Monday, December 30, 2019

The Musical Theatre And Film - 1607 Words

Music Theatre 1. What is the background of this art form? (where does it originate from? What important political, cultural and/or environmental things were occurring in this part of the world that would affected the creation of this art form?) Musical Theatre is a form of theater combing music, songs, and spoken dialog, which can be traced back to the theatre of ancient Greece. The music and dance were included in stage comedies and tragedies during the 5th century BCE. However, the music is disappeared in these eras for a long time, so that they had no real influence on the development of modern musical theatre and film. There is no serious effect of a musical theatre over the society and political. However, it The Pacific Standard said that Musicals have the Power to Change Minds. Although Broadway musicals are often thought of as lightweight entertainment, many of the greatest shows incorporate serious themes and challenge audience members’ assumptions. American Psychological Association published research provides evidence that will warm the hearts of cockeyed optimists. â€Å" Audience members’ reports of emotional engagement and insight were significantly related to hunting attitude change. Participant s who had complex emotional reactions to score higher on multiple engagement measure. Although previous research has found a link between strength of audience emotional involvement and personal efficacy, present results suggest an important additional role for complexityShow MoreRelatedDifference Between Musical Theatre And Film Musicals1873 Words   |  8 PagesA musical film is a genre of movie where songs sung by characters are added into the storyline, occasionally complemented by choreography. The musical numbers in these films do not always develop the plot and characters, but they do give the films a more exciting quality. The primary difference between musical theatre and film musicals is the use of extravagant scenery that would be extraordinarily unreasonable for a stage performance. While making movies, the individuals involved have the luxuryRead MoreThe North American Musical Film1330 Words   |  6 PagesThe North American Musical Film The musical film in the United States is largely associated with Broadway theatre. Broadway is an area in New York City where the biggest theatres are located, accommodating at least 500 people. Smaller theatres are said to be located Off-Broadway and even smaller theatres are called Off-Off-Broadway. Some notable musical films such as Chicago (2002), My Fair Lady (1964) and West Side Story (1961) were adapted from musical plays and trace their origins to BroadwayRead MoreAndrew Lloyd Webber: a Musical Theatre Virtuoso1257 Words   |  6 PagesAndrew Lloyd Webber: A Musical Theatre Virtuoso For many, musical theatre is an experience that not only posses the power of entertainment, but the power of transformation. Masters of music such as Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Berstein, and George Gershwin used music as a theatrical element by which intense emotions and ever changing moods could be expressed. Their beautiful scores are regarded as the most impressive and moving in musical theatre history. Joining them at the top is Andrew LloydRead MoreJukebox Musicals Essay1495 Words   |  6 PagesJukebox musicals began in film and later shifted to theatre. They had begun to make theatre more popular with the public, which had begun to gravitate towards film and music. By combining the two, they gain some of the same as well as a whole new audience. I will discuss how this came to be by speaking of the shift that occurred. But what exactly is a jukebox musical? Well, the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a musical as â€Å"(n) a film or theatrical production typically of a sentimental or humorousRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie The Disneyfication Of Broadway 1416 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction A trip to 42nd street circa 1990 was certainly no destination fit for a family. Walls of graffiti adorn the peeling awnings of storefronts and theatres promise private dances and live nude women. Porn shops dotted the city block with colorful invitations to sex hotlines and signs prohibiting entry to anyone under the age of eighteen (Wollman 445). Decades earlier, during the Prohibition era, speakeasies and brothels lined the city, creating New York’s red light district. Today’s TimesRead MoreTheatre As A Form Of Entertainment1460 Words   |  6 PagesTheatre is the activity or profession of acting in, producing, directing, or writing plays. Theatre is where playwrights produce plays, directors manage rehearsals and actors enact on stage. The coming together of all those components make up theatre, but there’s also a small piece missing. Theatre is complete when an audience comes together to experience the play. Theatre to many people is a form of entertainment . Just like now a days people go to the movies to indulge in a form of amusement, that’sRead MoreWho is Ethel Merman?725 Words   |  3 Pagesknown for her powerful voice and wide variety of works. Ethel Merman was a mezzo-soprano and never took voice lessons as a child. George Gershwin told her never to take voice lessons. choose to write about Ms. Merman because of her portrayal in the musical Gypsy as Rose. She was born on January 16, 1908 in Astoria, Queens. Ms. Merman was originally born as Ethel Anges Zimmermann. Her father was Edward Zimmermann and was an accountant while her mother, Anges, was a school teacher. Ms. Merman attendedRead MoreMusic as a Stress Reliever1339 Words   |  5 Pagessomeone else for a change. Together these two create Musical Theater, possibly one of the best two combinations known to man. Musical Theater is a worldwide form of entertainment that has been around since ancient times and exhibits emotion through a series of acts which include singing, dancing and scripted acting. Different areas of the world follow unique storylines which are relevant to their past and current events. The beginning of Musical Theater dates back to ancient times and originates mainlyRead MoreSound Of Music, Oklahoma !, The King And I, Carousel And South Pacific1141 Words   |  5 PagesMany people have probably heard of a musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein. They wrote the music and lyrics for many theatre classics, including The Sound of Music, Oklahoma!, The King and I, Carousel and South Pacific. Since their collaboration in the 1940’s and 1950’s, their musicals have been viewed by many, and their songs have become classics. Although they were not the only innovators in musical theatre, Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote many popular musicals,used new techniques, and won many awards;Read MoreCeo Robert A. Disney Corporation1561 Words   |  7 Pagesan unprofitable year (Cerniglia May 26). Next, the percentage that DTP represents fluxuates each year depending on what other properties are released by Disney Studios. In 2014 Disney Studios released Frozen, which was the h ighest grossing animated film ever (Fiscal Year 2014). Therefore, the profits generated by DTP, though surely sizable, often don’t have a significant impact on the total profits of the studios. However, according to Ken Cerniglia, DTP’s resident Dramaturge and Literary Manager

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Macroeconomics Research Project Income Inequality

Macroeconomics Research Project: Income Inequality Income Inequality means the uneven income is distributed among individuals in a company, groups in a population, or countries in the world. â€Å"One-fourth of American employees make less than $10 per hour, which is the income that below the Federal poverty level† (Amadeo). Those are the people like cashier, waiters, or fast food clerks. There is a huge gap between rich people and poor people. The rich people are getting richer while the poor people are getting poorer. This is a serious economic challenge that the United States has been facing for a long time period. The income inequality in the United States has increased during the past several decades. The economic growth has a big impact on income inequality. The economy of United States prospered during the years from the end of World War II to the 1970s. The total incomes of USA grew rapidly at that time. There was not a big gap of income between upper-class earners and middle- and lower-class earners. Everyone got not much difference of income. However, in the beginning of 1970, economic growth slowed down. The income growth of the middle- and lower-class earners became to grow slowly while the upper-class earners continued to grow strongly. Therefore, the income gap became wider and wider after that. According to The New York Times, the top 10 percent earners took home more than half of the total income earned by United States in 2012. It was the highest level recordedShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Impact of the Remittances in Latin America1400 Words   |  6 Pagesenvironment; due to the underdevelopment and inequality of the region. Because they relative importance, trends in migration and the impact of remittances in population of Latin America are the main topics that we will analyze in this research focusing on reduction of poverty and inequality. This research will aim to answer the next: Do remittances finance development in the region? Do they contribute to reduce poverty? Do they increase the inequality or help to reduce it? Do remittances are usedRead MoreThe Impact Of Physical And Mental Growth On The Young Generation Essay1025 Words   |  5 Pagesand Econometrics, I enhanced the capacity and obtained tools in quantitative analysis. Moreover, I have learned how to devise and carry out experiment through Experimental Economics and related research projects. By independently composing various academic papers, acquiring multiple quantitative research methods and pinning down my exploring concertation, I can better understand and analyze economic phenomena as well as economic policies, such as â€Å"Comprehensive Deepening Reform† policies in ChinaRead MoreEconomic models for peace, growth and poverty alleviation and resolution of con√ °ict in Nepal, July 2010-July 20113073 Words   |  13 PagesAn Example o f a Research Proposal Economic models for peace, growth and poverty alleviation and resolution of con†¡ in Nepal, July 2010-July 2011 ict Poverty and inequality in Nepal has increased substantially in the last two decades. Major reason for this is the failure of the economy to grow because of internal con†¡ and political ict instability. As a result of the lack of employment prospects in the country thousands of young people are forced to migrate abroad and economy has lost manpowerRead MoreEssay on The Conflict of the Republic of the Congo1655 Words   |  7 Pagesconflict and the damage of social and economic structure have destroyed the economy. Corruption among government officials and foreign investors in the Republic of Congo has increased widespread poverty, hampered economic development, and widened unequal income and wealth distribution that is negatively affecting the poor more than the rich. By implementing new strategies for the Republic of the Congo, a more justified approach in government could provide better economic growth and development for the countryRead MoreA Study On The Brazilian Performance2760 Words   |  12 Pagespeople out of poverty, with incomes rising, benefiting the poorer more so than rich (Barrientos and Amann, 2014). During this time, as well as rapid growth, the country has fallen from grace due to recent economic strategy. The aim of this paper is to analyze Brazilian economic performance since the turn of the century to see what has caused the rapid periods of growth and the effects causing the economic slowdown. Therefore this paper is driven primarily by two research questions: What factorsRead MoreThe Effects Of Inflation On The Economy1572 Words   |  7 Pagespolitical stability can be greatly affected by rampant inflation. How a government can grow their economy sustainably without the damaging effects of rampant inflation is focused on before the conclusion of this paper. Inflation is defined in Macroeconomics, logic, science, and policy, as a sustained increase in the average level of prices of all goods and services. To put in simple words, it means a person has to continually pay more money to get the same amount of goods or services as they acquiredRead MoreGgft9764 Words   |  40 PagesLevel 12 100 Cyberport Road Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2300 2728 Fax: (852) 2300 2729 www.fungglobalinstitute.org The Fung Global Institute Working Paper Series presents the findings of original and professional research-in-progress on questions and topics that are relevant to the Institute’s research themes. Written by FGI researchers and, sometimes, researchers from other institutions, the papers aim to get the findings out for critical review and feedback. The views expressed in the papers are thoseRead MoreImproving Public Infrastructure : A Study Of Guyana Essay9286 Words   |  38 Pagesunfortunately, our knowledge in this direction is still very meager. One might well ask, what is wrong with the theory of investment? Or, perhaps, what is wrong with the subject matter itself! For one thing, this variable, -- the pivot of modern macroeconomics -- has apparently lived a somewhat nomadic life among the various chapters of economic theory. Perhaps it has not stayed long enough in any one place. Perhaps it has been ill-treated. - Trygve Haavelmo. Thesis Submitted to Beijing Normal UniversityRead MoreImproving Public Infrastructure : A Study Of Guyana9265 Words   |  38 Pagesunfortunately, our knowledge in this direction is still very meager. One might well ask, what is wrong with the theory of investment? Or, perhaps, what is wrong with the subject matter itself! For one thing, this variable, -- the pivot of modern macroeconomics -- has apparently lived a somewhat nomadic life among the various chapters of economic theory. Perhaps it has not stayed long enough in any one place. Perhaps it has been ill-treated. - Trygve Haavelmo. Thesis Submitted to Beijing Normal UniversityRead MoreBrics ( Brazil, Russia, India, China, And South Africa1546 Words   |  7 Pagesthe first to forecast the economic potential of the BRICS nations. Today these BRICS nations are referred as emerging economies or emerging markets despite most of these nations already ranking in the world’s top 10 economies. Economic forecasting projects that these BRICS economies will forever change the competitive landscape of the global market place, and they show considerable promise in becoming dominant players in years to come (Jain, 2006). The BRIC was established on June 16, 2009 and the

Saturday, December 14, 2019

The Treadway Tire Company Free Essays

The Treadway Tire Company in Lima, Ohio is faced with rather difficult times. These difficulties however are not due to lack of work with a down recession, or concerned with too much demand and not enough capacity to fill it. These issues are deep within the company and affect the organization very seriously every day. We will write a custom essay sample on The Treadway Tire Company or any similar topic only for you Order Now The lack of training, ineffective leadership and employee communication are the problems challenging the Treadway Tire Company as well as contributing continuously to their increasing turnover rate for consecutive years. According to industry standards, your employees can contribute to the success of your company when they are trained to perform their jobs. Training typically consists of several classes onsite or at different location during orientation. Some companies consider in-depth training an unnecessary expense and expect new employees to learn on the job from supervisors and older employees. However, this type of training is often inadequate and creates problems for the business. (Amo, 2013) As a result, Ashley Wall should implement a formal, organized training program that will emphasize all aspects of plant operations and labor education. The advantage of implementing a training program is that the foreman will be better equipped to do their job more effectively thus heightening their psychological empowerment and increasing job satisfaction. My research also suggests leadership training, employee development and professional – level seminars and workshops demonstrate the employer’s interest in tapping current human resources for higher-level roles within the organization through promotion-from-within policies and succession of plans. Ineffective leadership results from employers’ failure to provide support for employees who demonstrate aptitude and interest in promotional opportunities. Promoting employees without the benefit of basic of basic leadership training puts the employer at risk for high turnover and low productivity. It’s akin to setting the supervisor up for failure and it jeopardizes employee-supervisor relationships. (Mayhew, 2013) It has been my understanding that leadership training and employee development can help the new supervisor understand how to balance their dual responsibilities – managing department functions and managing people. When considering Treadway Tire Company, without leadership training, however, the supervisor will fail because they did not receive the training needed and employees who report to them suffer because of potentially poor employee-supervisor relationships. Lastly, when we consider employee communication, employers who communicate regularly with employees lessen the risk of creating a workforce that feels undervalued and unappreciated. Keeping employees informed about organizational changes, staffing plans and fluctuating business demands is one way to ensure employees remain with the company. Neglecting employee concerns about job security through lack of communication or excluding employees for discussions that can affect their job performance, such as policy or procedural changes, negatively impacts the way employees view their employer. Their views transform to dissatisfaction and finally low productivity due to low morale and disengagement. (Mayhew, 2013) In relation to the problems with lack of communication in Treadway Tire Company, implementing some type of Foreman training program would be one of the most effective ways to solve their communication challenges. In conclusion, it is my belief that the challenges in training, ineffective leadership responsibilities and lack in communication can all be resolved by the implementation of a training program for all current and future foremen ensuring the company is managed properly. I would recommend at the conclusion of each training session, the employees should be asked for feedback about the program so that it can be enhanced by further development to meet the evolving needs of the company. References Amo, T. (2013). The Negative Effects of a Lack of Training in the Workplace | Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/negative-effects-lack-training-workplace-45171.html Mayhew, R. (2013). What Are the Factors That Contribute to High Staff Turnover Low Productivity? | Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/factors-contribute-high-staff-turnover-low-pro How to cite The Treadway Tire Company, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Don Quixote free essay sample

This is a book review of Don Quixote, which focuses on the liberation of the galley slaves. This paper explores the literary work Don Quixote, focusing on the part of the plot which involves the liberation of galley slaves. The paper looks at Don Quixotes motivations for setting the galley slaves free. It looks at the significance of the fact that one of the galley slaves is a writer, and how this fact affects the story. The symbolism found in the story is investigated and reasons are given for the book being one of the best books according to worlds top authors. Don Quixote is full of symbolism that the reader must try to comprehend as he/she reads the story. In the story of the setting the galley slaves free, Don Quixote can not quite understand why the mean are chained and being forced to go to where they do not want to go. We will write a custom essay sample on Don Quixote or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Don Quixote can be compared to fiction and how many people believe everything they read or see on television. Why does Don Quixote set the galley slaves free? Why is it important that one of the Galley slaves is a writer? How does this affect the story? What symbolism can be found in the story? Why is Don Quixote one of the best books according to worlds top authors? Don Quixote free essay sample Ive never watched a ballet performance before. Watching the Performance of Ballet Philippines was my first time, and I felt nervous and excited at the same time. Nervous, because I have no idea what to wear in such a prestigious show, and excited, because finally Id be able to watch a ballet performance. I attended ballet classes when I was in elementary, but I had to stop because my school is located at the next town and its far from home. I really wanted to become a ballet dancer, but I never had the time to do it. Seeing the performance made my 9-year old self happy. Ballet is such a unique art form. You can say things through dance that you could never express in words, and ballet has the ability to touch people on a deep, abstract level. In some ways, ballet is more valuable now than ever. We will write a custom essay sample on Don Quixote or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Everything today is so fast-paced and technologically overloaded people are constantly staring into computers or their phone screens for entertainment. But going to the theater to see a ballet is unique in that its completely live and in the moment unfiltered and unedited. Its a real and tangible meditation. I feel really blessed to be a part of the audience. The dance, the storyline and the dancers were all really great and they had created a powerful and inspiring performance that has touched many souls. Ballet has something for everyone to admire. If you dont like the choreography, you can listen to the music, and if you hate that too, then at least there are beautiful people onstage. The ballet needs to tell its own story in such a way it can be received without having to be translated into language. At first, I really didnt get what the story was about, so I had to read the guide first, but as time goes by, I started to enjoy the show and I started to understand the story even without the help of the book guide. I realized that for a person to understand the performance, one must be able to enjoy and appreciate the art first. I believe that art like ballet is important. The magical world of the ballet has fascinated audiences for hundreds of years. From the complicated steps of the ballerinas to the leaps of the male dancers, ballet requires great strength and stamina. I would like to mention this quote: Art appreciation must start when young. Young children must see ballet as an art education. Education is not just books. Arts feed the soul, Margie Moran-Floreindo president of Ballet Philippines and the Miss Universe crown in 1973 said this quote and it hit me really hard. Art appreciation and admiration to something beautiful and lovely in art form like ballet is an important social skills one cultured person must have. It basically teaches us how to be open-minded, enthusiastic and grateful with the things around us. Also, watching ballet relaxes our minds with the graceful fluid movements that we could see from the performers. I believe that young people dont have access to dance and the arts as part of their education and upbringing, but I think it is vital that the youth have opportunities to watch, be part of and perform dance. We need to make it as inherent in our culture as sport. All throughout their performances, the dancers always smiled, and it seemed like dancing is their happiness. I love this one because they had really brought up a very nice ambiance to all spectators. The preparation for the performance wasnt easy. The dancers had gone through a lot of hardships, dedicated a lot of time and had given a lot of effort. And as they end the performance with such killer moves, I could see the smiles on their faces that said, We have given out best. It was a hard journey for them, but I could feel that they really love what theyre doing. Everything was worth the wait.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Addressing the Impacts of Undergraduates Engagement in Community Service on Stakeholders

Addressing the Impacts of Undergraduates Engagement in Community Service on Stakeholders Introduction Background Information Community service as a concept has gained popularity throughout the world for various reasons. Perold Rahmat (1997:14) are of the view that this concept is gaining popularity in discourses taking place throughout the world. This is especially the case in community development discussions.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Addressing the Impacts of Undergraduates’ Engagement in Community Service on Stakeholders specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Bryant West (2011) views community service as service or activity that â€Å"..is donated or performed by an individual or a group of individuals to benefit the community† (p. 82). The aim of community service is to benefit members of the public or the various institutions that are found in a contemporary society. It is noted that not every individual who provides community service can be referred to as a volunteer. This is a common misconception among members of the public. It is not everyone who is contributing to the wellbeing of the community is doing so at their own free will. This is given the fact that the individual may be compelled to provide community service by various factors. Such an individual cannot be conceptualised as a volunteer. However, those who provide community service on their own volition with the sole aim of benefiting members of the society and the various social institutions can be regarded as volunteers (Hustinx, 2005: 530). So what are some of the reasons that compel someone to provide community service? According to Jones Hill (2003: 539), there are various reasons why one may feel compelled to provide community service against their will. For example, the government may require some people to provide community service as a policy. This is for example when military officers are required to provide humanitarian assistance to members of the public during war. Another r eason may be an order from the court especially for those criminals who are serving their sentence on probation. A school may also require the students to provide community service before they graduate. These are just some of the various reasons that may compel someone to provide community service against their will.Advertising Looking for research paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Jehan (2004: 297) opines that recent developments in the world today have greatly affected community service. For example, globalisation has made the community so complex such that several communities around the world are dependent on each other. This being the case, community service in one community may have impacts on another society in a different part of the world. The issue of interdependence among communities is especially significant given the fact that globalisation has created a situation whereby limited r esources have to be shared by the various communities around the world (Jehan, 2004: 297). As a result of globalisation, it is noted that community service requires the engagement of various stakeholders in the society. This is given the fact that a single sector or a single segment of the society cannot effectively meet the requirements of community service in a given society (Hustinx, 2005: 526). Collaboration between various stakeholders such as businesses, schools and such others is needed to improve the welfare of the community. So what are some of the benefits of community service? According to Vermeulen, Nawir Mayers (2003: 12), both the community and the person providing the service stand to benefit from community service. For example as far as the individual is concerned, community service leads to a sense of pride and satisfaction after helping the needy (Dwayne Palmer, 2006: 399). The individual feels needed and feels that they have contributed to the wellbeing of the s ociety. Community service also fosters a sense of responsibility on the part of the volunteer or the person providing the service (Bednarz et al., 2008: 92). The person feels indebted to the community and feels that they have a duty to perform. It is noted that community service strengthens the community benefiting from the service. For example, a business enterprise providing free medical services to the members of the community improves the overall health of the whole community (Altman, 1995: 529). As the volunteer gets to interact with other members of the community, a sense of tolerance develops between the members of the community and the volunteer. This is especially so in regions such as Africa where ethnic and tribal animosity is rife. A volunteer should ideally provide services to all members of the society without discriminating on the basis of ethnicity or other differences.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Addressing the Impacts of Under graduates’ Engagement in Community Service on Stakeholders specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is important to note that as much as the community and the individual stands to benefit from community service, there are various challenges facing the provision of this service in a given community (Bebbington Farrington, 1993: 202). The challenges vary through time and space. This means that they vary from one community to the other and from one time or period to the other. Such challenges may include the resistance on the part of the members of the community. The members of the community may resist help from outsiders even when it is obvious that such help is to their own benefit. For example, a country in Africa may decline humanitarian help from a Western nation claiming that such assistance may threaten the sovereignty of the country. Another challenge may be resistance and lack of cooperation on the part of the community service prov iders. A case in point is when students resist providing community service when it is made mandatory by the school management. It is also noted that community service may be threatened by lack of funds which will hamper the ability of the organisation or the individual to provide such services. A case in point is when there is lack of donor funding to support famine relief programs in Africa. Problem Statement As already noted in this paper, community service can be provided by different individuals and organisations from within and without the target community. This may include businesses providing community service as part of their corporate social responsibility program, faith based organisations as part of their outreach program or individuals interested in giving back to the community (Booth, 2006: 13). A university is such an organisation that may find it necessary to provide community service as part of its academic and professional program. The university may require the stu dents to participate in community service before they graduate. This is for example when the department of dentistry requires the trainee dentists to participate in dental camps organised in the community to provide members of the community with free dental services. Other activities in which the students may participate include planting trees, cleaning, caring for the needy among others.Advertising Looking for research paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Perold Rahmat (1997) are of the view that universities in Africa have embraced community service as a program and strategy aimed at addressing various problems facing such an institution. For example, the universities may require the students to engage in community service in order to gain practical experience as far as working within the community is concerned (Cooke Kothari, 2001: 13). The universities may also participate in community service as part of the institution’s efforts to give back to the community. According to Perold Rahmat (1997: 15), advocates of community service are of the view that such a program can be used by the university to address various issues facing higher learning. To this end, advocates of such a program are of the view that community service benefits not only the community but also the student and the institution as a whole. The community benefits by having its welfare and wellbeing of its members improved while the student benefits by gaini ng working experience among other benefits. The university on its side is able to establish and sustain working relationship with the members of such a community as a result of the community service (Wilson, 2011: 19). One is able to identify the various stakeholders involved in community service in Africa by analyzing the benefits that community service provided by a university has. The stakeholders in such a case may include the students, the university, the government and the community as alluded to above (Mobley, 2007: 129). Out of all these stakeholders, it is noted that the university students who are participating in community service are perhaps the main beneficiaries of such a program. As already indicated in this paper, the students acquire professional skills as a result of their participation and they may also be earning in the process (Perold Rahmat, 1997: 15). This is for example when the students are financed by various donor agencies to participate in community serv ice. It is noted that youths actively advocate for community service programs in African universities. This is perhaps given the fact that they have come to realise that they are the main beneficiaries of such programs. Authors cite the example of the annual South African Students’ Congress (also referred to as Sasco) held in 1996 which passed a resolution supporting compulsory community work for all students in institutions of higher learning (Perold Rahmat, 1997: 16). According to the resolution passed by the students, community work should be in line with what the student is studying in the university. For example, a Social Work student may be involved in the provision of free social services to street children in the cities. The South African National Youth Commission also advocates for a program targeting university students in the country. The commission is of the view that such a program can be used as a creative strategy to finance higher education in South Africa (H ellebrandt, 2008: 222). The commission proposes that students who cannot meet their higher education expenses can collect credits by providing their services to the community. The discourse above illustrates a university-community development partnership in Africa. This is where the university and the community come together to improve the welfare of the members of the society. This paper is going to address the university-community partnership in Africa. The author is going to specifically address the impacts of undergraduates’ engagement in community service on stakeholders as far as Africa is concerned. The researcher will adopt a literature review methodology which will involve a critical review of literature that found in this field. The aim of such a critical literature review is to organise the knowledge base that is found in this field by identifying the various agreements and disagreements among authors and scholars. The literature review will also identify knowledge gaps in the field and propose areas for future studies. Research Objectives This study will have one main research objective and several specific objectives. The main objective is the overall aim and goal of the study. The main objective will be attained by addressing the various specific objectives. The main and specific objectives are as listed below: Main Objective To address the impacts of undergraduate engagement in community service on stakeholders as far as university-community partnership in Africa is concerned. Specific Objectives Analyse the various stakeholders in university-community partnership in Africa Analyse the various impacts of undergraduates’ engagement in community service on the various stakeholders in Africa Analyse the various strategies adopted by universities in providing community service in Africa Analyse the various benefits of community service provided by universities in Africa Analyse the various challenges affecting the impacts of undergrad uates’ engagement in community service in Africa Analyse the various strategies that can be used to improve the quality of community service provided by universities in Africa Provide recommendations for universities in Africa regarding university-community development partnerships in the continent Research Questions Like research objectives, this study will have a major research question and various specific research questions. It is important to note that the research questions are related to the research objectives. This is given the fact that by answering the research questions, the researcher will have addressed the objectives of the research. Major Research Question What are the various impacts of undergraduates’ engagement in community service on the stakeholders as far as university-community partnership in Africa is concerned? Specific Research Questions Who are the various stakeholders in university-community partnership in Africa? What are the impacts of u ndergraduates’ engagement in community service in Africa? What strategies are used by African universities to provide community service? What are the benefits of community service provided by universities in Africa? What are some of the challenges facing community service provided by universities in Africa? How can universities in Africa improve the quality of community service provided? Which areas of university-community partnerships in Africa can benefit from future research? Thesis Statement Undergraduates’ engagement in community service has various impacts on stakeholders as far as university-community partnership in Africa is concerned Methodology As already indicated in this paper, the author is going to use critical literature review as a research methodology. To this end, the researcher is going to identify the findings of various studies in this field and try to identify the various agreements and disagreements between the various authors. One major advanta ge of critical literature review as a methodology is the fact that the study benefits from the various perspectives of different authors in the field. A major weakness of the methodology is the fact that it generates no new knowledge in the field. All the researcher does in critical literature review is reorganise the knowledge that already exists in a given field. The researcher will identify articles from journals, books and such other academic sources that address the issue of university-community development partnership. Several criteria will be used to select articles that will be included as sources in this study. For example, all the articles must come from academic or professional journals that are peer reviewed or from books. This criterion is aimed at providing credible sources for the study. Another criterion has to do with the fact that all the articles must address the issue of community service in the society. This criterion is aimed at providing this author with artic les that are relevant to the topic of the research. All the articles should also be written in English. However, this criterion does not exclude those articles that were originally written in another language but translated later to English. Scope and Limitations of the Study Overview It is noted that it is not possible to carry out a single study that is capable of addressing all the aspects of a given research topic. This being the case, it is important for the researcher to identify the boundaries within which the study will be conducted. Delineation of such a boundary helps the researcher in focusing the study. The issues that will be covered by the study are separated from those that will not be addressed. This reduces ambiguity and lack of clarity in a given study. This study is not different. It is noted that the study has various limitations that may affect the quality of the findings if not addressed. The limitations can emanate from within and from outside the study. Follo wing is a list of the scope and limitations of the study. The researcher will provide strategies to address the limitations where necessary. Scope and Limitations of the Study The study will be limited to community service provided by universities in Africa. Community service from other agencies such as businesses will not be considered The study will be limited to university-community partnerships in Africa. Such partnerships in other countries outside Africa will not be considered for the study It is also noted that the study will be limited to the participation of undergraduate students in community service. Participation from other stakeholders in the university such as lecturers and the university administration will not be the main focus of this paper The study will use information from other studies conducted in the field before. This means that the study will not generate primary data. To uphold the integrity and quality of the study, the researcher will use stringent measu res in selecting the literature that will be used for the study Significance of the Study At any given time, there are a number of studies which are being conducted in a given field. This being the case, any new research or study that is being conducted in the field has to be justified. The study can be justified on the basis of the value that it is going to add to the field. Following is an outline of the significance of this study in this field: The findings of this study will help African universities in identifying the benefits of community service and the challenges facing such programs. This will help them improve such programs in the future The findings of this study will also help universities in other parts of the world to improve their partnership with the communities by learning from the African experience The findings of the study will help policy makers such as government agencies, community based organisations and such other agencies interested in community developme nt identify the importance of university-community partnerships in Africa. This will help the policy makers come up with policies that will support such partnerships in the future Summary In this section, the author introduced the reader to the various aspects of the study that will be conducted later in the paper. Major aspects of the study were highlighted. The researcher started by providing background information on the topic. This was followed by problem statement, research questions and research objectives, methodology of the study, scope and limitations of the study and finally the significance of the study. The following section will provide information on the theoretical framework that will be used. Theoretical Framework Introduction In this section, the writer will provide information on the theoretical framework that will be used for this study. The researcher will use the participatory theory to critically analyse undergraduates’ engagement in community service i n Africa. It is noted that there are various models or theories of participation that are to be found in this field. Most of these theories are borrowed from political participation literature and adapted for participation in the context of community development. The researcher will highlight some of these theories and provide the main assumptions and arguments of the theories. Theoretical framework is an important aspect in any given research. This is given the fact that the assumptions of the theory guide the researcher in conducting the study. By analyzing the various provisions and assumptions of a theoretical framework in the field, the researcher is able to explain and analyse what they observe when conducting the study. Theories are also important since they are used in organising knowledge in a given field in a coherent manner. This makes it easier to retrieve and access the knowledge stored in such a field. Participation in Community Development: Theoretical Models Overview According to Andrea (2000: 28), participation is a very important aspect of community development. Given the fact that university-community participations are aimed at developing the community, it is noted that community development theories are applicable in such a case. Such a community development theory is the one addressing participation in development activities in such a community. According to Chambers (2007: 23), there are various factors that affect participation of various stakeholders in community development activities. These may include the form of motivation that such individuals are receiving, the socio-psychological orientation of the participants among others (Hartslief, 2005: 12). Community Development Participatory Models As already indicated earlier in this paper, there are several participatory models explaining the level and intensity of participation among stakeholders. These models can be borrowed and adapted from political participatory models found in pol itical science literature. Following are the major participatory models that can be applied in the field of community development specifically university-community partnerships in Africa: The Mobilisation Model of Community Development Participation According to this participation model, it is assumed that stakeholders in community development participate in the activities as a result of the availability of opportunities in their surroundings (D’Exelle Riedl, 2008: 12). As far as political participation is concerned, individuals can only participate in political activities such as elections if they are presented with opportunities to do so. In the context of community development, mobilisation participation model holds that an individual will participate in community development if such an opportunity is made available to that individual (Edmunds Wollenberg, 2002: 244). For example, a student will only participate in community service activities if they are provided with th e opportunity to do so. To this end, universities should ensure that they provide the student with the chance and opportunity to participate in community development through community service. This is perhaps the motivation behind the Congress for South African Students cited earlier when members proposed that community service programs should be mandatory in all institutions of higher learning. By making community service mandatory, the university will effectively provide the student with an opportunity to participate in community development (Perold Rahmat, 1997: 100). Mobilisation model theory also stipulates that individuals participate as a result of stimuli from other persons around them (Colby et al., 2011: 55). As far as political participation is concerned, it is noted that people will participate in politics as a result of persuasion and influence from other people around them. The same can apply to community development participation. Individuals may participate in commu nity service as a result of influence from other people. In other words, students in African universities can participate in community service if they are motivated by other people around them. The university can provide such motivators to the students. Community Development and the Social Psychological Model of Participation According to Hellison (2009: 28), stakeholders such as the youth can resist community service for various reasons. It is also noted that there are various strategies that can be used to resist community service or participation in community development activities. This is for example individual rebellion, collective action such as demonstrations among others. Social psychological model of participation can be used to explain such extreme behaviours. In politics, the model can be used to explain political uprising and mass actions such as the ones experienced in Egypt, Libya and other African countries. This theory provides that individuals are utilitarian actor s who are able to analyse the costs and benefits of various actions (Ugochi, 2007: 27). They can analyse the benefits and costs that are associated with their participation in community service activities and they will act based on this analysis. If the student feels that they will not benefit from community service, they are bound to resist and rebel against efforts made to compel them to participate in such activities (Horm Warford, 2003: 144). It is also noted that the individual is an actor who subscribes to a network of social norms and beliefs (Ferraiolo, 2011: 100). It is this network which provides the individual with internal and external motivations to act in a given manner. It is the reason why a student will support calls to make community service mandatory to all students in higher learning institutions in South Africa given the fact that they are tied to such students’ bodies. Participation in Community Service and The General Incentives Model of Participation According to Gillette (1985: 373), there are people who participate in community development with a lot of intensity than others. This is for example those students who will organise community service activities and lobby their teachers and students to join them. The general incentive model can be used to explain such observations. In the context of politics, the theory can be used to shed light on high- intensity forms of participation in political activities. This is for example running for office, campaigning, canvassing and such other activities. In the context of participation in community development and specifically through community service, it is noted that stakeholders need incentives to participate in such activities (Vermeulen, 2005: 34). However, it is noted that we should consider a wider array of such incentives as opposed to limiting ourselves to individual incentives that motivate the stakeholder (Vermeulen et al., 2003: 12). This model is somehow similar to the mot ivation model given the fact that the stakeholder needs a push to participate in community service. There are various forms of incentives that will motivate a stakeholder to participate in community service (Goulding, 2009: 38). A university should be aware of such incentives to ensure that they are put in place where necessary to encourage students’ participation in community development. Such incentives may include the satisfaction that the stakeholder derives from such participation, the recognition that they get among others (Osvaldo Gustavo, 2011: 29). Addressing Impacts of Undergraduates’ Engagement in Community Service in Africa Overview In this section, the researcher will critically analyse issues surrounding the impacts of undergraduates’ participation or engagement in community service in Africa. Among the issues that will be covered include the impacts of such an engagement on stakeholders, the challenges facing such an engagement and strategies use d by universities in community development among others. Stakeholders in University-Community Partnerships in Africa Before looking at the various benefits of community service by university students, it is important to first identify the various stakeholders that are involved in university-community partnerships in Africa. It is after identifying such stakeholders that we can then look at what each of them stands to gain from undergraduates’ engagement in community service. The following are some of the stakeholders: The Student This is perhaps the most important stakeholder in university-community development partnerships (Timms et al., 2005: 9). It is the students enrolled in various departments in the university who are involved in community service most of the time. For example, Perold Rahmat (1997: 102) cites the case of the South African Students’ Congress which was advocating for mandatory community service for all students in institutions of higher learning i n South Africa. From this analysis, we can conclude that the student has a very important role to play in university-community partnership. The student is the link between the university and the community in this partnership. The University As much as one would like to argue that the undergraduate is the most important stakeholder in university-community partnerships in Africa, it is important to note that the student cannot exist or carry out their duties without the support of the university. It is the university which gives such a student the mandate and the authority to provide community service in the society (Hewson et al., 2010: 12). When the members of the community interact with the student during community service sessions, they see the student as a representative of the particular university that they are coming from. This being the case, it can be argued that the university is an equally important stakeholder in the university-community partnership in Africa. It is the u niversity administration which provides the students with transport, finance and other facilities that are needed in carrying out community service. It is also the university which is tasked with the duty of equipping the student with the skills that are necessary in carrying out community service (Long, 1999: 23). The Community It is noted that the community is the major beneficiary of community service provided by the university through the students (Platteau Gaspart, 2008: 34). The participation of the community is very important in community service. It is important to ensure that the members of the community are involved in the process of identifying their needs and coming up with possible solutions to their problems (Shortall, 2004: 120). According to Chambers (2007: 41), it is important to ensure that community service activities are not imposed on the community by the university and the students or any other agency involved in community service. This is given the fact that when that happens, the community is likely to resist such efforts in effect neutralising the intended benefits. This is despite the fact that the community service endeavours may have been tailored to benefit the community and not the student or the university. Impacts of Students’ Participation in Community Service in Africa on Various Stakeholders As already indicated earlier in this paper, there are several impacts of students’ participation in community service in Africa and elsewhere in the world. It is noted that the impacts may vary from one stakeholder to the other depending on the form of community service that is being offered. One thing that has not being noted is the fact that the participation of students in community service can have both negative and positive impacts on the various stakeholders (Madzivhandila, 2005: 3). The impacts on the various stakeholders will be analysed in detail here: Impacts on Students One of the positive impacts of community s ervice on students is the fact that they gain professional experience from their participation (Ribot, 1999: 34). Take the case of a medical student who is about to graduate. Going to the village and providing medical services gives them an idea of what it is like to work in a real life situation It is also noted that participation in such endeavours leads to a sense of satisfaction on the part of the student. The student feels that they have done something useful for the community and this increases their sense of responsibility (Ribot, 2005: 89) It is noted that participation in community service may have financial benefits for the student. This is for example when the student gets paid to perform extra community service or when they perform community service in exchange for credits to finance their higher education However, it is also important to note that participation in community service may have various negative impacts on the student in Africa. For example, participation ma y take a lot of the student’s time. This is time that could have been used in other activities such as reading for an exam (Arnstein, 1969: 222) At times community service may be irrelevant to the student. This is especially so if the student is involved in community service in an area that is not related to what they are studying in school. This may also happen when the student is compelled to perform community service in order to graduate (Sithole, 2005: 177) Impacts on the University Participation in community service has several impacts on the university as an institution of higher learning in Africa. One of the major positive impacts is the establishment of links between the university and the community within which it is located (Andrea, 2000: 18) However, the participation of undergraduates in community service may be expensive on the part of the university. This is especially so if the type of community service the university is involved in is capital intensive (Tim ms et al., 2005: 2). This is significant given that most of the universities in Africa are underfunded Student participation in community service may also enhance the quality of education that is offered by the university. This is given the fact that the education is not only theoretical but also practical. This being the case, the status of the university as far as potential employers are concerned is enhanced Impacts on the Community The welfare of the community is enhanced when the university engages such a community in a university-community partnership initiative. For example, the health of the members of the community improves when the university provides free or affordable medical services to them (Durham, 2004: 600) Participation of undergraduates in community service may lead to what Platteau Gaspart (2008: 1) refer to as ‘elite capture’. This happens when a few members of the community hijack the services provided by the university and excludes other member s of the society. This will in effect lead to community development that is skewed in favour of a few members of the society or the elite Improving University-Community Partnerships in Africa Having looked at some of the benefits and costs of community service as far as university-community partnership in Africa is concerned, it is now important to look at various strategies that may be used by the various stakeholders to improve the partnership in Africa. We can analyse this by looking at some of the key features of a successful university-community partnership in Africa and elsewhere in the world. The following are some of the features: Using Faculty Work to Improve the Welfare of the Community According to Wilson (2011: 21), higher learning institutions using university-community partnerships to engage the community must start by analyzing the importance of such a partnership in achieving the mission and objective of the university. To this end, it does not benefit the universit y or the community for that matter to engage in community service activities that are seen as ‘dumbing down’ the agenda of the institution (Wilson, 2011: 21). As one step towards improving the quality of community service offered by their faculty members and students in general, the university should review the intended community service activities and how they are related to the objectives and mission of the university. Understanding and Respecting the Community A unique feature of students’ participation in community service is the fact that the activities bring together students and members of the community drawn from different racial and ethnic backgrounds (Vermeulen, 2005: 65). This being the case, there is need for the university and the students to respect and appreciate the unique culture of the community within which they are providing community services. A successful community service program is marked by this respect and understanding. It is noted that more often than not, universities make their way into the community and start imposing programs on that society. This is especially the case when universities from the western nations are involved in a university-community partnership with communities from the African continent. Such a university may enter such an African community with what Wilson (2011: 23) refers to as a â€Å"know-it-all† attitude. Such a university will practically force the community to adopt the policies that are proposed by the so called ‘know- it- all’ partner. Wilson (2011: 22) provides the university wishing to improve the quality of community service with a strategy calculated to gain acceptance from the target community. The author is of the view that the university should first immerse itself fully into the target community before initiating engagement. This will make the community accept the university and thus support the activities of such an institution. Africa may be regarded as a backward and primitive continent by many students who are not aware of the diversity of communities in this continent. Such students may be stereotypical when engaged in community service in African communities. This will compromise the community service activities initiated by universities in this continent. Establish Long-Term and Sustainable Partnerships with the Community Wilson (2011: 24) notes that a successful university-community partnership is not an â€Å"episodic phenomenon†. It is not something that develops overnight. On the contrary, such an engagement is â€Å".programmatic, research-based and more often than not long term† (Wilson, 2011: 24). Most communities in Africa are plagued by challenges and problems that have accumulated over the years as a result of negligence from the rest of the world. This is for example problems brought about by colonisation and exploitation of resources by the western nations (Colby et al., 2011: 56). These are some o f the challenges that are addressed by university-community partnership initiatives in Africa. For example, such an initiative may be addressing rampant poverty in Africa which has been brought about by interplay of factors such as bad governance, exploitation, illiteracy among others. To better address such challenges in Africa, the universities should adopt a long term strategy as opposed to a short term form of intervention (Bednarz et al., 2008: 88). As already noted, the problems did not develop overnight. This being the case, a strategy aimed at addressing these challenges should also be long term just like the challenges themselves (Dwayne Palmer, 2006: 400). As a step towards building long term engagements with the community, it is noted that the university should seek the collaboration of other agencies in community development. These are agencies such as the government, faith based organisations and other non-governmental organisations (Osvaldo Gustavo, 2011: 25). It was mentioned earlier in this paper that recent developments in the word such as globalisation and the rise of technology has changed the community completely. This is especially so for African communities which were under the rule of colonialists for a very long time. This being the case, the challenges that are facing these communities cannot be effectively tackled by one agency alone. This is the reason why the university requires other strategic stakeholders to ensure that the university-community development partnership is sustainable (Booth, 2006: 13). Types of Community Service Programs Initiated by University-Community Partnerships in Africa Community service programs take various forms in Africa. The following are just some of these forms of community service programs: Volunteer Service Programs According to Perold Rahmat (1997), a volunteer is a person who takes community service as a form of extra-curricular activity. The volunteer is involved in community service during ho lidays or when they are not having classes in the case of a university student. In volunteer programs, the student is expected to perform general tasks and not necessarily tasks that are related to their academic field. This means that volunteer programs are not taken as part of class work by the university. The student engaged in volunteer community service is not paid. However, it is noted that the university may fund the activities of the volunteer but this should not be taken as payment on the part of the volunteer student (Bryant West, 2011: 85). Work-Study Programs According to Hustinx (2005: 530), this is a form of program that combines studies and working at the same time. For example, the student may be involved in assisting their lecturers in conducting research, teaching other students among other things. A major aim of work-study program in African universities and other universities around the world is to support the student financially. This is especially so if the ad ministration feels that the student is bright but is needy and cannot afford the tuition fees. This is one way of giving back to the community on the part of the university. Placements A well known form of placement program is internship. Internship has become part of the curriculum in many universities in Africa and in the world in general. However, it is important to note that placement is not strictly structured to give back to the community on the part of the university (Perold Rahmat, 1997: 100). On the contrary, the major aim of placement is to provide the student with a link between theory and practice in learning. However, a critical analysis of the program will reveal that it has some aspects of community service in it. This is especially so when the student is attached to community based organisations such as NGOs which are providing free social services to the public. Conclusion This study critically looked at the impacts of undergraduate students’ engagement in c ommunity service in Africa. The researcher started by defining what community service is and what it entails. Some of the benefits and costs of community service to various stakeholders were analysed. The various forms of community service were also analysed as well as the various strategies that can be used by the universities in Africa to improve their community service programs. Recommendations for Future Research Future studies should make an effort to analyse how universities can improve their development partnerships with the communities. This is given the fact that there is very little data in this field touching on this topic Future studies should also try to analyse the impacts of other students apart from undergraduates as far as their engagement in community service in Africa is concerned. This is as a result of the realisation that other groups of students such as post-graduates are also involved in community service References Altman, D. G. (1995). Sustaining interventi ons in community systems: On the relationship between researchers and communities. Health Psychology, 14(6): 526-536. Andrea, C. (2000). Making a difference: Gender and participatory development. IDS, 2000: 5-30. Arnstein, S. R. (1969). A ladder of citizen participation. Journal of American Institute of Planners, 23: 216-224. Bebbington, A., Farrington, J. (1993). Governments, NGOs and agricultural development: Perspectives on changing inter-organisational relationships. The Journal of Development Studies, 29(2): 199-219. Bednarz, S. W., et al. (2008). Community engagement for students learning in geography. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 32(1): 87-100. Booth, M. (2006). Public engagement and practical wisdom. Perth: University of Western Australia Press. Bryant, J., West, M. (2011). Mutual benefits that can accrue to universities and communities from their interactions with each other. University Avenue, 2011: 80-86. Chambers, R. (2007). Who counts? The quiet revolutio n of participation and numbers. IDS Working Paper, 296: 1-42. Colby, A., et al. (2011). The role of higher education in preparing undergraduates for lives of civic responsibility. University Avenue, 2011: 51-57. Cooke, B., Kothari, U. (2001). Participation: The new tyranny? London: Zed Books. D’Exelle, B., Riedl, A. (2008). Elite capture, political voice and exclusion from aid: An experimental study. CESifo, 2008: 1-32. Durham, D. (2004). Disappearing youth: Youth as a social shifter in Botswana. American Ethnologist, 31(4): 589-605. Dwayne, B. A., Palmer, R. J. (2006). Examining the effects of perceptions of community and recreation participation on quality of life. Social Indicators Research, 75(3): 395-418. Edmunds, D., Wollenberg, E. (2002). A strategic approach to multi-stakeholder negotiations. Development and Change, 32(2): 231-253. Ferraiolo, K. (2011). Assessment strategies in civic engagement and higher education. University Avenue, 2011: 89-102. Gillette, A. (1 985). Youth, literacy and participation. International Review of Education, 31(4): 373-395. Goulding, A. (2009). Engaging with community engagement: Public libraries and citizen involvement. New Library World, 110(1): 37-51. Hartslief, O. (2005). The South African presidential participation program. Presidential Imbizo, 1-19. Hellebrandt, J. (2008). The role of service learning in the new Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement in Spanish language teaching and learning: Policy, practice and performance. Hispania, 91(1): 222-224. Hellison, D. (2009). Engaging urban youths: A youth development perspective. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation Dance, 80(8): 27-34. Hewson, J., et al. (2010). Enhancing social work research education through research field placements. Contemporary Issues in Education Research, 3(9): 7-15. Horm, D. M., Warford, S. D. (2003). Bridging the gap through community collaboration: An evolving role for child development laboratory programs. Advance s in Early Education Day Care, 12: 142-147. Hustinx, L. (2005). Bifurcated commitment, priorities and social contagion: The dynamics and correlates of volunteering within a university student population. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 26(4): 523-538. Jehan, L. (2004). 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The Joint Education Trust, 1997: 3-107. Platteau, J.P., Gaspart, F. (2008). The ‘elite capture’ problem in participatory development. Centre for Research on the Economics of Development , 2008: 1-40. Ribot, J. C. (1999). Decentralization, participation, and accountability in Sahelian Forestry: Legal instruments of political-administrative control. University of California, 1999: 1-48. Ribot, J.C. (2005). Choosing representation: Institutions and powers for decentralized natural resource management. London: Earthscan. Shortall, S. (2004). Social or economic goals, civic inclusion or exclusion? An analysis of rural development theory and practice. Sociologia Ruralis, 44(1): 109-123. Sithole, B. (2005). B ecoming men in our dresses! Womens involvement in a joint forestry management project in Zimbabwe. Harare: Harare Press. Timms, J., et al. (2005). Effective regional improvement and innovation networks: Critical success factors and critical failure factors. Web. Ugochi, D. (2007). Improving health, improving lives: Impact of African Youth Alliance and new opportunities for programs. African Journal of Reproductive Health, 11(3): 18-27. Vermeulen, S. (2005). Handbook to tools and resources for policy influence in resource management. London: McGraw-Hill. Vermeulen, S., Nawir, A. A., Mayers, J. (2003). Better livelihoods through partnerships? A review of the impacts of deals between communities and forestry companies on local development. Rural Livelihoods, Forests and Biodiversity, 2003: 1-18. Wilson, D. (2011). Key features of successful university-community partnerships. University Avenue, 2011: 17-23.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Dont believe these 4 money saving myths

Dont believe these 4 money saving myths When we think of money and our grand financial plans- both short-term and long-term- we tend to cling to those old, time-tested maxims about saving money that we’ve heard over and over again, starting from when we were young and filling up our first piggy banks. We assume that most of these maxims are true- after all, they’ve withstood the test of time and if we hear something enough times from enough people we tend to accept them at face value. But†¦have you ever stopped and thought about whether or not these money-saving notions are actually true, or still hold up in today’s economy? Let’s take a closer look at some common money saving myths, and see if they still hold up.1. Debt is bad.Who hasn’t been told early on by someone in a trusted position that â€Å"debt is bad† and that we should always strive to live a life of total economic freedom, unshackled by the evil forces of debt, which only serves to cripple us financially. If this was something you simply accepted as true- think again.Responsible debt, which means borrowing money or utilizing credit within a range that makes realistic financial sense for you and your economic situation, is actually an effective way to establish a good credit history, and lets you build sound long-term financial habits and behaviors. Getting comfortable assuming debt, which can help you build your abilities with handling maintaining regular repayment schedules and understanding interest rates and other key financial terms, can really help set you up for responsibly handling future loans, purchases, and investments.2. Buying cheaper is smarter.Lots of us are guilty of this one- when considering a purchase we research a wide range of options at various prices and convince ourselves that the cheapest option is the most financially responsible choice. After all, we’re saving money, aren’t we? Well†¦maybe not.The truth is, it’s only sometimes true that pu rchasing the cheapest option is the smart approach. Why? Because it’s often true that cheaper isn’t better and you’ll wind up spending more money in the long run on replacements for the cheaper item when it breaks vs. buying the more expensive, higher quality item that lasts first.3. Owning is better than renting.This notion is about as old as the first mortgage and as pervasive as it gets†¦but is it true? Like many things in life, this isn’t so black and white, and the actual answer is†¦maybe.The truth is, it depends on your situation. While it’s often true that using your money towards paying a mortgage and owning property is a smart move when compared to paying rent to help someone else who owns the property, you have to keep in mind that owning property comes with many additional expenses, including property tax, land tax, and maintenance and upkeep fees, which renters often don’t have to worry about. So, depending on your fina ncial situation and resources, buying a house may also be buying you a set of financial concerns that you may not be ready to take on.Furthermore, the terms of a mortgage can vary wildly, and as we’ve seen during the recent mortgage crisis and housing bubble, depending on your mortgage things can get financially risky fast. The bottom line: it’s in your best interest to take a full, in-depth financial inventory before determining if buying or renting make sense for you right now.4. You don’t have to save money until I’m older.Many younger people fall prey to this notion, that they have plenty of time in the future to start worrying about saving money and being financially responsible. After all, isn’t it the privilege of youth to be carefree and irresponsible, and worry about the important stuff like money when they’re older?It might not surprise you that this is an extremely shortsighted and foolhardy approach to money saving. The truth is, it’s never too soon to start saving money and developing sound financial habits. Furthermore, once you get into the mindset that you can put something off until later, it only gets easier to keep operating under this principle, and later can quickly become too late.The truth revealedOkay, so now you know the truth- some of those old money-saving myths we’ve all been told may or may not hold up for you, depending on your current financial situation and short- and long-term financial goals. That said, make sure to always take stock of your current financial situation and outlook when making any serious financial decision, and if you can consult with a financial expert, even better. Good luck!

Thursday, November 21, 2019

ArticleAbstract Assignments 10 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ArticleAbstract Assignments 10 - Essay Example It also follows that there is a strong correlation between the consumer demands and the presence of star players (Timothy 2007). The study builds on past research that assists in developing strategies aimed at improving marketing strategies. The analysis of game specific attendance and contrasting it to the annual average attendance facilitates the development of these strategies. Furthermore, the study complements the body of knowledge by recognizing past research on star players and extending the findings of these studies to the Major Soccer League. Timothy (2007) provides that despite the contribution of the study, it is noteworthy that the study only aimed at the short term, effects of Freddy Adu’s presence but made no attempts to study the long term results of the presence of the star in the league. The results for the short term do not reflect the actual position since the data reflect on the outcome during the early stages of the entry of the superstar. It is noteworthy that these effects might gradually fade off and make no difference in the outcome in the long

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 17

History - Essay Example Most of these movements were socialist in nature advocating for equality of persons regardless of their race, gender or sexuality. However, the antiwar movement stood out since it campaigned against the extensive involvement of the United States in the Vietnam War. The social upheaval of the sixties occurred between the late 1950s and early to late 1960s, resulting in public unrests and mass action against the government and other organizations of the day. The campaigners were demonstrating against what they termed as causes of society deterioration; asking responsible authorities to implement changes that would see society improve. First, the movement condemned conservatism, which is the refusal of components of society to accept change. The world had become accustomed to the way things were such that no one wanted any change. Second, the social upheaval wanted an end to the culture of social conformity, where everyone did what they did not because they wanted to, but because it was acceptable to do so. For instance, social conformity made people do evil deeds because they are socially acceptable, instead of doing what is right and taking responsibility for one’s actions. Finally, the social upheaval resulted from the American economic and work force resources that the government was using to support the war in Vietnam. The result of the social upheaval was, among others, the change in social structures to accommodate behaviors perceived as taboos. The aim of this paper is to discuss the social, political and economic conditions of the 1950s that lead to the social upheaval of the 1960s (Land and Lettieri 209). According to Henriksen (28), the atomic bomb that America dropped on Hiroshima had severe effects on the American society. She postulated that the scientists’ attempt and success in breaking down an atom into smaller pieces, resulting in literal breakdown of the American

Monday, November 18, 2019

Issues That the Jerusalem Council Debated Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Issues That the Jerusalem Council Debated - Essay Example The resolution was communicated to all Christians. The Jerusalem council is a model to the church today. There have emerged many religious denominations in Christianity today. These denominations have differed in their teachings on baptism. Some groups believe in baptism by immersion while others maintain that the amount of water does not matter for as long as one professes faith in Jesus. Debates on sexual orientation and expression have taken their toll on the church. This difference sometimes degenerates into open enmity and conflicts. Today’s church should learn from the way the Jerusalem council would handle issues peacefully and with dialogue (Elmer 89). While in Rome, Paul got into trouble with the Jewish elders and chief priests. The elders and priests bound Paul when he would not stop preaching about the resurrection of Jesus, but he was saved by the officials of the emperor before they hurt him. When he was taken to Emperor Felix and charged with inciting people and causing chaos, he defended himself by explaining that the people were only angry with him for preaching about the resurrection of Jesus. Felix did not want to delve into Paul’s case. He put him in detention until he left Caesarea. Festus his successor came to power (Harrison 57). He revisited Paul’s case, and he conspired with Paul’s opponents to hand him over to them so that they hurt him in the pretence of moving him to Jerusalem to try him there. However, Paul declined, and when he appeared before Festus and King Agrippa, he pleaded with Caesarea as a Roman citizen. He charged that he had not contravened any roman or Jewish law, but he was only teaching about the resurrection of Jesus.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Concept of Crosswall Construction for Earthquake Hazards

Concept of Crosswall Construction for Earthquake Hazards 1. INTRODUCTION The aim of this report is to understand the basic concept of crosswall construction, and a proposal for Armature Crosswalls to be used as earthquake hazard mitigation for reinforced concrete and masonry infill-wall buildings vulnerable to collapse. RC frame and infill construction is common throughout the world and often has proved lethal in earthquakes. The paper traces the history of masonry infill construction from pre-modern forms that have shown earthquake resistance in the past, to the early modern steel skeleton frame buildings that survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. the construction flow at real time in step by step procedures and quantifying the benefits and studying their applications. This is done by making a comparison in usage of the same technique in two different countries namely India and the United Kingdom. This comparison is aimed at producing an insight into the technique and to identify the areas of improvement. 2. Crosswall construction 2.1 Definition: Crosswall is a modern method of building construction using division walls which transfers the floor loads through the building to the foundations. The name crosswall itself signifies the masonry connection is on either sides of the main wall. It employs concrete components like lift and stair cores, precision engineered (highly skilled), and precasted in the factories. 2.2 Applications: This type of pre-cast single-skin or flat panel concrete construction is becoming more popular in commercial applications such as hotels, motels, prisons, military barracks and student accommodations. These types of structures up to 16 storeys have been finished in U.K using the crosswall technique. The use of such panels can result in fast, simple construction process on site followed quickly by finishing trades. Crosswall is mainly used for medium and high rise buildings. 2.3 Benefits: Cross wall construction method reduces the wet trades and creates very early dry boxes for subsequent trades. This helps in speeding up the construction process without delay in work. Crosswalls also helps to eliminate internal cladding and other items such as party walls because the concrete crosswalls and floors do more than load carrying system. Crosswall technique reduces the labour onsite. A precast panel provides concrete frames without structural down stands. Cross wall construction which has been developed for providing very fast and high quality in repetitive accommodation units such as hotels and the opportunity for multi storey apartments is rising, student accommodation buildings, stadiums etc. but the crosswall technique optimisation in low rise buildings is minimal(single houses) because the dimensions of each room may not be the similar. The Crosswall construction is incorporated with a series of both horizontal and vertical ties which are designed in such a way to prevent the failures and collapses according to building specifications. Other precast work can be started simultaneously before the precast units are erected. The crosswall buildings have less maintenance service and have good acoustics values. The acoustic performance of crosswall is excellent because of its mass and effective damping. Crosswalls reduces the risks of failing pre completion acoustic tests. (The Concrete Centre, 2006) Pre cast walls and floor units are more than just a structure (highly effective in costs, speed, early start for other trades, and provision of fire separation panels), wall panels are provided with good finish and air tight tolerance. Tight tolerance enables fitting of bathroom pods, carpets and built in furniture. Flat pack construction is very quick and cost effective because it reduces the material waste on the site and the party walls are largely eliminated. The separation of acoustics and additional finishes are reduced as the wall panels provide the sufficient airborne noise separation. Thermal mass is provided by concrete and the thermal is utilised in crosswall constructions because the concrete widely spreads on the unfinished surfaces and the thermal mass reduces the risk of over heating in summer season by keeping the surrounding cool.( Doebber, Ellis M.W; 2005) The main features incorporated in cross wall construction are Direct decorative finish to the walls with only minor pre decoration treatments. Solid room sized slabs pre finished for direct ceiling decorations. Reduced structural zone without downstands. Cross wall system generally utilises stair cores and lift cores for overall stability. Pre fitted windows eliminates internal cladding. Optimal methods of floor construction, allowing flexibility for individual client requirements. Construction of stairs and lift cores can permit early access for subsequent trades. (The Concrete Centre, 2007) 2.4 Limitations: In spite of several benefits offered by the precast panels, it has found that there is no wide acceptance of the precast panels in construction because of Highly skilled engineers or labours are required for manufacturing, placing and erecting the moulds on required positions. Lack of awareness and initiatives especially in Indian construction industry because of invariable labour intensive methods which leads to delay in the construction and that result in cost over-run and poor workmanship. Shortage of skilled and semi-skilled personnel availability may bring poor finishes, leakages in the buildings, corrosion of structural elements. These defects can be only minimised by the use of mass scale projects such as schools, offices, hospitals and other similar projects.(A.B.Shah,2005) Precast wall panel construction may be more or equal expensive as masonry construction because it mainly depends upon the transportation of offsite fabricated materials to onsite. (Havel.G, 2006) Difficult to transport heavy weight and size of the precast panels. The profit margin is very low in the small scale constructions. For single and two storey dwellings it would be typical to use single storey height walls panels between 90-300mm thick concrete for external walls and 70-100mm thick panels for the internal walls. The variation in designs leads to the problem and the single housing clients are not happy with the precast technique even though it provides a higher quality and good finish. This crosswall technique is mostly used for large repetitive structures may not be used for small scale construction like individual housing because the crosswall is more expensive tool when compared. (Glass.J, 2000) 2.4.1 Fire Conditions: The building with large precast wall panels often has high ceilings and heavy fire loadings, as in retail stores, factories and warehouses. The fire in one of these occupancies require large volumes of water from large lines, if the fire is not controlled master stream appliances will be needed. The fire in large precast buildings is likely to cause an early collapse of the roofs even if they are no weak connections. In this type of precast panel construction all the parts of the building are tied together as part of a structure, the roof collapses are more likely to tip the walls inwards and outwards. As we know, the roof supports are more securely connected to the walls, the chances of roof collapsing is high before the wall connection fails. The failure of any part of the structure may affect the stability of the other parts of the building. (Havel.G, 2006) 3. Historical background: The precast concrete wall panel system was devised in England by William H.Lascelles (1832-85) of Exeter. In 19th century the pre-casting concrete for the structural purposes was started. Francois Hennebique (1842-1921) first introduced precast concrete into cast in-situ flour mill in France. White and Morris had given the historical accounts of the early development on precast concrete. (Elliot.K.S; 2000) Later in 1930s the use of precast as been expanded by companies such as Bison, Trent concrete and girling. Whilst precast concrete usage was stand at the first place it differs from country to country. One of the reason was the structural timber became more limited in some of the countries which led to development and improvement of precast usage. During the next 25 years the development in the precast frames, precast cladding as increased the market share to around 15% in industrial, commercial sectors. (Richardson.J.G, 1973) Since the 1990s, a significant amount of research has been conducted on the seismic behavior and the design of precast wall paneled structures that do not emulate the behavior of cast-in-place reinforced concrete construction. 4.Development Of Precast Concrete Panel Frame Systems: Precast panel frame systems have been successfully emerged from the research use of post tensioning between the precast beam and columns to achieve the lateral load resistance needed in seismic areas. (Seismic design of friction-damped precast concrete frame structure) For the Docklands project on constructing student accommodation blocks in London, the concrete was prefabricated in Belgium and transported because the northern Europe was only able to cope up with the demands of the project and other small local markets were tightened. Precast concrete wall panels in buildings speeds up the building process by adopting the precast concrete moulds. Decorative and light weight blocks have a great to offer visual values and technical values. The small store buildings from the precast industries offer excellent means of construction within the budget. The farm buildings, ware houses, industrial buildings are required to be constructed on exposed sites so the materials of standard precast frame components are supplied. Precasting of simple lintels offers opportunities of time saving on the site. The schools, universities are built by using the precast modular components. 4.1 Comparison of Conventional and Large precast panel Construction (Shah.A.B, 2005) The above table clearly signifies the benefits of large precast construction over conventional construction methods in various fields. 4.2 Structural Superiority: The precast panel structural system can be quiet efficient compared to other systems and it was tested and proven. (Fintel.M, July1991). In cast in-situ concrete structures, the large stresses may built up in the structure due to the curing, shrinkage, creep, temperature etc. However no such stresses are built in large precast panel systems during casting. Due to these special characteristics of large panels it has proved its efficiency for more than 50 years in Europe, America and other developed countries. (Shah.A.B, 2005) 5. Precast Concrete Panel Manufacture Process 5.1 Casting: Precast concrete panels can be manufactured by various casting methods. 5.1.1 Wet casting : It is generally used for small number of units having similar specifications. The moulds are manufactured by heating them in the enclosed and covered zones. Skilled engineers design the type of moulds depending upon the requirement for the project and also under the guidance of trained supervisions. As this casting is used for small units, it can be manufactured manually depending upon the number of units to be prepared. This casting can be provided for small housing. Wet casting provides the concrete in the cube strength ranging from 21 to 50N/mm, the slump varying from 0 to 175mm with a compacting factor varying from 0.8 to 0.97.(specifications are derived from CP 110 Unified code for structural concrete) 5.1.2 Gang casting: It is usually used when the moulds are combined together into a large unit assembly. The gang casting is developed by the modification of wet castings. The gang casting could be used when the similar unit requirement is more. For example: gang casting can be used in the production of stair case in the multi storied buildings. The main factors for adopting gang casting process is because of the designed units, and the general components of concrete. The gang casting can be arranged horizontally and the outputs which are achieved from gang casting can be more enhance in the stack casting. The main advantage of gang casting is it allows the concrete to place faster and than the concrete is compacted with the help of immersion-type vibrators. The greater accuracy of the component units are produced with the gang casting. The gang moulds are tied up in series so that the pressure loading on each individual unit is counteracted by the adjacent units, by this way it reduces the number of tie members. The gang moulds can be used for long horizontal spans, but the filling of gang moulds must be carefully controlled such that the intermediate moulds are not subjected to differential loading which may cause deflections and waves along the line of moulds. (Gibb.A, 1999) 5.1.2 Stack Casting: Stack casting is the slight modification to the flat and gang casting units. In this casting process gang moulds are filled and hardened after the hardening process the divider plates are driven into the mould up to an appropriate depths so that the next layer will be ready for casting. Stack casting is used to produce A frames and can be used in the repetitive structures such as prisons constructions. All the rooms are of same size and dimensions. Precasters have found that the incorporation of through holes, barrels or by insertion of anchors allows fastening the mould sides and bring them to the subsequent positions with exact casting thickness. 5.1.3 Battery casting: It is mostly used on wider scale, battery moulds has become more popular in large concrete wall panel constructions and the casting technique is also used for the manufacture of floor slabs and for decorative cladding components. The battery casting can be used in the manufacture of L shaped components such as balcony elements and lift enclosures. In this type, the units are generally cast in batteries of two or more. The battery mould can also have eight to twelve cells in the same mould. The changes on the casting process which provides a continuous casting, hardening, and curing schedule prior to de moulding. The battery mould which basically contains a series of plates that are spaced a part by the other mould members. A Battery mould allows high density of casting to be carried in the available space. Care and proper supervision is required in the assembly operations so it results in securely tied moulds which will be impossible for the concrete member to get separate from the mould. (Richardson.J.G, 1973) 5.2. Direct Casting and Inverted Shell Procedures: The precasted concrete panels can be obtained from the flexible formwork. The fabric formwork can be used to produce two basic types of concrete panels such as direct casting and inverted shells. In the direct cast panels, the concrete moulds are formed by the sandwiching fabric between the two rectangular frames. Firstly, the lower frame has the intermediate supports place inside it. The lower frame is X- shaped intermediate supports. The fabric membrane is than prestressed between the lower and intermediate supports. Finally, the upper frame is placed over the membrane and than aligned with the lower frames. When the concrete is placed in the mould, the fabric form bends downwards and creates three dimensional tension curves between the available supports. Using the direct casting method, a single membrane can be moulded to form different varieties of designs by simply changing the design of the intermediate supports. The produced precasted frames with different designs can be used as various building components. The direct cast panel can be used as moulds to produce light weight shaft panels with compressed shells are caste from the mould. The panel has a minimum thickness of 38mm at the apex and a maximum thickness of 127mm at the perimeter and the diagonal X beams. The two glass fiber reinforced concrete panels can also be produced by optimising the same process of tilting the direct cast panel to produce a compression shell panel. The final obtained glass fibre reinforced concrete panel cast from the mould which significantly varies in thickness from 13 to 38mm. Unlimited desired number of different pattern or designs can be produced from these methods. Each intermediate supports produces its own set of compression shells. The moulds can be produced by providing the compression resistance to different load patterns by the changing the loading which is used in direct cast mould productions. This method helps in developing an architectural quality concrete finishes using the industrial concrete mixing. Also expands the architectural potential of concrete constructions. But the problem was identified that there was no suitable method for predicting the magnitude of deflections in the formwork membranes under the variety of loading and also structural behaviour of some of the structures are not examined, precise engineers may solve the problem of structural behaviour in the precast concrete panels. (West.M, April 2004) 6.Crosswall Construction Procedures Precasting the elements such as foundations, wall panels, floors, stairs, chajjas, water tanks are manufactured at the factory and they are directly installed on the site. 6.1 Foundations: The foundations along with the walls up to the plinth levels can be cast by using M20 grade concrete in the factories and further construction can be processed by using precast panels. 6.2 Precast Wall Panels: The precast wall panels can be made of concrete with the reinforcement provided as per the specifications. The wall panels can be cast in horizontal positions and than they are lifted from the casting beds after the concrete attains minimum required strengths. They are three main types of wall elements that are solid panels, panels with door openings and panels with window openings. 6.2.1 Sandwich Panels: The sandwich panel which involves a precast concrete outerleaf, and the choice of simulated stone finishes or facings, insulating layer and a blacking leaf of plane grey concrete. The insulation which is installed under the factory conditions is well protected by the concrete. The thickness of the insulation contained in the sandwich panels can be varied to achieve the required U-values. The precast concrete sandwich panels are often used for the building exteriors cladding and also serves as shear walls. The two sandwich layers are generally connected by the stainless steel connectors, which may consists of wind and the shear connectors. Several insulation types such as mineral fibre insulation materials can be used. A cavity can also be introduced if necessary. Mineral fibre insulation is environmentally friendly, fire resistant when compared to the expanded polystyrene products. The sandwich panels may support floors, slabs and beams. The main advantage of the load bearing panels is they may not require perimeter columns and instead increases the floor area and gives flush wall profiles. The applied finish panels may include terracotta, glazed bricks, tiles, granite, and limestone. A panel may incorporate more than 1000 bricks or 100 stones. (Dawson.S, 2004) The sandwich panel system which includes polystyrene insulation sandwiched between the two concrete walls. The interior of the sandwich panel is thicker because several studies as shown the thermal capacitance of benefits are greater when the thermal capacitance is within the insulation barrier (Kossecka Kossny, 2002) The two types of precast concrete panel systems are One is waffle precast concrete panel system which is currently used in the light commercial and residential industry and the other is sandwich precast concrete panel system which represents the available wall technologies which has greater thermal performance than the waffle panel system. The inner leaf of the sandwich panel may be used as a load bearing structural element for giving support to the floor units. This provides more efficiency to the construction process and minimises the need to integrate different trades. Techrete Company has manufactured the load bearing sandwich panels for Dublins city centre; the city centre was designed by OMahony Pike and for the first time the sandwich panel was used in a structural capacity on residential development. The sandwich panel provides very strong, durable, energy-efficient and fire resistant cladding systems. All the panels are manufactured in the factory and they are Just in time delivered to the site, they are enabled to provide very high quality finishes. Construction will be much faster and the load bearing walls panels they provide both structural support and external finish, the labour on site is minimised. (Taylor.P.J, 1992) Most of the precast concrete cladding system comprises of a single layered structural concrete panels which are manufactured in the factory and than installed on multi storey buildings with a weather resistant external finishes. Sandwich panel generally contains insulated material between the two precast layers. Techrete is one of the leading precast concrete manufacturers which has expanded the range and potential of the sandwiched panels. The Techrete company has introduced the precast panels in stone and bricks. The air cavity can be fixed in between the panels and they can be integrated as a part of load bearing structures. 6.2.1.1 Two-Wythe Sandwich Panels: The precast concrete slabs are constructed by two Wythes of concrete which are separated by thermal insulation layer. Two Wythes panels are provided with strong concrete which enables both lifting and handling. The solid concrete may also have catastrophic impact on the thermal performance on the precast concrete panels. The research was mainly directed towards the development of precast concrete three-Wythe sandwich panel with the improved thermal performances. Often, both the concrete Wythes are of same thickness and the surface of the exterior Wythes may include the architectural panels. The panels with two concrete Wythes and one insulated layer are referred to as two-Wythe panels. (Lee B.J,Pessiki; 2006) 6.2.1.2 Three-Wythe Sandwich Panels: The three Wythe panel which usually as three concrete Wythes and two insulated layers, those are connected by solid concrete and they are staggered in location so that no concrete path extends directly through the entire thickness of the panel. In practice, the three-Wythe panels are evaluated by estimating the thermal resistance (R-value) using the finite element methods. Three Wythe panel was developed to reduce the thermal bridges which were produced by solid concrete. Generally the thermal performance of three Wythe panel is evaluated by estimating the R-Values (thermal resistance) using finite element methods. The benefits of three Wythe panels are: The concrete connection between the Wythes allows improving the thermal performance over the two Wythe panel. The increased overall panel thickness may lead to increased span capability, this how which increases the usage of sandwiched panels. But the three-Wythe sandwiched panel may not be applicable for all scenarios because it increases the production time and production costs when compared to two sandwiched panels. On the whole three Wythes panels provide greater advantages in thermal performance than two Wythe panel but with higher cost and time productivities. (LEE, PESSIKI; 2003) 6.2.2 Tilt-Up Panels: The tilt up technique which combines the advantage of precast walls with other benefits of site casting, the size and the thickness of the panel is reduced. The tilt up construction had grown more rapidly with respect to the increase in the demands for more durable and economical buildings. The use of WWR(wire welded reinforcement) in the tilt up panels is relatively new concept. According to concrete international there are inherent advantages and disadvantages to the use of the WWR. (Griffin.J, 2003) WWR (wire welded reinforcement) mats are manufactured in the plant-controlled environment, which gives the correct number of bars that to be placed in the panels depending upon the additional drawings. In the fields the prefabricated mats give assurance that the bars do not bunch or free float together in the plane of reinforcement, step- through meshes are well maintained which offers the workers the ability to step between adjacent bars, reduction of labour on the site. Tilt up panel can be reinforced in less time because of the labour reduction. This wire welded reinforcement(WWR) may be used in joining the precast concrete walls and may finish the work very quickly without the need of excess labour and has an advantage in reducing size and thickness of the walls in multi-storey structures. 6.2.3 Double wall precast panels: Double wall building technology means that both sides of the wall and the floor components are form finished. The interior surfaces of the walls are dry and smooth, only single coat of paint may be required to achieve the look and feel the drywall finish. The exterior surfaces of the walls can be produced with variety of finishes and surface treatments. Dukane Precast Company has used the double wall technique for the low-rise residential and non residential constructions. This company has built a plant geared for low cost production of roof and wall that created safest, durable and most energy efficient building systems. The double wall building method may offer significant energy conservation by recognising thermal mass properties. The benefits of double wall panels: The double wall panel design may be a good choice for the home buyers looking primarily in cost, comfort, health benefits. The high degree of insulation provided by the panels can permit the use of smaller heating and air conditioning units, thus may save monthly operating costs of the house. (Concrete Products Staff, 2002) 6.3 Floors/Roof Panels: 6.3.1 Hollowcore Floors: Hollowcore and prestressed floors are also commonly used as floor slabs in multi-Family housing, schools, and hotels, offices which may take an advantage of span to depth ratios, high load carrying capacity, fire ratings and speed of construction. The hollow unit reduces the self weight of the slabs. These floor units may be available in 1200mm in widths depths from 110 to 400 mm. The hollow core slabs for the residential buildings may have very good span capabilities (short long span). The long span is used for the car parks and office constructions and they can exhibit upward cambers. The short spans can also be provided with a layer of the expanded polysterene on the soffit to provide the insulation for the ground floor situations. The hollowcore slabs with reinforcement can be generally 225mm deep and 1200 mm wide Termodeck Company is more specialised in providing hollow core units. (Borghoff.M, 2006) The hollow core wall panels can be installed with or without insulation. The floor units can be provided with the polysterene or poly-isocyanurate (PIR) insulation material. The benefits of using hollowcore floor units are as follows: It may include high load carrying capacity, long spans, durability, erection speed, providing instant working, and very good thermal and sound insulation, providing the floor with fire resistant properties without the need for the fire protection treatment. Hollow core units may be the ideal building material for the construction of ware houses, manufacturing plants, schools, retail stores, office buildings and administration buildings. The use of pre stressed hollow core units and the solution which may enables fast construction and it is cost effective because the secondary fire resistance treatment is not required Precast hollowcore floors are designed with up to 4 hours fire resistance by using tabulated data that gives minimum dimensions for the depth of concrete cover to the prestressing strand or wires as well as overall depth of the floor slab to be used. (Norman E Brown, Head of Engineering Services – British Precast Secretary – Precast Flooring Federation) 6.4 Transportation: The precast concrete panels can delivered to the site over the highways by semi trailer trucks. A few can be shipped by rail or other modes of transportation depending upon the feasibility of resources. The precast plants may not restrict the size and weight of the precast panel production if there is ease of transportation. The use of light weight aggregate concrete panels can minimize the impact of weight on shipping, handling and