Queuing System At The Entrance Of Klimahaus Tourism Essay

Queuing System At The Entrance Of Klimahaus Tourism Essay Waiting in line for service is part of everyday life. As consumption and production of service occur simultaneously, variations in demand for service as well as in service time requirements result in idle service capacity at some times and the formation of queues at others. A queue forms whenever the demand for service exceeds the existing service capacity. (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006) Experts suggest that no aspect of customer service is more important than the wait in line to be served. (Bennett, 1990, cited in Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006, p. 389). The waiting experience, or more precisely the perception of waiting time, has a strong effect on customers ´ overall satisfaction with the service ((Pruyn Smidts, 1998). Moreover, if customers find a queue too long or slow-moving they may balk and decide not to join the service system at all or customers who have joined the queue may renege, which means that they leave a queue before receiving service. Both balking and reneging represent losses in revenue and goodwill to the service organization (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006; Ou Rao, 2003). Several service operations management techniques exist to reduce waiting time and hence customer balking and reneging, most common is the variation of service capacity. However, oftentimes the reduction of waiting time is not feasible due to the size of the queue, the space of the facility or cost factors in personnel which makes customer waiting inevitable (Pearce, 1989). If waiting time cannot be reduced service organizations are advised to find ways to make time pass as quickly and pleasantly as possible (Maister, 1985, cited in Pruyn, 1998). (Pruyn Smidts, 1998) even state that the waiting environment, namely the design, decoration and stimuli which distract customers ´ attention from waiting, is a stronger determinant of service satisfaction than the actual waiting time. Therefore they advise service managers to focus less on reducing waiting times but to pay attention to the waiting conditions instead. The understanding of each feature of a queuing system provides insights and identifies management options for improving customer service (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). In the following the features of a queuing system are being described and the current queuing system at the entrance of the Klimahaus ® Bremerhaven 8 ° Ost, a science centre situated in the tourist quarter called Havenwelten in Bremerhaven/Germany, is being evaluated. Subsequently, suggestions for improvement are being made whereby physical, psychological and economic factors are taken into account likewise. 2. Queuing Systems Figure 1: Queuing System Source: Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006Queuing systems occur in a variety of forms but the common essential features of queuing systems are the calling population, the arrival process, the queue configuration, the queue discipline and the service process as illustrated in the figure below (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). In the following the individual features of a queuing system will be explained. 2.1 Calling population Figure 2: Calling Population Source: Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006 Arrivals represent the calling population which can consist of a homogeneous group or of several subpopulations. Subpopulations have different waiting expectations and place different demands on services. In a queuing system the number of customers requiring service can be limited or unlimited (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). If the number is finite, the number of customers outside the queuing system will depend on the number of customers already in the system and if the number is infinite, the number of customers outside the system in not affected by the number of customers already in the system (Tadj, 1995). 2.2 Arrival process Any analysis of a system must begin with a complete understanding of the temporal and spatial distribution of the demand for service (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). Arrival time data can be collected and used to calculate interarrival times. Generally the distribution of interarrival times is exponential. The exponential distribution gives the probability that the time between arrivals will be t or less (e. g. minutes between arrival) and the so called Poisson distribution gives the probability of n arrivals during the time interval t (e. g. arrivals per hour). Both distributions represent alternative views of the same process (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). Characteristic for the exponential distribution is the no memory-property which means that the probability distribution of the time until the next arrival is independent of the last arrival (Tadj, 1995). 2.3 Queue configuration Queue configuration is the design of a waiting line system and refers to the number of queues, their locations and their spatial requirements. The queue configuration has an effect on the wait time and on customer behaviour. A queue is said to be finite if for example the spatial requirements are not sufficient to accommodate all waiting customers or if a public parking garage has not enough parking lots and arriving customers have to be turned away (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). The figure below shows several alternatives of waiting configurations and their advantages and disadvantages(Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). Figure 3: Queue Forms and Their Features Source: Pearce, 1989 Another alternative is a virtual queue, usually on the telephone, which can be considered most frustrating for customers because oftentimes they do not know their position in line when they are placed on hold (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). 2.4 Queue discipline The queue discipline is a policy established by management to select the next customer from the queue for service (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). If the management applies the first-come, first-served rule (FCFS) all customers are treated fairly and are served according to their position in line. This queue discipline is said to be static. In a dynamic queue discipline, however, the next customer to be served is selected according to one or more attributes, for example in the shortest-processing-time approach (SPT) customers who require short processing times are given priority. This is done by placing arrivals in different priority groups on the basis of some attributes and by applying the FCFS within each group. This practice is said to minimize the average time a customer spends in the queuing system. A further procedure which is common in a medical context is triage, where priority is given to those who benefit most from an immediate treatment. The preemptive priority procedure is the most responsive queue discipline because service even is interrupted in order to serve an arriving customer with higher priority. This rule is applied in emergency services or fire ambulance services (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). 2.5 Service process Due to variations in customer needs and server performances, the service time distribution can be of any form. However, if the service is simple to perform the service time distribution frequently is exponential (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). Figure 4: Classification of Service Processes Source: Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006 According to (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006) there are several possible service facility arrangements: Service Facility Server Arrangement Parking lot Self-servicer Cafeteria Servers in series Toll booths Servers in parallel Supermarket Self-serve, first stage; parallel servers, second stage Hospital Service in parallel and series, not all used by each patient A service facility arrangement with servers in parallel has the advantage that it is flexible in meeting variations in demand for service. The service capacity can be adjusted to meet changes in demand, especially if employees are cross-trained (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). 2.6 Economic, physical and psychological aspects of customer waiting Economic cost of waiting For the service organization the economic cost of waiting is the wage of an idle employee at times of low demand for service. Times of high demand for service and resulting excessive wait times for customers or even the expectation of long waits can lead to lost sales. For customers the cost of waiting is the forgone alternative use of that time at times of high demand for service plus the costs of boredom, anxiety, and other psychological distress (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). Physical needs of waiting customers To make the waiting experience more comfortable it is advisable to provide shelter from rain, sun or wind. Usually people relieve fatigue by leaning, stooping and propping themselves against bars, rails and barriers therefore seats, queue rails, steps or leaning bars should be provided for waiting customers if possible. Psychological needs of waiting customers According to {{21 Fitzsimmons,James A. 2006}} the perception of waiting often is more important to the consumer than the actual time spent waiting. If the customer expectation exceeds the perception the customer is unsatisfied and contributes to a bad reputation of the service organization, if the perception exceeds the expectation the customer is satisfied with the service and contributes to a good reputation of the service organization {{21 Fitzsimmons,James A. 2006}}. Customers waiting in line should not be excluded from an attentive service. Customers should be given the feeling that the service company knows that they are there and that service has started already {{22 Pearce,Philip L. 1989}}. Psychological and physical needs of people in queues can be met with a range of innovative queue management techniques {{22 Pearce,Philip L. 1989}}. Some methods to .. are named by {{21 Fitzsimmons,James A. 2006}}(Fitz..) are animation, discrimination, automation and obfuscation. Animation and distraction lead to a shorter perceived waiting time because the attention is drawn away from the internal clock (Pruyn Smidts, 1998). {{22 Pearce,Philip L. 1989}} considers information provision as one of the most important methods because frustration, boredom and a range of negative emotional effects follow from this lack of information to the waiting to the waiting public. 3. The Queuing System of the Klimahaus ® Bremerhaven 8 ° Ost The Klimahaus ® is a science centre in Bremerhaven which opened on 27th of June 2009. On an exhibition area of 11,500 m ² and 143 exhibition rooms the experiential museum presents data, facts and phenomena on climate and climate protection. As a relatively new attraction the museum experiences high demand and congestion, especially at weekends, holidays and in the summer season. 600,000 visitors were calculated per year but due to the novelty effect, the Klimahaus ® could welcome its millionth visitor after only 15 months of operation, on 22nd of September 2010. (www.klimahaus.de). Considering the opening hours of the Klimahaus ® this gives on average 243  visitors/hour, whereby the Klimahaus ® experiences significant variations in demand which lead to waiting times up to 2,5 hours at some times. There are numerous attractions in the Havenwelten and the risk is high that people change their mind when confronted with a long queue in front of the ticket counter and go somew here else. To keep the high level of visitor numbers even when the novelty effect has faded, the Klimahaus ® relies on satisfied customers who recommend a Klimahaus ®-visit to others and are willing to visit the museum repeatedly, despite long waiting times that can occur. In the following the current queuing system of the Klimahaus ® is being evaluated and the physical, behavioural, and economic aspects of the consumer waiting experience are taken into account in order to make suggestions for the improvement of the waiting line management. 3.1 Calling population The calling population of the Klimahaus ® consists of walk-in customers (either locals or tourists) who arrive randomly and groups or school classes with reservations. For a group reservation a minimum of 15 people is required. While walk-in customers are not controllable group arrivals are planned and hence controllable. The number of walk-in customers is infinite whereas the number of groups on a specific day can be considered finite because group reservations need to be made at least a day in advance. Hence, the probability of future group arrivals on a specific day depends on the number of groups currently in the system. Groups and school classes can be expected to have significant lower waiting expectations compared to walk-in customers due to their reservations which are linked to a `front of the line-service ´ upon arrival. Locals, again, can be expected to have lower waiting expectations than tourists because they can choose a less busy day or time for their Klimahaus ® -visit or at least buy their tickets at less busy times to avoid waiting in line. Tourists oftentimes come to Bremerhaven at weekends or during holiday seasons and therefore may expect a longer wait. However, within each subpopulation the waiting expectations may differ significantly among customers due to their respective opportunity costs. 3.2 Arrival process The collection of arrival time data is necessary to get an understanding of the temporal and spatial distribution of demand for service in order to identify periods of high and low demand for service and measures to better match service capacity with service demand. However, no service demand data was available for this paper except from the visitor number of 1,000,000 on the 22nd of September 2010 which is published on the homepage and could be used to calculate the average number of visitors per hour in the first 15 months of operation with 243. As many other service organizations the Klimahaus ® experiences variable demand and variable service times which leads to waiting times up to 2.5 hours at busy times. Those variations in demand affect the requirements for service capacity. When possible, the number of servers is adjusted to match changes in demand. Although the cross-trained employees of the Klimahaus ® are a perfect basis for adjusting service capacity to changes in de mand, for the museum this strategy is only reasonable to a small extent. The exhibition itself has limited spatial capacity and increasing the level of staff would result in overcrowding and reduce the level of security. Therefore, this paper is going to focus on other strategies to reduce waits or to make them at least more tolerable. 3.3 Queue configuration As the figure below shows, the Klimahaus ® applies a single line multiserver model where customers form a single line and are served by the first server available. Figure 5: Ticket counter at the Klimahaus ® Source: www.nordsee-zeitung.de Figure 6: Queue configuration of the Klimahaus ® Bremerhaven 8 ° Ost (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006) name the advantages and disadvantages of a single queue as follows: Generally a single queue arrangement guarantees fairness because customers are served in order of their arrival (first-come, first-served). However, as can be seen on Picture 2, the waiting line system of the Klimahaus ® does not prevent people from cutting-in because the biggest part of the waiting line is in front of the Klimahaus ® at the so called Havenplaza where no barrier ropes are being used. This fact, on the other hand, allows single members of a family or small group to leave the queue and e. g. to have a look at the Klimahaus ® -shop or the nearby shopping centre or to get some brochures from the tourist information. Since there is only one queue, customers do not feel anxious about whether they have selected the fastest line. Wait time is affected by the design of the waiting line system the single line model is more efficient in terms of reducing the average time that customers spend waiting in line. Figure 7: Havenplaza Source: www.nordsee-zeitung.deA single-line approach comes with higher spatial requirements compared to a multiple lines approach because there is one long queue instead of several shorter queues. The Klimahaus ®-queue can be said to be infinite because the Havenplaza in front of the museum and the parking garages in the immediate vicinity offer sufficient capacity to accommodate arriving customers. Figure 8: Queue configuration of the Klimahaus ® Bremerhaven 8 ° Ost (high demand)Customers may interpret a long queue as evidence of a long wait and decide not to join the queue. (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006) suggest hiding a long waiting line from customers, e. g. by integrating the queue into the design of the building, to prevent customers from balking. The approach of integrating the queue into the design was not adopted by the museum, presumably due to space or cost reasons or because it is not that common for museums. (Pearce, 1989) on the other hand states that customers may prefer to see the end of a queue because it gives them a feeling of certainty. Although, in case of the Klimahaus ® visual access from the back of queue is poor as can be seen on Picture 2. However, to avoid frustration among arriving customers and to give them a feeling of certainty in order to make them join the queue, it is advisable to make information on the expected waiting time available (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006; Pearce, 1989). The single queue arrangement proves to be flexible at times of high demand because the number of servers can be adjusted, especially if employees are cross trained as it is the case in the Klimahaus ®. However, as mentioned earlier the Klimahaus ® itself has limited spatial capacity and increasing the level of staff would result in overcrowding and reduce the level of security. A disadvantage of the single line-approach is that people have to stand in line in contrast to the take a number-approach where people are free to wander around. The take a number-approach can be an attractive alternative because there is no need for a formal line and customers could go to the Klimahaus ®-shop or to the nearby shopping centre. On the other hand, customers have to stay alert otherwise they risk missing their turns for service. Queue width also plays an important role. In contrast to a one-person wide queue, a wider queue like the one used by the Klimahaus ® is desirable because it enables family members to stand side by side in the queue which enables conversation and children have more room to stretch and interact (Pearce, 1989). When considering the physical needs of people waiting in line, it can be noted that the Havenplaza is a roofed hall which provides shelter from the sun or rain and has public toilets. On the other hand customers waiting in line have no possibilities to sit or lean (e. g. on hand rails) to relieve from fatigue. As mentioned earlier, animation and distraction lead to a shorter perceived waiting time because the attention is drawn away from the internal clock (Pruyn Smidts, 1998). Above the ticket counter there is a tv screen that shows pictures and information regarding the exhibition but unfortunately it is only visible for customers waiting inside the building. When the wait time is especially long, occasionally an employee is deployed at the Havenplaza in order to answer questions of waiting customers, to hand out flyers to adults or balloons, gummi bears etc. to children. Moreover, sometimes the mascot of the Klimahaus ®, Max the climate mouse, animates children waiting in line. 3.4 Queue discipline Generally the queue discipline of the Klimahaus ® is first come, first service, except for groups with reservations who benefit from a common  ´front of the line service ´ upon arrival. (Friedman Friedman, 1997) states that customers with high opportunity costs, e. g. tourists who have a short stay in Bremerhaven or explicitly come to Bremerhaven for a Klimahaus ®-visit or customers who just do not like to wait in line, might be highly sensitive to long waits and be willing to pay a premium for a faster service in a separate line to avoid waiting. Waiting line segmentation might be an option for the Klimahaus ® to reduce waiting for the customers in the regular queue and the customers in the fast queue. If the premium covers the cost of the additional server, waiting line segmentation is a simple, cost-free strategy for increasing profit, employment, efficiency and customer satisfaction (Friedman Friedman, 1997). 3.5 Service process No service time data is available and need to be collected but the service time distribution can be considered to be exponential because the service is simple to perform. In case of the ticket counter at the entrance of the Klimahaus ® servers are arranged in parallel which has the advantage that variations in demand for service could be met by adjusting the number of servers to meet demand. Nevertheless, to avoid overcrowding in the exhibition there are regularly three but no more than four servers at the ticket counter at times of high demand. (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006) advise service managers to keep in mind that sustained pressure to hurry may increase the rate of customer processing, but it also sacrifices quality. 4. Suggestions for Improvement Since adjusting service capacity to meet high levels of demand cannot be considered a reasonable strategy for the Klimahaus ® to reduce waiting, other strategies like differential pricing to encourage customers to use the off-peak hours should be taken into consideration (Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons, 2006). Usually in the latter part of the day, the Klimahaus ® experiences lower demand because a visit takes 3 5 hours on average. For this reason it might be useful to offer an afternoon ticket which is cheaper the usual day-ticket to level demand. It needs to be analysed if such an offer would have a cannibalizing effect or a positive effect on revenue from entrance tickets. A further strategy to reduce waiting is waiting line segmentation which could also be an option for the Klimahaus ® because it is a simple, cost-free strategy for increasing profit, employment, efficiency and customer satisfaction. However, before implementing such a strategy the service organization would have to do some testing to determine the optimal size of premium and to determine the acceptance of customers. Customers who decide to stay in the regular queue or cannot afford to take the more expensive fast lane might perceive this practice as unfair and catering to the rich which can result in a negative image of the Klimahaus ® (Friedman Friedman, 1997). Due to the significant variations in demand waiting in line for a ticket is inevitable and therefore the waiting experience should be made as pleasant as possible under the given circumstances. Because the biggest part of the queue forms not in the Klimahaus ® itself but at the Havenplaza, the Klimahaus ® could be advised to prove the possibility of installing benches or leaning bars for the customers to relief from fatigue. Customers waiting in line should not be included in an attentive service and questions of arriving customers should be answered to give them security. If it is not feasible for cost reasons to have an employee answering questions in person, wait time-signs should be set and a FAQ-sheet which all important information should be made available to arriving customers. Also display panels or sheets (alongside the queue) which ask the waiting public questions, or which set them tasks to solve, assist both the information needs of the public and their perception of time (Pearce, 1989). Furthermore, the mascot, Max the climate mouse, is relatively unknown and could be used more often to animate children waiting in line with their families. 5. Conclusion By analysing the features of the queuing system at the entrance of the Klimahaus ® useful insights could be gained. Due to significant variations in service demand, waiting in line to get a ticket is inevitable at times when service demand exceeds service capacity. Increasing the number of servers at the ticket counter at times of high demand would compound overcrowding in the spatial limited exhibition and therefore increasing service capacity to meet demand cannot be considered an appropriate strategy for the Klimahaus ® to reduce waiting. Further investigation on this topic could be helpful to identify the optimal staffing level in consideration of the space limitation of the museum and to develop measures to reduce overcrowding in the exhibition. Possible strategies to shorten waits could be identified like waiting line segmentation or price differentiation. However, in order to effectively implement those strategies, service demand and service time data need to be collected and analysed. Moreover, by taking into account the physical and psychological needs of customers waiting in line, methods to make wait more tolerable could be identified to improve customers ´ queuing experience, A more pleasant queuing experience can not only reduce balking, reneging and thus lost sales for the Klimahaus ® but also increase the customers ´ overall satisfaction with the service.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Family Types

Advantages and Disadvantages of Family Types Individual Family culture VS Traditional Family Culture.   Advantages Of The Nuclear Family While discussing about the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear family, the first and foremost point pops up in the mind of a person is privacy of life.   Privacy:  The couple can get their privacy in their own house in nuclear families whereas you cannot get your privacy in a joint family. People can live their own way and can do whatever they want to. There are no such boundaries set by the elders to follow.   Financial stability:  When we talk about the advantages and disadvantages of the nuclear family, then financial stability is one of the strongest points in the nuclear family. One can be financially strong because of limited expenses. There is less number of people in the nuclear family and hence less expenses. You cannot have a strong financial stability if you are the only person who is earning in a joint family.   Freedom:  The elders restricts youngsters not to do certain tasks because they think this is not good for them. But today’s generation is very smart. They know what is good and bad for them and have enough analytical power so they don’t like to restrict themselves. Instead, they want their freedom so that they can do and achieve whatever they want in their life.   Ease in moving:  When you have a nuclear family, you face fewer problems while shifting from a house. You can manage your things according to you without disturbing the lives of other people. This is one of the major advantages of the nuclear family.   Avoidance of stress and discomfort:  Some people are emotional. They can’t tolerate any kind of fun that is on them and in the joint family, one need to have much high patience. But, nuclear families has the advantage that if you live in the company of those with whom you are very comfortable then there is no need to take any stress and your discomfort also get vanished in a moment.   Disadvantages Of The Nuclear Family While thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of the nuclear family, a person should also think that it is not always good to live in a nuclear family. At certain points, you realize the value of joint family. Here are those points which will teach you the importance of joint family and disadvantages of nuclear families.   No care:  If the parents are working and children suffered from any small or big disease, then one needs to deal with it alone as they don’t have elders and other family members to take care of. This is the major disadvantage of the nuclear family. One is alone and feels even sicker when he sees no one around. Problems to children:  If your child is small and needs special care, then at that point, you will definitely find the nuclear family not good enough. You will always think that if you were in a joint family then this condition would never arise as you have other family members who can take care of the child and in the mean time, you can do your work. Security and safety:  Security is one another disadvantage in the nuclear family. People feel insecure in the nuclear family. There are so many cases of robbery and murders and many of them are from nuclear family itself, as it is easier to grab someone who lives alone in a house or with less number of people. No support:  When we talk about the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear family, support is the thing one will always miss. If there is an argument between the couple then there is no one to support any one of them. They have to deal with their problem alone without any support. Sometimes due to open nature and ego, the fight results in divorce or separation because there was no one to make them understand the basics of a relationship. Extra Expenses: When you live in a community or in a joint family, then you have the liability to keep other happy and familiar to you. In order to do this, you need to do some extra expenses. Suppose, you bring some gift for your child then it is also important to bring some gift for other children in the family. TRADITION FAMILY CULTURE:- In an extended  family, parents and their childrens families may often live under a single roof. This type of  joint family  often includes multiple generations in the  family. From culture to culture, the variance of the term may have different meanings. Advantages of Joint Families Cradle of social virtues: Joint family is like a nursery to teach social virtues. It helps to develop social virtues like co-operation, sympathy, sacrifice, affection, spirit of selfless service, obedience and broadminded. Insurance against olds: Joint Family Acts as insurance for the members of the family at the time of crisis. It provides social security to its members especially to the old, the infirm, the unemployed persons, the orphans, the widowed daughters and sisters as well as the physical and mentally handicapped among them. For all such persons the joint family acts as an insurance company. Division of labour: In a joint family each member is given work according to his or her capacity. The men, women and children all have to work. For example, in a peasant joint family all the members work actively according to their ability. The old persons and children of the family watch the crops in the field. During the harvest season, the women in some families help in harvesting. This there is no need of procuring labour from outside the family. Socialism in Wealth: According to Sir Henry Maine joint family is like a co-operative society with the father as the trustee. Every member in the joint family works conforming to the well established socialist formula; each works according to his or her ability and gets according to his or her needs. Avoids fragmentation of land: Joint family avoids the evils or fragmentation of land by holding the property in common. Joint family is almost like a joint-stock company. An agency of social control: Another advantage of joint family is that it acts as an agency of social control. In joint family there is a close supervision over the anti-social and unsocial activities of the young member. Opportunity for leisure: Joint family affords ample leisure to its members. Both the male and female members divide the household works and finish it in a short time spending the rest of the day in leisure. They never feel over burdened. Money saving device: Joint family is advantageous from the economic viewpoint. This system helps in securing economy in expenditure. Since things are consumed in a large quantity they can be obtained at cheap rate. A large family can be maintained within a small means if it lives jointly. Disadvantages of Joint Family Home for Idler: Joint family rests on collective responsibility. This sometimes accounts for laziness among some members. No doubt the active members do hard work. But when they get equal share in the food cooked at the common hearth, some members may become lazy and may not feel the necessity of doing any productive work. They spend their time in eating, sleeping and begetting children. Hindrance in the development of personality: Joint family hinders the development of personality. Under the joint family system the head of the family or Karta is all in all. He is the sole authority to take any decision in family affairs. Other members, especially the   juniors do not get a chance to think independently to take any independent decision. Thus development of personality is arrested. Favours uncontrolled reproduction: Joint family is said to be associated with higher birth rate. Member does not feel the need of birth control because the children rest on the family as a whole. Hot bed of quarrel: Joint family is the hotbed of quarrels and bickering. Quarrels are common among the female members of the family. Quarrels between the wives of brother, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is very common. Source of litigation: Sometimes joint-family system encourages, litigation. At the time of the partition of movable or immovable property in the family dispute assumes serious proportion and most of the time these are not settled without the interference of the court of law. Loss of privacy: Over crowdedness in joint family kills one’s privacy. The newly married man and his wife hardly get the time to meet and talk rarely in joint family. Low position of women: Under the joint family system the woman is relegated to low status. Her condition in the family is worse. Particularly the condition of a daughter-in-law is very miserable. She is often ill-treated by her mother-in-law. Her life is no way better than that of a slave. In many cases, the ill treatment by the elderly women becomes so unbearable that they seek a permanent relief in committing suicide.

Using Biometrics for Security :: Technology Safety Essays

Using Biometrics for Security Today the protection of everything has become an important issue that affects everyone. Whether it’s protecting a cashier’s cash drawer or preventing a suicide bomber onto an aircraft. Either way there is going to be an increase and change in security. The advancement in the technology of computers has made it easier for people to get information. Today, a person can log onto the internet and view information on anything and everything. If an average person can do that then how secure is the internet? How much security should be placed on a computer or a website? For the average person, a password, personal identification number, or keys allow them to view information that only they can access. This form of security isn’t of high-quality because it can be forged. Over the years, many people have developed security systems that can actually authenticate a person. This report will be looking at these advancements as well as my thoughts of them. The improvement in security was developed on the bases of biometrics. Biometrics refers to the authentication techniques that rely on measurable characteristics that can be automatically checked. [1] Biometric techniques are divided into physiological and behavioral characteristics. Physiological characteristics include: the finger, palm, the face, and the retina and iris of the eye. Behavioral characteristics include: voiceprints, keystrokes and handwritten signatures. Fingerprints is the most commonly use of biometric today. It works great for the population between the ages of 18 and 40 because their prints are haven’t been effective by normal aging. In my view there are a few downfalls. The first on is due to aging. As we go through life our body changes. We lose fat on a fingers causing the image to become more difficult to read. The second one is due to the type of employment. A construction worker or a carpenter work with their hands all the time. Many of them get injuries on their hands causing a scar to alter the fingerprint. My final downfall is a bit distorted. A finger can be cut off. There are many people that will go to any means to get what they want. This includes cutting off a person finger and carrying it around till they get to what they need to access. Palm and hand scanner are less effective and more expensive then fingerprint scanners.

?Words are more treacherous and powerful than we think? Essay -- essay

Title: â€Å"Words are more treacherous and powerful than we think† Evaluate the extent to which the characteristics Sartre claims for words affect - negatively or positively - different Areas of Knowledge. The limits of knowledge that the topic implies are the limits of language and how well it approaches truth. There are a number of definitions of language. Everybody has there own term of what language stands for. For example, Chomsky says that language is a system of sounds put together to form phrases, which are then translated into a person’s mind. Adler says that language is a system of sounds that are created to form a way of communication, which can be translated in the human mind. What I found is that language shows the proof of words through thoughts. feelings, and a system of arbitrary signals, such as voice sounds, gestures, or written symbols. Images are also a way of understanding language, which connects to what Adler and Chomsky had said. Because the world’s vocabulary is so limited to the meaning of a word, images are replaced in their meaning. By showing the thoughts of what Chomsky and Adler said, I will show how many others have a different idea about l anguage. Words have been given a belief to have a true meaning to them, but in reality not so many words have a true meaning. In order to find their true meaning we have to look at how they are used and then come up with the true meaning. â€Å"Therefore it was necessary that he should be able to use these sounds as signs of internal conceptions; and to make them stand as marks for the ideas within his own mind, whereby they might be made known to others, and to others, and the thoughts of men’s minds be conveyed from one to another.† What sometimes ends up happening is that the word can mean so many things in many situations, which gets confusing. Rather they have many different meanings, which can only be found through text that can be found through knowledge. Sometimes the meaning of words is so vague it is difficult to understand their meaning at all. Unless we are aware of the exact context in which it is being used, we would probably not agree on the subtle diffe rences. Language is what we humans use as a symbol of communication. ds or language in general were designed by man in to fit articulate sounds, which we call words. Language is considered to be a communication of thoughts and feeling... ...s method an efficient one. By showing the thoughts of what Chomsky and Adler said, I will show how many others have a different idea about language. Words have been given a belief to have a true meaning to them, but in reality not so many words have a true meaning. In order to find their true meaning we have to look at how they are used and then come up with the true meaning. But what sometimes ends up happening is that the word can mean a so many things in many situations, which gets confusing. Rather they have many different meanings, which can only be found through text has to found through knowledge. Sometimes the meaning of words is so vague it is difficult to understand their meaning at all. Unless we are aware of the exact context in which it is being used, we would probably not agree on the subtle differences. Knowledge plays into affect by adding a whole new view to looking at a word. With knowledge, the interpretation of words can be figured out faster and more efficient. The way of interpreting the human language makes this method an efficient one. John Locke, Concerning Human Understanding , The Great Books Of The Western World; The University of Chicago Press, 1952

Free Cuba Essay -- Cuban History Historical Essays

Free Cuba I. Introduction: Cuban history, like many other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean which have experienced colonial subjugation and imperial interference, is highlighted by tumultuous rebellions. Ever since the revolt of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes in 1868, who took up arms with his slaves to liberate Cuba from Spain’s colonial grasp, the existence of insurrectionists and adamant government opposition in Cuba has flourished. Social revolution and a strong will and practice of nationalism has indelibly characterized Cuban history. Nevertheless, the outcomes of particular movements and struggles for social justice have consistently frustrated revolutionary and radical leaders. Government regimes throughout history have in some manner or fashion, whether by force or by will, degenerated popular radical aspirations. For example, it was the North American intervention in 1898, during the second Cuban war for independence that opposed the popular will to establish an independent s overeign nation. Moreover, corrupt military regimes headed by opportunists such as Machado and Batista have also tainted and disregarded popular aspirations for national affirmation, human dignity, and democratic order 1. Consequently, Cuban history has proven that aspirations for social reform and a democratic republic have consistently gone arie. It is within this historical context of failed national ambitions and aspirations that Fidel Castro defines La Revolucion. Fidel Castro, in his program manifesto of the 26th of July movement, described the M-26-7 movement as a revolution "resolved to take up the unfulfilled ideals of the Cuban nation and to realize them 2." Castro’s dream of achieving Cuba’s "unfulf... ...I- cite taken from page 38. 7.) ibid (6) 8.) ibid (6) 9.) 26th of July Movement, "Program manifesto of the 26th of July Movement," in Cuba in Revolution, ed.R. Bonachea and Nelson Valdes. (Garden City, NJ, 1972) 113-140. 10.) ibid (9) 11.) ibid (9) 12.) Fidel Castro, "History Will Absolve Me." Closing speech in trial for the 1953 Moncada attack. Excerpt taken from: The United States, Cuba, and the Cold War American Failure or Communist Conspiracy? Ed. L. Langley ( Lexington, Mass, 1970). 13.) Ernesto "Che" Guevara, "One Year of Armed Struggle," in Guevara, Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War. Trans. Victoria Ortiz. (New York: Monthly Review Press, 1968) pp.196-227. 14.) Perez-Stable, Marifeli. The Cuban Revolution: Origins, Course, Legacy. (New York, 1993), "Introduction" and chapters I & II. Free Cuba Essay -- Cuban History Historical Essays Free Cuba I. Introduction: Cuban history, like many other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean which have experienced colonial subjugation and imperial interference, is highlighted by tumultuous rebellions. Ever since the revolt of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes in 1868, who took up arms with his slaves to liberate Cuba from Spain’s colonial grasp, the existence of insurrectionists and adamant government opposition in Cuba has flourished. Social revolution and a strong will and practice of nationalism has indelibly characterized Cuban history. Nevertheless, the outcomes of particular movements and struggles for social justice have consistently frustrated revolutionary and radical leaders. Government regimes throughout history have in some manner or fashion, whether by force or by will, degenerated popular radical aspirations. For example, it was the North American intervention in 1898, during the second Cuban war for independence that opposed the popular will to establish an independent s overeign nation. Moreover, corrupt military regimes headed by opportunists such as Machado and Batista have also tainted and disregarded popular aspirations for national affirmation, human dignity, and democratic order 1. Consequently, Cuban history has proven that aspirations for social reform and a democratic republic have consistently gone arie. It is within this historical context of failed national ambitions and aspirations that Fidel Castro defines La Revolucion. Fidel Castro, in his program manifesto of the 26th of July movement, described the M-26-7 movement as a revolution "resolved to take up the unfulfilled ideals of the Cuban nation and to realize them 2." Castro’s dream of achieving Cuba’s "unfulf... ...I- cite taken from page 38. 7.) ibid (6) 8.) ibid (6) 9.) 26th of July Movement, "Program manifesto of the 26th of July Movement," in Cuba in Revolution, ed.R. Bonachea and Nelson Valdes. (Garden City, NJ, 1972) 113-140. 10.) ibid (9) 11.) ibid (9) 12.) Fidel Castro, "History Will Absolve Me." Closing speech in trial for the 1953 Moncada attack. Excerpt taken from: The United States, Cuba, and the Cold War American Failure or Communist Conspiracy? Ed. L. Langley ( Lexington, Mass, 1970). 13.) Ernesto "Che" Guevara, "One Year of Armed Struggle," in Guevara, Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War. Trans. Victoria Ortiz. (New York: Monthly Review Press, 1968) pp.196-227. 14.) Perez-Stable, Marifeli. The Cuban Revolution: Origins, Course, Legacy. (New York, 1993), "Introduction" and chapters I & II.

Family Honor

Family honor is romeo and juliet is represented by the constant attempts to preserve family pride from both houses. This defense and pride causes many deaths and deeper problems that are passed down from generation to generation. In the first scene of romeo and juliet, the montagues and capulets come across each other, and because of the deep rooted hatred they have for each other's fmilies, they taunt one another and begin to fight. This fight worsens the already tarnished relationship the two houses share. Tybalt, a capulet, holds a strong place in defending his family's honor. It is so strong that he even enjoys it. Like Tybalt, the Montegues are fueled by their hatred for one another. What they don't realize is that this hatred only challenges each other's family honor. Family honor is not always such a negative thing. This can similarly occur outside fiction as well. In my family, there has been little representation of family honor. For example, moving around at such a high rate, we have been unable to develop feuds with other families. There were bits of family honor in my life. At school I was against telling anyone details about what was going on in my home life in an attempt to protect and defend my family's honor. This often was unsuccessful. Though, the type of family honor show in my life differed from the family honor shown in Romeo and Juliet. All in all, there is a distinct representation of famly honor in Romeo and juliet. This honor can also be shown in real life. This completely depends on the family and what family honor means to them. For me, family honor is not a huge factor in my life. This does not mean I do not have family pride. I cannot relate much to romeo and juliet.

Food Waste in America Essay

40% of the food America produces is wasted.1 Have you ever thought of how much food you waste a day? The average American wastes about 250 pounds of food every year.2 That’s about $600 dollars worth of food.3 Imagine what you could do with $600.00. No one notices what is in the back of their fridge or what goes into their trash can. Before you say that you don’t do that, think back to a moment when you had the chance to take the restaurant food home, but you declined it because you were too full. Now, imagine thousands of people doing that every day. Tons and tons of food is wasted. Over 33 million tons of food is wasted every year in America. 4 That is enough to fill a 90,000 seat football stadium to the brim with food over 120 times.5 We waste so much food that our food waste could power Switzerland for an entire year. Americans should lower the amount of food they waste by taking home extra food  from restaurants and buying appropriate amounts of food at the store . 1 http://www.culinate.com/articles/features/wasted_food http://www.businessinsider.com/fao ­wasted ­food ­2011 ­5 3 http://www.wisegeek.com/how ­much ­food ­does ­the ­average ­american ­waste.htm 4 http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/organics/food/fd ­basic.htm 5 http://www.naturalnews.com/033885_food_waste_America.html 2 Everybody has been to a restaurant before and not finished their food. Well, did you ever think about bringing it home to finish later? Most people don’t think like that, since they are full at the moment, and believe they won’t eat it later. Give it a try and bring it home to eat it for a quick dinner later. Well, you might say ,â€Å"Oh well, I didn’t like the food.† There is nothing   wrong with that. If you don’t like the food then, you don’t like it. I’m not going to argue with that, no one likes to eat everything in the world. All I’m saying is open your eyes and notice how much food is being wasted at restaurants. Restaurants are America’s food source. We go to restaurants when we don’t feel like making dinner.​ The average family  goes to dinner around thirty five times a year. So, let’s say you waste on average five ounces. of food every time you go to dinner. That’s about ten lbs. of food wasted in one year just by going to restaurants. Now, let’s add your family into this. If you have a four member family that would be forty lbs. of food wasted by your family. That is equivalent to around forty plates of food being thrown out, and you could have eaten half of that at  home. The moral of the story is that if you reduce the amount of waste at restaurants, you can make a big difference in lowering America’s waste percentage. The average American family spends about $8,513 on groceries a year, and wastes about $600 of that food.6 Basically, the average American family wastes about fourteen percent of the food they buy. Families are wasting way too much food. My generation has grown up with this, so it’s all that we know. It is very hard to extinguish a bad habit. Have you ever heard of the saying, â€Å"Your eyes are bigger than your stomach?† That is actually very true. Have you ever seen people unload their food from their cart at a grocery store? I have seen people have so much food that they have to get another cart. That is just ridiculous. If you have a big family, that’s fineÍ ¾ but if you only have two to four people in your family, then you are purchasing too much food. There are simple ways to not overspend at a grocery store. One way to not overspend at a grocery store is to make a grocery list or   have a leftover day. Have a  leftovers on Wednesday or Sunday. Not everybody does this, but no one is innocent. most people have overbought amounts of food at some point. Maybe you ate the food ,maybe you didn’t. It is important to think before you go along buying more food than you can handle. This goes right back to the saying, â€Å"your eyes are bigger than your stomach.† Taking home food from restaurants and buying appropriate amounts of food at your local grocery store is a great way to lower food waste. America has the largest waste percentage in the world. That is not anything to be proud of. Do you ever think about how much food you throw away in a month? Food waste is a big problem in America, It could be lowered by just doing a couple simple of steps and by thinking before you throw away something that could be eaten. Food is meant to be eaten not wasted.