The Importance Of Security In Distributed Systems Information Technology Essay

The Importance Of Security In Distributed Systems Information Technology Essay The total number of computer systems installed within any organization has been increasing at a phenomenal rate. The relative ease of installing and utilizing computer applications is a compelling reason for connecting computer systems together and distributing or sharing the work. These distributed systems allow you to take better advantage of the vast array of processing power now available. Distributed computing probably means many different things to many different people. To some, it means client or server, it is cooperative processing and to still other, its using a distributed database. Further explanations and definitions may be required to ensure that everyone has a common view and understanding of a distributed computing system. When referencing a distributed computing system, every user should be able to see the same thing. A distributed computing system is composed of system elements which are then distributed across different processing platforms connected by a network. In this paper, have 10.0 Section. Each of the section will describe. Section 2.0 is about Distributed System. Section 3.0 is about Threat of distributed System. Distributed System Security will describe in Section 4.0. The next Section 5.0 is about Distributed System Security Mechanism. Distributed System Security Architecture will describe on Section 6.0.We can know about Distributed System Requirements in Section 7.0. In Section 8.0, we can know Factors Affecting Distributed System Security. Contribution in the security, we can see on Section 9.0 and finally Section 10 concludes this paper. Distributed System Today, computers are not stand alone units. Several computers are being networked together to form large computer systems. Not only are computers being network, but they are being networked into large distributed systems where each individual computer, node if you will, can make use of the applications distributed throughout the system (Dobry Schanken, 1994). Study on the formal specification of authorization has become a major challenge in the current development of secure computing and IT systems (Yun, 2008). Figure 1. Authorization (Access control) in a distributed environment. Consider a distributed environment as shown in Figure 1, in which different users can access various resources through the network (Internet). Therefore, from the definition above, it indicates how an organization can benefit from using the distributed system as shown below: Resource sharing It is possible to use different types of hardware, software or data wherever in the system hence reduce unnecessary costs related with the tools. Also it supports resource sharing model that describes the way resources are provided, the way they are used as well as the way provider and users interact between each other. There are more benefits such as through search engines and computer based working were different information can be shared in inexpensive and easy way. Concurrency Several processes can take place at the same time while components access as well as update any of the shared resources including databases. The important thing is that concurrent updates must be coordinated in order to maintain integrity of the system. Openness It allows detailed interfaces of components to be published and supports the integration of new components with existing once. Scalability The system is capable of accommodating changes in case of increase number in of users and resources it should be able to respond faster. This can be done by adding a number of processors with high speed to the system. Therefore the architecture and implementation must be flexible enough to allow it. Fault tolerance Distributed systems are capable of operating correctly even if there maybe some defects within the system (internal errors) for the purpose of increasing system dependability within an organization o a business. 3.0 Threat of Distributed Systems There are different threats when distributed system is concerned, as any networked computer system can face it. It is important to implement countermeasures for all expected threats for the purpose of the system to remain constant and cost effective. Those threats can be distinguished depending on their interaction as follows below: Denial of service Involves attacks that affect the availability of information from the system to the user resulting to paralysation of the entire operation of an organization or part of activities depending on the attack. The use of resource control mechanism can help in solving the above problem by applying timing responses, sizing responses, and connection control. Also problem detection by timing latency in system can easily be done if there is a dramatic increase of latency then denial of service (DoS) can be detected as well as addressed. Information leakage Is one of the threats of computer system specifically distributed systems where sensitive information can easily be revealed to unauthorized users that results to lack of confidentiality. Unauthorized access This can occur due to the reason that the physical configuration is not strong enough to protect such threats from accessing the system (distributed system). This is known as inter process communication threats. There is a need to for an organization that is willing to implement access control system to keep in mind three things which are models, access control policies as well as mechanisms (Krause Tipton, 1998). Access control policies will enable organizations to be able to specify different ways that will lead to proper management of access to resources as well as information which are the valuable assets of an organization. Distributed System Security The objective of any security system is the ability to keep a secret. This is as true automated systems as much as it is for people. It is as important to keep the information secret when it is stored as well as when it sent over a network. A secure system is the one that can be trusted to keep secret, and important word is trusted. Trusts can be defined as a confident reliance on the integrity, honesty or justice of another. Trust refers to the ability of the application to perform actions with integrity and to perform its functions on a continuing basis. However, individuals, governments and institutions such as banks, hospitals and other commercial enterprise will only consign their secrets to a computer system if they can be absolutely certain of confidentiality (Randell Rushby, 2007). The security architecture incorporates elements to safeguard the confidentiality of information and ensure that all access to the computing resources is authorized and authenticated. Defined security architecture can be used to ensure the design of applications and systems will meet the required security objectives. The architecture will help guide decisions between systems and across platforms and ensure all of the systems meet a standard minimum level of security. Nevertheless, the security still has some problem. For example, the problems of maintaining security are compounded because the sharing of secrets is generally desired but only in a tightly controlled manner. In case, an individual can choose other individuals or groups with whom he wishes to share his private information (Randell Rushby, 2007). This sharing is called discretionary security because it is permitted at the discretion of the individual. The trusted portion of a secure system is normally identified with a small operating system nuclear. The name is a security kernel. It is the rest of the operating system and all applications and user programs belong to the un-trusted element. However, certain difficulties attend the use of such kernelized systems. In the part of the structure of all secure systems constructed or designed recently has been influenced by the concept of a reference monitor (Randell Rushby, 2007). A reference monitor is a small, inaccessible, reliable mechanism that controls the behavior of un-trusted system elements by mediating their references to such external entities as data and other un-trusted elements. Each access is checked against a record of the accesses that the security policy authorizes for that element. Distributed System Security Mechanism Cryptography The security of information transmitted from one node to another is questionable, therefore there is a need of using a proper method of transforming it into unreadable formats (secrets writing) through cryptography. The use of a single key or public key cryptographic algorithm which is suitable for protecting message content by hiding information carried by a packet during the transmission process. This can be accomplished using RSA or AES algorithms. Authentication protocol Provides a series of communication procedures between users of the system and the server for the purpose of securing the communication process. Access control mechanism This can be done using access control lists (ACL) that consists of a list related to an object that states all the subjects that can be allowed to access the object, as well as the rights to the object. ACL normally are implemented directly or as an approximation in recent Operating systems Distributed System Security Architecture The OSI Open system interconnection Reference model is often used to depict largely of distributed system architecture for it has the ability to describe various levels of service essential to support distributed transactions. Autonomous computer systems and their processes intercommunicate through the first four levels of OSI-RM. Middleware is considered as the bridge used to connect distributed applications across different physical locations, with different hardware platforms, network technologies, operating systems, as well as different programming languages In order to design, maintain and utilize the computational services offered by the distributed system, it is suitable to use abstraction of the distributed system physical architecture (Donnelly. 1979). The abstraction views the distributed system as a collection of processes that normally communicates with each other in the process. Processes communicate by passing messages; there if two processes communicate it means the communication is done over communication channels. 7.0 Distributed System Security Requirement There are many requirements of distributed system security that focus on the area of IT security criteria. That is the development of protection profiles. The protection profile is meant to describe requirements that must be met to achieve varying levels of security. These requirements presented component, categorized or relating to assurance. For example, trusted recovery is the components that refer to functions that respond to anticipated failures or discontinuity in operations (Dobry Schanken, 1994). Following a system failures the system must be able to recreate the Trusted Computing Base (TCB) secure states. Failure from which the system must be able to anticipate and securely recover include action that fail to complete because they detect exceptional conditions during their operations. The distributed system must be competent of recognizing failures in which of its components. This is because the overall TCB is a discontinuity in the protection provided by them. Another example is cryptography. The cryptography is a method of securing of information that has the components to establish the guidelines for using cryptography to secure the paths between nodes. Encryption and decryption performance of the system is the factor of the confidentiality and integrity of data communications .So, several different types of encryption may need to be used depending on the users environment. Although, there have several requirement of distributed system security such as trusted recovery, trusted path, security management and etc. They already have new concepts required to secure the connections between the various products that comprise the distributed system need to be included. A distributed system is one of the first implementations for be secure, must not only make use of traditional computer security concepts but have to utilize communication security concepts as well. Factors Affecting Distributed System Security There is a need to analyze and identify the factors as well as issues related to trustworthiness of services provided by distributed systems apart from network topology and node evaluation. These factors includes distributed system physical security environment, interactions between different security mechanisms and distributed system management structure, are very important and relevant compared to network topology and node evaluation levels. Below is more information concerning the factors mentioned above. Physical security There are some differences that occur in a distributed systems physical environment such as those that occurs due to the reason that the elements/components of a distributed system are located in different location which is the result of changes overtime in its environment. Jurisdiction authorities The wide spread heterogeneity in the physical security environment is the result of the process of administering a distributed system by multiple jurisdiction authorities due to the types of mechanisms supported. Interaction between security mechanisms In distributed system nodes are from different manufacturers, families of a single manufacturer, different versions which results into different security mechanism. In case stand-alone system or distributed systems that may be using different discretionary access control mechanisms are interconnected for the purpose of forming a single distributed system then it brings danger (Anderson. 1985). The interactions between different policies implanted in trusted subjects running in different nodes bring dangers to the system. Contribution The analysis presented in this paper was mention distributed system security that is a computer security architecture that provides a suite of functions including login, authentication, and access control in a distributed system to differ from other similar architectures. The distributed system security includes many applications that can help the system to protect to failure network. Therefore, this paper is suitable for individuals, governments and institutions such as banks, hospitals and other commercial enterprise that they would like to know the information of distributed system security. 10.0 Conclusion Distributed system security is fundamentally more complex than stand-alone system security. Current computer security concepts assume that trusts is assigned to a distributed system element on the basis of viewpoint. This security mechanism for distributed file systems solves many of the performance and security problems in existing systems today.

Response to Reading Rohinton Mistrys A Fine Balance Essay -- A Fine B

Response to Reading Rohinton Mistry's A Fine Balance I chose to read Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance, a story about four very different people living in India during a period of great civil unrest known as The State of Emergency. I found this book incredibly easy to get into because of the way Mistry writes. He seems to create the story around you, placing you in the setting as a viewer, involving you in the lives of the characters. Mistry clearly outlines the political and economic situation of India at the time, further emphasizing the plight of the main characters. The first thing I noticed about Mistry’s writing style is his incredible ability to make you feel like you’ve actually shifted to another country, another continent even. His descriptive ability allowed me to imagine so many little details in the book, the smell of the street, the loud, boisterous vendors screaming their slogans as pedestrians walk by. You really get to feel as if you are witnessing the events as they unfold. The first part of the book explained the story but then it promptly switched to brief histories of each of the main characters before introducing them to the main plot. Mistry gives you the diverse backgrounds of all the main characters, using his beautifully descriptive language to make even simple things brilliant. The story takes place in an â€Å"unnamed City by the Sea† somewhere in India, exploring the lives of four very different people. Mistry creates characters that come from a very different world than I’m used to, maki ng the story all the more interesting for me. Mistry included many cultural references in the story that I looked up so that I knew a little more about the basis of the story. Before I had read this novel I had no knowledge of the State of Emergency (having been born after it took place) so I found reading about it from the perspective of a person experiencing it, very informative. This first section of the novel displays the interaction of the characters quite differently form the interaction they eventually have. All the characters are stiff and formal with each other. It is not until the next section of the book that they start to warm up to each other. Reading Response Journal #2 The beginning of this section marks a change in the book as all the main characters are now living under one roof and their attitude... ...of writing impressive and elegant without being over the top. He takes you on a roller coaster of emotions throughout the novel, leading you from happiness to depression in the blink of an eye. This book taught me something I had already vaguely known, that the world can be a very cruel place. The problem was I had never truly imagined it this cruel and abusive. It broke my heart and completely re-enforced my plans as to what I’m doing after I finish university. I plan on working for th UN in underdeveloped countries, focussing on social interactions and medical services. The way Mistry wrote this book affected me deeply. I think the theme of this book was about the power of human perseverance and the ability of the downtrodden to always look for ward to the next day with optimism. The four characters in this novel face tremendous ordeals and yet they still manage to maintain a small amount of control over their lives. Mistry writes in such a way that you can see their vul nerability, but you can also see how mentally and physically strong they are. They find comfort in the small things we take for granted, and as such they truly show their faith in a society that is failing them.

Apollo 13 Essay -- Apollo 13 Essays

Apollo 13 Questions 1.I’d first have to say that the head of mission control on the ground was definitely important in the salvaging of Apollo 13. He was faced with problem after problem yet he kept a somewhat level head through all of it and managed the engineers and other people involved back at Houston very well. Jim Lovell’s piloting skills played a rold in the crew’s survival as well. When he had to set the ship’s course for Earth manually it took a great deal of skill and patience and he deserves credit for that. Ken Mattingly might not have made it to space, but his extensive knowledge of the ins and outs of the spacecraft saved the lives of his friends when they had a power crisis. 2. One particular problem during the Apollo 13 mission was a build up of carbon dioxide in the spacecraft. The CO2 scrubbers designed to filter out the gas weren’t working properly and as time progressed and the astronauts breathed more the situation worsened. To solve this problem NASA pooled together some engineers to come up with a design for a makeshift filter using common items onboard the space craft and an existing filter from another section of the spacecraft. 3. The general public and the press seemed disinterested with the Apollo 13 mission. Since we’d already beaten the Russians to the moon, no one in the general public put much interest into NASA anymore. The space race was decided and the public lost interest in NASA With no audience for the story, the...

In the Heart of the Sea

In the Heart of the Sea The novel â€Å"In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex,† by Nathaniel Philbrick, successfully tells the story of the whale ship Essex that was attacked by a sperm whale 1,500 nautical miles west of the Galapagos, 40 miles south of the equator. Many people know this as the story of â€Å"Moby Dick†, which was based off this event. The novel highlights three themes: man versus nature, survival, and suffering. The novel starts out in the town of Nantucket, an island off the eastern coast of New England.Nantucket, at this time, is known as one of the most successful whaling ports. Docked on the port was the famous Essex, a 20 year whaling boat. The Essex is the pride of Nantucket. It is 87 feet long, 238 tons, equipped with 12 sails and carried several smaller whaling boats that were used when a whale was spotted. After lasting many years, the Essex developed a reputation for being a lucky ship. Many voyages lasted around two to three years in the Pacific Ocean. Many young boys, such as Thomas Nickerson, joined whaling crews at a young age.These crews were mixed of experienced whalers and â€Å"green hands,† men who have never sailed on a whaling ship. Usually, these new crew members would earn around $150 for two years work, so the experienced workers made the most of these â€Å"green hands. † Nantucket was known for its whale products, and was considered the whaling capital of the world. Whale oil was used to fuel lamps and making lamps (because there is no electricity, gas or kerosene). It is also used in margarine, shoe polish and soap. Baleen is a substance that comes from the mouths of the whale.They can be found in many women’s clothing. These two important goods come from whales and the only way to obtain the oil and baleen is to make a voyage out to see and find the whales. At the beginning of the novel, we are introduced to the town of Nantucket and whaling business. His disc ussions of this set us up for the events following later in the book. Philbrick also talks about the relationship between the colonists in Nantucket. They are very close, drawn together by their Quaker religion, similar experiences, and their interests in whaling.In the town, there is a hierarchy within the people. Where a person lived in the town was based on what rank they are in their society. The captain’s home would usually have the best view of the harbor. The seven black crewmen who were brought over to the crew were out casted, and relied on each other. The novel highlights the dangers of being a whaler. Young crewmen, such as Nickerson, were there to gain experience for future journeys. Nantucket was brought together by the whaling industry, and the community would usually see ships off before they took off.The Essex sailed off from Nantucket on August 12, 1819 under the command of 28 year-old Captain George Pollard, Jr. He spent the last four years on the Essex, and knew it very well. However, Philbrick points out that Pollard was not ready for be a captain, and we see why later on in the book. Owen Chase is the captain’s first mate, and Matthew Joy was the second mate. The Essex was operated with a 21-man crew. In chapter 2, Philbrick describes the ship. Also, in this chapter, we get a feel for the isolation of the â€Å"outsiders. The captain and his mates would sleep in cabins that were in the back of the ship, next, the Nantucket colonists would stay in the steerage, and the blacks, separated by the blubber room, stayed in front of the boat. After they embark on their journey, the men begin to complain about their rations. Pollard, was able to talk them into settling for what they had, establishing his power and authority. In chapter 5, on November 20, the crew spots whales 40 miles south of the equator. Chase and his crew go after a whale, which destroys their boat with its tail.When they bring their boat back to the Essex, they s pot a huge sperm whale near the bow of the ship calmly and quietly floating along the surface of the water. The whale began to move quickly towards the ship. The men try to steer Essex away from the whale, but are unsuccessful. The whale rams the ship with its head, and the men are amazed. After the whale revives itself, it struck the ship again, causing the Essex to sink bow-first. The men board their whaleboats after a night of preparation of leaving the Essex. They stripped the sails of the ship and attached them to their boats.The waves splashed over the boat, causing the work to be more difficult. The next morning, the boats take off. Chase and Pollard talk of where to go now that their ship has sunk. They speak about going to the Galapagos Islands, but Pollard noticed the wind direction would not allow them to go there. Next, they speak about the Marquesas, in the west. The men had heard that the inhabitants of the island were cannibals. South of the Marquesas were the Tauamot u Archipelago Islands, but the men had also heard that the islands have a bad reputation.In this conversation, we notice the colonist’s outlook on the unknown. They share a sense of togetherness within each other and no one else. We see this in the attitude of the colonists towards the black crewmen. Pollard decides to sail towards the Society Islands. There, Pollard saw a safer environment with little threat. Chase and Joy argue that the Society Islands would not be a good place to sail towards, and they could sail towards Chile or Peru instead. Pollard conforms to this decision. Here we see that Pollard has become less authoritative after the Essex sinks.In their first three weeks in the boats, the men faced many hardships. They faced thirst and hunger. Their skin had been burnt, salt water burned their sores, and the men, being as weak as they were, were unable to row the boats. On top of all that, another whale attacks Pollard’s boat. The men spot an island in the distance and conclude that they have arrived at Henderson Island. There, they found fresh water and ate crabs and birds. They were able to revive themselves, and this gave them a fighting chance of survival. Three men chose to stay on the island while the others left.Pollard promised he would rescue them after he reached South America. They return back to the ocean, and the men face the same obstacles they faced before they found Henderson Island. The men faced hunger but were still hydrated from the water collected at Henderson Island. Many accepted they weren’t going to live, and gave up their rations. Joy dies in the voyage, and the men bury him at dead. Bad turns to worse when the men realize there is only enough hardtack to last a day or two. On January 20, Lawson Thomas, a black crew member, dies, and the crew contemplates turning to cannibalism.The men concluded that in order to survive, they must eat the dead crew members. It is ironic that the men turned to cannibali sm, because they feared the inhabitants of the Marquesas. Three months after the Essex sank; the remaining two whaleboats are rescued in different areas along the South American coast. Two men were left alive in Pollard’s boat and three men in Chase’s boat. Nickerson, Chase, and Lawrence arrive in Valparaiso, Chile on February 25, 1821, and are taken back to Nantucket aboard whale ship Hero.Both Nantucket and the survivors of the Essex changed after the ship’s sinking. The whaling industry quickly fell to other towns. A fire that burned nearly a third of the town added to the difficulties. The men of the Essex were haunted when recalling what happened. Even Chase was deemed insane. This event caused the town of Nantucket to separate. The townspeople were no longer bonded by whaling, because the industry made a fall. The surviving men of the Essex became hypocritical, turning to cannibalism, one thing they feared and frowned upon. This event helps us understand w hat these men had to do when they are stranded, and teaches us the meaning of nature, survival, and suffering.Bibliography â€Å"Alone in the Pacific. † Salariya Publishing. Web. 18 Oct. 2010. <http://www. salariya. com/web_books/whaling/alone/alone. html>. â€Å"Nantucket Island History. † Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce. Web. 18 Oct. 2010. <http://www. nantucketchamber. org/visitor/trivia. html>. Philbrick, Nathaniel. In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship. New York,NY: Penguin, 2000. Print. In the Heart of the Sea Nicole Hart HIST 2300- Christopher Trobridge Writing Assignment One October 16, 2010 â€Å"In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whale ship Essex† In order to understand the ramifications of an event such as the sinking of the Essex one needs too understand the community that produces the crew. Nantucket was an island community much more than the literal sense of word. The islanders of Nantucket saw themselves differently than the rest of the word. They learned the skills of whaling from the original Wampanoag tribe. They were Quakers with a stoic sense of standards and community.The whale men from Nantucket saw themselves as superior to most other sailors of that time period. Hardship and perseverance were virtues held by the whale men and the women. The women ran the town while the whale men were at sea for years at a time. This type of work ethic and fortitude, and the worlds desire for oil, combined to make â€Å"the village of Nantucket one of the richest towns in America. † â€Å"In the Heart of the Sea† It also created a close-knit community with a few very successful and influential families that married with each other maintaining a strong central hierarchy.The sinking of the Essex directly affected the community of Nantucket but it was also far reaching to the rest of the country. America was growing as a Nation and its consumption of oil was expanding. The events of the Essex were not only interesting to sailors of the world but also to the mainlanders that consumed the oil. America in the eighteenth century and the early nineteenth century were considered â€Å"†¦a consumer revolution. † â€Å"Of the People† No one knew this fact better than the owners of the whale ships. They understood that whale oil was a commodity to be sold.In order to harvest it at a profit they had to balance their expenses. Every mate on a whale ship received a fraction of the profit that the whale ship would return with the oil it found. The more responsibility a sailor had on a whale ship, the larger his cut. Every expense, food, gear, clothing, water had to be factored in of doing business. For example the captain received the largest share, due to him having the most responsibility, while Thomas Nickerson’s share was the experience he received at a young age on a whale ship plus the room and board that he would receive for two to three years.A situation that occurred early in their journey was a foreboding of things to come. Weeks into there journey the Essex experienced a â€Å"Knockdown†, a knockdown is a severe weather event that led to damage of the Essex. Captain Pollard was slow to respond to the weather issue at hand. The result was damage to half of their whaleboats that they used to harpoon whales. After the damage was done Pollard felt it would be best to return to Nantucket to replenish the ship with a new compliment of whaleboats.First mate Owen Chase convinced the Captain to p roceed on with the whale boats they had with hope of getting more whaleboats of the coast of Africa. This dynamic exposed the type of sailor Captain Pollard was and the type of sailor first mate Chase was. Captain Pollard was proving to be â€Å"a Captain that had the skills of a first mate and first mate Owen was showing to have the skills of a Captain. † â€Å"In the Heart of the Sea. † These two personalities would continue to show themselves later in there journey after the Essex had sunk. When the Essex was rammed and destroyed by the sperm whale, the crews Nantucket heritage served them well.The officers of the Essex were able to maintain order and stifle any panic by the crewmen. They devised a strategy that first mate Chase had championed. Once again Captain Pollard’s initial plan was shelved for fist mate Chase’s plan. The remaining twenty-crew members of the Essex were split into three twenty-five foot whaling boats. Captain Pollard, First mate Chase, and Second officer Hendrix were in charge of the three boats. Even in this situation, a strong sense of the Nantucket community was resident in the division of each boat.The majority of the Nantucketers ended up in Captain Pollards boat. A few of the remaining Nantucketers ended up in First mate Chase’s boat and the majority of African American sailors ended up in second mate Hendrix’s boat. First mate Owen Chase proved to be a relentless advocate for hope. Thomas Nickerson saw another side of First mate Chase when their journey first began by seeing how curt Chase was to the crew. On the island of Nantucket Owen Chase was a gentlemen but at sea Chase took a role of being very demanding and wanting things done correctly.After the sinking of the Essex the crewmembers were struggling with the situation they were in and Chase changed his method of handling of the crew. When Chase saw the crew was losing spirit he showed a more â€Å"maternal† side. This chan ge in attitude was critical in the survival of the crewmembers that made it. The events that led to the cannibalism of crewmembers of the Essex were presented differently to Captain Pollard’s boat and first mate Chase’s boat. Captain Pollards and Hendrix boat became separated from Chases boat.The African American crewmembers having a low body fat content and a mineral deficient diet became prone to death before the Nantucket crewmembers. As the African American crewmembers died the living crewmembers consumed them. When there only living crew members left on Pollards boat they resorted to drawing lots to see who would give up their life as food and who would kill that sailor. On first mate Chase’s boat one of the sailors passes and the elect to consume his body. It appears that cannibalism was a common event that occurred in these situations.To this day human beings get presented with this dilemma, such as the plane crash in the Andes. As for me I would rather c hose death than the consuming of my mates. Spending months at a time with these men I would feel as though I was eating a family member and would rather wait for death than eat a fellow mate. Although I would have the pressure of supporting my family and wanting to return home, eating a human being I believe would be a lot easier said then done. In the grief that Captain Pollard experienced having to eat his nephew then facing his Aunt would be something I don’t think I could endure or ever live with.For Nantucket and the men involved in whale hunting it is more than just a hunt. It was a way of life, a way of survival, and the entire focus of a town. This novel contained more than just the story of the ramming of the Essex, it was more of a story of the hardships faced, the dedication that comes with the job of whaling, and the raw emotions of the men involved. This novel proved the importance of whaling in that time period to not only Nantucket but to the entire Nation, and how it foreshadowed how our economy would be today.Lastly to end with the mission of the Nantucket Quakers â€Å"†¦to maintain a peaceful life on land while raising bloody havoc at sea. † This was their life, their survival and it now is their history. Works Cited James Oakes, Michael Mcgerr, Jan Ellen Lewis, Nick Cullather, Jeanne Boydston. â€Å"Of the People: A history of the United States. † New York: Oxford University Press. Nathaniel Philbrick. â€Å"In the heart of the sea:The tradgedy of the Whaleship Essex† New York: Penguin Books, 2000.

Working century

This assignment alms to analyses the careers of three Individuals by exploring the personal and situational factors considered In Supper's Archway Model as well as the Grumbler's Theory, and discuss how these factors interact and affect career decision-making. The analysis is then applied to the discussion how to use the various types of intelligences in achieving career success and advancement. Interviewee 1 Name: Jane Chug Highest Educational Qualification: Honors In Accountancy Age: 40 years old Gender: Female Race: Chinese Nationality: Singapore Work experience: 21 years Past occupation: Accountant/ General Accounts ManagerCurrent occupation: Assistant Finance Manager Brief Background Jane is currently working as an Assistant Finance Manager with Eng Lee & Associates and has been there for almost 2 years. Being the mother of two children, Jane placed a huge emphasis on being able to spend quality time with her family. Thus, the major factors which influenced Cane's career history is Job satisfaction and work life balance. When asked to classify herself under three of the six personalities and environments that Holland developed which suits her best, she chose Conventional, Social and Realistic. Career History of Individual:Jane graduated at the age of 22 and started her firstborn as an assistant accountant with Panasonic where she was only in charge of only one of the subsidiary's account. Due to outstanding performance, she was promoted several times within a span of 3 years. This was parallel to the company's policy to provide opportunities for career development to retain talents. However, even with good promotion prospects, Jane does not hold much authority In decision-making. With meeting tight deadlines and superiors' expectation the only challenges, job task were mundane and this resulted in a lack of motivation for her.Although this job provided her the work-life balance she wanted, she did not enjoyed the nature of her work at all. Furthermore, the most pivotal reason for her exit was due to the clash of personal value. During the period of economic downturn, there was a change of the management. In order to present a positive financial results to the owners, Jane was ordered to manage the earnings accounts. This made Jane faced with an ethical dilemma. Coupled with her lack of job satisfaction, she decided to leave the job. Next, she moved on to her next career to work as an Assistant Finance Manager.The Meany's value is in line with her personal value. Moreover, her current nature of made Jane highly motivated by the new challenges available to her every day, and satisfied with her working environment and work life balance offered. Interviewee 2 Name: Sam Nag Highest Educational Qualification: Primary 6 Age: 55 years old Gender: Male Work experience: 38 years Past occupation: Construction Worker, Interior Design Contractor Current occupation: Taxi Driver Sam is currently working as taxi driver of Comfort and has been there for almost 17 years.He is married with two children and has been the sole breadwinner of the Emily. Thus, the major factors which influenced Cam's career history is Job stability, health and work life balance. Being part of a big family of 12 children, Sam, who was the 10th child, could only study up to secondary 3 before he was forced to drop out of school to support the family by working for his uncle. When asked to classify himself under three of the six personalities and environments that Holland developed which suits her best, she chose Conventional, Enterprising and Realistic.Career History of Individual: Sam started working as a full time construction worker at the age of 18. He was working for his uncle and his other younger brothers were also working there, albeit with different tasks. Weighed down with the responsibility of taking care of them, he has no choice but bear with the harsh working conditions. Moreover, he knew that with his lowly education level, he could only take up Jobs of such nature. After several years, the physically-demanding Job finally took a toll on his body.He then found out that this Job could only last him as long as his body could take it and that he needed a second Job. Furthermore, the low wage demand of foreign workers led to an influx f them, resulting in suppression of his wages. This made Sam to be worried about his Job stability. With the encouragement of family, Sam went into a partnership for interior designing. However, Just when the business was doing well, came the 1997 SEA economic downturn. This resulted in the failure of the business. Having filed for bankruptcy, Sam decided to take up the taxi driver vocational license course.Subsequently, Sam has been on the road for 17 years as a taxi driver. Although this job still imposes physical strain on his body, the flexibility and stability of the Job was one that he valued. Name: Marvin Tan Highest Educational Qualification: ‘O' Levels Age: 52 years old Work experience: 35 years Past occupation: Air Force Technician, Insurance Agent Current occupation: Remised Marvin has been working as a remised with DMS & Partners Securities since year 2002 till now. As a father of three, and also the sole breadwinner of the family, Marvin seeks Jobs that had stability and regular working hours.When asked to classify himself under three of the six personalities and environments that Holland developed which suits him best, he chose Investigative, Conventional and Realistic. Career History of Individual: Marvin started working at the age of 17 due to family circumstances. He was enrolled into the first year of pre-university, only then when his father was forced into retirement at Journo shipyard, He realized that his family would not be able to afford the exorbitant university school fees even if he had made it through to university.At the age of 17, he had to look for a Job in order to shoulder the responsibilities of supporting for the family. Since young, he had always wanted to be a pilot, but the process was a long and tedious one, so he decided to put his dream aside and be an air force technician instead. The benefit of being a regular is a stable income so that he could ease his father's expenses burden, by seeing his younger brother and sister through their secondary school education.Marvin left the air force after 12 years as he felt that the way the organization worked did not really suit him, and thus decided to carve out a career for himself. During the arrears as a technician, he also picked up the habit of reading the newspapers daily, which got him to realize that his interest is in analyzing shares and stocks. Moreover, he also felt that he has a knack of analyzing the stock market. His ultimate objective was to be a remised but he opted to apply as a dealer first because he wanted to learn the ropes of the industry, and to also build a clientele.Moreover, a dealer would have a basic pay which incentive him back then because he had to raise 3 children. While waiting for a reply to his applications, he was also keen to know more about the insurance industry. He took the relevant papers to gain additional knowledge, and ended up as an insurance agent for half a year. Companies who were hiring dealers back then were looking for university graduates and moreover, Marvin found that the insurance industry was not suitable for him so he was only left with the choice of being a remised.After so many twists in Margin's career path, he finally got accepted into summit securities at the age of 30, and has been working as a remised since then. Personality, Mr.. Tan feels that he is relentless, passionate and has a high level of self- efficacy. Supper's Archway Model Supper's Archway Model shows that individual's self concept may change in the synthesizing and compromising process of the interaction between relevant psychological, personal and societal elements, which in turn influences the choice ND d evelopment of the individual's career.For Jane, the extended 5 life stages by Super (1957) suggests that Jane is in the implementation stage, where career prospect should be high on Cane's priority list. With the various advancement opportunities available to Jane, this should have encouraged her to continue employment with Panasonic. However, her decision to switch companies proved otherwise. Having an independent and ambitious personality, she is competitive and works well where there are many opportunities to succeed. She craves for more decision making autonomy than what she held at Panasonic.Even though Jane is able to complete her Job-tasks well, the lack of challenges fails to motivate her to put forth her best efforts. This resulted in her resignation as the extrinsic motivation of promotion was unable to compensate the lack of intrinsic motivation. Furthermore, Cane's family has instilled a strong notion of honesty and ethics and this personal value has been something she t ried to uphold her whole life. The ethical dilemma she faced was undo by her strong sense of personal values.Moreover, the education she received emphasized on the fact that accounting figures speaks the truth. Staying on will mean that there will be a huge conflict of value between her and the company. This shows that Jane has a high level of career maturity from a young age, due to her strong self-concept of who she is and what she likes. Hence, the change from her previous Job at Panasonic to her current one shows that Jane seeks to live out her vocational self concept through the choice of her Job in order to attain Job satisfaction which she valued.It is shown work satisfactions are dependent on the degree to which an â€Å"individual finds adequate outlets for abilities, needs, values, interests, personality traits and self-concepts† However, the theory fails to recognize which of the constructs involved in this proposition is theoretically most significant to career sa tisfaction which ultimately affects the choice of Cane's career. For Sam, he was brought up in a traditional family which value kinship deeply.Being responsible and favoring Job stability, this should have resulted in Sam continuing his work with the interaction between psychological, personality and societal elements that influences his self-concept revealed the reason behind his Job switch. With only a remarry 6 qualification in hand, his aptitude significantly limited Sam to only a few number of occupation. Together with the societal factor of family, which is to take care of his siblings and carrying on the burden of earning money for the family, made him accept the fact of working in the harsh environment.However, the physical strain on his body spark the thought of a career change. Moreover, the looser foreign policy passed by the government created an influx of foreign workers, most notably threatening his Job stability and suppressing of his wages, created the motivation of him switching Jobs. Coupled with his risk-taking personality, the need of getting a higher income for his growing family and his interest for interior designing refined Cam's self concept and prompted him to enter into the partnership.In Cam's case, although the refining of his self concept has provided reasons for his subsequent career choice, it is important to note that Sam does not have much control over the formation of his self-concept, with only control over how to translate it into occupational choices. Furthermore, Supper's Archway model should be complemented by his Life-career Rainbow to better illustrate Cam's career hoicks. His life and career may be viewed as an attempt to live out a self-concept through the blending of a selected number of life roles, each of which makes different demands on energy and time.For Marvin, being only an ‘O' levels' holder, his aptitude limited his Job choices and he could only settle between what interest him and his educational qua lifications, with his family in mind at the same time. Even though Marvin has always wanted to be a pilot since young, he was not able to realize his dream due to his family circumstances and opted to work something close o it instead, as an air force technician, compromising between individual and social factors; his self-concept and reality. As Marvin matured and the burden of supporting his family lightened, it got him pondering on what was best for his career.Over a span of 12 years, there was a gradual change in Margin's self-concept and perspective due to several factors such as realizing that repairing airplanes was not what he wanted to do for the rest of his life, and the protocol was not something that suited him. Having been reading the newspapers for several years, he developed a rowing interest in the stock market, and believed that he has a knack for it. Having an inquisitive personality, he decided to applied to be a dealer instead of being blinded by his primary obje ctive to be a remised.This is because he recognized the importance of learning the ropes of the industry as a dealer in order to be a good remised. Moreover, he wanted to build a clientele and that the incentive of a stable pay would be able to support his family. He also recognized that the insurance industry was growing which encouraged him to gain additional knowledge while waiting for a reply to his applications. Eventually, Marvin took up the opportunity to be a remised as his educational qualification was not enough to land him a Job as a dealer.This transition has proven the career adaptability Marvin has, whereby he has successfully adapted to a completely different and unfamiliar environment. Moreover, the takeover of his previous company, which took place n 2010, meant that Marvin also had to adapt to the new work protocol and hierarchy. It is also apparent own interests and strengths. Starting from a client base of null, Marvin has been a remised for the past arrears, wea thering through all obstacles, simply because he as been doing what he like.Marvin had no regrets when it came to the crunch, leaving his comfort zone, the stable pay he got as an air force technician, to take up a new challenge and to improve on himself, for his interest had spurred him on. Supper's model mentioned that the degree of satisfaction people attain from work is proportional to the degree to which they have been able to implement their self- concept, which is relevant in Margin's case. Essentially, Supper's theory addresses the entire span of a person's life. However, the five developmental stages that Super 1957) had developed are not completely applicable in Margin's case.Although Marvin had an aspiration during the growth stage that lasted to the age of 14, it was short-lived. His exploration stage, from age 15 to 24, was cut short as he had to find a job after his father was forced to retire. Marvin did not have the chance to plan for his preferred occupation. The es tablishment stage, took place late at when he was 30 instead of 25 years old, as he had to serve a minimum bond of 10 years before he could leave the army. Grumbler's Theory Grumbler's theory also known as the Social Learning Theory of Career DecisionMaking, explores the concept of triadic reciprocal interaction, which is the interaction between heredity and environmental attributes, and the importance of instrumental & associative learning and how they in turn influence an individual's work behavior. The 4 major factors that influence one's career development include genetic endowment, environmental conditions, learning experiences and task approach skills. For Jane, she was born in a family where both her parents worked as an Accountant. Inherited with their genes, Jane was born a fast learner with a acute sense towards numbers.Moreover, after observing the success her parents had as an Accountant, provided her an associative learning experience, where she also want to pattern her own behavior after. This resulted to her taking up Accountancy during her university. Having attained good results in her course and the good reviews she had during her internship, this provided her an instrumental learning experience. The interaction between these factors reinforced her self-concept and formed self statements of evaluation of her interest and efficacy expectations in the field of accounting which led to her taking up her first Job as an Assistant Accountant in Panasonic.Although this theory did not played an important part to show the development of her career, this provided the reason of Cane's initial decision to work as an Accountant. For Sam, he possessed an innate artistic ability for designing. His knack at designing was affirmed by the various awards he received by taking part in designing competition during his secondary school days. However, faced with environmental conditions such as the lack of Job opportunities available to him and his family encourage ment to Join the construction industry, Sam believed that this as the best choice and started work with his uncle as a construction worker.Physical exertions at the construction ground provided a form of instrumental learning experience that served to educate him about the limitations of his physical and events played a big role in shaping Cam's eventual occupation. The economic downturn in 1997, which led to his eventual bankruptcy, provided an instrumental learning experience which made him realized the risk he was exposed to by operating a business of this nature and the lack of work life balance as a result of his hectic schedule. To add on, the nature of his business requires him to travel around Singapore in order to meet his customers.This allowed him to find out his talent in remembering road names. Moreover, the relatively stable â€Å"rice-bowl† and flexibility nature off taxi-driver affiliates with his value of stability and work life balance. The interaction betwe en his genetic endowment, environmental conditions and learning experiences lead to his eventual career as a taxi-driver. For Marvin, being able to stay in the industry for arrears and more, and to build a clientele from nothing, can only prove how trustworthy and discerning he is in analyzing the stock market.Although Marvin was not given the chance to further his studies, he had the determination to pursue his interest and succeed in it. Having borne as the eldest child in the family, environmental circumstances determined his first Job, but he was not entirely satisfied with what he had at that time. The nature of the Job provided Marvin an instrumental learning experience which reminded him that the nature of the Job was not suitable for him and thus, decided to leave after serving his bond in order to pursue the interest and innate ability he had discovered n himself in the field of stock analyzing.This theory has influenced Margin's career decisions as we can see that an actio n plan was established to first become a dealer to support his family and build a clientele, before applying to be a remised. He had also recognized the growing demand of the insurance industry, thus identifying it as an alternative if he had failed to become a dealer, which was what happened eventually. He then worked as an insurance agent for half a year before leaving his post for what he had always wanted to do, to be a remised.

Agroforestry Research Essay

Agroforestry is an integrated approach of using the interactive benefits from combining trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock. It combines agricultural and forestry technologies to create more diverse, productive, profitable, healthy, and sustainable land-use systems.[1] A narrow definition of agroforestry is â€Å"trees on farms.† As a science The theoretical base for agroforestry comes from ecology, via agroecology.[3] From this perspective, agroforestry is one of the three principal land-use sciences. The other two are agriculture and forestry.[4] The efficiency of photosynthesis drops off with increasing light intensity, and the rate of photosynthesis hardly increases once the light intensity is over about one tenth that of direct overhead sun. This means that plants under trees can still grow well even though they get less light. By having more than one level of vegetation, it is possible to get more photosynthesis than with a single layer. Agroforestry has a lot in common with intercropping. Both have two or more plant species (such as nitrogen-fixing plants) in close interaction, both provide multiple outputs, as a consequence, higher overall yields and, because a single application or input is shared, costs are reduced. Beyond these, there are gains specific to agroforestry. Benefits Further information: Ecoscaping Agroforestry systems can be advantageous over conventional agricultural and forest production methods. They can offer increased productivity, economic benefits, and more diversity in the ecological goods and services provided.[5] Biodiversity in agroforestry systems is typically higher than in conventional agricultural systems. With two or more interacting plant species in a given land area, it creates a more complex habitat that can support a wider variety of birds, insects, and other animals. Depending upon the application, potential impacts of agroforestry can include: †¢Reducing poverty through increased production of wood and other tree products for home consumption and sale †¢Contributing to food security by restoring the soil fertility for food crops †¢Cleaner water through reduced nutrient and soil runoff †¢Countering global warming and the risk of hunger by increasing the number of drought-resistant trees and the subsequent production of fruits, nuts and edible oils †¢Reducing deforestation and pressure on woodlands by providing farm-grown fuelwood †¢Reducing or eliminating the need for toxic chemicals (insecticides, herbicides, etc.) †¢Through more diverse farm outputs, improved human nutrition †¢In situations where people have limited access to mainstream medicines, providing growing space for medicinal plants Agroforestry practices may also realize a number of other associated environmental goals, such as: †¢Carbon sequestration †¢Odour, dust, and noise reduction †¢Green space and visual aesthetics †¢Enhancement or maintenance of wildlife habitat Adaptation to Climate Change There is some evidence that, especially in recent years, poor smallholder farmers are turning to agroforestry as a mean to adapt to the impacts of climate change. A study from the CGIAR research program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) found from a survey of over 700 households in East Africa that at least 50% of those households had begun planting trees on their farms in a change from their practices 10 years ago.[6] The trees ameliorate the effects of climate change by helping to stabilize erosion, improving water and soil quality and providing yields of fruit, tea, coffee, oil, fodder and medicinal products in addition to their usual harvest. Agroforestry was one of the most widely adopted adaptation strategies in the study, along with the use of improved crop varieties and intercropping.[6] Applications Agroforestry represents a wide diversity in application and in practice. One listing includes over 40 distinct uses.[3] The 40 or so applications can be roughly classified under a few broad headings. There are visual similarities between practices in different categories. This is expected as categorization is based around the problems addressed (countering winds, high rainfall, harmful insects, etc.) and the overall economic constraints and objectives (labor and other inputs costs, yield requirements, etc.). The categories include : †¢Parklands †¢Shade systems †¢Crop-over-tree systems †¢Alley cropping †¢Strip cropping †¢Fauna-based systems †¢Boundary systems †¢Taungyas †¢Physical support systems †¢Agroforests. Parkland Parklands are visually defined by the presence of trees widely scattered over a large agricultural plot or pasture. The trees are usually of a single species with clear regional favorites. Among the benefits, the trees offer shade to grazing animals, protect crops against strong wind bursts, provide tree prunings for firewood, and are a roost for insect or rodent-eating birds. There are other gains. Research with Faidherbia albida in Zambia showed that mature trees can sustain maize yields of 4.1 tonnes per hectare compared to 1.3 tonnes per hectare without these trees. Unlike other trees, Faidherbia sheds its nitrogen-rich leaves during the rainy crop growing season so it does not compete with the crop for light, nutrients and water. The leaves then regrow during the dry season and provide land cover and shade for crops.[7] Shade systems With shade applications, crops are purposely raised under tree canopies and within the resulting shady environment. For most uses, the understory crops are shade tolerant or the overstory trees have fairly open canopies. A conspicuous example is shade-grown coffee. This practice reduces weeding costs and increases the quality and taste of the coffee.[8][9] Crop-over-tree systems Not commonly encountered, crop-over-tree systems employ woody perennials in the role of a cover crop. For this, small shrubs or trees pruned to near ground level are utilized. The purpose, as with any cover crop, is to increase in-soil nutrients and/or to reduce soil erosion. Alley cropping With alley cropping, crop strips alternate with rows of closely spaced tree or hedge species. Normally, the trees are pruned before planting the crop. The cut leafy material is spread over the crop area to provide nutrients for the crop. In addition to nutrients, the hedges serve as windbreaks and eliminate soil erosion. Alley cropping has been shown to be advantagous in Africa, particularly in relation to improving maize yields in the sub-Saharan region. Use here relies upon the nitrogen fixing tree species Sesbania sesban, Tephrosia vogelii, Gliricidia sepium and Faidherbia albida. In one example, a ten-year experiment in Malawi showed that, by using fertilizer trees such as Tephrosia vogelii and Gliricidia sepium, maize yields averaged 3.7 tonnes per hectare as compared to one tonne per hectare in plots without fertilizer trees or mineral fertilizer.[10] Strip cropping Strip cropping is similar to alley cropping in that trees alternate with crops. The difference is that, with alley cropping, the trees are in single row. With strip cropping, the trees or shrubs are planted in wide strip. The purpose can be, as with alley cropping, to provide nutrients, in leaf form, to the crop. With strip cropping, the trees can have a purely productive role, providing fruits, nuts, etc. while, at the same time, protecting nearby crops from soil erosion and harmful winds. Fauna-based systems Silvopasture over the years (Australia). There are situations where trees benefit fauna. The most common examples are the silvopasture where cattle, goats, or sheep browse on grasses grown under trees.[11] In hot climates, the animals are less stressed and put on weight faster when grazing in a cooler, shaded environment. Other variations have these animals directly eating the leaves of trees or shrubs. There are similar systems for other types of fauna. Deer and hogs gain when living and feeding in a forest ecosystem, especially when the tree forage suits their dietary needs. Another variation, aquaforestry, is where trees shade fish ponds. In many cases, the fish eat the leaves or fruit from the trees. Boundary systems A riparian buffer bordering a river in Iowa. The are a number of applications that fall under the heading of a boundary system. These include the living fences, the riparian buffer, and windbreaks. †¢A living fence can be a thick hedge or fencing wire strung on living trees. In addition to restricting the movement of people and animals, living fences offer habitat to insect-eating birds and, in the case of a boundary hedge, slow soil erosion. †¢Riparian buffers are strips of permanent vegetation located along or near active watercourses or in ditches where water runoff concentrates. The purpose is to keep nutrients and soil from contaminating surface water. †¢Windbreaks reduce the velocity of the winds over and around crops. This increases yields through reduced drying of the crop and/or by preventing the crop from toppling in strong wind gusts. Taungyas Taungya is a system originating in Burma. In the initial stages of an orchard or tree plantation, the trees are small and widely spaced. The free space between the newly planted trees can accommodate a seasonal crop. Instead of costly weeding, the underutilized area provides an additional output and income. More complex taungyas use the between-tree space for a series of crops. The crops become more shade resistant as the tree canopies grow and the amount of sunlight reaching the ground declines. If a plantation is thinned in the latter stages, this opens further the between-tree cropping opportunities. Physical support systems In the long history of agriculture, trellises are comparatively recent. Before this, grapes and other vine crops were raised atop pruned trees. Variations of the physical support theme depend upon the type of vine. The advantages come through greater in-field biodiversity. In many cases, the control of weeds, diseases, and insect pests are a primary motive. Agroforests These are widely found in the humid tropics and are referenced by different names (forest gardening, forest farming, tropical home gardens and, where short-statured trees or shrubs dominate, shrub gardens). Agroforests, in many ways, epitomize agroforestry. Through a complex, disarrayed mix of trees, shrubs, vines, and seasonal crops, these systems, through their high levels of biodiversity, achieve the ecological dynamics of a forest ecosystem. Because of the internal ecology, they tend to be less susceptible to harmful insects, plant diseases, drought, and wind damage. Although they can be high yielding, complex systems tend to produce a large number of outputs. These are not utilized when a large volume of a single crop or output is required.

Drug Testing Welfare Recipients Essay

Many people are constantly discussing the issue of welfare recipients abusing the system and spending their money on drugs while receiving government assistance. This issue has brought forward a possible solution of states passing legislation that will require welfare applicants to submit to a drug test before receiving any sort of government assistance. Drug testing welfare applicants before allowing them to receive assistance is a positive idea because most employers require drug tests to be taken by applicants pre-employment. This will help make sure that the government funding is being put toward the family and the needs of the household, and also because in the future it will benefit the children growing up in the home. All welfare applicants should be drug tested prior to receiving funds. Most employers today require pre-employment drug screens and some employers also drug test their employees randomly throughout their time of employment. They do this to ensure that they are hiring a responsible employee that will not show up to their place of employment while under the influence of illegal substances. As everyone knows, illegal substances that employees test for are typically mind altering medications that prevent people from functioning normally and doing their job to their full potential. Working while under the influence of illegal drugs also poses a safety risk to the employee and surrounding employees. If to earn an income at most jobs people are required to pass a pre-employment drug screen, there is no reason that to earn an income provided by the state should be any different. Some employers also require their employees to submit to random drug tests while employed with their company or business so that no one can â€Å"cheat the system. † This helps employers make sure that their employees are drug free at all times. When a welfare applicant is granted assistance, the state assumes that all of their means of income are being used to buy items that are needed by the family and by the household. However that is not always the case. In some welfare cases the recipients are abusing drugs. By drug testing the recipients before granting their request for assistance and then randomly drug testing them throughout the time frame that assistance is required, this will significantly lower the amount of recipients that abuse drugs. Arizona representative and member of the Committee on Health and Human services, Kimberly Yee states that, â€Å"Arizona established a program in 2009 to test welfare recipients for drug abuse when there’s a reasonable suspicion of drug use. This program confronts addicts with their drug abuse problems so they may quickly receive treatment and become productive members of society again. † If welfare recipients confront their problem and become productive members of society it will ensure that any possible income will be going toward things that the family and children need such as food and clothing. Children who are raised by sober parents start off with a chance at a brighter future than children who are raised under the care of a drug addict. Parents who work regular jobs and are required to pass a pre-employment drug screen are able to provide more for their children. Instead of spending their money on drugs or alcohol, they use it to buy items for their children. Sober parents have more money to buy food to make sure that their children are well nourished. Sober parents also have more money to buy items like books, coloring books, crayons, markers, or arts and crafts supplies which will all be assets to a child’s learning and development. Children of sober parents are more likely to be able to join groups or teams in schools also which will help them socialize. All in all, growing up with sober parents benefits children and can seriously affect their future positively. Growing up with parents who use illegal drugs could create a pattern throughout their children, and they could end up using drugs as well when they grow up. The Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, Children’s Bureau, ICF International states that, â€Å"Children who experience either prenatal or postnatal drug exposure are at risk for a range of emotional, academic, and developmental problems. For example, they are more likely to: experience symptoms of depression and anxiety, suffer from psychiatric disorders, exhibit behavior problems, score lower on school achievement tests, and demonstrate difficulties in school† (â€Å"Protecting Children†). If we can lessen the amount of children that are forced to grow up with â€Å"high† parents, we can brighten the future for everybody. Drug testing welfare applicants before allowing them to receive government assistance will be beneficial because most employers require drug tests to be taken by applicants pre-employment, it will help make sure that the government funding is being put toward the needs of the household, and also because in the future it will benefit the children growing up in the home. If to go out into the public and get a job you are required to pass a pre-employment drug screen, then there is no reason that to earn income from the government should be treated any differently. Drug testing welfare recipients will increase the number of children raised by sober parents instead of parents that are under the influence of illegal substances. States passing legislation to require welfare applicants to submit to a drug test before they are granted assistance will only benefit people positively. Works Cited â€Å"Protecting Children in Families Affected by Substance Use Disorders. † Child Welfare Information Gateway. U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2009. Web. 18 Sept. 2013. Yee, Kimberly. â€Å"Opposing view: No drug test, no welfare. † USA Today News. Ed. Brent Jones. USA Today, 18 Mar. 2012. Web. 18 Sept. 2013.