The International Expansion of Design Practices Essay Example for Free

The International Expansion of Design Practices Essay Designing world-class structures is now made easier with software that any architect in the globe may use in the privacy of his home.   3D modeling, rendering and animation software is but an example of such specialized software, making it easier for architects around the world to compete in designing architectural marvels (Advanced Micro Systems, Inc.).   As a matter of fact, architects are already competing to create the world’s best designs.   By their interaction alone, the world of design must be raising its levels of competence to build finer, safer and more beautiful buildings (Coduto).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Kalo Opera Festiva and Danske Arkitekters Landsforbund (the federation of Danish Architects), together with investors were expected to initiate an international architectural competition around the end of the year 2003 (â€Å"International Architectural Competition†).   In the year 2004, the Friends of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights Inc. announced that there were three architectural firms selected by the Architectural Review Committee in one of the stages of the International Architectural Design Competition (ArcSpace.com).   Then there are international competitions that encompass only a specified region.   In Asia, ten architectural companies from Thailand were chosen for an international reward in the year 2005 (Asia Africa Intelligence Wire).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Unsurprisingly, such international competitions urge today’s architect to not only improve his designs by learning from global talents that he competes with, but also to work on becoming the very best in the global field of design practices.   Twenty four design firms from all over the globe submitted proposals to compete for the position of Master Designer of the Orange County Great Park (PR Newswire).   Undoubtedly, all of the proposals submitted were excellent, and world-class!   However, only one architect was to become a true model for the rest of the architectural community to follow.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As mentioned before, architects are getting together at the regional level as well.   This practice is also very healthy for their profession.   The city of the angels regularly lists its top architectural firms, each inspiring the others (Kissock).   The American Institute of Architects claims that â€Å"good design makes a difference.†Ã‚   This association of architects describes itself thus: â€Å"For almost 150 years, members of The American Institute of Architects have worked with each other and their communities to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings and cityscapes.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The architectural community in Australia is said to have received many international awards for its designs (Johnston).   What is more, the entire international community of architects has its own list of top international design firms (KEO International Consultants)!   The competition is stiff, and absolutely healthy.   Under the watchful guiding eye of the top-notch international community of architects, it is difficult for an architectural firm to make an inferior design and thereby endanger the safety of the people who would be occupying the building thus designed.   The world of architectural design is expecting improved output at all levels and at all times.   This international expansion of design practices makes for a safer and more beautiful world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Given the above facts, we hypothesize that the international expansion of design practices is good for the architectural profession.   With the advent of the Internet and the glories of globalization and technology, it is expected that architects around the world must have seen massive improvements in their designs, seeing that they now have access to superior designs from around the world that serve as models in their work.   In this case, as in most others, global heads are better than one! Bibliography Advanced Micro Systems, Inc. (2007). Available at http://www.amsystems.com. (25 January 2007). ArcSpace.com. (24 May 2004). â€Å"International Architectural Design Competition.† Available at http://www.arcspace.com/architects/Predock/canada_museum. (25 January 2007). Asia Africa Intelligence Wire. (4 March 2005). â€Å"Thai Architectural Firms Receive International Award.† Available at http://www.accessmylibrary.com/comsite5/bin/pdinventory.pl?pdlanding=1referid=2930purchase_type=ITMitem_id=0286-18970560. (25 January 2007). Coduto, Donald. (2005). Foundation Design: Principles and Practices. USA: Prentice Hall. International Architectural Competition. Available at http://www.operafest.dk/uk/?Kalo+Opera+Festival/International+Architectural+Competition. (25 January 2007). Johnston, Lindsey. â€Å"The Sun Shines on Architectural Education in Australia.† The International Education Site. Available at http://www.intstudy.com/articles/twearch.htm. (25 January 2007). Keo International Consultants. (2006). Available at http://www.keoic.com/. (25 January 2007). Kissock, Nancy. (12 March 2001). â€Å"Architectural Firms.† Los Angeles Business Journal. Available at http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m5072/is_11_23/ai_71841058. (25 January 2007). PR Newswire. â€Å"International Architectural Firms Compete to Design Orange County Great Park.† Available at http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109STORY=/www/story/06-03-2005/0003775011EDATE. (25 January 2007). The American Institute of Architects. (2007). Available at http://www.aia.org/about_default. (25 January 2007).

The Internet May Harm a Child’s Physical Well Being and Mental Health :: Technology Computers Children

Internet May Harm a Child’s Physical Well Being and Mental Health While online exploration opens a world of possibilities for children, expanding their horizons and exposing them to different cultures and ways of life, they can also be exposed to many dangers exploring the information highway. If not used properly, the Internet may be severely damaging to the mental and physical health of children. There are many different hazards on the Internet. Chatting on the Internet, which enables people as well as children to communicate, without revealing their true identity, is probably THE most dangerous area on the Internet. By engaging in chat, you open yourself up to all sorts of exploitation, and personal harm. Chatting brings people closer, which may not always be a good thing. Offensive dialogue and adult conversation during chat also influences children to use inappropriate language at home as well as in school. Because of the interactive nature of chatting, it is most likely activity online through which children may be harmed. Too much time online limits a child's well-rounded development by taking the place of friends, schoolwork, sports and other activities. While on the Internet, it is probable that one will get carried away and lose track of time. Since being on the Internet is so time consuming, it is possible for anyone to get addicted. Any parent that values his child’s mental and physical well being should avoid this. Easy access to sites promoting hatred, violence, drugs, cults, and other things not appropriate for children, is another great hazard of the Internet. Besides offering opportunities and access to unsavory activities, these sites also, quite often present misleading and inaccurate information. In most cases, parents cannot censor what their children read online, what sites they visit, what kind of people they chat with, or the things they purchase. Accessing the Internet means accessing violent material, by means of reading and watching. Basically, a parent does not have control over what their child does. There are no restrictions on marketing products such as alcohol, tobacco, and arms to children- Marketing deceptively collects personal information from kids in order to sell products to them or their parents. Requests for personal information for contests and surveys that are used in unauthorized ways often may occur. By submitting personal information in order to purchase goods or services through the Internet, we are exposing ourselves to hackers. Hackers illegally obtain private files stored on computers.

Muslims in America

Population So far, there are no official, accurate figures concerning the actual number of Muslims living in the United States. Estimates have ranged from as low as less than three million to as high as over six million. This is understandable because the statistics being released by the census bureau do not include religion as a category. As far as the census figures are concerned, therefore, Muslims could have been counted as Asians, Arabs, Africans, or even Europeans (Mujahid). Independent observers believe that the figures being released to media depend on the partiality of the source. For instance, David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee, claimed that the number of Muslims living in the United States as of 2001 did not exceed 2.8 million – a figure which was way below the estimates submitted by several researchers. This statement was immediately contradicted by Ibrahim Hooper. Speaking on behalf of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Hooper argued that the report which was generated by a review commissioned by the American Jewish Committee was a â€Å"desperate attempt to discount the role of American Muslims.† The debate appears inconclusive since the figures released by Harris and the American Jewish Committee might just prove inaccurate if one considers that the review was done in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks – which everybody knows precipitated an anti-Muslim sentiment in the country (Zoll). However, the exact number of the Muslim-American population is not that significant if one’s purpose is to fully understand the Muslim-American community and examine how it has assimilated and contributed to the economic and social development of the United States. They could be over six million or less than two million – what is more important is the quality and the extent of their contribution as well as their desire to exert a sustained effort aimed at increasing the same. Considering the effects of the 9/11 attacks, the commitment of Muslim-Americans to peace and development in the country acquires greater significance. Profile Almost 80% of Muslim Americans are between 16 and 65 years of age. They belong to households with an average membership of five, suggesting a family-oriented culture. Majority of these families live in cosmopolitan centers: California has the highest concentration of Muslim-Americans with 20%, followed by the state of New York (16%), Illinois (8%), and 4% each for the states of Indiana and New Jersey. Michigan, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia each account for three percent of all Muslim-Americans. The fact that they are found in multiethnic and multicultural communities indicates that Muslim-Americans do not have difficulty in living with people with different backgrounds and persuasions. Not all Muslim-Americans are Arabs. In fact, only a minority of about 12% are of Arab descent while 24% originated from South Asia, the majority (42%) being African-Americans. Sixty-seven percent of all Muslim-Americans are immigrants and/or descendants of immigrants. In addition, around 30% of all African-American inmates in the country’s penitentiaries are either Muslims or Muslim converts (Mujahid). Most of the Muslim-Americans are professionals with only a very few venturing in private business. However, the professionals are versatile, making their contributions from different fields. Many of them are serving under the United States Armed Forces. As a matter of fact, the number of Muslim-American servicemen exceeds one percent of the entire population of the armed services of the country. Some – more than 10% – are in the computer and engineering industries, another 8% are employed in the medical field, and some 4% have ventured in the financial field (Mujahid). The Muslim-Americans are not an impoverished people. Although national figures are not currently available, the average income of a Muslim-American household in the state of Illinois was found to be $53,500,.with the Arab Muslims earning the highest average income of $69,000 and the African-American Muslims earning a lower $32,000 a year (Mujahid). In other words, they are good contributors not only to the coffers of the state and federal governments in terms of income taxes but also to private business as far as their purchasing power is concerned, underlying their significant contribution to the overall economy of the country. As a matter of fact, as shown by a study conducted recently by the Detroit-based JWT Advertising, reportedly the biggest advertising company in the country, the purchasing power of the Muslim-American community in the country is estimated at around $170 billion. This is the reason why JWT Advertising is now collaborating with other organizations to assist them in capturing their share of the rather large business of the Muslim-American community. To achieve this objective, the business firms in the Detroit area are now making use of the different aspects of the Muslim culture to win over Muslim customers. In fact, according to the director of trends spotting of JWT, Ann Mack, â€Å"Some marketers – – I am not going to name them specifically – are having Ramadan advertisements,† she says, â€Å"and because they are speaking specifically to these populations, they will appeal, they will resonate and those consumers will tend to gravitate towards these brands† (Elshinnawe). Some companies have been treating this issue seriously. IKEA, a Swedish company engaged in the furniture business even sought the help of the chairman of the American Arab Chamber of Commerce. When consulted, Nasser Baydoun recalled that â€Å"What we were able to do was to teach them how to market to our community.—how does our community get its information, how do they choose which store they go to and how does IKEA create a working staff that is friendly to the community.† Based on this advice, IKEA put together a diversity training program for all its employees, started talking about the needs of Muslims, and required its designers to adapt their product designs to fit the needs and tastes of the Muslim community. All of these changes were aimed specifically at ensnaring the market offered by the Muslim-American community (Elshinnawe). Programs and practices The community takes care of its basic needs. Their religious and educational needs are being served by around 3,000 Islamic centers and mosques scattered all over the country, approximately 500 Islamic Sunday schools, at least 200 Islamic schools and six schools of higher learning. The members of the community are active in spreading the shahadah. In the Illinois area alone, a significant growth was observed. Twenty-five percent of new Muslims in the state came from conversion from other faiths. The Islamic practice of Friday prayers is, however, observed by only about four percent of the community. Observers could not be certain whether this indicates a low religiosity among the Muslims, or whether this is due to the fact that Muslims are not being given a day off from their work to enable them to attend the Friday prayer. As far as tithing is concerned, it is estimated that about $100 million is collected from Muslims every year to go to the coffers of their favored relief organizations for the purpose of helping the less fortunate. Fasting during the month of Ramadan, on the other hand, is practiced by an estimated 47% of the Muslim community (Mujahid). Muslim American Society (MAS) The MAS is a â€Å"charitable, religious, social, cultural, and educational, not-for-profit organization.† It is part of a movement which called on Muslims all over the world to make Islam their â€Å"total way of life.† In the United States, it traces its root to the Muslim Student Asociation (MSA) which was established in 1963 to serve the needs of students and immigrants arriving in the country during the later part the 1950s and the early 1960s. After twenty years, the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) emerged from the MAS. By 1992, the Muslim American Society was organized to provide better outreach programs and serve the increasing needs of Muslim-Americans. Its mission statement is: â€Å"To build an integrated empowerment process for the American Muslim community through civic education, participation, community outreach, and coalition building; to forge positive relationships with other institutions outside of our community, that will ensure and facilitate the protection of civil rights and liberties for American Muslims and all Americans† (Muslim American Society). The MAS, therefore, is the best evidence of the Muslim-Americans’ desire to fully integrate with the American society and do their best in protecting not only the rights of Muslims but Americans in general, particularly against the negative effects of terrorism. As FBI Director Robert S. Mueller said in a briefing held on February 17, 2004: â€Å"†¦at the outset, I should mention that the Muslim American †¦ communities in the United States have contributed a great deal to our success. And on behalf of the FBI, I would like to thank these communities for their assistance and for their ongoing commitment to preventing acts of terrorism.† Works Cited Elshinnawi, Mohamed. â€Å"US Companies Aim Advertising at Muslim Americans.† Voice of America. 19 September 2007. 30 November 2007. Mujahid, Abdul Malik. (2007). â€Å"Muslims in America: Profile 2001.† 2007. 30 November, 2007 Muslim American Society. 30 November 2007 Zoll, Rachel. â€Å"Group: Muslim Population Overstated.† Number of Muslims in the United States. 22 October 2001. 30 November 2007.            

A Brief Guide to Modernization Theory

Modernization theory emerged in the 1950s as an explanation of how the industrial societies of North America and Western Europe developed. The theory argues that societies develop in fairly predictable stages through which they become increasingly complex. Development depends primarily on the importation of technology as well as a number of other political and social changes believed to come about as a result. Overview Social scientists, primarily of white European descent, formulated modernization theory during the mid-20th century. Reflecting on a few hundred years of history in North America and Western Europe, and taking a positive view of the changes observed during that time, they developed a theory that explains that modernization is a process that involves industrializationurbanizationrationalizationbureaucracymass consumptionthe adoption of democracy During this process, pre-modern or traditional societies evolve into the contemporary Western societies that we know today. Modernization theory holds that this process involves  increased availability and levels of formal schooling, and the development of mass media, both of which are thought to foster democratic political institutions. Through the process of modernization, transportation and communication become increasingly sophisticated and accessible, populations become more urban and mobile, and the extended family declines in importance. Simultaneously, the importance of the individual in economic and social life increases and intensifies. Organizations become bureaucratic as the  division of labor  within society grows more complex, and as it is a process rooted in scientific and technological rationality,  religion declines in public life. Lastly, cash-driven markets take over as the primary mechanism through which goods and services are exchanged. As it is a theory conceptualized by Western social scientists, it is also one with a capitalist economy at its center. Cemented as valid within Western academia, modernization theory has long been used as a justification for implementing the same kinds of processes and structures in places all over the world that are considered under- or undeveloped as compared with Western societies. At its core are the assumptions that scientific progress, technological development and rationality, mobility, and economic growth are good things and are to be constantly aimed for. Critiques Modernization theory had its critics from the start. Many scholars, often people of color and those from non-Western nations, pointed out over the years that modernization theory fails to account for the way Western reliance on colonization, slave labor, and theft of land and resources provided the wealth and material resources necessary for the pace and scale of development in the West (see postcolonial theory for extensive discussions of this.) It cannot be replicated in other places because of this, and it  should not  be replicated in this way, these critics argue. Others, such as  critical theorists including members of the Frankfurt School, have pointed out that Western modernization is premised on the extreme exploitation of workers within the capitalist system, and that the toll of modernization on social relations has been great, leading to widespread social alienation, a loss of community, and unhappiness. Still others critique modernization theory for failing to account for the unsustainable nature of the project, in an environmental sense, and point out that pre-modern, traditional, and indigenous cultures typically had much more environmentally conscious and symbiotic relationships between people and the planet. Some point out that elements and values of traditional life need not be completely erased in order to achieve a modern society​, pointing to Japan as an example.