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The Ethical Code of Conduct in the Modern Organizations Essay Organizations in the modern world are so concerned with the constant need to improve performance that most of them have little time to work on the moral aspect of their decision making. However, each organization needs some form of standard behavior that all employees need to follow; without it the organization would run in to chaos and output will be hampered. Ethical conduct therefore is the accepted behaviour within the organization or society at large. Each organization has different policies on ethics; however most of them are similar in nature. For example, coming to work on time is part of the ethical conduct of most organizations. The ethical culture of an organization can make or break its very foundation. Ethics is from the Greek word “ethos” meaning character or custom. This means that organizations should formulate a code of conduct that will be used in the day to day service to the society. Administrators view unethical behaviour as a tumor eating away on the fabric of society in many of the modern day organizations. It is observed that, the crisis of conduct is undermining the organizational competitive strength. A study carried out showed that employees accounted for a higher percentage of retail thefts than the customers (Silverstein, 1989). It also showed that, one in every fifteen employees steals from their employers. This happens because most organizations have left the standards that define organizational behaviour lying n the grey area. How can then administrators promote ethical culture in the organization? First, they should promote ethical consciousness in their organizations. This should have a trickledown effect on the employees in the lowest post. They should also formulate processes that will be used to back up and strengthen ethical behaviour. Philosophies of the administrators influence the working conditions of the various departments they hold. It is, therefore, important for them to have positive philosophies that will impact the organization and the employees in a positive and productive way. Managers who behave unethically unlike their ethical philosophies, present a limit to the ethical reasoning of the firm (Nielsen, 1989). This means that, the presence of ethical policies in an organization have less impact on the employees if they are not reinforced by the conduct of the managing officers. The basic management principle states that if you wish to have some behavior or outcome, then you should reinforce it. In most cases, the administrator will avoid taking responsibility of punishing unethical behaviour for fear of defamation of character by the employees. In addition to this, organizations should take upon themselves to provide ethical education to their employees, stressing on the positivity of having ethics in the work place. This can be achieved by allocating more resources to ethics training program. In cases where there is an ethics dilemma, employees should use a check-list that resembles the following: identify and clarify the dilemma, get all the possible facts, list options, put options under test to find out if they are legal, right, and beneficial; make decision and double check it, and then take action. The area of ethical problems has not been fully explored, which is why more research should be done on this. Furthermore organizations should formulate and ensure that their ethical code of conduct is positive and that it encourages or gives them a competitive advantage. References Nielsen, R. P. 1989. Changing unethical Organizational Behaviour. Academy of Management Executive 3(2), 123-130. Silverstein, S. 1989. One in 15 Employees in Study Caught Stealing. Los Angeles Times , p. D1.
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Introduction 2. Design Element: Costume 3. Dramatic Element: Rhythm 4. Issues of Diversity 5. Conclusion Introduction Comedy of Errors is one of Shakespeare’s early plays. It tells the story of twins separated in childhood and, by exploring human relationships, satirizes the associated anxieties, mistakes, and misunderstandings. The version of the play directed and adapted to young audiences by Eric Brinkman and Aubrey Helene is a modern take on the problems that have continued to concern people from the oldest times and that have been eloquently exposed by many authors before Shakespeare as well. The products shown on Lincoln Theatre on September 30 highlighted the major themes from the original play and, through the actors’ excellent performances, made viewers reflect on the nature of human identity. Design Element: Costume It is possible to assert that costuming is one of the most important theatrical elements of design. It is also one of the primary parts of a character’s identity. In the play, the actors were wearing modern-style, casual, colorful garments. Patches, suspenders, patterned backpacks, and turban-like headpieces gave their look an unusual and surprising twist. The garments transmitted optimistic energy that was appropriate for the comedy. It was also apparent that the costumes were selected while considering the age of the audience. More realistic costumes could have been chosen for an older audience. However, a bright, optimistic, and slightly eccentric look had a better effect on young viewers. Dramatic Element: Rhythm The play had a vivid rhythm with many accents. The events proceeded at a moderately rapid pace so that the performance had an energetic tone. It is possible to assume that the choice of the rhythm was mainly defined by the overall duration of the performance (60 minutes) and the genre of Shakespeare’s composition. The rhythm was primarily conveyed through the actors’ movements and interactions. Moreover, even their facial expressions, which were a little bit grotesque and exaggerated, helped to create an appropriate mood. Issues of Diversity Although the problem of gender relations cannot be regarded as one of the major themes in Comedy of Errors , it is still implicitly present there. Both male and female characters were represented in the play, and they were equally vocal on the stage. However, semantic analysis of the plot may show that the relationships portrayed between males and females reflected the conflict inherent in the patriarchal social model. All women in the comedy played the role of men’s companions. Although some characters like Adriana might seem strong and even authoritative, they were all posed in the frame of their relationships with men. Although Adriana could complain and scold her husband and express her opinion in any other way, she did so only because she was anxious about his absence. It seemed as if without him, she felt incomplete. Therefore, she merely acted as a member of the family—her social functions were reduced to her gender role in the patriarchal structure of society. From a feminist point of view, the given form of gender representation may be regarded as a sign of social inequality. Conclusion Overall, the production of Comedy of Errors by Brinkman and Helene can be considered successful. The actors’ performance, design choices, and dramatic elements were well-balanced and merged into one harmonic whole. The directors also managed to select the most important scenes from the original play, and it allowed them to raise some topical issues related to the social identity of every person—how it is formed and whether it is possible to change it.
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Administrative Constitutionalism and Social Justice Dissertation The Role of Public Opinion and the Mass Media The mass media is one of the primary sources of information available to society. Public opinion, in turn, matters because people do not interact with each other and ultimately it leads to social isolation. Therefore, society ends up relying on media updates and not on the factual data obtained from other people. Similarly, it means that society does not perceive all the dangers of miscommunication (Marion & Oliver, 2012). If the government fails to contact the citizens, the latter will look for the news in the mass media which usually exaggerates the outcomes but does not propose solutions to the problems. The current point of view at the crimes and violence is predestined by the commercial pressure applied to the mass media sources. Ultimately, this leads to the transformation of public opinion and major criminal justice policies. In other words, the mass media takes into account marketing and economic objectives that overrule the usual journalistic principles instead of mirroring the news. The Role of Newspapers and Television The role of newspapers and television can be described as an exaggeration of news reports and real dimensions of the problems. As a result, this majorly impacts public order and safety. In the majority of the cases, popular media becomes the viral source of information which forms the public opinion (Griffin, Woodward, & Sloan, 2016). Sometimes, the crucial sources of information are used to influence public opinion to implicitly affect certain political outcomes. Newspapers and television are used to criminal sensations because this kind of information usually boosts ratings. For these companies, the higher goes the rating, the higher go the profits. It is a well-known fact that violence rates have grown significantly since the appearance of the contemporary mass media business. Public anxieties are intensified through newspapers, television, and social media. The key problem is that the reports commonly focus on the personal interpretation of the reported crimes and not on the expert commentary and factual data. This tendency is also present in the political sphere as numerous politicians prefer yellow press to quality sources. The Roles of Various Interest Groups Special interest groups may seriously impact the development of public policies. It is safe to say that a great number of professional associations are no strangers to spending money on the operations intended to transform public opinion. The majority of lobbyists who are directly related to the development of new legislations are closely acquainted with policymakers and government representatives (Gaines, 2014). Even though special interest groups claim that their key objective is affluence of the population, they are most interested in greater revenues and tend to disregard the initial propositions when their goal is accomplished. The negative impact of interest groups can be described as thriving political and administrative corruption and social influence. The Characteristics of Interest Groups in the Formulation of Criminal Justice Policies There are several characteristics of interest groups that impact the way they are perceived. First, the outcomes of the creation of an interest group rely on the goals of the group and the perspectives of offered incentives. Second, the impact of interest groups on the formation of criminal justice policies is influenced by the roles of the members in the decision-making process (Tanenhaus & Zimring, 2014). This means that the level of impact is dependent on the status of a member of the special group. The last characteristic is the degree of bureaucracy. This factor influences the creation and employment of administrative strategies. References Gaines, L. K. (2014). Homeland security: A new criminal justice mandate. In S. L. Mallicoat & C. L. Gardiner (Eds.), Criminal justice policy (pp. 67-87). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Griffin, O., Woodward, V. H., & Sloan, J. J. (2016). The money and politics of criminal justice policy . Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press. Marion, N. E., & Oliver, W. M. (2012). The public policy of crime and criminal justice (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Tanenhaus, D. S., & Zimring, F. E. (2014). Choosing the future for American juvenile justice . New York, NY: New York University Press.
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Benefits of Employees Motivation Presentation Committed towards Corporate objectives Motivated employees are happy and satisfied with their job. They are always committed towards the realization of the organization goals and objectives. Thus, they ensure that they work towards achievement of the goals of an organization. Because of their passion for their jobs, it is noted that motivated employees are highly productive and goes beyond the call of duty in order to cater for the needs of the business they work for. Motivated workforce is known to perform well and greatly contributes towards the expansion of businesses. High Quality products, and innovations Motivated employees are known to be highly dedicated to their duties. The great passion and dedication for employees is linked with high quality production as well as high level of innovations. This has enabled such business to create a competitive advantage over rival brands which enable them to perform well. Such companies are rarely faced with considerable downsizing, but instead, such businesses where employees are motivated are always engaging in expansion strategies which are very essential in elevating the current high level of unemployment in the society. Less Turnover and sick off Motivated employees are less stressed. This means that such employees are very healthy and rarely miss to report for duty because of health related issues. Companies that have motivated employees are high performers as employees do not often take sick off. In addition such companies have high employees retention rate as employees are satisfied with their jobs and thus ,are not now and then looking for better alternatives as in the organizations where employees are not motivated. Reseach Methodology The study will user case study design as the framework to guide the study. The use of case study design will be instrumental in ensuring that appropriate companies are selected for the study. In order to identify the sample from the targeted population, the researcher will use effective Sampling strategy which is imperative in ensuring that the study identifies relevant participants to take part in the study. The researcher will use purposive sampling method where 10 companies with equal number of employees will be selected for this study. Qualititive & Quantitative The study conducted will be both qualitative as well as quantitative in nature. In order for the researcher to be in a position to include relevant statistics to illustrate the quantitative part of the study, the researcher will use a questionnaire with closed ended questions in order to generate the anticipated inferences. In addition, the questionnaire will include open ended questions that will help in the qualitative analysis. In addition, the researcher will conduct a focus interview with human resource managers from specific organizations in order to supplement the qualitative results received from the open ended questions. List of References Garg, P & Radtogi, R 2005, ‘The Most Effective Method of Increasing Employees Performance,’ Journal of Management , Vol. 6, NO. 9, pp. 56-78. Hong, J 1995, ‘Impacts of Employees Benefits on Work Motivation and Productivity,’ International Journal of Career Management , Vol. 7, no, 6, PP 10-16. Samuel, M & Chipunza, C 2009, ‘Employee Retention and Turnover: Using Motivational Variables as a Panacea,’ African Journal of Business Management , Vol. 3. No. 8, PP. 410-415.
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Organizational Culture Issues Case Study Corporate culture has become an important part of organizational structures for a range of reasons. In the modern workplace setting, employees of even profitable and successful companies are asked to follow either strict or loose corporate culture not only for enhancing the quality of interactions in the workplace but also to ensure that they follow the established objectives in terms of a corporate mission and vision. For example, in the case of Uber, workers are expected to subscribe to fourteen company values such as being “obsessed with the customer” or “always be hustling” (Isaac). The importance of such values for Uber is attributed to the fact that they have helped the company to gain a competitive advantage and expand to operate in more than seventy countries. As proposed by Edgar Shein, organizations that do not establish a cohesive set of values in the workplace are less likely to be successful. The scholar developed a three-tiered model of organizational culture, including artifacts, values, and basic assumptions, all of which are intended to bring companies to new levels of competitiveness. Thus, a corporate culture is important even in cases when companies seem successful as there are multiple other goals that organizations are pursuing. For example, procedures of conflict-solving are also embedded in the set of cultural values for ensuring the positive shaping of relationships in the workplace. Teambuilding and collaboration between workers are also embraced in the organizational culture of companies as they are likely to enable the sharing of ideas, opinions, and best practices. Overall, a corporate culture is an essential part of creating a successful organization in terms of delivering services to customers, creating products, or establishing positive relationships between employees. Work Cited Isaac, Mike. “Inside Uber’s Aggressive, Unrestrained Workplace Culture.” NY Times . 2017, Web.
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International Court of Justice in Hague Expository Essay International Court of Justice (I.C.J.) is situated in the Peace Place Hague, Netherlands.Its main role is to get to the bottom of legal arguments presented by countries that are members of the United Nations (UN) and also give counsel to legal matters presented by international organizations and UN general assembly. ICJ is not the sole international court. There is another international court that is also situated in Hague Netherlands and its called International Criminal Court (ICC). This court operates as an independent entity towards prosecuting people who are found guilty of causing public unrests that may lead to death. The ICJ is made up of 15 judges who are appointed by the UN Security Council and the general assembly and their tenure lasts for a period of nine years but it can be extended to include two more terms. These appointments are held after every three years (Pieter, 2003). According to Statute of the International Court of Justice, the ICJ is accorded powers to create its own policies (UN Documents, n.d). All cases brought to the ICJ are handled in same way. The Rules of the international court of justice dictates the procedure of ICJ similar to those of the supreme court of Canada, where a complaint is filed by an applicant and in return the accused party too files its own version. The United States Supreme court is similar to the World Court, with the President being termed as Chief Justice. If a respondent country does not want to surrender to the jurisdiction of the court it can request for a point of objection. The objections should be filed before the proceedings commence. The court then designates a public hearing to consider the objections presented by the respondent and gives a verdict at the end of that hearing. Jurisdiction of the ICJ depends on the eagerness of the countries involved in a dispute to cooperate and participate in solving their problems. Conformity with ICJ is therefore voluntary. Burton (2005) argues that in many situations objections are caused by the absence of all concerned parties. The objections are also reserved to be considered in a public hearing. The verdict of the court favors the party that has presented the most sound and convincing statement with regard to the problem at hand. In a situation where the third state welfare is in jeopardy, they may be allowed to intervene on the court’s verdict. The court has the authority to grant or deny such grant. The court then gives its verdict based on the judgment of the majority and there is no appeal once a verdict has been given. The judges can air their personal ruling but they must conform to the aims of the court. All members of the UN are subject to this court and therefore the state that is being accused and the accusing state must be members of the United Nations. In contentious disputes the court grants a fair verdict with the aim of promoting unity between the offending and the accusing states. Pieter (2003) explains that these contentious issues do not involve individuals, or corporate entities. An advisory opinion is an occasion that’s limited to certain UN bodies and agencies. During this occasion the ICJ invites countries that might provide relevant information. These countries are selected by looking at their exposure in judicial issues they provide counsel in solving complex legal issues. There are various sources of international law. First, the court gives its verdict in reference to international conventions and customs and also the general elements of law that are acknowledged by civilized countries. Materials written by renowned publicists of various nations can also be used to provide guidelines in handling international disputes. Second, the court uses the principle laws set by civilized countries in the formulation of its jurisdiction. Third, treaties act as the basis of forming laws understandable to many countries because treaties involve principles which consider the consent of all parties (Australian Government, n.d). The court can also compare its previous verdicts in arriving at a decision if the current dispute has been handled before by the court in the past. It’s very common to have a dispute of the same kind occurring more than once between different countries. This does not mean the court’s verdicts are always based on previous verdicts of the same issue. Section 36(1) explains how the court can receive cases from countries based on special agreements between the countries concerned. This is very important because the accuser and the accused are ready to solve their issues otherwise if it’s only one state that’s ready to cooperate with ICJ, solving the dispute is almost impossible. Section 36(2) allows countries to declare their acknowledgement of the ICJ jurisdiction (UN Documents, n.d). This acknowledgement is sometimes irrelevant because conformity with ICJ is voluntary. References Australian Government (n.d). Treaties in the Global Environment: Sources of International Law – The Place of Treaties. Web. Burton, B. (2005).Australia, East Timor strike oil, gas deal. Asia Times, 2005. Pieter, H.F.B. (2003). The UN General Assembly Requests a World Court Advisory Opinion on Israel’s Separation Barrier . American society of International law Insights. UN Documents. (n.d). Statute of the International Court of Justice . Retrieved from http://www.un-documents.net/icj-s.htm
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“The Social Network” by David Fincher Essay The role of social media has reached a truly enormous scale over the past few years, affecting people’s lives vastly. “The Social Network,” a movie directed by David Fincher, studies the role of modern media in contemporary society in depth. Specifically, the scene in which Larry Summers talks to the Winklevoss twins outlines masterfully the drastic change that the social network has brought to people’s lives. By incorporating multiple visuals that hint at the presence of a larger theme in the conflict between Larry Summers and the Winklevoss twins, Fincher hints at the vast possibilities that innovative technology offers. The use of the said visuals for emphasizing the dichotomy of innovation and archaism is the first device that catches the viewer’s eye when examining the scene closer. The aesthetic elements used in the movie, namely, the interior of the room in which the conversation takes place, emphasize the old-fashioned approach that Summers supports regarding the understanding of communication and the role that social media may potentially play in it. The levels of subtlety in the use of exterior details drop as the scene continues, exacerbating the impression of Summers’ unwillingness to embrace change. One of the twins breaking the doorknob hammers the specified point down, symbolizing the old, downtrodden way of thinking that Harvard authorities accepted. Similarly, the narrative elements of the scene also indicate that the role of social media in people’s lives is about to change, yet a range of people are not ready yet to accept this change and include its outcomes into their lives. Namely, Summers’ condescending tone contrasting with the twins’ anxious and almost stuttering demeanor points to the seriousness of the breakthrough and the challenges that the innovation is about to face when being implemented. Finally, the formal aspects of the scene in question give several hints concerning the main theme of the movie, namely, the increasingly high importance that social media is about to gain in people’s lives. For instance, the composition of the scene, namely, the physical juxtaposition of Larry Summers and the Winklevoss twins, emphasizes the rift between the unwillingness to embrace the change and the oncoming surge of technological innovations, namely, opportunities for online communication, that social media is about to bring. The lighting, in turn, plays a minor role in outlining the tension building due to the lack of understanding between Summers and the Winklevoss twins. For instance, while the view from the window indicates that the conversation takes place in broad daylight, the room appears to be dimly lit, with the faces of the twins and Summers often being partly covered by a shadow. The specified approach to lighting may be interpreted as a subtle metaphor of the old communication tools represented by the artificial light slowly becoming obsolete, while the innovative social media symbolized by the sunlight breaking through the window is about to gain traction. The color scheme of the movie, reminding of that of an old library, is also indicative of the change that social media is about to bring, thus bringing the traditional communication tools to their slow demise. By using formal, visual, and narrative elements in a very clever way that allows hinting at the ample opportunities to be offered by social media, Fincher manages to convey the theme of change and emphasize the huge role that the said social media is about to gain in society. While some of the hints may pass unnoticed, others are quite easy to spot, signifying the tremendous change that is expected to happen. Therefore, the clever combination of narrative, visual, and formal elements of a scene introduces the viewers to the history of social media changing the global communication landscape.
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The Second Lebanon War 2006 Research Paper The Second Lebanon War (2006) is the specific military conflict between the paramilitary organization Hezbollah and the state of Israel associated with the question of the Lebanon’s territories and the states’ control over them. Although there are no controversies about the trigger of the conflict, it is possible to pay attention to the radical opposition of the visions of the conflict presented by the representatives of Hezbollah in their newspaper Al-Intiqad, by the Israeli media as it is in the articles from the Haaretz , and by the independent observers from the authoritative newspaper the Gulf News . It is important to note that the conflict between Hezbollah and the Israeli military forces has its roots in the conflict of Israel with the Arab world, and this fact influences the presentation and discussion of the Lebanon War in the media. In her article on the aspects of the Lebanon War, Erika Solomon presents the commentaries on several articles from Hezbollah’s Al-Intiqad. The author states that the presentation of the war in Al-Intiqad is based on accentuating the victorious actions of Hezbollah. Thus, according to the Lebanese authors, the Lebanon War became the “liberation day and a victory” for the whole country (Solomon, 2009). Moreover, the authors of Al-Intiqad focus on the negative role of Israel in developing the conflict in spite of the fact the trigger of the war is closely associated with the actions of Hezbollah (Solomon, 2009). If the authors of Al-Intiqad are inclined to mask the aggressive character of Hezbollah’s actions against Israel under the proclamations of the liberty, the position of the Israeli journalists is rather opposite. However, it is important to pay attention to the significant detail that it is typical for the Israeli media to criticize the actions of the former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in relation to the Lebanon War ( U.S. court drops Lebanon War victims’ lawsuit, 2011). Thus, Harel emphasizes the inappropriateness of Olmert’s actions when he “sent the Israel Defense Forces to launch an attack near the Litani River, even though he already had a cease-fire agreement in his possession” (Harel, 2012). It should be stated here that the similar commentaries were presented in the Gulf News on 03 May 2009. The authors state that “many Israelis view Olmert’s decision to go to war as a knee-jerk reaction by a leader with little security experience, unlike his predecessor, former general Ariel Sharon” ( Israeli PM says Lebanon war was pre-planned, 2009). This information was presented with references to the authors of the Haaretz. The materials provided in the Gulf News during the war conflict and after it are characterized by the definite level of neutrality. From this point, the article ‘Details of the Conflict’ is remarkable. The authors concentrate on listing the aspects of the conflict stating the trigger, causes, details, and consequences of the Lebanon War ( Details of the conflict, 2007). The neutral position of the authors of the Gulf News with accusing the Hezbollah’s forces as well as the actions of the Israeli Defense Forces during the Lebanon War can be explained with references to the absence of the direct involving of the UAE in the conflict. It is possible to state that the presentation of the aspects of the Second Lebanon War in 2006 by different journalists in Israel, Lebanon, and the UAE depends on the impact of the conflict on the country. Thus, the Israelis concentrate on the figure of the Prime Minister in developing the conflict and on the aggression of Hezbollah when the representatives of Hezbollah justify their actions basing on the concept of liberation of the territories. References Details of the conflict . (2007). Web. Harel, A. (2012). Remember the Second Lebanon War . Web. Israeli PM says Lebanon war was pre-planned . (2009). Web. Solomon, E. (2009). 2006 Lebanon War still a point of contention in Israel, Lebanon . Web. U.S. court drops Lebanon War victims’ lawsuit against Al Jazeera . (2011). Web.
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Views of American Muslims on Democracy Proposal Essay Democracy is an issue that has raised controversies in many parts of the world, including the United States. Some individuals support democratic ideals while others are of the view that democracy is the tyranny of the multitude because it does not represent the interests of the majority in society. In fact, some observe that justice should always be sought instead of democracy. May American Muslims are believed to the non-sympathizers of democracy, but modern studies show that they support democracy. Democracy allows the most individual or group to rule. In the United States, Muslims are also involved in the management of parties. Others engage in activism since they believe that human rights are sought through lobbying, but not other means such as terrorism. Research Question To what extent do American Muslims participate in the affairs of political parties and interest groups? Hypothesis American Muslims participate in the affairs of the political parties and pressure groups because they believe in democracy. Methodology Quantitative research is a kind of study that utilizes figures to arrive at certain conclusions. In this regard, the research would take the form of a survey whereby the researcher identifies the sample population and posts questionnaires to them. In this research, there would be need to compare the relationship between variables in order to establish the cause and effect The researcher is interested in knowing how different independent variables would have an effect on the perception of Americans on Muslims (dependent variables). This would demand for a method that would be objective and able statistically to generalize the findings. Quantitative method is the most appropriate method to use in this research. Quantitative research involves systematic empirical study of a phenomenon by use of statistical tools. Its main objective is always to employ mathematical theories and models in developing its generalization. Therefore, quantitative method would help in this research. It would enable the researcher to test the hypotheses put forth for validity and allow the use of a sample as a representation of the entire population. It would help the researcher to determine the perception of Americans on Muslims. Moreover, the method would help determine the views of Muslims on democracy. The quantitative method would also help in knowing if there is any relationship between democracy and equality. Primary data for this research would be collected from various Muslims and Americans in the United States. The data would be collected with the help of the questionnaire. The scope of data collection would be limited to the two categories. This is because of the time available for the research. Because most Muslims and Americans are United States nationals, they are clearly expected to understand the social structure of the American society. In this regard, they would be in a position to respond appropriately to questions regarding the society in the United States. The research would be done conducted with a sample representing the entire population. From this sample, the researcher would generate data by formulating questions, which would further generate desired answers. To shed light on this research, a hypothesis was developed to create a vision of the research. The research question was meant to generate an answer that would either confirm or reject the hypothesis. The questionnaire was designed to reflect this requirement.
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According to the article, although violent games increase the levels of hostile behaviors (albeit mildly) among their players, they only constitute one contributing factor. Consequently, there is no concrete research that proves that violent video games are the only causes of violent acts among their players. The article continues by using relatable social examples in order to form a connection between violent gaming and social behaviors. The author first fields some scientific experiments that deal with this issue and then cite other experts in the field. The article concludes that the effects of violent games on social behaviors are often misconstrued. The author uses various approaches when forwarding the evidence that supports his assertions. First, the author utilizes the views of various researchers to support the premise that video gaming has only mild effects on social behaviors. One of the researchers who are cited in this article is Michael Ward, a scholar from the University of Texas. The research from Ward and his colleagues is used to indicate that the sales trends of violent video games do not necessarily coincide with those of violent crimes. The author also uses raw data from various research studies to support the article’s thesis. For example, the article cites how a group of test subjects was allowed to play some popular violent games (“Mortal Kombat” and “Deadly Alliance”) and later exhibited a higher rate of aggression (Carey, 2013). The raw data approach is of importance because it proves the article’s thesis through the input of collaborators. Another example of outside research that is featured in the article is from recognizable institutions of higher learning such as Canada’s Brock University. This tactic gives the article’s subject matter a global perspective. Another way that the author uses evidence to support his assertions is through the reliance on popular media. The author uses research together with examples from popular media in order to get through to the readers. The core element of the article’s research shows the correlation between violent games and real-life examples of violence. For example, the author cites popular incidences of school shootings and well-known videogames such as “Deadly Alliance” and “Mortal Kombat.” The inclusion of popular references in the articles enables readers to investigate the author’s evidence on their own terms. The usage of evidence is signaled through various means. For instance, the author gives the credentials of the researchers whose work is cited in the article. One of the cited scholars is Dr. Ward, and the author gives his researcher’s credentials as part of “European Economic Research” (Carey, 2013). The usage of chronological timelines is another signal of the author’s evidence because it highlights the logical connections between various developments. Consequently, this signal provides evidence that the proliferation of violent games within the society has not necessarily led to a rise in levels of violence. Another prominent signal is government-sanctioned data in combination with scientific evidence. Government statistics are often released in the interest of the public. Therefore, transitioning to public statistics indicates that the author has the public interest as one of his agendas. Word choices are another signal that the author uses to compare opposing pieces of evidence. For example, the author uses phrases such as “nobody knows for sure,” “it could be that,” and “point of view” in order to make sure that all sides of the argument are presented in equal terms. References Carey, B. (2013). Shooting in the dark . Web.
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Florence Nightingale and Leadership in Nursing Essay In the development of nursing in Europe in the 19th century, the activities of an outstanding personality, the Englishwoman Florence Nightingale, played an important role. Florence was looking for an opportunity to help the poor and the sick. At that distant time, activities related to mercy, helping those in need, were considered an occupation not worthy of a noblewoman. The young woman sacrificed personal life expensive relationships with her parents but remained faithful to her calling. Furthermore, her values and commitment allowed Florence to become a historical figure in modern nursing, to whose leadership people owe accolades for paving the way of nursing’s place in our societies. Thanks to perseverance and perseverance, in 1851, Florence entered the community of the sisters of pastor F. Flender in Germany, where she received a nursing education. Subsequently, Florence made a considerable contribution not only to the treatment of cholera help in wars but to the development of leadership and the reformation of nursing (Kim, 2020) The selfless woman became an example of service to people and a prototype of international mercy. Moreover, Florence managed to change a common thought about nobility of nursing, her leadership allowed to reestablish pivotal understanding of nursing practice. Her significance can easily be depicted on a medal with her image, which is awarded for special merits to distinguished nurses. A large role in the development of nursing abroad belongs to the international society of the Red Cross. The International Committee for Relief of the Wounded, headed by A. Dunant, convened a conference in Geneva in October 1863 with the participation of representatives of 13 countries, at which the charter of the International Organization of the Red Cross was developed, and the emblem of the society was adopted. The United States achieved tremendous success in the development of nursing in the 19th-20th centuries, when the American Medical Association was first established. (AMA) (Kim, 2020) In 1873, the first three nursing schools were opened in the USA according to the model of the F. Nightingale schools in London (Kim, 2020) Thus, the further formation of international humanitarian organizations was also primarily made possible by leaders such as Florence. Reference Kim, L. (2020). Transformational leadership: Florence Nightingale’s legacy . American Nurse.
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In this paper, two websites, eBay.com and Quibids.com, have been considered. From each site, the paper examines the bidding criteria based on an item of choice. The eBay.com website is among the most notable auction websites offering broad categories of products, including appliances, equipment, vehicles décor, and collectibles to furnishings between other products. On the other hand, Quibids.com is a renowned auction website for penny auction. As far as the eBay auction website is concerned, a brand of a wristwatch for ladies-Xmas Gift D1W is considered. On the other hand, for Quibids.com, a camera carrying case- Kata Ex-07 is considered. eBay.com What type of auction format was used, and what item did you choose to follow? The first item used to be a wristwatch, which was chosen from the eBay auction website. The auction format used was the auction-style listing. Did the item sell at a higher or lower price for the winning bidder than similarly priced items on the site? The wristwatch was sold at AU $ 5.50. Some items on the site were sold as expensive as AU $ 15.70 whereas, others were sold as cheap as AU $ 2.99. Therefore, the wristwatch was sold at a price between the most expensive and the cheapest items sold by the auction site. What tools do you have available as a consumer to determine price/value? As a consumer, one should look at the item specifications provided on the site while determining the price and value of the item. Also, eBay provides the product page that is aligned with tools like the value box, where product prices of all sellers are determined. How much did the winning bidder pay? The winning bidder paid AU $ 5.50 for the wristwatch. How many bidders participated in the auction during the time you observed it, did they change & could they use automated bidding, if so could you tell it was being used? Five bidders participated in the auction and who placed 9 bids. Among the bidders, some used automated bidding. In this case, the eBay company placed three automated bids. What features does each website use to protect both the buyer & seller from fraud? The issue of security is critical in online auctioning. In respect to the eBay auction site, the eBay toolbar allows customers to download accounts’ guards to protect their accounts and passwords. Besides, the toolbar has a feature that alerts customers on whether they are logged into the legitimate eBay website every time they visit the site. It helps customers to identify fake sites resembling the eBay site. Another powerful feature installed in eBay auction sites is the virtual feedback tool. This feature enables online buyers and sellers in creating a centralized feedback system that is independent of the site. The virtual feedback site provides a platform for effective communication that allows users to rate each other appropriately. It enables potential buyers to make a firm decision before engaging in a bidding process (eBay Inc, 2012). Quibids.com What type of auction format was used, and what item did you choose to follow? The second item was the Kata Ex-07 camera case, which was selected from the Quibids auction website. Did the item sell at a higher or lower price for the winning bidder than similarly priced items on the site? The item was sold at $ 1.25. Notably, other similar items sold by the auction site went for between $ 0.02 to $ 1.62. Thus, the item was sold at a price between the most expensive and the cheapest ever sold. What tools do you have available as a consumer to determine price/value? As a consumer, one needs to look at the features of the product to determine its value and worthiness. Additionally, QuiBids provides the product page that is aligned with tools like the value box where product prices of all sellers are determined (QuiBids.com, 2012). How much did the winning bidder pay? For this item, the winning bidder paid $ 1.25 plus the $ 2.40 bids credit. Thus, a total of $ 3.65 was paid for the item. The winner saved about 85% of the value price, which was placed at $ 24.99. How many bidders participated in the auction during the time you observed it, did they change & could they use automated bidding, if so could you tell it was being used? Three bidders participated in the auction for this item. The three bidders changed their bids because there was a total of 9 bids. In penny auctions, automatic bidding does not exist. Penny auction does not give room where a bidder can set a maximum bid and await automation bidding until one is outbid. What features does each website use to protect both the buyer & seller from fraud? Just like eBay websites, Quibids websites are also prone to fraud. However, fraud, in this case, is attributed to the website managers. Investigations regarding Quibids.com have proved that the site has proper guidelines that evaluate the bidding process. It ensures that the users of the site are treated where their needs are fulfilled. References eBay Inc. (2012). Fashion Lady Girl Perfect Wrist watch Xmas Gift D1W . Web. QuiBids.com. (2012). Kata EX-07 Camera Carrying Case . Web.
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The Importance of Students’ Equity in College Career Centers Proposal Every year, the number of immigrants and undocumented students increases in the United States. Morrison et al. (2016) claim that one in every three children will grow up in an immigrant family by the year 2040. Undocumented students face systemic, cultural, and institutional barriers in college career centers due to the lack of documentation (Kantamneni et al., 2016a; 2016b). They are also ineligible to receive any federal financial aid and are not allowed to fully participate in American society (Enyioha, 2019; Bjorklund, 2018). Consequently, immigrant and undocumented students have higher dropout rates and lower performance than their U.S. citizens peers, and it hurts their career development (Ngo & Astudillo, 2018; Kantamneni et al., 2016b). Discrimination, fear of deportation, psychological pressure, and social barriers do not allow such students to work toward their career goals and find suitable jobs after college graduation. Therefore, it is important to promote students’ equity in college career centers. A critical theory of love (CToL) and funds of knowledge (FoK) concept theory are aimed to engage with diverse students and create a safe space for them in colleges. The CToL promotes love, justice, compassion, and tenderness towards immigrant and undocumented students, enabling “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (Barnett and Witenstein, 2020, p. 2; Brooks, 2017). The FoK concept theory is aimed to protect and share the cultural and historical roots of the students (Mariscal et al., 2019). Utilizing the principles promoted by these theories will benefit college students significantly. The embodiment of CToL and FoK in the college outreach program will help to establish connections with students of diverse origins and social statuses. According to Kiyama and Rhoades (2012), such a connection can be achieved through professional organizations, career centers, committees, and task forces, leading to equity and access opportunities, affirming students’ place as competent professionals. The use of these theories will also facilitate students’ professional development and give them the possibility to be institutional agents in U.S. society. A recent study showed that those undocumented and immigrant students who received some moral and financial support from their teachers, communities, and the government, outperformed their native American peers and improved their GPAs levels (Ngo and Astudillo, 2018). One can see that equity and shared values promotion are essential to this group of students. This paper proposes to use participatory action research (PAR) to tailor solutions for undocumented and immigrant students. According to Mariscal et al. (2019), the use of PAR allows teachers to investigate their own FoK and cultural and linguistic insights, which will enable them to create innovative and culturally competent ways to address students’ learning processes and challenge oppressive practices. Educators should promote shared values and traditions to ensure freedom and equality for all (Pour-Khorshid, 2016). In addition, the role of teachers and career advisors is to work collaboratively with students and use the FoK concepts to reshape the framework of immigrant and undocumented students’ needs. College career centers should use PAR practices and FoK concepts to engage with students because these concepts will allow them to develop and implement plans that will promote the equity and well-being of undocumented students. Both colleges and students will benefit from such changes because they will improve students’ performance, increase their GPAs, and help students choose their career paths on a par with their American peers. In conclusion, the outreach programs will create equal access to knowledge and career opportunities, enabling immigrants to become high-skilled professionals and bring benefits to society. References Barnett, R. M., & Witenstein, M. A. (2020). Imagining a climate of equity through a critical theory of love: Using CPAR to identify guiding principles that humanize library work. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 46 (5), 1-7. Web. Bjorklund, P. Jr. (2018). Undocumented students in higher education: A review of the literature, 2001 to 2016. Review of Educational Research, 88 (5), 1-40. Web. Brooks, D. N. (2017). (Re)conceptualizing love: Moving towards a critical theory of love in education for social justice. Journal of Critical Thought and Practice, 6 (3), 102-114. Web. Enyioha, J. C. (2019). College access for undocumented students and law. Educational Considerations, 45 (1), 1-11. Web. Kantamneni, N., Dharmalingam, K., Tate, J., Perlman, B., & Majmudar, C. R. (2016a). DREAMing big: Understanding the current context of academic and career decision-making for undocumented students. Journal of Career Development, 1-15. Web. Kantamneni, N., Shada, N., Conley, M. R., Hellwege, M. A., Tate, J. M., & Wang, S. C. (2016b). Academic and career development of undocumented college students: The American dream? The Career Development Quarterly, 64, 318-332. Web. Kiyama, Lee & Rhoades (2012). A critical agency network model for building an integrated outreach program. The Journal of Higher Education, 83 (2), 276-303. Web. Mariscal, J., Kiyama, J. M., & Benavides, V. N. (2019). The embodiment and enactment of funds of knowledge among Latina/o university outreach staff: Leadership in learning environments. Journal of Latinos and Education . Web. Morrison, S. M., Walley, C. T., Perez, C. P., Rodriques, S., Halladeen, I., & Burdier, V. (2016). Ideas and Research You Can Use: VISTAS, 43, 1-12. Web. Ngo, F., & Astudillo, S. (2019). California DREAM: The impact of financial aid for undocumented community college students. Educational Researcher, 48 (1), 5-18. Web. Pour-Khorshid, F. (2016). H.E.L.L.A.: Collective Testimonio that speak to the healing, empowerment, love, liberation, and action embodies by social justice educators of color. Association of Mexican American Educators (AMAE) Journal, 10 (2), 16-32.
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This is referred to as lesson planning. A lesson plan is meant to guide the activities of a class on daily basis. The Content of a lesson plan varies depending on the preferences of the instructor, subject matter of the course and the desires or aspirations of students. Again, the school or government may influence the development of a lesson plan. In most cases, a lesson plan must take into consideration the objectives of the school and government regulations. A good lesson plan attends to the problems and interests of students meaning that it aspires to offer the best in the academic field (Nunley, 2004). Lesson planning is related to how the teacher views academics, which is the reason why the instructor considers the purpose of enlightening students. Therefore, a lesson plan would have the following objectives: To identify the major features of culturally diversified lesson plans. Students will thereafter use other resources such as internet sites and library resources to judge whether the lesson plan is effective in ensuring cultural diversity. Students will be subjected to critical thinking to evaluate the main strengths and weaknesses of the lesson plan. Students will afterwards have an opportunity to develop their maxims or view points as regards to the lesson plan. Students will have an opportunity to conduct an academic research to investigate the efficiency of the lesson plan. Through this, students will design individual inventions and develop various articles. Major activities in the lesson plan would be aimed at accomplishing the objectives of the entire plan. This would entail informing students the nature of Australian society. This would enable students to establish the link between the past the present. To achieve this, the teacher would utilize diagrams and charts to elaborate clearly the relationship between the past and the present. In History subject for instance, the lesson plan aims at describing some of the most important features of Australian history such as colonialism and fight for imperialism. In history subject, the major activity would be to allow students watch various Australian movies related to culture. After the activity, students will have an opportunity to ask their teacher various questions as regards the Australian culture. Through this, students would be in a position to compare and contrast various cultures in the country. Determining a program’s success and failures calls for careful scheduling. Evaluation of a lesson matrix enables the instructor to effectively measure whether the content convenes the needs of each student. Apart from observing the actions of students in class, an instructor develops an assessment plan. The lesson plan utilized in this paper would be assessed using muddiest point technique. This is preferred because it is simple to use and generates needed information for action. Students are instructed to give their views and responses pertaining to a certain lesson in quick succession. This type of assessment should be conducted from time to time meaning that it is a continuous process (Armstrong, Henson, & Savage, 2009). It is not advisable to continue teaching students when they do not understand the topic well. Each student’s expectations and dreams were included in the lesson plan. This is the major reason why the lesson plan is recommended in imparting skills. This was aimed at solving ethnic and racial conflicts that exist among students. Both state and national government recommend that academic institutions must incorporate cultural expectations of various groups to the school curriculum. Australian constitution advocates for integration instead of assimilation. This means that students are to be accepted the way they are but not requesting them to defer their cultures and adopt Australian customs. This was reflected in the lesson plan meaning that the plan must be all-inclusive. Indeed, this point should have been carefully assessed before coming up with the lesson plan (Garderen, & Whittaker, 2006). References Armstrong, D., Henson, K., & Savage, T. (2009). Teaching today: An introduction to education (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Print. Garderen, D., & Whittaker, C. (2006). Planning differentiated, multicultural instruction for secondary inclusive classrooms. Teaching Exceptional Children, 38(1), 12–20. Nunley, K. (2004). Layered Curriculum (2nd ed). Amherst, NH: Brains organization. Print.
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Dominant-Minority Groups Relations Essay Relations between dominant and minority groups are complicated societal as well as a psychological issue. They rest on a wide range of external factors such as the perception of one’s power resource, self-image deriving from others’ perception, the historical presence of a group, and its endurance in society and many others. Dominant and minority groups can emerge and last in any sphere of social life. What makes them exist is the identity, i.e., feeling similarity with and equality to other group members, whether it be racial, socioeconomic, or ethnic (cultural, national, and religious). What is even more vital is the historical presence in society or inside the particular territory. That said, if a location was primarily inhabited by the people of one race, then the newcomers belonging to other races would inevitably become a minority because they do not have a strong presence and power resource. The same can be said about people of different religions, speaking different languages or belonging to different economic classes. Belonging to a minority has numerous effects, both negative and positive. First of all, minority group members often feel unaccepted by society and prejudiced, that is why they have a negative self-image that may result in further deviant and defiant behavior, self-isolation and avoiding any social contacts, conflicts within and outside the group, etc. Moreover, the existence of minorities in society can lead to elevating hostility and conflicts between dominant and minority groups, segregation, adopting restrictive legislation, xenophobia, hate crimes, and so on just because people are meant to be different by nature. However, I believe there is a robust positive outcome of belonging to a minority group. Being a social creature, human strives for being understood and accepted. Belonging to a minority group gives this sense of acceptance necessary to all human beings serving as some kind of safe haven. What I believe should be remembered is that we all belong to a particular minority group even if we are not aware of it. Of course, race and ethnicity are visible criteria for becoming a minority but think about tastes in music, arts, sexual orientation, and many other spheres of life in which people differ. The latter is not for a lifetime, that is why they are ignored because tastes change and people are free to switch from one group to another, but the fact remains. There are numerous instances of treating people who have different tastes differently. Recollect confrontation between the representatives of subcultures, for example, that of skinheads against emos, punks, and goths that was characterized by excess violence and bullying. What I want to say is that I think it can be equated to prejudice and discrimination against racial and ethnic minorities. The only challenge here is that somehow people belonging to a dominant group fail to draw this line between being born the other way or choosing to be the other way. I do not want to say that there is any justifiable excuse for discrimination or prejudice because I believe that we all are born equal and have the right to self-expression and living the way we think is right for ourselves. But if there were any legal excuses for discrimination, why treat differently or worse those who did not choose how they look like, the family they were born in, or the upbringing they were given?
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Energy Resource Plan – Physics Essay Introduction Energy is the essential gift bestowed on humankind. As the trustees of this energy, it is our task to conserve it since we can not do without it. Energy enables us to see, hear, move, work, and essentially live a normal life. It is, therefore, crucial that we endeavor to practices that will lead to the sustainability of this energy. Renewable and nonrenewable energy sources Renewable energy is that which is derived from natural resources and is inexhaustible because its natural replenishment is much faster than its consumption, for instance, wind and solar energies. On the contrary, nonrenewable energy is derived from natural resources but is exhaustible because it occurs in fixed proportions, and its degeneration is faster than regeneration. Nonrenewable energy includes coal, oil among other minerals, which are being, used at a rate that far exceeds discovery. Methods of energy conservation Personal initiative From the preceding, it is vital to conserve both forms of energy to ensure environmental sustainability because the misuse of energy is the chief cause of pollution. One of the methods that we as homeowners can apply to conserve energy is the use of energy preservation home appliances. These may include energy-saving bulbs and optimal process air conditioners and refrigerators. Embracing of real-time power use indicators will ensure energy is saved. The harnessing of solar power and its subsequent use are also critical in ensuring minimum usage of nonrenewable energy and minimum wastage of renewable energy. During the sunny periods, a lot of solar energy goes to waste while we grapple with astronomical power bills. Solar panels are obtainable at very reasonably priced marketplace rates and will not only help safeguard power but also cut on expenses (FAO, ND). Collective bargaining will further help us acquire these panels and other solar based appliances at a lower price that will be to the profit of everybody. The adoption of Eco-friendly ways of life is also indispensable in energy conservation. The use of Eco-friendly fuels in our day to day lives is one such way. These include the green fuels that are readily available at our local outlets. Eco-friendly cars that use the power conscious biofuels are also in the marketplace at levelheaded prices. In addition to conserving the surroundings, adoption of these fuels will protect us against the ever-escalating fuel prices. Government initiative The government’s role in energy maintenance can not be understated. The administration should embark on formulating policies that will kick off energy fortification from the topmost organs to the grassroots. Tax holidays should be provided on the acquisition of energy-conserving appliances on a domestic front. This will make easy their acquisition and subsequent use leading to energy conservation. It will also be significant for the government to have a budgetary portion specifically for energy upkeep (FAO, ND). These funds should be channeled towards research into competent ways of conserving power. The government should also use the forementioned funds to educate the masses on the use of energy-saving methods. This can be done by the convening of methodical and industrial conferences. Conclusion Energy is vital for the existence of life and should, therefore, be conserved. Maximum exploitation of renewable energy sources and minimum of nonrenewable ones should be effected. The human race should undertake to safeguard energy at all levels of existence, be it individual or government. This will ensure a sustainable world that will advantage humanity. Work cited FAO. Government energy conservation policies . Food and Agriculture Organization. Web.
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“Flowering Judas” by Katherine Anne Porter Essay The Flowering Judas is a second Porter’s story that is based on a vibrantly redolent narration. The story also lies in its captivating characters such as Laura and Braggioni. The story is quite magical and mystical in nature. The author of the book employed certain aspects that are interesting in nature and this makes the story capture the minds and the hearts of the most audience. The author tried to stimulate the audience to know more about life and its characters. The use of the complexly-portrayed characters, the intense details in the story, and the stream of consciousness technique make all story to be very interesting and stimulating. The use of these great features proofs his ability to do a good job in his stories. There are provocative questions that dominate most parts of the story and these have stimulated many audiences to have a second thought on how characters such as Laura became idealistic revolutionary. The story has garnered a lot of constructive criticism and crucial praise which is very impressive to most audiences. The author has also used symbolism which is liked by many audiences. Flowering Judas has been considered the most liked and interesting anthologies due to its sophisticated symbolism which has maneuvered diverse generations of scholars. The author depicts the character of Laura as the protagonist and it is set against that of Braggioni who was the corrupt radical leader. The training that Laura underwent had faded away and it was meaningless at the moment. She felt disillusioned and incomplete hence she was not committed to revolutionary movements. She was not also dedicated to humanity even if she used to perform odd jobs that dictate the character of humanity. She used to bring cigarettes, food, and narcotics to political prisoners. Irony has been employed by the author to make the story to be more interesting to the audience. The fact that the author depicts Laura as someone who does not love Braggioni is quite interesting. She did not feel Braggioni shows her desperate complicated mind. It depicts how one disentangles psychological forces within oneself. Porter not only indicts Laura’s personality, but also indicts her world by evoking a sense of alienation, demoralization, and dreadfulness. I liked the author for his thematically and stylistically unified legendary qualities. The final scene of the story is quite interesting. The dream sequence and the fact that Laura pays a visit to Braggioni led to the tale’s thematic hub on denial, betrayal, and death. The use of stylistic devices such as flashbacks has made me liked his story. The fact that Flowering Judas’ story does not have any formal storyline has made many readers and audiences develop a lot of interest. What draws my attention to the story is the clarification that the author makes as he concludes his story. I like his job when he clarified certain moral and human ideas which emerge at the end of the story. The author reveals the way Laura viewed life in the nightmare. She sees life as very horrible. The symbolism employed by the author when Laura clung to the branch of Judas tree which was believed to have been used by Judas Iscariot to hang himself. Laura consumed the bleeding flowers which were regarded to symbolize the act of betraying her own spirit and spirit of humanity. References Porter, K. A. (1958). Flowering Judas.
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It is applied as a quarterly indicator of all business activities as it measures the business cycle. Business cycle includes four phases where the economic growth can be classified as either growing or declining. The four stages are the contraction, recession, expansion, and the peak (Pride, Hughes & Kapoor, 2010). The period in the slowdown of an economy is named the contraction; the recession is the period when the economy is at the bottom. In other words, it can be said to be the period between the expansion and contraction period. Expansion is the time when the economy is growing while the peak is the climax of the economy. The Federal Reserve uses the GDP to determine when the change in the interest rates is required (Pride, Hughes & Kapoor, 2010). For instance, when contraction starts the Federal Reserve lowers the interest rates to allow the expansion of the economy. When the expansion has gained momentum, the Federal Reserve increases the interest rate with the aimed of avoiding peak. If the peak is allowed the market is bound to receive shock and ultimately collapse. The government is made up of several bodies that are used to determine the national policies with the aim of stabilizing the economy. For instance, the Department of Treasury is endowed with the mandate of constructing and implementation of the fiscal policies ( Escobedo, 2009). The Office of the President of the USA is entitled to make decisions that deal directly on the fiscal policies. The Office of the Management and Budgetary is concerned with the role of developing and analyzing the fiscal policies. The auditing of the fiscal policies is carried by the Government Accountability Office. These bodies are concerned with interest rates, tax rates and government spending with the aim of controlling the performance of economy. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is entitled with the role of setting “sales taxes for goods and services taking place” ( Escobedo, 2009). It is also involved in taxing the USA citizens. The Federal Reserve is concerned with the regulation of money supply with the aim of controlling and keeping down inflation (Pride, Hughes & Kapoor, 2010 ) . These bodies all work towards the regulation and stabilization of economy. Fiscal policies are more concerned with tax and interest rates system of a country. The decisions made may affect the employment and production. According to the Keynesian school of thought, fiscal policy has effects on employment, output and the aggregate demand (Riley, 2006). Through the cut of taxes and increase in planned government spending, fiscal policy can be applied in stimulating the aggregate demand (Riley, 2006). When expansionary fiscal policy is applied, interest rates increase lowering the rate of investment. This reduces production because of reduced employment rate. Changes in Government spending may involve moderate or excessive spending. When the government spends excessively above the required spending the economic growth diminishes. When the spending that could have stimulated the economy is applied on other sectors like construction of transport infrastructure which has positive impact on economy, the diversion of funds affects the production negatively. According to Garfield (1995) government spending is bound to reduce the labor force participation thus increasing the rates of unemployment. Excessive spending by the government lowers the productivity growth through the hindrance of capital accumulation and innovation (Garfield, 1995). Increase in the taxes reduces the rate of investment thus creating unemployment and inflation. When the investment is low, then production is also low. Government can use taxes in terms of allowances in stimulating economy through research. This attracts both domestic and foreign investors increasing production and employment. Both government spending and taxes can used to stimulate economy through innovation, adoption of new technology, social infrastructure development among others. This in turn creates employment and increases production. Reference List Escobedo, P. (2009). What’s so important about our Gross Domestic Policy . Web. Garfield, R. (1995). Government Spending and Economic Growth . Web. Pride, W. M., Hughes, R. J., & Kapoor, J. R. (2010). Business . Mason, Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning. Riley, G. (2006). Fiscal Policy Effects . Web.
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“Although there is no complete list of adequacy criteria for moral judgments, moral judgments have certain requirements that should be followed”. Explain the three requirements for moral judgments. Taking account of every single element which the moral judgments are based on is practically impossible; indeed, if embracing the entire amount of these criteria, one must consider not only every possible factor that can impact a moral judgment, but also the system of moral judgments of every single individual. However, according to Luntley, it is possible to distill three key requirements which define moral judgment. As Luntley says, t6he first and the foremost is the ability to make sure that the truth is independent from judgment (Luntley 199). Indeed, in search for the objective evaluation of certain situation, one must make certain that the assessment is carried out without any subjective ideas intervening. The second premise for moral judgment, as Luntley explains, is the condition according to which moral judgments must have a systematic structure (Luntley 199). Taking a closer look at the given requirement, one can see distinctively that it demands following a certain established standard. As for the third one, Luntley claims that it is more complicated. Supposing that there is a “state of affairs that makes the judgment true” (Luntley 1999), the given state of affairs will be the justification for someone to pass the judgment in a corresponding situation. 2. “Before evaluating utilitarianism, one should understand some points that might lead to confusion and misapplication”. Explain and comments on three points only. A for the principles of utilitarianism, like any other theoretical set of concepts, they imply a number of specifics which are to be taken into consideration before the evaluation of the actual theory, since one can possibly come up with a wrong idea. The first and the foremost objection towards the utilitarianism rules to be mentioned is the fact that its principles are by far too demanding. To be more precise, the idea that happiness is evaluated not according to the demands of the person in question, but the demands of the majority (Sampford and Ransome) might seem unfair. As Sampford and Ransome put it, “in one way, it is morally over-demanding” (71). Thus, one can confuse utilitarianism for altruism. However, it must be mentioned that utilitarianism strives for the needs of the majority when these needs do not conflict with the ones of an individual (Sampford and Ransome). Another confusion that can possibly arise is the emphasis on happiness as the ultimate goal. On the one hand, happiness is the goal worth striving for; yet on the other hand, ultimate content presupposes that there is nothing else to strive for and that there is no more major goal to pursue. As Sampford and Ransome explain, “The problem here is that, because utilitarianism reduces all morality to the service of happiness, any other values that people hold dear are overwhelmed by the utilitarian view” (Sampford and Ransome 71) 3. Explain the differences between the two approaches: Utilitarian and Libertarian? Unlike Utilitarianism, which presupposes striving for common happiness (Sheng and Sheng 68), Libertarianism claims that no action should be prohibited as long as it does not affect common state of happiness (Miron 3). Thus, while Utilitarianism focuses on altruistic ideas, Libertarianism concerns personal freedom. Works Cited Luntley, Michael. R eason, Truth and the Self: Getting to Know the Truth about Postmodernism . New York, NY: Routledge, 1995. Print. Miron, Jeffery A. Libertarianism, from A to Z. New York City, NY: Basic Books, 2010. Print. Sampford, Charles and W. Ransome. Ethics and Socially Responsible Investment: A Philosophical Approach. Farnham, UK: Ashgate Publishing, 2010. Print. Sheng, Quinglai, and C. L. Sheng. A Defense of Utilitarianism . Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 2004. Print.
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The article analyzes the psychological effect of the general perception about health in instances where a person is diagnosed with cancer. After brief demography of the elderly population in the United States, the authors also discuss the elderly cancer patients (while comparing the occurrence of cancer in male and female elderly people). The authors believe that in spite of the fact that it is impossible to thwart the occurrence of breast cancer, there is a possibility of minimizing the mortality rate (due to breast cancer). Such an endeavor can be successful by following a systematic screening schedule so that it would be possible to detect breast cancer at an early stage. But, at the same time, it is quite possible that once a female is diagnosed with breast cancer, she might experience depressing psychological effects. The authors claim that the younger breast cancer patients have more negative psychological effects than the elderly patients. Such psychological effects persist even after the treatment has been stopped. As time passes, the patients get more worried because they think that the disease might recur, and they might have to face social and sexual obscurity. The younger patients are more susceptible to such problems than the elderly ones. The authors are of the opinion that the future psychological condition of cancer patients depends on the way they perceive the situation. It is the tendency of patients to have a pessimistic view about their disease and its impact on their lives. Such an interpretation alters the significance and implications of the disease and its effects. Even people who are not affected by breast cancer have the tendency to misjudge their probability of being affected by breast cancer. But one good thing in such cases is that such people tend to follow the cancer guidelines conscientiously. The authors, referring to survey results, claim that younger women have the tendency to overestimate their probability of being affected by breast cancer. The authors further suggest that people having anxiety and depression are prone to high levels of negative psychological conditions that may desist them from following standard health schedules. The comparison between the perceptions of young and elderly people about cancer and its implications is very informative. Considering the fact that diagnosis and treatment (wherever possible) of cancer has gained momentum during the past couple of years, most of the elderly people are not aware of any efforts being made by the health department to control and minimize the mortality rate (due to cancer). It is a human tendency to anticipate danger or risk involved in specific situations. So, it is obvious that women (especially the younger ones) have the tendency to perceive greater risks associated with cancer. A majority of elderly people do not have any specific ambition in life, but the younger generation is full of ambitions, and their overestimation of being prone to cancer results in their psychological imbalance. They feel that they will not be able to pursue their ambitions if they get affected by the deadly disease.
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Workplace and People With Disabilities Essay Bush, K. L., & Tassé, M. J. (2017). Employment and choice-making for adults with intellectual disability, autism, and Down syndrome. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 65 , 23-34. Web. The research primarily focuses on the contemporary status of employment factors in regards to people with intellectual disabilities or ID, which include three distinct groups, such as individuals with idiopathic intellectual disability, people with Down syndrome, and people with an autism spectrum disorder. The purpose of the study is to identify key employment differences among these three groups to find a common pattern or trend in regard the work availability. The methodology was mainly based on utilizing the 2011-2013 databases of National Core Indicator’s Adult Consumer Survey datasets to determine the most influential and differential variables. The authors primarily used and applied an ordinal logistic regression model to target the overall employment status among these groups. The findings suggest that: “adults with DS had the highest rates of paid community jobs, but adults with ID had the highest rates of choice-making” (Bush & Tassé, 2017, p. 23). In addition, there was a strong correlation between choice-making in the short-term and the overall severity level of the intellectual disability, and thus, it had the highest impact on the general employment status among all groups. The main strength of the study is the comparative approach in regards to the selection of three categories of IDs. The weakness of the research is the lack of long-term implications of these findings because short-term choice-making does not necessarily translate to the factors of job stability. In addition, the main accentuation is put on community jobs, which can be explained by a more prevalence of programs, which target people with Down syndrome compared to people with an autism spectrum disorder or idiopathic intellectual disability. Carvalho-Freitas, M. N. de, & Stathi, S. (2017). Reducing workplace bias toward people with disabilities with the use of imagined contact. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 47 (5), 256-266. Web. The study primarily focuses on the examination of the effectiveness of the methodological framework, which is called imagined intergroup contact. The purpose of the research is to make coherent and accurate observations in regards to the usefulness of the given method in improving the overall attitudes of people and organizations toward people with disabilities. The settings are based on organizational and corporate environments, where biases and stereotypical approximations are prevalent in regards to the target group, which is mostly comprised of people with blindness. The methodology revolves around conducting two experimental studies with an effort to identify the key alterations in two main factors, such as changes in support for people with disabilities’ rights through performance belief enhancement and expectations in relation to their work-based outcomes (Carvalho-Freitas & Stathi, 2017). The findings suggest that imagined intergroup contact can be considered as a powerful tool to effectively improve these two factors, where organizational settings for people with blindness and people with disabilities, in general, become less hostile and biased. The main strength of the study is the fact that it is comprised of two separate experiments, which yielded similar results. The weakness of the study is the fact that some businesses and organizations will not be able to fully adopt imagined intergroup contact measures since the strategy requires that the imagination-based measures will be put in place. However, there is a wide range of implications of the research, which can include policy-level alterations and human resources management shifts. For example, it is possible to integrate workplace training in conjunction with imagined intergroup contact as a key part of anti-discriminatory policies and company settings. In addition, the given methodology can be further morphed to match the needs for face-to-face interactions. References Bush, K. L., & Tassé, M. J. (2017). Employment and choice-making for adults with intellectual disability, autism, and down syndrome . Research in Developmental Disabilities, 65 , 23-34. Web. Carvalho-Freitas, M. N. de, & Stathi, S. (2017). Reducing workplace bias toward people with disabilities with the use of imagined contact . Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 47 (5), 256-266. Web.
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Usually, people try to hide these flaws from others. But sometimes the flaw is evident and hard to hide or avoid, sometimes the flaw puts pressure on the person’s mind and even becomes a disease. These kinds of flaws are torturous, they interfere with life and performance. Most people can’t even imagine that the weakness once can become the strength, which contributes to individuality and personal style. “The King’s Speech” movie is exactly about this kind of transformation, about surmounting difficulties, and becoming oneself. This movie tells us about pain, diffidence, feelings retention which causes the overall tenseness, and finally, about relief from these all. Main body The movie tells a story of a king, who was afraid of being a king most of everything else in his life. This is a story of George VI, who was one of the most significant Great Britain’s monarchs of the 20th century. Bertie, whose character in the movie is performed by Colin Firth, was an unlucky person, because he was born a prince, and because he lived in times of radio and newsreel. He terribly stuttered since childhood, he couldn’t even speak in front of other people: his throat cramped, the anxiety rose up and usually turned into a panic attack. Bertie couldn’t cope with it; he hated the whole world and himself. As a member of the royal family, George VI was to speak to people and to make speeches. When the king spoke, all the country was still and quiet listening to the radio and waiting for the words to reveal themselves from the unbearable throat seizures. The movie is about the attempt to overcome the disease and the healing. It starts when the prince’s wife (Helena Bonham Carter) finds for him a speech therapist (Geoffrey Rush). After some arrangements, they begin the work. In the first place, the therapist, Lionel Logue, asks the prince to read a passage from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”. He puts the headphones on Albert’s ears, in which Bach’s music plays loudly. Bertie reads the passage easily without hearing himself. Bach’s music howls down the condemning inner voice that usually interfered with the speech process, and the prince starts to read without stammering. The therapy includes various methods assisting in the healing progress. For instance, Albert yells out swearwords and speaks with a mouth full of small stones. Logue asks him to quit smoking. He also teaches the king to pronounce words by dividing them into groups. He helps him to get rid of the fear of public performances. Over the period of time, the therapist helps Albert to obtain confidence, and it becomes the beginning of a great friendship. Conclusion “The King’s Speech” represents successfully that stuttering can become a serious problem especially for such a significant person as the King of Great Britain. George VI suffered from great humiliation while delivering a speech in front of thousands of British people. The shame made him stressed and provoked negative thoughts. The movie depicts the victory of the human’s spirit over the disease, and it makes clear that even in the adulthood the stuttering is treatable. During this time, it can be healed by special therapy and hard work.
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Westpac Group’s Company Overview Report Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Background 3. Current Corporate Strategies 4. Business segments 5. Overview of Business Activities 6. Reference Introduction Westpac group is a financial institution located in Australia. The major goal for the company is to satisfy its 10 million customers by helping them achieve their financial goals. It encourages its valued customers to save and invest, ensuring that it meets the financial need of the multi-national corporate and government clients. It has retail and business banking which is responsible for sales, customer service, and marketing (The Westpac Group, n.d). Westpac operations are conducted through a network of 848 branches world wide and it is still aiming to open other branches. Background Westpac Company was established in 1817 in New South Wales under the governorship of Lachlan Macquarie. It latter changed its name to Westpac Banking Corporation in 1982 after the emergence of the Commercial Bank of Australia. After this emergence it expanded rapidly in the period 1980s. In 2000s Westpac became the principal sponsor of Sydney 2000 Olympic Games which was very successful. Westpac Banking Corporation began a strategic restructuring and was able to expand its wealth management. It acquired Rothschild Australia Asset Management, parts of BT financial Group and a 51% of Hastings Funds Management Limited. It got its registration as a public company on 23 August 2002, under the Australian corporations Act (2001). Currently Westpac Banking Corporation has numerous branches and affiliates in Australia and New Zealand. It has an estimated labor force of about 37000 people from Australia, New Zealand and other parts of the world (The Westpac Group, n.d). Current Corporate Strategies One of the priorities of Westpac Group is to foster corporate responsibility into its business model. Its vision is to be a great Australian company in terms of place of work, customer experience, shareholder returns, and corporate citizen. Currently the company is working on understanding the customers’ needs in order to ensure maximum satisfaction. It is also aimed at service delivery of what it has promised. Strong relationship either with the employees or the public is crucial in any business’s success (The Westpac Group, n.d). The Westpac Company is working to ensure that it builds strong relationships which will ease service delivery. Part of Westpac Company’s vision is to promote corporate governance. To attain this, the company as at 2008 introduced some strategies to help in attaining this vision. One such strategy is to provide access to information on the website which can be accessed all over the world. It has been able to do this but changes have to be done from time to time. Compliance with the New York stock Exchange listing rules is another strategy that it wants to adopt. To ensure a smooth learning the company has decided to establish and make clear roles and responsibilities of the Board and management team. Business segments The Westpac Company has different business segments some of which are: * Business Financial Services (BFS) * Customer Financial Services (CFS) * BT Financial Group Australia * Westpac institutional Bank * New Zealand Banking * Business Technology Solution Overview of Business Activities The major business activity at Westpac Company is provision of financial services. This financial services maybe in form of savings, bank development or bank trading such as lending, payments services, investment portfolio & management, insurance services, leasing, general finance, foreign exchange, money market services among others. This company offers some major products or services which include personal lending, business lending and deposits. Reference The Westpac Group. Company overview. 2010. Web.
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The Language of Justice to Excuse the Violence of Those in Power Essay The abuse of power is a prevalent phenomenon in diverse societies and systems of governance as evident by the practice of judges in the context of law and the ability of a president to pardon criminals. Judges operate within a legal structure, which constrains their roles in the administration of retributive justice and curtails their authority regarding tasks such as pardoning of offenders or discarding the execution of penalties despite the fact that they are the guardians of the law. On the other hand, the constitution bestows excellent power to the executive, as a branch of the legislature, in critical matters of perceived justice and justifiable violence. The functions of the judicial department conflict with the powers of the executive because of the executive’s tendency to override retributive justice and sustain the governmental decree of justice (Bull 2012, p.173). The existence of the judicial department as an element of the state has created a loophole that allows entities within the government that violate laws and avoid the recommended penalties. For example, although law enforcement agencies have been on the limelight on numerous occasions due to acts of violence against civilians, juries often absolve the agencies of any wrongdoing. The most common justification for the use of violence by the police against citizens concerns the discretion to use force in situations whereby the police perceive violent intervention as crucial to the undertaking of their duties. The willingness of juries to condone violence highlights ideologies and structures of the power of the state that seek accountability of civilians but absolves elements of the government from any responsibility. The state exists as a monopoly and legitimizes violence within its various elements and branches because the power of the country entails controlling various means of violence. State agents can use violence without much condemnation by the judiciary with state officers acting as an extension of the expression of the state power and violence. Considering that government officers act in the capacity of the state, they can advance their personal interests and gains by disregarding the law and promoting violence in the pretext of doing their job and acting in the line of duty. The constitution defines legal exceptions for the state in matters such as protecting the sovereignty through just war or internal wars, which allow political leaders and influential individuals to undertake unpopular actions and defy international law. For example, the invasion of Iraq by the United States defied the UN Security Council resolutions and led to widespread abuse of human rights and a significantly high number of civilian casualties (Burke 2007, p.10). When viewed in the realm of strategies for national security, a Congressional vote for the invasion of Iraq possessed a legal legitimacy despite the fact that all the powers of the government should exist within the context of the law. Legal structures, which grant executive powers and exceptions, promote violence against civilians by influential individuals who enjoy exemptions as provide by the constitution. All actions by the state or an individual should be subject to their consequences and cause of harm to other parties because the state does not exist in a vacuum but is a collection of individuals bestowed with power in various capacities. The executive power allows the state to act as the complainant, prosecutor and judge so that influential individuals acting in the capacity of the country can promote impunity, violence and injustice without having to worry about being accountable for their actions. The influence of the state over legal interpretations coerces courts to act in favour of the country and is a central aspect in the foundation and thriving of states on violence. The alignment of legal interpretations in favour of state violence provides room for the application of authoritarian violence and the sustenance of hermeneutic jurisdiction (Koskenniemi 1990, p.17). The acceptance of violence by those in power emanates from the fact that judges will support violence by the state and encourage the subjection of civilians to state violence. The power of the state allows the prevalence of selective justice and submissiveness of civilians to avoid the consequences of conflicting with state interests. Individuals within the judicial department promote violence through their assertion of laws and destructions of others using the court’s authority, which gives superiority to judges’ interpretation of the constitution (Selassie 1936, p.1). The acceptance of a judge’s interpretation, even when wrong, allows collaboration between the executive and the judiciary in absolving the wrongdoings of those in power. Resistance by civilians against inappropriate legal interpretations is likely to encounter violent of administration, which is beyond the reproach of the court law. An analysis of state violence illustrates that the authority of judges cannot circumscribe the undertakings of the wielders of state violence because the constitutional structure seeks to limit the intrinsic power of the judicial department. The need by influential individuals to retain authority overrides the importance of protecting the constitutional rights of victims of violence and introduces aspects of deference of justice by the state or administrators so that the influential people do not take responsibility. Reference List Bull, H 2012, The Anarchical Society: a Study of Order in World Politics, Palgrave Macmillan: Basingstoke. Burke, A 2007, Beyond security, ethics and violence war against the other , Routledge: London. Koskenniemi, M 1990, ‘The Politics of International Law’, European Journal of International Law , vol. 1 , no. 1, pp 4-32. Selassie, H 1936, Haile Selassie, Appeal to the League of Nations, June 1936. Mount Holyoke . Web.
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Alexie’s “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” Essay The topic of banned and challenged books is rarely discussed due to the controversy and the range of opinions that some people have on the issue. While some suggest that banning books is the same as prohibiting free speech, others think that some books have too much graphic content and storylines that should not be available to the general public. However, a challenging piece of literature has a sense of allure and interest because of its taboo topics, making it more appealing to some people. The purpose of this paper is to discuss Sherman Alexie’s book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian to determine whether it should be banned due to the topics that are being explored by the author. The Absolutely True Diary is written from the first-person perspective of a fourteen-year-old teenager, Arnold Spirit Jr., or also called Junior. The boy is very talented at drawing, which makes him a promising cartoonist in the future. The plot revolves around his life at the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington State as well as the boy’s decision to transfer to a school for white Americans that is outside the reservation. The book includes both written pieces of Junior’s accounts as well as cartoon drawings that support his story. The importance of the cartoons in the book is attributed to making Junior closer to the reader as well as using illustrations as a tool to facilitate the depiction of both serious and comedic situations. The episodic diary lifestyle of the book adds also makes the narrative more engaging, as it is widespread for teenagers to have diaries. This book has been the subject of multiple debates, since teachers included it in the school curriculum, while parents objected to it. The Absolutely True Diary ranked in the “Top 10 Most Challenged Books Lists” in 2010-2014, and 2018 due to “or sexual references, profanity, violence, gambling, and underage drinking, and for its religious viewpoint “(“Top 10”). For example, in 2010, the Idaho School Council banned the novel as it contains profanity, a scene from masturbation, and anti-Christian sayings (Flood). This case is just one of them, and the book is often criticized and restricted because of its conflicting content. Nevertheless, despite the truthful comments of people about abusive language, sexual references, and religious statements, the novel by Alexie cannot be prohibited. The primary purpose of the literature is to pay attention to critical problems, educate people and, often, entertain. Alexie’s novel is an example of such writing, and it is most suitable for young people since the author conveys the feelings and experiences of adolescents and gives lessons that they need to learn at a young age. I think that the frankness of the author is the feature that most attracts young adults and forces them to believe and understand the experiences of the protagonist. For example, a passage about masturbation is not vulgar as the narrator’s tone shows that the process is natural for a teenager, and Arnold’s interest in straight lines adds comic and lightness to the situation. (Alexie 21). Moreover, sexual arousal and masturbation are normal in adolescence; however, many teenagers feel guilty and awkward about their bodies because of prevailing stereotypes (Klass). Consequently, this passage, on the contrary, is calming for some children as they recognize themselves in the narrator. Another point for which the book was banned in Idaho is its anti-Christian elements. Indeed, the book has a cartoon in which the story from the Bible is comically depicted, and there are also elements of violence (Alexie 140). However, all the author’s statements are not offensive, but only reflect the real situations and problems of society. Arnold is often beaten because he is different from other children, which demonstrates the urgent problem of bullying in schools. In addition, the death of several close people, as well as the alcoholism of his father, aroused anger and despair in Arnold, and his pictures help him to cope with grief. He says, “I was mad at God; I was mad at Jesus. They were mocking me, so I mocked them: I believe I could found more cartoons that would help me” (Alexie 140). Thus, a person who has learned the whole story cannot blame the author for displaying the truth. Moreover, people who prohibit the book do not see the importance of those issues that the author raises. Alcoholism has only a negative reflection in history, and the example of Arnold, or rather his family, demonstrates his terrible influence. Arnold’s grandmother, sister, and father’s friend die because of alcohol, and the abuse of his father and his best friend’s father bring unhappiness to their families. The book also teaches a valuable lesson as Arnold shows that, despite poverty and numerous problems, there is always a way out, since his perseverance helped him change his life. In conclusion, The Absolutely True Diary is a book that cannot be banned due to its socially meaningful content and style close to young people. Despite some controversial points and passages, the book does not carry negativity or propaganda of an immoral lifestyle. On the contrary, the author, through irony and truthful facts, shows the important problems of the modern world and the point of view of a teenager who tries to survive in it. Works Cited Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian . Little, Brown and Company, 2007. Web. Flood, Alison. “Sherman Alexie Young-Adult Book Banned in Idaho Schools.” The Guardian , 2014. Web. Klass, Perri. “Why Is Children’s Masturbation Such a Secret?” The New York Times , 2018. Web. “Top 10 Most Challenged Books Lists.”(2020). Banned & Challenged Books | Website of The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom. Web.
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Karl Polanyi and Friedrich Hayek’s Economic Ideas Essay It is imperative to mention that the argument between Hayek and Polanyi is a fascinating topic that has led to numerous discussions. Moreover, the fact that the views of these economists were dramatically different should not be overlooked, and it is possible to see that their influence on many other authors is quite significant. It is necessary to understand that both sides of the argument had a different perception of the role of the government. Hayek thought that such interference is not needed and leads to processes that are not natural. On the other hand, Polanyi states that the state may be viewed as a force that would help to defend the population from issues related to the market (Migone 2011). Another core aspect that should not be overlooked is that both authors were influenced by different aspects. Polanyi regarded Vienna in the 1920s as a cultural achievement and Hayek preferred liberalism (Polanyi-Levitt 2012). Polanyi believed that the influence of markets on the economy has been limited, but the situation has changed because of the Industrial Revolution. Also, he has stated that severe consequences may be introduced if the market is not controlled. The problem is that this approach has been criticized because many economists believe that the role of cultural factors is not significant. Furthermore, the author states that the market economy has been created artificially because of numerous internal and external factors. Also, it is paramount to mention that the way he has criticized the liberal economy is also fascinating, and he suggested that society may not be separated from the economy. The most significant difference that should not be disregarded is that Polanyi thought that populations should be capable of protecting themselves from the influence of markets in many spheres with the use of an approach titled double movement. However, it is necessary to understand that Polanyi has noted that the realization of this project is not possible because a relationship between economies and societies is always established. The concept of spontaneous order is especially interesting because the economist suggested that it may be created as a result of activities performed by a group of individuals and is not established because of the influence of the government. Moreover, one of the most significant aspects that should not be overlooked is that both scientists have used this term in their works. Also, it is important to note that several similarities between the works of these economists can be noted. Hayek has devoted enormous attention to a socialist economy and thought that it may be incredibly beneficial. On the other hand, Polanyi suggested that this approach would not be possible from the perspective of economics, and it could lead to severe consequences in most cases. Another aspect that is worth mentioning is that Hayek has supported the ideas of Mises and believed that socialist planners may have to deal with numerous issues such as tacit knowledge. Moreover, it is evident that both scientists have reached a consensus on this topic. Hayek stated that the efficiency of the unplanned economy is significant because it develops at a rapid speed, and it is not possible to predict some of the aspects with the use of planning (Bladel 2005). The issue that should not be disregarded is that Hayek was not able to identify that market capitalism could lead to severe consequences in some cases and has focused primarily on instrumental value (Birsen 2012). Moreover, Hayek thought that the focus on coercion is vital, and it should be regarded as one of the factors that influence the market. He suggested that the intervention is problematic because it may affect the freedom most of the time. Another unique idea that has been voiced by the economist is that any conformity according to ethics and moral values hurt the decision-making process of an individual. Furthermore, it is paramount to mention that he thought that rulers were able to utilize this concept to manipulate the masses most of the time. Also, it is imperative to note that such ideas were frequently criticized and have led to numerous disagreements. The role of ethical aspects also needs to be mentioned, and it is suggested that the abstract view of liberty can be incredibly problematic because it is not possible to determine issues and complications that may occur (Kekes 2000). Also, it is important to understand that both authors have noted particular issues that may occur, and believed that their position is the most reasonable. In conclusion, it is evident that the difference in the ideas suggested by these two economists is quite significant but numerous similarities are also present. Moreover, it is important to understand that their influence on the modern economy is enormous, and their works may be viewed as masterpieces. Some of the concepts that were introduced are vital and should be studied to get a better understanding of issues related to markets. Overall, it is imperative to note that such theories can be viewed from different perspectives, and both approaches have particular strengths and weaknesses. Reference List Birsen, F 2012, ‘Polanyi and Hayek on freedom, the state, and economics’, International Journal of Political Economy , vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 69-87. Web. Bladel, J 2005, ‘Against Polanyi-centrism: Hayek and the re-emergence of ‘spontaneous order’, The Quarterly Journal of Austrian Economics , vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 15-30. Web. Kekes, J 2000, ‘Beyond liberalism: The political thought of F. A. Hayek and Michael Polanyi’, Ethics , vol. 110, no. 2, pp. 451. Web. Migone, 2011, ‘Embedded markets: A dialogue between F.A. Hayek and Karl Polanyi’, The Review of Austrian Economics , vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 355-381. Web. Polanyi-Levitt, K 2012, ‘The power of ideas: Keynes, Hayek, and Polanyi’, International Journal of Political Economy , vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 5-15. Web.
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It is considered the best local hospital and is nationally ranked in 25 specialties, including ten children ones (“Johns Hopkins Hospital,” 2019). The institution is in the third position in the list of U.S. News Best Hospitals Honor Roll. In comparison, the University of Maryland Medical Center is ranked in five specialties; it is the second regionally ranked hospital after Johns Hopkins one (“Johns Hopkins Hospital,” 2019). Johns Hopkins Hospital underwent several certification programs, including the Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center and Advanced Total Hip and Knee Replacement. The University of Maryland Medical Center, on the contrary, is only certified by the Primary Stroke Center (Joint Commission, 2018). The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (n.d.) show that, in terms of patient safety, Johns Hopkins Hospital shows better performance compared to other medical facility. Individuals’ reports indicate that in this institution, they were more likely to receive timely care and recommendations compared to the University of Maryland Medical Center. One of the patient safety goals is to improve the safety of using medications (Joint Commission, 2019). To enhance the department’s performance in this field, it is vital to use approved protocols to maintain therapy and ensure that medical professionals understand the significance of it. One of the measures that can be taken to enhance patient safety is to implement educational programs aimed to discuss the aspects of protocols and patient data that should be assessed to make decisions regarding medications. Nurses and clinicians must know what actions they should take while managing therapy. It is necessary to address drug-related medical errors and discuss the possible reasons for them as well. This measure can improve the level of patient safety significantly. References Johns Hopkins Hospital. (2019). Web. Joint Commission. (2018). Quality report. Web. Joint Commission. (2019). National patient safety goals effective January 2019 . Web. U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Compare hospitals. Web.
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Learning Organizational Culture and Competitiveness Essay (Critical Writing) The article by Irena Katane called “Evaluation of Support and Promotion System Model for Development of Staff Competitiveness in Modern Enterprise as Learning Organization” focuses on a concept of learning organization as one promoting internal competitiveness and performance improvement. The author outlines 3 main spheres where a specialist could develop their competitiveness. They include activity sphere, interaction with the environment and personality and self-development sphere (Katane, 2014). The author views an enterprise as a learning organization that has multiple layers such as self-management, educational environment, promotion and professional support. The study finds that organizational learning is composed of all the employees as individuals, requires career counseling and mentoring to facilitate a knowledge society (Katane, 2014). In my opinion, the article fully reflects the components needed to create organizational learning except for knowledge acquisition. I believe that the inflow of knowledge has to come from both inside and outside of an organization, which is not reflected in the article. The article by Cox and Blake called “Managing cultural diversity: implications for organizational competitiveness” views diverse workforce demographics as a competitive advantage. The authors find that failure to manage diverse workforce results in unnecessary costs, which means that developing a flexible diverse organizational culture will reduce income losses and improve resource acquisition (Cox & Blake, 1991). Besides, the authors argue that diverse workplace will facilitate innovation and creativity. In my opinion, the article points out the positive aspects of a diverse organizational culture, and learning is one of them, but it fails to mention that diverse professional environment requires special teaching and counseling approach in order to provide collaboration between all the diverse members. Reference List Cox, T. H., & Blake, S. (1991). Managing cultural diversity: implications for organizational competitiveness. The Executive, 5 (3), 45-56. Katane, I. (2014). Evaluation of Support and Promotion System Model for Development of Staff Competitiveness in Modern Enterprise as Learning Organization. Engineering for Rural development, 13 , 529-534.
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To make the purchase, the government appealed to the Reagan administration; however, AIPAC has taken active steps to ensure that the transaction was not feasible. Due to the initial refusal, the prince of Saudi Arabia flew to London to meet with Margaret Thatcher. It should be noted that, in this country, there was no need to obtain the appropriate approval from the parliament according to the terms of MO (DESO), which, in its turn, made the arms deal implementable. Details BAE Systems was the largest arms manufacturer in the European countries and the leader in the UK. The Prince of Saudi Arabia and Margaret Thatcher made a deal concerning the purchase of 48 “Tornados” and 30 “Hawks” by Saudi Arabia (Aitken 25). The contract gained the name Al-Yamamah according to which the UK started delivering “Tornados” from the Air Force Reserve already by the end of the first month of cooperation. Gradually, the number of deliveries increased significantly and included additional weapons and maintenance. All the contracts concluded under this agreement totaled about 40 billion US dollars. The principle of the deal was based on the barter exchange. Despite the fact that the supply was paid off officially, part of the money was paid in bribes (including 2 billion received by Prince Bandar, bill payment to the Chilean dictator, and a bribe to the husband of the Dutch queen). The essence of the barter was the daily deliveries of the tanker of oil from Saudi Arabia in exchange for UK fighters (Martin 219). It is essential to note that in spite of the date of signing the contract, the official delivery was recorded in 1989. Many researchers emphasize that most of the oil was sold on the spot market. In particular, the deals were delivered through banks such as British Petroleum and Royal Dutch Shell and the oil was sold at market prices. Given these conditions, the experts evaluated all oil supplies in the amount of 160 billion USD. The total amount of payment for the fighters supplied by BAE Systems was about 80 billion including the bribes (Petersen 31). Thus, the core of the scandal lies in the fact that the documents provided by the Ministry of Defence did not commensurate with the real value of the fighters. A question that remains uncovered is how did the UK spend the money collected on the payment difference. That is to say, Al-Yamamah was not only a political contract (the struggle with communism by Saudi Arabia) but also the financial one (Holbrook 101). Interestingly, in addition to the illegal finance, the arms deal revealed the imperfections and loopholes in the legislation. To be more precise, the illegal financial activities were under the protection of the UK Law on non-disclosure of the state secret including offshore companies under the protection of the United Kingdom (Garrett 218). Legislation It is essential to note that the activities of the two countries included arms shipments through front companies and corrupted politicians. This agreement was examined on bribing and possible violations of laws such as the Law on the fight against corruption in foreign trade activities (Colaresi 99). Moreover, due to the fact that the revealed bribes amounting several billion dollars were transferred to Prince Bandar through the American bank accounts, this case also fell within the scope of the jurisdiction of the US government. Thus, the acts including the law on bribery and corruption (for instance, Prevention of Corruption Act 1906 and OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions) are applicable in this arms deal. Works Cited Aitken, Jonathan. Margaret Thatcher . A&C Black, 2013. Colaresi, Michael. Democracy Declassified . Oxford University Press, 2014. Garrett, Brandon. Too Big to Jail . Harvard University Press, 2014. Holbrook, Donald. The Al-Qaeda Doctrine . Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2014. Martin, Stephen . The Economics of Offsets . Routledge, 2014. Petersen, Tore. Anglo-American Policy Toward the Persian Gulf, 1978–1985. Sussex Academic Press, 2015.
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Last Mile for E-Commerce Essay (Article) The phenomenon of the last mile is traditionally referred to as the IT sphere and is supposed to denote the distance between the user and the IT company. In the realm of e-commerce, however, the term acquires a new meaning, shaking the old one-off. According to the official definition provided by Minguela-Rata and Leeuw, the so-called “last mile” is “the last link in the supply chain to the consumer” (Minguela-Rata & Leeuw 2013, p. 104). At first, the link between the concept of the last mile and the phenomenon of e-commerce may seem rather vague. A closer look at the two concepts, however, will reveal that the last mile often conceals a variety of options for attracting more customers and turning the existing ones into more loyal and regular clients, as long as the number of online channels remains large (Lee & Whang 2001, p. 5). It would be wrong to claim that the concept of the last mile is a recent invention. Quite on the contrary, the phenomenon has been known since the late 90s, when it was first coined. In her 1999 article, Semilof (1999) specifies that in urban areas, competitive IT local exchange carriers (CLEcs) started to provide services to large companies and SMEs, whereas only several years later, natural persons could gain access to the World Wide Web (Semilof 1999, p. 5.). Much to the credit of modern companies, one must admit that impressive efforts have been made to bridge the gap between the end customer and the service providers (Lee & Whang 2001, p. 5). Nevertheless, the issue concerning the inefficient use of the last mile persists; more to the point, the growth in the number of customers triggers major logistics-related issues for a range of services (Esper, Jense, Turnipseed & Burton 2003, p. 177). Therefore, the key challenge for the present-day SMEs is not to be able to establish immediate contact with the customer with the help of modern technology (Ehmke & Mattfeld 2012, p. 624), but to carry out the operations related to logistics and, particularly, transportation, so that the customer could appreciate the speed and quality of the services (Kull, Boyer & Calantone 2007, p. 410). While information technologies do not help address the issue directly (Aized & Srai 2014, p. 1055), they open a plethora of opportunities for companies to cross the “last mile” and be able to reach the client or the target audience (Agatz, Fleischmann & van Nunen 2008, p. 332). Consequently, the concept of the last mile for e-commerce can be viewed as the collection of methods for promoting the company’s products to the customer, as well as the methods of improving the relationships with the latter. Going the “last mile,” therefore, will presuppose not only the restructuring of the use of media but also the reconsideration of principles for basing the relationships with customers on for a range of modern companies. In many cases, the reestablishment of corporate ethics may be required. Apart from impressive help, new media poses a range of challenges to companies and their leaders (Morganti & Fortin 2014, p. 1). Finding ways to overcome new barriers and use new chances is the most efficient solution. By making the “last mile” stronger, companies will be able to retrieve feedback from the target audience and increase the quality of their products. Reference List Agatz, N A H, Fleischmann, M, & van Nunen, J A E E 2008, ‘E-fulfillment and multi-channel distribution – A review,’ European Journal of Operational Research , vol. 187, no. 2, pp. 339-356. Aized, T & Srai, J S 2014, ‘Hierarchical modelling of Last Mile logistic distribution system,’ The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology , no. 70, pp. 1053-1063. Ehmke, J F & Mattfeld, D C 2012, ‘Vehicle routing for attended home delivery in city logistics,’ Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences , vol. 39, pp. 622-632. Esper, T, Jense, T, Turnipseed, F L & Burton, S 2003, ‘The last mile: an examination of effects of online retail delivery strategies on consumers,’ Journal of Business Logistics , vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 177–203. Kull, T J, Boyer, K & Calantone, R 2007, ‘Last-mile supply chain efficiency: an analysis of learning curves in online ordering,’ International Journal of Operations &Production Management , vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 409-434. Lee, H L & Whang, S 2001, ‘Winning the last mile of e-commerce,’ MIT Sloan Management Review , vol. 42, no. 4, p. 54. Minguela-Rata, B & Leeuw, S 2013 ‘Managing the last mile of the supply chain for spare parts,’ Universia Business Review , no. 39, pp. 104–117. Morganti, E & Fortin, F 2014, ‘Final deliveries for online shopping: The deployment of pickup point networks in urban and suburban areas,’ Research in Transportation Business & Management , vol. 1, no. 2014, pp. 1–9. Semilof, M 1999, ‘E-commerce faces last mile,’ Computer Reseller News , no. 874, pp. 5-6.
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Developing a Child’s Potential Essay Infancy represents a unique period when learning skills are developed in children. Programs for gifted children would help you and your child to grow and arouse skills and learning potential. Presenting problems in gifted children take various forms, ranging from the desire for baseline assessments to concerns regarding deterioration in academic performance to assessments for the purpose of satisfying criteria for gifted program placement. Whatever the reason for referral, a thorough understanding of the referral question or current complaint is vital for steering the direction of the neuropsychological assessment, recommendations, potential treatment, and follow-up. Gifted children are also most often identified during the preschool years because they go beyond developmental expectations. In infancy, precocious development of language or reading skills is an important marker in the identification of gifted children (Davies, 32). Although gifted children have been thought to be at risk for adjustment problems, some work indicates that this is not necessarily the case. Parents should know that young gifted children often have higher self-esteem and more energy, enthusiasm, and curiosity than average children. Programs for gifted infants will help to assess the potential of a child and the main areas of interest. Educators, psychologists and psychiatrists show a general consensus that programs for the gifted should be an integral part of the development in infancy, although a trend away from enrichment in the regular classroom as the primary way of meeting the needs of gifted students is evident. Instead, acceleration, mentoring, self-directed and independent study, individual education plans for infants, special programs for gifted, Saturday and summer programs, and community-based programs have become important today. In addition, an enormous amount of instructional material is created for use with gifted students (Culbertson and Willis 87). More recently, there also has been an interest in the role of mentors, role models, and heroes in the education of gifted high school students. In contrast to these earlier developments, there is now a growing movement to disband such programs, and instead of calling for more of the existing programs. Infancy is a unique period of development when parents should not waste time and wait for further school education. During infancy, the major developmental task and responsibility is personal identity formation; this is the period that has received the greatest attention in the literature. derivative conceptualization of identity development provided a major impetus for work by establishing a core that has sustained unique skills in a child. Gifts and skills development can be viewed as progressing along two different dimensions: commitment and crisis. Learning and educational concerns are reflected most acutely in early school and adolescent stages. It is during infancy age that the child is faced with developing a sense of uniqueness and the capacity to derive satisfaction from learning (Achter et al 10). Special programs for gifted children will help to assess a potential for further academic achievement, intelligence, language facility, cognitive processing, and adaptive behavior. The special tests for gifted infants are not limited to individually administered tests but are used to qualify students for education placement. Dear parents, you should not waste time and give your child a chance to develop his personality and help him/her to become a gifted and unique individual in further life. Special programs and professional teachers will help you to assess and evaluate potential of a child and develop state-of-the-art programs for every small student. Works Cited Achter, J.A., Benbow, C., & Lubinski, D. Rethinking multipotentiality among the intellectually gifted: A critical review and recommendations. Gifted Child Quarterly, 41 (1997), 5–15. Culbertson, J.L., & Willis, D.J. (Eds.). Testing young children. Austin, TX: ProEd, 2003 Davies, D. Child development: A practitioner’s guide. New York: Guilford Press, 1999.
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GARCH Models of Exchange Rate Volatility Report Exchange rate volatility is an important aspect of risk management. Volatility in the exchange rate environment can be accessed using a number of models. Each exchange volatility model takes into account a specific set of variables. Some of the most common methods of accessing volatility include the GARCH and the ARCH models. In an article by Rapach and Straus, the authors explore and test the GARCH(1,1) model of accessing exchange rate volatility (Rapach & Strauss 2008). The authors use the exchange rate of the dollar in the period beginning from 1980 to 2005. Nevertheless, some volatility models provide better results than others. This paper utilizes the theory and research from Rapach and Straus’ article to argue that among the GARCH models, GARCH(1,1) model provides the best forecast results. Most economists are under the impression that a stable GARCH process addresses the instability of the exchange rate process by setting the variance levels at a constant level. Consequently, the variants that have low levels of accuracy have never been cataloged comprehensively and this explains why all the GARCH models have coexisted. Each variance of the GARCH model targets specific characteristics that are deemed to be most relevant to exchange rate volatility. Initially, the data sets used in Rapach and Straus’ article indicated that there might be a better model than the GARCH(1,1) however the results of both in-sample and out-of-sample tests indicated that the model performs optimally. Other models such as the IGARCH(1,1) indicate weaknesses in other pertinent outliers such as the ‘mean absolute deviation criterion’. Financial markets are subject to internal and external factors that bring upsets to exchange rate mechanisms. These shocks can have detrimental effects on the unconditional variances that dominate the exchange rate markets. The structural breaks in the process of modulating volatility assessment model have been addressed by several aspects of the GARCH models. In this category, most models exhibit constant variants through their shape parameters. For example, most of the earliest models of exchange volatility worked under the assumption that the assumed density function was standard. However, the GARCH(1,1) model corrects this anomaly by doing away with restrictive assumptions and using an estimated time variance density for the consistent residuals via a series of semi-nonparametric methods (Rapach and Strauss 2008). The article by Rapach and Straus suggests two methods of addressing the issue of structural breaks within the GARCH model. Their first method includes the investigation of the ‘out-of-sample’ volatility forecasting exercises to ensure that mistaken assumptions are not included in the process. For instance, the GARCH model uses an expanding or a fixed data window when accounting for the structural breaks that occur in the course of assessing exchange rate volatility. The structural breaks that feature within the GARCH (1,1) model of measuring volatility in the exchange rate market are structured around the consideration that ‘both in-sample and out-of-sample tests’ are dependent processes (Rapach & Strauss 2008). The variants that feature in the GARCH model can be compared with the Iterated Cumulative Sum of Squares (ICSS) but both methods are subject to unconditional variance in exchange rate. Nevertheless, the GARCH(1,1) model provides a unique mode of accounting for the conditional variance. For instance, the GARCH(1,1) model can produce a method of auto correcting exchange rate financial (Rapach & Strauss 2008). The superiority of the GARCH(1,1) model is also underlined by the fact that it utilizes a ‘rolling window model’ in its estimation parameters. Reference Rapach, D. E., & Strauss, J 2008, “Structural breaks and GARCH models of exchange rate volatility”, Journal of Applied Econometrics , vol. 23, no.1, pp 65-90.
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Biology and Behavior in the Teaching Process Essay General Overview Information to be taught The main set of information to be taught on the issue of the brain and neural and hormonal systems includes the principles of the work of the brain and endocrine system as well as the neural system. The connection between the structure and functions of different parts of the human brain should be taught due to its direct relation to human behavior which is the main focus of this course. Besides, it is necessary to offer links and facts important to shape the overall concept of this issue. Information to be omitted What should be omitted while presenting the information on biology and human behavior is the conclusion. In other words, the professor should introduce facts and ideas on this issue but should not explain how this or that concept influences human behavior in detail. It is possible to provoke in-class discussion by suggesting certain ways in which the biology of the human brain, neural, and hormonal systems can influence psychological behavior. Organization of the Teaching Process The sequence of presentation The sequence of the presentation can coincide with the one offered by Myers (2007) who analyzes the biological aspects of psychological behavior about neural and hormonal systems as integral parts of the system called human organism that also inevitably impact the behavior in this or that way. Moreover, it is possible to use an encyclopedia-approach such as one applied in the study by Christensen, Martin, and Smyth (2004) or by Craighead and Nemeroff (2004). Way of teaching The approach mentioned above fits lectures as well as a class discussion because students can search for relevant information and come to the class having some ideas on those issues in mind. However, a class discussion can be more effective because a professor can guide students in terms of the right way to be followed. Though it is possible to learn different facts and theories from library and web sources, it is preferable to share information to understand the relations better. Special materials The materials mentioned above are appropriate for teaching whereas it is also possible to use websites and guides relevant to this topic. However, it is necessary to use only reputable sources such as evidence-based researches and peer-reviewed articles. In other words, it is necessary to organize the process of teaching so that all topics were acquired in a proper sequence about previous and coming ones. Web lectures are appropriate if a professor only presents information and does not provoke discussion. Importance of the Material Connection to everyday life It is necessary to show students the importance of this information and its relation to everyday life. Biology should be discussed as the primary concept whereas psychology should be analyzed about biological functions, processes, and abnormalities that may influence the psychology of human behavior. So, the everyday lives of students should be related to topics discussed in class through vivid examples such as ‘hormonal responses to emotional stress’ discussed by Craighead and Nemeroff (2004, p. 405). Science of psychology As psychological behavior is influenced greatly by the physiology of the human organism, it is necessary to know relations and possible interactions and mutual influence of systems about potential problems that may occur. This content should be discussed about the entire organism and the scope of processes that take place in its maintenance. Reference List Christensen, A. J., Martin, R., and Smyth, J. M. (2004). Encyclopedia of health psychology . New York: Springer. Craighead, W. E., and Nemeroff, C. B. (2004). The concise Corsini encyclopedia of psychology and behavioral science (3 rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons. Myers, D. G. (2007). Exploring psychology, seventh edition, in modules . New York: Worth Publishers.
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Transcription of interviews as a major challenge in the research process Essay Introduction Ross (2010) defines transcription as the conversion of speech into text. This process is common while analyzing qualitative data and therefore, the nature and the intensity of the process can pose a challenge on data analysis and consequently the research findings. This write up will highlight data transcription as a qualitative data analysis challenge through critically analyzing three articles that have dwelt on this subject and, propose possible research approaches that can be used to conduct similar studies. Ross argument on transcription of interviews Ross (2010) in his article titled “Was that Infinity or Affinity? Applying Insights from Transcription Studies to Qualitative Research Transcription” outlines that over the years many researchers have overlooked the transcription of interviews as a major challenge in the research process. Ross (2010) argues that the findings of a qualitative research that employs interviews as a mode of data collection, is subject to criticism because of the direct influence of the researcher. This is because the researcher plays a critical role while capturing the themes and as a result, misinterpretation of the interviewee insights might occur thus, compromising on the internal validity of the research. To illustrate the problem, Ross (2010) has highlighted the importance of the transcription process in data analysis by providing a comprehensive background on research transcription and translation techniques. He has also mentioned authors who have failed to identify transcription as a major qualitative research challenge. Further, Ross (2010) has used several theories of transcription such as equivalence, Foreignisation and domestication. In addition, Ross (2010) has analysed several interviews with particular emphasis on the different aspects of a conversation in order to emulate the importance of transcription. The use of various examples of verbatim transcriptions and a narration on the practicality of an effective transcription process makes Ross work convincing. Research work highlighting transcription of interviews Rapley’s argument on considerations on analysing interviews With reference to the topic understudy, Rapley John conducted a research that was aimed at highlighting major issues with regards to analysis of interviews. His research work tiled “The art (fullness) of open-ended interviewing: some considerations on analysing interviews, Rapley (2001) used extracts from interviews to indicate that the end product of the interview process is dependant on the constructive relations between the interviewee and the interviewer and their understanding of the topic. Further, Rapley (2001) has emphasised on the role of transcription and its significance in ensuring that the findings of the analysis are consistent with the context and circumstances under which a particular interview was generated. Rapley (2001) findings indicate that conversation analysis is an important aspect of the transcription process and as such, for a researcher to arrive at an appropriate transcription process it is important to familiarize themselves with the process through which the interview was conducted and the circumstances surrounding the product of the interview. Further, Rapley’s (2001) findings acknowledge that, to adequately transcribe interviews, the interview process should be viewed as an interaction between the interviewer and the interviewee. He further emphasizes that there is a dire need to understand the goals or the objectives of the interviewer. The strength of this research is based on Rapley’s tendency to use real interviews in order to explain his point with reference to transcription thus, improving on the validly of the research. The use of other research findings in comparison with his work is a clear indication of a thoroughly researched work and thus a positive pointer to his research. The major limiting factors in this research are the use of secondary data and the lack of an explanation as to the criteria used to sample the data. Mclellan, Macqueen and Neidig argument on data preparation and transcription On another similar research conducted by Mclellan, Macqueen and Neidig in 2003 and titled “Beyond the qualitative interview: data preparation and transcription”, the researchers strive to highlight the importance of data management. In their findings, the researchers acknowledge that while analysing interviews, it is important for a researcher to identify whether the transcription analysis best presents their arguments as compared to field notes acquired by the interviewer. They therefore recommend that the nature and intensity of the transcription process employed should be consistent with the nature and intensity of the analysis required (Mclellan, Macqueen & Neidig 2003). The strengths of this research lie in the ability of the researchers to cover the step by step process of data transcription protocol and providing the rational and supporting arguments from other research findings on the importance and actualization of the various stages. Some of the limitations of this research include the researcher’s tendency to relay on other research findings to explain their arguments rather than employing the use of primary data. Applications of Rapley’s and Mclellan, Macqueen and Neidig findings Both studies have furthered our understanding of transcription as a major challenge in qualitative data analysis. Rapley study has helped us to understand that it is important to comprehend the context under which a particular interview was conducted in order to conduct a conclusive transcription. On the other hand, Mclellan, Macqueen and Neidig research has helped us to understand the importance of accessing the level of analysis required in order to ensure consistency between the transcription processes and the intended level of analysis. References Mclellan, E, Macqueen, M & Neidig L 2003, ‘Beyond the qualitative interview: data preparation and transcription’, Sage publications , vol. 15, no.1, pp. 63-84. Rapley, J 2001, ‘Was that Infinity or Affinity? Applying Insights from Transcription Studies to Qualitative Research Transcription’, Sage Publications , vol. 1, no.3, pp. 303-323. Ross, J 2010, ‘Was that Infinity or Affinity? Applying Insights from Transcription Studies to Qualitative Research Transcription’, Journal of Qualitative Social Research , vol.11, no.2, art. 2.
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BHH Company’s Business Artifacts Essay (Article) Introduction The Tadawul Saudi Stock Market started its operations in 1986. It has since grown to become the region’s leader in the stock exchange market. Research reveals that Tadawul is among the leading stock markets in the world. However, critics assert that the 37-year old industry bars foreign investors from engaging in its business activities. Under the Capital Markets Authority (CMA), Tadawul remains a competent stock market with at least 160 companies trading their stocks therein. Statistics reveals that the market is worth $360 billion currently. The market’s success emanates from the country’s economic stability and oil mining activities. Despite its streak of success, research indicates that the market has been subject to economic challenges. The argument is that the country’s authorities viewed the stock’s boom as a sign of economic growth. Therefore, they failed to predict the occurrence of a subsequent downfall once the market’s potential was exploited to the optimum. Further, the 2006 to 2008 economic crunch in the world challenged every country’s business, and Saudi Arabia was not an exception. During the 3-year long economic downfall, the country’s stock exchange market experienced lows of 8,000 and 5,000 simultaneously. The outcomes of these lows compelled investors to engage in the selling of their stocks in order to avoid additional losses. However, the investors’ decisions to sell their stocks led to the incurrence of more losses as the move heightened the supply, amidst poor demand. It is evident that the Tadawul Market suffered an overall loss of 65% in that period. Research indicates that the situation occurred because of the level of ignorance that prevailed upon the responsible authorities, the country’s media, and the entire population of investors. Case Study: Financial Management Principles (FINA) 3311 As a financial analyst in the BHH Company, a person realizes that the company trades its preference and ordinary stocks with a view of amassing extra capital from the investors. According to the firm’s recent statistics, its tax rate is 30%. On the other hand, the company’s current price per coupon rests at 12%. The information is vital in the process of evaluating the expected growth rate of the preference and common shares. The coinciding calculations to establish the firm’s stock changes indicate the possibility of a 7% overall growth. Therefore, the predictions that the firm’s semi-annual payments and bonds are predicted to escalate to a maturity price of $1,140 within a scope of ten years. According to the corporation’s president, the firm intends to avoid the prevalence of chances that might coerce it to issue new shares in the market. The perception that the restraint will act as a remedy to avoid dwindling of the company’s capital amount remains insufficient. The argument is that the subsequent decision will lead to the inflation of its preference and common share prices at a 7% rate for every unit. The status of the company’s share par value is $120; hence, the market price is $75 per share. The results emanate from the fact that the floatation rate is 5%. After reviewing the preference and common shares against other capitals, the company will bear the ability to issue a dividend of $4.9 for every share held. Despite such outcomes, BHH Inc should expect a continuous growth rate of 7% per annum. In conclusion, the company’s management should include the 20% long-term debts to the overall capital. Further, the management should prepare for the inevitable 7% escalation of its common share prices if new ones are not issued. The same case will apply to the preference shares. Comparison of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) and the US Federal Reserve System The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) and the US Federal Reserve System are the central banks of their respective countries. The Federal Reserve System’s form of governance differs from that of SAMA. Arguably, the president and the board of directors lead the US Federal Reserve Bank, which spreads into 12 branches across the nation. On the other hand, the governor and a subsequent board, head the SAMA. The US Federal Reserve Bank is the lender of last resort to all the banks present in America. The US Congress has been passing laws since 1913, which have propelled the bank’s performance to dominate its domestic and foreign financial institutions. Further, the Federal Reserve is the custodian of the dollar; hence, its financial policies have influenced the currency’s success to become the global unit of exchange. The relationship between the US Federal System and the SAMA is that both are associated with the use of political influence to control international and domestic financial institutions. Research indicates that SAMA is the overall bank in the country, and it controls the foreign banks through the Saudization Policy. The Saudi Kingdom authorises SAMA’s policies in order to ensure security in the revenues created from the petroleum industry. On the contrary, the US Congress’ influence over the Federal Reserve System targets to ensure that the country remains an economic giant through its unchallengeable currency.
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Literacy Development in Personal Experience Essay Introduction Literacy development occurs during children’s formative years, allowing them to acquire phonological awareness, fluency, and comprehension of their native language. Eventually, a child begins to make connections in the systematic connection between language and its use for communication and learning. It is a natural and unceasing process that forges each child’s approach to various aspects of literacy. However, some events may be critical in influencing a person’s perceptions and skills. A pivotal experience that helped shape my relationship with literacy was receiving an opportunity to meet a well-known author that constructively critiqued and encouraged my writing. Main body I learned to read at a relatively young age despite having minor speech-language pathology in the early years of my literacy development. By elementary school, I was an avid reader. It was a passion of mine to explore the fantasy worlds described in books. Reading was both a method of relaxation and a tool of learning for me at the same time. Overall, literary works were an inspirational influence on my psycho-emotional development as a child. Despite the common misconception, my reading skills did not translate into writing. In class, I found myself excelling at comprehensive tests while struggling with writing. A significant issue was that, as a child, my imagination was overflowing with ideas. When beginning to write, I immediately visualized whole worlds and adventures similar to those in books. However, these thoughts were rapidly going through my mind, having no structure or logical format. At one point during the transition to middle school, my parents wanted me to apply for a specific gifted program in the school district. The application process consisted of analyzing my grades and teacher recommendations (both of which made me eligible), as well as a written exam which was a timed essay. Eventually, I was declined admission simply due to the abhorrent and inconsistent quality of my writing. An event that strongly discouraged my efforts to write. A few months later, it was announced that a well-known author of several adventure books that I enjoyed throughout elementary school was visiting the area. I was one of the few people selected by the English department to meet the author personally. We were asked to write an essay about the author’s work which could be a topic of discussion with him. Eventually, the day came, and I had the opportunity to meet the author. It was a unique and unreal experience since I enjoyed his work and respected him as a person after reading his biography. The author noted that he had read our essays. At some point during the event, I had a chance to talk with him personally. He clearly remembered my writing and proceeded to give me feedback. This was the first time I learned that professional writers had to develop complex plans and outlines when writing books in order to maintain structure and cohesiveness of thought. The author encouraged me to use writing as a medium to express ideas and knowledge in a way that I would want it to be presented to me. It was evident he could see the discouragement about my skills and sought to emphasize the importance of writing as an academic tool. Conclusion Afterward, my approach to literacy changed dramatically. I began to see rapid improvements in my skills, achieving better grades and entering into a gifted program the following year. I practiced writing for every school project and eventually became considered one of the top writers in my class throughout the rest of secondary education. A significant step towards the improvement of my writing, both creative and academic, was learning to express my thoughts competently. The abundance of information I received from reading could now be translated to written expression. To this day, I continue to expand my literacy skills through improved vocabulary, phraseology, and genre-specific techniques. All these factors contribute to formulating an open-minded and expansive worldview while aiding me in structuring an argument to support my personal opinion.
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Behavioral Theory and Its Research Essay Behavioral and mind developmental theories The behavioral theory discussed from the works of B.F Skinner and John Watson combines theory, methodology, and elements of philosophy in expounding how animals and people behave (Skinner, 1984). It is also referred to as information processing theory since it investigates the inner activities of the human mind. According to Gazzaniga (2010), the theory assumes that it is possible to teach and learn the behavioral patterns of an individual. Behavioral theory Figure 1: Behavioral performance matrix Location Respect Environment Respect self Respect others Classroom Keep silent and pay attention to teachers. Keep your materials close to you. Be active and productive. Follow directions given by your teacher. Be considerate and kind to others. Speak in low tones and wait for your turn. Hallway Maintain walking in supervised areas. Speak in low tones. Walk and avoid running. Keep walking ahead and speak in low tones. Follow directions. Library Maintain silence, return books in the right places after reading Use markers nicely in books. Only use the correct ones. Keep quiet. Bring books you have borrowed back so that others can use them. Computer Lab Keep the lab clean and do not throw trash. Use provided laptops, computers, and accessories well Only use the computer assigned to you. Keep your hands on your computer. Be kind. Maintain silence. Lining up and playground Follow the instructor’s directions. Pick trash Follow set rules while playing games. Walk and move with the line Be patient, and wait for your turn. Be fair. Bathrooms All trash to be thrown in the trash can. Wash hands Spend minimum time in restrooms. Recess Respect nature, Do not interfere with plants. Stop and be careful. Keep following school rules. The above matrix demonstrates how rules used in different settings can be followed when an individual adheres to correct behaviors. It is imperative to note that a child’s performance is rooted in behavior (Friesen, 2005). According to Gazzaniga (2010), rather than focusing on the characteristics of effective leadership and quick learning as advocated by trait theories, it is necessary to consider a child’s behavior Implications of behavioral matrix and NAEYC’s code of conduct In teaching practice, ethics is one of the most critical aspects since it creates much-needed objectivity and efficacy in meeting optimum service provision. Ethical demands, as stipulated in the NAEYC’s code of conduct, are critical because they link the objectives of teaching young children with proper strategies ( Code of ethical conduct , 2005). How do teachers, caretakers, and families handle ethical dilemmas among children? Are concerned teachers democratic or autocratic, permissive or directive, person-oriented, or task-oriented? Does some balance of the behavior of young children characterize teachers’ attitudes? Brain development Figure II: Brain development and performance. Web. The figure above demonstrates how to correct behavior cultivates a high level of performance in an individual. Darwall (2003) indicates that in the early learning stages of a child, person-oriented leadership assists in the development of positive behavioral patterns among children. The latter is possible through supportive, considerate, and non-punitive child-centered behavior. Initiating structure is the extent to which a teacher takes charge to plan, organize, direct, and control a young child while performing a task. Considerate teachers to develop trust, friendship, and respect towards children. Implications, brain development and NAEYC code of conduct According to Code of ethical conduct (2005), initiating structure refers to task-oriented behavior in which teachers organize and define the relationships in a group, establish patterns and channels of communication as well as direct the working methods. Consideration refers to person-oriented behavior in which the leader exhibits friendship, trust, respect, and warmth towards the subordinates. Considerate leaders express appreciation for a child’s progress. References Code of ethical conduct (2005). Web. Darwall, S. (2003). Virtue Ethics , Oxford, NY : Wiley. Print. Friesen, N. (2005). Mind and machine: ethical and epistemological implications for research . Thompson Rivers University, B.C., Canada. Gazzaniga, M. (2010). Psychological Science . New York: W.W. Norton & Company. Print. Skinner, B.F. (1984). The operational analysis of psychological terms. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 7 (4): 547–581.
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The Importance of Sleeping and Dreaming Essay Many people see no benefits of dreaming, so they would probably take the new “miracle pill.” However, considering the essential functions of sleep and dreams, this decision would have both advantages and disadvantages. The positive factor is that people will have more time for their daily activities. As for the disadvantages, since biological rhythms and sleep stages are important, people’s organisms will not function properly (Myers & DeWall, 2021). Sleeping allows the body and brain to reorganize, repair, and rewire. Meanwhile, dreaming helps filing away memories and developing and preserving neural pathways (Myers & DeWall, 2021). As for the drawbacks from a societal standpoint, if too many people take this pill, after several years or decades, there will be too many humans with mental and physical illnesses and too much pressure on the infrastructure. Finally, I would not take this pill since I love seeing dreams and realize that this “miracle medicine” will cause too many negative consequences. References Myers, D. G., & DeWall, N. C. (2021). Psychology in modules (13 th ed.). McMillan.
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“Song of Solomon“ by Toni Morrison Book Review Essay Table of Contents 1. An Affectionate Daughter 2. A Breastfeeding Mother 3. A Mother Through the Eyes of Her Son 4. Conclusion Tony Morrison’s novel ”Song of Solomon” was published in 1977 and follows the life of its main protagonist, Milkman Dead, an African-American man whose life has been full of instances of racism and violence, as was the life of his ancestors. The novel explores how the ancestral past, along with the present suffering shape his character. This paper focuses on Ruth Foster Dead’s persona, Milkman’s mother, a woman oppressed by society and spouse alike, whose actions greatly affect him. An Affectionate Daughter Ruth Foster Dead grew up an upper-class woman, a doctor’s daughter. She is light skinned, smart, quiet and resilient. Ruth did not abandon her affection for her father even as an adolescent, their goodnight kiss ritual, motivated by her seeing her mother as a rival due to the latter’s lack of maternal care, was a source of shame to her father (Morrison, p.30). Such an abnormal closeness on her part, which she later needs from Milkman as well, impacted his relationship with women later on. Her husband, suspected of involvement in her father’s death, would bitterly begrudge her visiting her father’s grave. His jealousy, arising from the scene at the doctor’s dead body, would turn her life into misery and result in an attempt on his unborn son“s life. A Breastfeeding Mother Ruth is seen as provoking her husband’s anger, manipulating him for a certain sense of power. The symbolic watermark on the table in the opening chapter serves as a personal reminder that she is alive inside and this is life, not a dream (Morrison, p.19). The watermark acts as an anchor against her husband’s psychological abuse. The only experience that helps her live through each day is breastfeeding her son, who is no longer an infant, seen as an unwillingness to sever yet another connection, as he is growing up, “bored by the flat taste of mother’s milk” (Morrison, p.21). However, the ritual is more sensual than is proper, and she is knowingly secretive about it. Ruth is terrified at losing this aspect of her motherhood, as evidenced by her reaction when the janitor sees her through an open window, the moment Milkman acquires his nickname. On the other hand, Ruth is neglectful of her daughters, one of which, Pilate, has inherited her kindness and has a tragic fate. A Mother Through the Eyes of Her Son Milkman has seen his mother as overprotective for most of his adolescence. Later on, he begins to see her true humanity, frailty and fierceness in the face of death ( Morrison, p. 73), and physically protects her from his father’s assault ( Morrison, p. 76). The story of her sacrifice at protecting him even before his birth opens his eyes to her true character. Conclusion Ruth Foster Dead is depicted as a possessive mother, though heroic in the protection of her son. Her actions, therefore, are crucial to the story’s and the main protagonist’s development. However she acted, she loved him in her own way.
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Magnetism and Magnetic Field Research Paper Introduction Electricity and magnetism have become indispensable for our life today. All the appliances we can imagine to live with work on the underlying principles of electromagnetism and therefore, it is important to understand electromagnetism. Why I am stressing electromagnetism and not magnetism is the fact that the two are inseparable. There was a time when magnetism was discovered in some stone and was considered something altogether different from electricity. But this has changed long back due to the experimental observation by scientists like Faraday, Ampere. Maxwell etc. and today electricity and magnetism are seen as two sides of the same coin. In scientific terminology, a changing electric field produces a magnetic field and a changing magnetic field produces a changing electric field. In the backdrop of this brief introduction, this report attempts to explain important terminologies related to the magnetic field. Important Terminologies Magnetization An atom consists of a nucleus surrounded by orbiting electrons and with each electron, there is an associated magnetic moment. The electrons exist in pairs to cancel the magnetic moment of each other. However, some atoms have unpaired electrons and therefore, a net magnetic moment. If we take an object of finite size then the constituent atoms (which are very large in number) are oriented in a random direction and thus cancel the magnetic moment of each other. However, sometimes, these atoms somehow align to give a net magnetic moment. One can define a quantity known as magnetization vector (I) which is magnetic moment per unit volume. This is also termed as the intensity of magnetization or simply magnetization. This is expressed as: I = M/V(Net Magnetic Moment)/Volume ………. (1) For a bar magnet of pole strength m, length 2l and area of cross section A, the magnetic moment is M = 2ml and therefore, the intensity of magnetization is I=M/V=2ml/A(2I)=m/A i.e. pole strength per unit area Magnetic Intensity (H) When a material is put in a magnetic field then it gets magnetized. The magnetic field inside the material is the sum of the applied magnetic field and the magnetic field due to magnetization. Now one can define a new vector field such that H=B/μ0-I…………. (2) Here, I is the intensity of magnetization, B is the resultant magnetic field and H is magnetizing field intensity or magnetic intensity. In vacuum I = 0 because no material is present and the equation (2) reduces to H=B/μ0 …………. (3) The magnetic intensity due to a magnet of pole strength m at a distance r from it is given by the following equation: H=m/4πr²………… (4) Magnetic Susceptibility For paramagnetic and diamagnetic materials, the intensity of magnetization (I) is directly proportional to the magnetic intensity (H) i.e. I=χH ………… (5) This proportionality constant χ is known as the susceptibility of the material. This is a dimensionless constant as I and H have the same units. Its value is zero for vacuum, positive for paramagnetic materials, and negative for diamagnetic materials. Permeability Rearranging equation (2) gives, B=μ(H+I)=μ(H+χH)=μ(1+χ)H i.e. B=μH ……………. (6) m is called the permeability of the material and its value is 1 for vacuum. Dia, Para and Ferromagnetic materials: Diamagnetic materials repel the magnetic field because of their negative magnetization and paramagnetic materials weakly attract the magnetic field. However, there is a strong attraction of ferromagnetic materials towards the applied magnetic field because of a large number of magnetization moments available for alignment along the applied magnetic field. Hysteresis If material is magnetized by applying an external magnetic field and the external magnetic field is then turned off then the material retains some amount of magnetism and to remove this one needs to apply a magnetic field in the reverse direction. This leads to the formation of a hysteresis loop. The size of this loop tells whether the material is soft magnetic material or hard magnetic material. A smaller hysteresis loop implies a soft magnetic material and vice versa. A typical hysteresis loop is presented below. Figure 1. Hysteresis loop Summary Important concepts related to magnetism have been briefly discussed in this report. These concepts provide a reasonably good understanding of magnetism. However, understanding of magnetism remains incomplete unless and until electromagnetism is also covered. Further reading on electromagnetism is envisaged to get a complete understanding of the subject. References Magnetization. Web.
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Leadership and Management as Applied to Criminal Justice Organizations Essay Both management and leadership are important concepts to implement in a company that strives for success. The differences between them are significant and crucial to understanding for executives to be able to reach the goals of a company. It is equally important to see how these differences are applied to criminal justice organizations. To begin differentiating the terms ‘leadership’ and ‘management’ we need to define them first. According to Radu and Ramona Răducan (2014), a leader is a person who can influence or motivate a team to perform tasks in a certain way using effective communication. The essential instruments of a leader are trust and understanding. Bargau (2015) argues that a manager is a person who can establish stable and reliable operations within a team or organization. Judging from the two definitions, the goals of management and leadership may overlap, but the key difference is in the direction that is implied. A Leader creates a relationship built on trust and motivates his team members to do their job better, therefore, creating a basis for development. A manager orients on a team achieving a particular result. For example, a police unit is tasked with catching a criminal. A manager would set objectives and deadlines for their completion. A leader will ensure that everyone understands what to do and why is that important. He or she will also make it clear that a result will depend on a coordinated team effort. However, a successful operation of an organization lies both in the ability of executives to organize a steady operation process and make sure there is a ground for progress. In the field of criminal justice, it is quite important as the criminals regularly elaborate on new ways of breaking the law. Therefore, the judicial system must also adapt to cope with the challenges. For example, a chief of police department implementing a new practice to fight or prevent crime should also make sure that teams cope with every day’s work. Another dimension where the roles of a manager and leader are different is the duty they fulfill. Bargau (2015) argues that managers are focused more on supervision, planning, scheduling, budget organization, and so on. These responsibilities require strict procedures and direct control. Since they are one of the key things that keep an organization in order, managers orient on overseeing them done correctly and to the full extent. For example, a prison warden is in charge of the whole penitentiary unit and is responsible, among other things, for control of expenditures, planning, and security supervision. The goals and the vision here maybe, in most cases, be self-explanatory, and to meet the goals of a prison-like keeping prisoners fed, clothed, and under control, a warden demands that his or her employees act by the code. On the other hand, there are tasks centered more on employees and making them use their full potential. This kind of work may be exemplified by tasks that lay ahead of the Major Case Squad. Its commanding officer is charged with the mission of overseeing investigations and making sure the number of solved cases is as high as possible. Since the job of detectives in the department can be creative and personal zeal can play a vital role in achieving a result, a role of a leader here is to motivate and inspire employees to perform at maximum capacity. All things considered, a good executive should possess the qualities of both manager and leader. Our world is constantly changing, and criminal justice organizations are changing with it. Therefore, senior staff must see the direction of these changes and transfer that vision to juniors to ensure proper motivation and understanding. However, day-to-day operations are equally important, and their management should never be disregarded. References Bargau, M. A. (2015). Leadership versus management. Romanian Economic and Business Review , 10 (2), 197. Răducan, R., & Răducan, R. (2014). Leadership and management. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 149 , 808-812.
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“Popular Mechanics” by Raymond Carver Review Essay Table of Contents 1. Changing Weather 2. Picture of the Baby 3. The Flowerpot 4. Conclusion 5. Work Cited The short story “Popular Mechanics” by Raymond Carver is centered around a recently divorced couple who fight over their single baby child. The story contains three major symbols, which are changing weather outside, the mother’s picking up the baby’s picture, and the breaking of a flowerpot. The message of Carver’s work is focused on the sacrifice of non-compromise, which means that if two parties are not willing to give up something to reach a compromise, the sacrifices will be taken from elsewhere. In the case of the story, the sacrifice was the baby, the most precious individual in both parents’ lives. Changing Weather The story begins with a detailed description of the weather outside the house. The author writes, “early that day the weather turned, and the snow was melting into dirty water. Streaks of it ran down from the little shoulder-high window that faced the backyard” (Carver 277). In other words, the author uses the description of the external environment in order to set the overall mood and feel of the story. He also writes, “cars slushed by on the street outside, where it was getting dark. But it was getting dark on the inside too” (Carver 277). Therefore, the symbol of changing weather also foreshadows the fact that the story will be dark as well. Picture of the Baby The interaction of the two parents begins with the father’s disinterest in the mother, while the latter emotionally expresses her thoughts on his leave. The second symbol is the picture of the baby, which is taken by the mother. The author writes, “then she noticed the baby’s picture on the bed and picked it up. He looked at her, and she wiped her eyes and stared at him before turning and going back to the living room” (Carver 277). In other words, after both parties expressed their attitudes and perceptions of each other, the picture was a reminder of the fact that the baby is the only thing that connects them, even if they are unwilling to be together. The father does not acknowledge the mother, while the latter is hateful of the former, but their child is what binds them together. The Flowerpot The last symbol is a flowerpot, which breaks as a result of the parents’ fight with each other. The author writes, “the baby was red-faced and screaming. In the scuffle they knocked down a flowerpot that hung behind the stove” (Carver 277). The flowerpot foreshadows the ending of the story, where it is implied that the baby is fatally hurt or killed due to the selfishness of the parents. As in real life, it is impossible to point out which particular parent is blameworthy of a child’s death, but it is clear that both of them were selfish enough not to let go of the baby. A truly loving parent would have released his or her grip on a child, especially since both understood how irrational and incompetent the other parent is, which evidently led to their divorce. Conclusion In conclusion, Carver’s short story is a universally applicable and relatable message on the concept of compromise. Although the narrative presents an extreme outcome, such as the death of a baby, its implications encompass a multitude of daily situations. An individual can make sacrifices he or she is willing to make, or life and fate make the sacrifices for them in places, which can be the dearest of all. Work Cited Carver, Raymond. Popular Mechanics . PopMech, 1981.
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Current Environmental Health Issues Essay Environmental problems are bothering not only professionals but also simple people who want to know the development of the situation in the world. Still, the professionals from different spheres remain the most preoccupied people who care for the changes in the surrounding world. The environmental issues are usually connected with human health and if something happens scientists usually think about the influence of the affair on human health. The changes in the environment happen every day. Some of these changes are really dangerous, some of them are just the predicted consequences or reasons for other disasters. The most recent environmental problem which happened in the world is connected with the diseases of human being and land animals found in marine life. The problem is rather specific and requires deeper research as in case the parasites which attached marine animals will mutate people and land species will be in danger of being infected with the diseases the marine life is full of, and most marine species and diseases are not even discovered yet. Considering the situation, the scientists report the vast majority of cases when human and livestock diseases are spread on marine life become more and more frequent. Such bacteria and infections as clostridium difficile, harbour seals, coxiella burnetti, cryptococcus gattii, fungus, toxoplasma gondii, sarcocystis neurona and sarcocystis neurona are the parasites which have been recently met in the marine animals. Considering the effects these bacteria may result in the following consequences should be remembered, the production of the lethal toxins in the intestine, the development of the clinical disease and succumb to the infection, the cause of the aborts or impact on weak offspring’s development, and some of them may be fatal to marine life as they are fatal for the human beings (Pynn n.p.). The bacteria and parasites which are met in the dead bodies of the marine animals really frustrate as it means that the mutation takes place. The organism managed to infect the species which were sustainable to them before. Something has changed and this may be the main reason for concern as the changes in the environment which have caused such changes may effect other organisms. There are a lot of other consequences and bacteria which cause them. Dwelling upon the possibilities of the infection appearance and its spread, the scientists consider the opportunities of the water, air and soil delivery. The infection could appear in the body of the marine organisms, such as whales, via the air. There animals have to use air and they are believed to exchange large amounts of air during breathing, this might be one of the ways the organism appeared in the marine life. Additionally water and soil pollution could be the reasons. The scientists prefer to think that is was the source of infection as if to consider the research conducted by a number of scientific centers and organizations is becomes obvious that more and more marine organisms are in danger. Looking at the number of dead marine organisms and their size on the seashores, scientists cannot even imagine what is happening in the ocean with small organisms which are not seen (Muldoon n.d.). The environmental health professionals are really disturbed about the problem. The presence of the infection in the marine organisms is really disturbing as the inability to treat these infections with the antibiotics makes the problem more devastating. The infections mentioned above were difficult for treating when they were found in animals. Different kinds and types of antibiotics did not provide any results. The treatment of the marine organisms with such antibiotics is useless. The environmental health professionals should make sure that they are doing all possible to save those infected marine organisms which are already infected but are not dead. The research should be done with taking the samples of the blood and of the skin of the dead organisms with the purpose to create the vaccine and prevent the spread of the disease further. Moreover, the water, soil and air samples in the infected organisms should be taken to identify the viruses which are there as this may help in the research. Therefore, it ma be concluded that he environmental problems become more complicated for the scientific society. Dealing with the spread of bacteria and parasites is always difficult, especially in this case when it becomes obvious that the viruses which previously affected only human beings and land animals have spread on the new spices. Marine organisms are under attack and the problem is really serious as scientists are not sure neither in the types of the bacteria which now infect marine life nor in the ways of bacteria spread. The number of infected is also unknown as the world ocean is not researched up to the end and the number and the types of the organisms are not known at all. Possessing the information which is just seen on the dead samples, scientists can draw just the surface conclusions. Works Cited Muldoon, Katy. “Animal nature: Are humans, land animals spreading disease to marine life? Eagle watching; endangered-species ringtones.” Oregon Live LLC . OregonLive.com 23 Feb. 2012. Web. Pynn, Larry. “Land-based pathogens discovered in marine mammals; scientists fear funding cuts for investigations.” Vancouver Sun . Vancouver Sun. 18 Feb. 2012. Web.
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Effective Recruitment and Transnational Managers Report Effective recruitment is an important aspect in any organization as it separates different available talents creating a balance in an organization’s operations booming the market. With the global business nature, the organizations have implemented precise and efficient recruitment strategies that enhance deep reservoir to staffs both globally and locally. For instance, one of these strategies as it was used by the Sinai hospital in Baltimore involves attracting candidates by innovatively recruiting them into organization’s campus. This entails reaching out to potential employees from other nations, explaining to them the mission of the organization as well as its work and after winning their confidence, inviting them to your organization to join the workforce. This strategy has a great impact in meeting the organization’s talent demand by widening the recruitment radius (Blanpain 2007). The other strategy involves creation of strong organizational brand. This is achieved by employing and training managers who explains the organization operations concerning the job and opportunities to potential candidates, as well as dealing with issues raised by these potential candidates in a convincing manner. The organization practices this strategy on specific group that it is targeting by enhancing good relationship between them. Additionally the organization can achieve this through online chat with the friends such as through “Toxbox”, offering the employees services such as hot lunch while still advertising other opportunities. More so, the organization includes visual media in promoting their brand and captures the attention of potential candidates (Pun 2005). The organization also seeks to attract passive job seekers, the people who are currently working in other organizations but interested in passively participating in external bodies. Through this strategy, the organization recruits candidates across the globe using specific criteria to identify the individuals who perfectly fit their system. The organization considers factors such as individual’s national culture, his nation’s laws, and the endogenous organizational factors which include the organizations technological sophistication. The consideration of these factors is based on their significant impact to the host organization since their combination in an individual enhances the organizations performance. Eventually, the candidate may recognize the organizations favorable terms and become interested in shifting his work power to the organization at question. As workplaces become increasingly diverse as the diversity of culture increases globally, a need for employee differentiation becomes a more considerable aspect. This gives rise to transnational and experts managers to balance organization-customer interaction globally. Transnational managers are those employees who come from any country to join the multinational organizations with professional skills that can be applied in a variety of markets. He can also be shifted from one nation to another unpredictably, with no preconceptions concerning their career end. Transnational’s are as well highly skilled with the capability of doing more than one job, in more than one language and can fit in more than one culture. On the other hand, expats are the staffs who are deployed for a time in another country by after completion of one overseas assignment, they return back to their own country. They live outside their country only on the duration they are in an assignment. They adapt to the living of that single country and they become expert in one culture and the only job they do (Lundby, et al 2010). As a result of these differences, the two types of managers calls for different methods of selection. The expat for instance may be selected for variety of reasons such as filling a technical skill gap in the foreign country, to undertake an executive assignment by filling gaps such as joint venture running; as well as for development of technical, intercultural and professional competencies. In narrowing down the candidate filed of selection, three approaches are employed which include; realistic preview, where technical expertise of host country is considered; self-selection, where those with no interest are weeded out; and candidate assessment, based on his level of performance (Goodal, et al 2009). On the other hand, transnational’s’ selection is mostly based on de factor self-selection where the candidates are sent abroad in their early career to determine the effectiveness of their interaction with other cultures as their role involves not only working abroad but also staying there to the end of their career. Additionally other factors in determining their selections are employed such as; consideration of special technique that are demanded by the job in comparison to candidates capability; how the assessor’s culture diversity agrees with the culture differences abroad and cross-cultural relevancy and fairness factor. By doing so the success and profitability of a company is enhanced as well as the prosperity of the careers of the people involved. (Lundby, et al 2010). Reference list Blanpain, R. (2007). The Global Workplace: international and comparative employment law: cases and material. NY: Cambridge University Press. Goodal, S., Goodal, J. & Schiefelbein, J. (2009). Business and Professional Communication in the Global Workplace . Boston: Cengage Learning. Lundby, K., Jolton, J. & Kraut, A. (2010). Going Global: Practical Application and Recommendations for HR and OD Professionals in the Global Workplace . Hoboken: John Willey and Sons. Pun, N. (2005). Made in China: women factory workers in a global workplace. Durham: Duke University Press.
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Introduction 2. Analysis 3. Conclusion 4. Works Cited Introduction Article “Earth Democracy: Beyond Dead Democracy and Killing Economies” discussed a conflict that exists between considerations of economic growth and sustainability (Shiva). While the author contended that democracy was supposed to be the rule for the people by people, the globalized society had forgotten that environmental sustainability should matter. With the establishment of international treaties related to many aspects of external relations (Agriculture, Intellectual Property, Phytosanitary Measures, etc. ), the industrialization moved the society to the practice of biopiracy. The author explains this phenomenon as the intent to patent biodiversity and genetic resources for financial gain. For example , the Indian products of agriculture such as Darjeeling tea, turmeric, and tamarind were patented by foreign companies for profit. Shiva stated that such a use of Earth resources is unacceptable; the planet’s biodiversity should not have been turned into property. In this context, Earth Democracy means that that the selfish corporations should not over-utilize the natural resources for their gain and allow those who have rights to such resources decide the most appropriate way of utilization. Analysis The author’s key idea is that there is a constant degradation in humanity, which is just “shopping in the global marketplace” (Shiva “Earth Democracy: Beyond Dead Democracy” 93). In my opinion , globalization may be a potentially beneficial thing for bringing global communities together and banishing social and economic boundaries. However, on the other end of the spectrum, there is constant damage and destruction of natural resources that are now not the way the used to be before industrialization. There is an arising dilemma that our generation should resolve: should we preserve nature and significantly slow down the technological progress, or should we continue our biopiracy and the destruction of resources for economic growth. Article “Earth Democracy: Creating Living economies, Living Democracies, Living Cultures” also focused on the long-term effects of globalization as well as the treatment of the practices and policies established by the multinational corporations. While many divide globalization and terrorism as the defining terms of modern life, the author put forward the opinion that globalization can be a type of economic terrorism. In this context, terrorism occurs through the exhaustion of vital natural resources such as water and biodiversity. The author then goes on to argue that globalization is genocidal to the Earth’s resources as well as suicidal for many multinational corporations (Shiva “Earth Democracy: Creating Living Economies”). The second argument is associated with globalization alienating the poor by forcing upon them a climate of economic exclusion and insecurity. When exploring this perspective, Shiva argued that modern democracy that does not take into account the ecological and economic freedom can potentially impact the spread of terrorism and fundamentalism; stating that “impoverished democracy breeds fundamentalism of all kinds” (“Earth Democracy: Creating Living Economies” 6). Therefore, instead of integrating people into the process of development, globalization led by corporations tears the communities apart. For example , the 9/11 disaster did not serve as an ending point for the World Trade Organization; on the contrary, the WTO resurrected, broadened its power, and brought economic benefit to the global industrialized societies. Conclusion When exploring the impact of globalization, it is crucial to remember that every member of the globalized society uses the resources of the Earth; so there is a duty to guard the rights of all species and all people. Natural and cultural diversity should remain a value that brings benefit to cultural and material wealth without the destruction of valuable resources that the Earth offers. Works Cited Shiva, Vandana. “Earth Democracy: Beyond Dead Democracy and Killing Economies.” Capitalism Nature Socialism 21.1 (2010): 83-95. Print. —. “Earth Democracy: Creating Living Economies, Living Democracies, Living Cultures.” South Asian Popular Culture 2.1 (2004): 5-18. Print.
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Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Functions of prevention programs 3. Functions of diversion programs 4. Functions of treatment programs 5. Evaluation of the success of program’s measures 6. Conclusion 7. References Introduction Prevention, treatment and diversionary programs for juvenile offenders were implemented in the community to address the issue of juvenile delinquency and habitual offenders through a community cooperative effort. The programs are implemented through schools, prosecutor’s office, police, and the juvenile courts with a large involvement on delivery of timely information and distribution of resources to the youths. This helps in suppressing habitual offenders in order to reduce crime and rehabilitate juvenile delinquent youths. (Levinson, 2004pp35-39) Functions of prevention programs According to James, school administrators for effective operations leading to improved children and youth (S.A.F.E.P.O.L.I.C.Y.) program identifies at-risk youth and expends resources to youths. This helps in reducing overall juvenile delinquency and prevents serious habitual as well as violence in juvenile offenders. The program also teaches in schools matters of respects, conflict resolution and decision making where it is complemented with lessons on anti-gang and anti-drug as well as anti-violence. Safety programs are provided to adults and student together with crossing guards in schools to act as a deterrent of trouble and also intervene when troubles arise. Other preventive programs like police athletic league combats crime and other forms of violence by creating alternatives to the youths on how to spend their time qualitatively and promoting team building as well as rapport among youths. Boxer, 2003pp24-30) Functions of diversion programs These programs provide barriers to juveniles from penetrating into criminal justice systems and therefore divert offenders from much contact with each other. Without such barriers detainees learn from each other on how to be more effective at engaging in crime. These programs also reduce the cost of detaining and supervising the juveniles by community members and reduce unseen costs which arise as a result of broken families and unemployment. The program provides penalties such as juvenile performing community service work without being paid for community benefit but it also serves as a punitive sanction offering an opportunity for rehabilitation along with reparation.He or she can also be put into probation for a maximum of two years with supervision by the probation officer who gives directions which the court has found appropriate. In this case the juvenile does not pay the fine stated by the court but the entire project regarding community services must be approved by the court to ensure that there is maintenance of certain criteria. (Boxer, 2003pp30-36) Functions of treatment programs The main objectives of treatment programs is to establish that minors are detained securely under juvenile court by providing assessment, referral as well as advocacy services for juveniles with a series of rehabilitative needs. Mental health services are provided by psychologist in liaison with psychiatrist who also provides counseling services on substance abuse, sex offender services and reduction of suicide risks. The program also reunifies the youth with his or her family ensuring that, the family ties are not broken and preserves interpersonal relationship and good communication. Medical staff is provided on daily basis at the center to offer medication and physical exams regarding the needs of the juveniles. (Finley, 2005pp14-16) Evaluation of the success of program’s measures These programs have been quite successful in offering strict supervision and methods of control as well as strategies towards the offenders. This enhances public safety and rehabilitation for the juveniles especially if there is collaboration of the members of the community to ensure cooperation and information sharing. The programs have also improved communication efforts to respond towards domestic violence and reduced the use of drugs and alcohol in the community as well as school systems. (Finley, 2005pp17-19) Conclusion Management of juvenile delinquency is effective if there are programs which their major objectives are to prevent the occurrence of crime among youth by providing the right information to the youths at the right time regarding drug and alcohol abuse among many other peer influences. Use of diversionary programs minimizes spread of crime by ensuring the interaction between juveniles is at minimal. Youths who are under custody are more vulnerable to diseases and therefore require proper medical attention as well as guidance and counseling to shape their behavior and this is what these programs have offered. References Levinson D. (2004): Crime and punishment: Nelson-Hall, pp. 35-39. Boxer P. (2003): treating the juvenile offender: Lexington, pp. 24-36. Finley L. (2005): juvenile offender: Praeger, pp. 14-19.
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Payment Rates for Medicare Physicians Coursework The payment for the services rendered by physicians is affected by three major factors. These are the conversion factor, the cost index based on the geographic practice, and the RBRVS (Resource-Based Relative Value Scale). Similarly, the same payment is governed by a schedule known as the Medicare payment schedule. This schedule widely differs from the fee schedule in that, physicians recognize a fee as the price offered to them by the Medicare and or the patient for the service they render while on the other hand, payment is a fair price that the Medicare will approve as the level of reimbursement for the service a given physician would offer. As per the payment schedule, Medicare usually pays 80% of the approved fee for a procedure while the remaining 20% is the coinsurance of the patient (Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, 2010). There is a specific formula that is used to calculate the payment rates for Medicare physicians. It entails modification of Relative Value Units corresponding to the offered services by the physicians, and by the Geographic Practice Cost Indexes corresponding to payment as per locality. This implies that physicians working in different regions or localities are paid differently (Wilensky, 2009). The rate of payment is hence a product of three earlier mentioned relative quantities, that is, the professional liability insurance, the physician’s work relative value and the practice expense relative value units (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, 2010). The reimbursement made by Medicare to physicians varies as per the distinctions made among physicians. They (physicians) are categorized as: the participating physicians (accept duties on all different kinds of cases, receive 80% of the payment from Medicare and 20% from the patient making it 100%, a fee which is approved for a participating physician’s procedure), those who are non-participating but accept duties on a basis of case by case (they receive 95% from both the patient and the Medicare) and lastly, the non-participating and do not accept any kind of duties (are paid 115% by the patient, a fee approved for non-participating physicians. This means that the patient makes the entire payment then the Medicare comes in to reimburse him/her 80 percent of the fee that is approved for any non-participating physician) (Lesser, Fineberg & Cassel, 2010). With the above crucial briefing in mind, physicians in the listed three scenarios will bill the patient and Medicare as mathematically discussed below. Preliminary Patient- Mr. Smith (68 years old and a beneficiary of the Medicare) Physician- Dr. Johnson Values of the service offered by the physician (as in the table below) Determination of the payment rate Categories RVU Geographic Cost Index Product Work 27.45 1.092 29.98 Practice Expense 43.05 1.743 75.04 Malpractice 10.32 0.543 5.60 Conversion Factor: 64.43 Sum of the product values = 29.98 + 75.04 + 5.60 = 110.62 Hence the payment rate = sum of the product values × the conversion factor = 110.62 × 64.43 = $ 7,127.25 Cases and Discussion CASE 1: How much will Medicare pay Dr. Johnson if Dr. Johnson is a Medicare-participating physician? How much out-of-pocket payment will Mr. Smith be responsible for? Discussion If Dr. Johnson is a participating Medicare physician and accepts all the duties that are allocated to him, then: Amount paid by the Medicare= 80/100 × 7,127.25 = $ 5,701.80, which is exactly 80% of the payment rate calculated above. Amount paid by the patient, Mr. Smith = 20/100 × 7,127.25 = $ 1,425.45, which is 20% of the calculated payment rate CASE 2: How much will Medicare pay Dr. Johnson if Dr. Johnson is a Medicare non-participating physician who elects assignment? How much out-of-pocket payment will Mr. Smith be responsible for? Discussion If Dr. Johnson is a non-participating Medicare physician but does not accept all the duties that are allocated, then: The amount the Medicare and Mr. Smith, the patient, will cash out = 95/100 × 7,127.25 = $ 6,770.89, which is exactly 95% of the approved payment rate calculated above. This implies that the amount the Medicare will pay = 80/100 × 6,770.89 = $ 5,416.71, which is 80% of the $ 6,770.89, as approved value for non-participating physicians The amount the patient, Mr. Smith will pay = 20/100 × 6,770.89 = $ 1,354.18, being 20% of $ 6,770.89 approved for the non-participating physicians CASE 3: How much will Medicare pay Dr. Johnson if Dr. Johnson is a Medicare non-participating physician who does not elect an assignment? How much out-of-pocket payment will Mr. Smith be responsible for? Discussion If the physician, Dr. Johnson is a non-participating Medicare physician and seldom elects duties, then: Mr. Smith will pay a limiting charge amounting to: = 115/100 × 6,770.89 = $ 7,786.52, being the approved 115% of the $ 6,770.89 determined above. The amount the Medicare will reimburse Mr. Smith will then be = 80/100 × 6,770.89 = $ 5,416.71, being the approved 80% of the $ 6770.89 determined above. All the analysis reveals that the amount the Medicare reimburses the patient in case 3 is equal to what it pays the physician directly in case 2. References Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. (2010). Medicare Physician Fee Schedule: The Medicare Learning Network Payment Systems Fact Sheet Series. Web. Lesser, C.S., Fineberg, H.V., & Cassel, C.K. (2010). Physician Payment Reform: Principles That Should Shape It. Health Affairs, 29 (5), 948-952. Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. (2010). Medicare Payment Basics: Physicians Services Payment System . Web. Wilensky, G.R. (2009). Reforming Medicare’s physician payment system. New England Journal of Medicine, 30 (7), 653-655.
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Jameson and Sons Designer Shop’ Problems Research Paper Table of Contents 1. Abstract 2. Main Body 3. Jameson & Sons Designer Shop and its Location Problems 4. Conclusion Abstract Jameson owners opened the shop some three years ago along Bethsalem road in Accompong Town. Their contacts included a telephone number (+1876) 948 45 06 and postal address indicated as Jameson and Sons Designer Shop 7450, Accompong Town, Jamaica. The business had suffered losses in its operations because of lacking proper marketing plans. They needed to lay down important objectives for street, online and commercial radio awareness campaign. The interview they conducted helped them to discover the weaknesses they had. It also helped them to see some of the things they had ignored and yet were very crucial aspects of business growth. The management had started the business with the idea that clothes business sells itself. They had to create awareness in the area of operation and beyond. They also realized that the location of the enterprise was essential for its growth. In order to expand the awareness campaign, they needed to employ more sales teams and Information Technology (IT) experts to deal with online activities. The consequences of intensive outreach resulted in the increased customer inflow. They then had to seek to turn the inquiries into sales. The team also needed to find a better place to operate their business. Main Body The company was registered and started in August the year 2012. Despite the challenges, it has never changed its operations in the clothes industry for all those years. Due to the problems in its promotional activities, it had to find a working formula for its stability. The problem statement of this case study is that Jameson and Sons Designer Shop Lacks Proper Promotional Strategy. The sales have kept on decreasing. The business can no longer sustain itself. It has had to get overdrafts from the banks to pay for its costs rather than do expansions. Majority of its customers have shifted their allegiance to other shop designers. The Marketing executive department contacted a marketing research agency for help. They conducted an interview. The questions contributed towards knowing if people knew about Jameson and Sons if they had ever seen it or heard of it. It emerged that only an eighth of the population knew about Jameson. One out of ten people who knew about Jameson had purchased their products. Eighty percent of those who bought their products said that they liked their products. The adverse impacts include the lack of promotion and promotional activities that led to the loss of some customers. The overdrafts only helped to stock the business, but there were very minimal sales. They retrenched some staffs to cut down on the costs and hence loss of jobs. The competitors took over their market share. The sales team can go to the field with brochures and fliers to distribute to the locals. There are various local radio stations where they can advertize the products. Online marketing can also help reach the new customers in the social networks. They can also do delivery to the customers as an additional service to the customers. The brochures and fliers could tell the customers about their location and products offerings. Its disadvantage could be that it is time-consuming and costly because one would have to send staffs out or hire sales team. The advertisement on the radio could reach very many people because of the coverage. The Information and Technology personnel could be recruited to give answers to the many questions on the net. Jameson & Sons Designer Shop and its Location Problems Jameson business area had paralyzed its business and therefore needed quick intervention to revive the company. The owners had to find a better place and increase its products knowledge among the citizens. The problem statement was that Jameson and sons Designer Shop did not have a suitable location for its business. In the interview, they found out that ninety percent of the people said the shop was in a building that was not easily visible such that people only had to find out about it accidentally. They also said the building did not have a name and was in the distant part of the town. The location led to the lack of business. The building is very far from the busy town of Accompong. They were in the basement of Mrisho building where commercial activities were minimal. There were very minimal numbers of people who could go to the shop because of the distance one had to cover to leave the central town. The drainage problems also caused the store to remain closed during the rainy season. The owners need to relocate the business to the center city center and in a building that can allow them to showcase their goods. They should also attend the town’s exhibition invitations. They can distribute brochures. They can decide to supply in the supermarket stores. Once a business has got the right location; it increases the customer visits and inquiries. The town exhibitions help them to expose their products and company. Customer reach is achievable through brochure distribution. Conclusion However, it is not everybody that hears and reads about a business that tends to visit. The cost of marketing can lead to spending so much that the enterprise could have set for other programs. Supermarket stores have very many suppliers, and this could result in competition wars or rejection by the shops. Some of the stores have quite a number of laws that may be punitive to small enterprises.
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“A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry Literature Analysis Essay The Concept of the Book The book, A Raisin in the Sun, clearly Lorraine Hansberry’s masterpiece, presents a 1950s life of a family- the Youngers; the family is caught up with individualism as they make decisions regarding money acquired from insurance. Between racial constrictions, the family struggles with identity of the American dream as it casts back a view on Africa. The progression of the story has a family collapsing to individual conflicting decisions. But amidst of the differences in interest, the family believes and depends on ‘togetherness’ as the key to its success. Masculinist Stereotypes, Distortions and Missions in Male Dominated Literature as Displayed in the Book Lorraine Hansberry wrote the play at a period when feminism was obviously a contending issue in human society, particularly in the Western World- during the 1960s. As such, as an effort to ‘carry women along’, three (3) of the characters in the play; Ruth, Mama and Benetha, who are all ladies, were significantly engaged in family decision making. By extension, these ladies supported the family greatly contrary to the role played by Walter. The story consciously confines the characters within a local home, and equally restricts the characters’ social performances – thus, in a way gives all characters the same degree of freedom in decision making. This, as an illustration, sees a certain Beneatha become rather determined to be a physician; against all monetary challenges the family faced. It is clear from all indications that Mama has a leading voice in the family, despite the conflicts of the family to resolving to unified decisions. The statement “there is still a god in my mothers house” (Hansberry 19) directed at Benetha by Mama is no doubt a leading voice. In the same way, in Act I scene i, where Beneatha argued about the lack of support to the family by God, Mama was proactive in cautioning that no such words or assertions be made in her own home (Hansberry 13). The adaptation of symbolism in the play equally has helped immensely in curbing masculinist stereotypes and distortions. The fundamentally used symbols included Walter’s liquor-store, Mama’s plant, as well as Ruth’s expectant child. At the end, Mama’s plant overshadows the other imagery used in the story. From an analytical point of view, A Raisin in the Sun may be seen as having identified in clear contexts masculine discriminations- particularly as regarding decision making in a male dominated family setting. The play particularly resolves the fact that decision making is not necessarily a gender based matter. As such, any member of the family or society who has an active and significant voice (or point of view) is always welcome to contribute. The play also identify that fact that with a deterministic frame of mind, the female gender has a lot of potential to drive the decision making process, both at the family and society levels to the most acceptable level. Conclusion Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun is a sparkling story that presents characters that are very determined to realizing specified set dreams- against the common interest of the family. This setting makes it possible for the family members to out-speak their minds in an effort to actualize personal dreams. Indirectly, the story stipulates that individuals have high potentials to realizing personal dreams irrespective of gender. Works cited Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun . New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 1959. Print.
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Demand and Supply Correlation in the Market Essay The article in question dwells upon the demand and supply correlation in the commodity market in 2014. First, Sanderson and Hume (2014) note that demand for such resources as iron ore, oil, and others was quite significant in 2014. Although there was a certain slow-down in the development of markets in Asia and Europe, the demand did not decrease dramatically during the year. However, the researchers also add another point. They state that the supply increased significantly, as companies were willing to make more profits and win larger markets. Sanderson and Hume (2014) point out that the correlation between supply and demand was violated. Thus, the authors note that supply grew by 12% in 2014 while the demand only increased by 9%. This led to the market’s saturation and, as a result, to a decrease in prices. Finally, the authors conclude that demand is unlikely to return to the level of previous years due to the slow-down in the development of such markets as China. This article can be seen as an example of the correlation between supply and demand. It has been acknowledged that supply and demand are very close, and they have a significant impact on each other (Causevic, 2014). Thus, when the supply for certain products is decreasing, the demand is likely to decrease. Clearly, the right correlation between the two concepts is important for products’ prices, and producers (and sometimes governments) have to undertake certain steps to affect prices. It is possible to note that there are numerous ways to do that. Rahji and Adewumi (2008) state that the government should respond to the change in correlation when it comes to the grain market. Hence, the researchers note that the government should restrict the import of the product to increase the demand as well as prices (Rahji & Adewumi, 2008). The article also shows that the commodity market is highly elastic. The elastic market is the one where the demand and supply correlation have a dramatic impact on prices (Mankiw, 2014). The elasticity is determined by the fact that the products are essential or not essential to consumers. Non-elastic markets are food or healthcare markets, as people will still buy these products irrespective of the price. Thus, if the prices go up, customers still buy the products. When it comes to commodities, these cannot be seen as essential products to consumers as they are more important for producers. For instance, when the market is saturated with these kinds of products, prices go down, as producers of consumer products simply do not need so many resources. At the same time, when the demand is growing, the price is also growing since the companies need resources to produce their products. In conclusion, it is necessary to note that the article in question unveils the essence of supply and demand correlation. The authors consider the commodity market and provide substantial explanations of the reasons for the price decline at the end of 2014. I agree with the authors that companies’ desire to produce more resources was one of the major reasons for the decrease in the process. Clearly, decreasing demand also played a certain role in the process. Nonetheless, companies’ desire to sell more and enter new markets was crucial in the process. The article also helps understand one of the most important concepts of the market, which has to be taken into account. Reference List Causevic, F. (2014). The global crisis of 2008 and Keynes’s general theory . New York, NY: Springer. Mankiw, N. (2014). Principles of economics . Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning. Rahji, M. A. Y., & Adewumi, M. O. (2008). Market supply response and demand for local rice in Nigeria: Implications for self-efficiency policy. Journal of Central European Agriculture , 9 (3), 567-574. Sanderson, H., & Hume, N. (2014). Supply is key to commodities’ volatile year . Financial Times . Web.
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Achievements of Nelson Mandela Research Paper Abstract World leaders have hailed Nelson Mandela as “the greatest and most courageous leader of our generation”. In a life of personal surrender, Mandela dedicated himself to the resistance against apartheid in South Africa, a period that ended with the country’s first multi-racial elections on 27 April 1994. During these elections, the Africa National Congress won with a landslide and, as the leader of the party, Nelson Mandela was installed as South Africa’s first Black President on 10 May 1994. He proceeded to form a Government of National Unity, before retiring after only one term of office in 1999. Having fought so hard to secure the country’s freedom, many people expected him to cling to power like other African leaders but his decision to step down baffled both friend and foe alike. Well past 90 years now, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela continues to stand as an inspiration to people throughout South Africa, the African continent, and the world. World leaders have hailed Nelson Mandela as “the greatest and most courageous leader of our generation” (BBC News). In a life of personal surrender, Mandela dedicated himself to the resistance against apartheid in South Africa, a period that ended with the country’s first multi-racial elections on 27 April 1994. During these elections, the Africa National Congress won with a landslide and, as the leader of the party, Nelson Mandela was installed as South Africa’s first Black President on 10 May 1994. He proceeded to form a Government of National Unity, before retiring after only one term of office in 1999. Having fought so hard to secure the country’s freedom, many people expected him to cling to power like other African leaders but his decision to step down baffled both friend and foe alike (Joffe 272). Indeed, Nelson Mandela is believed to have honed his leadership skills from a very tender age. While at the age of only 10 years, Mandela was appointed the chief counselor to the acting paramount chief of Thembuland, David Dalindyepo. The position, which was passed down to Mandela after the death of his father who had initially held the position, saw him being groomed as a future leader. In fact, political analysts believe that it was this grooming that led Mandela to become a great political leader in his later years (Mandela 4). After the completion of his secondary education at Wesleyan High School, Mandela joined Fort Hare University College to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree. After attaining his BA, he enrolled for a masters program in law. It was during his law years that the youthful Mandela made his initial forays into politics, joining the little known African National Congress. Upon joining the party, Mandela’s leadership skills were immediately recognized and he was elected as one of the party leaders. Under the leadership of Anton Lambede, Mandela helped in transforming the ANC into a movement with a more radical agenda rooted in the principles of self-determination. Indeed, it was this self-determination principle adopted by Mandela and the entire ANC leadership that finally saw South Africa gain independence in 1994 (Guiloineau & Rowe 13). During the 1950’s, Mandela opened the first South Africa’s black law-firm in Johannesburg thus earning himself the respect of the international community. In June 1964, Mandela along seven others was handed a life sentence for treason and was consequently imprisoned in the notorious Robben Island Prison. Mandela was to remain on this island for 18 long years but the incarceration did not dampen his spirit or influence within South Africa. During his incarceration, Mandela rejected countless offers of freedom in return for acknowledging political compromises that would dismantle the apartheid system (Waldmeir 33). In 1991, Mandela was released from prison and he immediately embarked on his earlier quest for a free South Africa. Two years later, the international community recognized his efforts by awarding him the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to free his country from colonial rule. Three years after being released from detention, Mandela was elected as the first black South African president inheriting a country that had been polarized by many years of oppressive rule. Within the five years that he was in power, President Mandela oversaw the transition from minority rule thus gaining international admiration for his pursuit of national healing and reconciliation (Waldmeir 35). Even after his retirement, Mandela has been on the forefront in trying to bring world leaders together to seek solutions to conflicts around the globe. Well past 90 years now, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela continues to stand as an inspiration to people throughout South Africa, the African continent, and the world. Works Cited BBC News. Mandela’s Life and Times , January 28, 2011. Web. Guiloineau, Jean, & Rowe, Joseph. Nelson Mandela: The Early Life of Rolihlahla Madiba . London: North Atlantic Books, 2002. 13. Print. Joffe, Joel. The State vs. Nelson Mandela . New York: One World Publications, 2007. 272-273. Print. Mandela, Nelson. Long Walk to Freedom . Johannesburg: Little, Brown and Company, 1994. 4-5. Print. Waldmeir, Patti. Anatomy of a Miracle: The End of Apartheid and the Birth of a New South Africa . London: Viking, 1997. 33-36. Print
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Moral Values in Education Essay The responsibility of educating a child falls on both the parents and the teachers. In most instances, teachers are always trying to get the parents to be part of their children’s education. On the other hand, parents tend to handle any communication from their children’s teachers delicately. For instance, notes and phone calls from teachers are a cause of serious concern for parents. Furthermore, whenever parents do not hear from teachers they often assume that all is well with their children. Therefore, it is likely that students will be at a disadvantage because of the lack of communication between parents and teachers. Consequently, it is only natural for schools to teach moral values to students. Schools are relied upon by the community and parents to instill and reinforce moral values among students. Teaching moral values to students eliminate the bias that is common with children from different backgrounds. Some students could be major beneficiaries of a school system that teaches moral values as they lack this foundation at home. Therefore, schools should teach moral values so as to contribute to social and educational harmony. Schools are mostly public or private owned institutions that are expected to pass knowledge to students. Consequently, when schools are given the role of teaching moral values, this job is passed on to either the government or a few individuals. Most people feel that when schools teach moral values, the government is the organ that dictates what should be taught to students. Teaching moral values that are set up through government institutions elicits sharp emotions among various individuals. On the other hand, most people are aware of the fact that parents teach their children moral values at a very tender age. Therefore, there is a possibility of moralities clashing when schools start introducing opposing points of view as part of the students’ curriculum. The dominance of personal opinions among various teachers presents a challenge to the validity of teaching moral values in schools. Schools should not teach moral values because this creates several dimensions of conflict that involve teachers, students, the government, and parents. Those people who support the argument that schools should teach morality are of the view that it is futile for students to gain all other skills in life and end up lacking in moral values. Consequently, students will go to school and learn scientific applications, events in history, how to calculate, among other skills. However, this knowledge can be highly improved by a student’s ability to express honor, kindness, empathy, and integrity towards others. Therefore, when schools teach moral values, they create a worthwhile balance in the students’ lives. Furthermore, when too much value is attached to end results and achievements, moral transgressions are likely to occur. Teaching moral values in schools do not involve a tyrannical activity that is engineered by the government and other forces. Moral curriculums can be developed jointly by the staff, parents, sociologists, religious leaders, and other stakeholders. Consequently, a moral curriculum does not only consist of controversial biases, as most people believe. The fears that moral education can be easily highjacked by third parties and individuals with self-interests are unfounded. For instance, in schools where moral education is instituted through a joint effort, positive results are achieved. The relationship between moral values and the education system is far-fetched. Moral education is more aligned with culture than it is related to the education system. Furthermore, all education systems are streamlined and standardized. Moral values and systems are flexible and it is unlikely that a standard education curriculum can accommodate this flexibility. For example, accommodating moral education in the school system would mean that different students receive different types of education by their cultural backgrounds. Those who argue in favor of moral values being taught in schools claim that students need more than formal education for them to be good citizens. However, there is evidence that indicates that the most valuable citizens are the ones who explore and question authorities with the view of understanding the basis of rules and laws. There are concerns that most moral curriculums are only meant to suppress the curiosity of the citizenry with the aim of subjecting individuals to imperialist regimes. Moreover, political and economic factors are more likely to influence the moral behaviors of children in school systems. The debate on whether schools should teach moral values to students stretches far and wide. One school of thought believes that it is not the school’s responsibility to teach morality to students. On the other hand, another group feels that an educational experience is not complete without moral values. There are concerns that teaching moral values in schools undermines the role of culture in students’ lives. Furthermore, it is often argued that teaching morality would create confusion in schools because different students subscribe to different moral systems. This latter view is opposed by the argument that not all moral values are subject to controversy. Proponents of teaching moral values in schools also point out that this system has proved to be helpful in the past.
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Promoting Financial Sustainability in Business Essay Table of Contents 1. What is sustainability? 2. Sustainability principles for better business operating 3. Mathematics of sustainability concepts 4. Objective and up-to-date view on the balance sheet 5. Manage risks and diversify investments/loans 6. Works cited What is sustainability? Financial sustainability techniques are intended for long-term financial survival, and it should be stated that the actual aim of sustainability principles involve the opportunity to create an effective financial system for covering all the vital costs, as well as making this system flexible, high performing, and stable. Along the financial effectiveness, the financial stability principles involve increase of the employee motivation effectiveness, managing internal and external costs, training, attracting customers, etc. The general principles of sustainability are based on proper control of the financial project, and application of the math concepts that are used for calculating all the numeric aspects of any activity. Therefore, business activity presupposes rational spending and control of the costs, governmental sustainability is optimal planning of the budget. Sustainability principles for better business operating The key principles of sustainability involve creating of an available funding with proper explanation of the expenses. Then part of the costs should be recovered by financial initiatives. These will require proper and u-to-date monitoring of balance sheet, correct calculation of investments and loans, clear planning that is based on objective forecasts, as well as diversification of investments/loans and thoughtful management of risks Mathematics of sustainability concepts Math concepts of sustainability are based on the calculation of financial principles and defining the key financial parameters that may be used for the detailed assessment of the financial models. Therefore, the math calculation concepts involve: * application of arithmetic operations for calculating balance. This presupposes analysis of balance sheets, and optimization of costs and expenses by controlling the spending tendencies. * application of linear equations to problems with un-known values. This is helpful for financial forecasts, or for solving financial problems linked with defining the weak link in the calculations, and financial flow. * application of basic functions analysis for making predictions * Defining the math models of further financial development. This is explained by the necessity to consider all the external factors for defining the development tendencies, and outlining the possible considerations on the matters of barriers and stimulants of financial development Objective and up-to-date view on the balance sheet The given principles may be used for resolving any type of financial case: * Assuming the given case, sustainability approaches may be used for resolving the problem of investment, and rate calculation. A student invests two sums of money, $500 and $800 , at different interest rates, receiving a total of $55 in interest after one year. The $500 investment receives an interest rate 2% lower than the interest rate for the $800 investment. Find the interest rate for each investment. The interest rates for each sum will be: * X% and x%-2 The equation will be: * $800 * x% + $500 * (x%-2) = $55 * X% = 5 * $800 * 5% + $500 * 3% = $55 Manage risks and diversify investments/loans Risk management principles are defined by the business principles and strategies applied. However, it is hard to define the risk with calculation only. Therefore, the risks may be assessed only by proper assessment of the entire project, while sustainability approach will be helpful for allocating the risk mitigation resources for the risk management strategy. Works cited Bromley, Daniel W. (2008). Sustainability. The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics , 2nd Edition. Soederbaum, P. (2008). Understanding Sustainability Economics . London: Earthscan.
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Culture impacts key areas including nutrition, environmental interactions, and migration patterns (Napier et al., 2017). This paper explores the impact of cultural values, beliefs, and practices on health in contemporary society. Specific Questions The interview questions included: What type of medication is used by the members of the Maasai culture? What cultural biases and beliefs exist about healthcare in the Maasai culture? And how do the biases and beliefs affect the health-seeking behavior of the members of the community? Implications of the Cultural Biases and Beliefs on Health The Maasai culture encourages the use of herbal medication. The culture is biased against conventional medicine, which has negative health implications due to the inadequacy of herbal medicine. Teenage marriages and polygamy encourage the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and birth complications, especially in young girls (Rashed & Hussien, 2015). Moreover, beliefs such as high bravery demands on males hinder timely medical attention among the Maasai men, hence worsening their health conditions. Reflection on My Cultural Norms My culture is less conservative and promotes a more civilized way of life. It also encourages education regardless of gender differences and allows the use of conventional medicine alongside herbs. Practices such as early marriages, polygamy, and obsession with masculine bravery are not part of my culture. I am comfortable with my culture because it fosters health and minimizes suffering brought by the use of crude medication methods. The Maasai culture is similar to mine in the use of herbal medicine. It, however, features retrogressive practices such as polygamy and early marriages, which are absent in my culture. References 1. Napier, D., Depledge, M. H., Knipper, M., Lovell, R., Ponarin, E., Sanabria, E., & Thomas, F. (2017). Culture matters: Using a cultural contexts of health approach to enhance policy-making . Copenhagen, Denmark: World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. 2. Rashed, T., & Hussien, M. (2015). Culture and Health: A study in Medical Anthropology in Kenya. In The 30 th Annual International Conference of the Institute of African Research and Studies (pp. 687-709). Giza, Egypt: Cairo University.
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Contemporary Scenarios of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” Essay “Twelfth Night” has love as a central theme throughout the play. The play has three types of love: self-love, true love, and friendship. Many characters in the play are confused through love triangles throughout play. Some characters are unable to differentiate between true love and untrue love. In the current world, many people cannot distinguish between someone true to them and faking love. Many films, YouTube videos, Instagram videos, and TikTok channels try to play along the theme of love and bring out the differences in true love, friendship, and untrue emotions. In the play, true love can be seen in many characters. The best example of sincere love is Viola’s feelings for Orsino. The romantic attraction starts as a friendship, and then it grows into real emotions when Viola tries to win Orsino’s heart. Another true love exists between Viola and Sebastian, who are siblings. Both siblings mourn their deaths and still love one another (Lowman, 2019). People can relate to sibling love in the contemporary world, and some can start true love from friendship. Malvolio expresses self-love when he sees himself as a noble person that is well suited to marry Olivia. Equally, Olivia shows self-love when she considers herself the most beautiful and no man deserves her. Another character is Sir Toby Belch, who seems selfish to the extent of caring for himself and letting others seem less of a human. Self-love is portrayed in many current films because many people have embraced it. The current generation has leaders who express self-love and are careless of other people’s welfare. In learning institutions, as portrayed in many TikoTok videos, many students go to the extreme of not caring for their roommates and friends so long as it does not affect their ventures. Self-love has led to the loss of lives, and others have entered into a deep depression. Cesario and Orsino portray friendship since they share secrets when they are together. The Sea captain and Viola are deeply engulfed in friendship after surviving the shipwreck. The play portrays love as a significant cause of pain among its characters. Love entails having deep emotions, and it requires someone to change themselves. The global population has engaged in love either within the family setup and by showing it to others. The play shows relevance in showing pain is affiliated with pain because when someone loses someone they love, they feel it. For instance, in the movie “Squid Game,” the characters feel hurt when someone they were used to finally dies. In the play “William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night,” Malvolio changes his outfit when he thinks that Olivia has sent him a letter, causing some suffering when he does not get love. Equally, when Cesario refuses to recognize Antonio’s love for Sebastian, he feels intense pain (Lowman, 2019). The same pain is shown in “The Big Bang Theory” movie when Leonard gets assumed by his girlfriend Penny. In the contemporary world, many people do not face rejection from someone they purport to love positively. Social standing and class struggle makes William Shakespeare’s play seem relevant to the current generation. Malvolio desires to marry Olivia to become part of the noble class. Sir Andrew also hopes to marry Olivia to get social standing, but his desires cannot be met because he is gross. Furthermore, when Olivia proposes to Sebastian, he accepts the proposal because Olivia is wealthy and beautiful. Many people get married to the wrong person because it makes them respectable in the societal setup. Reference Lowman, D. (2019). Review of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (directed by Carl Cofield) at the Yale Repertory Theatre, New Haven, Connecticut. Shakespeare , 15 (4), 437-438. Web.
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10 Steps of Getting Started With Social Media Marketing Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Main Body 3. Conclusion 4. Works Cited Introduction Businesses are established with an aim of profit maximization. There are several businesses in the global economy, which leads to intense competition in the market. There are different functions of management that must be effectively coordinated towards the achievement of the goals and objectives of an organization. Marketing is the process of informing consumers of new and existing products, how to use the respective products, changes made in production and/or prices among others. Marketing is a process that all organizations, both profit and non-profit, must consider when analyzing and determining the consumer needs due to t dynamic nature of the last. Different authors have different views on global marketing aspects such as planning, increasing sales, and business growth among others. This is a critical analysis of three articles in support of and against the marketing contents of the respective articles. Main Body The article, “10 Steps of getting started with social media marketing” by Susan Gunelius discusses how to use social media towards developing a global business effectively. The author recommends 10 basic steps that individual businesses should consider when using social media as a marketing tool to succeed. The basic steps recommended by the author are determining the goals, evaluating resources, adequate knowledge of the audience, creating amazing content, integrating marketing efforts, creating a schedule, adopting an 80-20 rule, focusing more on quality, giving up control, and keep learning. Furthermore, the author discusses each step and how to implement them towards effective marketing (Gunelius 1). Personally I, as a marketing student, support the contents of the article and the arguments of the author due to several reasons, for instance, effective application of the Strength Weakness Opportunity Threat analysis. The 10 steps proposed by the author on how to get started with social media marketing incorporate the SWOT analysis because it involves an analysis of the strengths of an organization, its weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Social media marketing is a marketing plan. Business organizations must develop effective strategies when implementing a marketing plan to succeed. The 10 steps discussed by the author can be used in the effective implementation of social media marketing. Therefore, I support the contents of the article and the arguments by the author (Gunelius 1). The article, “10 Ways to stretch your marketing budget” by Robert W. Bly discusses useful strategies that organizations can utilize to maximize their campaigns while saving money. The author proposes 10 ways that business organizations can use to ensure accountability of every dollar, and get big results despite small budgets. The author proposes sticking to successful strategies, exploring lead generations, doing things by ourself, and paying vendors on time among others. The author has proposed effective strategies for saving money and accounting for every dollar. However, not all the steps proposed by the author are relevant to global marketing (Bly 1). Business organizations operate within limited budgets. Budget limitations require organizations to plan in advance and ensure their operations and activities are within the organizational budget and achieve short term goals that contribute towards the achievements of the long term goals. The article is relevant to global marketing because it proposes accountability for organizational funds, which is a practice all organizations aspire to achieve. The ways proposed by the author may not necessarily contribute to the maximization of campaigns and saving money, for instance, doing things by yourself. An organization cannot execute all its functions effectively. There are some functions that require the involvement of the third party, for example, support services among others (Bly 1). The author proposes the in-house press release, which might not be effective at all times depending on the needs of the organization. Therefore, this way is not an effective strategy for all businesses, especially for those targeting the global market (Bly 1). The author has also proposed effective ways such as paying vendors on time and appropriate payment for services. Timely payments to vendors create loyalty and build trust with respective vendors, which is an effective strategy because the respective vendors can supply on credit in the future. Appropriate payment is also an effective way of accounting for each dollar in an organization. All expenses must be accounted for and affordable by the respective organization based on their budget. Therefore, the article is appropriate for global marketing if improved (Bly 1). The article, “Ingredients of a marketing plan” by the Entrepreneur is useful because it highlights the elements of an appropriate marketing plan. It demonstrates how to prepare a leading marketing plan that can be used by an organization towards achieving its goals and objectives within a specified deadline or period. The author highlights important areas to address when writing a marketing plan such as the objectives, strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities among others (Entrepreneur 1). Conclusion The marketing plan should be prepared to guide the marketing process of an organization. Considering the elements of a good marketing plan, the author has discussed the key areas of a marketing plan and how to handle them. Furthermore, the author has provided a budget range based on organizational size, which is effective in guiding individual businesses in writing an effective marketing plan. Therefore, considering the contents of the article based on the elements of an effective marketing plan, the author has presented an effective article relevant to global marketing (Entrepreneur 3). Works Cited Bly, Robert W. “10 Ways to stretch your marketing budget.” Entrepreneur Press , 2013. Web. Entrepreneur. “The ingredients of a marketing plan.” Entrepreneur, 2013. Web. Gunelius, Susan. “10 Steps to getting Started in Social Media Marketing.” Entrepreneur, 2010. Web.
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In this way, one can better understand the lifestyles of people, their socioeconomic status, and their values. The goal of this paper is to show how this information can be derived and what kind of assumptions can be made. On the whole, it is possible to say that this approach can help researchers to make some conjectures about the life of the community and separate individuals. Nevertheless, these conjectures should be verified with the help of other research techniques, and they cannot be taken for granted. These are the main aspects that be singled out. First of all, by studying the refuse, researchers can better understand the purchasing power of separate individuals and households. It should be noted that relatively similar products may have different prices, and they can be designed for people who represent different social classes. This argument is relevant if one speaks about clothing, food, alcoholic beverages, and many other items that can vary in prices. This is why by looking at the packaging that a person can dispose of, one can make predictions about his/her socioeconomic status. Furthermore, this approach is useful for determining the lifestyles of people. For example, if the refuse contains many bottles of alcoholic beverages, one can say that this individual does not lead a healthy lifestyle. Nevertheless, this is only an assumption that required additional verification. The problem is that one cannot always determine whether the litter belongs to the same individual or not. This is one of the limitations that should be considered. There are cases when one can determine whether the refuse was disposed of by a family, including several individuals or by a single household. For instance, one can sometimes detect the bottles of baby food in the refuse. Thus, it is possible to assume that a household includes a child and a parent or a legal guardian. However, in most cases, one cannot accurately estimate the number of people within a household judging only from the refuse. Such assumptions can be very far-fetched. This is one of the details that should not be overlooked. Additionally, the study of litter can give people a better idea about the political and economic system developed in a particular country. For instance, a researcher can detect that similar products can be sold by different manufacturers. As a rule, this information can be derived through the examination of bottles and packaging. Thus, one can make a conjecture that economic competition is allowed in this society. In turn, one can argue that this community can be based on capitalistic principles. Moreover, it is possible to say that this society is relatively advanced, especially in comparison with the states in which the government controls the economy. Still, this assumption should be supported by other types of data. Additionally, in many cases, the packaging can be made of biodegradable materials such as cardboard or corn starch. Thus, it is possible to assume that people living in this community can be aware of various environmental risks, and they take measures in order to reduce the pollution of nature. These are the main issues that should not be overlooked. On the whole, this discussion suggests the study of refuse can be a productive method for understanding various social, economic, and even political aspects of society. Admittedly, one cannot say that the findings derived in this way should be verified. Nevertheless, they can be used as a starting point for further research. These are the main details that can be identified. The list of objects that were thrown away 1. Bottles of energy drinks and alcoholic beverages; 2. Paper and green waste; 3. Biodegradable packaging; 4. Light bulbs; 5. Cans.
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Design of ICT For Disaster Management Systems Essay Table of Contents 1. DERMIS 2. Historical Insight 3. OEP Philosophy 4. Conceptual Design 5. Generalized Design Principles 6. Supporting Design Considerations 7. Conclusion 8. References DERMIS The need for real time response to disaster management followed the 9/11 events that required designing and integrating a dynamic emergence response management information system (DERMIS) into existing network and physical infrastructure. The design of the system was based on software functionality deemed critical based on extensive knowledge, experience, and tacit knowledge of the Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP) (Turoff, Chumer, Van De Walle & Yao 2004). Implementing the system required mapping the system design concepts into software design principles to optimize the functionality of the system. Therefore crisis management was based on the design and development principles developed from the Dermis Design Model as illustrated on table 1 below. The table details the design premises, conceptual design, general design principles and specifications, and supporting design considerations and specifications with the purpose to design appropriate functional requirements for the concept (Turoff et al. 2004). Table 1 Historical Insight From an historical perspective, the Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP) served civilian, regulatory, threat assessments, government disaster response effectiveness, and response planning by drawing on a larger network of expertise consultants and specialists, before it was modified to “Emergency Management Information System And Reference Index” (EMISARI) in disaster response system management design. EMISARI addressed technical and software needs (Turoff et al. 2004). OEP Philosophy One approach was System Training and Simulation. In this case, the core elements included training in a practical environment with simulated and practical events and quick apprenticeship. The next included crisis memory, exception as norms, scope and nature of crisis, role transferability, information validity and timeliness, free exchange of information, and coordination (Turoff et al. 2004). The key obstacles toward being effective in crisis management included high uncertainties, poor and lack of effective communication channels, non-flexible information processing at all levels, data movement, and lack of training (Turoff et al. 2004). Conceptual Design TheOffice of Emergency Preparedness (OEP) cuts across the nine emergency categories serving as a source of tacit knowledge to influence the software functionality of the emergency response system. The core concepts include metaphors which are the mental models for creating cognitive maps, the concept of human roles with actionable roles, notifications based on events, and context visibility for understanding users. That was in addition to hypertext concept for using different system functionalities (Turoff et al. 2004). Generalized Design Principles Toward achieving the design objective of the emergency system, the critical components to factor include system directory with its variants expressed in a hierarchical structure to aid members use the system effectively. That is in addition to information source and timeliness for capturing real time qualitative and quantitative data into a database (Turoff et al. 2004). Open Multi-Directional Communication, content address, up-to-date information and data, Link Relevant Information and Data, Authority, Responsibility, and Accountability, and Psychological and sociological factors are additional factors (Turoff et al. 2004). Supporting Design Considerations The general requirements for designing the system include geographically, oriented resource database for the provision of real time information on emergencies. Others include collective memory for providing rules and description about events, Online Communities of Experts for collaboration with different experts and markets (Turoff et al. 2004). Conclusion The functionality of the system is critical in enabling the provision of real time information for responding to emergency situations. References Turoff, M, Chumer, M, Van De Walle, B & Yao, X 2004, ‘The Design of a Dynamic Emergency Response Management Information System (Dermis)’, JITTA, Journal of Information Technology Theory and Application , vol 5 no. 4, pp. 1-35. Web.
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In his article, Pearlman (2013) describes the experience of his younger brother, who, being shy and unsportsmanlike, began attending the football section at the initiative of his parents. However, despite an opportunity to develop physically and make new friends, the child was forced to spend most of the playing time on the bench. The author blames the child’s coach, who, by following ambitious motives, did not want to let the boy play (Pearlman, 2013). The key argument is that in trying to create conditions for the social adaptation of kids, adults often seek to fulfill their own unfulfilled desires, and unhealthy competition robs the child of self-confidence. The raised topic is essential because involving children in team sports is a common practice, which, however, can bring not only benefits but also some difficulties in socialization and problems with self-acceptance. Adults’ mistakes leave an inevitable mark on children’s lives, whether they relate to routine social aspects or career prospects. A child who knows little about the world and cannot rely only on one’s own strengths is forced to rely on the opinions of those who have already realized themselves and gained life experience. The practical skills and knowledge of adults, however, are not always applied rationally because different motives can serve as behavioral or decision-making drivers, thereby causing biased and subjective opinions. When acquiring incorrect social interaction patterns from childhood, a kid grows up to be a person with complexes that leave an imprint on his or her later life. Pearlman (2013) argues that, in trying to help a child succeed, adults are “focused on the result, while forgetting the value of the journey” (para. 8). In addition, the author notes that parents often ignore children’s interests and act as if their own lives depend on the athletic success of their son or daughter (Pearlman, 2013). Unrealized ambitions and attempts to prove to themselves that they are capable of raising strong-minded children to turn all adults, without exception, into ruthless coaches. Although children are completely dependent on their parents, they have the right to independently choose their leisure time and those activities that not only develop them but also bring them joy and pleasure. Forced participation in sports or other types of leisure activities may cause the child to abandon athletics for good since the experience of coercion will develop a psychological barrier in him or her. Individual potential can be realized not only through competition but also through self-development so that the child understands that the path to success is a personal achievement. In addition, by participating in those leisure activities that adults impose, children are unlikely to strive for victories; conversely, their interest is discouraged, and they cannot understand their roles. Pearlman (2013) insists that a child should be willing to engage in hobbies that bring joy and self-development. Moreover, in the context of sports, the author notes the concept of “irrational competitiveness,” which implies the kid does not feel pleasure from the struggle imposed on him or her (Pearlman, 2013, para. 10). Therefore, giving the right to choose is a wise adult decision. The feeling of victory is enhanced if the child realizes that his or her efforts have paid off, and when interacting in a team, the kid may experience uncertainty and anxiety associated with unjustified expectations. With regard to sports games, stronger and defter teammates often ensure victory, which is ultimately awarded to the entire team, regardless of personal contribution. Failure to meet the demands of an adult coach can be traumatic and may lead to attendant difficulties, including detachment from life and an unwillingness to communicate. Cohesion in a team is achieved only if each of its participants is ready to support the other, regardless of abilities or individual skills. Pearlman (2013) recounts his own basketball experience and recalls how negatively he was influenced by personal failure when he was unable to help his team. He also notes that “the unity and togetherness” in sports can manifest themselves not only on the pitch but also outside it, which, however, contradicts the idea of ​​direct on-site competitions (Pearlman, 2013, para. 9). Thus, for a child to grow up mentally healthy, this is crucial to consider their roles in the team. Forcing a kid to participate in team sports is an unwise decision of parents, who may cause him or her psychological trauma and problems with self-acceptance. Unjustified expectations, stress, the lack of interest in sports, and some other factors are objective reasons to give a child an opportunity to choose a hobby to their liking. Pearlman’s (2013) idea that kids should not be coerced into satisfying adults’ ambitions is reasonable and valid given his and his brother’s experiences. Upon growing up, children do not get rid of their complexes and fears; they hide them, which, in the end, explains the popularity of psychologists’ services and their efforts to mitigate problems stemming from childhood. Reference Pearlman, J. (2013). Why I don’t want my kids to play team sports. The Wall Street Journal . Web.
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Social Concepts and Climate Change Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Climate Change is real 3. Conclusion 4. Works Cited Introduction Climate change is probably the biggest threat to societies and communities. While skeptics hold the notion that climate change is overrated and non-existent, proponents articulate that effects of climate are already apparent. Studies have revealed that climate change is in fact a major cause of diseases, famines and droughts experienced in different parts of the world (DeWeerdt 2). Although there are many opposing views on the process of climate change, there is substantial evidence to show that climate change is real and skeptics have no grounds to suppose the opposite. This paper synthesizes various sociological concepts and perspectives to support its argument. They include globalization, human ecology, environmental justice and global stratification. Besides, the paper will pinpoint reasons for affirming that climate change is factual and is poised to worsen in the coming decades. Climate Change is real At the outset, it is important to assert that human ecology has exacerbated climate change across the world. According to DeWeerdt, the manner in which human beings interact with natural and social environments has historically been counterproductive (1). In fact, Herbert Spencer argues that human beings main goal and motivation is survival. In other words, he articulates that the cliché, ‘survival for the fittest’ continues to typify human societies and social organizations. As such, the world continues to witness unsurpassed level of environmental degradation as societies seek to reap maximum utility from nature. For instance, DeWeerdt argues in her article that human beings in various parts of the world have encroached water catchment areas (2). Subsequently, some parts of the world have recorded scarce rainfall leading to a decline in crop yields and famines. To that end, it is important to emphasize that human activities have led to a change in climatic and weather patterns. This entrenches the argument that climate change is responsible for deaths that result from adverse weather patterns. While many governments and societies advice communities to adapt to climate change, it is apparent that global stratification has made it impossible for some communities to cushion themselves from climate change. The rationale is that adapting to climate change is costly for many countries especially in the third world. For instance, severe drought and famine that the world witnessed in the early 1980s in Sahel region led to setting up of adaptive measures. In fact, Ethiopian government created water pans and reservoirs to connect myriad of people in the drought prone regions of the country. However, the adaptive measures led to unintended consequences including malaria outbreaks in areas where the dams and water pans were built. Not only did people die because of drought and famine but also malaria related illnesses (DeWeerdt 2). The rationale is that Ethiopian government, like many developing countries, has limited resources to make healthcare services accessible and affordable to a large proportion of the population. On the contrary, developed and industrialized nations are able to adapt to the effects of climate change and conceal the actual effects of the process. As such, effects of climate change are usually more apparent in developing countries than in industrialized nations. Another example is the recent hunger that engulfed The Horn of Africa leading to unsurpassed deaths of children and people. Further, it is important to highlight that environmental justice remains elusive in many societies. DeWeerdt elucidates that many companies continue to exhibit reluctance especially when conforming to statutes and laws that guide their operations (2). Many manufacturing companies continue to emit greenhouse gases with little or no regard to environmental custodianship. This does not only aggravate the already dire situation but also makes climate change to become rapid. DeWeerdt says that reduction of greenhouse emission as envisaged in Kyoto Protocol of 1997 is yet to be achieved (3). The reason is that the process of globalization has led to uniformity and convergence of business operations across the world. This makes greenhouse emission not only an issue of the developed world but also a pertinent issue of the developing countries where multinational industries have established manufacturing plants. Other than profit-making motive of multinationals, population growth has increased tremendously across the world. This implies that high population will require increased energy sources and consequently, lead to increased emission of greenhouse emission into the atmosphere. According to Hadley centre for Climate Prediction and Research, extreme weather patterns have continued to typify European climatic patterns since the onset of 21 st century (DeWeerdt 2). Indeed, the institute points out that the heat wave of 2003 that killed approximately twenty thousand people serves as an illustration of the extreme weather owing to changes in climate. It is also apparent that sea levels have been rising steadily due to the warm weather in Polar Regions of the world. Particularly, research shows that glaciers have been melting consistently over time (DeWeerdt 2). All these are illustrations that climate change is real and skeptics of the process have no sound grounds to support their argument. Conclusion In summary, it is apparent that climate change is factual. Skeptics have criticized the process of climate change for a long time. However, counterproductive human ecology and globalization have exacerbated the process. Besides, it is apparent that effects of climate change are severe in developing nations. Extreme weather patterns and rising sea levels also serve to entrench the argument that climate change is real and it affects social organization of global societies. Works Cited DeWeerdt, Sarah. “Climate Change, Coming Home: Global Warming’s Effects on Populations.” World Watch Magazine 20.3 (2007): 1-6. Print.
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Violence in The Walking Dead and American Horror Story Essay The TV shows will tend to portray violence in some of the episodes. The most common TV series such as the Walking Dead and American Horror Story are filled with the violent acts, as the characters have to survive in the cruel world. One of the episodes of the Walking Dead Ricks leads the group to protect the city from the horde. At the same time, the city is attacked by the tribe of Wolves, who aggressively murder the citizens (The walking dead 2015). The citizens have to respond to protect their lives. As for the context of the violence, Carol aggressively reacts and tries to protect her neighbours from the newcomers (The walking dead 2015). The female character with the European appearance of the middle years fights with the representatives of different nationalities, who attacked the city. Nonetheless, her actions have the protective nature, as in this case, it is necessary to react rapidly to stay alive. Other characters, who live in the city, fight to the death to protect their family and friends. In this case, the violence can be discovered as an essentiality and necessity for survival. In this instance, the selected episode of the Walking Dead included the violence, as the main characters of the show have to fight for their survival in the world after the apocalypse. The main characters of the TV show are put in the stressful situation where the violence is the key response to the cruel reality and underlines their ability to survive. It remains one of the reasons for the necessity of the aggression in this episode. Nonetheless, the producers of the TV series understand the growing trends for the aggression and violence among the young viewers of the episode. Nonetheless, the active existence of the violent acts in the popular TV shows contributes to the cultivation of this trend (Jamieson & Romer, 2014). There are several ways of how media violence causes desensitization in people. The people get used to the constant presence of violent scenes in their lives. This fact contributes to the development of the desensitization towards violence and aggression and presence of the violent and aggressive actions in their lives (Huesmann, 2007). This reaction is not surprising, as people tend to copy the behaviour, which is actively displayed on the screen and adapt to their living standards. The mind has to adapt to the constantly repeating images of violence, and, in the end, considers it as a normality. Additionally, the presence of the aggression and the violence in the media causes aggressive arousal among the viewers and the inability to control their anger due to the influence of the images on the psychological state of the participants (Krahe et al., 2011). It could be said that the repetition of the particular actions defines the ways of behaviour among the viewers and makes them consider it as a norm. In conclusion, it could be said that aggression has a strong influence on the people’s mind, as it contributes to the development of the cultivation of the aggression among the members of society. Nonetheless, nowadays TV shows tend to contain violence and aggression due to the popularity of these trends among the younger generations. In this instance, it has a strong influence on the formation of the individual perceptions towards aggression and violence and consider it as one of the potential ways to build the relationships with the other members of the society. It remains evident that active propaganda of violence and aggression in the TV shows leads to the cultivation of desensitization in people. References Darabont, F. (Executive Producer). (2015). The Walking Dead [DVD]. New York, NY: AMC Studios. Huesmann, R. (2007). The impact of electronic media violence: Scientific theory and research. The Journal of Adolescent Health, 41 (6), 6-13. Jamieson, P., & Romer, D. (2014). Violence in popular U.S. prime time TV dramas and the cultivation of fear: A time series analysis. Media and Communication, 2 (2), 31-41. Krahe, B., Moller, I., Huesmann, R., Kirwil, L., Felber, J., & Berger, A. (2011). Desensitization to media violence: Links with habitual media violence exposure, aggressive conditions, and aggressive behaviour. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100 (4), 630-646.
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Each of these entities has a role to play and any disturbance or hindrance in their proper functioning would cripple the economy. One of the basic pre-conditions for the growth of the economy is growing capital formation. Capital formation refers to the distraction of the economy’s productive capacity for the creation of capital goods which eventually increase the productive capacity in the future. Generally, the term capital formation refers to an increase in the stocks of material capital only. The most accepted financial intermediaries are Banks. Some of the other entities which perform the role of financial intermediation are Investment Banks, Insurance Companies, Developmental Financial Institutions, Non- Banking Finance Companies, Mutual Funds, Pension Funds, Quasi-Governmental Agencies, etc. For decades, all the banks across the globe have focused on earning large sums of money from corporate clients. However, things have dramatically transformed today. Banks are awash with excess liquidity; interest rates are decreasing. Corporations do not borrow from banks in a big way due to a variety of reasons like economic slowdown, infrastructural constraints, etc ((ICMR), 2003). Under this scenario, banks are forced to look into the retail segment for lending and therefore the spotlight has now shifted to the retail sector. Banks across the globe are experiencing cutthroat competition while trying to enter new segments – car loans, consumer loans, housing finance, educational loans, credit cards, etc. The recent financial crisis in the United States can be related to what is known as “The Big Bank Theory” of finance and economics (Canadian Content, 2008). According to this theory, no government across the globe will allow any big financial institution or a bank to collapse so easily. This is because the after effect or the consequences of such collapses would be great and at a time will be out of control to handle despite how big the economy in which the collapse occurred (Farell, 2008). Subprime mortgage crises have become an ongoing economic problem in various parts of the globe. The basic reasons behind these crises may be described as contracted liquidity in the banking systems across the globe and also in the credit markets. Risky lending, excess of corporate and individual debt levels, risky practices of borrowing also can be added to the list of reasons for a subprime crisis to occur. Once the reasons as to why subprime crises occur are known, the next question that arises is as to what are the ways to avoid or decrease these crises from occurring. One best solution would be a modification of loan lending (ICFAI Center for Management Research (ICMR), 2003). The financial crisis of the United States is undoubtedly hampering the entire economy on a whole along with the financial system. Hedge funds are believed to destabilize the global economy. No prescribed rule of thumb can be followed while dealing with hedge funds. But off-late, the trades of hedge funds have used diverse styles of trading. The long-short strategy that has been recently adopted resulted in the capturing of almost 30 – 40 percent of the businesses in the United States (Unknown, 2009). There is significantly less amount of regulation in the U.S. financial market. Most of the banks and financial institutions of the U.S. market were not regulated and were also undercapitalized. Such institutions were the liquidity providers to the subprime markets. This being the scenario, whenever there is a solvency issue concerning certain institutions of the subprime markets, the so-called non-regulated companies faced a liquidity crunch and hence the trading used to stumble. Lack of transparency in the market is another reason behind the crisis. During the 1930s and 40s, banks were pretty much used to taking hefty deposits and eventually made loans out of such hefty deposits that they received. Congress did not obstruct this sort of activity till 1956. IT was in 1956 that the Bank Holding Company Act was passed for keeping the financial-services conglomerates from collecting such massive amounts. That above-stated law passed by Congress created an obstacle between both banking and insurance in reaction to antagonistic acquisitions and development activities by Transamerica Corp., a well-known insurance organization that owned Bank of America and also a plethora of other business issues. Quite a few attempts since the year 1933 by many commercial bankers of the United States, and regulators sometimes, to repeal exceptions to certain sections of the law which make separation of commercial and investment banking mandatory have not been victorious. As a result, the United States and Japan were forced to adapt to similar kinds of laws post World War II and this officially called for this kind of severance. Banks that are into investment banking were subject to the clash of interest and the same clash thus resulted in causing harm to the investors (Thomas Dohrmann, 2004). Activities that include securities trading are different from the way banking should be conducted. References Canadian Content. 2008. The US Banking System. Canadian Content. Web. Dohrmann. T, Benjamin Y. Lieber, and Andrew W. Sellgren. 2004. A risk-management upgrade for US bank regulators. McKinsey Quarterly. Web. Farell, Robert R. 2008. America’s Banking Crisis. The Real Truth. Web. ICFAI Center for Management Research (ICMR). 2003. Economics for Managers. Hyderabad : ICFAI Center for Management Research. ICFAI Center for Management Research. 2003. Commercial Banking. Hyderabad : ICFAI Center for Management Research. Unknown. 2009. Is The American Banking System A Ponzi Scheme In Disguise? Financial Edge. Web.
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Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman Critical Essay Daniel Kahneman is one of the world’s most renowned thinkers. He won a Nobel Peace Prize in E.S for his work as a psychologist (Kahneman 3). The book is very long and hence not attractive for readers who prefer short-written books. However, it creates awareness, informs, and educates readers on very important matters related to the mind. Readers can tell how and why their thoughts vary in different situations after reading the book. The book targets people who are interested in knowing how and why human beings behave differently in different situations. The author takes readers on a ground breaking tour about the mind. The book engages readers in a lively conversation on how they think before making judgments and decisions. The author informs readers when and where they should trust their intuition, and how they should switch to slow thinking. The author structured the book well hence enlightening the readers by providing them with insights on how to make decisions or choices. In other words, the book transforms the way people perceive about thinking. He uses two systems to describe and explain the way people think, and the way they judge and make decisions. These include intuitive and emotional systems, as well as deliberative and logical systems. This is the most interesting hypothesis that the author of this book builds up to make readers understand what the book entails. For instance, the book convinces readers why the first impressions matters a lot and why people should use formulas, and not listen to human judgment experts in low validity places. Kahneman expresses amazing capabilities as he explains the faults and biases of thinking fast. He also reveals the influence of impressions on an individual’s mind and behavior. The book is very important to societies because it brings transparency in making judgments, choices, and decisions. For instance, it reveals how the minds of people get tripped up, leading them to make wrong judgments, choices, and decisions. The author makes it clear that even at times when people feel and think that they are logical, errors and prejudices trip their minds. He also provides readers with the best remedy to curb the errors and prejudices while making critical decisions. For instance, he discusses the best practical techniques for thinking slow, which people need to adopt in order to get contented with their choices, decisions, or judgment. This shows that he does not leave his audience in suspense. The book satisfies readers in many ways. As earlier mentioned, it does not leave them in suspense with regard to what is next, or what should be done to curb certain situations. It is complete, identifies the problem, the causes and effects of the problem, and solutions to the problems. For instance, the author identifies the cognitive biases on how individuals view each other. It also includes the effects of the biases, the most relevant skills and how they should be developed, as well as the appropriate measures among other things. The book informs the readers how, when, and why they should think fast, or slow in different situations. The author also describes the duality in variations in relation to individuals’ minds (Kahneman 350). Here, the author discloses the cognitive bias of socialism and how human beings overestimate some aspects of life. The conclusion of this book is amazing. The author analyses the way human beings appreciate and judge their life quality, inclusive of cognitive biases. The readers can do away with worries about irrational social standards after reading this book. Works Cited Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow . London: Penguin, 2012. Print.
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Commodity Fetishism Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Marx’s argument 3. Importance of this concept 4. Conclusion 5. Works Cited: Introduction To Karl Marx, commodity fetishism is a critic of the political economy that refers to the mystery of human relations, which may be as a result of economic exchange when social ties between them are exhibited as, arbitrated by and changed into objectified relations across objects, that is, commodities and currency. Products, the main characteristic of capitalism, are mysterious objects; their character as commodities fails to add up because all humans produce goods through all goods cannot be defined as commodities. Commodities get their strange character by market trade: Producers do not fix the value for these commodities by their utility value but by their ability to be traded for other objects. The labor used to produce these commodities is also priced not for its worth, but for its ability to establish trade, thus human labor on its own is a commodity, which can be exchanged for money. The various types of energy are to be valued since they can be traded for the same value of commodities; hence the social nature of work implies that material relations across factors of production. The social relations which establish these people’s equal value (the price of labor that they represent) vanishes from their conscience (Agger, 89). Therefore, people see the market as a set of relations among objects rather than as a set of relationships between each other. Marx’s argument Marx explains the difference between use-value and exchange-value. Use-value is a measurement of the utility of the commodity, while the exchange value is the amount the merchandise will earn on the market. The money acts as the accepted medium of exchange, and it brings different uneven commodities into relations of equal opportunity with one another. The exchange value is ascertained by the ratio of labor times presently required to make that commodity. This is what Marx denotes as the social division of labor and the composite relations of inter-reliance, which characterizes capitalism. Nevertheless, these composite relations aren’t apparent to people involved in market trade who notice only the ensuing relations between objects, but for people who (by mistake though for their interests) see these relations as self-propelling, and as self-regulating instead of being reliant on the social specialization of production roles, and the relations it creates across various owners of means of production. According to Marx, in capitalism, production has power over us instead of being vice versa. Hence, goods seem to be interdependent of those who produce them and seem to have mastery over them. He also argues that it reduces human labor to an abstraction. As seen in religions (he gives an example of Christianity) that reduces humans to “an abstract man” (Balibar, 154). Commodity fetishism is a character of any given economic system because these objects of trade occur in various ways since centuries back, however to Marx, commodity fetishism looms more with capitalism, because it is based only on the “production of commodities using commodities.” Thus, market forces affect nearly all things that people do, contrary to the pre-capitalist economies where markets were not liberalized, and people never experienced this. Importance of this concept This concept was useful in explaining the world’s history at the time. Due to this fetishism nature, people tended to behave and act as though the object had significant control over their actions therefore from their kind of behavior, it was no doubt that the society believed that the object had a considerable power or influence over them. Due to this belief, society thought that the purpose had superhuman or intrinsic powers that no man could have (Morrison, 361). Nevertheless, the power was not intrinsic, only that the society tended to believe so. From the concept we learn that the society believed that certain activities or actions could result in harm in the community while others could result in positive results; therefore they believed that the objects were under the influence of good and evil spirits which dictated the outcome of any activity. Thus certain objects could not be touched or used without authority while others were just at the disposal of only authorized people in the given society. From this perception, the same concept as argued by Karl Marx is said to apply in business or trade whereby people attributed certain powers in trade to certain objects or influences. Therefore, society behaved in a manner suggesting that these objects had real powers and it was a natural phenomenon. They, therefore, held the traded objects in high regard. Hence from the above, the society looked at the relationship from an angle of the things/ objects being exchanged due to the belief of the enormous power being possessed by the objects. Thus the objects defined the social relationship in the society. Hence there was no real value in other social aspects apart from that associated with the exchange of these objects. Conclusion In conclusion, through this concept, Marx tries to show that the goods market can function effectively, with people exchanging without valuing the actual character of the market, and all that matters is the actual character of the society they live in. Actual ,details about the market are not needed to engage in the market, and the means engaged could be altered to facilitate a favorable perception on them. However, to Marx, these mysteries will continue until production is turned into a “free human association,” governed by the employees on their own. Works Cited: Agger, Ben. Social theories: an introduction . Nashville: Westview, 1998. Print. Balibar, Etienne. Philosophy of Marx . Nashville: Verso, 1995. Print. Morrison, Kenneth. Formations of modern social thought . Houston: Sage. 2006. Print.
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How Burning Fossil Fuels Affect the Nitrogen Cycle Research Paper Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Nitrogen cycle 3. Burning of fossil fuels 4. How fossil fuels affect nitrogen cycle 5. Recommendations 6. Conclusion 7. Bibliography 8. Footnotes Introduction The nitrogen cycle is a naturally occurring process where the level of nitrogen found in soils is controlled. This is done by decomposition of organic material and absorbing nitrogen from the atmosphere. The process maintains a diversity of plants and animals. The world has embarked on major industrialization, which has resulted in the use of fossil fuels. Emissions from these fuels affect the nitrogen cycle. Scientists from Brown University and the University of Washington summarizes these effects to increase of nitrogen oxide and nitrogen in the atmosphere 1 . This paper looks into how Burning Fossil Fuels Affect the Nitrogen Cycle. Nitrogen cycle The atmosphere is made up of approximately 70% of nitrogen gas (N2); plants require this gas for production. However, they cannot absorb this component directly from the atmosphere. The nitrogen cycle is the process that nitrogen is converted into the inorganic component which a plant can absorb. The process is facilitated by organisms found in soil and o plants’ roots. Nitrogen is also released when organic products decompose and from artificial fertilizers. The following diagram interpolates the cycle; The following Diagram interpolates the process Burning of fossil fuels Fossil fuels are anaerobic decompositions of organic matter for millions of years and are utilized as sources of fuels. Their major component is a carbon (over 90%), but produces among others nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds 2 . How fossil fuels affect nitrogen cycle With the increase in the industrial process, there has been an increase in use of fuel in production. When fuel is burnt, there are gases produced. They are disposed to the environment and results into global warming. Such gasses include carbon gasses and nitrogen oxide gases. When nitrogen oxide is release, there is the resultant of acid rain/fog. These fogs have a high concentration of nitrogen oxide which when it is filtered in the social it affects the salinity of those soils. Soils with nitrogen oxide filtered into them loses its potassium and calcium components. Calcium and potassium are important in enhancing balanced plant ecosystems. Soil loses it fertility and growth of plants on such soils is reduced. Soils affected by acid rains are more acidic that they are expected to be and thus plants do not grow effectively on them. On the other hand animals depend on plants rather indirectly or directly. If social do not grow plants, and then animals lack food. Nitrogen oxide is a strong compound that is not easily decomposed. When it is swept downstream, it affects aquatic life. This is through killing of aquatic living organisms or affecting the growths of aquatic plants which animals live in water depend on. Burning of fossil fuels results into green house effect; the resultant is an increase in global warming. It is estimated that there was a 0.74 ± 0.18 °C increase in each temperature changes as a result of green house effect. The increased temperature reduces the natural operation of the environment resulting to interference in nitrogen cycle. When plants decay, they produce nitrogen that is then utilized by growing plants to grow others; animals then eat these plants. Animals waste and remains is then decomposed on soils, decomposes and nitrogen is produced again. The cycle repeats itself. Any influence in any part of the cycle interrupts nitrogen cycle 3 . Recommendations To reduce carbon emissions from fossil duels, nation should join efforts to develop clean technology production. Proper ways of disposal should also be invented. There have been various international conventions aimed at reducing green gas emissions from production with the most recognized one as Kyoto protocol signed on 11 December 1997. Its implementation has not been fully attained since some countries are not willing to abide to the rules set. Conclusion Burning of fossil fuels produces gases into the atmosphere which include Nitrogen oxide which in turn affects nitrogen cycle. When nitrogen cycle is interrupted, soils lose their fertility and thus plants produce less when planted on such soils. The effect will be on animals since they depend on plants for food either directly or indirectly. To reduce green house gases emissions gasses nations should join hands and invent clean technology. Bibliography Roach, W. John. “How anthropogenic modifications influence the cycling of nitrogen in Indian Bend Wash, an urban desert stream”. Ph.D. diss., Arizona State University ,2005. In Dissertations & Theses: Full Text. Web. Seitzinger, Sybil. 2008. “Nitrogen cycle: Out of reach.” Nature 452, no. 7184: 162-163. Academic Search Complete. Web. VonAncken, Eva Elisabeth. “Fossil Fuels and Pollution: The Future of Air Quality.” School Library Journal 56, no. 6 (2010): 123. MasterFILE Premier. Web. Footnotes 1. Seitzinger, Sybil. 2008. “Nitrogen cycle: Out of reach.” Nature 452, no. 7184: 162-163. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2. VonAncken, Eva Elisabeth. “Fossil Fuels and Pollution: The Future of Air Quality.” School Library Journal 56, no. 6 (2010): 123. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 3. Roach, W. John. “How anthropogenic modifications influence the cycling of nitrogen in Indian Bend Wash, an urban desert stream”. Ph.D. diss., Arizona State University ,2005. In Dissertations & Theses: Full Text. Web.
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There are different definitions of driving under the influence, but the general one describes this offense as “driving a motor vehicle on a road or highway while under the influence of alcohol” ( Elements of DUI Offense , n.d., para. 2). The case is rather controversial because the judge was arrested for drunk driving. Judges are expected to behave in the proper way, be examples to follow. This aspect of the offense will be discussed later. Initially, it is necessary to define the elements of the crime under consideration. Five distinctive features usually characterize the driving under the influence. First, the individual drives in the unusual or strange manner. Second, the driver’s physical appearance or conduct are also far from being usual and normal. Driver’s behavior during the field sobriety test is another evidence that is taken into consideration. The fourth element concerns record of driving under the influence. Statements of the driver can be used for incriminating purposes as well. Any individual who enters criminal justice system has the particular Constitutional rights. In the case under consideration, the police arrested the judge. It means that the judge has entered the criminal justice system. The right to remain silence is the first Constitutional right. It is a part of the Miranda warning. The right to be represented by the attorney is another part of the Miranda Rights. Any individual who enters criminal justice system has the right to trial. The presumption of innocence is another Constitutional right that presupposes that the accused person cannot be considered to be guilty unless the guilt is proved beyond reasonable doubt (Samaha, 2013). The fact that Miranda Rights have not been read to the judge is crucial in the case under consideration. Miranda Rights are Constitutional rights, and it means that every individual should be provided with that right. The only exception to the rule is public safety. Thus, police officers may not tell Miranda warning in case there is a threat to the public safety. This exception does not concern the case under evaluation. Consequently, the police violated the Constitutional rights of the judge. According to Edelson (2014), “if a police officer obtains in violation of the suspect’s Constitutional rights a judge should exclude the evidence” (p. 225). Thus, the attorney can use this evidence to protect the arrested judge. As it has been already mentioned, one aspect makes this case rather controversial — the defendant is a judge. There is a controversy about the way judges should be treated in courts. On the one hand, they are people too with their strong and weak sides. On the other hand, judges are representatives of justice and the rule of law. As a result, judges should be held to a higher standard because of the role and significance of their profession. Pollock (2011) supports the idea that legal “professionals are expected to uphold a higher standard of behavior than the general public” (p. 241). Judges and other law enforcement representatives should adhere to the peculiarities of their profession. They should behave in the proper way and avoid any violations of the rule of law. In my opinion, the attorney’s position is right as far as all legal procedures should be followed exactly. Police officers had to tell the arrested person Miranda warning despite the fact that he was a judge. Still, the defendant’s behavior should be judged on the basis of the higher standard of conduct. References Edelson, D. (2014). United States Law: An Introduction for International Students . New York City, NY: Daniel Edelson. Elements of DUI Offense . (n.d.). Web. Pollock, J. (2011). Ethical Dilemmas and Decisions in Criminal Justice . Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Samaha, J. (2013). Criminal Law . Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
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Pop Culture and Race, Ethnicity, Sexual Morality, and Gender Essay From a normative perspective, hooks’ thesis is that feminism is open to all willing to struggle against a system of intersecting oppressions, including men. On the other hand, there is a historically, politically, and economically determined point of intersection between parts of the feminist movement and the conservative media. This point is precisely the question of men’s participation in the feminist movement. I agree with hooks’ position that the feminist movement could not have been discredited as anti-male if it had paid more attention to finding more emancipatory perspectives on masculinity analysis. She argues that sexism, racism, and homophobia are linked and that all forms of oppression must be addressed in order to defeat them (hooks, 2021). It is also impossible to disagree with this position of the writer. The anti-male stance of some feminists coincides with the interest of conservatives in portraying feminism as a misogynist movement. On the other hand, male socialization may indeed present a problem from a feminist perspective. However, in traditional society, not only women’s but also men’s status is framed by a set of clichés. If gender equality were to become a reality, men, too, would gain freedom of choice and self-expression. A key challenge for today’s media is to promote gender sensitivity in journalists, which means being able to see any social problem from a gendered perspective. As long as journalists do not see a social problem, they do not talk about it; therefore, they do not raise it in their stories. Journalists’ knowledge of a problem is the first step toward making it relevant because what the media report on is socially significant. This focus on excluding and exaggerating differences does not lead to reinforcing gender stereotypes. Rather, it can be considered as a new way of looking at the pressing issues of ethnicity, identity, and sexuality. Indeed, all media not only reflect but also construct reality. Here, it should be noted that modern journalists cannot do without a clear methodology for creating texts that take gender into account. Language is first and foremost a reproduction of power relations, and discursive practices have their footing in intersubjective communication. Consequently, it can be said that changes in language through feminist literary criticism have served as a means of shaping a feminist paradigm of profound societal change. certainly, men and women still perceive and interpret the world differently, which is due to differences in their life experiences. The latter, in turn, is caused by biological factors and the historically established division of labor, but there is no need to absolutize this fact. There are similarities between women and men because they are representatives of the same species; they are, first of all, human beings who tend to think similarly. bell hooks says that the representation of African-Americans in pop culture takes place in the context of white supremacy and the normalization, the acceptance of that supremacy. The images of movie characters are closely tied to the context, the place and time in which people live, and the values specific to a particular culture. Moreover, the way in which characters are portrayed in cinema is influenced by socially established norms of human interaction. Most often, there are fixed gender roles that enshrine certain behavior, as well as ways of representation of men and women. In this regard, cinema, as a massively popular form of media, can both question stereotypes and affirm them. Today, there is little scientific research on how gender specifics manifest themselves in journalistic materials’ form and content. For the most part, scholars study gender stereotypes in media coverage of women. There is even less information on the influence of natural male and female characteristics on journalism. In particular, little has been written about how a woman’s need to describe reality manifests itself in her work. However, I think it is safe to judge at this point that the male perspective remains dominant. Unfortunately, there is still little space for actualizing issues of racial, ethnic, and sexual identity. For example, feminists have not yet succeeded in creating political solidarity with women of different nationalities or socioeconomic classes. hooks believes that a more transformative politics is needed, one that is not so rooted in Western ideology (Bohrer, 2019). The idea of male-female solidarity in continuing sexism deserves special attention (Subašić et al., 2018). Together, it can be possible to overcome the dominance of a single point of view on media events, such as the way women are shown in movies. hooks talks about the need to develop an oppositional gaze, that is, to deconstruct rather than accept the point of view of the male gaze, not to identify with female objects but to analyze cinema. This is indeed true since it is unacceptable to be content with the way the oppressor demystifies the history of the oppressed. It is important to invent ways to express identity authentically without any distortion. It is widely recognized that the media are transmitters of culture and drivers of globalizing cultures. Consequently, for the media to accurately reflect the state of society in a full and diverse way, the news must be deeper and not just utilize a male-centered, stereotypical view. References Bohrer, A. J. (2019). Marxism and intersectionality: race, gender, class and sexuality under contemporary capitalism. Transcript Publushing. hooks, b. (2021). Communion: the female search for love. HarperCollins. Subašić, E., Hardacre, S., Elton, B., Branscombe, N. R., Ryan, M. K., & Reynolds, K. J. (2018). “We for she”: Mobilising men and women to act in solidarity for gender equality. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 21 (5), 707–724. Web.
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Strategic Errors of Kodak Essay In terms of responding to the post on strategic errors made by Kodak since 1990, I tend to disagree with the student’s argument that this company paid much attention to boost the future of the shrinking film industry rather than identifying innovative changes. In my opinion, I think Kodak was right when it applied a resource-based view approach to ensure that it utilizes available opportunity to save the shrinking future of the film market. It is imperative to note that a company cannot employ innovative changes without having clearly defined strategy on its future performance (Hill & Jones 2012, p. 382). Therefore, I advocate that this was not an error and instead, Kodak was on the right track as opposed to the argument presented in the post. In addition, despite the fact that the company missed a chance to be the first one to enter digital imaging market, it does not necessarily indicate that it lacked a competitive advantage amidst other film companies. It is notable that there are film companies that could be leading in the digital market especially due to innovation but fail to succeed especially if the internal environment is not conducive. Contrastingly, industries which consider their market-based view to evaluate the external and internal environment of the business are likely to take off quite easily (Thompson et al 2012, p. 53). Secondly, in as much as innovation is important as the student notes in the post, marketability of film products cannot be excluded since it can boost the performance of company in spite of minimal innovation (Thompson et al 2012, p. 53). Nevertheless, I agree with the student’s argument that innovative changes are essential since they enable a company to produce topnotch services to clients (Barney 2001, p. 44). For this reason, I concur with the opinion that failure by Kodak to adopt digital technology in 1990s led to the emergence of other film industries that slowly took its position. Therefore, despite the fact that Kodak has maintained its competitive advantage, other upcoming film companies have dominated the market and consequently low returns for Kodak. Comments on the alternative strategic moves which Kodak could have made since 1990 to produce better outcomes for its stakeholders It is definite that information provided by this post is a clear indicator that the main goal in an organization is to increase the profitability and better outcomes that will benefit the shareholders. Previous studies have revealed that there are strategies that can be applied in order boost share prices. I tend to disagree with the student’s argument presented in this post that Kodak should abandon its profitable traditional business and embrace the digital one. In my opinion, I suggest that the company should incorporate both traditional and digital platform since it might take time before customers get used to the new changes. Huang (2011, p.173) notes that changes should be effected gradually. Nevertheless, gradual elimination of ancient technology for modern one could be a vital strategic move for the company. In this case, I support the argument that highlights that technological diversification would finally save the company from being bankrupt and boost its potential to expand its sales. Additionally, I own up the suggestion presented by the student that Kodak should gradually sell off the ancient business imaging, a factor that will save it from high operational cost. This will also enable the company to reshape and release its digital products to numerous niche markets and hence eliminate its historical competitors. References Barney, J.B 2001, ‘Is the resource-based “view” a useful perspective for strategic management research? Yes.’ The Academy of Management Review , vol. 26 no. 1, pp. 41-55. Hill, G & Jones, G 2012, Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach, Cengage Learning, Mason, USA. Huang, K. 2011, ‘Technology competencies in competitive environment.’ Journal of Business Research , vol.64 no. 2, pp. 172-179. Thompson, A. et al 2012, Crafting and Executing Strategy, McGraw-Hill Companies Inc, New York.
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Understanding Mammography/Mammogram 2. Conducting Mammography 3. Reliability and validity of Mammography 4. Sensitivity and Specificity of Mammography 5. Controversies 6. Ethical Issues 7. References Understanding Mammography/Mammogram The National Cancer Institute defines a mammogram as an x-ray picture of the breast after mammography. Mammographies are useful screening and diagnostic tools. They help to check for breast cancer in case of no signs/symptoms: screening. They are also used to confirm the presence of breast cancer in the case of a prevailing lump or other sign/symptom of the disease (National Cancer Institute, 2014). Conducting Mammography When conducting a mammography, the breast is sandwiched between two plates, which compress the breast and are connected to a mammogram machine. The mammogram machine consists an adjustable at the top, and a fixed one at the bottom. An x-ray film is attached to the fixed bottom plate to enable it record the mammogram image. In order to avoid prolonged exposure to x-ray, while simultaneously obtaining a clearer picture, the breast is compressed to a thinner layer of tissue as indicated in the figure below. A computer-generated black and white image is produced during this procedure. A radiologist is the only capable person who can interpret this image. These computer-generated mammograms, otherwise known as digital mammograms are preferred in detecting cancer in women below the age of 50, and among women who have dense breast tissue (American Cancer Society, 2014). The mammograms are used to provide information necessary in the early detection of breast cancer. Reliability and validity of Mammography In this context, validity is the ability of the mammography to distinguish clearly between those who have breast cancer, and those who don’t. The issue of validity and reliability of mammograms is an area that has not been widely researched. However, there are numerous indications of the unreliability and poor validity of results as indicated by the occurrence of false positive and false negative results (Andolina and Lille, 2010). Available studies have mainly focused on the validity of health belief model variables in relation to mammography screening interventions. The reliability of mammography is not 100% due to the presence of false-negatives and false-positives, which apparently are inevitable. Sensitivity and Specificity of Mammography Mammography has a high sensitivity because it is able to detect prevailing cancers. Andolina and Lille (2010) report that the mammogram is not without some false negatives of between 5 and 15%. These false alarms could be attributed to cancers not diagnosable through a mammogram, young age, dense breast tissue, mucinous or lobular breast tissue, or rapidly enlarging cancer (National Cancer Institute, 2014). According to Andolina and Lille (2010), specificity of mammography is higher when used to screen the larger population in comparison to diagnosis of the cancer. Despite the fact that the mammography can indicate the presence of a malignancy or benign disease, it does not distinguish between these two. The predictive value of mammography is highly dependent on the sensitivity and specificity of the test. Controversies Despite the fact that the mammogram saves lives through early diagnosis of cancer; hence, prompting immediate treatment, there is contention over the high rates of overdiagnosis and distress resulting from false alarms. Apparently, mammography results in negative psychological wellbeing due to issues with specificity and sensitivity (Bond et al., 2013). Ethical Issues The diagnosis of cancers that may not be harmful exposes a woman to risks associated with therapy, lymphedema and post-radiation effects such as occurrence of new cancers and scarring (National Cancer Institute, 2014). The false-negatives develop a false complacency and may ignore subsequent warning symptoms; hence, delaying diagnosis as the progression of the disease continues. The false-positives are subjected to unnecessary therapy that is costly, uncomfortable and harmful due to associated psychological distress. References American Cancer Society. (2014). How is a mammogram done? Web. Andolina, V., & Lille, S. (2010). Mammographic Imaging: A Practical Guide (3 rd ed. ).New York: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Bond, M., Pavey, T., Welch, K., Cooper, C., Garside, R., Dean, S., & Hyde, C. (2013). Psychological consequences of false-positive screening mammograms in the UK. Evidence Based Medicine, 18 , 54-61. National Cancer Institute. (2014). Breast Cancer Screening (PDQ®). Web.
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Most of the things done around the world could not be done a century ago. This can be attributed to widespread computerization, civilization and modernization. However, this age is also characterized by many hindrances to the human race. In this age, people no longer make independent decisions. They have allowed others to do the thinking for them. This is what has ruined the social imagination of many. In his book Taking it big: Developing sociological consciousness in postmodern times, Steven Dandaneau identifies the aspect of social imagination as the only way to prevent humans from being controlled by their surroundings. By using the term “Taking it big,” Dandaneau simply refers to the act of thinking in a broad manner without being under any influence. This is a term that he repeatedly uses throughout the entire book to urge all right-minded individuals to break away from the negligence that has engulfed today’s postmodern world. The author further perceives today’s world as one whose inhabitants have lost total control over their lives. Instead of relying on their own judgments, they let other influential people, and the media to decide the course of their actions. Dandaneau appears pessimistic in his perception of the current world. This is because he hardly makes any sense out of it. In fact, Dandaneau compares the life of today’s humans to that of fish, which are unaware of the happenings in the water around them. Dandaneau believes that the development of sociological imagination in human beings is the only way to save humanity. This is attributed to the fact that it enables one to look at the world from a reasonable point of view. With this type of imagination, Dandaneau guarantees that every person will be in a position to acquire the necessary knowledge and put it into practice. He purports that this particular imagination empowers everybody to act and think in a free manner by enabling them to acquire the myriad dimensions of cultural and social experience (Dandaneau, 2000). Dandaneau further believes that social imagination is bound to bring a revolution to the whole universe upon its inception. It will do this by enlightening the people about what life actually has in store for them. Dandaneau believes that if all youths in the world were to be introduced to the concept of social imagination, then they can transform the world. According to the author, Dandaneau is justified to view the current world the way he does. The writer fully concurs with him that the postmodern world has taken a delusional way of life that has ruined the intellectual capacity of many. It is apparent that today’s society hardly makes any significant society without the consideration of what other influential people or groups have to say about it. This has comprised the autonomy and freedom of choice of many. From the foregoing discussion, it is justifiably right to argue that Dandaneau’s book exhaustively explores the elusive culture of today’s society. In addition to that, Dandaneau posits that social imagination is the only remedy to get the world out of this deep slumber. Dandaneau presents his concepts and ideas in a captivating manner which heralds that imagination. Finally, the writer of this essay fully agrees with Dandaneau that today’s world lies in tatters as far as its thinking capacity is concerned. Reference List Dandaneau, S. (2000). Taking it Big: Developing sociological consciousness in postmodern times. California: Pine Forge Press.
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This may imply that the ideas were scientifically disproved, cannot be tested by research, or do not have enough evidence as support (Breakwell, Wright, & Barnett, 2021). Because the term is the most often used with a negative connotation when characterizing research, one insinuates that the topic being studied is not based on scientific findings, thus lacking reliability. An activity or belief is considered pseudoscientific when the proponents of that movement claim it to be accurate and present ‘statistics’ or ‘facts’ that are hearsay rather than actual scientifically-derived data. Therefore, the opinion as to the reliability of pseudoscience is based on subjective viewpoints and cannot be supported by evidence. A major concern associated with pseudoscience is misinformation and the representations of theories or beliefs as facts. Because of the increased popularity of some pseudoscience categories, and the spreading of varied articles online, it is important not to allow the general public to see it as real science as the spreading of false or unverified information could lead to unfavorable consequences. An example of a pseudoscientific activity or belief is astrology, which implies the belief that the position of the earth and other planets have an influence on the everyday behaviors of people. Even though the discipline has a long history and there are technological aspects that astrology considers in its ‘research,’ such as planetary movements or time and geography, there is no way to scientifically prove that human behaviors depend on the way in which celestial bodies move and change. Reference Breakwell, G., Wright, D., & Barnett, J. (2021). Research methods in psychology (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
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Theory of Andre Gunder Frank Essay Andre Gunder Frank considers underdevelopment as an inherent part of the global economy as each developed country has come though this stage. The developing countries have just stopped on one particular stage of their development longer and it does not mean that the current social, political and economical position of the developing countries remain the same. This theory is based on the fact that each country develops by one and the same scheme and the developing countries which are leg in economical and societal development have not just entered the necessary stage which ma help them continue their growth. Considering the development of each country as the process which has the same nature and should subject to the specific rules, Andre Gunder Frank assures that “economic development occurs in a succession of capitalist stages and that today’s underdeveloped countries are still in a stage, sometimes depicted as an original stage of history, through which the now developed countries passed long ago… underdevelopment is not original or traditional and that neither the past nor the present of the underdeveloped countries resembles in any important respect the past of the now developed countries [which] were never underdeveloped, though they may have been undeveloped. It is also widely believed that the contemporary underdevelopment of a country can be understood as the product or reflection solely of its own economic, political, social, and cultural characteristics or structure” (Frank 1). Immanuel Wallerstein also supports the idea there are particular stages which exist for the development of an evolution of the societies. Only coming though these stages the country is able enter the highest position of its development. Additionally, Wallerstein is sure that the history should be one of the main sources of possessing knowledge as such countries as USSR and China during the times of Mao are the examples of the rapid growth, however, inability to step on another stage, to see the advantages of the modern development caused their ruining (Wallerstein 415). However, there are some scholars who disagree with this statement being sure that e development of the country depends on the knowledge of its population and on the way how those societies were governed. The level of social development and human organization are the only contributors to the success of failure of the progress of regress of the societies (North 59). Therefore, the developing countries at the states they are only because they lack professional human resource and contributor in their economies. In case the developing countries stand on the way of correct political and economical path, their destiny may change. However, in case of the current state of affairs, the situation may never change and being developing countries, they will never become developed. Therefore it may be concluded that the developing stage as well as underdevelopment one are the parts of the global economy, the countries have just frozen on the positions and they are to continue growth in order to become the developed countries. Even if the developing countries are not considered as the stage which the country is to come though, this is the part of the global economy as the countries operate mutually depending on each other. The globalization of the economic and political relationships involve all the countries in the international process and the underdevelopment cannot be an exception. Works Cited Frank, Andre Gunder. “The development of underdevelopment.” Monthly Review 18 (1966): 1-12. Print. North, Douglass C. Structure and Change in Economic History . New York W. W. Norton. 1981. Print. Wallerstein, Immanuel. “The Rise and Future Demise of the World Capitalist System.” Comparative Studies in Society and History 16.4 (1974): 387-415. Print.
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“The Dead” by James Joyce Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Analysis 3. Conclusion 4. Works Cited Introduction “The Dead” is a short story that was written by an Irish novelist James Joyce. It is a part of a collection named “Dubliners”. The author is best known for his use of dramatically different literary styles and narratives. This piece is an excellent example of usage of such techniques. Analysis The novelist makes sure that the theme of death is present throughout the whole piece. The descriptions of objects and dialogues are used to create the feeling of darkness and uneasiness. The colors also play a significant role, and they enhance the overall atmosphere of the story. It can be said that an absolute meaning and deepness are present in every line of this piece (Maher par. 5). The author explains the lives of the characters, and it becomes evident that there is some similarity between them. Their actions and behavior can only be described as unenthusiastic. It seems like they are stuck in a particular state, and there is no way out. They do not see another choice but to continue on with their lives without attempting to make any changes (Ostrander 61). All of them lack motivation, and it can be said that they are actually frozen. They are in a state that precedes death because they are not able to achieve happiness. It is paramount to address the fact that this collection was written during an extremely stressful period in the life of the author, and it has reflected in the content (Rendall 269). The way the author moves from another perspective to another is truly astounding. It creates an incredible effect and allows the story to flow very smoothly. Joyce wanted to recreate the feeling of the parties that were popular at that time. Certain events take place in different rooms, but everyone who is present will most likely know what has happened and will discuss it with each other. The novelist moves the story forward by describing corridors and movements of characters. Joyce also uses music as a way for a reader to get a better understanding of the setting and overall mood of the story. One could listen to some of the songs during the reading to comprehend the picture that is being painted by the author. Some may say that this approach takes away the originality of the work and the world that is being described. However, it makes it much more realistic, and this is what the novelist tried to achieve. It is also interesting that there is an opinion that framed images that are described in this piece play a significant role in the overall story and can be viewed as ekphrasis (Monterrey 62). It is indeed true, and each of them represents a particular section of this piece. There are other examples of deeper meaning. For example, a circular movement that was made by the central character could be viewed as a symbol of life. However, it illustrates the lack of progress and repetition of same tasks that was common at that time. The author raises major topics in this work. The main character tries to understand who is truly dead. The descriptions of feelings of uncertainness are used by the author to criticize Dubliners including himself. Every single person that was present at that party was merely a shell, and the boy that has died is actually remembered. In my opinion, Joyce has ended this story perfectly with this phrase: “his soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and dead” (321). In other words, the author wanted the reader to imagine this picture and understand the feelings of the hero. The snow represents changes. The novelist believed that they are coming very soon for the people of his country, and he wanted to end the story on an interesting note. However, the views of readers on this subject matter are often different. Some think that the snow is cleansing, but there are opinions that it is a cloak of death. It is also paramount to say that the fact that this story is the last in the collection is definitely not a coincidence, and it is another example of the author’s unique approach. Conclusion In conclusion, this is truly a masterpiece and one of the best works of the author. Joyce addresses numerous topics that most are afraid to because they are worried about the adverse reaction of readers. He criticized the behavior of people in that century, their shallowness, and emptiness. It can be seen that the story is incredibly realistic because it is based on the writer’s experience from his own life (Lavin par. 26). He used numerous techniques to make sure that the reader is able to experience the emotions of the characters. Overall, this piece is truly revolutionary, and it has had an enormous influence on other writers over the years. Works Cited Joyce, James. Dubliners: And Chamber Music . 1914. Auckland, NZ: The Floating Press, 2010. Print. Lavin, John. Epiphanies – On Joyce’s “The Dead”. 2013. Web. Maher, Kevin. A Gut-Punch of Sadness in James Joyce’s “Dubliners” . 2013. Web. Monterrey, Tomás. “Framed Images as Counterpoints in James Joyce’s “The Dead”.” Journal of the Spanish Association of Anglo-American Studies 33.2 (2011): 61-74. Print. Ostrander, Luke B. “The Paralytic Affect in James Joyce’s “The Dead.” Eureka Studies in Teaching Short Fiction 7.2 (2010): 61-66. Print. Rendall, Thomas. “Joyce’s “The Dead” and the Midlife Crisis.” Joyce Studies Annual 10.1 (2010): 263-272. Print.
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Service User: After turning 13, Michael started to be more irritated than before. He does not tell us what is going on in his life, he put passwords on all of his devices, and he uses only incognito mode in browsers. His grades at school started to deteriorate. It was all OK until last week, when his teacher told us that she saw Michael smoking weed with some of his friends. We do not know what to do know. Practitioner: So, after you son hit puberty, his attitude has changed, which you did not worry about due to his age. Thus, the fact that he was smoking marijuana was a complete surprise to you. Did you talk to him about it? Service User: Yes, we did. Practitioner: What did he say? How did he explain the situation? Service User: My husband yelled at him emphasizing that it was inappropriate behavior to say the least. My son kept silent most of the time and started crying after some time. His father said that he was no longer allowed to talk with his friends and took away his phone and computer and sent him to his room to study. Practitioner: So, do I understand it correctly that your son did not explain his behavior. He did not confirm that he was smoking drugs nor did he reject it. How was his mood and actions after the talk you had? Service User: His mood deteriorated. He does not talk to us at all and spends most of his time in his room throwing ball at a wall. He can sit for hours doing his homework and have nothing written in his notebooks. I believe that we are losing him. Practitioner: So, the talk you had did not appear to help. Tell be about how you and your husband would usually speak to Michael during the past year. Service User: There is not much to say really. His father would ask him about his grades at dinner and how was his school. Michael would reply that everything was fine, have his food, and go to his room to play his games. I would sometimes come to his room to ask how he was, but he would tell me to go away, as he was playing games. Practitioner: So, you and your husband made some effort to make contact with Michael but nothing helped. How did you show any interest in his activities? Parents sometimes talk ask their children about the games they play or the friends they socialize with. Service User: Well, now that you ask, there wasn’t much we asked our son about his interests. However, we always asked if he needed help with his homework. We even hired him a math tutor to help him with his homework online. Practitioner: So, let me understand if I understand everything correctly. Michael’s mood changed about a year ago but you did not feel it was a big problem as he entered puberty and the changes were common to the ages. However, you became really concerned about your son after hearing that he was smoking drugs. As responsible parents, you decided to take away his privileges to use his smartphone and the computer. He did not explain his behavior and you do not know exactly if he did drugs or not. Even though you are always genuinely interested in your son’s activities, you did not know how to express the interest except asking about his studies. Is there something else I am missing? Service User: That sounds about right. Practitioner: Thank you for your time.
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Industrial Regulation and Antitrust Laws Essay Table of Contents 1. Industrial regulation 2. Social regulations 3. Monopolies 4. Antitrust Laws 5. References Industrial regulation Industrial regulation is a scenario where the government regulates an entire industry for instance the oil or banking industry. It does so by putting in place rules and regulations that govern the way the organizations in that industry conduct their business. Industrial regulation aims to make sure that no business entity can monopolize or merge with another to restrict trade. Social regulations Social regulations are regulations that seek to benefit the public interest. It requires that firms in an industry conform to no discrimination, safety of their product and services, and environment-friendly practices. The regulations benefit the users by making sure that the end-user only gets to use the best quality products, the firm does not discriminate on who it employs and the manufacturers on the other side do not pollute the environment which they use to operate in for the benefit of the society. Entities affected are the general public, producers of goods and services, and their employees. This is due to the regulatory requirements which require the producers to abide by strict production standards and produce quality goods, protect the environment by not polluting it, and their employees are employed without discrimination and have a healthy working environment. The general public benefits by getting quality products and services, equal employment opportunities, and a clean environment. Monopolies Natural monopolies are monopolies that come up because of the nature and characteristics of the marketplace or production process in the industry but not due to government intervention in the marketplace with the aim of favoring a certain firm. Antitrust Laws Antitrust Laws are laws that are used to discourage unfair trade practices and seek to encourage fair competition in an industry. By doing so they prevent firms and an entire industry from forming agreements to unlawfully fix prices, mergers, and acquisitions that introduce a reduction in competition resulting in higher prices or low quality for customers, an exclusive contract where a seller sells to a buyer on the condition that the buyer will not purchase from the seller’s competitors and interlocking company boards where competitors appoint common members to their boards. The major antitrust laws are: * Sherman Antitrust act of 1890 was formed mainly in response to trust and pools in the railroad system which resulted in exploitive prices. It states that any contract, combination of contract in restrain of trade is illegal, and any person who monopolizes or shall attempt to monopolize is guilty of a misdemeanor. * Clayton Antitrust Act added more clarity to the existing Sherman antitrust laws by prohibiting unfair trade acts like price discrimination, exclusionary contracts, and mergers and acquisitions aimed at monopolizing the industry. * Federal Trade Commission Act. This act paved way for the formation of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) which formulates and enforces laws that prohibit unfair trade practices by the major firms in an industry. * Robinson Patman Act of 1936 is a law that prohibits price discrimination. It requires a seller to sell the same product at the same price to different buyers to prevent large buyers from gaining an advantage over small buyers except in certain circumstances. It applies to the sale of tangible goods produced within a close timeframe and is sold in similar quality. The three main regulatory commissions of industrial regulation are: * The federal communication commission (FCC) was established in 1934 with oversight of radio, television, and telephones. It drafts new laws to ensure that the industry remains competitive, inspects and ensures quality is met and ethical practices adhere in the communication industry. * Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which was endorsed in 1930 and mandated to regulate electricity, gas, and water power. It regulates the transmission and sale of electricity gas and oil. It monitors and licenses and inspects private firms, municipal and state energy projects. * And State Public utility commission is responsible for the regulation of electricity gas and telephone. It monitors the state of all public utilities and ensures that these services are accessible and in a consistent usable state to the public. References McConnell, C. R., & Brue, S. L., Flynn, S. (2012). Economics (19e). McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 9780077337865 (e-text provided at no charge to student) OR 9780073511443 (hard copy print edition optional student purchase) Ball, D. A., McCulloch, W. H., Jr., Geringer, J. M., Minor, M. S., & McNett, J. M. (2009). International business: The challenge of global competition (12th ed.). McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 9780077318833. Anderson, D.R., Sweeny, D.J., & Williams, T. A. (2010) Quantitative methods for business (11th ed.). South-Western, ISBN 0324651813 or 9780324651812.
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Concept of the Program Learning Outcomes in Education Report It is important to note that the 21st century classrooms require the unique and effective approaches to organizing the teaching-learning process. The focus is on modifying traditional lessons to the needs of contemporary students according to the principles of the 21st century education. The purpose of this work is to rank MAED program learning outcomes (PLOs) depending on their importance for the teaching practice and explain their overall role in influencing the modern approach to education. Ranking of Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) Diversity is the main feature of the modern society and classroom. Therefore, PLO 2 that is oriented to diverse learners and focused on promoting differentiated practices is regarded as the most important outcome. In order to address individual needs of diverse students and develop their potential, it is necessary to provide them with the differentiated instructions. Lesson plans should include the collaborative work of students representing diverse cultures, activities should include tasks for students with different learning styles, and instructions should be adapted to students with different needs. A teacher needs to focus on using media, accentuating interactivity, and emphasizing diversity in the class. PLO 1 should be ranked the second one because the success of the teaching-learning process depends on the effectiveness of the instructional planning. A teacher needs to pay much attention to planning activities that are oriented to improving students’ skills and contributing to their cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development. Standard lessons should be improved to provide students with more challenging experiences that stimulate their learning. Still, the realities of the modern classroom cause teachers to focus on making the curriculum dynamic and learner-centered. Therefore, PLO 5 is the next important outcome that is associated with teachers’ successes in adjusting the instructions to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Framework for 21st Century Learning, as well as digital standards. Even if the instructions are effective and the curriculum is developed, the teacher’s task is to make it correlated with the modern core standards and tendencies of the digital age in order to enhance the students’ learning. PLO 7 is also ranked high because a good educator needs to know what he or she teaches, and the focus is on the knowledge of a discipline. This PLO is important and should be addressed in the classroom in the context of using technologies in order to contribute to the students’ learning, as well as the work with different devices (Kreijns, Van Acker, Vermeulen, & Van Buuren, 2013). In the classroom, this PLO is addressed when teachers plan activities depending on their knowledge, improve their experiences, and involve new technologies. The use of devices is also expected while addressing PLO 9. It is extremely important to develop students’ skills in using media and technologies in order to enhance their learning. A teacher and a student should use advanced technologies in order to improve their research activities and communication (Thompson, 2013). Lessons should be modified while including the work with computers, laptops, smartphones, and tablets in order to make students more flexible in their search, analysis, and writing. In addition, the focus is on addressing such ethical and legal issues as confidentiality and plagiarism associated with the active use of technologies. While referring to the mentioned PLOs, it is possible to identify the next important outcome. PLO 8 accentuates that role of the communication and collaboration with the focus on the use of devices. In order to guarantee the exchange of ideas in the professional community and improve the learning activities using the flipped classroom or online lectures and conferences, it is necessary to use innovative tools for the communication (Blackwell, Lauricella, & Wartella, 2014). The use of technologies makes students creative and flexible and saves their time and resources. The next important outcome is PLO 3 because the quality of assessment influences the quality of instructions. A teacher needs to use the evidence-based forms of evaluations and pay attention to the results in order to prepare the other lessons (Beetham & Sharpe, 2013). The focus is on discovering gaps in the students’ knowledge that need to be addressed. PLO 4 is important not only for educators but also for students. The reason is that results of the action research are used by teachers in order to improve their everyday practice. Therefore, more research is important to lead the change in the classroom and focus on overcoming the educational barriers and issues. The other outcome to discuss is PLO 6 that is connected with the development of professional and leadership qualities and skills. It is important to note that the effective leadership is a framework for the good instruction and efficient planning. Therefore, a teacher should pay much attention to developing his or her professional skills. Conclusion The analysis of PLOs and the work on the Portfolio were challenging tasks. However, it was possible to overcome challenges while concentrating on the use of technologies in order to navigate the platform for the project and design the efficient Portfolio. In order to overcome barriers and complete the project, it was necessary to focus on organizing the redesigned lesson plans and artifacts in the Portfolio and evaluate PLOs according to their significance. References Beetham, H., & Sharpe, R. (2013). Rethinking pedagogy for a digital age: Designing for 21st century learning . New York, NY: Routledge. Blackwell, C. K., Lauricella, A. R., & Wartella, E. (2014). Factors influencing digital technology use in early childhood education. Computers & Education , 77 (1), 82-90. Kreijns, K., Van Acker, F., Vermeulen, M., & Van Buuren, H. (2013). What stimulates teachers to integrate ICT in their pedagogical practices? The use of digital learning materials in education. Computers in Human Behavior , 29 (1), 217-225. Thompson, P. (2013). The digital natives as learners: Technology use patterns and approaches to learning. Computers & Education , 65 (1), 12-33.
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Online Second-Hand Book Store Organizational Structure Essay Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. The structure 3. Organizational structure chart 4. Skill gap Management 5. References Introduction Organizational structure is the hierarchical model of operation, based on subdividing the entire organization into functional units that are mutually dependent. There are two types of structures: the traditional structure (the functional structure, the line structure), and the division structure (market structure, product structure and geographical structure). For our online second-hand book store, we decided to use the functional structure which entails classifying the groups of people according to the functions they perform and their skill sets (Miles, 2003). The structure The functional structure includes the president, the sales and marketing department, customer care division, accounting, procurement and administration. The business will include three founders and fifteen other staff members. The founders will hold key positions in the business, including the presidency, accounts and administration. The president will be the overall overseer of the company, making important decisions and he is the final authority in the company. The position can, however, be switched amongst the three founders if they so desire. However, it mainly falls on the person who came up with the original business idea. The accounts department shall be held by a professional accountant, thereby controlling the financial aspects of the business that means all the revenues and expenditures. The procurement department will mainly deal with the acquisition of the books from the different sources buying them off from other students who have finished their courses, online sources and book stores, and also cataloguing them if and when they are procured. The sales and marketing department will use advertising and other resources to ensure that the business target of selling large amounts of books is reached. Key to achieving this goal is to use our website and other social sites to capture the intended audiences. The administration department will perform the function of staffing and assessing the growth and development of the business, hiring and dismissing. This will ensure that all the departments perform their duties as required. Every company requires a public relations department that deals with any enquiries, suggestions and complains from the customers. Below is a chart showing the organizational structure of our business. Organizational structure chart For the company to perform, the individuals should be professionals in whichever department they hold. They should be able to work independent of each other but accomplishing the tasks set out for them. The marketing and sales department should have the bulk of the staff, consisting of professional marketers with a convincing business marketing and sales skills. They should be able to come up with marketing and sales designs that will attract the customers to the online store. The business largely depends on this department for success. The procurement team has professionals who understand the customers’ needs and get the right books at the right time. This is the department that equalizes the supply and demand of the customers. Skill gap Management A start up business has numerous challenges at the beginning, but the management should come up with ways of dealing with the situations as they arise. Most important is the communication issue (Galbraith, 2001). There should be clear channels of communication all way from the bottom to the top. As a small business, the company may not be able to employ a large staff, so it is important for the existing staff to be versatile and able to switch departments easily. References Galbraith, J 2001, Designing your organization: An executive guide to strategy, structure and process , John Wiley & Sons Inc, Denver. Miles, R 2003, Organizational strategy, structure and process , Stanford University Press, Stanford.
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Food Borne Diseases of Intoxicants on MSG Term Paper MSG is a common flavor enhancer that is widely used in the global food industry. Although MSG is thought to have an optimal safety profile, it has also been linked to high blood pressure at high levels. This is based on a cross-sectional study conducted by He at. Al (2011). Other diseases linked to MSG intoxication include Type II Diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. MSG is an etiologic agent with an incubation period of less than 1 hour. The most common symptoms of MSG food-borne illness include tightness in the chest, a burning sensation, dizziness, nausea, flushing, and headache. These symptoms last less than 1 day. Chinese foods have been identified as the key carrier for MSG intoxication (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). Since food-borne illnesses are increasingly linked to cases of mortality, morbidity and economic loss, there is a dire need to examine preventive measures to avoid an epidemic. In the United States alone, food borne illnesses account for between 33 and 76 million cases annually. On the other hand, food-borne illnesses reportedly cause between 5 and 9 thousand deaths annually (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). So far, there have been scanty details on the prevalence, incidence, mortality, and morbidity rates of MSG-induced food-borne illness. Reporting of the incidence and prevalence of MSG food-borne illness varies from one region to another. Cases of underreporting are also high. Less than 1 case of MSG-induced food-borne illness is reported annually for every 100 000 persons. The food-borne illness agent also leads to undesirable negative economic consequence in the form of lost wages, litigation, medical costs, investigations, and recall. Many studies have thus far been carried out with a view to evaluate the potential role of MSG in food hypersensitivity. However, most of these studies have not succeeded in replicating the adverse effects reported by majority of the people as regards MSG ingestion. Towards this end, researchers have undertaken numerous research studies to measure blood pressure and heart rates of such individuals. However, these studies have failed to identify variations in the aforementioned parameters between individuals fed with a placebo and those fed with foods containing MSG (U.S. Food and Drug Administration 2012). Many individuals who claim to be sensitive to MSG exhibit such symptoms as nausea and headache after consuming foods containing MSG. However, according to the research findings commissioned by the FDA it is not possible to systematically induce reactions from such people when fed with either a placebo or foods containing MSG (U.S. Food and Drug Administration 2012). The most common symptoms reported included numbness, palpitations, headache, and drowsiness. These symptoms are common among sensitive persons who take MSG in excess of 3 grams. Community prevention programs would go a long way in helping to prevent MSG-induced food-borne illnesses. Preventive and control measures of food borne illnesses are intended to prevent the occurrence of future outbreaks. In this case, it is important to ensure that prompt and appropriate health action is undertaken (Taylor, 2010). One way of doing this is by forming partnerships between relevant government stakeholders such as the US FDA and consumer welfare organizations. Such a partnership will aid in the development of community-based educational campaigns aimed at creating awareness on the causes, symptoms and risk factors of MSG-induced food-borne illnesses, and how to prevent an outbreak. During such education campaigns, food handlers should also be educated on the need to read labels and on the minimum tolerable levels of MSG in foods. However, such a campaign could be faced with the challenge of behavioral change, in that food handler may find it hard to start looking at food labels keenly, prior to purchase. Reference List Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . (2013). Guide to Confirming a Diagnosis in Food-borne disease . Web. He, K., Du, S., Xun, P., Sharma, S., Wang, H., Zhai, F., & Popkin, B. (2011). Consumption of monosodium glutamate in relation to incidence of overweight in Chinese adults: China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). Am J Clin Nutr., 93 (2), 1328-1336. Taylor, M. (2010). Food Safety Education Conference . Web. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2012). Questions and Answers on Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) . Web.
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History to the 18th Century Essay (Article) The article “Spiritual life and the survival of Christianity” highlights comparisons and contrast in the 18 th century and modern day Christian church. The history sheds light on the issue of secularism and how it has encroached on the church threatening its core. The relationship between secularism and the eighteenth century time is particularly important because it is during this century in history that secularism gained foothold and became accepted as an alternative to religion. The century is remembered in history as the first non Christian century. Christianity is highlighted from the modern and ancient perspectives with emphasis given to the present day church in the US and Europe. The article tries to show the roots of the today’s attitudes towards Christianity and how the eighteenth century contributed to them. The emphasis given to the Christians in the US is especially important because it sheds light on how American Christian principles came up and how the American culture acquired its secularism through Christianity. The article does show how culture was “pure”, so to say before it was penetrated by Christian values. After the penetration, thinkers found themselves enslaved by the Christian values and traditions that it was difficult to use a language free from Christian influence. That is why the eighteenth century was alive with antitheist campaigns keen on eliminating all Christian vales. What’s more, it’s the elite who led these attacks but after all was done; Christianity still maintained strong influence on people’s culture. The article contains information deeply detailing the important role that Christianity played in making the existent culture in the US and Europe and how early scholars contributed to the advancement of secularism without bothering religion, in this case Christianity. This was done through the art of benign atheism that was led by Marx and Freud. For instance, Marx believed that curtailing Christians’ belief in their God was an unnecessary distraction of communists from their course. Freud on the other hand believed that it was a waste of time to argue for or against religion since no one had produced a rational though for or against religion. Despite modern culture drawing heavily from Christianity and other religions like Islam, culture has evolved separately and has almost become a religion on its own. Believers have become non-attached to religion and seem to have adopted the attitude that God doesn’t matter any more. The main point driven by this article is that the secularism that has been adopted by people is more detrimental to the Christian religion than was the antitheism sentiments that characterized the eighteenth century. There are growing tendency by people to treat religion especially Christianity as just another part of civilization same as industrialization and agrarian revolution. Religion in the past especially in the eighteenth century was handed down as a tradition but that is not the case any more. Control that society exerted over people through religion is long gone and people are nowadays responsible for their destinies and they determine their attitudes instead of the common communal approach. Important questions are raised although subtly. The author wonders if religion and especially Christianity is slowly becoming extinct. Also, if religion is slowly giving in to the demands of culture and if it is headed into an eventual collaboration with culture through compromising of its basic tenets. There are questions too about whether there will be potential conflict between culture and religion. Will that be the end of civilization and who and what will be responsible in case such an eventuality comes to be? Is there any thing(s) that can be done to save the situation? If yes, what can be done and if no why can’t something be done to save the notion. There is a need to start a reconstruction of values that have collapsed due to advancement of civilization and the decline of Christianity. There is also a need to change people’s thinking to believe in the power of the church and the entire Christian principles. At the same time it is important to recognize that the world is constantly changing and tolerance and accommodation of other people’s views necessary (Fahlbusch and Bromiley 2000, 195). Learning to respect human beings different ways of expressing their gratitude and appreciation is needed if peace is to be maintained in the world. Unlike the ancient times that were dominated by explicit antitheism, today’s onslaught on Christianity is manifested in the corruption of Christian ideals to suit people’s needs and fantasies. The trend is present in all levels of society nowadays. The 21 st century can easily turn out to be one of the most anti-Christian centuries like the eighteen century was. Vigorous activism that is present these days may stem steep decline of the church in the short run but not in the long rum. Again, today’s scholars are more sophisticated than Marx and Freud of the eighteenth century. They are therefore not likely to relent in their effort to directly attack religion especially Christianity with the sole aim of distracting the remaining few faithful followers. References Fahlbusch, Geoffrey and Bromiley, William. The encyclopedia of Christianity, Volume 5 . New York: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2000. Louis, Dupre. “ Spiritual life and the survival of Christianity .” The Free Library (1998). https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Spiritual+life+and+the+survival+of+Christianity-a021202870
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Launch of a Saudi company in Bahrain depicts firm relationships between two nations. Viva Bahrain will be competing with established players Batelco and Zain.” STC is presently operating in Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Kuwait, Turkey, South Africa, Lebanon and Jordan” (“STC Launches new company in Bahrain”). The establishment will help in reinforcing global communications in Bahrain. Viva Bahrain will focus on reducing call rates and, facilitating easier technology for Bahrain. Telecommunications market in Bahrain is highly competitive owing to liberalization of this sector. Already established, state owned Batelco covers a major portion of the market. Zain, a Kuwait company, is another threat sharing mobile market in Bahrain. The main focus of all telecommunication companies now lies on Expatriates. All three companies have international presence and big infrastructure. Another aspect of this initiative could be STC’s response to Zain’s increasing customer base in both countries. Owing to competition from major players, Batelco has also moved to developing markets. There is less space for telecommunication companies in Bahrain market but, population alteration provides hope for new ventures. Bahrain” is also one of the better-documented markets in the region” (“Bahrain Telecoms Mobile and Broadband”) therefore scope for major customer share is limited. However, STC can work on its value added services to extract more profit and get a customer base in Bahrain. In any case there is less room and, attractive services become imperative for company’s survival. The country has “well-established regulatory authority” (“Bahrain Telecoms Mobile and Broadband”) and mobile market exploitation is more that 150%. Works cited “Bahrain Telecoms Mobile and Broadband”. middleeasttmcnet.com . TMCnet.com, n.p.4, 2010. Web . “STC Launches new company In Bahrain.” Arabnews.com . Arab News, n.p. 4. 2010. Web.
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The Neoclassical and Vulgar Economists Essay Neoclassical economics is a theory that explores the production, pricing and consumption of goods from the perspectives of supply and demand (Ayres, 2020). It emerged in the 1900s to compete with what was prevalent at the close of the 19th century. An important assumption of neoclassical economics in the theories of classical economics is that the most important factor in determining the value of a product or service is its utility to consumers (Ayres, 2020). This is based on the assumption that a consumer’s major concern when purchasing a good or service is the maximization of personal satisfaction. In that regard, all purchasing decisions are based on the product’s utility value. The theory also suggests that the value of any product or good surpasses its cost of production. Neoclassical economists promote inequality and ignore exploitation by promoting the principle that under capitalism, an upper limit to the number of profits that an enterprise can make is nonexistent (Ayres, 2020). This is based on the assumption that the price of a product is determined by consumer perception. In order to maximize profits, capitalists have to exploit human labor more, as it is the only means of production. This leads to massive exploitation and inequality because few people in society possess the resources to maximize labor exploitation. Neoclassical economists also argue that labor rights and living conditions are directly related to the rate of economic growth (Ayres, 2020). Therefore, the improvement of people’s living standards is predicated on economic growth, which is based on capital expansion and labor exploitation. Karl Marx developed the concept of vulgar economics to describe a system of anti-scientific theories that were aimed at describing economic processes in a superficial manner in order to promote capitalism. The system was developed to justify the wealth of capitalists and constrain the concept of labor within the wages system. Trade unions were described as unnecessary market monopolies. However, it ignored the fact that capitalists had a monopoly on the means of production and distribution (Ayres, 2020). Marx was against these superficial theories that did not represent the reality of capitalism. Vulgar economists justify the inequality and ignore exploitation under capitalists by defending the interests of capitalists and advocating for the morality of the profit system. Moreover, it paints an illusory appearance of capitalism as a near-perfect economic system by describing it as the best of all possible options (Ayres, 2020). The main weakness of vulgar economics is its focus on the outward appearance of things and not the underlying principles that give it meaning. Class, class domination, and class power are examples of the deeper characteristics of capitalism that vulgar and neoclassical economists try to conceal beneath superficial theories that lack scientific foundations (Ayres, 2020). Vulgar economics ignores the immense influence of factors like social systems, modes of production, social relationships and class struggle in capitalist systems. Instead, it focuses on factors such as commodities and capital. Inequality increases under capitalism because of the lack of instruments to check capital accumulation. References Ayres, R. U. (2020). On capitalism and inequality: progress and poverty revisited . Springer. DeMartino, G. F., & McCloskey, D. N. (2016). The Oxford handbook of professional economic ethics . Oxford University Press. Hausman, D., McPherson, M., & Satz, D. (2017). Economic analysis, moral philosophy, and public policy (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press. Hodgson, G. M. (2015). Conceptualizing Capitalism: Institutions, evolution, future . The University of Chicago Press.
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In what way? I feel that the paper by Ballantine enhances the research on ambiance which has been discussed so far. First of all, the paper takes the review of ambiance a notch higher by introducing the concept of hedonic experience. In the paper, the author provides a detailed explanation of how the ambient conditions reviewed so far help in the creation of hedonic experience. Further to that, the paper groups the ambient conditions which have been discussed into two categories namely attractive and facilitating stimuli (Ballantine, Jack & Parsons 2010). Cues that fall under the attractive stimuli category include layout, space, color, sound, and light while those which fall under the facilitating stimuli category include product display, crowding, and the employee factor. The paper further provides a deep insight into the topic of ambiance through a discussion of the research findings. The findings in the study not only expand my understanding on the topic of ambiance but they also provide a strong background on the topic and its interrelated concepts such as hedonic and utilitarian consumption (Ballantine, Jack & Parsons 2010). Do you feel that it helps to differentiate ‘hedonic consumption’ from ‘utilitarian consumption’? I feel that the paper helps to differentiate between hedonic and utilitarian consumption. For one, it defines hedonic consumption as those aspects of consumer behavior that are linked to the consumers’ emotions and fantasies. Utilitarian consumption on the other hand is defined as consumption in which consumers’ satisfaction is based on acquisition and ownership of products. The paper goes further to provide a differentiation of the two concepts through the analysis of the study findings. It is clearly indicated that hedonic consumption has everything to do with cues that make customers satisfied with the services which they get. It entails the manipulation of various cues to create a balance that can attract and retain customers. The creation of hedonic experience by retailers appears to outweigh the utilitarian approach because utilitarian oriented participants in the research felt more comfortable in hedonic setups. On the other hand, hedonic oriented participants were very uncomfortable in utilitarian setups (Demangeot & Broderick 2006). Do you think a retailer would be able to develop and manage store design using these categories? What might be the challenges in achieving successful implementation? What might be the benefits? I think retailers can develop and manage store designs of hedonic and utilitarian orientations concurrently. The major reason for setting up stores of the two designs is that customers are not the same. There are those who are driven by their hedonic cues when doing shopping and those who detach their emotions and fantasies from their shopping needs. As a result, having the two store designs may enable retailers to meet the needs of all types of customers and maximize profits. Having the two designs may also enable the retailers to study and know which design is profitable than the other. If for instance, they find that stores that provide hedonic experiences are more profitable than those which do not, then they may be able to invest more resources in such stores and even open others in the same locality (Kent 2007). The challenge which retailers may face in successfully establishing the two designs concurrently is the availability of space and financial resources. Establishing the two designs requires a big space which is not easy to get in many cases. However, if retailers manage to establish the two designs successfully, they may enjoy many benefits such as more sales due to many customers, high customer satisfaction, and reduced employee turnover. Reference List Ballantine, P.W, Jack, R & Parsons, A.G 2010, ‘Atmospheric cues and their effect on the hedonic retail experience’, International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 38, no.8 pp. 641- 653. Demangeot, C & Broderick, A.J 2006, ‘Exploring the experiential intensity of online shopping environments’, Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 325-351. Kent, T 2007, ‘Creative space: design and the retail environment’, International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 35, no.9, pp. 734-745.
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“Ballad of Birmingham” by Dudley Randall Essay (Critical Writing) “Ballad of Birmingham”, written by Dudley Randall, is considered to be deep and meaningful through the number of sophisticated philosophical elements introduced by the author. A close reading of the poem makes the reader see the interaction of political and religious aspects through social interference leading to death. The poem appears to be rather tragic and discloses its emotionality by means of literal elements and the basic theme of death showed through human beliefs and mother-child relationships. The poem depicts the influence of the Civil Rights Movement on the social life of the population; the author tries to disclose the hopes of ordinary people leading to the great tragedy and mass death of children. “And March the streets of Birmingham / In a Freedom march today…“(Randall 123). The quote demonstrates the spirit of social freedom expressed by people at that period through their hopes for a better future. “For the dogs are fierce and wild,/ And clubs and hoses, guns and jails…”(Randall 123) According to Albert Ward in the book Dudley Randall, Broadside Press, and the Black Arts Movement in Detroit, 1960-1995, the poem highlighting the period of strategic civil movements has the notes of the religious impact of state regulations of that period. “Ballad of Birmingham” has the tragic end, the death of the child, through the consequences of civil instability; the mother feels safety for her child letting her go to the church but instead she faced her death. The author tried to underline that religion was centralized for middle-class social groups stressing usual visits to the child’s chorus. Nevertheless, the church led the child to death, thus, bringing tragedy to the family. (Thompson 115) The form of the ballad chosen by the writer can be explained by his necessity to underline the mother’s mood to her daughter. Dudley Randall demonstrated the event of the church bombing in 1963 for the purpose of epoch illustration of social life and stressed the graphic account of the social atmosphere suffered by the population. It is shown throughout the poem when the author involved the participation of the masses in a demonstration of freedom and tragedy caused by the explosion. The author manages to move slowly from an optimistic description of the freedom march to the tragic death of the child; this shift is important to the readers as it transfers the mood of the poem. (House & Weatherston 159) Mother-child relationships are demonstrated from the very beginning of the poem; calling for political participation, the girl expresses her desire to follow her peers’ actions. “But, mother, I won’t be alone./ Other children will go with me…” (Randall 123) The breakage of the conversation observed in the middle of the poem shows the child’s obedience and mother’s feeling of safety because of the church’s reliance and beliefs. Such words as the “smile” and “the last smile” stress their parallel with “explosion.” It means that the mother’s last smile caused by the explosion is contradicted to the smile of happiness presented at the beginning of the poem. The image of the church being described as “the sacred place” gradually turns into the so-called “grave” of the little girl and her mother who was also morally killed. The author tried to depict the theme of death as one of the principal aspects of that period; an individual example of one family was shown for the purpose of reflecting the life of all humanity at that period suffering the consequences of political instabilities having taken away thousands of lives. (Caplan, 2006) The theme of religious influence on the social sphere of life is expressed through the death concept reflection as the public occasion which was characteristic of that time. James Sullivan states that the poem can be compared to the 18th-century elegiac tradition aimed at making the death public for the sake of community values. (Thompson 130) On the other side, the poem shows the example of normal Christian death but stresses that even church cannot be perceived as a safe place. The main idea of the poem was to depict not the individual’s grief but the community’s one. The author managed to mix the religious idea of the poem with African American culture through the insertion of “may” repetitions underlining the patterns of call-and-response characterizing its language style of writing. Emotionality and expressiveness closely interact with ironic motifs observed at the beginning of the poem when the little girl refuses to play desiring to be part of a political demonstration. So, the author managed to combine the elements of mother-child love, happiness, harmony with the “last smile”, explosion and death. (Caplan 87) “Ballad of Birmingham” managed to combine a number of themes and social aspects: religion, politics, social instability, and cultural peculiarities. It should be stressed that Dudley Randall reflected the atmosphere of the period allowing the readers to evaluate its historical meaning through the vision of political and social instabilities. African American culture and racism are involved as the integral part of religious interference with social life; the church is not presented as the safe place but beliefs of the community are underlined. The usage of stylistic and expressive means was aimed at making the poem more emotional, involving, and thought-provoking. The poem is considered to be the treasure of modernity because Randall managed to explain successfully the tragedy of the 18th century community in a simple language. (Thompson 127). References Boyd, Melba. Wrestling with the Muse: Dudley Randal and the Broadside Press. Ballad of Birmingham. Columbia University Press, 2003. Caplan, David. Questions of Possibility: Contemporary Poetry. Oxford University Press US, 2006. House, Gloria and Weatherston, Rosemary. A Different Image. Wayne State University Press, 2004. Thompson, Julius. Dudley Randall, Broadside Press, and the Black Arts Movement in Detroit, 1960-1995. McFarland, 2005.
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Geospiza Finches as a Form of Natural Selection Report (Assessment) Finches may be one of the most widespread bird families worldwide, with each geographical region potentially having its type. The so-called Darwin’s finches of the Galapagos Islands are an excellent example of natural selection, continuing their development even today (www#3). Researching the hybrid offspring of two different Geospiza species may allow delineating some of the existing trends in evolution and speciation, as well as clarifying the views of prominent contributors to evolutionary theory. The Galapagos Islands are a reputable home for many endemic species. Geospiza finches evolved on the islands as a form of natural selection, with their beaks reflecting their dietary options (www#1). A diversifying trend in natural selection created many different bird types within the same species, increasing the variety of these birds considerably (www#4). As an example, the chosen for study new hybrid excels at procuring new types of food due to its increased size (www#3). Sympatric speciation, which takes place when two species continue their coexistence, is another trend among Geospiza finches, which links with their growing numbers (www#1; www#3). While these birds are exemplary, with Charles Darwin using them to explain his theory of evolution, Jean Baptiste Lamarck may have argued that bigger finches had evolved out of their parents’ application of this quality (www#2). However, the evolution of Geospiza finches remains primarily affected by their differing habitats and considerable numbers. Persisting as one of the most vivid examples of the theory of evolution, Geospiza Finches is helpful when outlining the implications of diversification and sympatric speciation. Their natural selection through adaptation to the current environment is evident, with each island demonstrating a diverse variety of species, and their overlapping habitats allow speaking about potential sympatry. Thus, Darwin’s theory best explains their process of evolution to which the breeding of favorable characteristics is central. Works Cited DeBiasse, Melissa. “Hybrid Speciation is for the Birds (and Plants, Reptiles, Fish, and Insects).” The Molecular Ecologist . 2015, Web. “Evolutionary Science Before Charles Darwin.” DailyHistory . 2018, Web. Starr, Michelle. “Scientists Watched a New Bird Species Evolve on Galapagos in Just 2 Generations.” ScienceAlert . 2019, Web. “Types of Selection.” Encyclopedia Britannica , 2019, Web.
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Thesis 2. Introduction 3. Competition and Free Trade Under Capitalism 4. Protectionism 5. Work Cited Thesis Capitalism resulted in major changes in the socio-economic system in the life of the people since its initiation and up-to-date. Capitalism basically refers to a system where the market economy determines the right of individuals to make profits, to invest and to determine pricing of goods and services (Hunt, E.K, 2002, 58). This major problem area that the capitalist system had major impact on includes:- Competition and Free Trade, Social Justice and Political Action and finally Philanthropy and Consumption. This essay will try to highlight the first problem area of Competition and Free Trade, what some of the known authors had to say about the effect of capitalism on it, and finally the overall impacts of the system on competition and protectionism. Introduction Capitalism per-ser was normally used to describes a philosophical political sense and narrowly an economic sense. i.e a free market based on the recognition of individual rights, including the right to private ownership of property. The system offered a great political freedom where the state is separated from the economy (production and trade) which offers a preference to put the ownership of property on individuals rather than on the state…but all these processes were protected by a rule of law. Competition and Free Trade Under Capitalism George Reisman in (George Reisman, p 1096) gives a comprehensive and intellectually powerful illustration of the values of the nature of laissez-faire capitalism. He concurred with the likes of Adam Smith and David Ricardo in their beliefs on the same school of thought. The scholars had the same idea regarding the subjects touching on wages, capital accumulation, m, monopoly , economic accounting and natural resources among others. His ideas were greatly opposed by critics like Marx and Keynes. In most of his books, Dr. Reisman demolished the following beliefs:- first, that the profit motive is the chief cause of starvation wages, second is that competition is the law of the jungle, third, is that savings a form of hoarding, finally, is that economic inequality is unjust and is also the major cause of unemployment and depression. Adam Smith in 1776 proposed a kind of reasoning that was referred to as “the system of natural liberty” (Hunt, E.K.,2002, p 92), which led to the formulation of some concepts that have been associated with capitalism to the present day. Smith advocated for free trade, copyrights and patents. he argued that it is the responsibility of the state to provide public goods like roads, canals, bridges and schools., which should in turn be put under the management of the private entities. Karl Marx on his side had it that capitalism was a system that represented the most advanced form of human social organization. He supported the issue of middlemen and wholesalers having to “make-up” the prices stating that the exchange value of a commodity should be higher than its original purchase (Degen, Robert, 2008, p 205). The concept of free-market led to competition which in turn results in some aspects affecting the economic status of the people…that to the critics of capitalism will be unfair. For instance, wholesalers and other middlemen add “make-ups” to prices of the commodities produced by the farmers and manufacturers; advertisers are frauds who are inherently guilty of try to induce people into buying goods that may not be of great desire to them…the way capitalism showers praises on the goods may eventually make the victims buy the goods that they do not need. Such are the reasons why people turn to the government for direction, and so is how the system of protectionism comes in (Dobb, Maurice, 1947, 56-71). Protectionism People always turned to the government for protection, aid and for social justice. “Protectionism” is an economic system that is used by the governments to achieve a political goal of an “independent nation”, while on the other hand “Free Trade” is a means used to create an “interdependent nation”. The trade restrictions imposed on businessmen operating within a nation’s borders as well as across the borders are meant to put the free trade system within control. It was achieved by imposing high tariffs on imported goods, restrictive quotas, establishing anti-dumping laws to protect local/ domestic industries from unfair competition as well as protecting the consumers from using dubious substandard goods. Since free trade has no artificial barriers instituted on it to control the flow ‘of goods and services, protectionism was a major requirement needed to legislate the policies and doctrines which were geared to protect the local businesses from foreign interference. Nations achieved this by the employing following:- Quotas, Tariffs, Tax cuts, Subsidies, Trade Restrictions, and other several state interventions (George Reisman, 57-77). Work Cited Burnham, Peter (2003). “Capitalism: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics”. Oxford University Press. Calhoun, Craig (2002). “Capitalism: Dictionary of the Social Sciences”. Oxford University Press. Degen, Robert. (2008): ” The Triumph of Capitalism”. 1st ed. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers. pp 123-341. Dobb, Maurice. (1947): “Studies in the Development of Capitalism”. New York: International Publishers Co., Inc. 147-187. George Reisman. “Capitalism:A Treatise on Economics”. 1096. Hunt, E.K. (2002). “History of Economic Thought: A Critical Perspective”. M.E. Sharpe. pp. 52-92. Karl Marx. (Chapter Twenty-Five): “The General Law of Capitalist Accumulation”. Das Kapital.
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Sexual discrimination is quite common in organizations and the female employees of Astra Inc. were suffering from the same. There were numerous factors that lead to sexual discrimination in this organization. The appointment of Bildman initiated sexual discrimination in the organization and with the autocratic style of Bildman and his lust for ladies the senior managers and the executives of the organization started discrimination between the trainees. The trainees that were hired were mostly females and most of them reported that they were hired because of their looks. Males were discriminated and a confusing organizational culture was developed in the organization. The result of this action can be disastrous and both the individual and organization would definitely suffer in the short and the long run. After this issue was raised by the employees Bildman got sacked and the other related executives were terminated from this act of sexual harassment and discrimination. The image of the organization was tarnished and Bildman suffers huge fines and losses. This would clearly depict the culture of the organization and fresh trainees might not join the company and this would affect the organization because new recruits might not be willing to work with them. Astra Inc. must incorporate certain policies and procedures in the organization that can stop this problem because sexual discrimination in the organization can cause different problems for the organization. Certain strategies must be devised by the organization and every individual must comply with the rules and regulations of the organization. All the employees including the senior management must be engaged in training and workshops related to sexual discrimination in the organization. Similarly, it must be stated in the employment letter that if an employee engages in sexual harassment or an act of sexual discrimination then he/she would be fired and heavily fined. The issue of sexual discrimination must be discussed openly in the organization and the organization must ensure proper flow of communication. The phenomenon of whistle-blowing must initiate in the organization and whistle blowers must be motivated in the organization that can raise this issue and any mishap that is related to sexual discrimination. Finally, senior executives and the top hierarchy must take this issue seriously and on the other hand employees must feel comfortable in communicating the issue of sexual discrimination with the senior management and training related to non-bias hiring processes must be initiated in the organization
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Parallel HR Solutions Company’s Poor Communication Essay Introduction Parallel HR Solutions is a technical and financial staffing company that has been in operations since 2007. Its head office is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The company operates on a national scale with a large database of clients within the United States of America. Their mission statement is to provide a comprehensive, innovative, and personalized solution to the needs of the customer. Parallel HR presents itself as a partner to its clients with an emphasis on a custom approach to each client rather than a standardized process. Their best practices include research in the needs of the customer, quick reaction to feedback, good communication with the client, confidentiality, following up on commitments, and empowerment of the workforce. In 2013 it was named one of the fastest-growing companies in America as well as multiple awards for rapid growth in years prior. Parallel HR provides a variety of services to its clients, including retained search, contained search, contingent search, recruitment process outsourcing, contract staffing, as well as vendor services. Their website states that they can provide expertise on a wide variety of subjects from computer programming and analytics, to accounting and financial advice (Parallel HR). A quick search on the company reveals mixed reviews from its previous employees and only one Google review from a customer. This review shows an example of poor communication with the client and a lack of attention to the customer’s needs (Klein). While this could just be an outlier, a lack of positive reviews from customers is concerning. Coupled with almost half of reviews from previous employees being very negative, it creates an impression of a poorly run company (“Parallel HR Reviews”). Presentation After being founded in 2007, Parallel HR Solutions became a provider of technical and financial staff on a national scale. The headquarters of the company is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The firm prides itself on providing an all-in-one, innovative, and personalized approach to the client’s needs. Parallel HR strives to have good communication with their customers, quick reaction to feedback, problem-solving, as well as education about the needs of the client. The company provides a variety of recruiting services that focus on different types of search and staffing. In theory, these can serve a broad range of clients looking for a job, and companies looking for staff. Parallel HR has an impressive list of expertise in both financial and technical spheres, ranging from programming languages to financial advice (Parallel HR). Parallel HR Solutions was listed as one of the fastest-growing companies in America for multiple years in a row, with the last mention being in 2013. This could have been a possible turning point for the company. Reviews from past employees sharply declined in rating after 2013, with almost half of them blaming new management for a multitude of problems. Some of them include toxic company culture, lack of feedback provided to the employees, overbearing micromanagement, and poor leadership from the upper management. Even positive reviews often mention changes in work processes and management roles, leading to a lack of stability in the workplace (“Parallel HR Reviews”). Only one client’s review can be found online, and it has supported this negative image of the company in recent years. Alisa Klein writes that the company presented with a position in California, even though she lives in New Jersey and does not plan to relocate. She found that the company did not respond to her needs and had a negative impression of their service (Klein). This could suggest that at present, the company is in need of reshaping their brand and work process. Works Cited “Parallel HR Reviews.” Glassdoor , 2017, Web. Klein, Alisa. Google Reviews , 2016, Web. Parallel HR . Parallel HR Solutions, 2017, Web.
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With the use of Minitab, one can work with columns of data and perform necessary calculations. Most importantly, it can be used to estimate descriptive statistics (Henderson, 2011). With descriptive statistics, we are merely defining what is or what the statistics demonstrate. To make it look better, we can draw various types of histograms, as there is plenty of options to choose from in Minitab. Minitab permits to structure the obtained data and review the descriptive statistics further. Descriptive statistics are as well used to show measurable reports in a handy form. In research studies, we may have numerous measurements (Henderson, 2011). Descriptive statistics let us make things easier as each graphic piece of data cuts lots of information into a modest summary. Descriptive statistics offer a great summary that may allow evaluations across individuals or other entities. To sum it up, descriptive statistics is the definition of a particular type of data analysis that helps designate, display, or review data in an expressive way such that, for instance, outlines might materialize from the statistics (Henderson, 2011). Nonetheless, descriptive statistics do not let us make assumptions outside the evidence we have investigated or reach verdicts regarding any suggestions we might have made. They are only a method to define our data. I think I should learn more about Minitab for the reason that it is a powerful instrument allowing us to process and review data obtained in the process of a quantitative study. This tool would greatly assist in drawing reasonable conclusions as it represents the information in a comfortable form (Henderson, 2011). Its graphic user interface is simple but easily understandable, with many options available to the user. It is compatible with any PC and does not require a lot of resources. Minitab would help me in my practice because it allows you to do everything in several easy steps – introduce the data, design an experiment, and, finally, generate a report. All these features are useful in terms of saving the individual’s time. Minitab is customizable and offers different options when it comes to assigning shortcuts or creating toolbars (Henderson, 2011). I plan on exploring the options offered by the application for the reason that I plan on implementing it in my practice, and I believe that it is going to be a major advantage. The information that I have learned about Minitab will help me get a better insight into research data and properly evaluate it. This software is an amazing instrument for those who are searching for quality and performance in a simple but powerful desktop application (Henderson, 2011). The facts that I have thoroughly read made me realize that Minitab is suitable for every quantitative research. This application is stable and performant, the data is accurate, and the variety of graphs, histograms, and other graphic instruments may be handy for a nurse practitioner. Minitab is a perfect match for both small- and large-scale research studies. I highly recommend this instrument to anyone who works with the data and is interested in a reliable application that works fast and accurately. There is no doubt that I will further explore the functionality of Minitab to become knowledgeable in this area and apply this instrument in my practice. References Henderson, G. (2011). Six Sigma Quality Improvement with MINITAB . Chichester: Wiley.
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Operations Planning and Workflow Report (Assessment) The initial engagement plan should attract customers to the company and make sure the base expands with time. Palmatier, Kumar, and Harmeling highlight first purchases, repeat purchases, referral behaviors, and spontaneous word-of-mouth as points of interest (89). According to Borlase, the company should begin engaging stakeholders 12-18 months before opening the business (758). From there, the company should advertise itself and ensure that the customers receive excellent service. Their feedback should then attract others who may be in search of an electric car. A cross-functional team will be necessary to facilitate sales and provide the best experience to the consumer. According to Anderson, the purpose of such a team is to combine expertise from different professions (134). Parker suggests using a sales representative, engineer, lawyer, programmer, accountant, and financial expert for sales (52). For this campaign, a project manager, accountant, data analyst, consumer research analyst, and consumer engagement specialist will be required. On a larger scale, there will be multiple critical actors both within EVMS and beyond it. Within the company, the Sales, Billing, and Inventory departments are essential, as they process all aspects of the operation. The shipping department will not be present in the company, as customers usually retrieve their cars personally. The customers are critical external actors in the ecosystem, and Gliedt and Larson highlight the role of the government in the electric car industry (215). There is currently not enough competition in Alabama to pose a significant threat to a new company, but the situation may change in the future. The engagement plan should consist of three major steps: research, immersion, and measurement. Initially, the sales department should analyze the potential consumer base for electric cars and determine the factors that interest them. Next, it should develop a campaign based on these factors and put it into action, attracting customers as a result. Lastly, the analysts should observe the effects of the effort in terms of customer influx and satisfaction and make the necessary corrections based on their findings. Afterward, they can continue using the approach with periodic reviews and additional adjustments to account for changes in the customer base. The “continue operating,” “has the consumer base changed,” and “accommodate the changes” elements are looped because consumer engagement is a continuous process. Ideally, the initial engagement should transition into the company’s permanent marketing strategy. As such, the tasks represent that process as well as the continuous improvement based on the evolution of the consumer base. Engagement Plan Goa The goal of the engagement plan is to create an initial consumer base and secure sales. The company wants to retain the customers it makes and to make sure that they recommend it to others who are interested in purchasing an electric car. Works Cited Anderson, Donald L. Organization Design: Creating Strategic & Agile Organizations. SAGE, 2019. Borlase, Stuart, editor. Smart Grids: Advanced Technologies and Solutions. 2nd ed. CRC Press, 2017. Gliedt, Travis, and Kelli Larson. Sustainability in transition: Principles for Developing Solutions. Routledge, 2018. Palmatier, Robert W., V. Kumar, and Colleen M. Harmeling, editors. Customer Engagement Marketing. Palgrave Macmillan, 2018. Parker, Glenn M. Cross-Functional Teams: Working with Allies, Enemies, and Other Strangers. John Wiley & Sons, 2015.
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Specifics of Studying Abroad Essay Nowadays, borders between countries are becoming more transparent, and people have opportunities to go from their states to other states all over the world. They can use available options for different purposes, and one of them is to study overseas. People select overseas education for many reasons, including the higher quality of knowledge in comparison with their native countries, the ability to study foreign languages better, or the ability to emigrate after graduation. It is essential to mention that studying abroad may provide both benefits and pitfalls. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the most common benefits and drawbacks, as well as overall outcomes that are related to studying abroad and to recommend the ways to handle the drawbacks. Studying overseas means that students go to study in other countries outside their native states. Education abroad is usually associated with various benefits and potential problems. Students should use potential benefits and try to avoid drawbacks if they select to study abroad. Studying in foreign states provides different benefits, and the most important ones will be mentioned. Firstly, studying abroad can give knowledge and skills that cannot be learned in the home country. Secondly, after graduation, students can get well-paid and prestigious professions. It is essential for people living in developing countries where specialists who graduated from foreign educational institutions are highly valued. Thirdly, people who studied overseas often stimulate their relatives and friends to do the same and to improve levels of their lives (Velliaris and Coleman-George 168). Finally, according to Tarrant et al., “studying abroad is associated with promoting at least four of the six GPI domains” (78). Thus, the general quality of the populations’ education in a particular state increases together with socio-economic indicators. In addition to providing advantages, education in foreign states is associated with some issues. Firstly, in some countries, there may exist governmental or legal restrictions for students who want to go to other states for educational purposes (Ziguras and Grant McBurnie 51). Secondly, according to Alghamdi and Otte, “for the majority of international students, language difficulties seem to be the most challenging issue” (18). In order to handle regulation issues, potential students can be recommended to study all limits and state regulations of foreign education in advance. If possible, they should get advice from people who already have experience of studying in the same country. To handle language issues, it is necessary to consider the necessary language at least on the intermediate level before going to a host country. The possible outcomes of overseas education can be various depending on an individual’s efforts during studying in a foreign country. In case of successful graduation, one can get a well-paid job in a native state or stay in a country of education. The outcomes can be negative if one demonstrates problems with the language of studying or faces the restrictions related to foreign education. To conclude, studying overseas is associated with common benefits and drawbacks, and they should be considered by all students who want to study in a foreign state. The most common advantages include the ability to get better professional skills and knowledge, opportunities to learn foreign languages, to stimulate family members and friends to study abroad, and to improve their lives. Common drawbacks include government policies and limitations for students who came from other states, as well as the issues related to foreign language knowledge during studying. To overcome those issues, students should know possible regulations, limitations, and necessary language for education before they go to study abroad. Works Cited Alghamdi, Hamad, and Suzanne Otte. “The Challenges and Benefits of Study Abroad.” International Journal of Humanities and Social Science , vol. 6, no. 5, 2016, pp. 16–22, Web. Tarrant, Michael A. et al. “The Effects of Studying Abroad and Studying Sustainability on Students’ Global Perspectives.” The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad , vol. 26, 2015, pp. 68–82, Web. Velliaris, Donna M., and Deb Coleman-George. Handbook of Research on Study Abroad Programs and Outbound Mobility . IGI Global, 2016. Ziguras, Christopher, and Grant McBurnie. Governing Cross-Border Higher Education . Routledge, 2014.
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Neoliberal Homophobic Discourse Essay What is political homophobia? Political homophobia refers to ways used by government figures, religions, institutions, and business organizations to discriminate against individuals systematically basing on their sexual orientation. Homophobic people develop negative feelings and perceptions towards sexual minorities such as lesbians, gay people, bisexuals, and the transgender (LGBT) people among others. According to the lecture notes by Bosia (presentation October 3, 2009), state homophobia is the summation of tools and strategies in policies and mobilizations used to invoke sexual minorities as persecution targets, and opprobrium objects by the state’s top authoritative figures (Bosia 70). The topic about homosexuality has been, and is still of interest globally. Many nations across the globe have embraced policies and language about homophobia. In his presentation Bosia (October 3, 2009) strongly believes that other than personal beliefs, past traditions, and the emergence of LGBT demands, there are other reasons that make the state actors adopt homophobic policies and language (Bosia 77). Why do some countries adopt homophobic policies and language? There are several reasons that make countries adopt homophobic policies and language. The lecture notes discuss three reasons namely domestic challenges in a country, pressure from foreign countries or competitors, and economic dislocation or downturn (Bosia 70). Some countries for instance, those dominated by Christians and Muslims are against homosexual practices, and hence face a lot of domestic challenges (Whitaker par. 3-6). Many cases of people stoned to death are common in countries dominated by homophobic people. This has led to protests from the anti-homophobic and homophobic groups. The anti-homophobic groups demand that the rights of the sexual minorities be respected, and the homophobic groups protest against homosexual practices. This leads to conflicts between the two groups. Considering that the sexual minorities are few in all countries across the world, they get punished both emotionally and physically by the homophobic people. Some stone them to death, as was the case of the 3 Yemen men in Paris, France. The three Yemen Men got punished because of having homosexual intimacy practices. To avoid such cases of brutality and violence, governments intervene to avoid further conflicts. This is one of the fundamental reasons why countries adopt homophobic policies and language to affirm their authority. Pressure from competitors or allies is also instrumental for countries to adopt homophobic policies and language. Considering that some countries depend on foreign aid or support from their allies (homophobic countries), the state actors can be forced to adopt homophobic policies and language in their countries. Failure to adopt such policies may lead to termination of good relations and support when in need. Most of the underdeveloped countries for instance, African countries face such challenges considering that they need support to improve the living standards of their citizens (Awondo, Peter & Graeme145). The state actors introduce public discussions or topics of sexual differentiation whereby condemning and prosecuting are improvisational strategies of homophobia. The state actors’ cultural beliefs are also instrumental to countries adopting homophobic policies and language. Some countries particularly in Asia are homophobic, and they view homosexual practices as a Western gay culture (Peterson 742). Culturally, the citizens of these countries are homophobic, and they condemn homosexual practices. They argue that they never existed before colonization. Adopting homophobic policies and language in countries like North Korea, Jamaica, China, and Uganda among others may not encounter opposition from the citizens. The sexual minorities in such countries feel isolated and rarely identify themselves because of the fear of isolation. The state actors of these countries always campaign against LGBT rights. Works Cited Awondo, Patrick, Peter Geschiere, and Graeme Reid. Homophobic Africa? Toward A More Nuanced View. African Studies Review 55.3 (2012): 145-168. Print. Bosia, Michael J. AIDS and Postcolonial Politics: Acting Up on Science and Immigration in France. French Politics, Culture & Society 27:1 (2009): 69-90. Print. Peterson, David. Neoliberal Homophobic Discourse: Heteronormative Human Capital and the Exclusion of Queer Citizens. Journal of Homosexuality 58.6/7 (2011): 742-757. Print. Whitaker, Brian. Pink Planet . 2007. Web.
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Fourth-Grade Slump in Reading and Writing Essay Why do you think that students experience the ‘fourth grade slump’, where reading and writing become more increasingly difficult? There are a number of factors that trigger the ‘fourth grade slump’ among young learners. Firstly, the extensive focus is usually given to reading lessons when children are still in their early years of learning. A lot of reading is done in the primary years but neglected as children progress into the later years. This is because of the assumption that students don’t need that practice anymore. The ability to read and understand is also given a lot of emphasis during the early years in school (Goodwin, 2011). Although the acquisitions of reading and writing skills are prudent in the intellectual development of elementary learners, that curriculum requirements in the subsequent grades tend to distort the earlier gains made in reading. Fourth graders are supposed to read and understand the assigned texts. Besides, fourth graders learn a completely new perspective towards reading because texts are evaluated after the reading process. For example, learners in the fourth grade should derive meaning from long texts. Besides, creative thinking skills are a strenuous task for most fourth graders. Teachers also share information in various texts with learners in different ways when they are fourth graders. Although learners have ample opportunity to familiarize themselves with the new curriculum in the fourth grade, other forms of literacy activities tend to consume a lot of their regular learning time (Stockard, 2010). For example, co-curricular activities such as games and sporting activities distract learners from regular reading and writing lessons. In addition, reading digital texts that do not meet the threshold for learning outcomes also distract most fourth graders. It is unfortunate to note that children who are used to reading digital texts may find it boring to read the prescribed readings in school. Moreover, digital reading may be more appealing, purposeful, and dynamic for fourth graders. As a result, most of them may eventually perform below average in reading and writing classes. Reading and writing slumps are also evident among learners from low and middle-income households. Learners below fourth grade are less aware or informed of the prevailing family strife. However, increased awareness of the immediate family environment is sometimes a major setback for learners in fourth grade (Hirsch, 2003). Children at this learning stage can be easily be perturbed by family struggles. Finally, such learners can significantly flop in both reading and writing. Fourth graders are taken through deep narrative text reading when most of them are not fully prepared to read and retain mass content. For instance, long descriptive texts that demand interpretation of meanings can remarkably confuse most fourth graders. In most instances, fourth-graders largely rely on their instructors for interpretation and analysis of texts before they can finally follow suit ( Help for Struggling, Reluctant Readers, 2010). However, learners who have better retention abilities may easily excel in fourth grade. Stockard, (2010) argues that fourth graders are hardly prepared to handle informational text in previous grades. Unfortunately, informational texts can be cumbersome for young learners to read and comprehend especially when there is a need to make use of the logical application. The ‘fourth grade slump’ is also made worse when the content-specific vocabulary is introduced to learners immediately after enrolling as fourth graders. The learning objectives contained in the curriculum may not be very accurate on the timing of certain vocabularies. Hence, such challenging content may distort and ‘slow down’ the flow of reading and writing for most fourth graders (Flint, Kitson, Lowe & Shaw, 2013). References Flint, A. S., Kitson, L., Lowe, K., & Shaw, K. (2013). Literacy in Australia: Pedagogies for Engagement . Victoria: John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd. Goodwin, B. (2011). Research Says… / Don’t Wait Until 4th Grade to Address the Slump . Web. Help for Struggling, Reluctant Readers (2010). Web. Hirsch, E. D. (2003). Reading comprehension requires knowledge—of words and the world. American Educator, 27 (1), 10–48. Stockard, J. (2010). Promoting reading achievement and countering the “fourth-grade slump”: The impact of Direct Instruction on reading achievement in fifth grade. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk , 15 (3) 218–240.
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Media Impact on Culture and “Proper Self” Essay I consider myself a young person who is in touch with modernity and technology. I consider this as the category I fall under mainly based on the age group I belong to, my cultural background perceptions of my others. I sought to find out the effect of pop culture on my life from the perspective of scholars and various sources. In his documentary Dreamworld 3: Desire, Sex, and Power in Music Videos, Jhally (2007) portrays the impact of the media on personality. He examines the influence of advertisements and music videos on culture, particularly the identity of men and women. He observes that producers of music videos, just like advertisements, are increasingly using images of the female body to increase their sales. These images and their influence on people are the subjects of critique. Jhally (2007) analyses various music videos from different genres of music, from rock, pop, rap, and rhythm and blues. Each video seems to portray almost similar aspects of masculinity and femininity. The female characters are portrayed as ‘assets’ to the male characters, being used for ‘showing off’ and sexuality. They are shown to control the world around them through sexual flirting, usually with their bodies being exposed to a level that may constitute pornography. The male characters, on the other hand, are generally portrayed as dominating, usually through intimidation and the use of money power to lure the female characters into their lives (Jhally, 2007). The relationship between the masculine and feminine characters in the videos is that of a dominant male and submissive female, with the male, having the resources, being able to do what he wants with the female (Jhally, 2007). Masculine characters, particularly in the rap and rock videos, portray a ‘bad guy’ attitude with the notion that they can do and get whatever they want. They represent the fantasies of young men and women in society. They are however exaggerated to create a ‘catchy’ effect. The portrayal of characters in this manner has a profound effect on the consumers of the music videos. They dictate the ideal man and woman. They dictate fashion and style. They also dictate the lifestyle of consumers through the use of images of the ‘ideal body’ (Jhally, 2007). The effect is more profound on younger people. According to the theory of behaviorism, behavior is shaped more by learning than by instinct (Macionis & Gerber, 2007). As people watch these videos every day they influence their lives gradually but in a lasting manner. The whole category of people who watch these videos accepts the ideals shown in the images as the ‘proper self’. This becomes the new culture (Jhally, 2007). People who do not conform to these ideals feel out of place (Macionis & Gerber, 2007), and they will try their best to conform to fit in, or rebel against one culture in favor of another. The imagery portrayed has also been seen to influence people in real life, with an incident in 2000 in Central Park, New York, where young men sexually harassed female passers-by, treating them in manners similar to the treatment of women portrayed in music videos (Jhally, 2007). Pop culture has influenced me in terms of my fashion and my perception of the ‘ideal’ man and woman. I have felt the need to conform to some aspects of it, though not all. I have learned of the influence of socialization on human beings and that what influences me will shape my personality. References Jhally, S. (Director). (2007). Dreamworld 3: Desire, Sex and Power in Music Videos [Motion Picture]. Macionis, J. J., & Gerber, L. M. (2007). Sociology, 7th Ed. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
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Introduction 2. Strengths 3. Weaknesses 4. Conclusion 5. Works Cited Introduction This paper provides a critique of the strengths and weaknesses of the article The Disposition to Sell Winners Too Early and Ride Losers Too Long: Theory and Evidence , written by Hersh and Statman. The authors of the article put a lot of emphasis on the aspects of loss realization, with a specific focus on both theory and evidence. As such, the article provides the perspective of the topic; theoretically and evidence-based. Strengths There are several strengths and weaknesses evident in the approaches used by the authors in the article, The Disposition to Sell Winners Too Early and Ride Losers Too Long: Theory and Evidence to explain the subject of loss and gain realization and the associated features. First, the approach of the authors to base their argument both on theory and evidence gives the information provided in this article’s credibility. Hersh and Statman examine the behavior of an individual’s uncertainty to loss realization from a theoretical framework (777). According to the assertions of Chew and MacCrimmon, in most cases, the behavior of individual decision-makers contradicts the expectations of the utility theory (1065). The authors focus on the development of a positive theory with a lot of bearing on capital gains, as well as loss realization to explain the likelihood of investors selling winners too early while at the same time riding losers too long. The efficiency of such an approach is that it is used concerning the propositions of the normative theory postulated by Constantinides. The authors compare several theories that have some level of significance to the subject under consideration. For example, according to Constantinides, the disposition effect aligns with the general folklore on investing (611). However, Chew and MacCrimmon noted that it has no relationship with the neoclassical framework (1065). Also, the authors find out that it is not related to alternative theories that explain uncertainty in decision making. On the other Hersh and Statman provide evidence to their theoretical argument, with the focus on the time difference between the buying and selling of stock by an investor. Such an approach helps to ascertain the possibility that investors consider the realization of gains and losses with equal magnitude. To effectively examine this aspect, the authors use several findings from past studies. According to Feldstein and Yitzhaki, over 50% of investors were unable to sell any stock in their first year of buying (25). The same was evident in Blume and Friend’s study (67). Weaknesses Despite the strengths provided above, it is evident that the data used by the authors to analyze the subject of study is based on aggregate monthly purchases as well as redemption in the case of mutual funds. Such an approach provides a limited analysis of the effect expected and thus a more detailed approach would be preferred such as data that provides an overview of individual investors’ transactions. Also, fund by fund data would be more preferred. Conclusion The theoretical and evidence-based approach of the authors is suitable in the provision of more insights into the loss realization. The descriptive theory of the authors indicates that many investors tend to concentrate their loss realization in December, which is not normatively-based (Ben 198). On the other hand, the authors use a theoretical approach and empirical evidence to point out that it is not possible to use tax considerations alone in the explanation of loss and gain realization patterns. Works Cited Ben, Branch. “A tax Loss Trading Rule.” Journal of Business 50.1 (1977):198-207. Print. Blume, Marshall and Irwin Friend. The Changing Role of the Individual Investor , New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1978. Print. Chew, Soo and Richard MacCrimmon. “Alpha-Nu Choice Theory: A Generalization of expected Utility Theory.” Econometrica 51.1 (1983): 1065-1092. Print. Constantinides, George. “Capital Market Equilibrium, with Personal Tax.” Econometrica 51.1 (1983): 611-636. Print. Feldstein, Martin and Shlomo Yitzhaki. “The Effects of the Capital Gains Tax on the Selling and Switching of Common Stocks.” Journal of Public Economics 9.1 (1978): 17-36. Print. Hersh, Shefrin and Meir Statman. “The Disposition to Sell Winners Too Early and Ride Losers Too Long: Theory and Evidence.” The Journal of Finance XL.3 (1985): 777-790. Print.
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Analysis of Relativism and Objectivism Essay Supporters of relativism believe that morality in the objective sense does not exist. The moral norms adopted in society are not obligatory for adherence and execution. In absolute terms, the concepts of evil and good are nothing more than fiction. In this regard, researcher Porus noted that moral relativism could easily degenerate into permissiveness (Bush and Moss, 2020). Moreover, people who adhere to this point of view can be perceived as the ones trying to devalue moral norms to the lowest possible level, will not attempt to seek compromises and negotiate on mutually beneficial terms. On the contrary, objectivism states that there is right and wrong that do not depend on someone’s opinions or other factors. In this sense, moral standards are believed to be propounded and everlasting, not created by humans. There are many philosophical variations and interpretations of objectivism, but the key idea lies in proclaiming one genuine truth. This evidently opposes the concept of relativism in every aspect (Bush and Moss, 2020). Objectivism, however, admits that some moral norms may change, but at thy core, any rules and standards evolve around an unaltered understanding of bad and good. I find relativism more convincing despite some flaws it contains. Although absolute relativity often signals the absence of a moral and ethical core and is thus unreliable, the theory of relativism has more realistic features. Every day we face elections, the result of which often cannot be called correct or not. Most people, in principle, always try to act ethically, but even then, their actions can be perceived negatively. You will not please everyone precisely because, despite some existing ideas about good and evil, you make decisions that pass through the prism of experience, psychological characteristics of a person, circumstances, and weighing many factors. I find objectivism too utopian an ultimatum, which seeks to simplify morality while threatening it with a distorted view of reality. Reference Bush, L. S., & Moss, D. (2020). Misunderstanding Metaethics: Difficulties Measuring Folk Objectivism and Relativism. Diametros , 17 (64).
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How Macro-Environmental Force Will Impact Global Market Essay Table of Contents 1. Globalization as a macro-environmental force 2. Demographics as a macro-environmental force 3. Technological force 4. Economic and political forces 5. Works Cited Globalization as a macro-environmental force The process of globalization can be defined as one of the main macro-environmental forces influencing the market of higher education in Australia. Globalization is considered a megatrend, as it affects nearly every segment of our civilization. It can be described as the accelerated movement of “people, goods, and ideas among countries and regions” (Qin-Hilliard and Suarez-Orozco 1). It changes the nature of the market of higher education all over the world and leads to internationalization. Nowadays, young people are open to other cultures and are willing to experience living in different countries. They have an opportunity to learn international languages and get all the knowledge required for being a competitive student in major educational institutions. It creates high competitiveness in the market of higher education. I believe, these processes can have a huge impact on the market of higher education in Australia. Australian higher education is accepted worldwide. However, the character of education in Australia is fully commercial while it is heavily subsidized in Japan and the USA (Marginson 16). Globalization enables the students to see the difference between the prices and give preference to the institutions outside Australia, which offer lower fees. Therefore, globalization leads to the inevitable changes in the Australian system of higher education, needed for the development of its competitive capacity. Demographics as a macro-environmental force Demographic factors present another macro-environmental force influencing the market of higher education in Australia. Demographic issues include age distribution, migration processes, environment specifics, etc. These factors will influence the market of higher education in Australia and worldwide. The aging of the overall population in Australia results in higher demand for healthcare services specialists. Constantly growing levels of migration to Australia lead to the necessity for adjusting the educational system to the needs of students coming from different cultures. Therefore, an issue of the necessity of the introduction of bilingual education can arise. A growing number of single-parent families in Australia will affect the paying capacity of future students. Therefore, the demographic factor will change the market of higher education in Australia and make it more flexible and suitable for the needs of the future society. Technological force The post on the technological force investigates the influence of modern technologies on the educational system. Technologies gave an opportunity to study distantly and introduced new approaches to the academic routine. Technology is progressively changing, and new inventions modify modern education in many ways (Bates 9). Higher education has faced challenges caused by the development of informational technologies, which influenced the perception of “how education should be delivered” (Johnsrud and Tabata 626). However, the negative effects of technology invasion in the educational process are not fully investigated. How does the use of the Web support cheating? Is the abundant use of gadgets during the studying process appropriate? These and some other questions need to be answered. Economic and political forces The post on political and economic factors investigates their influence on the global market for higher education. Political policies made educational institutions adjust their systems to the needs of foreign students. However, the financial crisis of 2007-2008 resulted in smaller budgets provided by the government. It made the institutions seek other sources of income and raise the tuition fees. Political groups invest in education in order to attract voter groups (Busemeyer 107). Then, is there a possibility of speculating on educational programs by political forces? How can it be regulated? Hanushek et al. state that the high economic development of the country is not always associated with the high competitiveness of its market of education (70). Is the financial side the most important one in providing a good level of education? More questions need to be answered. Works Cited Bates, Tony. Technology, E-learning and Distance Education . New York: Routledge, 2005. Print. Busemeyer, Marius. “Social Democrats and the new partisan politics of public investment in education.” Journal of European Public Policy 16.1 (2009): 107-126. Print. Hanushek, Eric, Dean Jamison, Eliot Jamison, & Ludger Woessmann. “Education and Economic Growth.” Education Next 8.2 (2008): 62-70. Print. Johnsrud, Linda, and Lynn Tabata. “The Impact of Faculty Attitudes Toward Technology, Distance Education, and Innovation.” Research in Higher Education 49.7 (2007): 625-646. Print. Marginson, Simon. “National and Global Competition in Higher Education.” The Australian Educational Researcher 31.2 (2004): 1-28. Print. Qin-Hilliard, Desiree, and Marcelo Suarez-Orozco. Globalization: Culture and Education in the New Millennium . Oakland: University of California Press, 2004. Print.
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Introduction 2. Rumba 3. Salsa 4. Chamame genre 5. Summary Introduction The current essay deals with Afro-Latin music and dancing as the reflection of unique social and cultural values and conditions of Latin American people of African origin. Their cultural contribution to dance and ethnic music is immense and reveals some important traits of Latin cultural, religious, political and social experiences. Within the frames of current research the analysis of two contributions to dancing culture and one contribution to lyric music in a form of ballad will be provided with a particular emphasis on cultural values and social conditions that created them. Rumba The first important contribution to world culture is Rumba which is important in terms of cultural and social practices that gave birth to it. There is no denying the importance of the fact that Rumba was brought to Latin America and Cuba by African people who were used up as slaves on fruit plantations by colonizers. Hence, it should be noted that it appeared on the frontier of original African patterns of dancing and music and social experience of oppression and suffering African met in Latin America. For them the joyful and sexual meanings of Rumba were a means for lessening sufferings they met in their daily life. Rumba was often restricted and suppressed by colonial authorities as it was regarded by the dominant as dangerous for stability as it energized people and made them free from formalities etc. Rumba developed in rural Cuba where exploitation of peasants and slaves was the most intense and hence it may be said that rumba represents by large the social and cultural experiences of rural communities. It is still very popular in Mantanzas and Havana especially in areas where black communities dominate but today it intermingles with the elements from hip-hop and jazz. Salsa Another example of African-Latin dancing styles that become very wide-spread is salsa (a word referring to Mexican sauce). It has its origin in the fusion of the informal dance styles of the Caribbean and Latin regions. Besides this it should be noted that it has great influence of the African culture of music and dancing. The social roots of this dance have much in common with rumba and symbolizing the social suffering and deprivation of all subaltern people of Latin America and the Caribbean. This explains the fact why this dancing style became so much widespread among Latin immigrants in New York and other American cities. They formed ethnic and cultural communities on the borderline of American society being affected by inequality and cultural domination of American society. However they managed to keep their culture, music and dancing which serve as a means for expressing their problems and worldview. Hence, by forming a unique ethnic and social subculture the Latin immigrants to the United States share and try to overcome the hardships they meet in their daily life. Salsa is intrinsically social and community dancing as it gathers many people in the circle and creates a beautiful atmosphere of unity and the common fate of people. Frequent exchange of partners and improvisation are the important elements of salsa that characterize its symbolic and social origins. Chamame genre One of the main contributions of African-Latin to music is Chamame genre which is very widespread in Latin America. It is played with the use of violin, accordion and the Spanish guitar and combines lyrics, rhythm and melodic motives. This genre is a reflection of cultural mixture that characterizes Latin America and an immense impact of African culture on its development. Summary To sum it up, current research showed that African-Latin music produces important effect on the cultural and social experience of Latin people notwithstanding their ethnic origins. It is a reflection of historical conditions in which they used to live and live now which are characterized by social problems, aspirations of a better future and unrestrained celebration of life and nature.
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The Gangster We Are All Looking For Essay The story of “The Gangster We Are All Looking For” talks about several people who came to the new land as illegal immigrants for a search of a better life. The concept of family is predominant throughout and from the beginning of the story. It proves that the closest ties people have are with their family and sometimes, there is no one else in the world who will offer a helping hand, especially in own detriment. From the very beginning the story illustrates the respect and obligations that individuals within a family have towards each other. When Mr. Russell shows the kindness of his heart and makes sure that the immigrant family is safe, he dies but his dream lives on through his wife. Her commitment to his wishes and the respect for him obligates Mrs. Russell to take the family in and offer help. Also, the motherly feelings that she felt towards the family that was not even her own, proves that she was of kind heart and understood the hardships that others were going through. The key feature of the story is that everything is seen through the eyes of the girl and she describes things as they are. She is not yet able to understand the special ties between the family members. Later on, the reader learns that the family history is a rather harsh one. The narration changes from the past to the present and tells a story of how the relationship between a “gangster” and his wife developed, as well as his son and daughter. When the father is ignoring the phone call and sees a man and his son on TV, it is apparent that the scene represents the loss and the difficulty that it has brought upon the parent. The father meets many challenges and also, has to deal with own insecurities. As a result, this affects his position within the family and in the relationship with his daughter. Form one perspective the family life is shown through the eyes of a little girl. As she cannot yet comprehend many concepts, she can only observe and comment on what she sees. She is unable to understand the deepest emotions people go through at first. When the family is reunited, the seemingly joyful moment and future life become marred by the relationships within the family and their past. It is possible to assume that the father has seen a lot in his life and this has greatly affected his relationship within the family. He probably had high hopes for his son and after the tragedy, could not let go of the pain. The daughter becomes the other half of the family that has been separated by the harsh condition of life. Slowly, it becomes obvious that the narrator grows up and her feelings towards her family and father become clearer. She has a special relationship with her father and she can now understand the difficult time her mother goes through. The fact that the family was separated by the loss of the brother and the change in life settings represent different characters and their feelings. The story shows the audience a different side of the family. The strain and inability to cope sometimes take over but in the end, people hold on to each other and find ways to get through the hardest times.
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Bottled Water Effect on Environment and Culture Report Purpose The project is intended to find out the impact of bottled water both environmental and cultural. In the past, people have believed that bottled water is superior to tap water and the research will provide evidence to support or oppose this claim. The study will determine the overall effects of bottled water and the results obtained will determine whether people should be encouraged or discouraged from consuming it (Senior & Dege, 2005). The research will also be important in the implementation of other policies. Examples are the policies to do with disposal of bottles. If it is discovered that water bottles are ineffectively disposed leading to pollution, the study will assist in coming up with ways of ensuring that such pollution does not occur but instead that the bottles are recycled which will also save on resources. It is evident that the recycling of water bottles is likely to compromise on the quality of drinking water by allowing phthalate into the water. By carrying out this project, it will be possible to come up with ways of ensuring that the environment is protected while at the same time guaranteeing consumers of quality drinking water. There are a lot of fossil fuels that are required in the production of water bottler and the research will assist in finding out whether there exists more fuel saving methods of producing such bottles. There are many different issues that arise from bottled water and an analysis of all of them is important do determine the relevance of the water bottling industry in society (“Regulations of bottled water”). Areas of investigation. The project will involve an in depth analysis of various factors that have to do with drinking water. The first issue is in relation to the cultural impact of bottled water. It will examine whether bottled water is actually of superior quality to tap water as well as water from other sources. The other area of study will be to determine, from bottled water companies, the proportion of water bottles that they actually recycle. This will assist in determining the exact effect that water bottles have on the environment. A study will also be carried out on the consumers themselves to find out their attitude towards bottled water as well as whether they are aware of any differenced between tap water and bottled water. They will be interviewed on the measures that they take to ensure that their bottles do not form part of pollutants (Elmer & Tanner, 2000). Research method Primary data will be collected from companies that manufacture bottled water through interviewing various employees. Consumers of bottled water will on the other hand be provided with questionnaires to fill regarding diverse issues related to bottled water. The following literature will also be helpful in collecting and analyzing of secondary data: “Effects of bottled water on the environment” Retrieved from: Web. Elmer, P. & Tanner, T (2000). Springs and bottled waters of the world: ancient history, source, occurrence, quality and use. New York: Springer Goodman, S. “ Fewer regulations for bottled water than tap, GAO says ”. Hall, N (2007) Federal and State Laws Regarding Bottled Water – An Overview and Recommendations for Reform . Job, C. (2009). Groundwater Economics . Washington: CRC Press Miller, G & Spoolman (2008). Living in the Environment: Principles, Connections, and Solutions . New York: Cengage Learning Olson, E, Poling, D et al (1999). Bottled water: pure drink or pure hype? USA: NRDC “Regulations of bottled water”. Senior, D & Dege, N (2005). Technology of bottled water . New York: Wiley- Blackwell “Wadebridge Ecological Center (2007). The Ecologist . Michigan: Ecosystems Ltd. The research will require a budget of $1,000 to be used as follows: Interviews and questionnaires $ 500 Transport cost $100 Data analysis $300 Stationery $ 100. Request for approval. Considering the importance of the project to individuals and the environment, approval to conduct it will be highly appreciated. The research findings will be accompanied by important recommendations whiGantt chart for the bottled water projectch if implemented will make the world a better place. The research will take four weeks as indicated in the chart below. Gantt chart for the bottled water project References Elmer, P. & Tanner, T (2000). Springs and bottled waters of the world: ancient history, source, occurrence, quality and use. New York: Springer “Regulations of bottled water”. Web. Senior, D & Dege, N (2005). Technology of bottled water . New York: Wiley- Blackwell.
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The Global Leadership of Carlos Ghosn at Nissan Essay What Made Carlos Ghosn Successful at Nissan? According to the assigned article, Carlos Ghosn, in addition to having a respectful approach towards the French-Japanese business culture clash, retained an attitude of blame acceptance in the event of his plan’s failure. However, while a person’s character is an essential factor, which affects the business that they conduct or manage, their professional integrity remains an even more crucial aspect of either a company’s growth or its deterioration. Hence, instituting numerous cross-functional teams and sub-teams, creating a system of interconnectivity between managers’ local and regional functionality, and adhering to a merit-based reward system allowed Ghosn to prevent Nissan’s bankruptcy through stimulating productivity. Most importantly, improving the company’s supply chain and disregarding the damaging aspects of Japanese inter-corporate culture, such as keiretsu, permitted freeing up capital that was otherwise idle and, therefore, unprofitable. Thus, the revised flow of goods and services through the company to the consumer stimulated by a broader, more careful approach to management made possible achieving the Nissan Revival Plan even earlier than expected. What Is Necessary for That Success to Continue? Modernization and progress stem from necessity and adversity supported by appropriate management from qualified specialists, who are flexible as well as experienced. However, while a crucial factor in Nissan’s revival, urgency may be considered a situational occurrence, which may be unusable to sustain continuous growth, but could allow stimulating it through setting an innovative precedent. Ghosn was able to maintain the balance between situational adaptability and business experience, utilizing necessary aspects from each and disregarding those inapplicable to the atmosphere in Nissan, requiring comparable mindfulness levels from his successor. The demonstrative effectivity of the tactics used by Ghosn could motivate their continuous implementation while remaining adherent to Japanese cultural norms of productivity. Such methods may involve further building upon the achieved focus of management on the supply chain successfully initiated by involving managers at different levels of production. Thus, building upon the already attained success, Ghosn’s successor may need to integrate new strategies in the same culture mindful way, producing stellar results on the joint between tradition and innovation.
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