sessions addressing eight different topics from a Christian perspective. The courses are organized through one of its voluntary Organizations, the Cana Movement, which was set up to promote Catholic family life among the Maltese. For my study I chose people participating in this course as they without doubt intend to marry in the Catholic Church. Marriage education is widely practiced within the Catholic communities. In Malta the marriage preparation course is a compulsory step for those choosing to marry in the Church. One of the courses aims is the teaching of a realistic framework of marriage with the hope of reducing unrealistic expectations in various areas of married life. However, the multi-vocal bombardment of ideals from tradition, culture, and media might impede the courses from having the desired effect. On a much larger scale, Stanley et al. (2006) carried out a representative survey across four American states and found participation in premarital courses to be associated with lower levels of conflict, higher satisfaction and commitment in marriage, and reduced the chance of divorce. It is suggested that participation in premarital education such as the Cana movement generally benefits couple relationships over time.

Steering System And Suspension Design Mechanics Essay

Steering System And Suspension Design Mechanics Essay The aim of this project is to work with a project team to design, build and optimize the running of a Formula SAE-A racecar, with particular interest in the Steering and Suspension systems. The Formula SAE-A project team aims to produce a competitive racecar that will compete in the Formula SAE-A competition in December. To achieve this I was required to, research the important aspects of steering and suspension systems used frequently in a nonprofessional racecar and select a suitable steering and suspension system that is within the motorsport teams limits. This project includes suggestions for the design and construction of these systems, the installing and optimising(or tuning) the steering and suspension systems and future recommendations to provide the most cornering and handling ability. Identifying the critical areas that are important for competitive steering and suspension systems, I can improve the effective handling and cornering capability of the racecar. Improving the handling and cornering power of the racecar will allow faster speeds into and exits out of corners, which will result in quicker lap times, better performance and higher overall standing in the 2006 FSAE-A competition. Adhering to the rules and regulations for the 2006 FSAE-A competition I aim to select suitable systems that are within the project teams limits by considering the financial cost versus benefit or performance to the car, complexity and time to design and 1.1 Cornering Ability and Handling 2 manufacture of each system. Critically analysing the 2005 teams racecar enables me to evaluate the cars steering and suspension setup performance and find any flaws or ways to improve them. This will give me a better understanding of the steering and suspension systems and how to find the optimum settings to perform with the 2006 car at the FSAE-A competition. Using a suspension geometry computer program developed by Wm. C. Mitchell software, I can model the 2005 teams racecar to compare the accuracy of the program, and then apply the program to optimise the 2006 racecar. The ideal outcome of this project will see that this years FSAE-A racecar have a working and well-tuned or optimised steering and suspension system that has high cornering ability and handling. Most of this projects work will become evident once we have manufactured our design and are able to test the car by running it on a test-track. If all things go to plan, I should be able to make small adjustments to improve and finally optimize the handling and cornering ability of the car which will be paramount to the performance at the FSAE-A competition. 1.1 Cornering Ability and Handling The cornering ability and handling of the racecar is very important to the overall performance of the racecar. Having excellent acceleration and braking power is good but without sufficient cornering ability and handling, the racecar will not be able to use the full potential and is more likely to run off the racetrack than take a podium position. Cornering ability and handling will be discussed in detail and how the steering and suspension systems affect it. 1.2 Explanation and definition of terminology 3 1.2 Explanation and definition of terminology Here is a number of terms and names that will be used in this dissertation to avoid confusion with other names and meanings. Ackerman Is both a principle and definition, where the principle is that the extended axis of the steering arms projected rearward meet at the centre of the rear axle (shown in figure 1.1). This allows the tyres to traverse an arc without skidding, which would otherwise oppose the steering forces making it harder to steer. The definition is described as the difference in the angle of the front tyres when turned. This dissertation will only refer to Ackerman as the principle from herein. Camber Is the angle between the vertical plane and the centre angle of the tyres (shown in fig 1.2), which can be positive or negative. This changes the size and shape of the tyres contact patch during a corner which in turn affects the amount of lateral acceleration or force it can produce (cornering and handling ability). A small amount of negative camber is ideal (around 1.5 degrees) to induce camber thrust and ensure a good contact patch during cornering (smith. C. 2004). 1.2 Explanation and definition of terminology 4 Camber Gain Or the rate of camber change in roll (or as the chassis rotates laterally). Caster Is the angle between the steering axis and the vertical from the side plane (see fig 1.3). Positive caster improves straight line stability but makes it slightly more difficult to steer, while negative makes it easier to steer with less stability. Jacking Is an upwards reaction force generated by the tyres when the racecar is accelerated during cornering and has its roll centre above ground level. Where the upwards force on the outside tyre is greater than the inner tyre having a 1.2 Explanation and definition of terminology 5 net resultant force that lifts or Jacks the sprung mass. This is unwanted and unsettling to the driver and should be avoided. The roll centre Indicates the point at which the chassis rotates (at the front and rear respectfully) during lateral acceleration. The two moment arms between the roll centre, the CG and the ground plane determine the racecars sensitivity to lateral acceleration by the production of rollover movements and jacking (Smith. C, 2000). The roll axis Is the straight line joining the roll centres of the front and rear tyres The roll moment Is the distance between the roll centre and the mass concentration at the front or rear of the car. The mass concentration is the equivalent mass or point of the CG if it were split into 2 points, one front and rear. Steering Axis Inclination and Scrub Radius Steering Axis Inclination or Kingpin Axis, is the angle between the vertical and the steering axis (figure 1.4). This helps the car to exit a corner by naturally trying to align the wheels back to centre. The SAI works with caster to allow more directional stability but less effort on steering (more sai and less caster). Scrub Radius Is the pivot point for the tyres footprint or the distance between the centre of the contact patch, to the extended SAI to the ground (figure 1.4). This allows more feel in the steering, a little is good, too much can be detrimental due to the increased steering effort for the driver. 1.3 Overview of the Dissertation 6 Slip angles Are the angles between the direction that the tyres are facing, and the direction that the tyres want to go. Deformation is due to the elastic nature of rubber when a vertical load is applied. This will be explained in detail in Chapter 2 and its effect on cornering and handling. 1.3 Overview of the Dissertation This dissertation is organized as follows: Chapter 2 Discusses cornering and handling of a FSAE-A racecar and describes various steering and suspension systems. Chapter 3 Explains the rules and regulations of the FSAE-A competition and how it affects the steering and suspension systems. Chapter 4 Introduces Wm. C. Mitchells suspension geometry software, describes its uses and strengths for this project and how it will be used to improve the steering and suspension systems. Chapter 5 Describes the analysis of the 2005 FSAE-A racecar and documenting areas that can be improved and implemented into the 2006 car. Chapter 6 Describes the analysis of the 2006 racecar and recommendations for improving the cornering and handling ability. Chapter 7 Discusses testing methods and ways to document and record actual performance of the racecar, followed by processes for optimisation of the steering and suspension systems for the best cornering ability and handling. Chapter 8 Outlines the projects achievements, findings and future recommendations. Chapter 2 Steering and Suspension Systems for a FSAE-A Racecar 2.1 Chapter Overview This chapter discusses the steering and suspension systems that are commonly used in cars on the road and in professional racing, their benefits and limitations, the ease of manufacture and complexity of design. This chapter also discusses cornering and handling in detail and how the steering and suspension can improve its cornering and handling ability. 2.2 Cornering and Handling Handling defines the racecars ability to maneuver around a corner at maximum speed without losing traction. C. Smith (1978) remarks that being able to travel around a corner faster reduces the overall lap time on a circuit for 2 reasons. First is simply that the car traverses the distance in less time, secondly, if the car exits the corner at a faster speed, there will be no time lost from having to accelerate from a slower speed. Smith (1978) also says that the factors that determine the cornering power of a racecar 2.2 Cornering and Handling 8 include the cornering capacity of the tires, which is influenced by: Vehicle gross weight Vehicle downforce Height of the vehicles centre of gravity Vehicle load transfer characteristics Suspension Geometry Size and characteristics of the tyres So you can understand, the tyres are arguably one of the most important parts of the racecar because all the moments and forces that the car undergoes is transmitted through the tyres. The acceleration and direction of the car is passed through the small footprints or contact patches of each tyre. Understanding what happens here will help to get the most out of both the tyres and racecars handling ability (Smith, C. 1978). 2.2.1 Tyres and slip angles The tyres ability to grip the road is a combination of vertical load applied to the tyre, the coefficient of friction between the tyre and the road, adhesion between the road surface and tyre, and slip angles developed between the tyre and direction of travel. The vertical load that is imposed on each tyre is changing continuously on a racecar maneuvering around a racetrack due to the load transfer from acceleration, deceleration and cornering. As the racecar travels around a corner, the tyres are subject to forces which result in deformation in the compound that the tyre is made of, this elastic deformation results in the contact patch pointing in a different direction to the angle of the tyre (Smith, C. 1978). Shows the deformation of the tyre compound in the contact patch and the slip angle developed. The path of the rolling tyre defines the actual direction of the tyre as it continues around the corner.There is a relationship between the slip angles and the potential grip that the tyre has to the road. Some tyre data has shown that 2.2 Cornering and Handling 9 Shows the generated slip angles in the tyre contact patch as slip angles increase, the lateral or cornering force increases up to a maximum which then either begins to drop or plateaus then drops, usually sliding occurs soon after the drop in force. The flat portion of the curve at or near the maximum is the optimum range of tyre grip that experienced drivers remain in to maximize the cars cornering potential. shows the relationship between tyre grip and the developed slip angles. shows the relationship between tyre grip and developed slip angles, picture from http://www.donpalmer.co.uk/cchandbook/modelgrip.htm 2.2 Cornering and Handling 10 2.2.2 Factors influencing tyre cornering capacity The other factors as mentioned before, vehicle gross weight, downforce, height of the CG, tyre size and characteristics, suspension geometry and load transfer characteristics, all can be factored into the design or used to improve cornering and handling. The cornering force is proportional to the increase of the vehicle gross weight and generated downforce from wings or aerofoils. The increased pressure on the contact patch generates a higher lateral force component (Smith, C. 1978). The height of the vehicles centre of gravity from the ground affects the moment between the vertical force on the tyre and the CG, this will affect the lateral load transfer during a corner. The lateral load transfer changes the vertical loads from one wheel to another due to the CG tendency to move sideways during a corner, which will decrease the total amount of cornering force generated from the tyres. For example, a 400kg car with a 50-50 weight distribution front to rear will have 100kg vertical weights at the two front tyres. Assuming the CG height is 250mm above the ground, the track width is 1300mm and during a corner the car is subject to a cornering acceleration of 1.4gs we can determine the load transfer. LoadT ransfer = 1.4 Ãâ€" 200kg Ãâ€" 0.25 1.3 = 53.85kg So this gives us 46.15kg on one side and 153.85kg on the other and is a 53.85% load transfer to the outer wheel. Obtaining tyre data in the form of Tyre cornering force versus Vertical load will allow us to determine the total cornering force with this load transfer, however getting the tyre data is difficult. Generally the tyre data is curved with less tyre cornering force as vertical load increases, so measuring the data of each vertical load and summing together will be less than the equal load distribution. Reducing the load transfer is done by lowering the height of the CG and widening the track width which will improve cornering ability. The suspension geometry determines the location of the instantaneous centres and roll centres of the racecar, these control how much the chassis rolls or pitches during cornering and accelleration, which moves the CG and hence affects the lateral load transfer. 2.3 Steering Systems 11 During roll, the suspension geometry also controls the amount of camber gain in the wheels during a corner, the change in camber affects the contact patch (increase or decrease in proportion) which changes the cornering capacity of the tyres. Ensuring that an optimum contact patch is maintained through the control of camber gain and good roll centre location is key to good handling and cornering. 2.3 Steering Systems Common types of steering systems are: Rack and Pinion basic steering system Recirculating Ball Bearing more complex system Power Steering fluid assisted steering 2.3.1 Rack and Pinion The rack and pinion steering system is a simple, cheap and relatively easy system to implement. It comprises of a rack, or toothed bar/rod which slides left and right due to the rotation of a pinion gear that sits on the teeth (Fig 2.3). The steering wheel turns the steering shaft which rotates the pinion gear, resulting in the rack pushing/pulling the steering rods. The rods are attached to the wheel hubs which turn the wheels to the desired angle (Gilles, T. 2005). The most difficult parts to design or manufacture are the pinion and the rack, the pinion defines the turning rate of the steering wheel which affects the responsiveness of the steering. The rack need to have hardened teeth which could be difficult to manufacture to some groups or would involve a significant cost to have it done. Besides these two parts the rest of the system is relatively simple, as a whole the rack and pinion setup is a cheap and common system that is reliable and resiliant. 2.3 Steering Systems 12 2.3.2 Recirculating Ball Bearing A typical Recirculating ball-bearing steering system uses a worm gear to shift ball bearings that are located within a channel such that when moved, pushes or pulls the housing in which they sit. The housing has teeth located on the outside which are in line with a sector gear that rotates a pitman arm (Fig 2.4). The pitman arm is attached with the track and tie rods, which aligns the wheels. This system can also be described as a parallelogram steering linkage system in which the linkages trace a parallelogram (Gilles, T. 2005). Figure 2.4: Recirculating ball bearing steering, picture from www.imperialclub.com/ Repair/Steering/terms.htm A Recirculating Ball Bearing can also be used in a similar setup to aRrack and Pinion gear system, where the recirculating ball bearing housing replaces the pinion gear with a sector gear that pushes/pulls the rack to align the wheels. The recirculating ball 2.3 Steering Systems 13 bearing system is significantly heavier than the rack and pinion system, due to the extra linkages, housing and gears. Friction needs to be managed in the design stage, i.e. including grease input points, dust covers etc. However the Recirculating ball bearing steering provides more sensitivity to the steering and minimum slack or loose feel in the steering wheel. Costing is also increased due to the extra material and the complexity of design makes the recirculating ball bearing system less attractive. 2.3.3 Power Steering Power steering systems are the same systems as rack and pinion and recirculating ball-bearing but with a significant modification. In a rack and pinion power steering system, the rack contains a cylinder with a piston inside it, driven by fluid supplied by a pump (see Figure 2.5). The fluid lines run to a rotary valve controlled by the steering shaft which determines the sides of the piston that the high pressure fluid acts on. This pressure assists the steering action which requires less force to rotate the steering wheel. Similar to the rack and pinion power steering, the recirculating ball housing is assisted by the pressure respectively in the ball-bearing steering (Gilles, T. 2005). Rack and Pinion power steering, picture adapded from www.cars.com/ carsapp/boston/?srv=parseract=displaytf=/advice/caradviser/steering_ fluid.tmpl 2.4 Suspension Systems 14 2.4 Suspension Systems There are two common types of suspension systems used frequently today, dependant and independant systems. The various types of both are similar but have their differences and functions. Some of these sytems are described below. 2.4.1 Dependant Suspension Systems Solid or Beam Axle Panhard Rod Watts Linkage Dependant suspension systems are variations of a simple beam axle that holds the wheels parallel with each other. So when the vertical angle of one wheel (camber) changes, the opposite wheel also changes (Gilles, T. 2005). Examples of the Panhard Rod and the Watts Linkage are shown in Figures 2.6 and 2.7, these types of suspension are generally different ways of attatching the solid axle to the chassis. 2.4.2 Independant Suspension Systems Double Wishbone, A-Arm or Four-Bar link MacPherson Strut Multi-link 2.4 Suspension Systems 15 Watts linkage suspension. Independent suspension systems allow the wheels to move independently of each other, e.g. if one wheel were to move up or down, the other would not be affected directly. It is common for racecars to have all four wheels with independent suspension as this usually provides the most customizable setup options to maximize the handling potential of the racecar. Double wishbone suspension systems are also known as double A-Arm or Four-Bar link systems. They all comprise of equal or unequal parallel links from the chassis to the wheel hub, with the shock absorbers configured in a Push or Pull rod setup, as Figure 2.8 illustrates. Unparallel and Unequal double wishbone suspension with Push or Pull rod shock absorber setup. 2.4 Suspension Systems 16 The MacPherson strut suspension system (Figure 2.9) is very popular with passenger cars and some sports models since it is a relatively cheap system to produce that provides reasonable camber control (Smith. C, 1978). The MacPherson strut suspension is good for everyday commuting but does not provide sufficient stiffness to avoid movement within the components (compliance or slack) and would not fit comfortably with wide tyres (Smith. C, 1978). Multi link suspension systems are simply Four-Bar link systems with one or more extra links to attain extra control. MacPherson strut suspension, from www.autozine.org/technical_school/ suspension/tech_suspension2.htm The objective of the independent suspension is to provide enough vertical wheel movement to absorb surface bumps and compensate for the accelerations of the sprung mass, prevent changes in the distance between tyres (static toe) as they are moving, control the change of wheel camber angle and change of track distance with the wheel and/or sprung mass movement, and to ultimately allow the most grip or traction available out of the tyres while minimising weight and maximising stiffness in the links (Smith, C. 1978). 2.5 Chapter Summary 17 2.5 Chapter Summary Having discussed the cornering and handling ability in a Formula SAE-A racecar and what factors can influence the performance, helps to have an understanding of what is happening when a racecar traverses around a corner. With this in mind we can apply this knowledge into the design to maximise the cornering and handling ability of the racecar. Also selecting an appropriate steering and suspension system that will provide the best cornering and handling but also takes into account the motorsport teams resources (time, materials and complexity of design). Chapter 3 Rules and Regulations of the FSAE-A Competition 3.1 Chapter Overview This chapter covers the rules and regulations that will affect the steering and suspension sytems. Starting with the more specific rules that affect the steering and suspension systems, then moving into the general rules and regulations like material strength. These rules and regulations have been put into the competition to give the entry teams maximum design flexibility and the freedom to express creativity, but also to ensure that a safe and working car that minimises chances of damage and injury. 3.2 Steering Requirements The specific steering system rules and requirements are as follows: The steering must affect at least two wheels The steering system must have positive steering stops that prevent the steering linkages from locking up. 3.3 Suspension Requirements 19 Free play is limited to 7 degrees measured at the steering wheel. Steering must be mechanically connected to the wheels i.e. steer by wire prohibited These requirements do not severely limit the steering system design at all as for most of the previously mentioned systems, none of which include steer by wire and all affect at least 2 wheels. The rules that need to be kept and monitored is the free play in the steering wheel and steering stops, otherwise the design is virtually open. 3.3 Suspension Requirements The rules state that the car must have a fully operational suspension system with springs and shock absorbers, front and rear, with a minimum useable wheel travel of 50.8mm (2 inches), 25.4mm (1 inch) in jounce and rebound with the driver seated. So the rules again do not restrict the specific suspension system but merely sets a benchmark that it must perform to. 3.4 Other Requirements Other requirements set out in the rules define that the wheelbase must be of at least 1525mm (60inches) and that the smaller track must be no less than 75% of the larger track. The minimum material must be; either round mild or alloy, steel tubing (min 0.1% carbon) with minimum dimensions as outlined in table 3.3.3.1 in the FSAE rules handbook; or an approved alternatice material that is tested and proved to meet the alternative material guidelines in section 3.3.3.2 of the FSAE rules handbook. The wheelbase requirement affects the suspension geometry design, setting a minimum length for the suspension linkages. 3.5 Chapter Summary 20 3.5 Chapter Summary Knowing and understanding the requirements and rules set out by the Formula SAE competition provides a starting point for our design, also talking with the previous team and the performance will help to identify areas needing improvement and investigaiton. Once finding sufficent information a start can be made to get the ball rolling on design and construction of the steering and suspension systems. Chapter 4 WinGeo3 Suspension Geometry Program 4.1 Chapter Overview This chapter introduces Wm. C Mitchells suspension geometry software, Racing by the Numbers and shows its most useful power of calculation and display of steering and suspension geometry of any four wheel vehicle. The information it can tell us will greatly improve the time taken to analyse steering and suspension set-up and will allow fast optimisation when the time comes to testing. 4.2 WinGeo3 Geometry Program The steering and suspension geometry can be modeled on Wm. C. Mitchells software which is quicker than manually measuring all the various important values repeatedly for the various settings you wish to try during testing. This enables a comparison with the originally intended design parameters of the 2005 racecar and an indication of how well the car will react while cornering. It also allows a comparison of the initial 2006 cars design and actual geometry after construction and allows us to optimise the geometry to provide the best cornering and handling ability of the racecar. By 4.3 Set-up and initial measurements 22 measuring the data and entering into Wm. C. Mitchells software, we can critically analyse the racecar with regard to the handling and cornering characteristics. The software requires actual measurements taken from the car which will be done and recorded according to the geometry software requirements. Once recording all the information that the software needs, we can analyse the way the steering and suspension reacts with the chassis. Moving up or down (ride) or rotating (roll) we are able to observe the change in camber, steering angles and caster at each of those changes. This is useful since during a corner, we may model the changes that the chassis will go and can see the result on the tyres (and contact patch) and get an indication of how well it will perform. Wm. C. Mitchells software can also be used to aid in the design of steering and suspension systems, through its design and build functions you may specify various values and the software will convert it into the required lengths of the arms and rods. 4.3 Set-up and initial measurements I strongly recommend allowing at least half a day to measure up a car for the first time and someone to help. It will save alot of time that would otherwise be lost dropping things, re-setting the origins and other fiddly jobs that are not normally accounted for. Once installing the program, printing out some forms will make things much easier for entering information into the program once the measurements have been taken, as the forms sets out the required information neatly and in similar format to the program screen. Open the geometry program and from the help menu open quick start. The help tree is on the left side column, from there open the Files menu and then Blank Forms, here is all the blank forms that is needed. Click on Blank forms: Measuring cars for some general information and hints, for a double wishbone suspension with a push/pull damping system, click on the Blank forms: Double A-arm and Rocker Arm option and print. Also click on Blank forms: Pull-rod / Push-rod form, Blank forms: Auxiliary points, and Blank forms: Swaybar form and print them all out. These all will be 4.3 Set-up and initial measurements 23 sufficient for the front suspension and rear (remember to print a second batch of forms for the rear) unless you have a control arm / panhard rod rearaxle suspension setup, for which there is a seperate form. First you need to make sure that the car is set up already with the correct alignment and on a flat surface as it would on the racetrack. Ensure that access to the suspension points is possible and that they are locked in place so they do not move if you lean on the car (within reason). Then determine a baseline or origin accurately and place strings on the surface plate or flat floor or tie to appropriate point, to represent the centerlines of the car (front to back, side to side). Once an Origin for each Axis has been made, where the X-Axis is the fore-aft longitudinal dimension (front to rear of the car). The Y-Axis is the lateral dimension, or left and right sides of the car (drivers side passenger side) and the Z-Axis is the vertical dimension from the ground up. Care must be taken when selecting an origin due to common suspension adjustments, such as changing caster, can move the tire contact patch. Each such change requires a careful remeasurement (or re-calculation). When the car is ready to be measured, follow these steps: Measure the track width of the front and rear tyres by taking the centre points of each tyre as low to the ground as reasonable, the WinGeo3 program measures track at ground level at the center of the tire contact patch. The easiest way is to measure to the middle of the tire,but this can be misleading if the tire has significant static camber, so as long as you are aware of the settings you should be fine. Measure the static toe for the front tyres while measuring the track at the front and do a quick calculation of the static angle pointing inwards or outwards that