Evolution of Health Care Policy Essay

This chapter discusses the political and economic aspects that have taken both Canada and the US in different paths which is ultimately shaped by the organization and delivery of care with its recent restructuring efforts. The US health care system is a system of private health insurance where most of the population gets benefits through employment or other benefit plans such as those for veterans. There is public health insurance for those on social security called Medicare and those that require social assistance called Medicaid. But, 45 million people are still uninsured and millions are underinsured. Unlike the US, Canada has a universal system of public health insurance where contracts with private non-profit health care institutions such as hospitals and health practitioners deliver care. The national health insurance represents a sense of clarity between â€Å"free market† liberalism and the â€Å"planned economy† socialism. Public financing is considered the optimal form of health care financing due to the fact that insurance is affordable to all citizens no matter how ill, effective cost control over health care services, and there’s universal coverage. With such a system, those that are healthy that do not need many treatments support those that require health care service which ultimately offer good cost control and good equity. Canada and the US have different perspectives in access to their pharmaceuticals. Canada has a public health insurance where people over the age of 65 and those on social assistance are covered. Unlike Quebec that has a drug benefit program for everyone, Ontario has created programs to those that have a large amount of drug costs and the rest of the population has access through private insurance through employment. This causes issues with those that are in low paying or have part-time jobs. Pharmaceuticals here in Canada are regulated by the Patented Medicines Prices Review Board unlike in the US. However, access to medicines for the treatment of cancer is getting more and more expensive and only few that are covered. This material is consistent with what I believed prior to this course with some new knowledge attained. It’s great to look at our health care in depth. As of right now since I just started back at York University this summer, I did not have any health benefits for quite some times so I avoid going to the doctor’s and getting medication because as a student I cannot afford it. If people like myself have better access to coverage, a number of health issues could be avoided. I appreciate what Obama administration is implementing so that the uninsured have access to health care as well.

Pre-Interview Essay

Pre-interview Essay 30/01/2013 I would like to follow the CELTA course for quite a few reasons. To begin with, and more importantly, I want to do the course so as to obtain the right qualifications for and English tutor. I think that the CELTA course can provide me, not only with the necessary teaching skills, but also with the highest knowledge of the subject.Moreover, if one already has the education and skills needed this course gives him the opportunity to keep up to date with the English language, because as it is widely known language, in general, keeps evolving and changing. Another important reason that makes me want to follow the course is the fact that CELTA diploma is recognized thru out the world. That is a great advantage as one has the opportunity to work at almost any country he desires.Needless to say that this is of great benefit not only to one’s teaching experience but to him as a person, as he will be able to broaden his horizons by meeting new educational systems and cultures. I believe that I would be a successful teacher of the English language because I am very interested in it, therefore, I would constantly try to enrich my knowledge around it and do my best to be up to date, not only with the language itself but with educational systems so that my students would get the best education possible from me.I am of the opinion that you must love what you do so as to be good at it and teaching is what I love. Other than that, I feel that I am the kind of person that can pass his knowledge to the others. I am friendly and easy-going which makes people around me feel comfortable and able to trust me. On the other hand, I am very organized and focused on my goals, even a little bit of a control freak which I believe make me better at what I do and are some important qualities for a successful teacher.

Abandoning the American Dream

Abandoning the American Dream From the American Revolution onward, the United States has gained international recognition as a land of hope and equal opportunity. America’s founding fathers imagined the nation to be a place of widespread promise, operating under democratic rule and allowing for social mobility. The notion that any individual, regardless of circumstance, could achieve a goal by possessing determination became a belief known as the American Dream. Instilled at the core of American culture, and remaining there at present, the American Dream must be assessed for its validity. Using critical support to discuss the purpose and importance of this myth in the past centuries, I will examine the American Dream from a historical perspective to uncover its current function in modern America. In spite of its illusory nature, the pervasion of the American Dream into national thought serves to justify the myth’s perpetuation into 21st century. Overall, this paper will illustrate the necessity of a new ideology if America is to continue on the rise. Incredibly popularized in the 19th century, during the period of expansion and Manifest Destiny, the American Dream became a predominant principle that guided society. The myth’s premise appeared straightforward: work hard and achieve greatness. A hopeful approach to the future, this idealistic outlook provided inspiration to adolescent America, a child in essence. Psychologist Bruno Bettelheim explains â€Å"the most important and also the most difficult task in raising a child is helping him to find meaning in life† (3), which is essentially the conflict that led the youthful society to adopt a nationally recognized ideology. The people had the difficult task before them of economic, social, and cultural development, and they needed a path to follow that would assure a prominent, meaningful future. The author of mid-nineteenth century children stories, Horatio Alger was a major influence in spreading the message of the American Dream through popular culture. Embedding the myth into American consciousness, Alger proposed that anyone could move from rags to riches (Kanfer). He provided a formula to the achievement of the American dream that corresponds to Joseph Campbell’s simplified formula of the monomyth.[1] There are three stages to Campbell’s formula: â€Å"a separation from the world, a penetration to some source of power, and a life-enhancing return† (35). Similarly, the Alger plot typically depicted a young boy separating himself from his poverty-stricken world, taking on a new routine characterized by intense work ethic, and coming forth with an improved status. Alger’s stories circulated throughout America at a crucial stage in its history, imparting a seemingly sensible approach to societal challenges and promising triumph. Alger truly had a substantial impact on the American philosophy for the upcoming century. Although Joseph Campbell in his conclusion to The Hero with a Thousand Faces asserts that modern society no longer abides by a mythic approach to life’s difficulties, I see the situation as the reverse: too strong of a reliance on the American myth has served as a constraint in the progression of society. In Campbell’s formula, there comes â€Å"the stage of the trials and victories† (36). Continued hope in the American Dream has prevented the social body from overcoming these trials. Consequently, the modern world’s reluctance to throw away the American Dream causes the postponement of â€Å"the return and reintegration with society† (Campbell 36). An exclusive faith in the American Dream hinders society from utilizing other approaches to improving the status quo. While the American Dream is exhausted of hope, society reluctantly retains faith due to how ingrained the philosophy has become within the social fabric. The American Dream myth consistently disappoints a large portion of American society; yet, for society to alter its attitude toward the myth proves difficult. Economist Lewis Corey uses the term â€Å"cultural lag† for this failure to change a popularized value, and he suggests that â€Å"ideals may persist†¦.after the material conditions of their origin are no more† (qtd. in Tipple 268). Viewing the American Dream from this rationale, I see the myth’s current existence in popular thought as primarily a result of its longevity. Instead of hard workers realizing that their efforts do not necessarily bring the promised success, they do not know whether to believe the claims of the myth or the observations of reality. Myth has the potent ability to blind its adherents from the nature of reality. By holding on to the myth, the believer suffers in a struggle without prospect. â€Å"Social myth functions in a complex and indirect system of rationalization,† (11) explains Joe Holland in The American Journey: A Theology in the Americas. Dominating the believer’s understanding of how society works, trust in the American myth only perpetuates the disillusionment in modern society. America does not recognize the myth’s falsehood, failing to confront the facts of the present social circumstances. Despite Alger’s claims about the self-made man, United States history repeatedly shows that the American Dream lacks the promise that the people have projected onto it. A study of United States history, from the American Revolution to the present day, reveals many examples of class struggle, racial prejudice, and restricted social mobility. Various times in history emphasize a not-so idealistic reality for minority groups, including the Civil War, the Progressive Era, and the 1960s. A key historical example, the period preceding and during the Great Depression in America, circa 1920s and 1930s, exposes the discrepancy between the American myth’s promise and the conditions of reality. In Crisis of the American Dream, John Tipple describes the carefree feeling among the people in the roaring twenties; it was taken as a truth that â€Å"man could realize his highest aspirations amid abundance† (13). The optimism, and naivety, of the American people reflects the stronghold that the myth of the American Dream had on our culture during a time of perceived affluence. The sudden collapse of the stock market crash, however, contradicted the myth’s promise: â€Å"the ensuing depression turned the dream of universal prosperity into a horrible nightmare† (Tipple 14). Regardless of its deep historical foundation, the time has come to acknowledge that Alger’s myth lacks true basis. The out-dated American Dream does not foster social advancement, and it has become harder to find Alger’s rags-to-riches man in modern America. No longer are the days of Manifest Destiny; the adolescent years of our nation have passed. Consequently, America must undertake the most difficult rite of passage[2]: giving up on old ideology and experiencing a rebirth by implementing a new faith. Modern society has the task of separating itself from the former myth and initiating a new philosophy if it is â€Å"to nullify the unremitting recurrences of death† (Campbell 16). Only by forming a new ideal can America prevent its demise and continue on an upward journey.

Gas Cell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gas Cell - Essay Example Configured for gas sampling, the cell incorporates 2 valves, an inlet and an outlet, that enable flowing gas samples through the cell. In its solid and liquid vaporization configuration, the cell has an outlet needle valve from which a vacuum can be pulled and two (2) sample inlets. One inlet is a needle septa injection port on the top of the cell which is similar to the type used in gas chromatography. There is a second inlet in the form of a side port for inserting solid samples, which also doubles as the thermocouple port. Using the side port eliminates the need to recheck vacuum seals whenever the cell is opened to insert solid samples. The 250w heating jacket extends over the end of the cell so that both the cell body and the optics are heated, and allows operation at temperatures up to 1000K. Condensation on the optics is minimized by heating them to the same temperature as the sample chamber. A type J iron constantan thermocouple is provided with plugs which are compatible with the optional temperature controller. The cell body is type 304 stainless steel and an assortment of seals is provided - silicon rubber, viton and PTFE. Stainless Steel 304: SS 304 is the most versatile and the most ... It also has excellent low temperature properties and responds well to hardening by cold working. SS 304 is used in all industrial, commercial and domestic fields because of its good corrosion and heat resisting properties. Using SS304 is reducing the chances of failure of cell due to heating & creep. Creep Data Stress for a creep rate of 1% in 10 000 h. Temperature, oC 550 600 650 700 800 Temperature, K 823 873 923 973 1073 Stress, MPa 120 80 50 30 10 Environment Data/ Corrosion Rate The performance of SX 304 compared with other metals in various environments is shown in the following table. The corrosion rates are based on a 10 year exposure. Environment Corrosion Rate (m/year) SS 304 Mild Steel Rural 0.0025 5.8 Marine 0.0076 34.0 Marine Industrial 0.0076 46.2 So as compared to other metals stainless steel 304 is having very less corrosion rate, so this metal is best for the Gas cell. Stainless steel is also a preferred substrate because of its lower cost to fabricate into a mirror it requires multi-layer coatings, including gold as the primary reflective surface, which is expensive. Copper: Copper is a chemical element. Copper is malleable, ductile, excellent electrical conductor, non magnetic, resistant to corrosion, excellent heat transfer capacity, durable, & recyclable element. It is a ductile metal with excellent electrical conductivity and is rather soft in its pure state and has a pinkish luster which is. It finds extensive use as an electrical conductor, heat conductor, as a building material, and as a component of various alloys. Though copper has ductility property hence it can be drawn into thin wire. The ductility property of copper can reduce the chance of failure of cell due to

Behavioural Finance and the Efficiency of Capital Markets Essay

Behavioural Finance and the Efficiency of Capital Markets - Essay Example All the literature on market efficiency defines an efficient market as one where prices reflect all available information and sellers cannot earn windfall profits in a sustained manner (Fama, 1970). Large profits can be earned only by having inside information that is not publicly known and trading based on such information, or through misinformation; both are illegal. In an efficient market, assuming all companies disclose information to investors, only those who enter the market first may earn above average returns. Just like any other market, the one who arrives first can buy at a lower price and then, as demand goes up, sell at a higher price. This logic that consistently beating the market is not possible led to the creation of index funds that mimic the market's performance. Nevertheless, small investors unaware of these academic and empirical discussions continue to try to beat the market, only to incur expenses on fees and commissions. Behavioural finance proponents think that market-beating strategies exist and that a careful analysis of historical price trends and financial reports can pay off (Shiller, 1990). They point to stock market anomalies and other forms of market inefficiencies that allow investors to reap above average returns. He claims that conclu... Nevertheless, small investors unaware of these academic and empirical discussions continue to try to beat the market, only to incur expenses on fees and commissions. Behavioural finance proponents think that market-beating strategies exist and that a careful analysis of historical price trends and financial reports can pay off (Shiller, 1990). They point to stock market anomalies and other forms of market inefficiencies that allow investors to reap above average returns. So going back to our question: are markets efficient Fama (1998) thinks it is and that it continues to be so as proven by empirical studies (Fama and French 1992, 1993, 1996 and Malkiel, 1995). He claims that conclusions based on market anomalies discovered by behavioural finance are due to poorly done statistical work (1998, pp. 292-294) and amateurish techniques (1998, p. 296). He cited (1998, pp. 288-290) above average returns as the result of chance, that behavioural finance models are loaded with judgmental biases making it predictably easy to justify any hypothesis proposed, and that the efficient market hypothesis can explain all forms of market behaviour to date. Behavioural finance supporters Barberis, Shleifer and Vishny (1998) claim that an ongoing battle between rational and irrational traders exists in the market, with the irrational ones dominating. The systematic errors that irrational investors make when they use public information to form expectations of future cash flows overwhelm the efforts of rational traders to undo the former's market dislocating effects. Daniel, Hirshleifer, and Subrahmanyam (1998) state that irrational traders' overconfidence in interpreting

The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy and Employee Commitment Among Essay

The Relationship Between Self-Efficacy and Employee Commitment Among Perfusionists - Essay Example IV. This study shall establish the relationship between self-efficacy and employee commitment among CCPs. It shall also investigate the role of age, gender, workload, experience, education and self-efficacy on CCP commitment. V. The research design is that of a quantitative correlational study. Two survey instruments would be used. One would measure organizational commitment through the organizational commitment questionnaire and the other would be the work self-efficacy inventory. Data would be analyzed using t-tests and multiple regression analyses as well as non-parametric tests. VII. With positive social change, better societal outcomes can be gained, in this case, better outcomes for patients and better working scenarios for CCPs. This study would benefit CCPs primarily, improving their work conditions and commitment. It would also benefit the patients with improved quality of care. This is an optional page for a dedication. If you include a dedication, use regular paragraph spacing as shown here (not centered, italicized, or otherwise formatted). If you do not wish to include this page, delete the heading, the body text, and the page break below the end of the text. No page number appears on any of the pages up to this point. If you do not wish to include this page, delete the heading and the body text; if a blank page remains, delete the page break above but leave the section break that you see below this text. Perceived self-efficacy refers to an is an individual’s beliefs in about accomplishing a specific task successfully (Bandura (1977). The theory of self-efficacy is a component of the social cognitive theory, which emphasizesd that cognitive, behavioral, personal, and environmental factors interact impact on to determine motivation and behavior. Beliefs in personal efficacy affect individual personal choices, including the quality of their performance, their resilience, and their level of motivationimpact the choices

Voltaire's Candide Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Voltaire's Candide - Essay Example The author’s own perception of God is presented in the work where Voltaire expresses his hatred for the churches abuse and lust for power. The work also presents the author’s atheist views. There are various aesthetic reasons why the novel is of great readership. The novel is an attempt to question the supposed inexorableness of vice, evil and anguish. Among them, one serious consideration is the dualism of optimism challenged all through the novel, by pessimism. This dualism of concepts is one of the significant reasons that make the novel aesthetically enjoyable. What Voltaire is interested in is a satire of philosophical optimism put forward by Leibniz. Voltaire is successful in countering the belief that God, in his immeasurable wisdom, created the best sufficient world. In challenging the concept of optimism, Voltaire works through the characters and their experience in life. Anti-heroism is the tool used to the best effect of mockery against the philosophy of the Enlightenment. The hero of the novel, Candide, wanders around the world with the Enlightenment ideas. Doctor Pangloss’s (a caricature of Leibniz) theory that â€Å"everything is for the best† (2) drives him forward. During his journey, Candide comes across various difficulties. But, he does not give up his search for Cunegonde, with optimism learned from his master. Voltaire challenges the logic of the optimistic theory of the world. The utter illogicality of the doctrine is clear in the words â€Å"if Columbus had not caught, on an American island, this sickness which attacks the source of generation†¦ we should have neither chocolate nor cochineal† (2). Candide is a novel that tells a pleasing story. At the same time, the novel is also a satire that mocks the t heory of optimism that believes in a better world for human existence. Voltaire presents his version of optimism through the idea of society. "When he [Voltaire] wishes to seriously justify a moral precept he does

Strategic management - C4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Strategic management - C4 - Essay Example functional disciplines (manufacturing, finance, marketing, human resources, R&D, etc) near the end of their academic program, but hardly thought of strategic management as a separate discipline or as a branch of business policy. With the publication of some books on corporate strategy, particularly that of Prof. Igor Ansoff, better awareness of the corporate environment developed as having sometimes critical impact on the organization and the results that it sought to achieve in a sometimes chaotic and turbulent environment. That the firm had to look towards expansion and diversification and that it could achieve synergy (â€Å"the whole is more than the sum of the the parts†) in some strategic decisions became quite obtrusive in the consciousness of many executives, particularly members of top management and corporate boards. Academicians and business writers began to talk about the environment and its impact on businesses in search of growth and expansion: the societal environment, the task environment, and the internal environment. (Buchholz, 1992). The societal environment consisted of the economic forces, the socio-cultural forces, the legal/political forces, and the technological forces, and some writers added the demographic forces and global forces. In addition, closer to the organization, there was the task environment, which comprised: the stockholders, customers, suppliers, workers/labor unions, governments and government regulatory agencies, creditors, competitors, trade associations, and the communities in which they operate. The balancing of the interests of the various stakeholders was important for the success of the organization. Finally, the internal environment, the organization itself with its structure, values, culture and resources, and the need to assess the organizational strengths and weaknesses vis-a-vis the challenges posed by the broad societal environment. An organization in search of opportunities needed to perform environmental

God's Responsibility for the Suffering of Innocent People Research Paper

God's Responsibility for the Suffering of Innocent People - Research Paper Example Natural evils whereby evil events, which man cannot control or does not initiate like floods, earthquakes and illnesses and moral evils which are caused by the free choices that man makes are the two types of evils that are found in the world (Fischer, Fischer & Hart, 117). Thinkers have advanced various ideas about evil with Thomas Aquinas stating that God created the universe with laws of nature that sometimes lead to evil, giving the example of the law of gravity that can make an object to hit someone’s head as it obeys the law. He concluded that God does not desire bad things to happen but allows them so as to respect the natural laws that he created. Job’s friends Eliphaz, Bildad and Zopher tried to offer an explanation about the cause of the suffering, indicating that Job must have done something wrong to warrant the suffering, and we could probably from a worldly perspective conclude that much of that which happens to man is caused by human behavior Fischer, Fisc her & Hart, 119). The friends continue to remind Job that God cannot chastise an innocent person. Jesus Christ Himself admonished those who he healed to ‘go and sin no more’. ... hat He could do what He wanted, meaning that being God, he had reasons beyond man’s comprehension for doing and allowing things to occur the way they do. Job 40:2 asks,’ shall he that contends with the Almighty instruct Him? He that reproves God let him answer it. While the answer by God may portray arrogance, God means that there are things that He does in His wisdom, which man cannot understand, with man being able just to see the short term but God seeing the long term. In Job 38 and onwards, God answers Job, declaring His incomparable power over the whole universe, asking almost sarcastically where Job was when He laid the foundations of the world, signifying Jobs insignificance in judging or understanding anything that He does (Fischer, Fischer & Hart, 117). God describes further the majestic and wonderful creatures that He has made including leviathan who He is able to pull with a fish hook, and that it is He who controls them and satisfies their hunger. God in ot her words informs Job that He is the one responsible for all creation and also what thinkers and philosophers call the law of nature. Job 42 sees a changed Job who repents in dust and ashes as he admits that while he had in the past only heard of God, now he had seen Him, meaning he had understood about the wisdom of God and that he realized that all along, God had been in control of the situation. The story of Job concludes that to understand God, He must be let to be God, or in other words cannot be questioned in His actions since they cannot be comprehended. Job seems to have understood that the world remains what it is, with good and evil, chaos and order all coexisting, with the option being submitting to the mysterious power and will of God because in the midst of evil, He will control the

Review of relevant literature Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Review of relevant literature - Research Paper Example E-wastes have serious health and environmental implications that emanate from the different components contained. They contain lead particles that are toxic and can affect the nervous systems of humans when consumed. Possible means of consumption include through deposits in drinking water. Mercury can cause dysfunction of the genitourinary system of the body. Cadmium is one of the components of e-wastes that have toxic elements that affect the kidney. They are possible escalators of kidney failures. The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a component that is in e-wastes is equally dangerous. These hydrocarbons have causal effects on skins as diseases and deep irritation. Water pollution is a serious environmental effect of e-wastes. Contamination of soils and subsequent degradation of soil productivity is a notable effect of e-wastes that are not properly disposed. The ever-increasing cases of disorders, caused by contamination from the components of e-wastes, calls for interventions a nd remedial strategies. A study on the effects of e-wastes, therefore, would contribute to the knowledge on the impacts of e-wastes on human health and the environment. This provides justification of the study because of its contribution to the knowledge aimed at sensitization of the public on the environmental and health effects of e-wastes. ... Although developed countries find the process of e-waste recycling by use of modern and proper technologies to be efficient, they do not have viable systems set in place to manage the high amount of waste produced. Improper e-waste disposal by developed countries is among the major environmental threats to developing countries since developed countries tend to dispose their excess e-waste in developing countries. Because of the lack of or improper mechanisms by developing countries to address the challenge of hazardous e-waste disposed on their lands, it is essential to educate the average person on ways of managing e-waste. It is noteworthy that the average persons, who constitute a high proportion of the population of developing countries, are prone to the effects of e-waste. This prompts the research on the various ways that the average person can use in the management of e-waste. Kumar proposes the use of formal recyclers as the major players in the waste recycling sector (893). The average person should use methods that are hygienic and inexpensive in the management of e-wastes. This research, therefore, offers an insight into some of the best methods that are applicable by the average person in managing e-wastes. Advancement in technology, according to Kalana, is among the escalators of increased amount of e-wastes in the environment (132). The study by Kalana identifies diverse methods that households can apply in the management of e-waste that continue to pose a great threat to them because of the increase in technological innovations. The study area, Shah Alam, Selangor, consists of middle-income earners and, therefore has a high number of the

Organizational culture Essay Example for Free

Organizational culture Essay 1. Discuss several areas in which HR can affect organizational culture positively or negatively. A human resources department plays a significant role in determining the culture of an organization. Human resources cultivate and execute policies and procedures in key areas such as hiring practices, compensation, management relations and employee conduct and behavior. The decisions made by the human resources department can have significant positive and negative implications for the overall cultural quality of the organization. Some of the affected areas include creating awareness, compensation plans, hiring practices and behavior. Company executives may not always have a true understanding of their corporate culture, as they are often far removed from the front lines of the operation. Human resources personnel can provide the benefit of instructing top management as to what the culture is really like. This may lead to positive changes in the corporate culture, it could also lead to changes that meet with resistance from employees, such as when management decides it needs to change or eliminate popular employee programs that it deems wasteful or unproductive. When it comes to compensation, the human resources department typically accepts the responsibility of designing compensation programs for the organization. Depending on how they achieve this, it could have a positive as well as negative impact on organizational culture. For example, an incentive program for salespeople may provide the opportunity for these employees to increase their compensation through greater productivity. Nevertheless, it could also cr eate an environment where the salespeople are competing against each other, leading to the deterioration of teamwork and morale. Human resources also determine the hiring and recruiting practices used by the organization, which has a great impact on the organizational culture. A strong attention to characteristics of job candidates such as education and experience can certify that the company hires employees who are capable of performing the job. In contrast, if there is a lack of focus on characteristics like personality and people skills, the company may end up hiring candidates who will have difficulty being a sole member of the corporate culture. Another key area subsiding under human resources is the conduct of the organizations members. In many organizations, particular larger ones, this involves the development of a code of conduct or ethics that specifics how employees should treat each other and conduct their daily activities. An operative code of conduct that denotes the core values of the organization and is strictly enforced can promote a culture characterized by high levels of ethical behavior. On another note, a weak code or one that is only given lip service by human resources could lead to a culture of dishonesty and distrust. 2. For many individuals, the nature of work and jobs is changing. Describe these changes, some reasons for them, and how they are affecting both HR management and individuals. In reference to our textbook, our world is ever changing when it comes to the workplace. Some of the issues that affect the organization include technology, changing demographics, education and cultural issues. According to the article, â€Å"The Changing Nature of Organizations, Work and Workplace,† In todays world, the structure, content, and process of work have changed. Work is now: * more cognitively complex * more team-based and collaborative * more dependent on social skills * more dependent on technological competence * more time pressured * more mobile and less dependent on geography. In todays world, you will also be working for an organization that is likely to be very different due to competitive pressures and technological breakthroughs. Organizations today are: * leaner and more agile * more focused on identifying value from the customer perspective * more tuned to dynamic competitive requirements and strategy * less hierarchical in structure and decision authority * less likely to provide lifelong careers and job security * continually reorganizing to maintain or gain competitive advantage. 3. Why is it important for HR management to transform from being primarily administrative and operational to becoming a more strategic contributor? According to the PowerPoint, â€Å"Changing Nature of Human Resource Management,† Dr. Zaw states that the typical roles are still apart of human resources managers job descriptions, but the magnitude and percentage of each within the job description has altered. Human resources roles typically include; * Processing and recording keeping * Operational and employee advocate role Human resources strategic roles typically include: * â€Å"having a seat at the table† by contributing to organization results and success * Human resources becomes a strategic partner * When it focuses on creating program that will enrich the organization performance * Engage human resources in strategic planning at the onset * Contribute in the decision making in reference to mergers acquisitions and downsizing * Recreating of organizations and work processes * Accounting and documentation the financial means of human resource activities He then explains the nature of strategic Human Resource Management. 1. The relationship of the organizational and HR strategic strategies a. Cost Leadership includes i. Competition on the basis of low price and high quality of product or service ii. Relies on building employees fit specialized needs iii. Requires a longer human resources planning horizon approach b. Differentiation iv. Competition on the basis of either offering distinctively different products or services v. Relies on hiring needed skills vi. Needs a shorter planning time frame in order to be responsive to dynamic environments 2. Organizational Productivity and Efforts c. Human Resources Productivity vii. Unit labor costs computed by dividing the average cost of workers by their levels of output viii. Low unit labor costs can be a basis for strategy focusing on human resources ix. Productivity and unit labor cost can be determined at the global, country, organizational or individual level. d. Organizational Effectiveness and Financial Contributions of Human Resource x. Linking with financial executive to certify human resources financial contribution to organization’s performance e. Customer Service and Quality Products Linked to Human Resources Strategies xi. High quality productions and services are the outcome of human resources enrichment to the organizational performance f. Organizational Culture and Organizational Effectiveness xii. Organization culture is the values and beliefs shared amongst the organization. 4. What steps can HR professionals take to ensure that mergers and acquisitions are successful? How can HR help during the integration process? In reference to the article, â€Å"What is the Role of Human Resource During a Merger?† , Diane Chinn covers five distinct areas that human resources must focus on during a merger which includes executive coaching, employee communication, culture integration, employee retention and human resources integration. Executive Coaching: Even though human resources have been considered a major staff function, it is shifting more to an essential strategy function. In the process of a merger, human resources should function as executive coaches assisting leaders in understanding the relationship with effective human resources management and merger success. It also gives management insight to the different assumption of issues that may hinder the merger and find different solution for dealing with the issues. Employee Communication: There should be ongoing communication with the employees in reference to the success of the merger. Even though employees do not understand the reason for the merger, they may presume to be against the decision without effective communication. It’s the responsibility of the human resources department to create a communication strategy in reference to each step of the merger process. Cultural Integration: It is the responsibility of human resources to examine and compare the cultures of the two organizations and develop and execute a plan to address cultural issues that could affect the merger such as shared or conflicting values, beliefs and assumptions. Employee Retention: Human resources must ensure that employees have the necessary skills and knowledge needed for the organization remain a part of the merged organization. Human Resources Integration: When the companies merge, there are duplicate systems that must be consolidated or merged. This is especially true in HR where employee management, compensation and benefits, employee training, development and HR information systems must continue to function throughout the merger process. 5. Many companies in the United States have recently put an end to the practice of giving an annual employee Christmas party due to complaints by employees with non-Christian religious backgrounds or spiritual values who claimed the Christmas party was discriminatory employment practice. These dissident employees argued that the employer who celebrated by paying for an employee Christmas party favored Christianity over other religions and belief systems. Do you think non-Christian employees are treated illegally or unethically when the employer decides to give a Christmas party for all the employees? What is the basis of your decision? What would be a reasonable accommodation that an employer could make to satisfy both the Christian and non-Christian employees? Yes, I do feel that non- Christian employees are treated unfairly because employers should be delicate to the religious beliefs of their employees. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. I feel that no one should be forcing to do something that’s not a part of their beliefs or character. My recommendation would be to have an end of the year celebration where all are able to attend and possible share their cultural experience with everyone through foods, decorations and performances.

Animals Under Threat of Extinction

Animals Under Threat of Extinction More than 16,000 species of animals, birds, fish and plants are under serious threat of becoming extinct. Why is this, and is there anything we can do with it? Introduction: The panda, the tiger, the blue whale and the mountain gorilla. These are just a few examples of animals critically endangered with extinction. In fact, according to the IUCN Red List, about 22 percent of all mammal species are threatened by extinction. In this assignment, I will consider a statement in our English book; More than 16,000 species of animals, birds, fish and plants are under serious threat of becoming extinct. I chose this statement because I hadnt really considered the fact before, and was shocked after having done some research to find what extinction of that many species could mean to our planet. All I know at this point is what it says in the statement. What I would like to know after having written the assignment is whether this affects us or not and if it is a global problem. I would like to learn about extinction in general, and how species actually are extinct. I also want to find out if we can stop extinction, or if extinction is a natural part of species exist ence. Is this a global problem? Many of the endangered species are essential for other species survival, and in the long run, they might even play a big part of the existence of human beings. Every single species on earth is a part of a food chain. The extinction of a species may mean the end of another group of organisms. The eventual extinction of rainforests is a good example of this. The rainforests are a huge part of life on earth as we know it. It is assumed that between 50 and 70 percent of all species on earth are somehow connected to the rainforests, and research shows the rainforests hides millions of species yet to be discovered. Once, the glorious forests covered about 14 percent of the earths surface. Today, we are down to 6 percent, and it is decreasing by more than 6000 square metres every single day. This is not only a huge crisis for the wild life in the rainforests (research shows that nearly 150 species disappear every day because of the deforestation), but through the photosynthesis process, the rainforests are responsible for 28 percent of the earths oxygen turnover. This, combined with the heavy increase in the worlds population, might turn out to be a major problem. Additionally, by tearing down the rainforests, we might miss the cure for several deceases, considering that more than 25 percent of all natural medicines ever discovered, have their roots in the rainforests. We can assume that the last few remaining rainforests will be wiped of the face of the earth within 40 years. Extinction in general. The term extinction is used when a species reaches its end of existence. An estimated 99,9 percent of every species of animals and plants ever to have existed on our planet, are now extinct, and according to an environmental article in The Independant, scientists claim that about 50 percent of all existing species today will be extinct by the 22nd century. Most extinction happens before a race is even discovered. The definition extinction is used about a species when there are no more surviving members of the species that can reproduce, to create another generation of said species. Today, the group of extinct animals increases rapidly every day. According to a recent survey by the American Museum of Natural History, 70 percent thinks that this mass extinction is an even greater threat to our existence than climate changes. Most scientists also believe that the mass extinction and its consequences are greatly underestimated, and needs to be dealt with. Endangered species: According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, about 40 percent of every living organism on our planet is threatened with extinction. This, of course, only includes the little percentage of species discovered. There are different grades of endangerment, according to the IUCN Red List of endangered species, the first being Least Concern. This means the species faces no current threat of extinction. Some examples are the common mouse and the wood pigeon. Next category is Near threatened, and includes animals such as the tiger shark and the solitary eagle. These species may be threatened by extinction soon. The third category is called Conservation dependent. Some species under this category are the spotted hyena and the killer whale, and they are not critically endangered, but conservation programs are required . Vulnerable is the fourth grade, and these species, including the komodo dragon and the polar bear, are currently facing a risk of becoming extinct. The blue whale and the giant panda are species categorised as Endangered, and are in near future facing a great risk of becoming extinct. The species under the category Critically Endangered are facing an extreme risk of becoming extinct in near future. A species in this group is the mountain gorilla. Extinct in the wild is the category with species where only members of the species in captivation exist. The last category is Extinct, and the species under this category have reached theyre end of existence. There are no living individuals of the species. The Extinct category includes the dodo, the mammoth and more recently, the Baiji river dolphin (the species was declared extinct in 2006) and the West-African black rhinoceros (declared extinct in 2006). Why and how does a species get extinct? There are several ways for a species to get extinct. One way for a species to get extinct is if a species in its food chain faces extinction. For example, in a specific forest, the fox, the rabbit and the grass may be a part of a food chain, where the main part of the foxs diet consists of rabbits, which main diet consists of grass. If one year, the amount of grass is lower than usual, the rabbits may be failing in numbers as well, due to lack of food, and this could lead to that the amount foxes will decrease as well, because they will have a smaller amount of rabbits to feed on. In this scenario, the fox would probably go ahead and find another main source of food, but lets say the food chain is to only consist of these three species. The next year, because the amount of rabbits being eaten by foxes is lower, because the foxes didnt have as much food as usual, and the number of foxes is lower than usual, there would be an increase in the stock of rabbits. The next year again, the n umber of foxes would increase, because there is more rabbits to feed on. And like this, the food chain runs in a loop. This shows that all species depend on each other, and the amount of one species depends on the amount of another species. Climate changes are another reason for animal extinction, and the main reason for the growing concern of the polar bears existence. According to this article from a Norwegian online newspaper, the polar bears are forced to swim much longer distances than before, because of the melting of the Arctic ice. This is a huge problem for the polar bear cubs, which simply are born with a layer of fat to thin to survive for long in the ice-cold water. The melting of the ice also means it is increasingly more difficult for the polar bears to find food. Another reason for species extinction is human interaction. The dodo and the West-African black rhinoceros are great examples of this. The dodo was first seen in the early 1600s when Dutch sailors discovered the island Mauritius. The dodo had stubby wings, and was heavy and slow, an easy target for hungry Dutchmen. In less than 80 years, the dodo was extinct. The sailors who ate them and the fact that their nests were destroyed by rodents the sailors had brought with them. The West-African black rhinoceros horn was believed to be a form for aphrodisiac in parts of Yemen and China, so the species was a popular target for hunters. The species was declared extinct, when conservationists where unable to find any remaining individuals, in 2006. Conclusion. I believe there is no way for us people to stop extinction caused by natural changes, as it is a natural part of a species existence. However, endangered species caused by human actions, such as species being hunted for a part of the animal, like elephants tusks, sharks fins and rhinoceros horns is possible to stop by refuse to support these actions. The same is for the destruction of the rainforests, which I believe we need to do something about. Species extinction caused by climate changes, on the other hand, I dont think we are going to be able to stop. We cant undo whatever damage we have already caused our planet. If the climate changes turns out to be a part of human actions though, we may be able to stop future extinctions caused by changes in the climate.

On Identity, Amin Maalouf

On Identity, Amin Maalouf To Be and Not To Be. In this book, Amin Maalouf, discusses one of the most vital notions of the self; identity, in an analysis of historical and contemporary contexts aiming to reveal the misconceptions and abuses of this mode of recognition. Whether national, religious, ethnical or other, identity has been the prominent element and more than often the instigator of serious upheavals in the world. He examines how we have come to define ourselves and how certain modes of identification can be dangerous. Every time identity is determined on the basis of a single form of affiliation, danger arises, since this often leads to fanaticism, whose various shades appeared throughout history and continues to exist in time. He attributes this to an ill understanding of identity and an unnecessary paranoid attempt of its preservation. The two main themes of this work, religion and globalization, are corollary treated. The author provides a clarification of how these two affect and form one another. He addresses the matter of religion, by trying to deduce how it came to emerge as the focal proponent of identity in present times via a chain of questions, attempting to understand its significant universal reemergence. He proposes some answers, attributing this phenomenon to the descent of Communism and Marxism, for instance, and how this is a reaction to their emphasis on secularism. The author opposes the primacy of any kind of religious affiliation and calls upon a new element of association. He advocates the separation of church and identity, and affirms that this type of identifying affiliation ought to be replaced with a more humanistic one. He does not take a stance against religion per se, for he personally, as he explains, does not oppose religious affiliations and recognizes the perpetual significance of their nature. But as mentioned earlier he condemns the distraught tendency of shrinking identity down to one form of association. This regression of identity generates what he calls killer identities. I believe there exists another, similar form of regression, which he did not mention, one which I would call guilt identities .This is common among members of historically or currently exploited groups, who have developed a tendency to abuse such associations. Some Palestinians still do apply and obtain scholarships that were only assigned to their nationals at various higher educational institutions, for instance, when in fact they can afford to pay for the whole student body. Another example of this would be the Jews redundant reference to the Holocaust. This abuse and manipulation of history, I find to be highly despicable and disrespectful, for the only Jews that have all the right to refer to it I think are the ones who survived it. Similarly some African Americans use slavery or racism to justify their personal failure, which is absurd for while racial discrimination can definitely be the case in some instances, major inequalities that exist and persist are because of class and lack of opportunity. Then the author turns to the issue of globalization, describing the power of its disseminating nature. In this discussion, he explains that the reason for the reemergence of religion lies in its power to gratify two of the most basic human yearnings, the need of belonging and that of spirituality. At the same time, he argues that because of this religion is being ascribed as the antidote to globalization. The author presents a very sound analysis of religions ascent. However, his condemnation of the primacy of its affiliations appears simply irrational, for religion, like everything else, has its extremities, varying from fanaticism to apathy. It is these that tarnish its name, and it is these that should be condemned. Although I do acknowledge Maaloufs position and his attempt to reach a much more profound and comprehensive link of association, such as humanity, I still do find it rather idealistic, almost utopian. For even though it is the only common trait across the globe, humanity has seldom succeeded in uniting nations history is a vigilant witness of that. In spite of its significance, people have never treated humanity with high regards. I cannot conceive of a reason that would inspire them to acknowledge it now. I do agree that this human notion Maalouf proposes would be an ultimate global bliss, yet I do not think that the world is ready for it, given the state of chaos it is in now due to political systems, materialistic notions or simply apathy. This is precisely why I think that religion, when taken for what it really is, as opposed to a set of dogmatic customized interpretations, would serve as an absolute unifier, which ever religion it might well be I am no fanatic myself to state that my faith is the true one. We do not have to all ascribe to the same one (while that would be ideal, I am seeking to be reasonable). I know what faith is able to do to ones perception of life, and I do not think seeing the world through ones religion of choice turns a person into an extremist. Religion, when taken for what it really is, is the b elief in being a part or pertaining to something bigger than ones self, a system of tolerance and preservation of the most basic rights and dignity. It can only gratify the human in you and not the opposite. We are all in need of that kind of touch to our souls, otherwise our lives would be like frameless pictures, dull and fragile. In addressing the tangible battle between identity and globalization, the book demonstrates how this clash has constantly been disregarded as a normal reaction to change and hence not in fact been taken seriously. It advocates that we as individuals ought to take this with real concern, since we are to the most part, subconsciously engaged in it. Knowing who we are and where we stand is something we have come to take as evident, a conception that is shaken often times when an incident occurs, significantly altering things and putting us on sides we did not know existed. It is this very specific state of consciousness that this essay is aiming to stir. The author explains that ones heritage can be divided into two types, vertical and horizontal, and affirms that our horizontal heritages have more affect on us than we realize. That is to say, when considered objectively, one actually has more commonalities with his contemporaries than with his ancestors. This point is worth contemplati ng deeply, I believe, since we do, by convention or denial, tend to primarily, if not exclusively, identify ourselves by our vertical heritages. This notion of heritage incorporates the true essence of identity for people tend to often times presume that identity is something fixed that you get at birth and anything past that would be treated as treason. In fact, it is the actual opposite of that: identity is a constant state of evolution. The vertical heritage is what is bestowed upon us at birth and then everything else one encounters in his life will build up ones horizontal heritage. These levels should be recognized and understood so one could have a solid and healthy perception of himself for as Maalouf stated; it is necessary at this point in time to draw attention to the gulf that exists between what we are and what we think we are (Maalouf p.86) In their judgment of globalization, people should not forget that like any other medium, it is inherently neutral and holds the potentiality of both good and bad in it. Any medium is in a state of neutrality until used, and hence any condemnations of globalization would not only be groundless but ridiculous as well. The author attempts to demonstrate the potential good that globalization can bring; he believes that such a phenomenon can help create a universal identity. He explains this by asserting that the only primary feature of identity that should be grasped is humanity and that this is the only type of affiliation that would never shrivel the concept since it is what we all have in common, regardless of our differences. Hence, I believe, the paranoid notion that by accepting this undeniable bond, people will risk becoming less of the individuals that they are is absurd. This specific type of union is not exclusive in nature and therefore cannot possibly cause any sort of loss. This globaphobia, I believe, stems from basic human insecurities, for fear of the unknown instigates fear of the other, and fear of a universal identity is in reality a cling to existence. People will always try to distinguish themselves in order to prove their presence. When a group of different people meet, they usually identify themselves by nationalities , and when a group of the same nationalities meet, identification becomes on a regional basis and when those of the same region meet, it boils down to areas and neighborhoods. These sub-levels of identity go even deeper, since every individual is unique and will continue to defend that singularity whenever a presumed threat is perceived. Hence, although the human universal identity that Maalouf is advocating might seem to be too unrealistic a demand from the world at present, it seems to be the more objective approach to any chance of peace, for nothing is more certain and real than humanity in its true form. Everything else is in the realm of terms and actions where intentions and motives rule, giving the international arena a complex and slippery base. Humanity, on the other hand, is the only part of us that is irrefutable for one cannot merely pretend to be a human being! (One could argue that history has produced examples of certain exceptions to that, such as seemingly inhumane tyrants practicing brutal depravity on the human race, but these are of no significance to my argument). This human connection, that Maalouf advocates, I believe is indeed the deepest of connections, whose depth emanates from the fact that it shatters all trivial ties and is subtly effortless. It is an ability we all possess inherently by virtue of birth. And I believe that the reality of this was so adequately presented in this book. On Identity has undeniably enhanced my understanding of what identity really is, and has acquainted me with a couple of new theories as well, all while bringing into my consideration certain elements that I so plainly regarded as evident, I would definitely recommend it ,it was a pleasure to read.

Affirmative Action Essay -- Affirmative Action Essays

The affirmative action program is important because it gives job opportunities for many people regardless of their race, color, religion, gender, and national origin. The work force should be well represented by the different ethnic backgrounds of our society. Some people look at affirmative action as reverse discrimination, but this program doesn’t guarantee employment based on race, ethnicity, or gender. The affirmative action program gives equal consideration to individuals from a different race, ethnicity, or gender, but not one of these factors may be the only factor used to determine an individual’s qualifications for any job. The biggest dispute of the program is the belief that the policy allows less qualified candidates to progress due to different standards for minorities and non-minorities. People need to realize that affirmative action gives balance in the workplace so that everyone from different ethnic backgrounds would be represented in today’s diverse society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are few social policy issues that gauge the racial and division among the American people than the affirmative action. Affirmative Action is a term referring to the laws and social policies intended to resolve discrimination that limits the opportunities of people regardless of their race, color, religion, gender, and national origin. Supporters and opponents of affirmative action hold strong to their believes and constantly attack the opposing viewpoints. Advocates believe that affirmative action overcomes discrimination, gives qualified minorities a chance to compete on equal footing whites, and provides them with the same opportunities. Opponents claim that affirmative action puts unskilled minorities   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cannon 2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   in positions that they are not qualified for, tarnishes the reputation of minorities that accomplishes success on their own, and violates the Fourteenth Amendment. Since the beginning of affirmative action, the definition has been ever changing in order to satisfy the present beliefs of society. Prohibiting the discrimination in hiring, expanding the filing of application to include more minorities, compensating for past grievances, setting â€Å"quotas† (percentages of a certain type of people that had to be included), have all been part of the definition. As much as many people... ...ould give it a try to acquire a higher education or job training.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Everyone knows that college and military recruiters come to high schools to recruit graduating students, but the school faculty really need to go above and beyond their call of duty to educate students about the different types of programs that will enable students to get a higher education or job training after high school. Young Americans need the guidance and assistance to acquire the tools they need to succeed and one of those tools is knowing about affirmative action; not only what affirmative action can do for Americans, but what Americans can do for affirmative action. Works Cited Altschiller, Donald. Affirmative Action. New York: Wilson, 1991. Barbour, Scott, David L Bender, Bruno Leone, Brenda Stalcup, and Mary E. Williams. Discrimination. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1997. Bardes, Barbara A., Steffen W. Schmidt, and Mack C. Shelley. American Government and Politics Today. Belmont: West Wadsworth, 1997. Bender, David L., Bruno Leone, Lori Shein, and Bonnie Szumski. y. Inequality. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1998. Blackman, Ann. â€Å"Affirmative Action.† Time March 1995: 11-13.

Ritalin: Abuse Essay -- essays research papers

Ritalin: A Miracle Drug, or Another Cocaine?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If the term â€Å"Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder†(ADHD) is mentioned, the first thing that comes to many people’s minds is a drug called Methylphenidate, commonly referred to as â€Å"Ritalin†. Most people know Ritalin is prescribed for ADHD, and they most likely know at least one person who is currently taking it. However, in the 1960s, Ritalin and many other amphetamines were recognized as abusive substances, so many new controls were introduced to more closely monitor the prescribing of these drugs. Despite these new restrictions, the abuse and over-prescribing of Ritalin has re-emerged from the shadows.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One way the over-prescribing of Ritalin has emerged is its constant use for treating ADHD in children and adolescents. ADHD is a behavioral disorder and generally infects boys between the ages of six and fourteen (United Nations Warning on Ritalin, 1). Data shows that 10-12% of all boys in this range are taking Ritalin for the treatment of diagnosed ADHD. Since 1990, the number of people taking Ritalin has increased by 500%. As of now, the United States has the highest level of Ritalin use and production. Canada uses just under half of what the U.S. uses of Ritalin and no other countries have come close. 7-10% of the U.S.’s boys are on this drug, which is an overwhelming number compared to other countries around the world. As a result of this, the gover...

Liberty Bell Essays -- essays research papers

Among the more obscure events in American history involves the Liberty Bell's travels by rail car around the United States to be placed on exhibit at numerous World's Fairs. From 1885 to 1915, the Liberty Bell traveled by rail on seven separate trips to eight different World's Fair exhibitions visiting nearly 400 cities and towns on those trips coast to coast. At the time, the Liberty Bell's trips were widely publicized so that each town where the Liberty Bell train stopped was well prepared for their venerable guest. Each stop on the way to the host World's Fair exhibition lasted anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours. The Liberty Bell was nearly always met with military salutes, parades, patriotic music and throngs of cheering men, women and children. In 1873, Philadelphian Henry Seybert donated to the City of Philadelphia a new bell and a large clock for tower of Independence Hall. Seybert commissioned the Meneely and Kimberly Bell Foundry to cast the bell and have it installed in the steeple by July 4, 1876 in time to usher in the Centennial anniversary celebration. The bell was cast using a mixture of 80% copper and 20% tin with the addition of one hundred pounds each of four cannons - a British and American cannon from the battle of Saratoga and a Union and Confederate cannon from the battle of Gettysburg. The bell weighs 13,000 pounds representing 1,000 pounds for each of the 13 original states and bears the following inscriptions: Around the crown: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men - Luke, chapter II, verse 14." Around the lip: " Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof - Leviticus, chapter XXV, verse 10." Upon one side of the of the bell is cast - "Presented to the city of Philadelphia, July 4, 1876, for the belfry of Independence Hall, by a citizen." On the opposite side is the date "1776" and the coat of arms of the United States set in a shield containing 13 stars. I... ...;. Unfortunately, the fair was not a tremendous success due to low attendance - only 10 million of the expected 50 million visitors attended. Attributing to low attendance was the rain that was present on more than half the days the fair was open. While the Liberty Bell remained in its home in Independence Hall not far from the fairgrounds its image was used repeatedly as a symbol of the Exposition. The Liberty Bell had long since come to represent liberty and freedom for the United States and using its image on Exposition souvenirs was ideal in light of the fair's theme - our nation's 150th birthday. In 1950, the United States Department of the Treasury assisted by several private companies selected a foundry in Annecy-le-Vieux, France to cast 55 full-sized replicas of the Liberty Bell. The bells were shipped as gifts to states and territories of the United States and the District of Columbia to be displayed and rung on patriotic occasions. This was part of a savings bond drive held from May 15 to July 4, 1950 with the slogan "Save for Your Independence."

Ancient Historians: Sparta.

Ancient historians reveal that Spartan society was something to be envied. (DISAGREE). Many ancient historians can agree that the Sparta, was an overall strong, well disciplined, sound governed, equal society, with hard working citizens and incredibly structured military forces. Some ancient historians, such as Thucydide and Plato, admired many aspects of the Spartans good order, and praised how well the Spartans system appeared to be working, whilst other historians, such as Aristotle, were extremely crucial of the Spartan system, and criticised their structure in many of their individual writings.Many claim Spartans system of government included monarchical, and democratic components,although it is acknowledged as being primarily oligarchy. The government structure consisted of, two kings, and unlike most kings, these two did not have absolute power as they shared the power with each other and they also had to answer to a council of elders, or the Gerousia. The Gerouisa was made up of 28 male citizens, all over the age of sixty, who once elected served for live.Below the Gerousia, was another assembly, the Apella. The Apella consisted of male citizens over the age of thirty. To complete the system of checks and balances, the Spartans created a judicial position called  ephor. At any given time, there were five citizens serving in this role. Ephors were citizens over the age of thirty. They were elected to serve one-year terms. Ephors possessed considerable clout. An ephor could bring charges against anyone in Sparta—including one the city-state’s kings.Whilst some historians believed this government system to be efficient, and a sure way to keep matters, and laws fair through-out Sparta, Aristotle disagreed with one judicial position in particular, the Euphors. On them he said ‘The Lacedaemonian constitution is defective in another point; I mean the Ephoralty. This magistracy has authority in the highest matters, but the Ephors are chose n from the whole people, and so the office is apt to fall into the hands of very poor men, who, being badly off, are open to bribes. Aristotle believed that electing men, of no status whatsoever, and giving them such a high state of power was unwise, as a man of no status would be more prone to corruption, including the accepting of bribes. He then states ‘There have been many examples at Sparta of this evil in former times; and quite recently, in the matter of the Andrians, certain of the Ephors who were bribed did their best to ruin the state’ Thus proving his above point, that the Ephors were more likely to be bribed, for their own wealthfare.Throughout majority of Greece, wives were acquired strictly for the production of legitimate heirs, providing food and were used for sexual pleasure. Husbands dominated and demeaned the women, and treated them as objects. Both wives and daughters of any citizen were excluded from all public and intellectual activities, they were kept inside and weren’t allowed to participate in leisure activities , receive an education, or eat as well as their brothers or husbands.Women could not inherit or own any land, and it was considered unwise to educate them. This wasn’t the case with women in Sparta, although they still had arranged marriages, they did not have the right to vote, and were honored most for their production of strong sons, the women still enjoyed status and rights that were exceptional in those times and were considered a scandal to the rest of the essentially misogynous ancient world. Aristotle, from rival Athens, seems to complain about the Spartan society throughout his writings.He is extremely critical of the Spartan system, especially of their emancipated women. â€Å"The license of the Lacedaemonian women defeats the intention of the Spartan constitution, and is adverse to the happiness of the state. † – Aristotle, [On the Lacedaemonian Constitution] In this statemen t, Aristotle believes that by making woman emancipated, this disadvantages men and gives women an opportunity to take advantage of the men, by manipulating and controlling them. .

Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address Essay

â€Å"So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.†-Baha’u’llah. In his Second Inaugural Address, Abraham Lincoln sincerely suggests that all humans are more similar than assumed in order to reveal the causes of the Civil War and to italicize the fact that the nation should unite as one. The similarities of the North and South caused the war. Although both parties â€Å"deprecated† and â€Å"dreaded† war, one side â€Å"accepted† war while the other â€Å"made† war. Lincoln’s use of parallelism emphasizes the similarities between both parties, which ultimately are proven to be the main cause of the war. Along with parallelism, anaphora also plays a large role within Lincoln’s comparisons of the two parties. He often repeats words such as â€Å"both† and â€Å"neither,† which again, emphasizes the fact that both parties do, indeed, have similarities. Because both sides are so similar, they fail to acknowledge the fact that war is not needed; the bitter feelings toward war in which they both possess are the very feelings that keep them at war. The parties’ comparisons create friction, which in turn â€Å"rends† them â€Å"by war.† Lincoln appeals to authority by repeatedly referring to God. Lincoln suggests that the two sides are very similar because they both believe in the same higher power. Since both parties believe in the same higher power, it would be easier to come to an understanding, and hopefully, end the war. Lincoln’s use of antithesis compares and contrasts the two parties’ bitter feelings about war, and war itself. Their bitter feelings toward war created a war. Because the North and the South were so similar, it created friction, which was the main cause of the Civil War. Regardless of similarities or differences, the nation should unite as one. The only way to â€Å"heal the nation’s wounds† would be to come together as one nation. Lincoln appeals to beliefs of unity. Lincoln’s continuous reference to God and His relationship to everyone creates a feeling of oneness throughout the nation. Lincoln posits that everyone is the same in God’s eyes, and therefore He treats them the same way, regardless of what side of the nation they reside. Again, Lincoln uses anaphora to emphasize the idea  of oneness. He uses words such as â€Å"both,† â€Å"neither,† â€Å"we,† and â€Å"all† for these purposes. Lincoln only uses singular words, such as â€Å"I,† once to avoid further separation of the nation. In order for the â€Å"scourge of war† to cease, the nation should transition from being two separate halves, to one whole. Lincoln’s appeals to beliefs of fairness suggest that neithe r side was in total control. The nation should be equal. He also uses positive diction to give the audience a sense of hope. Regardless of how similar or different the nation is, it should still be united. The Civil War is a prime example of how one side’s misunderstanding of another can create friction. â€Å"United we stand; divided we fall.†- Aesop. Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address Essay The United States Civil War was initially clashed to bring the rebellious South back in to the Union according to Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address. In his speech Lincoln says, â€Å"..to saving the Union without war,† he means here that at his first inaugural address, everyone was trying to desperately avoid a civil war, but still would do anything to help their cause. Lincoln then goes on to say, â€Å"..accept war rather than let it perish.† Here is talking about how the North changed in the sense that they would do anything to help their cause, even if it means war. Lincoln’s reason for why the war was originally started was the fact that the North knew war was the only option to preserve the Union See more: Satirical essay about drugs Although President Abraham Lincoln originally said the cause of the war was to defend the Union, he then states that the new purpose of the war was to free the slaves. He says, â€Å"These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was, somehow, the cause of the war.† Lincoln specifically states here that slaves have all always been one of the greatest controversies of his time, and they ended up being the true purpose of the Civil War. Freeing slaves had always been an issue in America, only now, bloodshed was being cast in order to defend or uphold it. Lincoln’s post war plans for the Union are evident in this line, â€Å"let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him†¦to achieve†¦everlasting peace.† Abraham Lincoln brilliantly writes here that even if he beats up or wounds the South, he wants them back, as a part of the country. Also, not only does he want the South back, but he wants them to come back right away. Lincoln’s main goal was keeping the Union together, and he made sure his post-war plans continued this idea. Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address Essay In Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, he uses many different kinds of rhetorical strategies to unite a broken nation. During the time of the speech, it is four years into the Civil War and it is about to end. In this speech, Lincoln uses allusion, parallel structure, and diction to unify the North and the South. A rhetorical strategy that is seen throughout Lincoln’s speech is allusion. He uses God and the Bible to show that the people both from the North and also the South have the same values. Lincoln says, â€Å"Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God’s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men’s faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged.† What Lincoln said was from the Bible, and most people could relate because many of the citizens were very religious. Lincoln also states, â€Å"†¦ Let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds†¦Ã¢â‚¬  That was also an allusion to the Bible, impacting the people to help fix the nation and to help come together as a nation. Religion was very important t o many citizens of that time, so the religious allusion used in the speech was very effective. Another strategy used in Lincoln’s address was parallel structure. The parallel structure emphasized what his goals were for the nation. For example, he says, â€Å"to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.† Abraham Lincoln’s goal was to establish peace again within the two sides and to rebuild the nation. Another example of allusion was at the beginning of the speech when Lincoln said, â€Å"All dreaded it, all sought to avert it.† He said, â€Å"all† to bring together both sides, saying that neither one wanted to fight, but now they have to come together to fix the â€Å"broken nation.† Lastly, Abraham Lincoln uses diction to create a feeling of unity between  the people. In his speech, Abraham says, â€Å"Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God.† Lincoln uses the word â€Å"both† often in his speech, which unifies the North and the South. It also says in his speech, â€Å"†¦let us strive on to finish the work we are in†¦Ã¢â‚¬  That statement reminds everyone that they’re all in it together by saying â€Å"us.† Diction throughout Abraham Lincoln’s speech adds onto the unity that was created by parallel structure and allusion. In Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, he uses religious allusion, encouraging parallel structure, and repetitive diction to unify the North and the South. Lincoln’s goal when giving this speech was not to celebrate the North’s win, but to unify and to create peace between the broken nation.

Rebellion and Social Norms Among Youth Essay

Young people have a tendency not to comply with any laws when it’s come to their wellbeing. Young people always try to express their opinions and restrain from obeying their leaders which sometimes lead to a disaster result of their poor decisions in life. According to Gary Schwartz book, explain what happens in Sammy’s mind and what causes the reaction of quitting his job at the end (Schwartz 55). Therefore, the issue of young people is rebellion against their social norms is the central theme of the â€Å"A&P† john Updike story. At the beginning of the story, Sammy is fully within his place in society as a whole (Saldana 95). Meaning that he is just an average teenager with an average job in a small town where everyone knows each other. At that time, Sammy was a cashier at a supermarket named A&P in a small town north of Boston in 1961. There begins Sammy’s rebellion when the trio of girls enter the supermarket with bathing suits on and barefoot. After the girls enter the Supermarket and walk in every department to look for the item they need. Lengel the manager of the supermarket approaches the girls and lectures them on what they are wearing on them inside of the supermarket. After the girls walk away, Sammy gets mad and decides to quit his job at this point. Sammy unleashes an impression identity style behavior against Lengel (Schwartz 35). Which mean Sammy feels for the first time in his life that he has to let go his timidity and confront Lengel without thinking of his action to get Queenie attention. The way Lengel undresses the girls with his eyes make Sammy sick to his stomach. That is what triggers Sammy’s anger to react as if he does not care of what happens to him. As long he receives Queenie’s attention, it’s enough for him. Today, young people wear any kind of clothes that attract people’s attention. Sometimes the way they dress can be very provocative. Even though Sammy is gloomy at the beginning of the story, he begins to feel his happiness at the end but not the way he has plan it would be for his action. Sammy has gone from being judgmental to a hero Fritz 2 and then he starts regretting his decisions (Saldana 96). He experiences a transformation; he knows that life will be harder for him hereafter. That is why an old priest of Haiti said â€Å"one must never act in conformity with society and should be willing to take risks†. Meaning a wrong move at any time can make the society reject you. Social class structures have a significant role in this story and can be viewed as one of the norms that Sammy is rebelling against (Schwartz 45). Perhaps in Lengel mind, he thinks that they come from a low class family that does not teach them how to act in public. When Lengel makes it his business to reprimand Queenie and the other girls, she maintains her stubborn comportment and explains that she is here to pick up an item that her mother requests her to buy. In response to this, Lengel takes a step further by first repeating himself and then explains to the girls, â€Å"We want you decently dressed when you come in here† (Updike). According to Sammy, Lengel is a heart cold person, whose interpretation of the ideal person in this society: God fearing, church people who know their place and not go against their will. It is at this point in the story that Queenie loses her bearing for the first time. Sammy’s response to this predicts that his decision to defy Lengel and the supermarket rules will be signified by his exposing his own shoulders, and that is precisely what occurs. Rebellion and social norms appear to have an impact among young people this day. Most of the time, they stand up for what they feel is right and neglect the consequences. Sammy was able to bring attention to him, but it did not work the way that he had planned it would be. The girls most likely didn’t even know that Sammy even quit his job. He tried very hard to get Queenie to see him and accept him, but that didn’t work either. That is why people can never sympathize with Sammy’s action because it results to an act of rebellion against his social norms.

Brian Clark Whose Life Is It Anyway Essay

Exploring the ways in which Brian Clark makes the scene an important and dramatic moment in the play When talking about the important and dramatic scene in this play I refer back to pages 25-30. These six pages are all about a little encounter between Ken and Mrs Boyle. This is a fundamental scene in the marvellous play because Ken finally expresses his motives and feelings. Brian Clark uses many techniques to give the reader this valuable information through repetition, the use of speech (quite obvious, could be expected), stage directions and the form of text (Carmen figurate but then for texts). The stage direction supplies the reader with a lot of essential information. In the beginning just before Mrs Boyle enters the room Ken is supposedly happy. I know this because I quote; â€Å"(cheerfully), Doubt it Sister (pg. 25). I’m not even able to be death of myself. Because of he stage direction we can clearly see that Ken is in a positive mood. The interactions with Mrs Boyle start of with a friendly and respectful greeting to Ken, â€Å"Good Morning† (pg. 25). But through out this scene Ken changes his attitude and starts shouting and cursing. The main reason why he was shouting is because Ken dislikes the professionalism that goes on in the hospital. He dislikes it to a certain extent when it can be called hate. In this important scene Ken has mentioned that he doesn’t want to live on anymore with these conditions of the body, as he only wants to live if he can live a normal life. And a normal life would include living healthily with out the help of medical instruments. Brian Clark has made Ken use a certain amount of sarcasm and partly rhetorical questions to portray Ken to the reader as he is. The reader will most likely think that Ken Harrison is trying to outsmart people and sometimes he does achieve this. Such as; â€Å"What do you do? Conjuring tricks? Funny stories? Or a belly dance? If I have any choice, I’d prefer the belly dance. † Mrs Boyle: I’m afraid I’ve left my bikini at home. Ken: Who said anything about a bikini? He thinks outside of the box. He repeats the same kind of jokes. This can be funny for the reader but for Mrs Boyle and the other hospital staff it might be annoying on the long-term aspect. Also the joke about the ‘How to be a sculpture’ book is funny, but in the meantime its another moral definition. This joke tell us that one of his many reasons to die is because he cant do what he loves most, sculpturing. This is quite sad but you must think through each joke. Through out the whole play Clark portrays Ken as a sex addict who loves to flirt with the younger nurses but we (as a reader) find this ok because all have a weak spot for this funny paraplegic individual. He insults Mrs Boyle and the hospital staff multiple times in this short scene. Many of these curses are religion related but this is most likely just because of when this was written. The early 90’s this was very usual. Ken says Christ almighty, for god’s sake and other things. He must express his feelings in some way and since he can only move his head and speak he chooses, since its his only option, to let out his anger via the mouth. These words are all aimed towards Mrs Boyle’s professionalism and detachment. This makes Ken very angry and I understand his motives very well. His feelings are just being crushed and he feels ignored, so why continue living a life you don’t want to live? The main genre of this scene and play is the fight between personal choices versus professional opinions. The doctors claim the responsibility to keep him alive if he can (except for John, but he is not a â€Å"real† doctor). In conclusion Clark has successfully made this an important scene in the play. One of the main things was the moral of Ken’s actions.

The importance of lesson plan and methods in the Foundation Program Essay

The importance of lesson plan and methods in the Foundation Program used in Omani Universities to the study of language skills - Essay Example s primarily on the enhancement of students’ proficiency in English, so students enrolled in the program have a full day schedule with a weekly load of around 30 hours, including study groups.† â€Å"The program is communicative in nature, shifting the emphasis from grammar to meaningful oral and written communication.  The instructional materials adopted for the program have performance-based objectives as well as clear scope and sequence for teaching communicative skills. The program approaches language as a tool of communication and stresses reading and writing as the two main language skills instrumental for students success in university-level education through the medium of English.   The teaching methodology treats language skills in an integrated fashion and incorporates study skills into the program.   The teaching methodology is communicative in nature, presenting authentic and simulated communicative tasks in real life However most of the students in the foundation programmer are unappreciative with the role of English language. In this stage of a students’ academic life, it is very important for the teacher to find effective ways to help these students progress to the next level. Teachers must know their students and their needs very well. They have to decide on which communication skills they would develop : reading, writing, speaking, listening, or phonology. As with any instructional method, everything starts with lesson planning. A well-developed lesson plan is the foundation to a good execution of a lesson. According to research, planning sets the stage in teaching and school learning making it the most critical part of instruction teaching and school learning (Clark & Dunn, 1991). The lesson plan must align with the goals of the program as well as the curriculum so that it would fit the context of the learner. In short, the lesson plan must translate into instruction the goals of the Foundation Program. Since the program aims to focus

Filling an ELP form Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Filling an ELP form - Assignment Example Towards this end, I have worked in a leading telecommunications company and have gained experience during my time there. I have a passion for computers and like to learn new skills related to the field. I hope to do well in my coursework and exams so as to enable me to complete the course. I have observed that there are lots of companies that pay good salaries to the computer engineers and my desire is to land a job that pays me anywhere between 1700 and 2000 pounds. During my internship or summer placement with the company, I learnt a lot about real world experience related to the computer industry and found what it takes to be a good computer engineer. Because of this experience, I have knowledge of what it takes to specialise in different courses related to computer engineering. The name of the post and recruiting organisation and source of job advert should be identified. If applying for industrial placement, summer project placement or professional practice identify an opportuntity. Or, if writing about self-employment, the business idea should be identified. From the following seven competency-based questions, select three that are most relevant to your career aspiration. The seven competencies can be related to all graduate roles including self-employment. You have identified a career aspiration and there is some evidence of description/opportunities connected with it. However, I would like to see more content, written much more clearly eg a description of the role, as you are well below the word count for the task. Overall, the grammar not up to the standard required. You may find it helpful to get a friend with a good command of English to read it through for you. Your examples seem as if they have potential to show that you understand the competencies. However, there is insufficient description for me to make this judgement as yet. You need to be more descriptive

US Monopoly Company and US Perfect Competition Company Essay

US Monopoly Company and US Perfect Competition Company - Essay Example The competitive market structure come into being where there are different firms competing in the market to offer the best product and services to the customers. These companies cannot make decisions without considering what other competitors are doing. When there are several companies offering similar product and services, competition will occur. In most cases, this competition is to the benefit of the customers (Mankiw 329). Market Analyses The two monopolistic companies are the National Basket Association (NBA) and the National Football League (NFL). These two companies are in contract with the best players as well as the best stadiums. It is not easy for any other company to compete with NBA and NFL in this kind of business due to the monopolistic ownership of necessary resources for basketball and football. New companies in the market will have to look for other non standard stadiums as well as little known players, who may not be of use to them economically (Tucker 137). Anothe r way in which NBA and NFL enjoy monopoly in the market is through legal barriers. The government has given them licenses to operate the various leagues, on the contrary, telecommunications companies such as Skype and Cisco Call manager have got licenses to operate in the market. Potential competitors also have got equal opportunity in acquiring license necessary for competition. Other potential competitors to NBA may not be given licenses since there can only be one league in the US. The market in which national basketball association and national football league operates is characterized by the fact that they are he only companies in the market, they also offer unique services and products as well as the impossible entry of possible competitors due to ownership of vital resources by these companies (Tucker 211). Competing NBA and NFL will be unsustainable hence leading to monopoly. Monopoly has resulted due to the large scale of operation in which these two companies operate. They operate national leagues across the United States; competing them will depend on who is able to survive harsh economic times. Potential competitors cannot hope to provide the services provided by NBA and NFL In contrast, One perfect example of accompany in the competitive market structure is Cisco Call Manager (CCM). This company is a key member of the Cisco IP telephony network solution. CCM offers telephone services to its customers. Further, it provides all connection services to IP phones, smart phones and VoIP services. CCM faces competition from other companies such as Skype and Comcast that offer the same products and services (Sheppard 18). Cisco Call manager (CCM) experiences competition from new entrants in the market while NBA does not. New companies that offer similar services to those of Cisco Call Manager (CCM) have found their way to the market. This kind of market is where companies offer telecommunication services to customers does not pose any challenges to possib le entrants. To survive in such a competitive market, companies like CCM and Skype must offer their services at low costs and ensure that their products are unique from those offered by their competitors. CCM has also been challenged by the availability of their product substitute (Sheppard 18). NBA experiences no competition from other companies while CCM experiences stiff competition from other companies like Skype since no barriers to entry in the market exist. NBA has awarded contract to the best players as well as

History of Roman Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History of Roman Art - Essay Example They preferred to get the portrait of renowned people, the statues that fully resembled the actual person like the statue of Cicero. There was a common perception that keeping good pictures of the acquaintances would help their ghosts after death to remain happy. This perception helped the art form to flourish during the Roman Republic and Roman Empire (Kidipede, 2009). The Greek art influenced the Roman sculpture. For example in Augustus’ Ara Pacis (the Altar of Peace) reflects the Greek art in the swirls at the front, in the frieze and in the meanders below the frieze. In history, it so happened that the Romans started winning battles with Greece around 200 BC. Roman soldiers while parading in Greece saw their art forms in their temples, cemeteries, public squares and in the houses of Greeks. While returning back to Rome, they took Greek sculptors along to work for them (Kidipede, 2009). Roman art got enriched with new ideas by the third century. Element of war appeared prominently because of war with Germany and the bloodshed. The effect can be seen in the column of Marcus Aurelius where people are shown beheaded and without guts; they are depicted as suffering. Artists made more use of drill than chisel for easy sculpturing which provided a distinct feel of the sculptor Concerns of the soul got manifested in the art forms which were due to presence of Christians in the Roman Empire. Eyes of the persona are shown as looking towards heaven or gods, symbolizing spirituality. Rest of the body parts like arms, legs and head are not shown in proportion, showing least concern to the significance of the body. As there were no battles in the fourth century AD, warfare portraiture decreased but spiritual element remained prominent through big eyes and unbalanced bodies till the dethroning of the Roman Empire. Roman sculpture was unique form in itself by focusing on the individuality aspect in it although

HIS 122 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

HIS 122 - Essay Example ïÆ' ¨ This book discusses the theology, history, and political theories surroundings the Declaration of Independence. Several published writings and letters of Franklin, Jefferson, and others are presented in the book. The interesting thing about the book is how it explored the idea that the men who fought for, authored, and amended the Declaration of Independence did not have establishing a Christian nation in mind. The author presented data showing that the values of the Orthodox Christian Church are all rejected by Thomas Jefferson. Also, it explores on the concept that equality, and not slavery, is the purpose of the Declaration. Dershowitz presented data supporting the idea that Jefferson rejects the concept of slavery and supports the â€Å"secular humanist† concept. It is controversial, challenging, and disturbing, because it requires readers to rethink their opinions regarding the Declaration ïÆ' ¨ Of all the books reviewed, this is considered the most interesting exploration on the different sides of diplomacy during the American Revolution. It provides an easy and interesting read, thus giving the book a wide array of target readers. It catches the interest even of a general reader, yet provides well-researched data that will also interest any historian. The diplomatic history of the American Revolution is presented in several angles, including America’s diplomatic ties with France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Russia, and Spain. ïÆ' ¨ Simple and straightforward, the book discusses a lot of unfinished businesses caused by the American Revolution. Mainly, there are two very interesting articles that provide a great eye-opener for any reader: â€Å"Two Republics in a Hostile World† by Jonathan Dull, and â€Å"The Ambiguities of Power† by J.R. Pole. The book, particularly these two articles, can be compared to the ideas presented in the book by Dershowitz --- it makes one rethink of their personal opinions on the