Industrial Revolutionists Thomas Edison

During a time of industrial economic revolution there were few people who were recognized as major contributors to the country†s evolvement. Among these people were Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller and Thomas Edison. These three men possessed incredible intuition, genius and personal determination that shined brightly throughout their extraordinary lives. Each individual proved to be nothing less than successful in his career by striving to surpass his competitors and by constantly trying to reach goals that were practically unattainable. In this essay I will cover each individuals life and accomplishments, identify how these men helped the nation fix its domestic economic flaws and explain why I think they were successful over achievers rather than â€Å"robber barons. † Andrew Carnegie was one of these individuals. Although he was born poor, he did not let his financial disability get in the way of success. He started out his career at the bottom of the social latter. In fact his first job was working as a bobbin boy at a textile mill. He labored more than sixty hours a week receiving $1. 20 for each week†s work. As horrid as this seems, he displayed his potential by becoming Pittsburgh†s fastest telegraph reader. Unbelievably he read the telegraph by reading the sounds of the keys by ear. After decoding many of the city†s business leader†s messages, Carnegie developed an insider†s view of their operations. Finally, in 1852 a superintendent of the Pennsylvania Railroad, Tom Scott, hired Carnegie as his secretary and personal telegrapher. He worked as the railroad†s telegrapher for seven years until Scott was promoted to vice president of the company. This enabled Carnegie to be promoted to Scott†s former position. Now that he had the ability to â€Å"stretch his legs† he showed just how valuable of an employee he was. He did this by doubling the company†s road mileage and quadrupling its traffic. Not too long after, his annual income rose to almost $60,000! Even though Carnegie had already embodied the â€Å"rags to riches† dream he was not satisfied. In the 1870†³s he decided to build a steel mill. He furnished it with nothing but state of the art steel producing technology. He named it the J. Edgar Thompson Mill. With the combination of his management knowledge and intuition he learned how to produce steel much more cheaply than his competitors. He did this by salary cutbacks and by making sure no materials were wasted. â€Å"Watch the cost, and the profits will take care of themselves. † This was his motto and what he firmly believed in. Because Carnegie could see the â€Å"big picture,† he began vertical integration (controlling all aspects of manufacturing). This gave him the ability to control every thing from the extracting of raw materials to the selling of the finished product. Basically, Carnegie had built a monopoly (exclusive control over the entire steel commodity). By now Carnegie had help in running his company. Along with his business associates, he developed a partnership with Henry Clay Frick who eventually became the chairmen of Carnegie Steel. With Frick†s leadership, profits constantly rose giving Carnegie more time to focus on his philanthropy. Carnegie felt that â€Å"fortunes corrupted their possessors†, so he donated over three hundred million dollars to philanthropy projects! This funding helped establish foundations and proved to be beneficial to universities, libraries as well as his popularity. About ten years later, the aged Andrew Carnegie agreed to sell Carnegie Steel Company to J. Pierpont Morgan. It was agreed that Morgan would buy the company for five hundred million dollars. Once the transaction was complete, United States Steel was born. Carnegie proved himself to be a self made man of success who started at the bottom and trudged his way to the top. With his amazing intuition and decision making ability he built an empire that made a notch in American history and helped bring about the industrial revolution. John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil Company, also played a role in the industrial revolution. He too longed for wealth and prosperity. He went about this by making many little decisions rather than huge ones. He did this by adjusting every single aspect of his oil company until it was a finely tuned money making machine. He stressed the importance of â€Å"providing a reliable product† and used the latest techniques in ensuring the quality of his products. Like Carnegie, his crude business techniques along with his extraordinary intuition in the understanding of the industry provided for a complete monopoly over the industry. He displayed his power by pricing his products below cost. This caused his competitors and merchants that refused to sell his products to go under financially. By 1879, Rockefeller owned ninety percent of the nations oil refining capacity. Unlike Carnegie, Rockefeller devised a plan to merge all of the competing companies into one giant system. He did this by persuading stockholders of forty companies to exchange their stock for certificates of trust. He formed a board of trustees to run all of the companies. This proved to be a remarkable idea indeed because within three years the Standard Oil Trust had cut the number of refineries in half. This resulted in a rapid growth of Standard Oil and its spread to several other continents. Because other fields of manufacturing began to catch on to Rockefeller†s tactics, monopolistic control began to rise in different areas of the country. This provoked the public to ask for an investigation of trusts and their operations. In 1890, Senator John Sherman led Congress into passing the Sherman Anti-Trust Act which outlawed trusts and contracts or combinations in restraint of trade. It also established fines and jail times as penalties. Because the government vaguely defined â€Å"trust† and â€Å"restraint of trade† few were prosecuted. When Rockefeller and Standard Oil were finally challenged in 1892, he simply transformed his nine trustees into the board of directors of Standard Oil. This helped the company elude prosecution and caused the continuation of growing profits. Like Carnegie, Rockefeller found the loophole in the economic system and took advantage of it. But he also displayed his keen sense of intuition and decision making by making decisions that helped his company adapt to the changing laws. He too showed that through hard work, determination and understanding of one†s surroundings a person could be successful. The third of these successful individuals is Thomas A. Edison. An inventor born in 1847, he believed in hard work and self-promotion. Like Carnegie and Rockefeller, Edison envisioned an interconnected industrial system founded. This though was being founded on the basis of technology. Through out his life he had many inventions having the stock quotation printer as his first. The profits he received from the sale of the printer†s patent gave him enough money to build his very own â€Å"invention factory†. After the invention of the telephone, Edison focused on electric light. During this time he invented the phonograph which gave him even more determination and self-motivation to develop a new filament for incandescent light bulbs. He finally perfected a process of generating electricity and found a filament that would glow dependably in a vacuum. Backed by J. P. Morgan in 1882, the Edison Illuminating Company opened a power plant that furnished light for eighty-five buildings. Even though Edison was prospering, he did have competitors stealing his ideas. One example would be George Westinghouse. Westinghouse developed a system that used alternating currents of electricity to provide cheap high voltage power. Of course Edison sued, but it cost two million dollars to defend his patents and relinquish control over his enterprises. Like Carnegie and Rockefeller, Edison merged with a competitor in 1892 to form General Electric. Just four years after, GE agreed to exchange patents with Westinghouse in order to dominate the market. Edison continued to pump out invention after invention. By the time he was done, he had 1,903 patented inventions and had put together an estate worth over six million dollars. Thomas Edison did not quite achieve the financial status Carnegie and Rockefeller did, but he did follow the same path and ended up with a fortune. His presence is still felt every time someone turns the light on. That is definitely an admirable achievement. His inventions helped shape our nation and contributed greatly to the industrial revolution. Although Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller and Thomas Edison were considered â€Å"robber barons† or tycoons, the big picture can be over looked. During their time many things such as industrialism and business techniques were evolving into a new era of technology and business. It is obvious that these three men were born with an incredible intuition for the industries they were in. It†s not to say no one else of their time shared this ability, but they were among the few who â€Å"reached for the stars† instead of a weekly pay check. These men put into perspective what pursuing the American dream is all about. It was their personal determination and work ethic along with their keen intuition that enabled them to be successful. Many people feel as if it was their greed that lead them to monopolize their chosen industry, causing other competitors to suffer. I think it hadn†t much to do with greed at all. Like any successful person they set their goals beyond their limits. They did nothing more than try to accomplish as much as possible in their lifetime. Doing so they found flaws in the nations economic system and capitalized on them. If anything, this provided for the correction of these flaws and the betterment of the nations domestic business structure. Of course there were those at the bottom of the social chain that suffered, but that still lives on today. Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller and Thomas Edison not only contributed to our country†s industrialization and economic growth, but also proved that the â€Å"American dream† does exists and can be achieved if one puts forth enough of himself to grasp it.

Late Adulthood and End of Life Paper

Late Adulthood and End of Life Paper Late Adulthood and End of Life Paper Throughout a human beings lifespan, an individual experiences many pivotal changes both physically and mentally. Of all of these life stages, none is more difficult a reality as late adulthood. Individuals are given a taste of youth and vitality, and must watch as it is slowly taken away. In some cultures, the elderly are treated with respect and care, and in others, the elderly are considered a burden and receive little respect and poor care. How do perceptions of death and dying vary from culture to culture? The ancient Egyptians spent their entire lives preparing for death and the afterlife, but how do other cultures perceive these experiences? To gain a better perspective on late adulthood and the end of life, this paper will provide information on the areas of concern during these life stages such as health and wellness, stereotypes associated with late adulthood, and cultural view of death and dying. Health and wellness in late adulthood As individuals age the human body experiences many physical and mental changes. Aging or senescence represents these changes that the human body goes through which diminishes the body’s capacity to regenerate making it vulnerable to illness and disease (Berger, 2008). According to Berger (2008), â€Å"Gerontologists distinguish between primary aging, the universal changes that occur with senescence, and secondary aging, the consequences of particular diseases† (p. 620). The physical changes associated with aging are typically gradual with noticeable declines in hearing, vision, taste, and smell (Mesa Community College, 1997). In addition to the decline in sensory functions, some elderly individuals experience more prominent health concerns such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and a decrease in lung function. Other more serious health concerns that typically arise in late adulthood are those of cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s. Often depression can be a main contributor to failing health as increases in health issues and experiencing the death of family and friends makes one’s own mortality more apparent. Not all individuals in late adulthood suffer from these health ailments. There are numerous lifestyle factors that can contribute to illness, and can be altered to provide an individual with a healthier more active life. There are numerous simple lifestyle changes an individual can make that can assist in his or her health and wellness and also decrease some of the negative effects of aging such as healthier eating habits, exercise, and regular medical checkups. Healthier eating habits involve consuming the proper amounts of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, and protein every day. Balanced meals and healthy snacks can increase energy and ward off potential illness and disease. Exercise is also an important factor in contributing to wellness in late adulthood as exercise increases blood flow, builds healthy heart muscle, increases lung functions, and increases mobility. Mobility is often a factor in older adults who become sedentary causing muscles to atrophy and increase the likelihood of blood clots and heart-related problems. Routing medical checkups can also promote health and wellness by monitoring current medical issues and diagnosing new health issues. This allows doctors to diagnose properly and treat illness and disease early. Ageism and stereotypes Ageism refers to prejudice against elderly individuals by the use of stereotypes. According to an article provided by Net Industries (2011), â€Å"Ageism occurs throughout society in varying degrees, in television, advertising, movies, stores, hospitals, and jobs† (p. 62). Society assumes that with the increase of age comes a decrease in faculties, which is an assumption that is not always true. Younger individuals typically hold negative stereotypes regarding elderly people (Net Industries, 2011). Often older individuals are considered to be slower, more costly, and less adaptable to change than younger individuals making tasks such as finding employment and receiving equal treatment difficult. According to an article provided by Net Industries (2011), â€Å"Studies consistently demonstrate that there is no correlation between age and job performance, despite the common stereotype that productivity declines with age. Indeed, research reveals that some intellectual functions may even improve with age† (p. 62). Often older adults are treated as children by society making assumptions of their abilities and mental functioning. Viewpoints of death and dying Death at any stage in life is personal and holds different meanings to different people. Society places a great deal of meaning on death based upon age, situation, and their personal experiences and beliefs. The viewpoints of death and dying in early childhood are limited; however, children have a basic understanding of death by the age of two through their own observations of family members (Berger, 2008). Children who are dying often fear death as they do not have a fully developed concept of dying and associate death with abandonment (Berger, 2008). At this life stage, it is important to have guidance from his or her parents to gain a better understanding of death and dying. Death and dying in adolescence is often a second thought as adolescents in this life stage place less value on life and ore often reckless and irresponsible with their lives and the lives of others. A different viewpoint of death and dying is seen in adulthood as the reality of their own mortality is acknowledged and the lives of their family members. Typically adults do not fear death because of maturity and knowledge of death. The fear and concern is for leaving unfinished business such as raising their children. Anxiety builds in adults regarding death as they come to the realization of their age and becoming closer to death as they continue to age. Adults have established a healthy respect for life and the tragedy of death. In late adulthood, older adults have the least anxiety about death and dying as they are aware of and accept their mortality and often have an established spiritual belief of an afterlife after their mortal death. Often death is associated with relief when an older adult has a serious illness or a great deal of physical pain or failing mental health. Cultural attitudes towards death and dying Attitudes toward death and dying are often different based upon cultural and religious differences. Some cultures base their feelings toward death on spiritual beliefs whereas other cultures believe in a higher power and a promised eternity. In Buddhism, death is just a process in which an individual must endure to be reborn (Berger, 2008). Buddhists do not dear dying but believe that it brings peace and enlightenment. In Hinduism, death is also a process of new life. Death involves the entire family preparing for their loved one and bear witness the individual’s descent to rebirth. In Judaism, little significance is placed on the physical body of an individual. Individuals are buried within one day after death, and the individual is mourned by family and friends together at home for one-week (Berger, 2008). Jewish individuals believe in the celebration of life more than that of death. Christianity and Islam are very similar in beliefs as death is considered merely the means of their mortal lives ending and their eternal life beginning whether it is heaven or hell. Death in Christianity and the Islamic faith can be good or bad depending on the individual’s devotion and faith in God. All individuals regardless of culture or religion hope for death without pain that comes quickly after living a long life in the company of family and friends (Burgess, 2008). Conclusion Late adulthood is a period in an individual’s life span that creates physical and emotional difficulties. Illness and disease cause serious health issues that can affect an individual’s quality of life; however, healthy eating habits, exercise, and proper medical care can assist in improving and increasing an individual’s life. Death is an inevitable part of life that everyone must face. When that time comes, death can be a peaceful release from pain or a journey to spiritual enlightenment. References Berger, K. S. (2008). The developing person through the life span. (7th ed. ). New York: Worth Publishers. Mesa Community College. (1997). The developmental psychology newsletter: Late adulthood. Retrieved from: http://www. mesacc. edu. Net Industries. (2011). Ageism – Stereotypes about age and older persons. p. 62. Retrieved from: Ageism – Stereotypes About Age And Older Persons

Reflection of "Slingshot assignment #1 AET Movie Review

Reflection of "Slingshot assignment #1 AET - Movie Review Example Tom, Jim and Tim introduce the video with facts about what used to take place during these historical times where drag racing took the better part of the entertainment. These experiences of people taking pleasure in drag racing, in the backyards during the World War II, gives me a clear insight of the tremendous changes that car racing has undergone. I was taken back by the extent that the spectators took the entire racing as a hobby. I have seen spectators making an event lively but, this one (drag racing) immerses spectators in far much undying feeling of entertaining speed and adrenaline. It is clear that the entire world adored drag racing, which could be a reason for the fast development and change of the sport. In this regard, the sport has seen the light of every new day with tremendous economic changes. These changes have made it even better than before, with many people sparing time to take part in the drag race. Previously, I was worried about the accidents that the drag racers would encounter while attempting to push maximum limits. I thought that this auto racing sport may be a bit unsafe for the racers. I noticed instances where the racers cause accidents. For example, cars exploding, considering that the racer is placed literally on the engine in such a case the results is fatal. Also, the neck breaking speed can easily shatter one into pieces considering the light weight of the machine.There is need for safety measures. If a racing machine can go extremely fast, then it is right to have specific safety measures employed, just in case something bad happens. This may include roll cages, safety clothing and harnessing or an entire modification of the racing machine. This is evident in the modern day racing where significant modifications have been put in place. As a result, safety has improved. From this experience, I learn that, in life, I can push an extra mile, as long as I have prepar ed well for the worst. I also had

The Evolutionary Changes in Construction Between the De Havilland Essay

The Evolutionary Changes in Construction Between the De Havilland Comet and the Airbus A380 Aircraft - Essay Example In addition, the jetliner also had a large square window and a pressurized fuselage. Regarding the era, the Comets provided a comfortable passenger cabin. It made its first commercial debut in 1952 where it flew without any problem. Its successful debut as a commercial jet helped drew passengers from all parts of the country with an interest in using the Comets as their preferred choice of flight. However, the success stories of the Comets did not last long since the airplane began experiencing problems just a year after its commercial service debut. In fact, three of the Comets broke up while, on flight resulting in an accident, that received wide publication by the media, according to Montagu-Pollock (2012). Investigations that followed showed that the accidents occurred due to catastrophic metal fatigue that the manufacturing engineers did not understand property at the time of its manufacturing. This prompted the withdrawal of the Comet from service after which it was taken for e xtensive testing to unearth the real cause of the accident. Investigations showed that the accident had initially been wrongly blamed on poor weather. Instead, design flaws were identified, which included dangerous installation methodology, and dangerous stresses at the corners of the windows. As a result, the Comet was modified with oval windows and structural reinforcements among many other changes, notes Nolan (2010). The other rival manufacturers of aircrafts learnt from the Comet and began making improvements in their while manufacturing processes avoid the mistakes made during the manufacture of the first Comet. Overview of the construction design of the Comet The first De Havilland Comet was made entirely of metal low-wing cantilever monoplane, observed Montagu-Pollock (2012). They had four engines, two of which were mounted below the wings for powering the plane. The two engines were buried under the wings to prevent the drag of podded engines, as well as to give room for sm aller fin and rudder. The mounting of the engines higher in the wings was also meant to reduce the risk of injection damage, which had been a major problem associated with turbine engines. It also had four-place cockpits for two pilots, navigator, and a flight engineer (Nolan 2010). Unlike the features of the aircrafts of the time, the first Comet had a clean low-drag design, which included the swept-wing leading edge, four-wheel bogies, and integral wing fuel tanks. The original De Havilland Comet measured almost the same length as the later Boeing 737-100. However, it carried fewer people in a spacious environment than the Boeing 737-100 (Birtles 1990, p.11). The British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) installed 36 reclining ‘slumber seats’ with center measuring about 45-inches allowing for a greater leg space both behind and in front. Air France, on the other hand, was fitted with 11 rows of seats plus four seats installed on its comets. The plane also had tables where passengers can have the feeling of enjoyment and comfort. Amenities included a large galley capable of serving hot and cold cuisines and drinks, according to Ron and Patterson (2010, p.19). It also had toilets for both men and women. Because of the safety concerns, the airplane had an emergency section, which included several life rafts kept in the wings, just next to the engines. However, after encountering problems while, on flight, several improvements have been made to ensure that such accidents do not occur

Examination of Sadie Bennings Video Diaries Essay

Examination of Sadie Bennings Video Diaries - Essay Example There are many theoretical points which Russell points out in her article to prove the validity of her interpretation in Benning’s work. These would be:  Ã‚  Ã‚   †¢Ã‚  A Sense of self stuck in understanding and surveillance. Russell is backed by Walter Benjamin to justify that personalized experience and observation play paramount roles in auto ethnography (Ho, 12). For example Benjamin argues that â€Å"Theory the philosophy and intellectual life as inseparable from his own experience of modernity and his identity as a German Jew.† Here Benjamin does permeate his script in the form of experience as opposed to quintessence. He perceived his own life as a composition of public reality this if sensed keenly, Susan Back-moss argues that â€Å"no individual could live a resolved life in a social world that was neither.† (p.276) †¢Ã‚  Dramatization of subjectivity. Russell says that it is â€Å"no longer essential to have a revealing of the essential sel f but a representation of self as a performance This is a position of â€Å"discursive anxiety and articulations.† It is in the text depicted that, auto ethnography is the most likely to be the truck and the strategy that shall be used for exigent of obligatory outward appearances of individuality. It is too used for exploring the discursive potential of inauthentic subjectivities†¢Ã‚  Ethnography as structure of self-fashioning. Russell argues that the ethnographer represents himself as the as a â€Å"the fiction that does inscribe the doublings within the ethnographic text†.... These would be: A Sense of self stuck in understanding and surveillance. Russell is backed by Walter Benjamin to justify that personalized experience and observation play paramount roles in auto ethnography (Ho, 12). For example Benjamin argues that â€Å"Theory the philosophy and intellectual life as inseparable from his own experience of modernity and his identity as a German Jew.† Here Benjamin does permeate his script in the form of experience as opposed to quintessence. He perceived his own life as a composition of public reality this if sensed keenly, Susan Back-moss argues that â€Å"no individual could live a resolved life in a social world that was neither.† (p.276) Dramatization of subjectivity. Russell says that it is â€Å"no longer essential to have a revealing of the essential self but a representation of self as a performance This is a position of â€Å"discursive anxiety and articulations.† It is in the text depicted that, auto ethnography is the most likely to be the truck and the strategy that shall be used for exigent of obligatory outward appearances of individuality. It is too used for exploring the discursive potential of inauthentic subjectivities Ethnography as structure of self-fashioning. Russell argues that the ethnographer represents himself as the as a â€Å"fiction that does inscribe the doublings within the ethnographic text†: â€Å"It fashion and individual with the authority to represent and to interpret and even to believe though with ironical aspects the truth that surround the discrepant world†. The other aspect includes the oxymoronic label of auto ethnography. This is announcing of the full go kaput of the colonialist teachings of the ethnography and the critical gusto for it’s variety

Immigration Reform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

Immigration Reform - Essay Example I support this debate since it will work to bridge the gap between generations as well as helping the government in its policies and planning in terms of budget and human capital usability. Through the reform, boarder security measures will be enhanced. This reform will create a support system to the immigrants who have been forced to immigrate due to hard economic times, lack of opportunities, and lack of proper social guarantees in their home country (Rosenblum and Brick 1). The future care of the immigrants in the US will be handled by the reform, which will ensure they get included in the health care proposals and taxpayer-funded public benefits. To handle the matter on immigration reform and the ongoing debate, I will do a comparative analysis of the debate through thoughtful discussion on the policy realignment and enlightenment within the US. My major point of focus will be on the achievements and the recommendations on the reforms while seeking solutions on the upcoming differences between the federalists and the anti-federalist. Among many reforms focused on immigration, representative governance is one way to ensure that needs of immigrants are met. A successful integration of immigrants and the locals in terms of governance is related to US realignment of its policies on social contracts. Providing leadership opportunities within them could create opportunities for successful integration (Jimenez 18). However, this has not been the case since federal government’s steps towards creating such opportunities have been so micro. There are youths in the third generation that are still considered unauthorized hence calling for tough enforcements for legalization (Rosenblum 2). Though they have ensured that immigrants are civically engaged, federal leadership policy needs a major realignment if a successful integration will be achieved. As human beings, immigrants have their rights. With the

Capital budget purchase Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Capital budget purchase - Term Paper Example This item was prioritized for the broader benefits that it will bring to my department. The item is specially designed for easy operation for hospital caregivers to help them keep and manage the patients’ health records. For our surgical department services to be more efficient in accessing the patient’s records remotely and attend to the patients’ need effectively, this equipment will highly be required. Therefore, my choice for this equipment is founded on the basis that much efficiency will be derived from its use in order to improve the department’s service delivery ability (Eric, Paul, Anita, David, Kathleen, & Elizabeth, 2011). The estimated cost for the equipment is about $5,100, but the resulting improvement in patient care of the department will be much higher than this. Managerial Goals Productivity: The decision to purchase this equipment will increase productivity and service delivery whereby care givers and surgeons in charge will be able to a ccess the patients’ charts remotely, they will be able to be alerted to attend to medical error and even be reminded to provide preventive care to their patients, hence high productivity is expected to result from the equipment purchase. Productivity will also result when the caregivers will not be expected to be around their patients throughout, and can only respond to their needs when alerted by the equipment, hence giving them time to attend to other duties. Quality: this equipment will enhance quality service delivery as most of the records will be automated and even in situations where the caregivers could have forgotten, they will be reminded by the device. Development: As a manager, by making this purchase, I will be ensuring that I bring new development to my staff and department as a whole. For the development to occur there must be a positive growth. And this technology is directed towards realizing this positive growth. Employee Support: this equipment, given its h igh efficiency level, will provide a lot of support to the employees as it is able to perform several things that could have been performed by the employees, effectively. Employees will therefore find their work much easier in providing care to their patients than when they use the manual records system. Economic Environment Enhancement There are various duties performed by this new electronic health record, which could otherwise be performed by the hospital employees. These include accessing the patients’ charts, attending to critical lab values, alert to potential medical error, provision of preventive care, identifying lab needed tests among others. The electronic health record system makes these duties easier to perform, as it automatically detects the required service and alert the person concerned to attend to the patient. This system when applied, will reduce cost of employing several employees since there will be no need to hire several caregivers when several of thei r duties can be performed by the electronic health record. As this cost is reduced, the department can divert this cost to other areas that really require much funding. Therefore, economically, this equipment can help my department save a lot of cost and enhance other areas with the same cost. Organizational Goals Patient Care: As it is in the goals of the organization to give the best care to the patients in an effort to

Accounting and management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Accounting and management - Essay Example Wages have increased by almost by 17%, electricity expenses have gone up by 11%; a similar increase has been experienced for accountant charges. Single digit increases have been witnessed by expenses on rent (9.09%), insurance premium (5.66%), and telephone bill (6.25%). The most distressing deviation has been suffered by the component of sundry expenses, by an abnormal amount of 40%. This points out to the fact that the company does not have adequate control on money flowing out in minute amounts. It has spent in necessary amounts that have resulted in the sundry expenses surging so high. The high sundry expenses can have another implication as well. There might be corruption in the system and the employees take undue advantage of the same. There needs to be sufficient control on the expenses as revealed by the analysis. Samuel Pepys needs to carry out adequate research before he embarks on the preparation of annual budget. The company had actually exhibited operational efficiency by garnering a higher sales volume than was budgeted. However, all of that achievement got subsided by the enormous costs incurred by the company. Use of accessories like telephone and electricity must be regulated and used as needed. Unnecessary wastage of costly resources must be avoided. Methodical accounting of all expenses must be carried out and reviewed on a periodical basis so that the purpose for which a cost is occurring gets effectively monitored. The management should initiate proper steps to ensure that they can check the adverse labour rate variance and material cost variance. Though the actual sales has increased from the budgeted sales, yet because of the increased expenditures, the company’s actual profit is lower than that of the budgeted profit. So, to check the excess expenditures proper steps are recommended to the

International Relations Theory Book Review on The Pentagons New Map by Essay

International Relations Theory Book Review on The Pentagons New Map by Thomas P.M. Barnett - Essay Example Most significantly, the events of September 11, 2001 have prompted a reappraisal of the global threat dynamic that had existed prior to that date. Moreover, the continued destabilization of certain regions in the world such as Africa has given rise to a culture of war, and retribution in the region, a culture that is bread early in the hearts, minds and behaviors of its youngest members. Two works that address these concerns, Thomas Barnett's The Pentagon's New Map, and Ishmael Beah's A Long Way Gone, expose the dangers and the deleterious effects of disconnection, the former on a global level and the latter on a personal level. In reviewing these two works, this paper will highlight some of the responses and reactions to the phenomena of disconnection and alienation both strategically and in terms of a personal narrative. Barnett's hawkish approach to foreign policy is borne out of a growing concern that the fundamentally dynamic nature of globalization is splitting, swiftly and irrevocably, the world into two paradigmatically opposed groups. The first represents what he refers to as the "Core," or functioning core of globalization. This group includes North America, most of South America, Japan, Australia and Europe, India, and China (Barnett 174). Constituting approximately 4 billion people, this Core is marked by relatively stable governments, rising standards of living and more deaths due to suicide rather than murder. This core represents the communicatively networked, financially robust and mostly secure regions of the world. These regions lie in fundamental contradistinction to the "Non-Integrating Gap" or Gap. These Gap populations include, parts of southwest and southeast Asia, the Middle East, almost all of Africa, and the Balkans. These Gap populations are marked with politically repressiv e regimes, mass and socially omnipresent conflict, and widespread poverty and disease. Ishmael Beah is a former child-warrior from Sierra Leone, and discusses his mind-blowing experiences as a young solider for the RUF in his memoir. The work recounts the horrible atrocities that he both was witness to and perpetrated in his unfortunate position. The rest of his family, brutally murdered in a village raid his isolation and disconnection from family and friends, and his introduction to a dark world of murder, death, and drugs permanently ripped away from Beah any innocence that childhood offers. Recounting both the making and unmaking of a child-solider: from the consumption of a dangerously explosive drug cocktail of cocaine and gun-powder called "brown brown," to the mass indiscriminate killings of civilians and enemy combatants alike and finally to the rescuing by UNICEF field workers-Beah's calm delivery belies a devastatingly isolating and alienating experience in the forests of Sierra Leone. The primary thrust of Barnett's argument is that a reimagining of the World Map must be undertaken by the Pentagon and other security agencies, if the United States and by extension the rest of the Core is to remain secure. Prior to September 11, 2001 threat analysis models assumed that only countries of similar military and economic stability could represent legitimate threats to American sovereignty. Thus throughout the Cold War, we prepared

Peers Essay Example for Free

Peers Essay For this essay, I researched how peers can influence the physical, cognitive, social and personality development of their adolescent friends. In addition to this, my research also included ways the parent-child relationships can have more or less influence on an adolescent. â€Å"Peer pressure is a specific instance of social influence, which typically produces conformity to a particular way of acting or thinking,† states Jeffrey Lashbrook, professor of Sociology at State University of New York College (Lashbrook, 2000, pg. 1). Even when just considering the time adolescents spend with their peers, it really shouldn’t be too surprising the impact and influence adolescent peers can have on one another. Cross-behavior analyses of five activities—alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, marijuana use, tobacco chewing and the adolescent’s introduction to sex were analyzed in a longitudinal study conducted by The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The study found that adolescents were twice as likely to engage in a risk behavior if their friend engaged in it also. The study found that peer influence can be both beneficial and harmful. In the use of cigarettes and marijuana, there was only influence to initiate the behavior. However, for alcohol consumption, the study showed that there was equal influence to conform to friends who drank and to conform to friends who did not drink. Whereas with tobacco chewing, there was shown to be significantly more peer pressure to stop chewing than to begin chewing. This was used as evidence that teens also can protect their peers in risk activities. One of the results the study showed was, not too surprisingly, that best friends were more influential than close peers. The study concludes to say that â€Å"peer influence is a real phenomenon that takes on varying roles across adolescent risk behavior† (Maxwell, 2000, p. 1). This includes the physical, cognitive, social and personality development of the teen. As far as the ways parent-child relationships have more/less influence, I read some additional research in this specific area. In research conducted by Barnes, Hoffman, Welte, Farrell and Dintcheff, (Barnes, 2006), 6 sets of data were analyzed including interviews of 506 adolescents to determine how parental support and monitoring influenced adolescent behavior. The results of the study concluded that effective parenting and adolescents avoidance of associations with delinquent peers proved to be important factors which correlate with the decrease of alcohol misuse, other substance use, and delinquency (Barnes, 2006). Some studies I read through seem to reiterate that parents often wait for â€Å"the right time† to influence adolescents. However, in reading through the various research, it seems to indicate that those parents who remain open to communication with their children all along will have greater influence in their adolescent’s choices. For example, in an article I read titled, â€Å"Parents Communication with Adolescents about Sexual Behavior: A Missed Opportunity for Prevention,† (Eisenberg, 2006), it stated that parents often wait to talk to their teens about sex at the time they know their adolescent is in a romantic relationship. However, the article examined how it is not parallel when the teen stated they had their first sexual experience and when the parent(s) states they believe their teen will or has had his or her first sexual experience. In the various readings I have researched for this essay, I have seen this to be the case with most things in general. Often the parents believe the adolescent doesn’t know or hasn’t experienced various things when the teen states they have. The research I have read does indicate that peers can influence their adolescent peers in a variety of ways depending upon other factors. In the research I have also found that how a parent can influence their adolescent usually begins a long time before they are adolescents and can vary from person to person.

What Makes Citizens Trust Political Institutions Politics Essay

What Makes Citizens Trust Political Institutions Politics Essay Issues of distrust in political institutions are very common in post-communist states in Europe. Even though trust is one of the key components for a successful democracy, the communist regime has left a trail of political distrust which will last for generations. When trust is low, the government cannot operate efficiently, and that creates further distrust, and a vicious circle is created (Mishler Rose, 1997: 419). This scepticism in post-communist Europe creates a paradox, because the states want to become more democratic, and see the senior EU members as an example of democracy and a direction they should be heading to, however the distrust in political institutions slows down the growth of the democracy and declines citizen participation in politics. It is reasonable to argue that no government should have an absolute trust as it might create instability. The trust in political institutions has been declining steadily since 1991 even in Western democracies, for example in Brita in the percentage of citizens who trust politicians decreased from 33 to 16 per cent.  [1]  In order to improve democracy in Eastern and Central Europe, political parties face a challenge of dealing with cynicism and distrust when communicating with the society. It is understandable, because many people, especially from the older generation, have lived a large portion of their life under the communist regime, and that changed their views on politics dramatically. Communist parties created various institutions such as party and trade unions, however the citizens felt it was all initiated by the state and did not intend to strengthen the civil society, but instead it was a tool to which was used to reduce the liberty of the society and create political conditions favoured by the leaders of the communist party. Instead of participating voluntarily, the citizens were forced into political participation or compliance by the communist party, and that resulted in further distrust of po litical institutions and destroyed free social life. This essay contains two main parts in the first part theory of institutional trust will be examined. The second part will be an analysis of Mishler and Rose article, which intended to explain issues of political trust in post-communist societies in Europe.  [2]  In the last bit of this essay both theory and the published article will be looked upon together, and a final conclusion will be made. Theory It is critical to understand the theory of political trust before we can proceed with the further research. Political trust is different compared to the personal trust. In order for an individual to trust someone, he needs to know that person quite well. However, political institution is not an individual and it is difficult to develop that kind of trust. The citizens trust institutions in a different way on a presumption that they will complete their duties as a governing body. Even though it is known that trust in political institutions has been declining steadily over the past two decades, there has been limited amount of research made purely on Eastern and Central Europe. Two main types of theories are identified which explain trust in political institutions in a different way cultural and institutional theories. Cultural theories explain political trust by the values and attitudes towards politics. Inglehart (1997) argued, that we form these values while we are growing up, and by the time we are eligible to vote we already have our own opinions towards politics, and it is extremely uncommon for an adult to change his political attitude completely. The trust in politics emerges from a non-political sphere, an overall life experience. In that sense, political trust is an addition to persons interpersonal trust, which develops while we are growing up and while we interact with others. Interpersonal trust can be affected by outside sources, for example the media, which is a big part in todays society; it can shape an individuals opinion towards something even if the individual does not have a good understanding on that subject. Many other factors can contribute towards an individuals attitude towards political institutions education, parents social status or the overall experience with institut ions while growing up. If a child is born in a family with high social status they are more likely to have better education. There has been evidence of correlation between familys social status and the childs trust in political institutions (Tong, 2007). Cultural theories argue that because cultural values are rooted to people when they are growing up, at least a few generations should pass in post-communist states in Europe before we can notify a significant increase in trust of political institutions. However, the trust of political institutions cannot be assigned only to the way people are brought up. Economic conditions of the state and overall well-being of the citizens might re-shape the values of the society. Because of that, the citizens can be categorised into two groups materialists and post-materialists (Inglehart, 1998). Materialist values for a successful democracy depend more or less solely on economic performance of the state if citizens are happy with the economic situation in the country, they are likely to trust the political institutions. Post-materialists, on the other hand, focus towards personal freedom and individuality, and therefore they might have issues of trusting political authority. Social background of the citizens is also important in cultural theory. Many post-communist states in Europe have a diverse population, and there might not be a lot of unity towards the political trust. For example, about one quarter of the Estonian population is Russian.  [3]  A question emerges whether the Russian population in Estonia would trust political institutions, because after the Independence was restored in 1991, the Estonian government shifted to a completely new direction and Estonia became a right-winged state. And indeed, there is a lot of tension in Estonia, as the Russians demanded that their language should be adopted as the second national language in Estonia. Despite these demands, the Estonian government did not give in, and even got tougher on Russian speaking citizens they might lose their jobs if they do not speak Estonian. This results in a clash of interests and Russian distrust in political institutions. However, cultural theories do not state that everyone goes through the same process, and everyone has a different experience of trust in life. Therefore, we should not assume that every citizen in a social group (based on age, race, ethnicity etc.) has the same attitude towards political institutions or interpersonal trust. Cultural theories have been criticized by Fukuyama, as he stated that it is in the human nature to develop a trust for groups and individuals who often interact directly. However, the degree of interpersonal trust varies significantly among democracies, and therefore we cannot make an assumption that high trust in political institutions is necessary for a successful democracy (Fukuyama, 1999). Institutional theories focus on the model of rule and the performance of the political institutions. If they perform well, that creates a sense of trust among citizens and benefits the democracy in the state. Institutional theories do not see the governments performance in the past or cultural aspects of individuals life as decisive factors on individuals political trust, although they can influence an individual to a certain degree (Mishler Rose, 2001:36). Unlike in cultural theories, short-time effects are stressed as highly important. Institutional theories make an assumption that citizens make rational choices by evaluating the political and economic performance of the political institutions. In that respect, citizens need to have a previous experience of interaction with an institution, or at least to have some knowledge about it. Institutional theories do not agree which factors are the most important when measuring the performance of the government. In Western democracies, th ey usually focus on economic conditions and policy performance, when in post-communist societies different measurements can be used. For example, the reduction of corrupt political officials or the liberalization of trade can be extremely important in post-communist states, because Eastern and Central Europeans have been oppressed for decades. By making these policy changes the governments are more than likely to receive positive feedback from the citizens, and that results in strengthening the trust of the institutions. However, institutional theories do recognize the importance of individuals values and political affiliations. If a citizen was in favour of communism, his trust of political institutions might be decreasing, despite the good performance of the new democratic government. It is important to understand, that not everyone sees economic factors as the key priority, and that people have very different values in life, and one model does not apply to everyone. Institutional theories have a significantly different approach towards the future of the political trust in post-communist countries. Unlike in the cultural theories, institutionalist scholars believe that trust for newly formed democratic institutions can be generated in a much shorter period of time (Mishler Rose, 2001: 33). If the newly formed government performs well economically and the citizens are happy with the new democratic system it should not take generations to develop the trust for political institutions. Micro and macro theories Both cultural and institutional theories can be sub-categorised into two dimensions micro and macro. It is important to distinguish the differences between them, because political trust is a very complex issue and these dimensions will play a crucial part in analysing Mishler Rose publication in section 5. Micro dimension is linked with an individual, while macro dimension is focused on the society as a whole. Both micro theories state that political trust is different among individuals, due to different background, experiences or individual perceptions. On the other hand, both macro theories see trust as a value, which is shared by all members of the society (Mishler Rose, 2001: 33). Macro-cultural theory has very limited interest in trust of individuals, because they focus on national traditions and sees society as one body, which either trusts political institutions or not. Micro-cultural theories, on the other hand, emphasise the importance of the individual within the society . Personal experiences are the main subject of focus, and the opinions on political institutions are formed by every member of the society individually. The differences between micro-institutional and macro-institutional approaches are even more significant. Macro-institutional theories are shifted towards the performance of political institutions while micro-institutional theories leave the evaluation of political performance to the individual. Both micro-institutional and macro-institutional theories have three implications. Firstly, with the accurate sampling, decent research techniques and sensibly asked questions the responses about trust of political institutions will be quite accurate on how well the system is actually performing. Secondly, if the political institutions do not have a high public trust, this can be fixed in two ways by either lowering the public expectations for the institutions or by improving the efficiency of the institutions. And thirdly, these theories r ecognize an indirect relationship between trust in political institutions and social trust. This relationship is expected to be strong on the aggregate level of societies, but not on the individual level (Newton Norris, 2000). This is because the trust of the political institutions is the direct outcome of the performance of the government, just like people trust others by knowing how they acted in the past. Measurement of trust Measurement of trust is a tricky concept. Most surveys, such as Eurobarometer or European Social Survey, ask only one question in order to find data on causes of political trust. That is why new approaches of theory are useful; however their implementation in current study seems to be a very difficult task. To current day different scholars use different methods and variables to measure political trust. Many different sources of literature have been used for this essay, which enabled me to see a pattern in scholars research on measuring political trust. However, I will be using Putnams model (Putnam, 2000) which, to my understanding, provided the broadest explanation and measurement of trust. This model consists of five key concepts, which need to be examined thoroughly in order to develop an understanding and measurement of trust. The reader must bear in mind that the questions asked about these five concepts were made up by me, as I found them to be the most relevant. However, in t he next paragraph of this essay the authors of the examined article used different methods and different questions in their research. The five concept approach was selected because I argue that it provides the best measurement of trust the literature could offer, despite being just a recommendation. The first concept is civic engagement, which, according to Putnam, has four dimensions (Putnam, 2000). Political activity is the first dimension, however it is impossible to justify an individuals political involvement by asking just one question (with the exception of question Do you engage in any kind of political activity? and the answer being no). A series of questions need to be asked in order to determine ones involvement in political activity, such as Have you voted in your local election?, Have you recently contacted any elected official about a certain issue?, Do you participate in local council meetings?. The second dimension of civic engagement is volunteering activity, and the respondents should be asked whether they volunteer for political, cultural, religious or charity organizations. The third dimension is leisure activity, and we should ask whether the respondent is attending any group meetings, for example, a book club or football practice. Leisure activities are im portant, because they are the key attributes of interpersonal trust. The last dimension is the engagement with the media, and the respondents should be asked how often do they watch the news on the television or the radio and how often do they read the newspaper. The possible answers to all the questions should be based on frequency, as Putnam argued that voluntary participation in civic engagement increases the trust among the citizens. The second concept is trust. Again, this is a tricky question and it needs to be approached with caution. The respondent should answer three questions whether he trusts the majority of the society, whether he trusts local political institutions and whether he trusts federal or international institutions. The third concept is social demographics, because according to cultural theory on the micro level, personal experiences are important and should have significant results in institutional trust (Mishler Rose, 2001: 34). The questions for this concept should reveal the age, social status, gender, education, occupation and marital status of the respondent. All this information is commonly used in analysis of political trust (Job, 2005: 8). The fourth concept is the government performance and, according to micro-institutional theory, a decent performance by the government allows the citizens to trust the institutions, as long as the needs of the society are being met. The questions for the respondents should ask do they feel any corruption in their institutions and whether they would support the decision to provide the government with more power for implementation of law and security. If the citizens are in favour of giving the government more power, it means that political institutions are generally trusted. However, this puts the citizens in a difficult position, because more power to the government leads to stricter control and therefore less democracy. The fifth concept is the world views and general well-being. The well-being most commonly determines whether the citizens will blame the government for being incompetent or not. If the majority of the population feels happy with their lives, that means political institutions are doing good work, and that increases the trust in society. The world views might have major consequences on political trust as well. We should ask the respondents their willingness to co-operate with the government and comply with the law. There should also be a question on whether the respondents feel overall happy or not and whether they feel secure under the current government or not. A negative response would indicate distrust in the current government. The analysis of the publication This section of the essay analyses Mishler and Rose article What are the origins of Political Trust?: Testing Institutional and Cultural Theories in Post-communist societies. The authors used two datasets, which were both compiled in 1998. The first dataset comes from the fifth New Democracies Barometer (NDB), and it contains data from nine post-communist countries Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia and Romania. Each country had around 1000 respondents in a face-to-face interviews. The second dataset comes from the seventh New Russia Barometer (NRB), and it contains 1904 face-to-face interviews. Both datasets used probability samples, in order to increase validity of the research. The authors used the following question for determining the trust in political institutions: There are many different institutions in this country, for example, the government, courts, police, civil servants. Please show me on this 7-point scale, where 1 represents great distrust and 7 represents great trust, how much do you personally trust in each of the following institutions (Mishler Rose, 2001: 40).

Visitor and The Adventure of the Speckled Band as Short Stories :: sir Arthur Conan Doyle Roald Dahl Essays

Visitor and The Adventure of the Speckled Band as Short Stories The two texts ' Visitor ' and ' The adventure of the Speckled Band ' are typical of a short story genre because they both use ambiguous titles and short stories with very few characters and settings. The effect of this is an intense, exciting story which are unpredictable. The titls in both ' Visitor ' and ' The adventure of the Speckled Band ' are ambiguous and typical of a short story genre. Take ' Visitor ' by example, the word visitor could mean many different things such as friends, relatives, planned visit, unexpected visit or anything like that. So the reader is easily misled into thinking that the story is about those sort of things however we know that this is not the case with a short story genre. Again with ' The adventure of the Speckled Band ' the reader is again misled into thinking the title means something else. The word ' band ' could mean anything from a hair band, a group or a gang, musical to a ring. But as in ' Visitor ' the title is actually sending the reader way out with that title. So overall the titles are getting the audience asking questions about what is going to happen and creates an open mind to the reader. The openings are both typical to that of a short story genre as they lauch the reader straight into the story almost assuming that the reader already knows the characters and settings as though it were a soap opera. The opening to ' The adventure of the Speckled Band ' is descriptive with unanswered questions. " wide spread rumours ", this quotation gets the reader guessing as to what the rumours are. The openings are also sometimes very unsure. " Not again, not to soon!", this is very unsure and nervous start to the story. Both stories have an opening which is typical of a short story genre as they are both unsure and confusing. The characters in ' Visitor ' and ' The adventure of the Speckled Band ' are unsure with no real background information leaving the reader with little to go on. The author portrays the characters to be widely known and famous. This saves the author time aswell as making the story more intense. The author also has to consider working in his/hers limits and having the characters like this would save much time for them. With ' The adventure of the Speckled Band ' the reader is expected to know who some of the characters are.

The Latino Culture in America Essay -- Cultural Identity Essays

The Latino Culture in America Latinos have struggled to discover their place inside of a white America for too many years. Past stereotypes and across racism they have fought to belong. Still America is unwilling to open her arms to them. Instead she demands assimilation. With her pot full of stew she asks, "What flavor will you add to this brew?" Some question, some rebel, and others climb in. I argue that it is not the Latino who willingly agreed to partake in this stew. It is America who forced her ideals upon them through mass media and stale history. However her effort has failed, for they have refused to melt. The struggle to find a place inside an un-welcoming America has forced the Latino to recreate one. The Latino feels out of place, torn from the womb inside of America's reality because she would rather use it than know it (Paz 226-227). In response, the Mexican women planted the seeds of home inside the corral*. These tended and potted plants became her burrow of solace and place of acceptance. In the comfort of the suns slices and underneath the orange scents, the women were free. Still the questions pounded in the rhythm of street side whispers. The outside stare thundered in pulses, you are different it said. Instead of listening she tried to instill within her children the pride of language, song, and culture. Her roots weave soul into the stubborn soil and strength grew with each blossom of the fig tree (Goldsmith). The adolescent rebelled. "Speaking out is an exercise of privilege. Speaking out takes practice. Silence ensures invisibility. Silence provides protection (Montoya 282)." Graffiti tagged cracks seeped in blood, it remind the young of their battle with an invisible division. In Octavio P... ...wler-Salamini and Mary Kay Vaughan, eds Creating Spaces, Shaping Transitions: Women of the Mexican Countryside, 1850-1990 Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1994. Montoya, Margret E. "Masks and Identify," and "Masks and Resistance," in The Latino/a Condition: A Critical Reader New York: New York University Press, 1998. Paz, Octavio. "Pachucos and Other Extremes" in The Labyrinth of Solitude and The Other Mexico New York: Grove Press, 1985 Bradbury, Ray. "The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit" (originally published in 1958) in The Chicano: From Caricature to Self-Portrait New York: A mentor Book from New American Library, Times Mirror, 1971 *meaning garden, the experience of gardening in central Mexico (Goldsmith) *Many of the juvenile gangs that have formed in the United States in recent years are reminiscent of the post -war pachucos (Paz, 14).

Yoga Practice on Major Depression in Adult Females Essay -- Psycholo

The National Institute of Mental Health cites findings from a 2005 study that depression affected 6.7% of adults in the United States (2005). The majority of adults affected were between the ages of eighteen and sixty, and more women than men exhibited symptoms of major depression (NIMH 2005). Various antidepressant medications are advertised via television commercials, but I wondered if alternate treatments were available, and if so, how effective those treatments might be. I am currently enrolled in a Yoga class, and I have found that this focused practice results not only in the relaxation of my body, but also in the clarity of my mind. I was curious if regular, consistent Yoga practice could have a beneficial effect on women who suffer from depression. A study conducted in 2007 examined the effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, or MBCT, on adults afflicted with chronic depression (Barnhofer et al., 2009). This approach incorporated meditation with cognitive therapy, in which participants learn how to navigate negative experiences and emotions (Barnhofer et al., 2009). The researchers used a combination of surveys and psychological interviews to evaluate each potential participant’s level of depression, and those who were selected participated not only in group sessions, but they were also provided with literature to guide them in individual practice (Barnhofer et al., 2009). Through the use of additional surveys and follow up interviews, Barnhofer and his colleagues found that Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy was effective at decreasing symptoms of major depression (2009). Another study conducted in Japan attempted to determine if consistent Yoga practice benefitted one’s mental health. This study focused on ... ... the scientific process in both designing and carrying out my experimental study regarding the effects of consistent Yoga practice on adult females with depression symptoms. Works Cited Barnhofer, T., Crane, C., Hargus, E., Amarasinghe, M., Winder, R., & Williams, J.M.G. (2009). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy as a treatment for chronic depression: A preliminary study. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 47(5). Retrieved from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0005796709000333 Yoshihara, K., Hiramoto, T., Sudo, N., & Kubo, C. (2011). Profile of mood states and stress-related biochemical indices in long-term yoga practitioners. BioPsychoSocial Medicine, 5(6). doi: 10.1186/1751-0759-5-6 National Institute of Mental Health (2005, June). Major Depressive Disorder Among Adults. Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/statistics/1MDD_ADULT.shtml

Personal Problems

Personal Problems George Orwell’s â€Å"Shooting an Elephant† is a simple essay with a strong message. Throughout the piece, the narrator faces the same conflict day after day and was â€Å"hated by large numbers of people† (Orwell 377). This level of hatred causes the narrator to make a decision against his beliefs and in favor of the imperialistic society. This decision is not based on the right thing to do, but to simply fit in. Orwell uses his perplexed narrator, a simple plot, and detailed setting to explain how individuals choose self-image over self-satisfaction.Orwell speaks in first person as a participant taking on the role of a European police officer in an anti-British colony, and is the perplexed individual caught amongst the action. The officer faces unforgiving natives who often meet him with â€Å"sneering yellow faces †¦ [and with] insults hooted after me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Orwell 378). Yet in irony, those same citizens expect protection from a raging elephant on the loose causing an internal barrier. The officer explains, â€Å"They did not like me, but with the magical rifle in my hands I was momentarily worth watching† (Orwell 380).It was at that moment when he realizes he is just â€Å"an absurd puppet† and is being used by the natives for whatever purpose they need. The plot in the essay is simple, straight forward, and follows the basic plot elements: the who, what, where, and why. In the first sentence, Orwell presents the narrator as the main character and the roles of the supporting characters. He describes the officer as an outcast, often targeted by the natives for amusement. Orwell wastes no time with deep rising actions, but quickly reaches the climax, exposing the internal conflict.The officer exclaims, â€Å"but even then I was not thinking particularly of my own skin, only of the watchful yellow faces behind,† and continues to describe how he was more afraid of looking like a fool in f ront of the natives than of the tyrant elephant (Orwell 381). Orwell keeps simplicity throughout his essay yet supplies great details; allowing the reader to feel the emotion and atmosphere of the setting. He uses plain language and few words to describe the cultural setting that is shaped from religious and political views. The officer often mentions the British rule and how the Buddhists and natives of the land were the worst (Orwell 379).The cultural differences between the British rule and natives were far from the same. Not only did this contribute to the internal conflicts of the officer, but to external conflicts of other British people in the colony. Orwell supports his theme of self-image over individual morals by using all the elements of literacy. The narrator’s conflict within himself was brought upon through his own actions and thoughts. As an officer he had a right to carry out the laws of the land, but would rather go against his beliefs to avoid ridicule wanti ng to fit in and not be laughed at.Nonetheless, even after he did what he thought the natives wanted, the officer still faces the same issues of internal conflict. He was trying to justify what was done to make him feel better, yet continues to have a guilty conscience. The officer even admits he â€Å"had done it solely to avoid looking a fool† (Orwell 382). In conclusion, Orwell presents a humble approach to a common problem of today. Although doing the moral thing is correct, most humans do what they feel is expected because someone’s eyes are always watching.Orwell cuts right to the point and wastes no time on useless material. The complicated character jumps out in the beginning and forecasts a simple plot. By using details about the location, Orwell supports his plot and places the essay in the middle of Southeast Asia. The location is important and better explains the relationship between authority figures and the religious differences. However, the choice is in the main character’s hands and instead of sticking to his beliefs, he would rather be a follower than forever a fool.

Case Analysis: Staffing Wal-Mart Stores Essay

Wal-Mart has been ranked in the Fortune’s list of the top 100 companies to work for in the United States (Mark, 2003). Wal-Mart had increased their workforce from 1996 to 2001 by almost 50 percent, of which the percentage of women decreased from 67 percent to 64 percent during this time. Wal- Mart had used a hierarchical human resources (HR) structure that consisted of several levels of management, divisions, and regions. â€Å"In 2001, management employees earned about $50,000 on average while hourly employees earned $18,000† (Mark, 2003). Wal-Mart’s â€Å"Division One† had over 2,600 stores which were organized in five or six divisions, with five or six regions within their given area, and 80 to 85 stores within each region (Mark, 2003). Policies were set on a computer-based information system that employees could access at any time, along with watching videos on the company’s history, and reading the associate handbook. Promotions were given based on performance evaluations and requirements. Certain allegations were made that Wal-Mart was more male oriented in higher-level positions, and overall hiring more men than women. Wal-Mart created a goal to make the percentage of women employees 50 percent of the workforce. A problem exists in that Wal-Mart has fought off any organizing attempts of unions by their employees, which limits employees’ influence on policies and company process’s. This problem filters down to the hiring and promotional process that occurs within the company. As stated in the case study, â€Å"†¦from date of hire until first being promoted to an assistant manager was 4.38 years for women and 2.86 years for men. For store managers, the times were 10.12 years and 8.64 years respectively† (Mark, 2003). From the numbers, men were promoted faster than women, but Wal-Mart states that promotions were given based on performance evaluations. Furthermore, it was stated store managers filled positions with lateral moves and waiving minimum requirements as a way of bypassing the process (Mark, 2003). Wal-Mart published documents to reflect how committed they are to fair practices. On the flip side, the public can now scrutinize Wal-Mart by using their public reports against them. A public article stated, â€Å"women associates had stated that Wal-Mart supervisors told them that men were paid more because they had families† (Mark, 2003). Included in the same article was a Wal-Mart official that admitted to writing that customers should feel as if they can trust Wal-Mart employees â€Å"with their wife and their wallet† (Mark, 2003). Additional information would have to be offered pertaining to the required practices and process’s Wal-Mart has in place for the hiring of employees and promoting employees from within the company. Does Wal-Mart have a policy where an entry-level employee can be hired, and managers and supervisors are promoted from within the company? Surveys and reports taken from current employees for their thoughts on the numbers of men to women in various positions will help with determining where and how severe the problem is. Why is Wal-Mart continuously voted one of the best company’s to work for if there was a serious problem internally? Possible solutions to the problem can range from having more People Division (HR) employees to oversee a smaller number of stores, to filtering public reports that may potentially create a negative perception of the company. Implementing more People Division employees within each region will allow more attention to be given for each store. Wal-Mart looks to move towards making their employment equity record balanced. This is apparent when taking into consideration the numerous letters to managers to push for making the numbers of men to women more equal. Wal-Mart can filter applications submitted and have them separated and reviewed on an as needed basis on what gender is needed more at a specific store. Rank the applications per region based on specific qualifications and gender. Then rank the region and the stores within this region on which store needs more women or men employees. For promoting employees, a minimum requirements list should be associated with each job position. A series of events should happen for each promotion beginning with the supervising manager and ending with the People Division Executive Vice President. Possible candidates are nominated and then screened by higher-level management along with those that apply. Only employees that meet all the requirements should be considered. Regional management will have the biggest influence on the hiring or promotion of an employee since they are ultimately responsible for that region. To be equal to all candidates applying for a given promotion, a test or jeopardy style game should be played and the winner is given first chance to take job. The test and game questions will pertain to company policies, job duties, and associate handbook information. Another solution would be for the employees to form a union. This would give the employees some power to fight for their working rights. Unionizing the employees would give them some power to make sure all employees were treated fairly within their workplace. Adding more people to the People Division will increase employee expenses for the company. Also, the addition of more People Division employees will create more training to be done and could take People Division employees away from their daily responsibilities. On the other hand, the addition of more People Division employees could help with balancing out a gender issue and hiring more of one gender than the other. More People Division employee’s means that you can have more HR employees present at more stores at one time. This will help with moving towards employment equity faster and mitigating any problems quicker. This may be the best solution for Wal-Mart and maintaining their reputation for being one the best companies to work for. As for the filtering of applications, having minimum requirements set for each job, and regional management having a large influence on the decision for who gets promoted, this would all cause more attention for them. Filtering applications may already be done, but this can lead to being accused of discrimination. Wal-Mart stating that they â€Å"urge† their supervisors to correct any inequalities in the store that pertain to gender is already a basis for being accused of gender discrimination. A store has fewer women than men and the store hires women to balance it out. The men are being discriminated now. An employee of a specific gender is promoted to balance out the men to women ratio amongst regional and store managers. That is still discrimination towards the opposing gender. It would be a lose-lose situation for Wal-Mart. Holding a test and a jeopardy style game could be a viable screening act to allow the most knowledgeable, company savvy person to be first in line for the promotion. The questions will pertain to specific company policies, job duties and responsibilities, and associate handbook. The negative part of this would be creating a competitive environment that can distract employees from their job. Also, time would have to be taken to allow for the taking of the test and the playing of the game, and the possibility of several promotions at the same time would pose a problem. The formation of a union for the Wal-Mart employees would have great benefits for them, but possible negative aspects at the workplace. Being unionized means that the employees would make less money due to union dues, but could have better benefits and more job security. Wal-Mart holds the power by keeping unions out and keeping the power to make decisions without possible employee strikes. Hiring or implementing more People Division employees would play as the best solution for the problem. Increasing the amount of â€Å"eyes† the People Division have in the stores will help with the hiring and promoting of employees to be done quicker. Having more People Division employees means more time at stores and with employees educating them on issues at the workplace, company culture, and the process’s that the company has in place. Rather than regional and area managers visiting every few weeks, there would be a People Division employee visiting a few times a week. The new People Division employees could put more policies in place due to the familiarity of the stores. These policies will be enforced more having the HR employee present more often. This could also alleviate the perception of customers and employees that think men are promoted more based on their gender. Specific requirements are present with each job position and the best candidate for that position would get it. Performance evaluations can help validate a manager’s decision on which he/she nominates to be promoted. A man or woman who are both in the running for the same position, and they both meet the requirements and have similar performance evaluation reports, the person that has been with the company the longest will then be chosen. The article mainly pertains to the employment equity goal within Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart’s constant push against the employees unionizing has allowed them to expand, become the low price leader, and keep company costs low. References Mark, K. (2003). Staffing Wal-Mart Stores, INC. (A) [case study]. Ivey Management Services. Mark, K. (2003). Staffing Wal-Mart Stores, INC. (B) [case study]. Ivey Management Services.

Internal Assessment

The Social Effects of Absentee Fathers on Boys in Inner-city Communities â€Å"Fatherliness Is an albatross around the neck of this nation, welling us down and choking development†, is a statement Martin Henry, a national journalist, salutes in his article on May 26, 2013 in the Jamaica Gleaner. Inner city communities are plagued with single-parent families and oftentimes it is the father which is absent. Mothers can do much and no more and boys who come from these broken homes oftentimes become a product of their society and a pattern develops.The issue of absentee fathers has become a social problem In the development of the family (the first Institution of colonization). The community, specifically the Inner-clues, and the society in general. Whether we believe it or not, fathers bring something unique to the family and for this reason, an irreplaceable connection and contribution is made to the life of a child. These contributions can never be replaced by any program of an y kind. The absence off father can cause a child to suffer emotionally and socially.Psychology has taught that issues such as this are correlation: a allegations may exist. According to Jennifer Flood's article,† A review of literature relevant to delinquency and adolescent behavioral and academic success revealed that there may be correlation between a male role model and the teaching of self- control and socially appropriate behaviors†. Koru, a renowned psychologist sums this up in just one sentence,† Fatherliness is a driver for delinquency and crime†.In situations where there is no male figure to look up to or aspire to be like, boys turn to media personalities Like rappers, artistes and sport personae, ones who have animal background and upbringing as they do. However, these figures are not necessarily positive role models as they display signs of arrogance and resentment towards authority. Furthermore, they do not see this as socially unacceptable becau se they aspire to be like them and so whatever that person does is seen as ‘right' in their eyes. They acclimatize to that kind of behavior and carry them out in their daily activities. Aid a mi daddy† and â€Å"Mi a Spartan Devil† are common phrases used by the fatherless boys In the community of Granville, SST. James. This affects how hey relate to one another, elders and society on a whole. A statistical analysis shows that fatherless children who normally possess this kind of mindset are 20 times more likely to end up in prison; 20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders; 14 times more likely to commit rape; 9 times more likely to drop out of high school; 10 times more likely to abuse drugs and the list goes on.What glorious future for our boys! This natural disaster sweeping away our country continues as boys with absentee fathers suffer from lack of affection and support because there Is no male Geiger to love and support them, specifically when It co mes on to those physical activities such as: sports and manual labor. They pretend as though this doesn't affect them as it demeans their manhood to show their true feelings.They use different mediums to bring out the anger they feel inside which may, unfortunately, resort to a life of crime and violence. Mothers of these children have to now face the reality that they have now become a menace to society. This lack of affection can also no idea of how to express and show love and so find it difficult to commit to a allegations. They have children outside marriage or any stable relationship, hence, continuing the tradition and the cycle of being an absentee father.Edward Koru, writing about father absence, father deficit and father hunger in Psychology Today underlines the behavioral problems,† Fatherless children have more difficulties with social adjustments, and are more likely to report problems with friendships, and manifest behavior problems; many develop a swaggering, in timidating persona in an attempt to disguise their underlying fears, resentments, anxieties and unhappiness. Gangs and violence and the adoration of the gun as power spring out of this condition. The litany of disaster now becomes a norm which affects us all as citizens of this country. The absence of a father in the family places a heavy weight on the mother of this child. His basic needs may not be met because a mother in those type of communities normally don't possess a high income Job which earns enough money to supply the needs of the child and so the child grows up into a teenager with the mindset meek a living and will do anything to be successful at this. This springs over to boys being more likely to experience unemployment, having low salary Jobs and even experience homelessness.I strongly believe that we are confronted with a major social disaster. The decline of fatherhood is a major force behind many of our biggest problems: low educational performance, crime, violence , poor social relations and weak economic performance. Clearly, the only way to fix this problem is to solve this issue of fatherliness in our homes.

48 Shades of Brown

q Life for a 16 old teenage boy was all about to be different. Dan, a typical teenager has all the interests a normal male would. While Dan’s parents are in Geneva, he stays with his aunt Jacq, a fashionable, and techno flavored, short haired, 23 year old uni student, in Brisbane. While staying there, he encounters a test of adult responsibilities, first love and battling through adolescence. Teenagers have been pressured into doing things they don’t want to do, Dan gives us an example of teenagers giving into peer pressure, forced to say that he was a student studying law at University. Teens who are being pressured by their peers think that they will become more popular if they do the [pic] ‘cool’ thing even if it can cause themselves harm. Teenagers these days are dealing with peer pressure every day, from mates telling them to lie to their friends and family, drinking when they are underage and/or don’t want too. Dan discovers that his life isn’t that easy, winning people’s hearts, remembering 48 shades of brown, drinking under age and peer pressure. This play shows how teenagers relate to real life, what they go through every day, what challenges they have to pass through, even what things they need to remember, such as passing school, remembering things for exams, juggling schoolwork and a social life. Dan’s first love starts right at the start of the book with one of Jacq’s uni friends who is currently a second-year Psychology student, Naomi, a pretty blonde 18 year old. Dan quickly realizes that Naomi has a thing for people who can name things, such as naming trees. When Dan realizes this, he tries to learn every shade of brown to impress the girl and win her heart. Teens will do anything to impress their ‘first loves’ from remembering things for them, to impressing them with flowers, teens these days think that the other gender has a big impact in their lives, but sometimes this can cause them to forget the real things in life, like study and family. People forget what things are important in life as well, like school work, getting good grades to maintain a good OP, to set you up in life, but don’t forget family, family is something you need to be by your side, teenagers continue to forget what family they have, parent and siblings are wondering why teenagers are changing. While at Jacq’s uni party, Dan gets himself into a sticky situation, he is pressured into lying to a girl called Imogen who is intoxicated, who continues to flirt with Dan while he is interested in Naomi. Dan goes with the flow and allows her to make out with him in his room, until Imogen becomes not to well and throws up all over him. This is happening more regularly, people drink too much, dance a little, make out a little, and become sick. Teens are continuing drink more and more every weekend, we are continuing to hear about parties that are going wrong, people who are drunk and becoming violent or just being taken to hospital for drinking too much and having their stomach pumped. In this play, Philip Dean, has shown the relevance to what a normal teenager’s life would be, with a couple of bumps on the way. From love, to adolescences, he has shown the real way a male teenagers mind would work, what challenges in life, what things they need to remember; just like ‘48 Shades of Brown’.

OCcupational Health Assignment for a BSc degree programme

OCcupational Health for a BSc degree programme - Assignment Example They are meant to protect the identity and ensure the anonymity of the patient and the staff involved. This practice is being employed in accordance with clause 5 of the Code of Professional Conduct (2004) and the Department of Health’s Caldicott Committee Report (1997). I was asked to see an employee of the UK-wide Bakery service who had been off sick for a laceration on both her arms. The patient, Cynthia, was 32 years old, single, and living alone in a one bedroom apartment within the vicinity of the city’s commercial district. She had been working the night shift with the Bakery service for 5 years running and about 2 days prior to my visit, she reported to the HR that she was taking time off work for injuries she suffered when she fell through a glass door. She had lacerations on both her arms due to her accident. She was later taken to the hospital where she was stitched up and sent home. However, during my visit, she confided in me that she did not actually obtain the injuries from falling through a glass door. Instead, they were self-inflicted injuries and she did not inform the hospital that her injuries were self-inflicted. She said that she attempted to take her life because she had a dispute with a co-worker with whom she was havi ng a relationship. She also felt alone and depressed about her life and the direction that her life was taking. When I saw her, she was weepy, sad, and very glum. Her wounds were healing well, but I could see that she lost the general interest in life. She looked haggard and looked like she had not slept and eaten for days. I was concerned about her situation because she still had feelings of suicide. I managed to persuade her to confide in her HR. Between me and the HR, we were able to convince her to attend Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and to see a counsellor. At work, the HR and the manager decided to move her to the day shift in order to give her more interaction with other employees.

Beethoven; Art and Protest in the 1800s Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Beethoven; Art and Protest in the 1800s - Essay Example Part four Allegro molto e vivace has strong Haydnian expression but with distinguishable thematic elements borrowed from the previous part. This reveals a complex form of sonata and becoming an ending for a symphonic cycle (Oscar, 1926). An example of a work of visual art from the 1800s is realism. It was reviewed by Donna Campbell who is an associate professor of English, Washington State University (Oscar, 1926). Realism in art and literature refers to the attempt to represent familiar and everyday people and situations in an accurate. More specifically, the term "realism" refers to the literal and artistic movement of the late 1800s and early 1900s (Oscar, 1926). This movement was a reaction against romanticism. Romanticism was an earlier movement that presented the world in much more idealized terms (Oscar, 1926). It responds to industrial revolution in such a way that modern artists have taken realism to new heights when they create paintings so realistic that they appear to be real photographs this helps their industry grow because who wouldn’t to purchase a painting that that appears real. Also they have made sculptures of human beings so life like that they are mistaken to be real people (Oscar,

How media affects to private life Research Paper

How media affects to private life - Research Paper Example Similarly, Baym has pointed out in yet another example that â€Å"all of this happens in a cultural moment when individualism is increasingly defined through consumerist practices of purchasing mass mediated and branded products† (5). The above discussed two examples are cited as they are highly representative of the effects that media have on private life. The characteristics of new media technologies to enter the personal realm has been going on increasing in scope and strength. For example, earlier television technology was one-way only thereby keeping the role of the viewer limited to being a passive spectator. But when live television broadcasts became technologically possible, the viewer could talk back, but also had to partially open up his/her personal space to the media. Later when online communication technologies emerged, this feature of enabling two-way communication got strengthened (Baym, 7). One consequence of such highly interactive media has been the creation of a â€Å"sense of placelessness† (Baym, 8). People communicating from very distant places would have a feeling that they were close geographically. Another aspect of this phenomenon is that people have less access to the other person's physical details like location or activity, while communicating (baym, 9). All these and many other changes in media interaction can bring about many corresponding changes in the private lfe as well. Invasion of privacy is a much talked about aspect of media and this is especially the case when it comes to individuals with celebrity status. When princess Diana died in a car crash after being pursued by the paparazzi, a heatd debate had emerged on this topic. It was the advent of new media technologies that made paparazzis possible (Cashmore, 8). It is observed that technology enabled paparazzi â€Å"not just to peer but to examine andd scrutinize in forensic detail†, the personal lives of celebrities (Cashmore, 8). Another impact is th e information in high volumes and in different modes can be transmitted over long distances and in very little time which further made possible the intrusion of media into the private lives of celebrities (Cashmore, 8). For example, Rupert Murdoch could telecast through his satellite telvision network, any sensational celebrity news, all over the world within no time (Cashmore, 9). The constant search for new content in a world of high media competition also enhanced the invasion of personal spaces (Cashmore, 9). Cashmore has cited the example of Madonna who realized the potential of media to encash the personal, and worked with the media on this to gain from it (11). The scandalous indiscretionary behavior of Elizabeth taylor with Richard Burton was caught on camera by a paperazzi through the use of a telephoto lens (Cashmore, 16). This is a very good example of media, with its very inherent nature, affecting private life. Once the technology of a telephoto lens and what it could d o became known to all, the celebrities also learned to behave in certain ways in order to cheat its eyes. Now a celebrity person has to make a limited choice (limited again by what is technologically possible) of making a part of his/her private matters public through the media but all the same keep a balance to avoid over exposure. The media celebrity culture makes a seemingly just demand on all celebrities to exercise this choice either consciously or unconsciously. If they fail to attain a balance

The Development of a Proposal for Organisational Research Essay

The Development of a Proposal for Organisational Research - Essay Example f service to the customers.1 However, the increasing number of â€Å"lay-offs† which resulted from globalization makes it a challenge for HR managers to maintain employees’ commitment and loyalty.2 For this reason, the HR personnel acknowledge the need to introduce effective initiatives that could motivate employees to perform their best at work. The best solution to increase employees’ working motivation is to minimize stress barriers related to work and personal lives.3 Most people believe that this can be done by allowing them to enjoy flexible work arrangements since implementing long working hours or the traditional 8 or 9 to 5 workday job requirement could result to a detrimental effect on employees’ work satisfaction and level of productivity.4 In line with the positive remarks of Flexible Working Arrangements in the world of business, the researcher aims to test whether the implementation of the said program within a school setting. For the purpose of this study, a short literature review will be discussed to give the readers a better insight about the benefits of promoting a balancing work and other aspects of employees’ life. In line with answering the research question and meet the objectives of the study, the researcher suggests the use of a semi-structured interview as well as qualitative and quantitative survey questionnaires as part of the methodology. Along the way, the researcher will discuss the underlying philosophies behind the chosen methodological approaches; the sample frame that will be used for the study; data collection processes including the proposed analysis of the gathered data; estimated cost of the study; and the ethical consideration on data gathering. Eventually, a detailed time frame for each research stages will be discussed. recruitment process of competitive human resources as well as its existing employees’ absenteeism and work performances. By creating a more attractive and suitable work place for the