Alcohol Advertising and Youth – Paper

Alcohol Advertising and Youth Jessica SOC1001: Introduction to Sociology December 18, 2011 Alcohol Advertising and Youth Researchers are investigating alcohol advertisement and youth in today’s society because advertising is leading to positive beliefs about alcohol causing drinking to increase. This is a problem that needs serious attention and needs to be dealt with. National as well as state-level longitudinal studies in the United States have found that exposure to alcohol advertising in various venues – including broadcast, print, outdoor, point-ofpurchase and sporting events – can predict onset of drinking and heavier drinking among young people (Jernigan, Ostroff and Ross, 2005) Camy’s (2005) analyses rely on statistical sources and measurement concepts standard to the advertising media planning and research field, but to our knowledge rarely accessed by public health researchers. They are based on the merging of two sets of commercially available databases: occurrence tracking (for brand advertising) and audience estimates (for various demographic groups). (Jernigan, 2005) The data are calculated at the local market and national levels and are reported using the advertising industry standard measures of audience composition, gross impressions, and gross rating points. (Jernigan, 2005) In the journal, it states two compositions: Audience and magazines. Audience composition refers to the percentage of the audience that meets different demographic criteria. For instance, young people ages 12-20 are approximately 15% of US population aged 12 and above. (Jernigan, 2005) A magazine audience composition of more than 15% 1220-year-olds will be likely to create the situation where youth are more likely per capita to see the magazine than adults over 21 years, the legal drinking age in the United States. In analyzing magazine advertising alcoholic beverages in 2003, Camy found that young people aged 12-20 were exposed per capita to 48% more beer ads, 20% more distilled spirits ads, 92% more ads for â€Å"alcopops† and alcoholic lemonades such as Bacardi Silver and Smirnoff Ice, and 66% fewer wine ads than adults 21 and above (most likely because wine markets tend to appeal more to older adults) (Jernigan, 2005) Magazine advertisement was analyzed by gender. This analysis revealed that girls were far more overexposed compared to women of legal drinking age than boys were when compared to men of legal drinking age. Jernigan, 2005) Girls saw 68% more beer ads and 95% more ads for alcopops per capita than women, while boys saw 29% more beer ads and 37% more alcopops ads than men (Jernigan, 2005) Television – particularly national broadcast – offers advertisers less precision with which to reach their desired audiences than either magazines or radio. (Jernigan, 2005) Between 2001 and 2003, alcohol companies broadcast 761,347 product ads on US national and local broadcast and national cable television. Jernigan, 2005) On the internet, traffic to 55 alcohol company websites was tracked for CAMY. Many of these sites feature content such as video games, free music downloads or music videos, alcohol-themed sexy screensavers, and viral marketing. (Jernigan, 2005) In the last six months of 2003, the season of heaviest alcohol advertising (Jernigan, 2005). It is hard to think of a good solution because the advertising in going to be revealed and I believe that teens will view them because it is something â€Å"interesting†. A lot of youth view it as being a cool thing to see and advertising is going to be out there for all to see, read or hear. There could be a lot of solutions to try, but would any stick? That is the question. Personally, advertising is a terrible issue that really needs to be looked into deeply and taking very seriously because it is causing more harm every day. References Jernigan, David H. , Joshua Ostroff, and Craig Ross. â€Å"Alcohol Advertising and Youth. † Journal of Public Health Policy 23. 3 (2005): 312-25. Web. 19 Dec. 2011.

Essay on Want-Creation Fuels Americans Addictiveness by Slater

Philip Slater argues in his essay â€Å"Want-Creation Fuels Americans’ Addictiveness† that the dependency many Americans have on drugs is the result of the premium that American society puts on success. This success comes with costs attached, but these costs are brushed aside, often with the help of medicating drugs (Slater 392). The addictive personality of Americans extends beyond drugs, too, to addictions of all types.Slater argues that because we are told every day that were ignorant, misguided, inadequate, incompetent and undesirable we can only escape this condition if we indulge, an act that will make us feel better (395). Slater’s point is not that we are inadequate or any of those negative attributes, but that we are meant to feel that way if we do not achieve to a certain level. Yet, the level to which Americans achieve is actually very high. The quick fix mentality is ascribed by Slater to be one of the most important causes of drug abuse (392).Our soc iety is harsh, he describes, but we prefer quicker action rather than solutions that evolve over the long term (Slater 392). As a result, drugs become an attractive means of medicating ourselves in response to the harshness of our society (Slater 393). Too many people in today’s society want to mask their problems with drugs or alcohol instead of dealing with the problems face to face. I would have to strongly agree with Slaters point of view in this essay. Americans do tend to have addictive personalities as a whole.While all you need is food, shelter, and water to survive everyone has their own wants and needs that they feel they could not live without. For example nowadays I believe that most people would not be able to live without the internet. We have all become so dependent on the internet for almost all sources of information that if something were to happen and there was no internet anymore then people would feel as though we had gone back to the dark ages and start struggling to get through their everyday lives.Most people would completely lose themselves if we didn’t have the technology that we are so accustomed to; between computers, cell phones and other technologies Americans would be at a loss especially with cell phones and people not remembering numbers or writing them down and only keeping them in their cell phones. On the other hand Americans are resilient and would overcome the situation that was placed in front of them. Americans would overcome and adapt to the situation by going back to their roots and the way they did things before the internet.I know for myself I would be lost without GPS being that I use it for my job and in my everyday life for going almost anywhere I am not familiar with. Addiction is a part of everyone’s life in one way or another. This condition is not one of necessity but of want. Work Cited Slater, Phillip. â€Å"Want-Creation Fuels Americans’ Addictiveness. † One World, Many Cu ltures. 8th ed. Eds. Stuart Hirschberg and Terry Hirschberg. New York: Pearson Longman, 2010. 391-395. Print.

Space Shuttle Columbia

On February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart during re-entry resulting in the loss of the seven crewmembers and the shuttle. For the next several months an extensive investigation of the accident was performed by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB). The board published their final report in August, 2003 and concluded that the cause of the loss of Columbia and its crew was a breach in the left wing leading edge Reinforced Carbon-Carbon Thermal Protection System initiated by the impact of thermal insulating foam that had separated from the orbiters external fuel tank 81 seconds into the missions launch. During re-entry, this breach allowed hot gas to enter the wing’s leading edge and support structure which ultimately led to the breakup of the orbiter. The CAIB also discovered multiple flaws within the shuttle safety program, the hazard analysis techniques, communication and leadership between management and engineering, and an obstructive organizational culture. NASA responded to the Columbia accident by grounding all space shuttle missions for a total of 905 days while they complied with all the recommendations made by the CAIB as well as restructuring their system safety and communication procedures. Space Shuttle Columbia The Columbia STS-107 mission lifted off on January 16, 2003, for a 16-day science mission featuring numerous microgravity experiments. Upon reentering the atmosphere on February 1, 2003, the Columbia orbiter suffered a catastrophic failure due to a breach that occurred 81 seconds into the launch when falling thermal insulating foam from the left bipod area of the External Tank struck the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the underside of the left wing. The orbiter and its seven crewmembers were lost approximately 16 minutes before Columbia was scheduled to touch down at Kennedy Space Center. Within this paper I will discuss the history, mission, and anatomy of Space Shuttle Columbia, the incident and the breakdown in communication and safety practices, as well as information found during the formal investigation by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB). History of Space Shuttle Columbia The Space Shuttle Columbia was built in the years leading up to 1981 when it was the first space shuttle to fly into earth orbit on April 12th. There were four sister ships in the fleet over the next ten years: the Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and the Enterprise. The Endeavour was built to replace the Challenger that was destroyed in 1986. Columbia was the first on-line orbiter to undergo the scheduled inspection and retrofit program. It was transported August 10, 1991, after its completion of mission STS-40, to prime space shuttle contractor Rockwell International's Palmdale, California assembly plant. The oldest orbiter in the fleet underwent approximately 50 modifications, including the addition of carbon brakes, drag chute, improved nose wheel steering, removal of development flight instrumentation and an enhancement of its thermal protection system. The orbiter returned to Kennedy Space Center February 9, 1992 to begin processing for mission STS-50 in June of that year. Primary Mission The primary objectives of this mission was to research in physical, life, and space sciences, conducted in approximately 80 separate experiments, comprised of hundreds of samples and test points. The crew was divided into two alternating shifts to achieve the most productive use of time for each 24 hour period. The crew’s payload consisted of the following: first flight of SPACEHAB Research Double Module; Fast Reaction Experiments Enabling Science, Technology, Applications and Research (FREESTAR); First Extended Duration Orbiter (EDO) mission since STS-90 (Wilson, 2006). The expected duration of the STS-107 mission was 16 long days. Anatomy of the Space Shuttle The space shuttle is made up of over two million moving parts and 150 miles of internal wiring, making it the most complex machine ever created. Empty the space shuttle weighs in at 158,289 lbs and with the main engines installed it tips the scales at over 178,000 lbs. Once all the fuel and cargo are added, the space shuttle weighs an astounding 4. 5 million lbs. There are three main parts to every space shuttle, the orbiter, solid rocket boosters, and the external fuel tank. The solid rocket boosters and the external fuel tank are ejected from the orbiter while the space shuttle is leaving the atmosphere. The orbiter has enough crew space for eight crew members and a cargo capacity of 50,000 lbs. The Incident On January 16, 2003 the Space Shuttle Columbia was launched from Cape Canaveral, FL. 81 seconds into the launch a small piece of thermal insulating foam, the size of a small briefcase, impacted the leading edge of the left wing, damaging the Shuttle's Thermal Protection System (TPS), which protects it from heat generated from the atmosphere during re-entry. The foam had a total weight of 1. 67 lbs which is equal to the weight of 100 marshmallows and originated from the left bipod area of the External Tank. At the time of the impact the Columbia was traveling at 2300 fps through an altitude of 65,900 feet. The impact velocity of the foam was 775 fps. While Columbia was still in orbit, some engineers suspected damage as early as day two of the mission, but NASA managers limited the investigation, on the grounds that little could be done even if problems were found and therefore, never informed the crew of any possible damage. The damage to the left wing’s Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panel provided a pathway for hot gas to enter the wing’s leading edge and support structure upon the attempted re-entry. This resulted in major structural and skin damage causing the loss of control and all vehicle data at 207, 135 ft above the Earth while traveling at 12,500 mph. The Columbia Space Shuttle broke up over north-central Texas just 16 minutes prior to its scheduled landing at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. The Investigation Soon after the space shuttle disaster NASA created the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) with the objective to determine the cause of the Columbia accident and to recommend ways to improve the safety programs and communication procedures within NASA. The Board published a working scenario along with several preliminary recommendations in advance of the final report which was published on August 26, 2003. Preliminary Recommendations The first of five recommendations the CAIB made was for NASA to develop an inspection plan for the examination of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) system components since the current inspection techniques were not adequate in assessing the structural integrity, its supporting structure, and the attached hardware. The RCC system is used on the leading edges of the wings, the area aft of the nose cap, and the area around the forward orbiter/external tank attachment structure due to the fact that these are the parts of the orbiter that are subjected to the greatest amount of heat during re-entry. At the time the CAIB conducted their investigation, they discovered and published that NASA did not fully understand the mechanisms that have caused foam loss on almost every space shuttle flight to date. They also found that the original and present day operating design specifications required the RCC components to have essentially no impact resistance. In order to mitigate future risk to the space shuttles and crew, the CAIB believed that NASA should look into the advanced non-destructive inspection technology and take advantage of it. The second recommendation made to NASA stated that they should amend their existing Memorandum of Agreement with the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) to make it a standard requirement for every space shuttle flight to have on-orbit imaging available. The foam strike was first seen during the standard review of the launch video and high-speed photography, by the Intercenter Photo Working Group (IPWG) on the morning of Flight Day Two. The IPWG was concerned about possible damage to the Orbiter since this foam strike was larger than any seen in the past. No conclusive images of the foam strike could be found so the Chair of the IPWG asked management to begin the process of getting outside imagery from the Department of Defense (DOD) to help in damage assessment. This request, the first of three, along with the IPWG’s first report, including a digitized video clip and initial assessment of the strike, was distributed on Flight Day Two and began its journey through the management hierarchy. Even though the IPWG routed its request through the proper channels used during a mission, the management hierarchy yielded no direction, progress, or results. Therefore, the IPWG then routed its second and third requests for external DOD imagery through institutional, not mission-related, channels which diluted the urgency of the requests and the management viewed the requests as non-critical desires rather than critical operational needs. Communication did not flow effectively up to or down from the management hierarchy which lead to the three independent requests for imagery being subsequently denied. It was determined by the CAIB that the United States government along with NASA did not utilize every imaging resource it had in order to assess the damage of the Columbia while still in orbit. Recommendation three examined the repair capability of the space shuttle. The CAIB suggested that for all future missions to the International Space Station (ISS), NASA develop a method to inspect and conduct emergency repairs to the Thermal Protection System (TPS) tiles and RCC while docked at the ISS and recommended that a â€Å"comprehensive autonomous [†¦] inspection and repair capability† be developed for Shuttle missions that do not dock at the ISS. The end goal is to develop a â€Å"fully autonomous capability for all missions†, in the event â€Å"that an ISS mission does not achieve the necessary orbit, fails to dock successfully, or suffers damage during or after docking† (Troxell, 2009). The last two recommendations addressed the space shuttles imaging systems. The fourth recommendation recommended upgrading the imaging system to provide at least three useful views of the space shuttles from liftoff to at least Solid Rocket Booster separation, and further recommended exploring the possibility of taking additional pictures and observations of the space shuttle during launch using ships and aircraft. Recommendation five pertained specifically to the External Tank (ET) and the Thermal Protection System (TPS) imaging systems examination. The CAIB recommended modifying one of the two on-board umbilical cameras in order to â€Å"downlink high-resolution images of the ET after separation,† and further recommended that a similar system be put into place to â€Å"downlink high-resolution images of the underside of the orbiter’s leading edge system and the forward section of the TPS† (Troxell, 2009). Organizational Culture Communications procedures between managers and engineers at NASA were also investigated by the CAIB. The need to communicate effectively and efficiently between the individuals and organizations involved in the space shuttle program were found to be paramount, given the complex and high level of technology along with the extensive risks involved. The CAIB found that the original damage assessments contained substantial uncertainties for a variety of reasons, including management failures, communication breakdowns, inappropriate use of assessment tools, and flawed engineering judgments. The CAIB also determined that there were lapses in leadership and communication that made it very difficult for engineers and management to raise concerns and understand decisions. Management failed to actively engage and analyze the potential damage caused by the foam strike. Before the accident, flight managers had been under extreme pressure from Congress and the public to maintain launch schedules, and they had not followed established procedures for clearing unresolved problems. Based on these and other observations, the CAIB concluded that NASA was not a learning organization. Organizational learning is not one but several processes by which organizations seek to improve their performance by searching out the causes behind what they judge to be unacceptable results (Mahler & Casamayou, 2009). The CAIB concluded that the organizational causes to the accident included deficiencies in the command structure and safety monitoring systems, an inability to cope with strong external political and budgetary pressures, and an obstructive organizational culture. System Safety The CAIB found that NASA’s safety program was inadequate of achieving the level of safety necessary for the space shuttle program. As a result, the CAIB recommended that the safety system at NASA be restructured to include the system safety fundamentals. System safety is the name given to the effort to make things as safe as is practical by systematically using engineering and management tools to identify, analyze, and control hazards (Stephans, 2004) throughout all phases of the life cycle. At the time of the investigation, NASA’s definition of system safety was as follows: The optimum degree of risk management within the constraints of operational effectiveness, time, and cost attained through the application of management and engineering principles throughout all phases of a program. It was a great definition but NASA did not follow or operate under these fundamentals which were proven by the CAIB time and time again. They found that the system safety engineering and management was not vigorous enough to have an impact on system design, and it was hidden in the other safety disciplines and separated from mainstream engineering which proved extremely ineffective in regards to safety. They also found that the space shuttle safety program had conflicting roles, responsibilities, and guidance. Hazard Analysis The hazard analysis techniques used by NASA at the time of the accident were the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FEMA) and the Fault Tree Analysis (FTA). The CAIB found that the risk information and data from the hazard analyses were not communicated effectively nor could they find adequate application of a process, database, or metric analysis tool that took an integrated, systemic view of the entire space shuttle system. Post Columbia Procedures at NASA Once the investigation into Space Shuttle Columbia’s accident was finished, NASA shut down all space shuttle missions until they felt their system safety and communication procedures where brought up to par. This space shuttle grounding lasted 905 days and finally ended on July 26th, 2005 when the Space Shuttle Discovery successfully flew the STS-114 mission. System Safety NASA took the recommendation of the CAIB and restructured their system safety program. The purpose of the new system safety program within NASA is to ensure that the optimum degree of safety is achieved through management and engineering practices that minimize the number and magnitude of hazards in NASA systems. This is coupled with the application of system safety engineering analyses to detect and assess the nature and magnitude of risks so that they may be eliminated, reduced, or accepted depending on project requirements, schedule, and cost. This purpose is reached through the application of management, scientific, and engineering principles during all phases of a system life cycle. The ultimate goal is to avoid loss of life or injury to personnel, damage to or loss of equipment or facilities, project or test failures, and undue exposure to risk and adverse environmental effects. To date NASA has flown 19 separate space shuttle missions with no incidents under their new system safety program. NASA’s space shuttle fleet is set to retire after just two final missions. Space Shuttle Discovery is expected to launch on November 1st, 2010 and Space Shuttle Endeavour will launch no earlier than February 26th, 2011. Post Columbia Improvements NASA spent $1. 4 billion in an effort to improve the space shuttle after the Columbia incident. The most notable area of improvement was the External Tank. The bipod foam that caused the Columbia disaster was replaced with an electrical heater to prevent ice from forming. Another notable area of improvement was too the Foreign Object Debris (FOD) procedures which improved safety. They also added over 100 tracking cameras to view launches as well as cameras mounted on the External Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters. NASA also has two aircraft equipped with high-definition cameras which offer the unique perspective of a shuttle flying toward the viewer (Chien, 2006). All of NASA’s improvements seem to have worked so far. In the years following Space Shuttle Columbia’s accident, NASA reinvented their company from the ground up and is now used as a model company that others look to for advice and operational information. Conclusion The Space Shuttle Columbia accident may or may not have been preventable. There are numerous things that could have gone differently that might have given the crew a different fate, however, the accident happened in the least bad manner possible. The astronauts were able to enjoy themselves the entire mission, complete essential mission experiments, and reach a goal many of them had worked toward their entire lives. They had no knowledge that the shuttle was damaged and their deaths were mercifully swift. Columbia’s re-entry path over the U. S. made debris recovery far easier than if it had fallen over the ocean. Because so much debris and information was recovered it was possible to determine exactly what happened without any shadow of a doubt. It will certainly always be regrettable that the accident happened, but the fate of the Columbia crew could have been far worse. They will always been remembered as heroes.

Hurricane Floyd Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hurricane Floyd - Essay Example The Hurricane Floyd activated the third biggest evacuation in the United States record where 2.6 million seaside residents were moved from their homes as the hurricane approached (Haddow, Bullock, & Coppola, 2011). Hurricane Rita, among the Atlantic Hurricanes, came to be the fourth–most extreme to ever be registered. It was the most extreme tropical cyclone, in the Gulf of Mexico, ever seen. The coast of West Africa was its origin and moved westward though the Straits of Florida. Hurricane Floyd preparedness and response compared to Hurricane Rita Both Hurricane Floyd and Hurricane Rita were so devastating causing a lot of damage to property and death. The hurricane Floyd caused rainfall over North Carolina. This is a place that had just recently been hit by Hurricane Dennis. This rain led to massive flooding in the area and the rivers were registered to have exceeded the 500-year flood levels. Hurricane Floyd caused the death of 57 people and the damage recorded was estimate d at $4.5 billion which is an equivalent cost of $6.31 billion in 2013 (Haddow, Bullock, & Coppola, 2011). Hurricane Rita overwhelmed low-lying areas near the shore in Louisiana causing effects of Hurricane Katrina that had just happened a month ago to worsen. Lake Charles was hit by massive flooding. In Texas, the massive damage was due to the hurricane winds. The hurricane led to nine counties in Texas to be declared as disaster areas. There were interrupted electric services in the states of Louisiana and Texas for weeks after the hurricane. The damage caused by hurricane Rita along its path was calculated and given to be about $12 billion dollars which is $15.2 billion dollars in 2013. In the four states of United States directly affected by Rita, there was a fatality of 120 people (Haddow, Bullock, & Coppola, 2011). When Hurricane Floyd was predicted, the United States started to enact some measures in preparation of the Hurricane. In the official forecasts of the storm though, there was no prediction of the hurricanes movement northwards and that it would weaken before landfall. There was high hurricane alert on the East coast from Florida to Massachusetts although it turned out that only a part of this region experienced the hurricane winds. In planning for a possibly disastrous landfall, there was evacuation of one million and above residents of Florida. Two hundred and seventy two of those evacuated were from Miami-Dade County. There was a declaration of emergency by the president of United States, Clinton, in both Georgia and Florida in expectation of the Hurricane. There was more evacuation when the storm started heading north. Not all areas evacuated were hit by the storm, but this showed a lot of preparedness in the United States during Floyd (Haddow, Bullock, & Coppola, 2011). Several things were done way better in preparing for Hurricane Floyd than in hurricane Rita. The first problem arose because the prediction of the hurricane Rita was not do ne early enough like that of hurricane Floyd. This was to prove to be a huge error because it provided for a very short time for a large number of people to be evacuated. Hurricane Rita is known to have sparked the largest evacuation in the history of the United States estimated at 2.5 – 3.7 million people. Hence the time that was needed to evacuate this large number of p

Quentin Tarantino Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Quentin Tarantino - Essay Example He was given exposure to different kind of films and he was also influenced by the pop culture, which still influences many people. He called it a day as far as schooling was concerned at the age of 17 and wanted to pursue his career in acting, he supported himself financially during this time. When he turned 22, the genius in him started to show, he started writing scenes which were used in the practice of his acting classes and people also admired him because of his knowledge in the field of movies. All this came to him naturally, right from his childhood films played a big role in shaping up his life. Tarantino did not get success instantly; he literally wasted many years writing scripts for his debut as a director. The year 1991 saw him write Reservoir Dogs, an upcoming producer by the name Lawrence Bender took notice of Tarantino's work and asked him for a month's time to turn his work into a fully-fledged movie. All the plans became successful and the movie was shot in less tha n a month in exotic locations in Los Angeles. The movie has a star cast, which included stars like Michael Madsen, Steve Buscemi, Tim Roth, Laurence Tierney, Chris Penn and the movie was a huge success and turned around the fortune of Tarantino. 1997 saw him writing and directing Jackie Brown. The movie was based on Elmore Leonard's novel Rum Punch, the stars of the movie got nominated for academy awards and this goes to show that the film was a very successful one. "Tarantino's first career goal was to become an actor, and he has continued to play roles in his own films and in the work of others. He was the thief known only as Mr. Brown (That's a little too close to 'Mr.Shit,') in Reservoir Dogs and the jittery Jimmie Dimmick, saddled with a fresh corpse, Pulp Fiction. In the Man from Hollywood section of Four Rooms, he was a blow-hard movie director. He also played bandit George Clooney's loony brother, Richard Gecko, in Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn, played the title rol e in Jack Baren's Destiny Turns on the Radio (1995) and appeared in Spike Lee's Girl 6 (1996). Quentin Tarantino became very renowned after the release of Pulp Fiction (1994), the movie did really very well and shot Quentin Tarantino into the limelight. The writers of the movie were Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary. The movie achieved the biggest prize which any director can dream of, which is undoubtedly The Oscar Award. "This film oozes inspired casting, of actors who either played against type or at least became offbeat and edgy in ways in which we hadn't hitherto known them. Then, through the editing process, by telling the story in a maximum non-linear way, out of time, reducing the film to a series of seeming disjointed non-sequential vignettes, each vignette featuring the aforementioned snappy dialog delivered by the aforementioned hand-picked edgy actors. It is only after watching the entirety of the movie, and reflecting back on it, does the gestalt emerge for the viewer. And, it may take more than one viewing to get there. Then, lastly, by topping it all off with a snazzy soundtrack. That's how. Add all that stuff together and you get Pulp Fiction.  

Proposing a Solution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Proposing a Solution - Essay Example However, Muslims suffer from outrageous discrimination and oppression in German society, which is the blatant violation of human rights entrenched by some United Nations conventions (I suppose there are some). Well, we cannot overlook the fact that, compared to other European countries, Germany provides relatively wide range of opportunities for immigrants’ employment; but Muslim immigrants face barriers in employment related to their religion and ethnicity (Muehe 21), which endangers their welfare and ability to earn their living in the host country. German employers show profound bias in their policy, for they would rather hire a jobless German meeting the requirements than an immigrant worker, who will inevitably the very last resort. This unfair policy seems very controversial, for â€Å"since the 1990s, analysts have pointed to Germanys ongoing need for immigrants to bolster economic development and maintain a dynamic workforce, given the rapid aging of the countrys popu lation† (Oezcan). In other words, don’t Muslim workers deserve equal employment prospects after all they have done for Germany? Moreover, Muslims experience vast cultural and religious discrimination in German environment, which gradually forces them to integrate and assimilate via various sadistic language courses and governmental integration programs. German government first admits Muslim immigrants into the country and then considers five or six million of them a problem that needs to be handled. Muslims experience blatant rejection of their religion and are virtually forced to hide their Islamic centers in unmarked buildings on the outskirts of the cities (Brenner), and the number of mosques in Germany is unbelievably small: Berlin, the great capital if this tolerant state hosts only four big mosques! Muslims are violently persecuted by anti-fundamentalist activists of German descent: for instance, peaceful

Comparison of the British welfare system with the USA welfare system Essay

Comparison of the British welfare system with the USA welfare system and the China welfare system - Essay Example Welfare system generally refers to the structured system of the government of any country to aid the public in living a comfortable and healthy social life. The developed and developing nations of the world like Britain, U.S, and China have a distinct and unique welfare system which serves the purpose of their citizens. It is very essential to compare the welfare system of these three countries in order to understand their respective strengths and weaknesses These three countries have their good and bad aspects in the way their provide public assistance to the welfare of their societies. Nevertheless, a comparison of the welfare system of these nations’ gives a general idea about how organised and well structured is their government’s strategies and planning The welfare systems of these three countries are compared as they are huge countries with credible economic and social development. These countries being wide in area and huge in economical development need to assur e about their considerable hand in health and well being of its citizens. Britain is known to be a wealthiest nation, and when compared U.S, and China, the former has a better public assistance and welfare system. According to Elliott(2010)â€Å"The UK welfare system is designed to help that in need live a dignified existence. The biggest proportion of benefits claimants are the unemployed, people with disabilities, and elderly pensioners† The process of comparison is initiated by analysing the common features of the welfare system of the three countries... It is a fortunate fact that countries like Britain, U.S. and china have a definite health care system which takes care of the health of the people in poverty level. The health of a poor citizen depends on different factors such as environmental condition, biological factor of a person, nutrition and standard of living of that person. In UK, studies have shown that ill health is found mostly among children and adult’s lower class of people .The health care system in Britain is classified as hospital care, primary care, public health. â€Å"The United Kingdom provides health care to residents through the government's National Health Service†. (NHS). These are also an act from the government to socially protect its citizen who is poor from ill health and from physical degradation† (Wolf, 2010). U.S. being the largest economy of the world has their own extensive health care from the part of the government. Nevertheless the poor people are less satisfied and receptive of the healthcare system of the country. As per Heskett(2007)â€Å"The U.S. health is currently costs about $2 trillion per year, and, of this, more than $600 billion (31 percent) is never seen by recipients as it mainly goes for administration. On a per capita basis, it is roughly $280 billion which is spent for administration process and it is a saddening fact†. When it comes to China , their health care system is evolving rapidly as the country’s economic development is booming consistently The government is considering on preventive measure that on curative methods to treat the health of locals and urban population who are at poverty line. b) Pension system and old aged Britain has an extensive pension system which is different from the pension

Culture Shock Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Culture Shock - Essay Example Often, the way that we lived before, is not accepted or considered as normal, in the new place’. The cultural shock experienced by the diverse communities in the current multicultural society due to widely disparate socio-cultural values, is one of the most important factors that needs to be fully understood in the broader context. The changing values necessitate development of a new social order which would not only embrace multi cultural values but help forge a universal bond that would transcend national and religious boundaries for peaceful co-existence. Gender inequality and outlook towards casual sex are two of the most important cultural factors of the conservative cultures of the South-East Asian countries. When people from these countries travel to the West, especially America, they experience cultural shock. America is a land of opportunity and is characterized by its ever expanding diverse cultural paradigms. The democratic values are more emphatically visible here through equality between the genders and freedom of informed choices. The opportunities to exert those choices are openly practiced with societal support that an Indian immigrant, initially finds hard to accept. The language barriers, rules and regulations, food etc are other factors that make it difficult for them to overcome. It is important to understand that dapting to different environment is a gradual process that happens in phases. Before completely getting acculturized, factors like social networking and learning the language of the host country facilitates adjustment.

Education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Education - Research Paper Example There are a variety of post reading strategies that will heighten, enrich and refine interest in a specific topic, but the primary objective of post reading strategies is to further clarify and develop interpretations of readings and text, and to aid students recall whatever they have individually developed in their minds after reading a particular text. There are generally four main types of post reading strategies or activities. These are: a) Those provide students with the opportunity to ask questions with regards to assignments or readings. b) Those that concentrate on text structure c) Those that involve peer and classroom review d) Those that extend learning This paper will be based on the following paragraph from the book Tangerine by Edward Bloor: Antoine studied my face. He said, â€Å"You’re Erik Fisher’s little brother?† I tightened up at the sound of Erik’s name. I mumbled, â€Å"Yes.† Antoine said quietly, â€Å"It’s time to sta rt telling the truth, little brother. Do you understand what I’m saying?† I nodded like I understood. But, I didn’t. Not really. Not until he added, â€Å"Don’t spend your life under the bleachers, little brother. The truth shall set you free.† I nodded with real conviction now. ... Activity 1: Web The discussion web is a graphic illustration that helps students prepare for discussions in the classroom (Kinsella & Widener, 2001). In this case, the students will be required to develop a discussion centered on the paragraph drawn from the book that has been mentioned earlier and to primarily focus on the content. The discussion web is geared towards helping the students examine all sides of an issue and understand all perspectives emanating from that particular issue. Your role (the teacher) in this activity will be that of a moderator and an encourager (Behrens & Rosen, 2008). As a moderator, you will help the students to create a topic and stay focused on it. As an encourager, you will help the students engage participants and ensure that they are free to voice their opinions and points of view. Prepare students for listening or reading by establishing a purpose for reading, activating previous knowledge and introducing important vocabulary. After students have read the paragraph, introduce the web by way of a provocative question. For instance, â€Å"was Paul a dishonest person?† 1. Students will be required (in pairs) to discuss the pros and cons of the question and then complete the web as a unit or team. They will take turns filling in as many NO and YES statements as they can generate. 2. Pairs are rearranged into units of four students, who then compare their webs and come up with one answer to the question. 3. The group chooses and records the most appropriate and strongest argument and gives its reasons for that choice. 4. Each group selects a spokesperson to report (in three minutes) the results, and then students with

Listening To Music And Composing Essay Example for Free

Listening To Music And Composing Essay Listening to music and composing my own digital music is my favorite extra-curricular activity. Music makes me feel refreshed and even after a hectic day at work, five minutes of good music helps me relax my nerves instantly. The routine lifestyle rarely leaves much time for my extra-curricular activity. However, I always make sure to maintain a rich music library on my laptop as well as handheld devices so that I can listen to it whenever I feel. Moreover, I am also into composing music. I am a vocalist, I play the piano and I have a digital mixing console also. My room is a mini studio where I can record my own music. Composing new music or mixing up tracks requires utmost creativity and imagination. In a month, I make sure to publish three mixes after recording and digital reworking. When music is your extracurricular activity, the best part about it is that you can enjoy it indoors. Whatever the weather and climate outside, you can always be comfortable and enjoy it in your room. If you have a dolby surround system in your home, it would serve as the best way to listen to music. Playing a musical instrument is a bliss in itself. Whenever I play the piano, I feel connected to the nature and its energies. That is when your creativity blossoms and you can use your imagination to the fullest in composing new tunes. The best way to enjoy music is to relax on a couch or the bed with the earphones plugged in your ears and listening to it with closed eyes. You can then feel each instrument as it plays. Some people prefer loud music, but it isn’t always enjoyable. Dance music is ok when it comes to parties but it cannot be enjoyed always and when one is seeking relaxation.

Traffic Congestion Problems In Colombo City

Traffic Congestion Problems In Colombo City It is a much known fact nowadays that the traffic congestion in Colombo has increased to a level that most of the personnel operating in Colombo city limits get disturbed in their day to day activities. Further it has come to the light that the traffic accidents in Colombo city area also have been increased during the recent past to a considerable amount mainly due to this congestion. Out of the overall number of traffic accidents reported within the country the most numbers are reported from Colombo city limits. Number of lives lost due to these accidents cannot be considered in light whilst minor scale accidents reported stands at large. Unreported numbers of minor scale accidents are not known but would be as double as the number of reported. Difficulties faced by the motorists, pedestrians, traffic police officials and generally the public in Colombo area due to this traffic congestion are very high. The day to day life of the general public such as attending their office duties, attending children to schools, attending other domestic affairs are getting disturbed heavily due to the unforeseen delays they are compelled to experience at roads caused by traffic congestion blocking the smooth vehicle movements in Colombo city. This is generally wastage of innumerous number of man-hours of working people, loosing billions of rupees of income to the Gross National Product. It is a known fact that the highest number of vehicles, comparative to the other cities in Sri Lanka, operating in Colombo city. Reason for the same is Colombo is the main city in Sri Lanka to where large number of people travel daily to do their jobs, send most number of children to the large number of leading schools located within the city. Further the Colombo harbour is situated within the Colombo city limits resulting a large number of vehicle movements for transportation of goods. Most number of star class tourists hotels located in a single city is Colombo resulting large number of vehicle movements in between Bandaranayke International Airport, Katunayaka and Colombo. Generally the main commecial city of Sri Lanka is Colombo and as a result of that almost all the personnel living at wherever the country are compelled to come to Colombo for some reason which increase the vehicle congestion in Colombo city limits. 4. When a large number of vehicles are operating within a limited area in Colombo city, it is obvious that the number of traffic accidents could be at a higher rate comparative to the number of accidents happened in other cities in Sri Lanka. But in this context what is important to be researched is the reasons for those large number of accidents. The amount of vehicle operating in Colombo city would not be a good reason for any of the citizen of this country to be met with a traffic accident and to get injured or to be killed. This being the situation time has come to analyze the causes contributing to the increase of traffic congestion in Colombo city and to come up with viable solutions to address this problem which will in turn be beneficial to the future prospects of Colombo city, as well as the country as a whole. CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY AIM 5. The aim of this research paper is to analyze the major causes which contributing to the traffic congestion in Colombo city limits and to come up with feasible measures to create a smooth traffic movement in Colombo city limits as an example for the rest of the cities in the country. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 6. Increase of traffic congestion within the Colombo city limits at a drastic rate within a very short period of time has not only resulted the general public operating in the Colombo city to experience unforeseen difficulties at roads but also to be ended up at sometime with fatalities or losses of lives. The continuance in the increase of rate of traffic congestion in Colombo city would become a major burden for the motorists, pedestrians, traffic police officials and all the communities operating in Colombo city and also will bring negative impacts to the development of Colombo as well as the country unless addressed systematically. This research is to identify the major causes which have contributed for the increase of traffic congestion in Colombo city and to recommend feasible measures to reduce the same. THE RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS 7. Unlawful driving habits of the motorists who do not adhere to the traffic regulations is hypnotized as the main cause for the increase of motor traffic congestion in Colombo. SCOPE OF THE STUDY 8. The scope of the study is to confined to the motorists, pedestrians and traffic police officials operating in Colombo city limits to identify their views and attitudes towards the increased rate of traffic accidents in Colombo. The paper also concentrates much on the statistical records of traffic accidents happened in Colombo during the past decade. METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION 9. The collection of data and information for this research will be highly based on the views and the perceptions of the motorists, pedestrians, officials of traffic police department and those who have met with road traffic accidents which will be derived through systematical interviews. A questionnaire will be distributed among 50 personnel composed with 25 drivers including heavy vehicle, light vehicle and three wheeler drivers, 10 pedestrians, 10 personnel met with traffic accidents and 5 traffic police officers. Further this research analysis will be highly based on past statistics available on all traffic accidents in Colombo. THE STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS 10. The thesis is structured as follows: Chapter 1 Introduction. Chapter 2 Methodology. Chapter 3 Increase of vehicle population in Sri Lanka. Chapter 4 Reasons contributing to the traffic congestion in Colombo. Chapter 5 Observations made by the Researcher. Chapter 6 Analysis of data. Chapter 7 Recommendations. Chapter 8 Conclusion. CHAPTER 3 INCRESE OF VEHICLE POPULATION IN SRI LANKA 11. It is a known fact that the vehicle population of Sri Lanka was very minimal before 1980s and wonder whether a word called traffic congestion was heard at that time. However with the influx of the concepts of open economy to the country, the vehicle population was increased but at a moderate rate during 80s and 90s. So that the road network in the country, though not developed much, was sufficient to accommodate the transportation in the country without traffic congestion. But within the last decade the vehicle population of the country was expanded at a drastic rate and almost doubled within a period of eight years. The following statistics at Table 3.1  [1]  gives a clear picture of the vehicle population of the country and the composition of the same. 12. Table 3.2  [2]  shows the rate of increasing of vehicles in the country with the new registrations per year. From year 2002 onwards the new registrations per year exceeds 200,000. In this context what we have to identify is whether the road network has been expanded comparatively to accommodate this number of vehicles. 13. When it comes to Colombo city, it has been revealed that approximately 400,000 vehicles move in and out of Colombo daily basis, which is approximately 15% of the total vehicle population of the country. Though the road network of the main city of the country has been extensively expanded as well, the traffic congestion due to different contributing factors could not have been avoided. It has been come to light that following are the main contributing factors for the traffic congestion in Colombo city and its suburbs. High volume of vehicle movements within the city. Not having a proper traffic plan in the city. Closure of certain roads for security reasons. Bad driving habits of drivers violating traffic rules. Improper parking habits of drivers interrupting smooth vehicle movements due to non availability sufficient parking facilities. Poor traffic controlling duties of traffic police officials. Use of old vehicles not road worthy. Increase of vehicle accidents due to high volume of vehicle movements blocking the smooth vehicle movements. CHAPTER 4 REASONS CONTRIBUTING TO THE TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN COLOMBO 14. Colombo City is the most populated city in Sri Lanka and the living standards of the people living in Colombo is comparatively high resulting a considerable number of people out of those living in Colombo are in possession of a kind of personal vehicles. Further a huge number of people moves in and out of the Colombo city daily basis making the number of vehicles moving in and out on daily basis is very high. As per the statistics available at Traffic Branch of the Police Department, approximately 400,000 vehicles of different categories move in Colombo city daily. 15. Due to this large number of vehicles moving in and out of the Colombo city the average number of accidents reported within the Colombo city is 200 out of which 6 are fatal. It is important to have an idea of the general perception towards the contributing factors for the traffic congestion in Colombo city. GENERAL PUBLIC PERCEPTION 16. Based on the outcome of the ideas obtained from a cross section of drivers and non-drivers operating in Colombo city through a distribution of a questionnaire attached as Annex A, the following factors were revealed out of which some are identified as the contributing factors for the traffic congestion in Colombo city. Chart 4.1 Possession of valid driving license 17. It was revealed through a distribution of questionnaires among 50 personnel driving different types of vehicles in Colombo city area only 80% are with valid driving license whilst others drive different categories of vehicles without driving or riding license as elaborated in Chart 4.1. Chart 4.2 Knowledge on Traffic Rules 18. Percentage of the personnel who are driving vehicles and having an average knowledge on traffic rules and regulations is 60% whilst both the categories of those with very good knowledge and poor stands at 20% each as displayed in Chart 4.2. Chart 4.3 Adherence of Traffic Rules 19. Adherence to traffic rules plays a major role in the context of traffic congestion of any where on the road so do at the Colombo city area and the composition of the same with regard to Colombo city area is as per above Chart 4.3. As per the statistical data received in this regard only 5% of the personnel drive vehicles in Colombo city adhering 100% to the traffic rules and regulations. 70% adhere traffic rules but sometimes violating. 20% adhere traffic rules only when they feel it is required to do so whilst 5% adhere only when traffic police are expected or to be seen on the road. Chart 4.4 Ratio of Drivers met with Accidents whilst driving in Colombo The Chart 4.4 shows how rare we can find a person driving a kind of vehicle but not have met with an accident whist driving in Colombo. 80% of the drivers have met with some kind of traffic accident whilst driving in Colombo. It is important to identify the main reasons behind those accidents and Chart 4.5 elaborates the same. 30% have met with accidents due to the fact that they have not adhering to the traffic rules, at the time of meeting the accident whilst 50% have met with the accidents as a result of the violation of traffic rules by the another party. 15% have met with accident due to the congestion of traffic in Colombo, whilst only 5% due to some other reasons. Chart 4.5 Reasons for the Accidents in Colombo City 21. It is a known fact that use of mobile phones by the drivers whilst driving is one of the major reasons contributing for the traffic accidents so do for the traffic congestion in Colombo city. The research reveals as highlighted at Chart 4.6 that 80% personnel uses mobile phones whilst driving. It was also revealed that 10 % dont uses mobile phones whilst driving and the balance 10% uses mobile phones however after parking the vehicle by side of the road. Chart 4.6 Usage of Mobile Phones Whilst Driving 22. Parking vehicles at unauthorized places by side of the roads increase the traffic congestion in Colombo city very much. Reason for that type of illegal parking varies from person to person and the Chart 4.7 shows the percentage of drivers doing illegal parking whilst Chart 4.8 shows the reason for them to do so. Chart 4.7 Trend of Illegal Vehicle Parking Chart 4.8 Trend of Illegal Vehicle Parking 23. Driving vehicles in accordance to the stipulated speed limits is also a fact required to be adhered to in order to minimize the disturbance to the other vehicles and the commuters as well. The research reveals that, almost all the drivers are operating in Colombo violate the speed limits even in sometimes. Chart 4.9 Adhere to speed limits 24. The general perception of those who are driving a kind of vehicle in Colombo city, towards the reasons for the traffic congestion in Colombo city is emphasized in The Chart 4.10 Though the traffic congestion in Colombo city is a result of combination of different factors, the most contributing factor was identified as the unlawful driving habits of the drivers which stands at 60%. The next main factor which stands at 20% is the huge number of vehicles entering in to Colombo city. Chart 4.10 Reasons for traffic congestion TRAFFIC POLICE OFFICIALS PERCEPTION 25. Traffic Police officials performing traffic duties are one of the main resource personnel from whom an unbiased opinion towards the traffic congestion in Colombo city, could be obtained. A specifically designed questionnaire as at Annex B was distributed among 25 traffic police officials and the outcome of the same is as follows. 26. The very first question was to find whether they see or experience a traffic congestion in Colombo city for which the answer was 100% positive and all the police officials accept the excessive traffic congestion in Colombo. 27. The traffic police officials being the most competent personnel with their observations and experience to list out the factors contributing the traffic congestion in Colombo city were tasked to list out those factors according to the precedence and the outcome is as enumerated at Chart 5.11 Majority of them are in the view of that the bad driving habits of the drivers violating the traffic rules and regulations, come first cause for the present day traffic congestion in Colombo city . Chart 5.11 Reasons for Traffic Congestion as per the precedence 28. The order of precedence explained above at Paragraph 27 was further substantiated based on the factual details of the traffic police officials as shown below at Chart 5.12 The number of personnel getting caught to police net daily for violating traffic rules in Colombo city stands above all the other offenders. Those who are driving vehicles over speeding, though taken as a separate attribute, is again an unlawful driving habit violating the traffic rules. So that the percentage of those who are driving with unlawful driving habits and getting caught to police is 60%. Chart 5.12 Reasons for Traffic Congestion as per the precedence 29. Views of the traffic police officials were expected to find out the most viable solution to the traffic congestion in Colombo city. Though different opinions were found as shown at Chart 5.13, the most viable solutions for which 55% agreed to address this problem was to take stern disciplinary action against those offenders who violate the traffic rules and regulations. Chart 5.13 Reasons for Traffic Congestion as per the precedence CHAPTER 5 OBSERVATIONS MADE BY THE RESEARCHER 30. Further to the facts gathered through the distribution of questionnaires among general public, those who are driving vehicles in Colombo city areas, and the traffic police officials performing duties in Colombo area, the following facts were revealed through visual observations and sporadic interviews of the people hanging around in Colombo area. These were included with bus drivers, three wheel drivers, police officers, pedestrians; personnel using public transport etc. and the following observations were made. a. It was observed that the maximum number of vehicles move in Colombo city area during the following rush hours. 0730 hrs to 0900 hrs During this period the maximum numbers of vehicles moves in Colombo city creating a traffic congestion and the reason is the influx of people to Colombo for employments, businesses,and to attend schools etc 1330 hrs to 1430 hrs This is the time period during when schools are getting closed and a large number of vehicles move in the Colombo city for school services. Due to the fact that a considerable number of leading schools are located in Colombo city itself, the number of light vehicles operating for school services is extremely high resulting the traffic congestion. 1630 hrs to 1830 hrs Soon after the office hours the outward vehicle movements from the Colombo city are very high similar to the morning session creating a traffic congestion. b. The competition of the bus drivers makes havocs in the smooth flow of vehicle movements in Colombo city. Though the buses as well as the other heavy vehicles are to drive in the leftmost lane it is being practiced only for stopping the busses at bus halts to board or alight the passengers. Almost all the bus drivers make their fullest effort to disturb the other buses to make a big catch of passengers which in turn disturb all the vehicles on the roads creating traffic congestions. However not a single bus driver is ready to accept that they are experimenting unlawful driving habits violating the traffic rules. c. Habitual violation of traffic rules by the three wheel drivers are one of the main contributing factors for the traffic congestion in Colombo city. The number of three wheelers in Colombo city is extremely high. Easy maneuverability of three wheelers is being used by most of the drivers to get an extra advantage of reaching their destinations as quickly as possible however violating all the kinds of traffic rules. They do not bother about the difficulties faced by the other motorists and drivers due to their unethical driving patterns ultimately creating unnecessary traffic congestions. d. Parking vehicles by sides of the roads blocking the other free vehicle movement is also a contributing factor for the traffic congestion in Colombo city. Sometimes may be due to the non availability of parking facilities, drivers are used to park the vehicles by side of the roads disturbing the other vehicles. e. Role of the pedestrians too contributes much for the traffic congestion in Colombo city. The extremely poor road discipline of the pedestrians creates unnecessary disturbance to the smooth movement of vehicles. Even at the places where overhead or underground pedestrian crossings are there, most of the pedestrians do not and reluctant to use those facilities but used to cross the road at the shortest way which ends up not only with traffic congestions but also accidents with fatalities. f. Less attention of most of the motorists towards the disturbances for the other vehicles due to the way they are driving also contributes for the traffic congestion in Colombo city. The classic example in this context is the use of mobile phones whilst driving creating unnecessary disturbance for the other vehicles whilst not being aware of it. CHAPTER 6 ANALYSIS OF DATA 31. When the data collected through the systematical interviews, visual observations and distribution of questionnaires were analyzed, it was proven that the following contributory factors have resulted that the traffic congestion in Colombo city and suburbs. High volume of vehicle movements within the city. Not having a proper traffic plan in the city. Closure of certain roads for security reasons. Bad driving habits of drivers violating traffic rules. Improper parking habits of drivers interrupting smooth vehicle movements due to non availability of sufficient parking facilities. Poor traffic controlling duties of traffic police officials. Use of old vehicles not road worthy. Increase of vehicle accidents due to high volume of vehicle movements blocking the smooth vehicle movements. Bad road discipline of pedestrians. 32. The high volume of vehicles of approximately 400,000 are operating in Colombo city daily is undoubtedly is one of the main reasons for the traffic congestion in Colombo city. Number of accidents, as mach as 200 per day consolidates this fact further. But the number of vehicles alone wouldnt have created this much of traffic congestion in Colombo city unless the other contributing factors have popped up as a result of the high volume of the vehicles. All the endeavors have been taken to reduce the effects caused by the other factors such as reducing the violation of traffic rules, unauthorized parking etc. Since those factors play a major role than the volume of the vehicles. 33. As enumerated and hypothesized throughout the research, the unlawful driving habits of majority of the drivers operating in Colombo city are analyzed as the main contributing factor for the traffic congestion in Colombo city. When the number of vehicles are high and certain motorists are in a hurry tend to violate traffic rules and regulations and to reach their destinations as soon as possible ultimately creating traffic jams and blocks at the roads. The competition and the habitually unlawful driving practices of the bus drivers and three wheel drivers contributes this aspect at large. This research hypothesis is further consolidated by the statistical details obtained through the distribution of questionnaire with a percentage of 60% of general public and traffic police officials in the view that the unlawful driving habits of the driver causes traffic congestion in Colombo. 34. Though there are rules and regulations to bring the offenders at the roads before the courts and to be tried, it is not being practice to a satisfactory level. Though the traffic police officials reiterated that the traffic congestion in Colombo city is mainly due to the unlawful driving habits of the drivers, the actions they have taken to address this problem is not visible. The avenues available for the offenders to get themselves free from the traffic violations even after getting caught to traffic police officials are at a large but undisclosed by both parties. CHAPTER 7 RECOMMENDATION 35. Based on the factual details obtained through systematical means and the research analysis, it is evident that the fact of unlawful driving habits of the drivers is to be addressed timely to reduce the traffic congestion in Colombo city and its suburbs at first whilst addressing the rest of the contributing factors gradually. The following actions are recommended to be initiated in this connection. a. Traffic laws, rules and regulations are to be revised and to be incorporated with stern disciplinary action against the violation of traffic rules. b. The traffic police officials as the law enforcing authority should be trained and handled in a more discipline way than as at present to be firm when performing their duties. Internal monitoring systems within the traffic police department are to be established and stern disciplinary action to be taken against those corrupted police officials not carrying out their duties properly. c. A value to be added to the driving license from the time of issuing and it is to be ensured that only the competent and disciplined applicants are issued with driving license. In case of any kind of intentional violation of traffic rule the relevant diving license holder is to be kept under supervision for a standard period of time preferably one year and if found again for intentional violation the driving license is to be terminated. So that, no body will take the risk of getting their driving license terminated. d. Parking facilities in the Colombo district to be expanded and then those who are parking vehicles at unauthorized places to be dealt accordingly. e. Specific rules and regulations for the maintenance of discipline of bus drivers and three wheel drivers are to be brought in to force. f. CCTV monitoring systems to be installed within the Colombo city to trace the drivers violating traffic rules and the police officials not carrying out their duties properly. g. Island wide educational programs to be conducted to bring a behavioral change of the people driving any kind of vehicle in Sri Lanka to be disciplined at the roads and to respect the others. h. Quality of the public transport services are to be increased to motivate the people to use public transport than their private vehicles when coming in to Colombo city which will reduce the influx of light vehicles that contributes much for the traffic congestion in the city. i. Informing motorist about road accidents, traffic congestion and road conditions by traffic radio station which will help motorists to avoid traffic congestion. Helicopters can be use to moniter traffic.  [3]   CHAPTER 8 CONCLUSION 36. It is a known fact that the difficulties faced by the general public, the traffic police officials and the wastage of national resources due to the traffic congestion in Colombo city is utmost and unaccountable. So this is a national issue required to be addressed within the least possible delay without being waiting till the problem get aggravated. As hypothesized the main fact behind the traffic congestion in Colombo city and also in suburbs is the unlawful driving habits of the vehicle users whilst few other factors contribute to increase the problem. As identified and analyzed during the research it is important to address the main factor which is unlawful driving habits of the drivers as the initial step whilst addressing the others thereafter. 37. The outcome of this endeavor to reduce the traffic congestion in Colombo city limits and its suburbs will be an example to address the similar type of traffic congestions in other main cities in Sri Lanka as well. These types of problems cannot be addressed without the support of the general public as well as the officials who are tasked to perform duties in that respect. However with the enforcement of new law and systematical programs to make the driving community more disciplined the traffic congestion of the Colombo would be gradually reduced which will be beneficial for all the people living in this country since this is a problem pertaining to the main business and industrial city of Sri Lanka.