Essay on Reality TV - 4178 Words

Reality TV Can you believe that reality television has actually been around since 1948? Most of us may have thought that this idea of real television just came about in the last decade but actually it’s been around for quite some time. In 1948 Candid Camera was the first reality show to be broadcasted on television. Many considered this to be the â€Å"granddaddy† of the reality TV genre (History of reality TV). This show actually began in radio broadcasting. Allen Funt was the man in charge of this whole new production. He started by simply taping complaints of men in service and broadcasting them over the Armed Forces Radio. This is what later became known as the television show, Candid Camera. Candid Camera was known for†¦show more content†¦Why Do People Watch Reality Television? There has been a huge increase in â€Å"reality† based television over the last few years. From Survivor to Big Brother it seems that we are constantly being bombarded with a new type of reality television program. But why do people watch these shows? What makes these shows so interesting? One theory brought up in an article in Psychology Today by Steven Reiss Ph.D. and James Wiltz, a Ph.D. candidate at Ohio State University, is that, â€Å"reality television allows Americans to fantasize about gaining status through automatic fame† (Reiss and Wiltz, 2001). This is the American dream, acquiring fame with little to no work at all. And what better way to do it than on television? But can reality television actually be called reality? Do people watch because reality television offers an alternative to boring and hackneyed type programs? The fact is that reality TV is just as boring and predictable as the so-called unreal programs. Reality TV can, for the most part, hardly be considered real. An article in Rolling Stone confirms this, stating that, â€Å"The premise is always the same: Put ordinary stiffs on television on TV and they’ll do anything, anything, to stay on TV. Didn’t we already learn that from Kirstie Alley?† (Rolling Stone, 2001). If this were in fact the case, then way would anyone watch what is described as something as horribly predictable as the above? How could such a style ofShow MoreRelatedThe Reality Of Reality Tv908 Words   |  4 PagesToday’s audience grabs hold of reality TV now a day. Looking forward week to week to watch these unscripted real life situation shows. In a way it s becoming increa singly hard to avoid not watching. Some viewers see the TV show and tend to be attention seekers, and reality TV allows them to fantasize about achieving status through instant fame. Too much reality TV may lead viewers to idealize real world situations, like romanticizing dating. Like when Truman saw the girl in the library who was anRead MoreThe Reality Of Reality Tv991 Words   |  4 PagesI truly believe that reality TV needs a different name. At first reality TV was created with the aim to depict reality, but over time different interests and actions have resulted in doing the opposite of this. I would even go so far to say that reality TV has become just as fictional as fiction based television. â€Å"Reality† is defined as â€Å"the world or the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them†. However, Reality TV in no way represents this definitionRead MoreThe Reality Of Reality Tv951 Words   |  4 Pages Reality TV and You Television shows were created to entertain the public and soon generalized shows became a bore. Reality TV shows are widely varied but are similarly based on the lives of non-fictional characters that brings out their daily challenges and achievements. This genre of TV programs gives a huge impact to its audience of, mostly, twelve to nineteen year olds. Critics and bloggers heavily criticize the negative teachings of Reality TV and indirectly force viewersRead MoreThe Reality Of Reality Tv Essay1601 Words   |  7 Pagesreasons. Reality TV is a common source of entertainment on various channels and media outlets. The purpose of reality TV is to â€Å"promise more drama, suspense, and laughter while pushing the envelope of what is morally and socially acceptable, funny, and, of course entertaining† (Glouner et al.). This type of media allows real people to connect to those on TV. Reality is not completely real, there are aspects of it that are scripted, rehearsed and complet ely altered (Crouch). Reality TV has existedRead MoreThe Reality Of Reality Tv Essay2065 Words   |  9 Pagesis also generally known that children can be easily influenced by what they see on television. Reality TV is no exception to this rule. It may appear that reality TV is a benign phenomenon but it is in fact a virus that has quickly diseased our society. More specifically, it attracts girls most mercilessly by affecting them negatively as to how they perceive themselves. Indeed, girls who watch reality TV learn that deceit and meanness is normal behaviour in order to achieve success, begin to self-objectifyRead MoreReality Tv1076 Words   |  5 Pagesmedia, reality TV stars like Snooki and Kim Kardashian are on the rise. Most channels on television have at least one reality show, from following housewives to remodeling homes of real life families. However, there are some reality programs that display bad examples, especially for young audiences that are keeping up with each episode. On MTV peopl e see girls being drunk in public, addicts doing drugs, and young girls raising babies at young ages; these are situations seen on reality TV shows. JeremyRead MoreThe Reality Of Reality Tv Essay1919 Words   |  8 PagesCreeber (2008) the genre of reality TV is typically shaped by the weekend program, followed by results and elimination – hence, Dancing with the Stars has performances on Sunday and results of voting of Monday. As shown by Throng (2015), this episode, screened July 12, had 346,930 people watching with a potential audience share of 8.3% of total viewers watching TV at that time, which can be compared to the competition on other stations (Neilsen, 2015; Throng, 2015). TV One screened Sunday at 7-8pmRead More Reality TV Essay1074 Words   |  5 Pages Reality TV: The Rise of a New Show â€Å"The Contender† nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;One of the newest shows to hit the vast majority of reality TV shows that already exist is The Contender. The Contender is a show that focuses on all the hardships, training, pain, and dilemmas that a boxer, who is preparing to fight, must endure. The Contender will be a very successful show, because it has the attributes of raw emotion that can’t be found when a director is yelling ‘action,’ and ‘cut.’ By raw emotionRead MoreReality TV Research1402 Words   |  6 PagesReality TV Research Why is that reality TV shows instead of encouraging, end up discouraging someone? The whole purpose of being a part of a TV show is try to win because you feel confident in what you are competing for. However in shows such as Americas Next Top Model the judges seek for the contestants flaws and point them out. According to Jennifer Pozner’s â€Å"Ghetto Bitches, China Dolls, Cha Cha Divas† reality shows contradict themselves. Pozner points out that a contestant was asked what sheRead MoreReality Tv Shows855 Words   |  4 PagesBased on these criteria qualified industries were call centres and reality TV shows. In deciding between these alternatives, I interviewed a few stakeholders within the call centre and media industries. The feedback was that there is minimal use of video interviewing within these industries, which suggests a blue ocean opportunity. In addition, we had a conversation with the CEO of Kira Talent. We discovered that Kira Talent had pitched to comp anies with huge call centre operations previously, but

Business Plan For An Organization - 994 Words

Buy-in To Change Employee buy-in is the process of getting commitment, understanding and action in support of organizational goals. Without buy-in organizations will fail if there is no efforts to implement the change. To obtain everyone’s support, higher management must involve lower management in supporting and implementing the change (Broder, 2013). The reason that brought about the change must be discussed and talk about the consequences of not implementing the change. Explain why everyone’s input is important, then brainstorm to get the input for cause and effect. Get commitment for the change as well as keeping the change fresh through discussion. Lastly celebrate any and all success through the implementation process. However,†¦show more content†¦Basically stated that law enforcement are merely a function of what they expect and what valence they assign to their various activities. Then the law enforcement’s ability to complete their job is a f unction of their performance (Stojkovic, Kalinich, Klofas, 2012). Every employee has different levels of expectation and confidence of abilities and their performance will be affected by several factors. The factors include law enforcement having the right resources, the right skill for the job and the support to complete the job. All employees want to get what they deserve even if it is promised. This theory helps employees design reward systems. If they focus of obtaining incentives, the employees will have high expectancy, high instrumentality and valence. Law enforcement expectancy or efforts will lead to high performance. Instrumentality means law enforcement values outcome for their output and valence means employees’ value reward and how much it is valued. Of course, every employee has a different set of goals and they can be motivated if they believe in those goals. Some employees believe that the reward will satisfy their need and a strong desire to satisfy the need will make them give extra effort. The reward for these employees can be two types, extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic rewards include such items as money, promotion, time off and additional benefits. Intrinsic rewards are inner satisfaction and such achievements are just as valuableShow MoreRelatedAn Organization Strategic Business Plan1284 Words   |  6 PagesThe prime critical strategy in acquisition of the employee is that there is should be an official human resource plan in context of the organization strategic business plan (Singh, 2003). According to Bernardin (2003) that those organizations that their strategy is well integrated with human resource recruitment and planning, tend to have human resource competitive advantage. In the following part, the discussion would cover the practices recognized in literature in regards to recruitment and selectionRead MoreThe Importance of Business Plans for an Organization1292 Words   |  5 PagesThe business plan is of critical importance for any organization. The business plan lays down the blueprint for how the organization will be run, in what markets and products, and how the organizations financials should look. For the entrepreneur, the business plan is essential because the different things contained in the business plan will force the entrepreneur to critically examine every aspect of his or her business. This paper will outline some of the key components of a business plan, andRead MorePersonal Strategic Plan For A Business Organization1282 Words   |  6 PagesThe purpose of this paper would be a personal strategic plan for myself in which visualizes me as a business organization, or as You, Inc. Therefore, to create a personal strategy one must examin e a mission statement, vision statement, and understand the environmental scan to identify external opportunities and threats; in which, an individual or organization gathers information about the market, society, its competitors, and oneself. A mission statement defines an individual purpose for achievingRead MoreDeveloping Strategic Business Plan For An Organization1468 Words   |  6 Pages Developing strategic business plans can be very difficult for most organizations serving all sectors and industries. As this is paramount to the organizations implementing and understanding the entire focus is critical to the business. It is imperative for top executives and management to understand the businesses entire focus and drive the crucial projects through the system and obtain those benefits. As many companies do a good job at executing various portions of project development, thereRead MoreImportance of a Good Business Plan to an Organization1991 Words   |  8 Pagesa Good Bus iness Plan to an Organization Executive Summary For a business to succeed in its operations, there are underlying factors that play a major role in its success. Among the factors is a good business plan that determines the objective of a company, demand and supply factors as well as good business ethics all these work closely to define a good business environment both in the short run and in the long run. Introduction A business plan is a vital requirement for many organizations. A companyRead MoreA Proposed Business Plan for a New Healthcare Organization1214 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Abstract: The paper describes a proposed business plan for a new healthcare organization. The healthcare organization consists of 200 beds along with a 24 hour emergency room service. The focus of healthcare would be on adults. The physicians hired are of the top most quality and have years of experience in serving this occupation. Organizational Chart: The organizational chart for the Health care organization proposed will consist of several layers as decentralization principles will be appliedRead More Outgoing Travel Organization Business Plan Essay1444 Words   |  6 Pagesdistribution of goods and provided by the organisation) 2. Purchasing (this involves a consumer buying the product) 3. Finance (this involves managing the money that flows in and out of the company) 4. Operations (this involves carrying out the main business of the organisation) The main objectives of the organisation are to organise the most prestigious events for young people to enjoy and to help people have something to look forward to before or after they finish college or university. They haveRead MoreIncreasing Uncertainty Of The Business Environment : How Can Organizations Plan For Change?1499 Words   |  6 Pagesincreasing uncertainty in the business environment, how can organizations plan for change? (consider emergent and planned change) Over the past year, the rapid development of science and technology is quite incredible. The environment where the organization exist is changing all the time. As well as the business environment. The business environment where the organizations exist is becoming increasingly complex , competitive and unpredictable. Changes of the business organizations have to follow the stepsRead MoreHow Business Continuity And Disaster Recovery Plans Directly Impact The Uses Of The Vpn System1113 Words   |  5 Pagesthe organization’s VPN to a more boarder concept of the overall security awareness of the organization. In this SLP, we will once again go back to covering the organization’s VPN system. The reason for this change is that the concepts of business continuity and disaster recovery are most important to the use of the company’s VPN. This document will examine how business continuity and disaster recovery plans directly impact the use of the VPN system. Additiona lly, there will be a discussion pertainingRead Morent2580 lab 6 Essay1094 Words   |  5 PagesWorksheet Perform Business Continuity Plan Implementation Planning Course Name Number: ______________________________________________________________ Student Name: _______________________________________________________________________ Instructor Name: _____________________________________________________________________ Lab Due Date: _______________________________________________________________________ Overview The instructor will lead the class in discussions pertaining to a business continuity

Economics of Understanding the mechanism Of Price Control On Alcohol

Question: Setting a minimum alcohol price of 50p per unit could save Wales nearly 900m over 20 years by cutting crime and illness, a report has claimed. It could prevent more than 50 alcohol-related deaths a year, with poorer people seeing most health improvements. Researchers from Sheffield University say a 50p unit price could reduce total alcohol consumption in Wales by 4%. Health Minister Mark Drakeford welcomed the report as the Welsh government plans a new law on the issue for 2015. Explore the concept of a price floor in the context of this example. Use a correctly labelled diagram. Include in your essay, a discussion of price controls and the effects of a minimum alcohol price on Welsh consumers and producers in the short and long runs. Also include a discussion of ONE alternative alcohol control strategy that the Welsh government could use? Answer: Introduction: The drinks are considered to be an act of geniality which has always been a served in special occasions like weddings, parties etc. Over the last few decades the sale of the alcohol had increased which resulted in high illness and mortality rates. There are around 40,000 cases where people are admitted to the hospital for alcohol related illness and the maximum number of deaths is considered to occur due to the liver failure. The social security is getting hampered because of alcoholism which is a burgeoning issue in the recent times. In order to weaken the practice of excessive alcohol consumption, the government of Wales has taken a step by increasing the price of alcohol by setting a minimum price of 50p per unit. The government aims at reducing not only the alcohol consumption but other objectives will also be achieved by this law. This initiative by the government of Wales will help to reduce more than 50 deaths related to alcoholism per year, reduce the crime rates which is ant icipated to fall by 3,700 per year and the economy is expected to save around 882m for the next 20 years. All this will be beneficial for the society as a whole but the sellers of alcohol are worried about the sales and profits of their business. (Henderson, 2002) Price floor on alcohol: For the understanding the mechanism of the setting the minimum price of the alcohol and its influence on the quantity of the alcohol, it is required for us to get acquainted with the basic fundamentals of economics. There is a robust relationship between the demand of a commodity and its price. To understand the minimum price of the alcohol, we need to analyze the equilibrium in the demand and supply of the alcohol and its market mechanism. Below is a diagram that will help understand the mechanism in the alcohol market. (Hubbard and O'Brien, 2006) From the diagram we see that the demand for Alcohol is negatively related to its price and the supply of alcohol is positively related to its price. Now the minimum price set by the government of Wales is P1. The equilibrium price P0 and the quantity Q0 is obtained from the intersection of the demand and supply of alcohol. The minimum price set in this case is 50p per unit of alcohol. This means that the government has exercised price control which is typically a price floor. The price floor is a situation where the price of a product is set above the equilibrium price and there is no permission for it to fall. when the price of a good rises keeping other factors like the price of the substitute or complement good, income and even tastes and preference constant then the demand for that good decreases. In this case, the government has set the price high in the form of a minimum price in order to reduce to the rates of crime and disease related to alcoholism in the country. The policy would reduce the demand for alcohol consumption. (Krugman and Wells, 2005) As from the diagram we see that as the minimum price of P1 is set above the equilibrium price P0 then the equilibrium quantity decreased from Q0 to Q1. This will create a surplus for the seller which is a thing to worry. Since the alcohol is not considered to be a necessary good and the existence of substitute goods like soft drinks causes a bigger change in the demand due to a small change in the price. This is why the demand curve for the alcohol is elastic which measures the responsiveness of demand with respect to the change in price. (Chick, Gill and Black, 2010) Price control in the short run and long run: As the price has increased, rational consumer would lower its demand for alcohol and switch to healthier and cheaper option. The implementation of a price floor in the alcohol market causes a deadweight loss to occur. A deadweight loss occurs whenever there is a gap between the price that the buyer is willing to pay and what he actually pays. It can also be defined as the loss in consumer and producer surplus. (Mankiw, 2004) From the diagram we can infer that as the price rose due to the implementation of the price floor by setting a minimum price of P1 by the government the demand for alcohol has reduced from Q0 to Q1. But this fall is not the only fall. as the price increased, the consumer surplus got reduced. The new consumer surplus area is shaded green in the diagram. With the increase in the price the producer increased and depicted by the pink shaded area. The overall deadweight loss is indicated by the blue shaded area. Because of the price floor, the price increased which lowered the demand resulting in a imbalance in the demand and supply. Thus the sellers experienced a surplus of alcohol which is denoted by t he orange shaded a region. (Pindyck and Rubinfeld, 2005) In the short run, the impact of price floor on the supply curve would not be felt. The price floor will cause the quantity supplied to rise which causes a surplus of alcohol and aggravates the deadweight loss. But in the long run, market entrants will be influenced by the price floor and will enter the perfectively competitive market. This will cause a increase in the supply which will shift the supply curve of the alcohol to the left. This is because the sellers will be able to sell alcohol at a price which is well above their average cost and this will help the sellers who will earn economic profit. As the fall in the price is not possible as it is regulated by the government, the economic profits will ever converge to its normal level. This will induce new entrants to come into the market and create huge surpluses. Thus, in the long run, government will not be able to maintain the price floor. (POLICY OPTIONS FOR ALCOHOL PRICE REGULATION: RESPONSE TO THE COMMENTARIES, 2010) It is possible for the producers to benefit from this situation if their supply curve is elastic and provided that they do not incur losses. For the consumers, they will also suffer loss as they have pay higher price. But the rise in the price or the implementation of price floor may not always cause the consumption of alcohol to fall. The extents to which the alcohol prices impact the consumers depend on the consumer behavior. The elasticity of the demand curve reflects how the change in price will affect the changes in demand. This is the reason why some demand curves are described as elastic and some as inelastic. For the young adults, the rise in the price will make them to reduce the number of alcoholic drinks. But consider a heavy drinker; a rise in the price may not have any influence on the demand for the alcohol. At high prices they will still continue to purchase alcohol as they are somewhat addicted to it. (Byrnes et al., 2012) Income elasticity also has some influence on the consumption of different types of alcohol. A study has revealed that with beer is income inelastic and that wine and liquor are income elastic. This can be explained by the nature of the products. Beer can be considered as normal good but wine and liquor can be regarded as luxurious goods. Alternative alcohol control strategy: The government of Wales can initiate alternative alcohol strategy to reduce its consumption in the society. The aim of the government should be to reduce the availability of alcohol in the market; this can be done by increasing the duty on alcohol so that the alcohol sellers will find no incentive to sell the alcohol at high prices because at high prices of alcohol the demand for alcohol will fall. (Approaches to Reducing Consumption of Alcohol by Youth, 2003) Conclusion: The government of Wales had implemented price floor with a view to sustain overall welfare for the country. This policy is anticipated to reduce deaths per year up to 53, the health of the poorer people will improve, the absent from workplace will get reduced by 10,000 days each year and the economy will tend to save more. (BBC News, 2014) The unwanted surpluses in the alcohol market causes inefficiencies like resources get wasted, illegal selling of alcohol at the price below the price floor and inefficient allocation of the volume of sales among the producers. If alcohol is sold at price lower than the price floor then there will be a parallel black market of alcohol which is illegal and detrimental to the society. Another problem is that alcohol will be smuggled into the country and likewise people will look ways to buy alcohol drinks at cheap rates. The illegal sellers of alcohol will yield profits from such transaction and will engage in illegal shipment and avoid tax. (de Visser et al., 2014) Thus the government must take other alternative alcohol control strategies. Another possible strategy that can be taken by the Welsh government is banning the advertising of alcohol as this would influence the underage youngsters. The Welsh government should also try to change and alter the behavior of the people at the loca l level and encourage people to consume other healthy drinks. (The Governments Alcohol Strategy, 2015) References: Approaches to Reducing Consumption of Alcohol by Youth. (2003).JAMA, 289(20), p.2645. BBC News, (2014).Alcohol price law 'could save 900m'. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-30352183 [Accessed 13 Mar. 2015]. Byrnes, J., Shakeshaft, A., Petrie, D. and Doran, C. (2012). Can harms associated with high-intensity drinking be reduced by increasing the price of alcohol?.Drug Alcohol Rev, 32(1), pp.27-30. Chick, J., Gill, J. and Black, H. (2010). Ways to control alcohol price.BMJ, 341(dec20 2), pp.c7007-c7007. de Visser, R., Hart, A., Abraham, C., Memon, A., Graber, R. and Scanlon, T. (2014). Which alcohol control strategies do young people think are effective?.Drug Alcohol Rev, 33(2), pp.144-151. Henderson, J. (2002).Health economics and policy. Australia: South-Western/Thomson Learning. Hubbard, R. and O'Brien, A. (2006).Microeconomics. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall. Krugman, P. and Wells, R. (2005).Microeconomics. New York: Worth. Mankiw, N. (2004).Principles of microeconomics. Mason, Ohio: Thomson/South-Western. Pindyck, R. and Rubinfeld, D. (2005).Microeconomics. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall. POLICY OPTIONS FOR ALCOHOL PRICE REGULATION: RESPONSE TO THE COMMENTARIES. (2010).Addiction, 105(3), pp.400-401. The Governments Alcohol Strategy. (2015). 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/224075/alcohol-strategy.pdf [Accessed 13 Mar. 2015].

We Tested 3 WordPress Minify Plugins Our Results

Minification is a popular way to optimize your WordPress website. There are plenty of WordPress minify plugins to help you do this, but its hard to know which ones provide the best results without testing them first – which can get messy.To save you some time and effort, we decided to test a few of our top picks and provide you with the results, so youll know which popular minification plugins live up to their reputation.In this article, well talk about what minification is and how it can benefit your site. Then well compare three of our favorite WordPress minify plugins to help you pick the best one. Lets get started! real security benefit beyond a little bit of obfuscation, though.Minifying your code is unlikely to make a  massive difference in your WordPress sites page load times.  But it is a small optimization strategy that can cut your page load times by a couple of percentage points, which makes it a worthy tactic to implement.Three WordPress minify plugins compared If youd like to minify your websites code, there are plenty of plugins that can help you out. As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, the best way to know how efficient these plugins are is to test them. To that end, we set up a test WordPress website that runs four relatively complex plugins – WooCommerce, Yoast SEO, Smush Image Compression and Optimization, and Loginizer.Before minifying any of its scripts, our test sites home page had a size of 311.6 KB, and it took 0.61 seconds to load (according to Pingdom Tools):Throughout the next few sections, well try out some top WordPress minify plugins and share our results with you. Between each test, well restore our website to its initial state from a backup for accuracys sake. Of course, keep in mind that your own results may vary, and larger sites will likely see more significant improvements.1. Autoptimize (Free) Autoptimize Author(s): Frank Goossens (futtta)Current Version: 2.5.1Last Updated: September 11, 2019 autoptimize.2.5.1.zip 94%Ratings 8,117,091Downloads WP 4.0+Requires Autoptimize is one of the most popular WordPress minify plugins around. Along with minifying your scripts, it can also bundle them together, cache them, and even set them to load later, in order to further optimize your websites performance.Testing the Autoptimize pluginUsing this particular plugin is remarkably simple. Just install and activate it, then go to the  Settings → Autoptimize  tab on your dashboard. Inside, youll find options to optimize your HTML, JavaScript, and CSS:For this test, we enabled all three options and saved our changes. Then, we checked out our loading times:Using this plugin, we cut down our home pages size to 297.8 KB, and our loading time decreased accordingly to 0.58 seconds. This is a small but still noticeable difference.2. Fast Velocity Minify (Free) Fast Velocity Minify Author(s): Raul PeixotoCurrent Version: 2.7.7Last Updated: October 14, 2019fast-velocity-minify .2.7.7.zip 94%Ratings 1,495,580Downloads WP 4.7+Requires Fast Velocity Minify combines your CSS and JavaScript files, so your servers have to deal with fewer requests. At the same time, it also minifies them and creates cached copies for faster loading times.Testing the Fast Velocity Minify pluginUnlike our previous entry, this plugin automatically enables the options to minify your HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. However, you  can  disable one or more of them manually by going into the  Settings → Fast Velocity Minify  tab:Moreover, you can exclude specific files from being minified if youd like.As far as performance goes, here are our results after activating this plugin and minifying all possible files:Our homepages size came down from 311.5 to 291.3 KB, and it loaded in a mere 0.55 seconds. This is a bit better than Autoptimizes results, although ultimately comparable.3. Merge + Minify + Refresh (Free) Merge + Minify + Refresh Author(s): Launch InteractiveCurre nt Version: 1.8.12Last Updated: December 20, 2018merge-minify-refresh.zip 84%Ratings 162,519Downloads 3.6.1Requires As you can imagine from its name, Merge + Minify + Refresh  works its magic by combining your CSS and JavaScript files and minifying them. It also caches them so your server doesnt have to repeat the entire loading process each time theyre requested, and  it automatically updates everything when you make changes to those files.Testing the Merge + Minify + Refresh  pluginJust like our previous pick, this plugin automatically enables minification for your JavaScript and CSS. However, it doesnt include an option to optimize your HTML.There are also fewer customization options here than for Fast Velocity Minify, but still more than what Autoptimize offers. For example, you can exclude files from the minification process, and even enable Gzip encoding for better results:After activating this plugin, we tested our home pages loading times once more:Our file size c ame down to 300.3 KB, and the page loaded in 0.58 seconds. Overall, this is a smaller improvement in overall size than we saw with the previous two plugins, but is similar to Autoptimize when it comes to performance.A summary of our findingsOverall, the results we found during our tests were in line with our expectations. Each plugin delivered a small increase in performance, but nothing out of the ordinary:3 top WordPress minify plugins tested and comparedAutoptimizeFast Velocity MinifyMerge + Minify + RefreshOriginal page size (in KB)311.6311.6311.6Original loading time (in seconds)0.610.610.61Post-minification page size (in KB)297.8 (-4.43%)291.3 (-6.52%)300.3 (-3.63%)Post-minification loading time (in seconds)0.58 (-4.92%)0.55 (-9.84%)0.58 (-4.92%)Additional settings availableNoYesYesThe top plugin, in this case, turned out to be Fast Velocity Minify. Not only did it get the best results, but it also offers far more settings than its competitors, which makes it ideal for power u sers.On the other hand, if youre looking for an easy-to-use plugin, you cant go wrong with Autoptimize. Its results were almost as good as Fast Velocity Minifys, and it only requires you to enable a few settings to get going. Finally, Merge + Minify + Refresh wasnt a disappointment when it came to results, but could benefit from including more options. Overall, its a decent enough middle point between the other two plugins.ConclusionThere are plenty of choices when it comes to WordPress minify plugins, but figuring out which one is right for you can be tricky. The best way to do it is to test each of them and compare their performance. However, lets be honest – few people have the time to do this themselves. Free guide5 Essential Tips to Speed Up Your WordPress SiteReduce your loading time by even 50-80% just by following simple tips.

History of Social Relations in India free essay sample

Caste and gender equations in Indian history No aspect of Indian history has excited more controversy than Indias history of social relations. Western indologists and Western-influenced Indian intellectuals have seized upon caste divisions, untouchability, religious obscurantism, and practices of dowry and sati as distinctive evidence of Indias perennial backwardness. For many Indologists, these social ills have literally come to define India and have become almost the exclusive focus of their writings on India. During the colonial period, it served the interests of the British (and their European cohorts) to exaggerate the democratic character of their own societies while diminishing any socially redeeming features of society in India (and other colonized nations). Social divisions and inequities were a convenient tool in the arsenal of the colonizers. On the one hand, tremendous tactical gains could be achieved by playing off one community against the other. On the other hand, there were also enormous psychological benefits in creating the impression that India was a land rife with uniquely abhorrent social practices that only an enlightened foreigner could attempt to reform. We will write a custom essay sample on History of Social Relations in India or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Indias social ills were discussed with a contemptuous cynicism and often with a willful intent to instill a sense of deep shame and inferiority. Strong elements of such colonial imagery continue to dominate the landscape of Western Indology. A liberal, dynamic West embracing universal human values is posed against an obdurate and unchanging East clinging to odious social values and customs. It is little wonder, therefore, that Indias intellectuals have been unable to either fully understand the historic dynamics and context which gave life to these social practices or find effective solutions for their cure. Many historians and social activists appear to have tacitly accepted the notion that caste divisions in society are a uniquely Indian feature and that Indian society has been largely unchanged since the writing of the Manusmriti which provides formal sanction to such social inequities. But caste-like divisions are neither uniquely Indian nor has Indian society been as socially stagnant as commonly believed. In all non-egalitarian societies where wealth and political power were unequally distributed, some form of social inequity appeared and often meant hereditary privileges for the elite and legally (or socially) sanctioned discrimination against those considered lower down in the social hierarchy. In fact, caste-like divisions are to be found in the history of most nations whether in the American continent, or in Africa, Europe or elsewhere in Asia. In some societies, caste-like divisions were relatively simple, in others more complex. For instance, in Eastern Africa some agricultural societies were divided between land-owning and landless tribes (or clans) that eventually took on caste-like characteristics. Priests and warriors enjoyed special privileges in the 15th C. Aztec society of Mexico as did the Samurais (warrior nobles) and priests of medieval Japan. Notions of purity and defilement were also quite similar in Japanese society and members of society who carried out unclean tasks were treated as social outcasts just as in India. Amongst the most stratified of the ancient civilizations was the Roman Civilization where in addition to state-sanctioned slavery, there were all manner of caste-like inequities coded into law. Even in the Christian era, European feudalism provided all manner of hereditary privileges for the knights and landed barons (somewhat akin to Indias Rajputs and Thakurs) and amongst the royalty, arranged marriages and dowry were just as common as in India. Discrimination against the artisans was also commonplace throughout Europe, and as late as the 19th century artisans in Germany had to go through a separate court system to seek legal redress. They were not permitted to appeal to courts that dealt with the affairs of the nobility and the landed gentry. For instance, Beethoven wrote numerous letters to German judicial authorities pleading that he not be treated as a second-class citizen that as Germanys pre-eminent composer he deserved better treatment. ) A common pattern that seems to emerge from a study of several such ancient and medieval societies is that priests and warriors typically formed an elite class in most medieval societies and social privileges varied according to social rank; in settled agriculture based societies, this was usually closely related to ownership of land. For instance, we find no evidence of caste-like discrimination in societies where land was collectively owned and jointly cultivated, or where goods and services were exchanged within the village on the basis of barter, and there was no premium assigned to any particular type of work. All services and all forms of human labor were valued equally. Such village communes may have once existed throughout India and some appear to have survived until quite recently especially in the hills, (such as in parts of Himachal and the North East, including Assam and Tripura), but also in Orissa and parts of Central India. In such societies, we also see little evidence of gender discrimination. In India, caste and gender discrimination appear to become more pronounced with the advent of hereditary and authoritarian ruling dynasties, a powerful state bureaucracy, the growth of selective property rights, and the domination of Brahmins over the rural poor in agrahara villages. But this process was neither linear nor always irreversible. As old ruling dynasties were overthrown, previously existing caste equations and caste hierarchies were also challenged and modified. In many parts of India this process may have taken several centuries to crystallize and caste rigidity may be a much more recent phenomenon than has been commonly portrayed. The impression that caste divisions were always strictly enforced, or that there were no challenges to caste rigidity does not seem to square with a dispassionate examination of the Indian historical record. It should also be emphasized that caste-distinctions were not the only way, or even the most egregious way in which social inequities manifested themselves in older societies. In ancient Greece and Rome, the institution of slavery was at least as cruel a practice, if not worse. (It is therefore quite ironic how the slave-owning Greek states are revered by Western intellectuals as the worlds first democratic societies but ancient India is denigrated for its incomprehensible social ills. ) Levels and degree of caste discrimination in India have varied with time and there has been both upward and downward mobility of castes and social groups. Going by the strictures outlined in the Manusmriti, one might conclude that caste distinctions were set in stone, rigidly enforced and the possibilities of caste mobility completely circumscribed. But a closer examination of the historical record suggests otherwise. Already in the Upanishadic period there were tensions between Brahmins and Kshatriyas, and there are explicit parables in the Upanishadic texts illustrating how an enlightened Kshatriya was able to exceed a Brahmin in spiritual wisdom and philosophical knowledge. In the Mahabharatha, there are references to a Brahmin warrior suggesting that caste categories were not entirely inflexible. There is also criticism of parasitism amongst Brahmins in some of the texts from the Upanishadic period, and social commentators emphasized how those who reneged on their social obligations were undeserving of their caste privileges. This is an important point because it suggests that there was an implied social contract that involved both privileges and social obligations. The monarch might have enjoyed immense power and prestige, and exacted numerous rights over the common people, but also had the obligation to defend the people to protect them from invaders, to dispense justice in an unprejudiced manner and assist in the development and preservation of irrigation facilities and roads. Failure to meet such expectations could and did lead to revolts, and dynasties rose and fell within a matter of few generations. Challenges to Brahminical hegemony and caste-rigidity In the Upanishads, there is also recognition that conceptions of god could be quite varied, that Brahminical rituals were not essential to spiritual release, and that individuals might choose different deities or methods of worship. This ecumenical outlook facilitated the growth of alternative viewpoints not only in the realm of religious practice but also on norms of how society ought to be structured. Social challenges to absolute monarchical rule and the immense power of the priestly class probably led to a crescendo during the Buddhist period when Brahmin hegemony received challenges from several quarters from radical atheists such as the Lokayatas, from Jain agnostics, and heterodox Hindus and Buddhists who wanted to reconstruct society on a less discriminatory and more humane basis. Although it would be wrong to romanticize the Buddhists as being completely against caste distinctions {since there is evidence that they accepted caste distinctions in society outside their sanghas (communes)}, Buddhists along with other social critics undoubtedly played a powerful role in ensuring that caste was not the sole or even the dominant factor in shaping Indian society of that period. This is borne out by how so many ruling clans arose from a non-Kshatriya (and also non-Brahmin) background. The Nandas, the Mauryas, the Kalingas and the Guptas are just some of the more illustrious of Indias ruling dynasties that did not arise from a Kshatriya background. (Of course, once some of these clans established themselves as ruling dynasties, they took on the Kshatriya mantle, and over time, the radical changes that accompanied their ascent to power gave way to social conservatism and a decaying of the radical currents that had contributed to their rise to power). It is also worth noting that the classical four varna division of Hindu society (as described in the Manusmriti) does not appear to have had much practical significance if one were to go by the accounts of the Greek chronicler, Megasthenes. In his accounts of Mauryan India. Megasthenes appears to list a seven fold social order in which he differentiates between the priest and the philosopher (who he ranked much above the priest, and who could have been a Brahmin, Jain or Buddhist) and also gives special attention to court bureaucrats such as record keepers, tax collectors and judicial officials. He also ascribed to the peasantry a higher status than might be inferred from the Manusmriti and noted with amazement how the peasantry was left unharmed during battles. According to Megasthenes, philosophers whether Brahmins or Jain/Buddhist monks also had obligations in terms of offering advice to the ruler in matters of public policy, agriculture, health and culture. Repeated failure to provide sound counsel could lead to a loss of privileges even exile or death. Thus, although many Brahmins may have held on to their privileges by being shameless sycophants others made significant contributions in the realm of science, philosophy and culture. Social mobility was possible since learning was not an exclusive preserve of the Brahmins and both the Buddhist and Jain sanghas admitted people from different social backgrounds and also admitted women. (Jyotsna Kamat points to a Karnataka inscription from 1187 A. D. hat suggests that Jain nuns enjoyed the same amount of freedom as their male counterparts. ) The more advanced sanghas enforced a separate quorum for women to ensure that a largely male gathering may not take decisions that did not meet with the approval of the women members of the sangha. Over time, it appears that the sanghas degenerated, losing their intellectual vitality and egalitarian spirit allowing the Brahmins to gradually consolidate their power and influence in the Gangetic plain. But even as late as the 6th-7th C, Gupta-period inscriptions describing land grants in Bengal appear to corroborate Megasthenes view of how Indian society was structured. Social rank of senior court administrators (who may have risen from different caste backgrounds) invariably exceeded the rank of ordinary village priests. (In Orissa, Rajasthan and parts of Central and Southern India, this pattern prevailed till even later. Moreover, as society headed towards aste-ossification, it was the court administrators who after acquiring hereditary caste status, became the most privileged agents in society. In some instances, these administrative castes simply merged with other privileged castes such as Brahmin or Kshatriya, or else they were treated as equivalent, and the historic distinctions between then became blurred or obscured. ) In a sampling of Gupta period land grant decrees, it is intriguing that caste identities are omitted more often than explicitly included. Had caste been as i mportant or dominant a social category, one might expect otherwise. Some of the most important figures appear to be officials involved in tax collection and land measurement. Various ranks of officials are mentioned without any explicit mention of their caste. Villagers are also frequently named without reference to their cast. Only occasionally, there are references to villagers who are also mentioned as being Brahmins. Some of the land grant records indicate that before land grants were made, certain categories of villagers perhaps those considered more important were consulted by the higher officials. Although Brahmins are mentioned in the list of those consulted, there are equal references to other categories of villagers such as kutumbins and mahattaras who may have been village officials or important landholders in the village. {Vishwa Mohan Jha (see ref. below) describes the kutumbins and mahattaras as varna/jati nuetral categories (i. e. caste-independent categories) that included Brahmins and non-Brahmins alike. } Other references point to consultative committees that included the chief artisan, the chief scribe, the merchant and the guild-president of the town. It also appears that administrative changes led to the creation of new posts, the merger or elimination of older posts, and changes in ranks of various officials over time. An examination of the land grant decrees over a space of three centuries (5th-7th C Bengal) points to such changes and others such as changes in procedures, or changes in the constitution of consultative committees, perhaps to reflect changing political alliances or changes in the economic status of different groups of townspeople and villagers. In a land allotment plate from Paschimbagh (Bengal) Brahmins are mentioned as tax payers, and the status of ordinary Brahmins does not seem at all exceptional. For instance, it points to a teacher or a Vedic scholar as being entitled to 10 patakas of land, but other Brahmins were entitled to only 2 patakas a share less than that of a Kayastha (record-keeper) or Vaidya (medical practitioner). Carpenters, smiths and artisans were also put far above other service communities in terms of their share of land. The Paschimbagh inscription also describes the grant of plots of land to florists, potters, carpenters, masons, blacksmiths and sweepers for serving a matha (monastery) indicating that when land was granted for a temple or monastery, priests were not the exclusive beneficiaries of land grants. (Two Bhaumakara charters from Talcher/Dhenkanal in Orissa similiarly refer to donations of land for a Buddhist temple, and allocations for its maintenance. ) A study of land grants from 12th C Rajasthan (Pali) and Karnataka (Kalikatti) suggests that land grants had a limited life tenure even when initially decreed to be for life or for perpetuity. Beneficiaries of land grants were subject to transfers, and grants to a particular beneficiary were transferred to another beneficiary five or ten years later. It also appears that the beneficiaries were selected based on administrative rank rather than any particular caste-affiliation. It is also not at all apparent that administrative rank was limited by birth. In Orissa, there is explicit evidence to the contrary. Ordinary peasants were able to rise up in the ranks of the military, and it is likely that a similar situation prevailed in the administrative ranks. Mayadhar Mansinha (see ref. below) suggests that a combination of factors such as training, merit and personal determination played a role, (in addition to social standing and political connections) in determining rank and promotions. In Karnataka, there is evidence that some of the chief administrators were women. (See Jyotsna Kamat, ref. provided below) Brahminical Ascendance Nevertheless, the seeds for a more privileged role for the Brahmins were also being sown through the process of land grants to Brahmins. In some instances, thousands of Brahmins were granted rights to hitherto uncultivated land. In other cases, Brahmins were appointed as the local representatives of the state authorities in what are described as agrahara villages where Brahmins presided over small peasants, who in Bihar were mostly landless sharecoppers or bonded labourers. These agrahara villages were typically small villages and sattelites of bigger villages that included members of several castes and bigger land-holders. In Bihar, such agrahara villages proliferated and it is quite likely that in such agraharas oppressive social relations and some of the most egregious patterns of caste-centred discrimination and exploitation may have developed. (While early Gupta period records indicate the existence of rural consultative councils that mediated between the rulers and the artisans and peasants, it seems that such consultative councils became less important or were phased out with the growth of the agraharas. Thereafter, the Brahmins became the sole intermediaries between the village and the state, and over time, this may have enabled the Brahmins to exercise social and political hegemony over other inhabitants of the village. It also appears that the greatest incidence of the practice of untouchability occurs in conjunction with the growth in the power and authority of the Brahmins in such villages. ) But these developments took time to spread elsewhere in India, first spreading to Bengal and eastern UP, and very gradually elsewhere in India. However, this pattern was not necessarily replicated in identical form throughout India and some parts of India virtually escaped this trend. In agrahara villages in other parts of India, Brahmins did take on the role of local administrators and tax collectors, but the status of the small peasantry was not always as miserable as in Bihar. The degree of exploitation and oppression appears to be related to the extent of alienation from land-ownership. For example, evidence for Brahmin domination in Kalikatti, Southern Karnataka emerges after the 13th C. hen villagers were instructed to pay taxes to the Brahmin assignees, leading to constant tensions and disputes, but without dramatic changes in the overall status of the tax-paying villagers. Although Brahminization was an important factor in leading to caste ossification, it was not necessarily the sole or even the most important factor in the mix. The impact of the Islamic invasions, colonization by the British and ecological changes played an equally crucial if not decisive role in many instances. For instance, in Orissa, the ossification of the bureaucracy and its conversion into a group of privileged and exclusive castes appears to take place after the 14th-15th C. when we begin to see a general decline in its overseas trade due to the silting up of its rivers. At the same time, we see the growth of Brahminical hegemony in the realm of religion and military defeats at the hands of the Mughal armies led by Raja Man Singh of Jaipur. All these factors may have played a role in destroying the vibrancy of Oriya society and encouraging caste conservatism. See the essay on the History of Orissa for more on this subject. ) Impact of the Islamic Invasions Unfortunately, many social historians have studiously ignored the effect of such external factors in the shaping of social relations in India. But we know that the Islamic invasions led to monumental changes in the political and cultural life of the sub-continent and especially so in the Gangetic plain so it would be exceedingly od d if the invasions had no impact on the social structure of Indian society. While some social analysts have tried to analyze Hindu society during the period of Islamic rule as though it had been untouched by the Islamic invasions and left to stagnate in a cocoon of its own making, others have succumbed to illusory simplifications such as Islam was an egalitarian faith whereas Hinduism had caste divisions. Because Islam first arose in those parts of the world where settled agriculture was not possible i. e. in the desert sands of the Arabian peninsula social divisions had not yet emerged in quite the same way that they had in long settled agricultural societies like India. For the warring nomadic tribes of the desert, Islam may have been a tool for the upward mobility of clans that may have earlier survived on petty thievery and by raiding the wealth of settled urban societies (and later for those who joined the ranks of the military in the Islalmic states), the upward mobility of some came at the expense of enormous human rights violations against others. In the hands of expansionist conquerors, Islam became more an instrument of devastation and terror rather than a vehicle for social equality or social justice. Taken in its entirety, the period of Islamic rule in India cannot be seen as furthering social equity or social harmony in the subcontinent. As a faith-based ideological system Islam could at best guarantee equality before God i. e. equality after death. However, a closer study of the Quran dispels even such notions, for even amongst believers, there is gender discrimination and rank based on the quality and type of service provided to the Islamic cause. In any case, on earth, the plight of Muslim converts depended more on social realities, on political equations than on the abstract and remote promise of equality offered by Islam. During times of heavy political and economic oppression, the only option for the poor was complete and total submission to the will of God which in effect meant sacrificing all their autonomy in favor of the clergy, (who rarely challenged political authority), and more often than not, were largely beholden to the rulers who chose to support and promote them. When the clergy did resist political authority, it often tended towards social conservatism and reaction rather than social progress. By and large, social inequities widened with the onset of Islamic rule in the sub-continent. Land revenue records clearly indicate that with few exceptions (as in Kashmir and Bengal for a time), Islamic rulers taxed the peasantry at significantly higher rates. If the average rate of taxation during the pre-Islamic period varied between 10% to a maximum of 20% averaging around 15-16%, it had increased to 33% or even more under the Mughals. Note that even the Manusmriti limited the tax rate on the peasantry to one-sixth about 16%) While all Islamic rulers may not have insisted on the discriminating jaziya, many of the earlier invaders insisted upon it, and more than one court chronicler of the Delhi Sultanate describes the violent means taken to suppress peasant rebellions and extract the high taxes from the crushed peasantry. Urban revolts were also n ot uncommon and the Arab chronicler Ibn Batuta mentions how such rebellions were suppressed with great cruelty. Punishment for those who rebelled could mean loss of adults (particularly young women) and children to slavery, massacres or forced evacuations of entire villages and small towns, pillage and destruction of places of learning, of temples and other symbols of cultural identification, and denial of job opportunities in the courts. In the early centuries of Islamic rule, the distrust of the locals was so intense that virtually all the important administrative positions were kept in the hands of foreigners. Romila Thapar has pointed out that prior to the Islamic invasions, Hindu rulers also invaded or pillaged the temples of their rivals, especially since these temples were repositories of great wealth. She has also indicated that the management of some of these rich temples was extremely corrupt. Plunder of temple wealth was definitely a factor in the destruction of such temples during raids and attacks by Islamic invaders and conquerors. However, during the Islamic invasions, this prac tice accelerated both in frequency and intensity. It should also be noted that not all temples were storehouses of great wealth or under the management of corrupt Brahminical trusts. The majority of temples had considerable cultural significance for the local populations and many were built and maintained by non-Brahminical cults. For instance, in Bundelkhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa, there are a sizable number of surviving temples that not only escaped the path of the Islamic invaders, but were obviously left untouched in local battles between rival Hindu kings. There are even scattered remains from the Gupta period. But in the Gangetic plain, virtually nothing from the regions pre-Islamic past has survived. Clearly, there were important political dimensions to the destruction of Northern Indias cultural wealth. One might speculate that the political subjugation of a reluctant and possibly even hostile population required the physical elimination of cultural symbols that instilled pride and self-confidence, and thus threatened the authority of the alien rulers. In any case, the smashing of facial features, genitalia and breasts on sculpted figures has no parallel to earlier practices. There is also little evidence that those defeated in battle were killed or enslaved on the scale of what happened during the Islamic invasions. ) For instance, the Afghanistan region (which once had a sizeable Hindu and Buddhist population) acquired the reputation of being a land where Hindus were slaughtered and hence took the name Hindu-Kush, and references to wanton destruction occur with boastful regularity in the records of the triumphant conquerors. However, in the Gangetic plain the Hindu population was essential in maintaining the tax base for the rulers and therefore, it was only necessary to break the autonomy of the Hindu population and crush their resistance to higher taxation. This was largely achieved through the almost complete destruction of older centres of culture and learning, burning of libraries such as in Nalanda and Vikramshila, the widespread conversion of Buddhists to Islam, and violent acts of reprisal against those who resisted. One of the most deleterious effects of the Islamic invasions on social relations in India was the practice of slavery, which was introduced on a scale hitherto unseen in the subcontinent. Unlike the societies of the East, slavery appears to have played an important role almost throughout the history of the Western world and the Quran has passages that endorse the practice of slavery. During the Islamic period, in sub-Saharan Africa, slaves labored in the salt mines and copper mines and served as a vital link in the trans-Saharan trade routes acting as porters where camels and donkeys could not go. Scott Levi (Univ. of Wisconsin) points to judicial documents of medieval Samarqand (and other Central Asian sources) that disclose the presence there of many thousands of Indian slaves throughout the medieval period. A number of Indian sources make it clear that, from the early Ghaznavid raids to the Mughal period, hundreds of thousands (if not millions over the centuries) of men, women and children were marched over to the slave markets in Iran and Central Asia, i. e. beyond the northwest frontier of India, and out of the reach of their familial support systems. Although state sanctioned slavery came to an end with the dawn of the Christian era in Europe, a slave-owning replica of ancient Rome arose in the American South, and slaves were employed throughout the Caribbean and South America. The Portuguese were notorious for their slave-markets in India. Even as slavery was banned in Europe, the European trading companies made huge profits from the slave trade. Slavery was not a pract ice confined to the Islamic parts of the world. ) The practice of slavery probably led to the growth in the custom of Jauhar and Sati amongst the military castes. Prior to the Islamic invasions, there are very few records to indicate that such practices were widely followed. But the onslaught of the Islamic invaders had led to a complete breakdown in the implementation of war ethics. Whereas in earlier wars, it was required of both sides to protect the peasantry, to leave women, children and the elderly at peace, and there were injunctions against the enslavement of prisoners or of harming those who surrendered in battle the invaders had few if any compunctions in unleashing all manner of torments on the defeated population. In such an environment, it is not surprising that for the proud Rajput societies, the act of jauhar, or mass suicide was a more honorable option. (It should be noted that such acts of mass or individual suicide are not unknown elsewhere in the world. Sometimes these acts were voluntary (as was usually emphasized in the Indian tradition), at other times they were entirely coerced. Amongst the Vikings, it was customary for a warriors young concubines to join the funeral pyres of dead Viking warriors. In ancient Nubia (upper Sudan and lower Egypt) there are records of mass suicide upon the death of a warrior king and Nubian burials of warriors indicate practices quite similiar to Jauhar / Sati . There are also parallels in the Japanese tradition of Harakiri'(suicide for honour) or Sepukku amongst the Samurai warrior nobles of Japan. Voluntary suicide of widows (although rare) also took place in China during the reign of the Qing dynasty. There are also records of the Celts and the Romans practicing human sacrifice. Amongst the Aztecs of the 15th C, the custom of human sacrifice of the defeated does not appear to have any voluntary character, and was seen as a legitimate rite in the celebration of a victory in war. Western feminist indologists who see the practice of Sati as a unique form of gender oppression peculiar to India might note that in the Christian world, the scourge of witch-burning was a far more dangerous threat to the lives of women. The mere charge of being a witch could lead to public hanging, and the Salem-witch trials in America were part of a long chain of witch-burnings that took place throughout Christian Europe and carried over into New England) Nevertheless, Islamic rule in India did not prevail entirely without benefits for specific social classes who chose to collaborate with the invaders. Trading communities probably benefited from the installation of Islamic rulers whose policies of lower taxes on trade, and state support of local traders and financiers was in their interest. Scott Levi suggests that from the end of the thirteenth century, and throughout much of the Delhi Sultanate period, the Muslim nobility were dependent upon heavily capitalized indigenous banking firms (identified in the Tarikh-i Firuz Shahi as Sahs and Multanis). These domestic financiers loaned seeds and other necessary inputs to peasants and village-artisans and manufacturers (such as textile weavers) in return for a share of the produce. The rest they bought in cash, and a part of that cash was then recovered by the state treasuries through taxation. It should also be noted that, (by and large), Islamic rulers born and raised in India relied less on violence and sheer terror, but sought alliances with sections of the local population, especially with those amongst the Hindu elite who were willing to collaborate. Although some of these alliances were coerced, others led to tangible material benefits for the royal collaborators. Alliances were forged through marriage, or simply from political convenience. Military alliances with Hindu rulers were crucial in maintaining the power of many Islamic rulers. After Akbar, the Mughals relied heavily on the Jaipur and Bikaner Rajputs, who in return were given rights to a share of the taxes extracted from the Gangetic plain. And although Hindus were numerically discriminated in jobs at the courts, by skillfully playing off different caste communities against one another, the Mughals were able to win over a section of the Hindus in maintaining their position of political preeminence. Hence, it would be wrong to see the many centuries of Islamic rule in India purely from the prism of religious antagonisms. But it would be equally wrong to see the long period of rule by Islamic-identified rulers (even those that were born in India) as entirely benevolent or benign, or no different from the rule of earlier Hindu kings. Since most were heavier taxers, the distance between the ruling elites and the peasant and artisan masses tended to widen and there were other aspects of Islamic rule (particularly during the rule of the more oppressive Sultanates) that limited social mobility. For many of the Islamic rulers, the Brahmin dominated agraharas were highly suited to efficient tax collection and the might of the Sultanates came down very heavily on social challenges that weakened the ability of the state to collect taxes. The fear of enslavement and the denial of equal access to job opportunities in the Sultanate courts led to Hindu society becoming extremely inward-looking in large parts of the plains. With opportunities or jobs in the administrative ranks shrinking, caste loyalties were in all likelihood strengthened, not weakened. Thus, rather than shake up the caste system as some might expect, Islamic rule (by foreign invaders who distrusted the locals) may have actually helped in its crystallization. Neither is there any evidence that Islamic rule helped end the practice of untouchability. (In fact, the problems of untouchability and caste-discrimination are especially notable in states like UP and Bihar where Islamic rule held complete sway for five centu ries. In Sindh and Western Punjab, where almost the entire population was converted to Islam, it is important to observe that janitorial workers were never converted, and to this date remain a highly oppressed and discriminated group. There is also evidence that Muslims developed their own versions of caste. Romila Thapar points out how foreign-origin Muslims such as Syeds, Sheiks and Ashrafs kept themselves consciously apart from Muslims who came from artisan and peasant backgrounds. Language was another divider. In Bijapur district, the elite Muslims spoke Urdu whereas the ordinary Muslims spoke Kannada. Zarina Bhatty in an essay on Social stratification among Muslims describes caste differentiation amongst Ashraf and non-Ashraf Muslims and notions of impurity that closely parallel caste cleavages and attitudes in Hindu society. Sandra Mackey in the Caste/Class System in Iran describes patterns of social differentiation remarkably similiar to Indias. Also see note below) Over time, Islamic rule in India created a much stronger and more unified elite, which made it more difficult for the ordinary masses to resist regressive social changes, particularly in the realm of philosophical choice, religious pluralism, regional and local autonomy in matters of religion, gender equity, freedom of sexual expression and sexual orientation. For instance, prior to the arrival of Islam, women enjoyed greater freedom of movement and dress. 1th C chronicler of Indian life, Al-Biruni expresses puzzlement at how the Hindu men (of Punjab) took the advice of the women in all consultations and emergencies. But in a matter of few centuries, Islamic notions of gender separation and sexual prudery had infected Hindu households as well. A weaker version of the Purdah system and a more conservative dress code became the custom even in Hindu homes, especially so amongst those of the trading community that had frequent contacts with Muslims. Although in sime passages, the Quran states that their ought to be no compulsion in matters of religion, in other passages, the Quran leaves no doubt that force and coercion are acceptable in furthering Islamic practice. Consequently, the practice of Islam conformed more to the passages advicating force and coercion. In Mali, the Tunisian chronicler Ibn Batuta noted that children who were neglectful in learning the Quran were put in chains until they had it memorized. Regarding India, he commented how newly converted peasants had a very lackadaisical attitude towards attending regular prayers and how the Imams had to cane non-attendees to force attendance. He also describes how he personally led a battle against the reluctance of women to cover their breasts in the Maldives. In the Indian tradition, moral codes concerning dress were more in keeping with the natural environment. Clothes were light and simple, consistent with the generally hot climate. And in matters of religion, there was greater diversity, and much more personal choice. It was often up to the devotee to visit a temple at a time of his or her choosing. Which deity to worship involved an element of local choice and different jatis might worship different deities. Local versions of the epics such as the Ramayana and the Krishna-Leela were popularized and recent research points to hundreds of different versions in circulation. Unlike in Islam, pilgrimages were undertaken under less pressure and with greater individual volition. Al-Biruni also noted how the Hindus were remarkably flexible and willing to change customs and traditions they no longer felt to be relevant or essential.

Minimum Quantity Lubrication Essays

Minimum Quantity Lubrication Essays Minimum Quantity Lubrication Essay Minimum Quantity Lubrication Essay ABSTRACT Metal cutting fluids changes the performance of machining operations because of their lubrication, cooling, and chip flushing functions. Typically, in the machining of hardened steel materials, no cutting fluid is applied in the interest of low cutting forces and low environmental impacts. Minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) presents itself as a viable alternative for hard machining with respect to tool wear, heat dissertation, and machined surface quality. This study compares the mechanical performance of minimum quantity lubrication to completely dry lubrication for the turning of hardened bearing-grade steel materials based on experimental measurement of cutting forces, tool temperature, white layer depth, and part finish. The results indicate that the use of minimum quantity lubrication leads to reduced surface roughness delayed tool flank wear, and lower cutting temperature, while also having a minimal effect on the cutting forces. Minimum quantity lubrication. doc (Size: 2. 7 MB / Downloads: 63) password:seminarprojects CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The growing demand for higher productivity, product quality and overall economy in manufacturing by machining and grinding, particularly to meet the challenges thrown by liberalization and global cost competitiveness, insists high material removal rate and high stability and long life of the cutting tools. But high production machining and grinding with high cutting velocity, feed and depth o f cut are inherently associated with generation of large amount of heat and high cutting temperature. Such high cutting temperature not only reduces dimensional accuracy and tool life but also impairs the surface integrity of the product. In high speed machining conventional cutting fluid application fails to penetrate the chip–tool interface and thus cannot remove heat effectively. Addition of extreme pressure additives in the cutting fluids does not ensure penetration of coolant at the chip–tool interface to provide lubrication and cooling . However ,high-pressure jet of soluble oil, when applied at the chip–tool interface, could reduce cutting temperature and improve tool life to some extent . However, the advantages caused by the cutting fluids have been questioned lately, due to the several negative effectsthey cause. When inappropriately handled, cutting fluids may damage soil and water resources, causing serious loss to the environment. Therefore, the handling and disposal of cutting fluids must obey rigid rules of environmental protection. On the shop floor, the machine operators may be affected by thebad effects of cutting fluids, such as by skin and breathing problems For the companies, the costs related to cutting fluids represent a large amount of the total machining costs. Several research workers state that the costs related to cutting fluids are frequently higher than those related to cutting tools. Consequently, elimination on the use of cutting fluids, if possible, can be a significant economic incentive. Considering the high cost associated with the use of cutting fluids and projected escalating costs when the stricter environmental laws are enforced, the choice seems obvious. Because of them some alternatives has been sought to minimize or even avoid the use of cutting fluid in machining operations. Some of these alternatives are dry machining and machining with minimum quantity lubrication (MQL). Dry machining is now of great interest and actually, they meet with success in the field of environmentally friendly manufacturing . In reality, however, they are sometimes less effective when higher machining efficiency, better surface finish quality and severe cutting conditions are required. For these situations, semi-dry operations utilizing very small amount of cutting fluids are expected to become a powerful tool and, in fact, they already play a significant role in a number of practical applications . inimum quantity lubrication (MQL) refers to the use of cutting fluids of only a minute amount- typically of a flow rate of 50–500 ml/h which is about three to four orders of magnitude lower than the amount commonly used in flood cooling condition. The concept of minimum quantity lubrication, sometimes referred to as near dry lubrication or micro-lubrication , has been sugges ted since a decade ago as a mean of addressing the issues of environmental intrusiveness and occupational hazards associated with the airborne cutting fluid particles on factory shop floors. The minimization of cutting fluid also leads to economical benefits by way of saving lubricant costs and work piece/tool/machine cleaning cycle time. Significant progress has been made in dry and semidry machining recently, and minimum quantity lubrication(MQL) machining in particular has been accepted as a successful semi-dry application because of its environmentally friendly characteristics. Some good results have been obtained with this technique . Lugscheider et al. sed this technique in reaming process of gray cast iron and aluminum alloy with coated carbide tools and concluded that it caused a reduction of tool wear when compared with the completely dry process and, consequently, an improvement in the surface quality of the holes. The drilling of aluminum–silicon alloys is one of those processes where dry cutting is impossible due to the high ductility of the work piece material. Without cooling and lubrication, the chip sticks to the tool and breaks it in a very short cutting time. There fore, in this process a good alternative is the use of the MQL technique The present work experimentally investigates the role of minimum quantity lubrication on cutting temperature, chip reduction coefficient and dimensional deviation in plain turning of AISI-1040 steel at different speed-feed combinations by uncoated carbide insert and compares the effectiveness of MQL with that of dry machining and conventional cutting fluid. CHAPTER 2 EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS AND PROCEDURE For the present experimental studies, AISI-1040 steel rod of initial diameter 110mm and length 620mm was plain turned in a BMTF Lathe, Bangladesh, 4 hp by uncoated carbide insert of integrated chip breaker geometry at different speed-feed combinations under dry, wet and minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) conditions to study the role of MQL on the machinability characteristics of that work material mainly in respect of cutting temperature, chip reduction coefficient and dimensional deviation. The experimental conditions are given in Table 1. Machine tool BMTF Lathe, Bangladesh, 4 hp Work piece AISI-1040 steel (size: O110mm? 620 mm) Cutting tool (insert) Cutting insert Carbide, SNMM 120408 (P-30 ISOspecification), Drillco Tool holder PSBNR 2525M12(ISO specification), Working tool geometry ? 6? , ? 6? , 6? , 6? , 15? , 75? , 0. 8 (mm) Cutting velocity, Vc 64, 80, 110 and 130 m/min Feed rate, So 0. 10, 0. 13, 0. 16 and 0. 20 mm/rev Depth of cut, t 1. 0mm MQL supply: Air 7 bar, Lubricant: 60 ml/h (throughexternal nozzle) Environment: Dry, wet (flood cooling) and minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) Table2. 1 Experimental conditions The ranges of the cutting velocity (Vc) and feed rate (So) were selected based on the tool manufacturer’s recommendation and industrial practices. The depth of cut was kept constant since it has much less significant role on the machining characteristics excepting the magnitude of the cutting forces, which simply increase proportionally with the increase in depth of cut. The MQL needs to be supply at high pressure and impinged at high speed through the nozzle at the cutting zone. Considering the conditions required for the present work and uninterrupted supply of MQL at constant pressure over a reasonably long cut, a MQL delivery system has been designed, fabricated and used. The schematic view of the MQL set up is shown in Fig. 1. The thin but high velocity stream of MQL was projected along the auxiliary cutting edge of the insert, as indicated in a frame within Fig. 1, so that the coolant reaches as close to the chip–tool and the work–tool interfaces as possible . The photographic view of the experimental set-up is Figure 2. 1 Experimental setup Figure2. 1Block diagram of MQL The MQL jet has been used mainly to target the rake and flank surface along the auxiliary cutting edge and to protect the auxiliary flank to enable better dimensional accuracy . MQL is expected to provide some favorable effects mainly through reduction in cutting temperature. The simple but reliable tool–work thermocouple technique has been employed to measure the average cutting temperature during turning at different Vc–So combinations by the uncoated carbide insert under dry, wet and MQL conditions. For the present investigation, the calibration of the tool–work thermocouple has been carried out by external flame heating. The tool–work thermocouple junction was constructed using a long continuous chip of the concerned work material and a tungsten carbide insert to be used in actual cutting. To avoid generation of parasitic emf, a long carbide rod was used to extend the insert. A standard K-type thermocouple is mounted at the site of tool–work junction. The oxy-acetylenetorch simulated the heat generation phenomena in machining and raised the temperature at the chip–tool interface. Standard thermocouple directly monitored the junction temperature when a digital multimeter monitored the emf generated by the hot junction of the chip–tool. The effect of MQL on average chip–tool interface temperature at different Vc and So under dry, wet and MQL conditions is shown in Fig. 3. The chip samples collected while turning the steel by the insert of configuration SNMM at different Vc–So combinations under dry, wet and MQL condition have been visually examined and categorized with respect to their shape and color. The result of such categorization of the chips produced at different conditions and environments by the AISI-1040 steel. The actual forms of the chips produced during machining the steel with a cutting velocity 110 m/min and feed 0. 6 mm/rev under dry, wet and MQL conditions is shown in Fig. 4. Another important machinability index is chip reduction coefficient, ? (ratio of chip thickness after and before cut). For given tool geometry and cutting conditions, the value of ? depends upon the nature of chip–tool interaction, chip contact length and chip form all of which are expected to be influenced by MQL in addition to the levels of Vc and So. The variation in value of ? with Vc and So as well as machining environment evaluated for AISI-1040 steel have been plotted and shown in Fig. 5. The deviations in the job diameter before and after cuts were measured by a precision dial gauge with a least count of 1_m, which was traveled parallel to the axis of the job . MQL provided remarkable benefit in respect of controlling the increase in diameter of the finished job with machining time as can be seen in Fig. 6. Fig. 3. Variations in average chip–tool interface temperature with cutting velocity and feed rate during turning under dry, wet and MQL conditions CHAPTER 3 EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS AND DISCUSSION During machining any ductile materials, heat is generated at the primary eformation zone, secondary deformation zone and the flank (clearance) surfaces, but the temperature becomes maximum at the chip–tool interface. The cutting temperature measured in the present work r efers mainly to the average chip–tool interface temperature. Any cutting fluid applied conventionally cannot reduce this chip–tool interface temperature effectively because the fluid can hardly penetrate into that the interface where the chip–tool contact is mostly plastic in nature particularly at higher cutting velocity and feed. However, MQL jet could have reduced the cutting temperature quite significantly though in different degrees for different cutting velocity and feed combinations as can be seen in Fig. 3. The presence of the grooves along the cutting edges and the hills on the tool rake surface and reduced chip–tool contact length may have helped the MQL jet to come closer to the chip–tool interface and thus effectively cool that interface. The difference in the effectiveness of MQL observed under different Vc and So can be reasonably attributed to variation in the nature and extent of chip–tool contact with the changes in Vc and So. The pattern of chips in machining ductile metals generally depend upon the mechanical properties of the work material, tool geometry particularly rake angle, levels of Vc and So, nature of chip–tool interaction and the cutting environment . In absence of chip breaker, length and uniformity of chips increase with the increase in ductility and softness of the work material, tool rake angle and cutting velocity unless thechip–tool interaction is adverse causing intensive friction and built-up edge formation. Table 3. Shape and co lour of chips at different vc and so condition It shows that the steel when machined under dry and wet conditions produced spiral type chips and the color of the chips become blue. The geometry of the insert is such that the chips first came out continuously got curled along normal plane and then hitting at the principal flank of the insert broke into pieces with regular size and shape. When machined under MQL the form of these ductile chips chang e appreciably into more or less half turn and their back surface appeared much brighter and smoother. This indicates hat the amount of reduction of temperature and presence of MQL enabled favorable chip–tool interaction and elimination of even trace of built-up edge formation. The color of the chips have also become much lighter, i. e. metallic from blue depending upon Vc and So due to reduction in cutting temperature by MQL. The actual forms of chips produced during turning at cutting velocity 110 m/min and feed 0. 16 mm/rev under dry, wet and MQL condition as can be seen in Fig. 4. Figure 3. 1 shape of chips at different condition Fig. 4. Actual forms of chips produced during turning at cutting velocity 110 m/min and feed 0. 6 mm/rev under (a) dry, (b) wet and  © MQL conditions. Almost all the parameters involved in machining have direct and indirect influence on the thickness of the chips during deformation. The degree of chip thickening which is assessed by chip reducti on coefficient, ? plays sizeable role on cutting forces and hence on cutting energy requirements and cutting temperature. Fig. 5 shows that MQL has reduced the value of ? particularly at lower values of Vc and So. Figure. 3. 2. Variation in chip reduction coefficient, ? , with cutting velocity and feed rate during turning under dry, wet and MQL conditions. By MQL application, ? s reasonably expected to decrease for reduction in friction at the chip–tool interface and reduction in deterioration of effective rake angle by built-up edge formation and wear of the cutting edge mainly due to reduction in cutting temperature . MQL provided remarkable benefit in respect of controlling the increase in diameter of the finished job with machining time as can be seen in Fig. 6. Figure. 3. 3. Dimensional deviations observed after one full pass under dry, wet and MQL conditions In straight turning, the finished job diameter generally deviates from its desired value with the progress of mac hining, i. e. long the job-length mainly for change in the effective depth of cut due to several reasons which include wear of the tool nose, over all compliance of the machine–fixture–tool–work (M–F–T–W) system and thermal expansion of the job during machining followed by cooling. Therefore, if the M–F–T–W system is rigid, variation in diameter would be governed mainly by the heat and cutting temperature . With the increase in temperature the rate of growth of auxiliary flank wear and thermal expansion of the job will increase. MQL takes away the major portion of heat and reduces the temperature yielding reduction in dimensional deviation desirably CHAPTER 4 CONCLUSIONS Based on the results of the present experimental investigation the following conclusions can be drawn: The cutting performance of MQL machining is better than that of conventional machining with flood cutting fluid supply. MQL provides the benefits mainly by reducing the cutting temperature, which improves the chip–tool interaction and maintains sharpness of the cutting edges. Due to MQL, the form and color of the steel chips became favorable for more effective cooling and improvements in nature of interaction at the chip–tool interface. Dimensional accuracy improved mainly due to reduction of wear and damage at the tool tip by the application of MQL. CHAPTER 5 REFERENCES [1] M. C. Shaw, J. D. Pigott, L. P. Richardson, Effect of cutting fluid upon chip–tool interface temperature, Trans. ASME 71 (1951) 45–56. [2] S. Paul, N. R. Dhar, A. B. Chattopadhyay, Beneficial effects of cryogenic cooling over dry and wet machining on tool wear and surface finish in turning AISI-1060 steel, in: Proceedings of the ICAMT- 2000, Malaysia, 2000, pp. 209–214. [3] C. Cassin, G. Boothroyed, Lubrication action of cutting fluids, J. Mech. Eng. Sci. 7 (1) (1965) 67–81. 4] M. Mazurkiewicz, Z. Kubala, J. Chow, Metal machining with high pressure water-jet cooling assistance- a new possibility, J. Eng. Ind. 111 (1989) 7–12. [5] A. Alaxender, A. S. Varadarajan, P. K. Philip, Hard turning with minimum cutting fluid: a viable green alternative on the shop floor, in: Proceedings of the 18th AIMTDR, 1998, pp. 152–155. [6] M. Sokovic, K. Mijanovic, Ecological aspects of the cutting fluids and its influence on quantifiable parameters of the cutting processes, J. Mater. Process. Technol. 109 (12) (2001) 181–189. [7] F. Klocke, G. Eisennblatter, Dry cutting, Ann. CIRP 46 (2) (1997) 519–526. 8] G. Byrne, E. Scholta, Environmentally clean machining processes- a strategic approach, Ann. CIRP 42 (1) (1993) 471–474. [9] F. Klocke, G. Eisenblatter, Coated tools for metal cutting-features and applications, Ann. CIRP 48 (2) (1999) 515–525. [10] U. Heisel, M. Lutz, Application of minimum quantity cooling lubrication technology in cutting processes, Prod. Eng. II (1) (1994) 49–54. [11] J. W. Sutherland, An experimental investigation of air quality in wet and dry turning, Ann. CIRP 49 (1) (2000) 61–64. sa Reference: seminarprojects. com/Thread-minimum-quantity-lubrication#ixzz1TMka1daG

Negotiation and Conflict Week 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Negotiation and Conflict Week 4 - Essay Example The main problem is the isolation of Jerry by other workers due to the aggressive behavior meted against them. There is suspicion of drug usage by Jerry but he has vehemently refused and even stating that the manager is confused Emotions play a significant role in the creation of conflict. People fight because emotions have gotten over them. The evaluation of emotions is vital in the conflict resolution process because it enables the cause of the problem to be identified. Emotions affect how employees relate which may lead to aggression of support. Jerry’s emotional state is not ok leading to regular mood swings and leads to serious challenges for other employees. Positive emotions improve harmony within the teams while also encouraging the development of interpersonal skills. These skills are essential in the communication process because they encourage the development of appropriate working environment. The conflict resolution strategy using the dimensional model To solve th e identified problem, the cognitive and emotional needs, of the team must be evaluated. The major problem with the team is the behavior of a jerry; he has several challenges in personality and communication. The evaluation of the perception of the employees about jerry is vital because negative perception makes a reasonable person incompetent and vice versa. The reasons for the negativity within the employees must be addressed in order to solve the conflict. The main problem with the situation is the perception of the employees in regard to the new changes. The recruitment or the deployment of the sales agents must be evaluated because if the employees feel the Jerry is treated well then, negative perception may develop within the team as a result of the treatment (Bercovitch, Bercovitch, & Jackson, 2009, p. 34). The need for behavior change for Jerry must be addressed in a transparent manner, to ensure the employee understand the change and the reasons for the change. Perception is vital because it affects the emotional balance of the group by influencing the attitude of the employees. During the solution process, any negative perception about Jerry must be countered with the proper data and information, to encourage the development of accommodating environment. The emotional needs of the team must be evaluated in order to develop the necessary support services for the individuals within the team. Unsatisfied team member vent their anger at the each other as such emotional balance within the group is vital. To reduce cases of frustration and anger, delegation and the support of the individual employees is mandatory. Social Styles Model strategy development The social model style approaches conflict resolution using several factors, which include the development of personality and the improvement of the necessary skills. The classification of the team into four groups is essential in the development of the conflict resolution strategy. The concern structure in cludes driving, analytical, expressive and amiable. The model develops ways to which each social style needs to interact thus helping people to adapt each other and ensure harmony. The success of conflict resolution in the case of dispute between Jerry and the employees involves the development of the necessary skills which are vital in the working environment. The model evaluates the responsiveness of the employees to the interaction with others. The model evalua