Principles of the Sda Health Message Essay

The Seventh Day Adventist religion has certain guidelines and principles on the health of their bodies and minds. The main focus of these principles can be broken into 8 main areas; The blessing of Exercise, The blessing of Water, The blessing of Sunlight, The blessing of Fresh Air, The blessing of Temperate, Drug-free, Stimulant-free Living, The blessing of Rest, The blessing of Nutritious Food and Trust in Divine Power. Each of these areas has separate ideas and guidelines on how to truly nurture your body and mind. Although these principles were introduced a long time ago most of them are still relevant for today’s lifestyles but like most things they do have weaknesses. The blessing of Exercise states that exercise is not merely an option, it is essential to maintaining both physical and mental health. Regular exercise has the benefits of increased energy, stress relief, healthier skin, more self-confidence, effective weight control, reduced depression and the risk of heart disease and cancer. Our bodies are designed to be active yet in today’s society we are moving less. Society’s lazy lifestyle has resulted in a rise in many medical conditions. Some conditions that result from inactivity include: heart disease, stroke, obesity, diabetes, ‘metabolic disorder’, and certain cancers. Proverbs 6:6-13 says â€Å"How long is the lazy man going to lie around? When is he ever going to get up? I’ll just take a short nap, he says; I’ll fold my hands and rest a while. But while he sleeps, poverty will attack him like an armed robber.† This verse is saying that useful activity tends to prosperity while inactivity and laziness tend to adversity. Christ himself set an example of physical activity. For most of his life he was engaged in manual labour and during his ministry he walked the roads of Palestine. Christians partake in exercise to keep their bodies healthy and reach their full potential as a creation of God, to serve him efficiently. In today’s society there are no weaknesses with the idea of exercise, it is still beneficial to our bodies to partake in exercise. Water is a vital fluid which without we would die. The human body is 75% water but it is constantly being lost through exhaling and perspiration. Drinking 6 – 8 glasses of pure water a day will aid in maintaining efficient, happy wellbeing. Water is often linked with purity. We use water to clean our bodies, cleanse our insides and to clean our conscience. Water is also used during Baptism in Christian religions because of its purity. A clean body inside and out and a clean conscience will lead to total health. The principle, The Blessing of Water is based not only on our body’s physical need for water but also the use of water to clean our body, soul, conscience and mind this is a key to full health. So let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, with hearts that have been purified from a guilty conscience and with bodies washed with clean water (Hebrews 10:22 GNT). This quote focuses on the use of water for cleanliness of the physical body and the heart and conscience. Light is essential to life (Gen. 1:3). It powers the process that produces the nutrients that nourish and energize our bodies and that releases the oxygen we must have to live. Sunshine promotes health and healing. Every living thing in our world is dependent on sunlight. There are many proven health benefits one will receive from being exposed to regular sunlight. Some health benefits that sunlight can give us include lowers blood sugar and blood pressure, lowers cholesterol by converting it to vitamin D, increases red and white blood cells in the body, strengthens the immune system, helps calm nerves and increases adrenaline, destroys germs on the skin, increases circulation, helps eliminate pesticides and other chemicals from the body. The sun is an essential part of our life and that has not changed and will never change as we depend on it to live and keep us healthy. Sunlight does need to be in moderation especially in today’s society where skin cancer is very high. The most essential element to sustain life is oxygen. Without it we would die in a few minutes. Fresh air helps the immune system fight disease, rids the body of impurities and helps prevent problems such as fevers, colds and disease. An environment with impure air causes blood to carry less oxygen than is required for optimal function of cells. This tends to make a person less alert and responsive. Adults spend about 8-10 hours indoors at work and children 5-6 hours indoors at school instead of being outdoors in the fresh air. Dust collects on every surface and even as we get rid of it, the dust swirls around and makes its way into our respiratory system. As we cook food, occasionally we burn a meal or two and those fumes get inhaled also. Companies try to sell us products to ‘clean’ the air in our homes, but they add to the indoor air pollution. There is no substitute for fresh air. People living in small towns experience air which is fresher than those living in cities and therefore the benefits are even greater for them. This is because the air in large cities is polluted with smoke from factories and vehicles. More oxygen to the muscles reduces that lactic acid build-up in the muscles which leads to cramping. Ellen White once said â€Å"The stomach, liver, lungs and brain are suffering for want of deep, full inspirations of air which would electrify the blood and impart to it a bright, lively colour, and which alone can keep it pure, and give tone and vigour to every part of the living machinery.†. The only weakness of this idea in today’s society is the amount of air pollution we are faced with. We are not able to gain the full potential of this idea because of this pollution. The Blessing of a Temperate, Drug-free, Stimulant-free Living includes the use of any drugs even caffeine and alcohol as well as things that overstimulate our bodies like most technologies. The wise Christian will abstain from all that is harmful, using in moderation only that which is good. Drugs have saturated our society because they offer stimulation and release from stress and pain. Christians are surrounded with seductive invitations to use drugs. Even many popular, innocent-appearing beverages contain drugs – coffee, tea and colas etc all contain caffeine. Tobacco is another drug that is popular in society but tobacco in any form is a slow poison that has a harmful effect on physical, mental and moral powers. At first it affects are hardly noticeable. It excites and then paralyses the nerve, weakening and clouding the brain. Alcohol is a very popular drug in society today but some people do not understand that it is a drug and the effects it can have on the body. Since God communicates with us only through our minds, it is well to remember that alcohol adversely affects their every function. As the level of alcohol in the system rises, the drinker progresses through loss of coordination, confusion, disorientation, anaesthesia, coma and death. Drinking alcoholic beverages on a regular basis will eventually produce loss of memory, judgement and learning ability. Although the ideas behind this make sense and can improve health, in today’s busy society caffeine would have to be one of the highest used drugs. Proper rest is essential for health of body and mind. Periods of rest provide much needed quietness for communion with God: â€Å"Be still, and know that I am God† (Ps 46:10). God stressed our need for rest by setting aside the seventh day of the week as the day of rest (Ex 20:10). Rest is more than sleeping or ceasing our regular work. It involves the way we spend our leisure time. Weariness is not always caused by stress or by working too hard or too long. Our minds can be wearied by overstimulation though the media, sickness or various personal problems. Recreation is re-creation in the truest sense of the word. It strengthens, builds up and refreshes the mind and body. To life at its best, Christians should only pursue only those forms of recreation and entertainment that strengthen their bond with Christ and improve health. This is a much needed principle in today’s society but again it is unrealistic with such busy lifestyles. The blessing of nutritious foods was given to the first couple by the Creator with the ideal diet. â€Å"I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat† (Gen 1:29 GN). The diet God planned for us consisted of grains, fruits, nuts and vegetables. This diet offers the right nutritional ingredients to support optimum health. The Bible does not condemn the eating of clean animal products, but in the original diet God gave us did not include any flesh foods and this is why the Seventh Day Adventists try to follow a vegetarian diet. The vegetarian diet is the ideal, but sometimes we cannot always have the ideal. Those who wish to stay in optimum health will eat the best food they can obtain. The Seventh Day Adventist started the company Sanitarium which makes healthy, vegetarian food to help them to obtain the best foods they can. Another weakness of the original diet is that it can reduce the chance of your body to lack in proteins, calcium, vitamin B12, i ron and Zinc. Trusting in God means to rely on Him. You must surrender your will, your ideas, your desires and your future in to Gods hands. It takes a very special relationship to allow you to surrender so much. When we trust in god we look to Him for guidance, we look to Him when things go bad, we look to Him for help and we look at Him for love and strength. All God requires from us is to simply trust in Him. Trust in God can is the only way that we can overcome our fears and weakness. To trust in God we put all confidence into His character, ability and strength. We depend and have faith in Him; we believe He is who He says He is. There are no weakness when trusting in God the only thing that comes when trusting God is the strength to let him into your life and replaces feelings of insecurity and fear with those of love and compassion. We can trust in many things. None, however, offer the protection, the long term security, or benefit that trusting in God offers. Although these health messages are still spoken about and believed in they are not always, in today’s society, followed exactly. It is all well and good to think that these principles are a good idea but it is another thing to follow them. We have the mentality these days that yes something may be a good idea and you may believe in what it means and what it is doing but we still don’t do it. Times have changed and we are not ‘forced’ or expected to do things that people were once ‘scared’ of defying like attending church or following principles of their religion like these health principles. Although these messages are mainly still useful today they need to be put into practice to achieve any results. References Bible: Good News Translation. (1992). Ingleburn, NSW: The Bible society. Chamberlain, M. (1997). Cooranbong first town in Lake Macquarie: 1826-1996. Cooranbong: Michael Chamberlain. Health Systems Check,. (2012) Alcohol and Malnutrition. Health Effects of Alcohol Consumption. Retrieved on 25th May 2012 from http://www.healthchecksystems.com/alcohol.htm Hopp, J. (1984). Light for living part 1. Journal of Adventist Education. 40(4). Retrieved on 26th May 2012 from http://circle.adventist.org/files/jae/en/jae198446041714.pdf Parker, M. (2011). Christian Behaviour. Lecture presented to education students at Avondale College, Cooranbong, NSW. Sun Safety Alliance. (n.d.). The facts about getting too much sun. Skin Cancer. Retrieved 28th May 2012 from http://www.sunsafetyalliance.org/bare_facts.html

America’s Management of the Cold War

The cold war pertains to the tension and rivalry the existed between America and the Soviet Union approximately after the end of the Second World War until the late 1970’s.   Neither side confronted each other directly in a full blown war but they channel their competition and rivalry through wars in other nations who fought for their ideals on their behalf.The Vietnam War where America is set against combating communism illustrated that cold war conflict.   Despite the oppressive and corrupt government of Ngo Dinh Diem of South Vietnam, his anti communist stance won him the support of the American government to fight against the pro communist North Vietnam under Ho Chi Minh, who was backed up by Russia and China.Following the Domino theory, the American government along with their Western Allies feared that communism will spread like a disease from one country to another and the power and influence of the Soviet Union will further expand. (Kissinger, p15)The Vietnam War a s a dummy war between the US and the Soviet Union was an effort to contain the spread of communism which threatened and impeded the objective of the US government to achieve political, economic and military hegemony in the world.Politically, communism is directly in contrast to the political ideologies and principles that served as the pillars for the foundation of a political governance of the America, to wit, free election, capitalism, individual freedom and democracy, among others.Economically, the political dominance of communism is detrimental to the capitalistic endeavors of the US and its western allies in enhancing their access to global market for their expanding capitalistic economy. Democracy is necessary to open nations to engage in free trade and restrict the economic intervention of governments in facilitating the same.Militarily, the maintenance of a state of war permitted and justified the perpetual endeavor and investment for the creation and proliferation of modern military arsenal, which will help ensure the military dominance of the US.And indeed, the cold war bear witnessed to the unprecedented advancement of military weaponry, the nuclear arms race (e.g. Hydrogen Bomb) as well as equipment and agencies for global espionage (CIA and KGB).In the late 1960s’, the threat of communism in the US is starting to gain attention in the midst of the civil rights movement and the unpopularity of the Vietnam War, among others which engendered civil unrests at the home front.Driven by anti communism anxieties, the Cold War thus served to further justify the increased government control over the American citizens which was manifested with the expansion of executive power.   In 1950 for instance, US President Truman contended that spending appropriations (especially for military operations) is the discretionary power of the president.   (Fausold and Shank, p113).Also, the House of Un-American Activities Committee was created for the Investigat ion, early detection and curtailment of communism especially directed against labor union leaders, suspected government officials and other political personalities.Under these premises, the cold war benefits and served the US best in order to withstand the threat of communism and eventually thrived to become the most powerful nation in the world.The military intervention and US foreign policy during the cold war for purposed of achieving political power and maintaining corporate profit were essential components for establishing the imperialistic dominion that the US currently enjoys today.   â€Å"Russia walked out of the cold war game leaving the US alone in front of the chess board.† (Zinn and Arnove, p548)ReferencesFausold, M and Shank, A. (1991). The Constitution and the American presidencySUNY PressKissinger, H. (2003). Ending the Vietnam War: A History of America's Involvement in and Extrication from the Vietnam War. Touchstone BooksZinn, H. and Arnove, A. (2004). Voi ces of a people's history of the United States. Seven Stories Press  

Company Employment Essay

Sheena had worked for the same Fortune 500 Company for most 15 years. Although the company had gone through some tough times, things were starting to turn around. Customer orders were up, and quality and productivity had improved dramatically from what they had been only a few years earlier due company wide quality improvement program. So, it comes as a real shock to Sheena and about 400 of her co-workers when they were suddenly terminated following the new CEO’s decision to downsize the company. After recovering from the initial shock, Sheena tried to find employment elsewhere. Despite her efforts, after eight months of searching she was no closer to finding a job than the day she started. Her funds were being depleted and she was getting more discouraged. There was one bright spot, though: She was able to bring in a little money by mowing lawns for her neighbors. She got involved quite by chance when she heard one neighbor remark that now that his children were on their own, nobody was around to cut the grass. Almost jokingly, Sheena asked him how much he’d be willing to pay. Soon Sheena was mowing the lawns of five neighbors. Other neighbors wanted her to work on their lawns, but she didn’t feel that she could spare any more time from her job search. However, as the rejection letters began to pile up, Sheena knew she had to make an important decision in her life. On a rainy Tuesday morning, she decided to go into business for herself taking care of neighborhood lawns. She was relieved to give up the stress of job hunting, and she was excited about the prospects of being her own boss. But she was also fearful of being completely on her own. Nevertheless, Sheena was determined to make a go of it. At first, business was a little slow, but once people realized Sheena was available, many asked her to take care of their lawns. Some people were simply glad to turn – the work over to her; others switched from professional lawn care services. By the end of her first year in business, Sheena knew she could earn a living this way. She also performed other services such as fertilizing lawns, weeding gardens, and trimming shrubbery. Business became so good that Sheena hired two part-time workers to assist her and, even then, she believed she could expand further if she wanted to. Questions 1. In what ways are Sheena’s customers most likely to judge the quality of her lawn care services? (10 Marks) 2. Sheena is the operations manager of her business. Among her responsibilities are forecasting, inventory management, scheduling, quality assurance, and maintenance. (a) What kinds of things would likely require forecasts?  (b) What inventory items does Sheena probably have? Name one inventory decision she has to make periodically. (c) What scheduling must she do? What things might occur to disrupt schedules and cause Sheena to reschedule? (d) How important is quality assurance to Sheena’s business? Explain. (e) What kinds of maintenance must be performed? (20 Marks) 3. What are some of the trade-offs that Sheena probably considered relative to: (a) Working for a company instead of for herself? (b) Expanding the business? (10 Marks) 4. The town is considering an ordinance that would prohibit putting grass clippings at the curb for pickup because local landfills cannot handle the volume. What options might Sheena consider if the ordinance is passed? Name two advantages and two drawbacks of each option. (20 Marks)

Byzantine Empire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Byzantine Empire - Essay Example They also had a lot to do with installations and depositions of emperors (Sewter/Psellus 1997). To understand them better, it is important to note that these three Empresses lived at the time following the birth of Christendom, from about 770 to the middle of the second century, when the Roman Empire had its main base and 'headquarters' in Byzantium, a place we now know as Istanbul, in Turkey. It was a strategic place, in a prime position on the coast of the important Mediterranean Sea (Sewter/Psellus 1979). With part of its area firmly in Europe, and the other at the gateway to the Holy Lands (known now as the Middle East) and Asia, this area could dominate in terms of wealth, politics and power. Syria, whose cities of Aleppo, Damascus and Antioch were centers of trade and knowledge, was so close by that the men - and the important women - of this age and time had a lot of resources at their disposal, both in material wealth and in clever advisors, and this enabled them to mark history with their own names in all matters that had to do with culture, the military and without any doubt, the economy. Chronologically, the first of these women, Irene, was a powerful monarch in her own right, and it is an indication of her attitude that she chose to call herself by the masculine term 'Basileus' or Emperor (Garland 1999). After being expelled from the marriage-bed because of hiding icons when the Emperor had banned them, she became involved in a number of conspiracies. Intelligent and wily - probably because of her doubtful social status before she was married - she wielded power from behind the scenes, coming into her full might when she became regent for her son on the death of her husband Leo IV. Her son was to become Constantine VI, but while he was younger, his mother took advantage of the position of regent to enforce her beliefs in Christianity and the Pope. She used her wiles to promote some men and get rid of others. A famous action of hers was the idea of ordaining those who threatened the throne. Being priests disqualified them from being candidates (Sewter/Psellus ibid). No stranger to intrigue, she made her son extremely uncomfortable with her exploits when he came into power. There are several important political events of her time that have Irene's unmistakable signature: she liked underhanded dealings and plots. But, ironically, she became most famous for restoring worship of icons and other religious images. (Garland 1999). This seems to indicate that she felt her power came from her faith and that it absolved her of a lot of unethical or improper dealings. She deposed her own son and had him exiled, after which she ruled in her own right for five years. This grand conspiracy caused deep factions in the Church and the empire court. When she had her son's eyes gouged out, which killed him, people believed the heavens were angry, because the sky darkened for a number of days (Garland 1999). People believed she had enough power to affect more than just politics. She was revered just like a saint after her death, probably because of her political power that restored worship to those who wanted it. She has never been canonized. Irene was ultimately taken off the throne and had

Captain Vere Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Captain Vere - Essay Example although he felt that Budd’s crime is a result of Caggart’s provocation and false accusations, he placed Budd in trial and eventually chose to hang the man. This is quite similar to Pontius Pilate’s decision as to Jesus. Captain Vere believed too much that law can bring order, and that no one and nothing is above it. As he claimed that his â€Å"vowed responsibility† was to follow the law. Melville states about him: â€Å"however pitilessly that law may operate, (he) adhere(s) to it and administer(s) it† (124). He argues that even if â€Å"Budd neither purposed any mutiny or homicide,† Budd still committed an act against their laws and he needs to be punished as stated by the law, which was death (111). In the light of Captain Vere’s decision, he made a good point. No one and nothing is above the law no matter how innocent the intentions of the accused might be. He justifies his decision by arguing that â€Å"Budd’s intent or non-intent is nothing to the purpose† (108). Captain Vere is clearly an intellectual person who doesn’t like peace to be shattered. Understanding his argument, you can clearly see that he wanted his crew to know that they cannot just strike death to a person without facing its consequences. The law is there to ensure that there will always be order on the ship. If Budd is exonerated, his crew will question the laws he broke. This will shatter the trust, confidence and order on the ship. And this will pose a bigger problem in managing the ship. Captain Vere only adhered to the law because he knew that not imposing the punishment will make his crew question his leadership. What he didn’t think about was how his crew would think about his morals. Captain Vere may have been successful in keeping the ship in strict order. He may have been successful showing his crew that even innocent men, like Budd, he who commits an act against their laws will be punished. He may have shown his crew his tough shell, that no matter how he liked Budd

Comprehensive analysis of yourself as a reader and writer Essay

Comprehensive analysis of yourself as a reader and writer - Essay Example After going through ENGL 101 and ENGL 102, I would consider myself more open minded to reading and types of reading because I am now able to approach reading objectively. Through the skills acquired in ENGL 101, I am now able to effectively respond to essays and from ENGL 102 I am able to develop research papers. I am able to confidently assert that I developed structure and exposition skills that I can use to systematically include evidence in research projects. From the experiences of both ENGL 101 and ENGL 102, I would define a good reader as one who exhibits the capacity to pay attention, memorize, sequence and process the content being read fast, accurately and efficiently. According to Berninger (186), reading may wrongly be thought of as a visual skill that builds on associating letters to sound. However, the definition I have of a good reader now differs from what I had before of the English courses because I consider the ability to read to be the foundation of reading to lea rn. Essentially, the English courses have developed in me an analytical and critical reading culture. On one hand, ENGL 101 taught me the application of strategies to generate writing ideas by basically organizing and planning material as well as identifying and considering the audience and purpose of writing. More significantly was the acquisition of intentional revising skills. Through ENGL 102, I now understand academic reading as a continuous inquiry process. However, on the other hand, some occasions bought out my worst and also best writing. On my worst writing, one of them was Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy mainly because it was from a genre I am unfamiliar with. Essentially, I could not relate most of the content of the poem to my personal experience, which resulted in numerous mistakes. My best writing experience was A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner in which I could predict the end. Therefore, through a comprehensive analysis

Ancient Dance References Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ancient Dance References - Essay Example Ancient Dance References Dance is a pastime and a ritual that, while historical, has very little traceable history. There is plenty of evidence to show that it has existed for many millennia, perhaps even since the dawn of mankind, but there are great gaps between the dance that we know now and the dance that existed back then.Dance, being a physical activity, is unable to leave behind concrete proof of its presence. As such, it is only a guess that dance has been around since the beginning of human beings. We are able to rely on the few bits of historical evidence to accompany this assumption, even though it still remains to be just an assumption. Likewise, the questions of where dance originated from, why it was started, and how it was originally practiced are only able to be answered with educated guesses. Descriptions of ancient dances are few and far between, but they do exist. This allows us a glimpse into the past of dancing. One of the first greatest descriptions of dance com es from India and was written by Bharata Muni, a man who lived approximately between 500 BC and 200 BC. The textbook that he wrote, which was called the Natya Shastra, outlined many things in regard to theatre and music, but the majority of the book was based on dance. Bharata wrote in great detail about a variety of dances, focusing a lot of pages to every movement in each of the dances. He also divulged into descriptions of the social contexts that these dances would be used in. This book is considered to be the first detailed account of dance.

Discuss why space exploration is not a waste of money Essay

Discuss why space exploration is not a waste of money - Essay Example As the world continues to struggle with the economic recession, the question on whether expenses on space exploration mission can be justified continues to be debated. This paper discusses" why space exploration is not a waste of money" There are hundreds of missions, which has been launched with a view to explore the extra-terrestrial bodies from the Mars to the moon and to other periphery of the solar system. From each of these bodies, mankind has been able to learn something about the universe, what constitutes it and what lies beyond the planet earth. Hereunder are prime factors underlying the justifying the important need for heavy spending on space exploration? Through space exploration of planets including Venus, Mars, Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter and others mass, man has gathered important information that has been used by scientists to unravel the question of why there only emerged life on earth. Scientists have also unravelled the mystery of solar system formation. With the recent space exploration on Planet mass, imaginative ideas of living on Mars have been put to rest, while at the same time confirming the existence of water on the mass. According to Kranz (2011) the knowledge of the nature of planets alongside their gravitational dynamics, and the structure of the solar system is a template that can help scientists to identify extra solar planets that revolve around stars that may harbour life. The underlying motive behind exploring the planets including Moon and Mars is that they can be future potential habitable places. It is, therefore, important to develop technologies that can make it possible for mankind to settle in these hostile worlds. This requires resources are dedication towards technologies that enable mankind to understand the material resources, composition, surface conditions and atmosphere of these worlds. Space exploration is one of the greatest challenge to mankind. The

City Of London Investment Group PLC Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

City Of London Investment Group PLC - Coursework Example The main strategies adopted by the company are natural resource strategy, EM-Closed end funds strategy developed closed and strategy, human resource strategy, and frontier market funds strategy.Natural resources strategy is an important strategy of the organization. This strategy is geared toward attaining a long term capital growth by investing in corporations that get a large proportion of the profits from exploring, producing and offering services and technologies that are related to natural resources. The process of investment is fully integrated including bottom up, top down and thematic approaches. The process that involves the allocation of assets evaluates sector –specific, political and economic factors by using several sources of information including the company’s economists. Basing on on the satellite and core approach, the selection of stock is carried out through rigorous fundamental analysis whose horizon of return time is 12 to 18 months. Thematic analys is facilitates both stock selection and asset allocation elements of the process and assists the manager to exploit the wide range of opportunities in the natural resources sector while simultaneously realizing a diverse portfolio.The Emerging market closed- End funds strategy strives to offer a long term growth of capital through active country allocation and stock selection. The company believes that the closed-end fund provides an effective modality of investing in the emerging markets.

Working as a registered nurse Essay Example for Free

Working as a registered nurse Essay I have been working as a registered nurse in Tacoma, WA since 2011 and I have chosen to assess the community health of Pierce County. Tacoma is the county seat of Pierce County and the largest city in the county and third largest city in the state (US Census Bureau, 2014). Pierce County is located south of Seattle and is comprised of 1,679 sq. miles, many of which front the Puget Sound. Northern areas of the county are comprised of islands and peninsulas only accessible by bridges or boats. It also contains one of the nation’s national parks and the state’s tallest peak, Mount Rainier. The Park’s boundaries largely define the eastern border of the County and the White and Nisqually Rivers make up the North and South boundaries respectively. (Snob Hollow Designs, 2014) Population Economic Status Assessment Nearly 820,000 people call Pierce County home. It boasts a high population density with 481 people per sq. mile. Urban areas comprise 93 percent of the county. (City-Data, 2014) The median household income in 2013 was estimated to be close to $60,000 and 12 percent of residents are living below the poverty level. (US Census Bureau, 2014) Blacks and African Americans make up the majority of low-income people despite the fact that they comprise only 7 percent of the County population. The majority of residents (76.5 percent) are white, 10 percent are non-black Hispanics and 6 percent are Asians. The median resident age is 35 years and 12 percent of residents are 65 years or older. (University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, 2014). More than a third of Pierce County children are eligible for free lunch benefits and 8.9 percent of residents are unemployed. As many as 16 percent of residents are uninsured despite a per capita personal health expenditure of $8,160 annually. Ten percent of those uninsured are children. What’s more, close to 6 percent of residents make less that $10,000/year. It’s estimated that 15 percent of residents are not able to see a health care provider when they need to because they can’t afford it. When they can afford to, primary  care providers (PCP) are in short supply and overworked. There are an estimated 1500 patients for every PCP in Pierce County. (University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, 2014)Medicare is the primary payer of health care expenditures for 10 percent of County residents. (City-Data, 2014) Pierce County has some of the highest rates of obesity in the nation with a 31 percent obesity rate. This is despite the fact that nearly 80 percent of residents reported exercising in the previous month. (University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, 2014)The County has numerous parks, hiking trails, walking paths and enjoys a temperate climate with little snow accumulation and mild summer temperatures. Poor nutrition is likely a key contributor with 16 percent of residents classified as food insecure. The County has the lowest access to healthy foods with 8 percent of people living in urban areas where the nearest grocery store is more than a mile from their home. Access to convenience stores is slightly better. (University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, 2014). Neighborhood and Community Safety Any Pierce County resident can testify to smelling the â€Å"Aroma of Tacoma† on a regular basis. At various parts of the day, a pungent smell not unlike that of rotten eggs fills the air. The source of the stench is attributed to industries located at the Port of Tacoma, the forest industry, car exhaust, or the tidal changes on the Puget Sound. The extent of air pollution in the area is large. More than three quarters of county residents drive alone to work every day. Just 3 percent take public transportation. The County ranks 16th in counties reporting high carbon monoxide one hour concentration. It is among the dirtiest 10 percent of US counties for its release of water and carcinogens. Chief among these deadly chemicals is methanol and hydrochloric acid. (City-Data, 2014) (Good Guide, 2011) There are four Superfund Sites in the County that continue to cause contamination of drinking water. One of these sites is Commencement Bay, the hub of the Port of Tacoma, one of the world’s busiest ports. The biggest polluter in the area is the Simpson Tacoma Kraft Company, a forest product  company that prides itself on using â€Å"every part of the tree except its shadow.† (Simpson, 2014) Another well-known polluter and also a major area employer is the US Military. Superfund Sites exist at both McChord AFB and the US Army Fort Lewis Range. (Good Guide, 2011) Cultural Assessment For a personal perspective of life inside Pierce County I consulted with a colleague who works as a lactation consultant. She is a 50-year-old college-educated white female who also works as an instructor in a local vocational college. She reports that her cohort’s attitude toward aging is not altogether positive. She is beginning to feel the gradual decline in her body functions and says that she and others like her find it frustrating that their bodies don’t work as well as they did in their youth. That attitude of reluctance tends to affect how readily her peers seek assistance, especially if it means accepting the realities of aging. Some of the physical health problems common in her cohort involve vision, sleep apnea, joint pain, and decreased stamina. She states that individuals in her cohort tend to be individualistic and prefer their yards, both physically and metaphorically, to be fenced. This perspective crosses over to how children are parented with a high value placed on raising adults that are independent and self-sufficient. Her children have either graduated from college or are currently attending university. She considers financial independence a mark of adulthood. A ritual associated with adulthood is moving out of the family home and their own. One of the challenges she sees in her cohort is that of obtaining access to mental health care. A colleague recently lost her son to suicide after numerous attempts to help him gain access to care failed and he committed suicide. She feels that only those who are going to hurt others or hurt themselves are recipients of care in a broken system. Because so many are aching for help in the community and a greater awareness of the need, the result has been a reduced stigma associated with mental illness. Acknowledging that mental illness is far from being treated on plane with biological illness, she reports that the awareness of an individual’s lack  of control over what is a real disease is growing. Disaster Assessment and Planning The incredible amount of physical beauty present in Pierce County is also a source of danger to its residents. The area has been declared as a disaster area 19 times in recorded history. Most of these events were the result of severe storms that caused flooding, landslides, and mudslides. The area is situated on or near several tectonic plates giving it an earthquake risk that is 355 percent greater than the national average. In 2001, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake was centered just 10.8 miles from the city center and caused tens of thousands in damage. An earthquake centered even farther away could affect the county via a subsequent Tsunami. Coastline areas comprise many of the County’s industries, parks, and homes and could be destroyed by a tsunami’s tidal surge. Mt. Rainier frames many of Tacoma’s picturesque views but it is a volcano that could come back to life at any moment. Its last eruption is estimated to have occurred more than 150 years ago but a recent e ruption could cause massive downstream flooding in nearly the entire County. (City-Data, 2014) Disasters caused by flooding precipitated by a tsunami, volcanic eruption, or one of the areas many rainstorms could displace many residents from their homes and block access to urgent and chronic healthcare services. Sewage systems could be affected by the flooding as well as decrease access to clean water. A massive earthquake could destroy many of Tacoma’s older buildings, many of which were built in the early 1900s and well before any seismic construction rules went into effect. Falling objects from an earthquake and resulting fires could result in massive injuries in the short-term and damage to public infrastructure in the long-term. (Pierce County Department of Emergency Management, 2010) Many of the possible disasters that could strike the area do not have the luxury of advance warning. Severe storms may give as little as a day or two notice, tsunamis and flooding just a few hours. Many residents are unlikely to understand the severity of a disaster until they are in i ts midst. Because the residents lack the ability to prepare, The Pierce County Department of Emergency Management has five departments to deal with every day emergencies and  large-scale disasters. The services include emergency management, enhanced 9-1-1 services, fire prevention, radio communications and an urban search and rescue task force. The Department is working to enroll all residents in an emergency alert system via text. Area hospital employees also have an alert system that sends a text message to employees to report to duty in the event of an emergency. The enhanced 9-1-1 system automatically finds the street address for landline calls. The radio communications team works to ensure that radio remains active in the event cell towers fall during an earthquake or are damaged during severe flooding. Urban Search and Rescue can provide vital services in the event of an earthquake, mudslide, avalanche or abandoned mine collapse. (Pierce County Department of Emergency Management, 2010) Windshield Survey Housing The majority of housing options available in Tacoma are single-family detached homes. A housing boom in the 1990s resulted in many newer homes and apartment buildings in both high and poor-income areas. Housing density appears to be highest in high-income neighborhoods. Many homes in both areas have grassed front and back yards. Although the area was heavily wooded when settled in the 1890s, much of the native evergreen trees are gone. Tree replacement appears limited to higher-income areas and is limited to non-native deciduous trees. Housing in lower-income neighborhoods appears to be in fair to moderate repair. Very few homes in these areas have bars over windows or doors. (Patamia, 2015) Open Space In Tacoma, there appears to be a moderate amount of open space, especially considering it is an urban area. I saw a large strip of valuable waterfront in the Ruston area dedicated to a walking path and docks used for office space and dining. The jewel in the crown of the Tacoma Metropolitan Park System is Wright Park, a 27-acre parcel spanning more than 10 city blocks in the heart of the city that features an arboretum, lawn bowling, playgrounds, and a pond. In addition, Mt Rainier National Park has more than 235,000 acres of protected forestland and numerous State parks dot the County. All of these spaces are open for public use and park passes are enveloped as part of the residents’ vehicle tax. Boundaries The boundaries of the area are largely natural features like rivers and mountains. Neighborhoods begin and end without notification but poorer areas tend to have more chain link fences, fewer shopping areas, and homes that lack fresh paint and ornamental landscaping. Ironically, the most expensive homes in the county have roads that are either gravel or so unkempt that potholes dominate. Commons People in the county tended to congregate around grocery stores and the strip malls that surround them. I visited an upscale grocery store in the middle of the day and found parking difficult despite an ample lot. Areas surrounding the Port of Tacoma business district tend to always have a large amount of traffic, especially large trucks carrying containers to and from the ships docked in Commencement Bay. Transportation Pierce County, despite the low numbers of residents who use public transportation has numerous options for getting out of your car. Buses travel to every part of the county, even across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge to the Olympic Peninsula town of Gig Harbor. Residents can travel to Seattle using rail or bus. Residents enjoy the capability of attaching their bikes to city buses but since the area is very hilly and frequently rainy, few take advantage of the service. For all of its access capabilities in Tacoma, getting around in surrounding communities is difficult. Interstate 5 intersects the county, enabling easy access for Port of Tacoma traffic to Canada and the western states. Several state highways run through the community and many are currently undergoing expansive improvement projects. Long-term plans include expanding Seattle’s light rail into Tacoma but recent initiatives to expand inter-county bus services was voted down by residents. Service Centers One of the most impressive things about Pierce County is how new and beautiful its schools are. Around these areas, it’s easy to spot social service centers such as YMCAs or Community Healthcare Clinics. Even in the poorest areas of the County, I saw many dentist offices, parks with  playground facilities, and sidewalks. I drove by a newer looking middle school several times during my survey and always saw it occupied by students despite heavy rain. Stores Commercial areas in the county appear to be centered on large chain grocery stores. There are few non-chain, independent dining options and those that are tend to offer high-calorie, high-fat options like hamburgers and milkshakes. I did not see any signs advertising farmers markets but there were more than a few community gardens where residents could grow their own fruits and vegetables. I was also impressed by how few grocery stores there were outside of major shopping areas and how far even the wealthiest had to travel to buy food. In more than one area, there were several grocery stores in close proximity to each other. People Out and About I saw several people walking around the County during my survey but all of them appeared to be walking for exercise and leisure, not for transportation. Almost all of these walkers were white and non-obese. A majority of those I saw were wearing Seahawk jerseys and/or colors. It was so persuasive that I felt out of place with an orange sweatshirt. Dogs accompanied many of the walkers and every dog was leashed. Signs of Community Vibrancy The Pierce County Community is very diverse but in nearly every area I traveled, I saw signs of vibrancy evidenced by hanging flower baskets, children playing outside, areas of preserved natural beauty, easy access to healthcare, and a lack of abandoned homes, stray animals, or countless homeless people. Race/Ethnicity Given that nearly three-quarters of Pierce County residents are white, its not surprising to see mostly white people in the County. Surprisingly, there are two major Indian Reservations, the Nisqually and Puyallup, inside Pierce County yet less than 2 percent of residents are Native American. Most of the County looks and feels American with few ethnic grocery stores or signs in a language other than English. Areas where whites live tend to be predominantly white but areas with larger populations of Blacks, Asians, and  Hispanics are well integrated. In one strip mall, there was a Mexican taqueria next door to an Asian grocery store. Religion While only 30 percent of Pierce County residents report being affiliated with a religious congregation, nearly half of them are non-denominational Christian churches. A third of residents report an affiliation with a Roman Catholic Church. I saw many more churches in the less affluent areas of the County than I did in wealthy ones. I also saw one Buddhist temple and Muslim Mosque. Health There are 10 hospitals serving Pierce County the largest of which is Tacoma General Hospital that has more than 400 beds and a level II trauma center. A few blocks away with the area’s second level II trauma center and a level III NICU is St Joseph Medical Center with 367 beds. Signs of homelessness are slightly invisible in Pierce County and tend to be clustered around area shelters or service providers such as the Union Gospel Mission and the YWCA. It’s estimated that 2,000 people including children are homeless on any given night in Tacoma. One of the area hospitals, Western State Hospital, provides services exclusively to the mentally ill but the lack of services to the homeless and mentally ill is striking. There are an estimated 368 mentally ill people for every mental health provider in Pierce County. Top performing counties have 521 providers per patient. The State ranks 49th in number of available psychiatric beds and several agencies have recently closed their doors or decreased services due to the economic turn down. (League of Women Voters Pierce County, 2013) (Good Guide, 2011) Forty percent of female tenth-grade children are classified as depressed. The Tacoma Pierce County Health Department lists mental health as its #1 priority in the coming years. Politics I toured the area in January when the nearest election was months or years away. Cars I viewed had a mix of bumper stickers that indicated the metropolitan area voted for Obama in the previous presidential election, supports the legalization of marijuana, and is a fan of the Seattle Seahawks. Media No matter the area, evidence of satellite dishes was seen on nearly every home. I did not see any newspaper boxes around area stores. It seems that the primary form of communication medium is through television and the Internet. Television stations accessed by residents are primarily in English but there are two stations that are exclusively in Spanish. Physical Environment As mentioned previously, Pierce County is a very beautiful place with views of mountains, water, dense forest, and even a volcano visible from nearly every corner of the County. During my survey, I even viewed a pair of bald eagles playing over the Puget Sound. The areas around the Port of Tacoma and the two Indian reservations tend to be the least attractive areas of the city where billboards for nearby tribal-run casinos predominate the landscape. Scavenger Hunt Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) WIC is a nutrition program that helps ensure that pregnant women, nursing moms and children under five have access to healthy foods. They also provide health education and breastfeeding support including peer counselors. Women who use WIC get money to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables, milk, cheese, whole grain breads and tortillas. They also ensure that children are vaccinated and stay on recommended growth curves. A family of four is eligible for WIC benefits if they have an annual income equal or less than $43,000. Accessing the services requires visiting a WIC location, which are located on major bus routes near hospitals, health clinics, or in tribal offices. There are more than 15 WIC locations in the county and offer services in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Russian, Tagalog, and Cambodian. (Tacoma Pierce County Health Department, 2015) YMCA The YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties offer a variety of services including seven healthy living centers, a summer camp and more than 70 child care sites. Their mission is to offer programs that â€Å"build a healthy spirit, mind and body for all.† (YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties, 2014) Monthly fees that are based on household income support membership and financial aid is  available. There are steep discounts for members of the military and their families. The variety of services available at the healthy living center is broad. Members of the Tacoma facility take piano lessons, learn how to box, and enjoy an indoor pool. Family Renewal Shelter There are 16 different resources for those dealing with domestic violence in Pierce County. Among them is the Family Renewal Shelter. They provide emergency services by way of confidential shelters, self-defense classes, spiritual support, and pet therapy. They also offer help with access to vehicles, educational scholarships, and relocation. Support for the organization comes from private donations from individuals, foundations, businesses, and churches. Access to services is via the organization’s 24-hour crisis line. Information about domestic violence is available on the organization’s website including a button that allows a user to leave the site quickly and eliminate a computer trail. (Family Renewal Shelter, 2014) National Alliance on Mental Illness – Pierce County The purpose of NAMI is to support people and those who love them with the challenges of mental illness. Members are people whose lives have been touched by mental illness and can share resources, lessons learned, and empathy with one another. They also advocate for change on local and legislative issues. Support group meeting occur three times a week and are located in a local Episcopal Church. They are free to attend. NAMI Walks occur several times a year and help to reduce the stigma of mental health and expand services, especially in education of mental health issues with police, fire and other first responders. (NAMI Pierce County, 2015) Planned Parenthood A group of community volunteers opened the first Planned Parenthood clinic in Tacoma in 1972 to address concerns about high rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. The organization believes that everyone has the right to choose whether and when to get pregnant and works to prevent unwanted pregnancies. They rely heavily of individual donor support to provide basic low-cost health care, adoption planning, vasectomy services, and fitting for menstrual cups. They also provide abortion services and are  frequented by protestors. (PPGNW, 2015) Tacoma Rescue Mission There are more than 36 homeless shelters in Tacoma offering everything from emergency shelter, transitional housing, and assisted housing for people dealing with domestic violence, drug addiction, and sexual trafficking. They are a Christian organization funded by the United Way of Pierce County and the cities of Lakewood and Tacoma in addition to funding from Pierce County itself. They report that they provide shelter to more than 400 people nightly and provide food for 26,000 people who have no other access to food. They work to help people overcome drug and alcohol addiction with rehabilitation serves, educational assistance and case management. (Tacoma Rescue Mission, 2015) Interpretation of Collected Data Epidemiology examines how health status or health events are distributed across a community and what determines it. The preceding examples give a broad stroke painting of health in Pierce County. Overall, the birth rate (15 per 1000) exceeds the death rate (7.3 per 1000) in Pierce County and the infant mortality rate (6.5 per 100,000) is in line with the national average (6.15 per 1000). (City-Data, 2014) Pierce County offers many assets that empower the health of its residents. Among these are a large population of college-educated people with 90 percent of adults 25 years and older completing at least high school or obtaining a GED. Although 8 percent of residents are foreign born, more than 80 percent of these report speaking English fluently. The people of Pierce County have access to nature and local foods, including the nation’s largest crop of rhubarb. Strong faith communities with social outreach programs help neighbors in need. The community brims with people who are largely open-minded and access complementary care such as massage, acupuncture, and chiropractic adjustments is common. (Tacoma Pierce County Health Department, 2014) Community Diagnosis In my analysis of the data collected, it appears that Pierce County’s top three problems are access to mental health services, high rates of obesity, and access to quality health care. Access to mental health services A community that is mentally healthy is productive, enjoys fulfilling relationships with others in the community and is resilient through life’s challenges. Without it, even the healthiest body can fall into disrepair quickly. It’s no wonder then that mental illness is one of the most common causes of disability. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that as many as one in every 17 people has a seriously debilitating mental illness. The good news is that mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders can be prevented. We know more about how the brain functions than ever before and current research indicates that greatest opportunity to prevent illness is to get people into treatment early and often. (Healthy People 2020, 2015) With Washington State’s dismal rankings in the availability of psychiatric beds and the high patient load of mental health care providers in the County, there is much work to be done. Healthy People 2020 goals state that 87 percent of primary care facilities should provide mental health treatment onsite or by paid referral. This goal represents a 10 percent improvement over the baseline rate of 79 percent in 2006. (Healthy People 2020, 2015) High rates of obesity Pierce County’s high rate of obesity is well above the national average and may be attributed to large number of food deserts, especially in urban areas. People who have healthy weights and access to fresh foods have lower rates of chronic disease and a higher quality of life. Addressing obesity is complex, however, and requires a multi-faceted approach. As with mental health, the most powerful interventions are aimed at prevention. According to Healthy People 2020, more than 10.4 percent of children ages two to five were considered obese in 2008. The 2020 goal is to reduce that number to 9.4 percent. (Healthy People 2020, 2015)One of the most cost effective ways to achieve that goal is to increase the number of children who are breastfed. A history of breastfeeding, especially exclusive breast milk feeding for the first six months, is associated with an estimated 40 percent reduction in childhood obesity. (AHRQ, 2009) Unfortunately, just  14.1 percent of infants born in 2006 achieved this. Healthy People 2020’s target is 25.5 percent. (Healthy People 2020, 2015) Access to quality healthcare Optimal health is not a state achieved without support, education and intervention. Ensuring that Pierce County residents get the help they need when they need it is a big part of preventing chronic disease, improving quality of life, and preventing unnecessary death. Some of the reasons people do not see a health care provider are they can’t find one, they can’t afford it, or they don’t have insurance coverage. The most recent data suggests that as many as 16 percent of County residents do not have health insurance. (Good Guide, 2011) According to Healthy People 2020, the national average is slightly higher at 16.8 percent. The objective is an ambitious one with 100 percent of individuals covered by private insurance or Medicaid/Medicare by 2020. (Healthy People 2020, 2015) According to Washington State’s Department of Public Health, there are approximately 543 providers in Pierce County including doctors, ARNPs, CNMs, and PAs. A little more than half of them report that they are accepting new Medicaid and Medicare patients. (Washington State Department of Public Health, 2011) Interestingly, Healthy People 2020 has yet to define specific goals for increasing the number of practicing providers in all areas. (Healthy People 2020, 2015) Primary Prevention Topic When John Snow, the â€Å"father of epidemiology,† was investigating cholera outbreaks in mid-nineteenth century London, the chief cause of unnecessary death was communicable disease. Today, chronic disease that damages the heart, pancreas, and lungs are more likely to kill than bacteria. A large contributor to hypertension, diabetes, and heart failure is obesity. In a society obsessed with weight loss and thinness, obesity rates in adults and even children are growing. Just as John Snow found the source of the disease that was claiming lives in his community, we must also find the source but it is unlikely to be in a solitary water pump in the middle of the city. Preventing obesity appears to be a life-long task best started at birth. The data demonstrate that increasing breastfeeding rates is a powerful tool in decreasing childhood obesity. Breastfeeding rates for older, educated and more affluent women are already at Healthy People 2020 targets but women who are young, have low levels of education and who are poor are more likely to never breastfeed and are extremely unlikely to continue to do so for six months. (Grummer-Strawn, Scanlon, Darling, Conrey, 2004) An organization in the community that helps low-income women establish and maintain breastfeeding is the Women, Infants, and Children Program. A team of peer counselors who have themselves struggled with issues common to low-income breastfeeding women including pumping in the workplace help new moms navigate a difficult terrain and provide their children with the best start in life. Area hospital-based birth centers are working toward or have already achieved certification as a Baby Friendly Hospital. This designation indicates that the facility employs evidence-based practice that lead to dramatic increases in breastfeeding rates. (DiGirolamo, Grummer-Strawn, Fein, 2008) Given that the problem of obesity is large in Pierce County, the rewards for reducing it great, and the interventions that are most likely to help are known and inexpensive, I am focusing my primary prevention topic on promoting breastfeeding as a means to reduce obesity in Pierce County. Bibliography AHRQ. (2009). Breastfeeding, Maternal Infant Health Outcomes. Retrieved January 22, 2015, from Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: http://archive.ahrq.gov/clinic/tp/brfouttp.htm City-Data. (2014). PIerce County, WA. Retrieved January 16, 2014, from City-Data.com: http://www.city-data.com/county/Pierce_County-WA.html DiGirolamo, A., Grummer-Strawn, L., Fein, S. (2008). Effect of Maternity-Care Practices on Breastfeeding. Pediatrics , S43-S49. Family Renewal Shelter. (2014). About the family renewal shelter. Retrieved January 21, 2015, from Family Renewal Shelter: www.domesticviolencehelp.org/aboutfrs.html Good Guide. (2011). Good Guide. Retrieved January 17, 2014, from Score Card The Pollution Information Site: http://scorecard.goodguide.com/community/index.tcl?zip_code=98404set_community_zipcode_cookie_p=tx=11y=11 Grummer-Strawn, L., Scanlon, K., Darling, N., Conrey, E. (2004). Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities in Breastfeeding . Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Healthy People 2020. (2015). Access to Health Services. Retrieved January 22, 2015, from Healthy People.gov: http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/Access-to-Health-Services Healthy People 2020. (2015). Maternal, Infant, and Child Health. Retrieved January 22, 2015, from Healthy People.gov: http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/maternal-infant-and-child-health/objectives Healthy People 2020. (2015). Mental Health and Mental Disorders. Retrieved January 2015, 2015, from HealthyPeople.gov: http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/mental-health-and-mental-disorders Healthy People 2020. (2015). Nutrition and Weight Status. Retrieved January 22, 2015, from Healthy People 2020: http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/nutrition-and-weight-status/objectives League of Women Voters Pierce County. (2013, December 11). Introduction to services for the seriously mentally ill in Pierce County . Retrieved January 18, 2015, from National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Pierce County: http://www.lwvwa.org/tacoma/pdfs/Mental%20Health%20Report%20from%20November%202013%20Unit%20Meetings%20%205%20pgs.pdf NAMI Pierce County. (2015). Welcome to the NAMI of Pierce County Web Site. Retrieved January 21, 2015, from NAMI Pierce County: http://www.namipierce.org/ Patamia, K. (2015, January 16). Windshield Survey of Pierce County. (K. Patamia, Interviewer) Pierce County Department of Emergency Management. (2010). Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment. Retrieved January 17, 2015, from Pierce County Emergency Management: http://www.co.pierce.wa.us/DocumentCenter/View/7032 PPGNW. (2015). Who We Are. Retrieved January 21, 2015, from Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-great-northwest/who-we-are Simpson. (2014). Environment. Retrieved January 17, 2015, from Simpson Company: http://www.simpson.com/Environment.aspx Snob Hollow Designs. (2014). County Maps of Washington. Retrieved January 17, 2014, from County Maps of Washington: http://www.countymapsofwashington.com/pierce.shtml Tacoma Pierce County Health Department. (2015). Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. Retrieved January 21, 2015, from Health and Wellness: http://www.tpchd.org/health-wellness-1/wic-nutrition-program/ Tacoma Pierce County Health Department. (2014, August). Pierce County Community Health Improvement Plan. Retrieved January 15, 2015, from Pierce County Community Health Improvement Plan: http://www.tpchd.org/files/library/474287fe72cf69af.pdf Tacoma Rescue Mission. (2015). Rescue Mission. Retrieved January 21, 2015, from About Us: http://www.rescue-mission.org/aboutus University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. (2014). County Health Rankings and Roadmaps. Retrieved January 17, 2014, from Washington Pierce County: http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/washington/2014/rankings/pierce/county/outcomes/overall/snapshot US Census Bureau. (2014, December 4). State and County Quick Facts. Retrieved January 16, 2013, from United States Census Bureau: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/53/53053.html Washington State Department of Public Health. (2011, July). Primary Care Provider Survey: Pierce County. Retrieved January 22, 2015, from Office of Community Health Systems: http://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/Pubs/689048.pdf YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties. (2014). About Us. Retrieved January 21, 2015, from YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties: http://www.ymcapkc.org/about-us/

Literature review: learning on the internet

Literature review: learning on the internet RESTRICTED CHAPTER TWO LITREATURE REVIEW LITERATURE ON THE SUBJECT 1.Internet is an important tool in the modern day context. All searches pertaining to any kind of search to are within the finger tips. There by it has become a topic for researchers to research and write the thesis on covering various aspect of the internet. Saunders says that a thorough understanding of, and insight into, previous research that relates to a project is essential for the quality of the study, this usually being achieved by means of critically reviewing the extant literature1 2.My literature review of research will be based on publications such as subject related text books .E books, articles, journals, periodicals, projects proposals and unpublished thesis, pamphlets, completed reports and other available literature information resources already published by external authors on the respective subject area. According Timothy and Ellis they state that the literature review should be structured in following stages. So that I have used this model in order to sequence my literature review.2 On the attributes of a critical literature review Saunders, Mark N. K.1 Rojon, Cà ©line21School of Management, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, United Kingdom;2Department of Psychology School of Management, University of Surrey,Guildford, GU2 7XHUnited Kingdom Achieved by means of critically reviewing the extant literature.1 2A Systems Approach to Conduct anEffective Literature Review in Support of Information Systems Research Yair Levy and Timothy J. Ellis Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences,Nova Southeastern University, Florida, USA INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERNET 3.There are plenty of definition can be find on what internet and this what the oxford dictionary says â€Å"A global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities, consisting of interconnected networks using standardized communication protocols†. The definition itself brings out what it exactly does and also it describes under which conditions it should use. According to Linux information project on 2005 describes it as a network that is composed of a number of smaller computer networks which connects thousands of networks and hundreds of millions of computers throughout the world. It shows that no barriers on using the internet for any kind of a user for the benefit of him or for his organization. 4.The internet is a unique collection of networks, or a network of networks, that was made possible by scientists with vision to implement a compatible communication standard. These standards’ allow computers built by a variety of manufacturers running on different operating systems to exchange data. The internet, therefore, is able to facilitate the sharing of resources among participating organizations, which include government agencies, educational institutions, and private corporations.3 HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF INTERNET 5.The Internet has revolutionized the computer and communications world like nothing before. The invention of the telegraph, telephone, radio, and computer set the stage for this unprecedented integration of capabilities. The Internet is at once a world-wide broadcasting capability, a mechanism for information dissemination, and a medium for collaboration and interaction between individuals and their computers without regard for geographic location. The Internet represents one of the most successful examples of the benefits of sustained investment and commitment to research and development of information infrastructure. Beginning with the early research in packet switching, the government, industry and academia have been partners in evolving and deploying this exciting new technology4 6.The history of the Internet begins with the development of electronic computers in the 1950s. Initial concepts of packet networking originated in several computer science laboratories in the United States, Great Britain, and France. The US Department of Defense awarded contracts as early as the 1960s for packet network systems, including the development of the  ARPANET(which would become the first network to use the  Internet Protocol.) The first message was sent over the ARPANET from computer science Professor Leonard Kleinrocks laboratory at  University of California, Los Angeles(UCLA) to the second network node at  Stanford Research Institute(SRI)4. 7. Access to the ARPANET was expanded in 1981 when theNational Science Foundation(NSF) funded theComputer Science Network (CSNET). In 1982, theInternet protocol suite(TCP/IP) was introduced as the standard networking protocol on the ARPANET. In the early 1980s the NSF funded the establishment for national supercomputing centers at several universities, and provided interconnectivity in 1986 with theNSFNETproject, which also created network access to thesupercomputersites in the United States from research and education organizations. CommercialInternet service providers(ISPs) began to emerge in the late 1980s. The ARPANET was decommissioned in 1990. Private connections to the Internet by commercial entities became widespread quickly, and the NSFNET was decommissioned in 1995, removing the last restrictions on the use of the Internet to carry commercial traffic4. 8.Since the mid-1990s, the Internet has had a revolutionary impact on culture and commerce, including the rise of near-instant communication byelectronic mail,instant messaging,voice over Internet Protocol(VoIP) telephone calls,two-way interactive video calls, and theWorld Wide Webwith itsdiscussion forums,blogs,social networking, andonline shoppingsites. The research and education community continues to develop and use advanced networks such as NSFsvery high speed Backbone Network Service (vBNS),Internet2, andNational LambdaRail. Increasing amounts of data are transmitted at higher and higher ___________________________________________ exploring the internet by Clive C. Sanford 4http://www.internetsociety.org/internet/what-internet/history-internet/brief-history-internet#Origins(accesed on 03 march 2014) speeds over fiber optic networks operating at 1-Gbit/s, 10-Gbit/s, or more. The Internets takeover of the global communication landscape was almost instant in historical terms: it only communicated 1% of the information flowing through two-waytelecommunicationsnetworks in the year 1993, already 51% by 2000, and more than 97% of the telecommunicated information by 2007.[1]Today the Internet continues to grow, driven by ever greater amounts of online information, commerce, entertainment, andsocial networking4. 9.The Internet has revolutionized the computer and communications world like nothing before. The invention of the telegraph, telephone, radio, and computer set the stage for this unprecedented integration of capabilities. The Internet is at once a world-wide broadcasting capability, a mechanism for information dissemination, and a medium for collaboration and interaction between individuals and their computers without regard for geographic location.3 10. The graph below shows how the expansion of internet from 1996 to 2014. Sri Lanka as a developing country 31mpeople out of hundred use intenet accordind to the cences given by the international telecomunucation union. Internet users per 100 inhabitants Source:International Telecommunications Union POSITIVE IMPACT OF THE INTERNET POSITIVE IMPACT OF THE INTERNET 11.Educational achievement is perhaps of secondary importance to many of the children; however, it too seems to be a real advantage. From 10 years of age onwards, there is a pressure from school to get the internet and a sense that access to the internet allows the willing student to attain a higher quality of extra information relevant to the subjects.4 12.This research suggest that it also has a role re-engaging some of the educationally disengaged, as they enjoy the control and fun of working with a PC. It can also enable the academically able to find more relevant information and research more effectively. For some though, who are not particularly interested in schoolwork, they remain uninterested whether they have internet access or not. 13.Research about the Internet generally has focused on social effects, such as psychological well-being; for instance, children are more likely to use the internet when they feel lonely. A study by Michigan State University has found that the internet has had a positive effect on reading but not mathematics. One explanation is the internet is a text rich environment with fewer opportunities to foster mathematics or science skills; however, both the Internet and children are changing. Students increasingly use visualization, which can relate to mathematics and science as much as creative writing.4 14.The internet can facilitate a game like learning environment, which is highly motivating and interesting to students. Unlike in traditional classrooms, students do not sit across from the teacher, hold a textbook, and take a final exam. Instead, they can explore new information on the internet like a game combining both the learning journey and entertainment. More research is needed in this area as additional online games are built specifically for history, mathematics and science. Gaming has the potential to have a different kind of cognitive impact than traditional learning. 15.The internet’s is more exciting and challenging as a research environment than earlier media because it is a complex virtual, social and physical world that school children participate and co-construct, rather than something that is merely watched TV or PC. It becomes a complex virtual universe behind a small screen on which developmental issues play out in old and new ways, offering new views in to the thoughts, feelings and behaviours of schoolchildren’s. This universe will continue to expand as web-connected cell phones and other new internet applications emerge. Thus, existing theoretical models, research programmes and methodological techniques in developmental psychology are both challenged and stimulated by interactions between youth and the internet.5 16.According to the research done by three Japan universities regarding â€Å"Children and the Internet in Japan†, they identified that junior high school students enrolled in the school that use the internet had higher skills for practical use of information compared to students in the school that did not use the internet in its classes. This indicates that internet use in school activities helped in increasing the ability of students to use information practically. In this research, they proposed that â€Å"skills for practical use of information† are composed of six sub skills, namely, skill of collections, the skill of judgment, the skill of expression, the skill of processing, the skill of creation, and the skill of communication. In terms of these skills, students in the school that used the internet in its classes had particularly better skills of collection, judgment, expression, processing and communication compared to the students enrolled in the school that d id not use the Internet in its classes.5 17.Students possibly will feel bored if they only study from textbook day by day. That is why internet can be good alternative media to improve students’ motivation in studying. By using internet as a learning media, students can see relevant pictures or animations, which are related to lesson. Based on some reliable researches, students’ motivation in studying can increase fast if teachers or lectures use pictures or animations in explaining lesson.5 2-1 RESTRICTED Unethical Act Among Contractors: Class F in Selangor Unethical Act Among Contractors: Class F in Selangor 1.0 INTRODUCTION Contractors are the independent entity that agree to construct certain number or quantity of goods, material, equipment personnel ,or services that meet the requirement of specifications at a mutually price with a specific timeframe with another independent entity call contractee or project owner (Oxford Times). All contractors are rated Class F are Bumiputera. According to Article (160(2)) the concept of a bumiputra ethnic group in Malaysia was coined by activist Tunku Abdul Rahman. It recognized the special position of the Malays provided in the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, in particular Article 153. But, the constitution does not use the term bumiputra; it defines only Malay and aborigine (Article 160(2)).This means that the contractor is Class F Bumiputera contractors and do not need to apply for Recognition of Bumiputera. According to PKK (Pusat Khidmat Kontractor) until 26th June 2010 there are 4210 registered class F contractors in Selangor. A countrys economic system, irrespective construction industry plays a role in, construction industry plays a substantial role in a countrys national economic system (Zantanidis Tsiotras, 1998). Indeed, this sector is an important employer of a nations workforce as it employs between 2% to 10% of total workforce of most countries (Abdul Rashid Hassan, 2005). Malaysia has gained an impressive economic growth during the last three decades (Abdul Rahman et al, 2005) and this sector has employed an estimated 798,200 workforce nationwide in 2004 (CIDB, 2006). The Malaysian Government has given a much needed boost to the countrys construction industry under the 9th Malaysian Plan where a total of 880 projects worth RM15billion is to be tendered (The Star, 2006). It should be foregrounded that the issue of poor quality in the construction sector has, nevertheless. been identified as a major concern even as far back as the mid 1980s (The Star, 2006). Generally, it is a rule that constructi on projects must be completed within the planned cost, scheduled time and required quality. Quality may sometimes be ignored in this industry to cut the costs or to shorten the project time (Turk, 2006). To deal with the low quality problem faced by the industry, quality management is seen as an approach to achieve the required level of quality of the end product and has been given great attention worldwide over the past three decades (Hiyassat, 2000; Berawi and Woodhead, 2005). However, there is a perception that majority of quality related issues are caused by human factor. In response to that perception, a study was performed to look into the relationship between professional ethics among participants of construction sector and the quality related issues in Malaysian construction sector. It should be noted that for this purpose of survey, contractors and clients are regarded as professions and they are required to demonstrate a high degree of professionalism in performing their t ask, in response to the Governments effort who has introduced the National Integrity Plan to enhance integrity and ethics in the nation. Unethical acts of fraud, waste, abuse, and corrupt practices are what receive prominent treatment in the media worldwide. Such as inappropriate gifts, unauthorized payments, and fiscal infractions are the unethical act problems most noted. The Conference Board in New York reported that the above issues have widespread agreement on each of these issues as being a serious concern among the leaders of the free world, including those in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Australia. Due to the increased of public awareness toward the contractor unethical acts and also decreased of public tolerance for wrong-doing, it is important for contractor to focus specifically on the question of how professional ethics should be incorporated into awareness of individual to make sure every projects should be completed as standard. The ethical statement can describe the act was right or wrong, or act with a right or wrong which it can provide a line of distinction between good and evil of the act or the tendency of a person or at least it can develop guidelines that can be made with various moral considerations(J.L Mackie, 1971). Ethical act are very important because it use to determine the thoughts, actions and behavior of members of the organization to fulfill their responsibility and trust as an employee. It is also to create statements and coordination between the contractors as a key institution for national development. Ethical act also important to maintain and improve client confidence in the organization, 84% of FMIs respondents said that theyve seen an unethical act committed in the construction industry in the past year is an alarming statistic. Contractors, can take little comfort in the probability that incidence of unethical behavior is just as high in other industries these days. FMI had offer f our solution and one of the solutions is to stiffer the penalties for those caught in unethical or illegal acts is the least likely to succeed. Secondly, the FMI had suggest to develop an industry-wide code of ethics which these codes of ethics need to be enforced in every country. A less formal but corollary solution would hit closer to home. Companies should place more emphasis on social responsibility in their dealings with other firms. This approach is easier said than done, of course, although a few respondents in the survey say they have walked away from projects or companies and suffered short-term consequences as a result. They did not indicate, however, that they regretted their decisions in the long term. Training in ethical conduct is the fourth solution, and its the one that holds the most promise as long as it is coupled with commitment to these practices from the top ranks of any construction company. The FMI report states that unethical acts can signal a failure of management to know how to get the job done the right way. 1.2 Problem statement Due to many issues in our country regarding construction industry that lead to the unethical act by the contractors in running the projects such as the issue on the Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 2( MRR2 ), Matrade building and also the issue on the Navy Recruit Center. If this ethical issue still going on in our construction industry, it will affect our construction quality. According to the Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, more than 18,000 contractors and sub-contractors were either paid late or have yet to receive payment for completed work totaling RM23.7billion since 2000. This is a very huge sum, about 14% of the allocation for development projects under the 9th Malaysia Plan. The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) had carried out a six-month survey on 330 contractors, in which 273 cases of payment problems involving RM877.8mil were reported. Another example for the issue in Malaysian construction industry is the Plaza Rakyats project. The government will iss ue a warning notice to the Plaza Rakyat project contractors to continue the project as early as next week, initially, and if defaults, the tender will be forfeited. Minister of Federal Territory and Welfare Commissioner, Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin said, a notice will be given to contractors in a week or two so that they continue construction work. 1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH. The aim of this research as far as the unethical act among contractors class F in Selangor is concerned, is to identify the effect in the construction quality. These main objectives are broken down to more specific objectives in order to better understand the topic at hand. To achieve the desired aim of the research, there are some of the objectives had been choose for this research. Objectives for this research are: Assess the level of professional ethical standards and its practice in the Selangor construction industry, To identify the problems associated to unethical acts in construction industry Determine the role of professional ethics in improving quality management in construction industry. 1.4 Organization of Study Chapter 1 introduces the research topic. It discussed about the unethical acts, definition of contractor, definition of bumiputera, issue related to unethical acts in construction industry problem statement and the objectives that initiated this study. Chapter 2 involves the extensive review of literature relating to the relevant topic of the subject matter of research including the professional ethic and relationship between ethic and construction. Chapter 3 discussed the methodology used in this study. It includes the developed hypothesis and data collection methods. It also includes a brief explanation on the data analysis methods. Chapter 4 reports data analysis and findings of the survey obtained from the findings. Chapter 5 involves detail finding and discussion on the result of survey base on the analysis. Chapter 6 present conclusions and recommendation based on the findings of the study. Key recommendation and their future prospect have been outlined which may assist in future plans to facilitate knowledge sharing plan in school. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 Introduction In this chapter a great extent of literature of relevant concepts are being reviewed in order to get insight of and identify variables which have impact on the objectives of this research. The researches which are done by different scholars and researches will be reviewed. 2.1 Quality In Construction Industry Quality is a measure of excellence or a state of being free from defects, deficiencies, and significant variations, brought about by the strict and consistent adherence to measurable and verifiable standards to achieve uniformity of output that satisfies specific customer or user requirements. ISO 8402-1986 standard defines quality as the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bears its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs Since tribal chiefs, kings, and pharaohs ruled the issues of quality have already existed (Gitlow, 2005). In a project scenario, quality can be defined as meeting the legal, aesthetic (Arditi Gunaydin, 1997) and functional requirements of a project (Berawi, 2006). Customers nowadays place more emphasis on the quality of products rather than the price which was the major concern in the past. Hence, a rapid expansion of international competition in quality has occurred (Tsiotras Gotzamani, 1996; Abdul Rahman Berawi, 2002). In America, the professional societies have prepared codes of ethics since before early twentieth century. These have been incorporated to a greater or lesser degree into the regulatory laws of various countries. Such as The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) in the UK, they have a code of ethics incorporated into its standards of conduct and as for Canadian societies of professional engineers likewise have such codes of conduct as well (Bowen, P., R. Pearl and A. Akintoye. 2007). Mainly for practical and professional use, codes of ethics are developed for supplementing the building codes and other acts of law. These ethical aspects were considered based on mans natural morals (Darabarek Symotink, 1999). In terms of quality in construction industry, Turk (2006), citing Arditi Gunaydin (1999), mentioned that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"high quality building project includes factors like the design being easily understandable and applicable, conformity of design with specifications, economics of construction, ease of operation, ease of maintenance and energy efficiency. According to S. Fryer, Buro Happold, UK (2007), no matter how clever or elaborate the design of a structure is, any construction project will ultimately be judged on the quality of the finished product. Zantanidis Tsiotras (1998) and Abdul Rahman Berawi (2002) mentioned the expectations for quality construction projects will continue to grow rapidly as the number of affluent, educated and quality conscious customers are increasing. With the globalization of economy, construction firms worldwide are actively engaged to achieve internationally accepted quality levels to ensure their position in the emerging international market especially in those developing economies. Thus, the need to have a proper system that ensures quality is critical, coupled with high level of attention paid to quality management in construction industry (Abdul Rahman, Berawi, et al, 2006). Scholars indicate that quality management has been adopted by many countries in their construction industry including Hong Kong (Leung et al, 1999; Au Yu, 1999 and Tang Kam, 1999), Singapore (Low Omar, 1999 and Low Yeo, 1997), Greece (Tsiotras Gotzamani, 1996 and Zantanidis Tsiotras, 1998), Turkey (Turk, 2006), Jordan (Hiyassat, 2000), Saudi Arabia (Bubshait Al Atiq, 1999), Sweeden (Landin, 2000), United States (Chini Valdez, 2003), South Africa (Rwelamilla, 1995) and Malaysia (Chew Chai, 1996). As for Malaysia,we have the code of ethics for co ntractor which need to be followed by the contractors. In that code of ethic it emphasizes more about the level of professionalism, productivity, and quality. Excellence in the construction industry is very much determined by the level of efficiency, productivity, quality and professionalism in the delivery services. The delivery of construction services is connected directly or closely related integrity of the construction contractors in the performance responsibilities. This aspect has been dealt with when Construction Industry Master Plan (CIMP): 2006-2015 enacted. CIMP has given special emphasis on increasing productivity, image and professionalism in the construction industry as the strategic thrusts of this industry to greater high. For this purpose CIMP also has proposed legislation Code of ethics to further strengthen the practice of values and moral ethics among contractors in the country in implementation of construction works. Many developers were also fined for not confo rming to the Housing Development Act, including not preparing reports on schedule, especially work progress reports every six months (NST, 2010). This quality in our construction industry can be improved if everybody doing their part. For every developer, starting a new housing project is a new business. So, if they understand their responsibility as a developer and follow the agreement, they must complete the projects according to the dates set. According to Michael S. Poles, the quality of the construction can be control by competence supervision. It is the duty of the contractor to complete the work covered by his or her contract, in accordance with the approved plans and specifications. The contractor must carefully study the approved plans and specifications and should plan their schedule of operations well ahead of time. If at any time it is discovered that the work which is being done is not in accordance with the approved plans and specifications, the contractor should immed iately correct the work. In order to assure that the work being done is in accordance with the approved plans and specifications, the contractor must always supervise, and coordinate of all of the work that need to be completed. 2.2 Professional Ethic in Construction Industry Profession is an occupation that requires both advanced study and mastery of a specialized body of knowledge and undertaken to promote, ensure or safeguard some matter that significantly affects others well being (Vee Skitmore, 2003). Almost every profession has its codes of ethics to provide a framework for arriving at good ethical choices. Therefore, professional ethics is a system of norms to deal with both the morality and behavior of professionals in their day to day practice, and ascribes moral responsibility not to an individual, but to all professionals practicing in a particular profession. For the building and designing professions, the incalculable value of human life demands nothing less than the highest moral considerations from those who might risk it otherwise (Mason, 1998, cited in Vee Skitmore,2003). Professional ethics concerns the moral issues that arise because of the specialist knowledge that professionals attain, and how the use of this knowledge should be governed when providing a service to the public (Ruth Chadwick, 1998). The construction industry is a perfect environment for ethical dilemmas, with its low price mentality, fierce competition, and paper thin margin (FMI, 2006). Jordan (2005) stated that unethical behavior is taking a growing toll on the reputation of the industry. From a survey conducted by FMI, 63% of the respondents whom are the construction players feel that construction sector is tainted by unethical conducts (FMI, 2006). Surveys conducted by researchers in Australia (Vee Skitmore, 2003) and South Africa (Pearl et al, 2005) identified several unethical conducts and ethical dilemmas in the construction industry such as corruption, negligence, bribery, conflict of interest, bid cutting, under bidding, collusive tendering, cover pricing, frontloading, b id shopping, withdrawal of tender, and payment game. It is evident that there exist significant areas of concern pertaining to the ethical conducts practiced by the construction professionals. There are many other efforts taken to increase the ethical standards and integrity among the professionals in construction sectors worldwide. According to Pearl et al (2005), the regulatory professional Acts relating to the built environment professional sector in South Africa were totally overhauled in the late 1990s and a new suite of professional Acts were promulgated in 2000 to enhance the professionalism. Meanwhile, in America, the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) has updated its code of ethics to include a wider range of professional services as well as professional services among construction players (CMAA, 2006). A Standard of Professional Conduct to govern the ethical practices in the American civil engineering profession was published by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE, 2007). On the other  hand, Australia has their own codes of tendering to enhance fairness and transparency (Ray, 1997). In Malaysia, the government is very serious about improving ethics in both public and private sector. For instance, the construction industry has introduced codes of ethics for contractors to encourage self regulation among the contractor in this sector (The Star, 2006). Stakeholders of construction projects were asked to enforce the existing code of ethics to safeguard the engineers good name (The Star, 2006). The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) of Malaysia also host integrity courses for contractors to promote the importance of integrity and plans to make the course as a pre9requisite for contractors when renewing their registration (The Star, 2006). Finally, the launching of the Construction Industry Master Plan (CIMP) by CIDB in 2004 also had in the master plan an objective to enhance professional ethics in the local construction industry (Construction Industry Master Plan 2006 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" 2015). According to Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha, 1,345 developers and more than 5,000 directors of such companies involved in problematic projects have been blacklisted because they abandoned housing projects and also those that were not completed on schedule. They are not only been blacklisted, they also fined for not conforming to the Housing Development Act, including not preparing reports on schedule, especially work progress reports every six months(NST 2010). 2.3 Relationship between Professional Ethic and Quality Related Issues Besterfield et al (2003) mentioned quality is dependent on ethical behavior, whereby quality and ethics have a common care premise which is to do right things right and it is a proven way to reduce costs, improve competitiveness, and create customer satisfaction. It is evident that low  ethical standards among construction professional will lead to quality problem. These issues were highlighted in the media and received great concern of public (Fleddermann, 2004; NST, 2004; and RTM, 2006). As an example, the ethical related case in the construction industry was the collapse of the Hyatt Regency Kansas City walkways (Fleddermann, 2004). It is a hotel project in 1970s with walkways suspended over the large atrium. With the intention to save the cost, the subcontractor for the fabrication and erection of atrium steel suggested changes in the structure and it was approved by the consulting structural engineer. During the construction, part of the atrium collapsed and the engineer came out with the report saying that the design was safe and ready to be opened for business in 1980. The tragedy happened one year after the completion of the project during a dancing party in the atrium lobby. Some of the walkways on which people were dancing collapsed onto the crowded atrium floor, leaving more than a hundred people died and almost two hundred injuries. Investigation was then conducted by the Missouri Board of Architects, Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors reported that the original design was only marginally acceptable to the Kansas City building code where the walkways would only have had approximately 60% of the capacity required by the code. The situation was even worse in the new design proposed by the steel subcontractor and approved by the engineer. The consultant was found negligence in its investigation of the atrium collapse and places too much reliance on the subcontractor. Therefore, the engineer has been charged for negligence, incompetence, and misconduct. Both the engineer and the consultant firm lose license of practicing. This case strongly indicates that unethical behaviour will lead to quality problems and structural failures. In Malaysia, as an example, a newly opened specialist hospital in Johor Bahru was closed due to fungi attack on the equipments and walls (RTM 2006). It was found that many of the hospitals equipments such as oxygen piping and sewerage system are not according to the specifications. This clearly shows the poor ethics of the contractor who failed to do right things right. The contractor was given three months to rectify problems including leaking pipes, broken ceilings and faulty air conditioning ducts (NST, 2004). Another substandard quality of construction project in Malaysia is the RM238 million Middle Ring Road Two (MRR2) flyover which was closed to traffic after cracks were found in 31 pillars and structural movements were detected (The Sun, 2004). The Government engaged an independent consultant from the United Kingdom to investigate the defects. The independent consultant identified that design deficiencies and improper anchoring of the columns to the crossbeam were the main cau se of the cracks (NST, 2004). Design deficiency is found to be a negligence on the design team and the repair works was then carried out at an estimated cost of RM20 million. Contractors confront dozens of issues, many of which have substantial impact on their own self or organization, as well as others involved in the project. Many decisions have a straight forward answer determined by contract language or budget. Some, however, require entering an indistinct gray zone where the contractor must use best judgment to devise a course of action. Ethical questions raised include: what happens when professional codes and regulations lag behind technological innovations; what precautions must engineers take when trying to balance the benefits, new technologies bring against risks to public safety, often associated with engineering innovation and what are engineering and corporate responsibilities to the public for failed innovation; and should he hold then payments for the benefit of his organization. Often these challenges are managed with little or no preparation or formal guidelines and sometimes with negative results. Engineering ethics is attracting interest in colleges of engineering throughout the world. Therefore, the new technology must address the human being as its central subject and has to be introduced by ethics (Cywinski, Z. 2001). The construction of the new national palace at Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur has doubled in a period of four years from RM400 million to RM 811 million. Contracts for the construction were awarded to three companies through direct negotiations instead of open tenders ( NST 2003). Government will focus on overcoming the problem `leakage of tenders in the Ninth Malaysia Plan (RMK-9) are exploring the possibility of tightening conditions of the application to the contractor class F. Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister Datuk Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the conditions were studied for class F contractors license applican t is to ensure that applicants undergo interview, examination, has offices and operations background of the net. The number of contractors has increased dramatically recently that 46.983 of the contractors registered with the Contractor Service Centre (PKK) in the country. Of the total, 35,544 are Class F contractors. The contractors will face intense competition in seeking jobs or contracts, and more disturbing is the number of contractors that own more than the number of contracts offered, especially from the government. CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.0 Introduction This section describes the methodology used in conducting this research. It starts by describing the sample selection, research design, variables and hypothesis and continues with the description of the methods of data collection and data analysis. Finally, some of the limitations and key assumption of the findings are described. Primary source were used to collect data from the sample to assess the perception of respondents toward knowledge management and knowledge sharing, the school culture and work environment, individual barriers and organization barriers toward knowledge sharing. The selected data was tested and conclusions were drawn. There are 6 procedures used in completing this study. First, a review of literature was conducted. The review was focused on the emergence of knowledge economy and knowledge management. Then the roles of knowledge sharing were discussed. A further potential barrier toward knowledge sharing was reviewed. Variable which has affected on knowledge sharing was also discussed. The review of literature served as a frame work for the study, and offered contrasting opinions of the authors. Second, a rough draft of the survey instrument and possible methods of testing and assessment of variables was done. A questionnaire was tested and validated before implementation reviewed for preventing any bias and avoiding errors. Questionnaire survey is the main research methodology used to achieve the research objectives. Five hundred (500) sets of questionnaires were distributed to targeted respondents in Selangor state by post ,via the internet , by hand. Targeted respondents ranging from consultant firms and contractor personnel within Selangor area .To ensure the reliability of the questionnaire survey, the sample size taken was then compared to match with the sample size recommended by Krejcie and Morgan (Sekaran, 2000: 295). Third, a survey was implemented. Questionnaire was sent to the list of all class F contractors which registered under PKK within Selangor area. Fourth, the result of the survey was assessed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) 15.0 software. The result were tested and presented with illustration. Scores were converted into percentage rating and presented in graphical format using excel 2003. Fifth, the conclusion was driven from data analysis and findings. Important points were highlighted and recommendations were given. Research Design The research was designed to explore the unethical acts among contractors regarding the issue on the construction quality in Selangor. The data produced from the research was then analyzed so that the following objective could be achieved. The stated hypothesis could be tested and further recommendations could be made with regard to specific focus of this research. To identify areas for further, and more specific areas of research Quantitative method utilizing survey method is used for gathering information. Variables Variables are classified into three groups including dependent variables, moderate variables and independent variables. Dependent Variable Unethical act is considered as dependent variable Independent Variable Contractors and construction quality are considered as independent variables. Data Collection A comprehensive literature review and self administered questionnaire were used to provide an insight to the study. These instruments provide informative ideas on the possible issued experienced by factors affecting perception of respondents about unethical acts will effected the construction quality The survey aimed is to target contractor class F in Selangor. The aimed was chosen because of two reasons. Firstly, there are too many contractors class F in Selangor. Secondly, the issues that involved contractor class F are more major in our construction industry and this give the author the possibility to sent the questionnaires to some contractor firm on one to one basis. The author would have preferred a larger sample of respondents to participate in the research, but due to limitation of time, this was not possible. The survey was aimed at the contractors class F in Selangor area. Data were collected from 500 contractors selected randomly from different firm and background. Questionnaire was send through mail and respondents were given three weeks to respond before they were send back to the author. 3. 4 Research Assumptions When conducting this study a number of assumptions have been made with regards to the literature reviewed and the respondent sample selected. These assumptions are identified as below. The secondary data collected from various resources have been assumed to be valid and based on the research done by authors. The secondary data has been assumed to present public interest as a whole and without any biases. The respondents have responded to the questionnaire without any biasness and to the best of their abilities. Instrumental Biases In administrating the questionnaire, there has been a significant degree of biasness that was exercised by researcher. The questionnaire was developed based on the respondents. This minimizes the respondent biasness to a certain level. Various scaling methods were utilized where appropriate to minimize biasness. Sample size Approximately 500 contractors were randomly selected from the target population of different firms. The simple random sampling method was utilized in this situation. This was to deter any sample biasness that could have distorted the result. The respondents samples of contractors were surveyed in the Selangor area. The contractors who responded came from various hierarchy levels of different firms. Scaling of Questionnaire In order in measure the operationally defined and elements of a variable, the rating scale has been used to elicit responses with regard to the person studied. A number of rating scales techniques and measurements were utilized when administrating questionnaire involving Category scale and Likert scale. Example: Category Scale What is your highest educational qualification? PHD degree Bs degree Ms degree Diploma/STPM Knowledge sharing is fully supported by school administrator. Extremely disagree/ Strongly disagree/ Disagree /Agree /Strongly Agree/Extremely A