Gender and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Gender and Development - Essay Example ever, as 60 million girls disappear each year (many from Asian countries) as a result of sexual crimes, and one third of the population of women around the world experience some form of violence. In addition to this 4 million women and girls are trafficked every year, while approximately one million girls enter the sex trade. Before delving further into the issue of violence against women, it is important that a firm definition of what the subject matter is be established. There is actually no universally accepted definition of violence against women. Some advocates of human rights prefer broad definitions that include poverty and unequal access to education and health to describe acts of violence against women. Some however prefer a more narrow definition so that the actual descriptive power of the term is not lost (Kapoor, 2000). According to Dean Kilpatrick, Director of the Medical University of South Carolina’s National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Centre, the debate as to whether to define violence against women broadly or narrowly is â€Å"old, fierce and unlikely to be resolved in the future† (DeKeseredy, 2011). Likewise, debates about terminologies are also prevalent. Whatever the case maybe, the need for a concrete and specific definition is important so that research, monitoring and policy-making can become more specific as well as applicable cross-culturally (Kapoor, 2000). According to the World Health Organization (2011), the United Nations defines violence against women as â€Å"any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life. The above definition has recognized that violence against women is one of the most fundamental social mechanisms wherein women are forcibly placed on lower positions as compared with men. In addition it has also

Language Arts Action Research Essay Example for Free

Language Arts Action Research Essay Classroom Management Inquiry: An Applied Study of Language Arts Data Zoo Southern Illinois university Daredevils Brian Walker Johnson, Literacy Faculty Inquiry into Teaching and Learning Project CLC 445 Language Arts at Elementary and Middle Levels November 22, 2013 Classroom Management Inquiry: An Applied Study of Language Arts The main phenomenon I have concentrated on throughout my Inquiry into Teaching and Learning Project for my applied study of language arts Is the role that speaking, writing, viewing, visually representing, reading and listening play in the management of an elementary school classroom. I have come to understand that classroom management is one of the hardest duties off beginning teacher. Being respected by students and colleagues is what establishes a teacher as an authority, and effective classroom management is a start towards this goal. Managing my students has been the hardest part of my school experience thus far, and I hoped that allowing language arts to become an active part of my management processes would allow my students to think more critically about their actions. When I began his inquiry study, I believed that writing classroom rules together, reading classroom rules critically, speaking and listening to how rules are applied, and viewing and visually representing class rules in daily walk and conversation might give students a sense of ownership over their classroom and greater respect for teachers. I thought the benefit of using language arts for classroom management might be measured by closer examination of critical conversations students have when rules are broken. So I proposed the following action research question: How does student behavior hanged when students read, write, speak, listen, view, or visually represent apparent misbehaver? Waxier (2007) suggests that written action plans which give older elementary students responsibility for their actions changes misbehaver. Research by Smith (2009) demonstrates that the use of other language arts with preschoolers can have the same effect. Reading these studies motivated me to pursue classroom arts. Method Secondary Sources to Answer Research Question I began my research into how student behavior changes when language arts are integrated into classroom management practices by reviewing two secondary resources. My first source, Blending Effective Behavior Management and Literacy Strategies for Preschoolers Exhibiting Negative Behavior by Smith (2009), was published in a peer reviewed early childhood education Journal specializing in articles that summarize a number of experimental studies. Smiths (2009) summary of research gave the ideas in the article greater validity. Some of the findings Smith (2009) shared described classroom management techniques I have personally experienced as effective. Smiths (2009) findings are limited to studies done with reechoes students, but I believe the findings can be used with older students as well. Unlike Smith (2009), my second source, Waxier (2007), was not published in a peer reviewed Journal. Washers eBook, teach: A Teacher Resource for Learning the Strategies of Master Teachers, was self-published. However, the authors online biography points to decades spent as a professional teacher and consultant who has helped hundreds of elementary teachers improve their classroom management. Waxier, like Smith, also describes a number of management techniques that I have found to be helpful in the past. Primary Source Data to Answer Research Question I continued my research into how student behavior changes when language arts are integrated into classroom management practices by collecting primary sources of data from my third grade classroom. The third grade classroom where I student teach is located in Roseville, Illinois, near the Mississippi River Just north of SST. Louis, Missouri. The third grade at Roseville Elementary School consists of 25 Caucasian students, 13 boys and 12 girls. Well over 70% of these students are on free or reduced lunch programs, suggesting that their families are struggling with poverty. However, the academic achievement of these students is especially high in language arts, evidenced by the schools online report card. These students may represent an exception to the thought that poverty dictates low academic achievement. I began my research into how elementary student behavior changes when language arts are integrated into classroom management practices by conducting classroom observations and collecting artifacts. My classroom observations were done by filling out five observations forms over 1 5 minute intervals over a period of six weeks. I simply observed moments in the life of my student teaching classroom where misbehaver was occurring. Then, using the left hand column of my observation form, I wrote what I saw my teacher and student informants doing during these 15-20 minute snapshots of instruction, scripting the instruction to the best of my ability. I included exactly what I heard and saw. On the same days I made my observations, I went home and read over what I had written. Then, using the right hand column of my observation form, I summarized the instructional moments I saw in my written observations that I thought related to engage arts instruction and changing student misbehaver. Finally, in a different column that: 1) documented which of the language arts were being used in the instructional moment you summarized; 2) described how I thought an additional element of language arts could have been incorporated into the instructional moment. Together with artifacts including written action plans by students to correct misbehaver, photos of room arrangement, copies of class rules, and student/teacher interviews, patterns of how misbehaver changed as a result of language arts applications began to emerge. I believe these patterns are valid because they are supported by three different kinds of primary source data: my observations, informant interviews, and classroom artifacts. My initial primary source data response to the question, How does student behavior change when students read, write, speak, listen, view, or visually represent apparent misbehaver? , emerged after examining data collected midway through my study with colleagues in my Language Arts at Element ary and Middle Levels class at Southern Illinois University Daredevils. I began to see at first that Reading, writing, or speaking about subversive changes misbehaver. As I continued to gather data, it became evident that all of the language arts gave misbehaving students opportunities for reflection that changed misbehaver. Results Results of my analysis of primary source data in the form of five 1 5 minute observations over five weeks, three student interviews, one cooperating teacher interview, and seven artifacts of student work in classroom management demonstrate that use of all of the six language arts gave misbehaving students opportunities for reflection that changed their misbehaver.

Effects of Toilet Training to Personality Development Essay example --

Effects of Toilet Training to Personality Development Introduction â€Å"The child was the father to the man† - Sigmund Freud The basic premise of Dr. Sigmund Freud’s theory on personality development lies on the above statement. The determinants of one’s behavior and characteristics during adulthood may be derived from one’s childhood –how one was brought up taking into consideration the influence and interaction of values, culture, language, rules, roles, models and morals to the development of one’s personality. As such, much of the burden of honing a child’s character lies on the parents and the latter’s own upbringing may greatly influence how a child will behave upon reaching adulthood. With this premise in mind, Freud advanced a theory that centered on the effects of sexual satisfaction to the human psyche. To Freud, man is a pleasure-seeking animal who constantly strives to avoid painful experience in order to maintain a pleasant life. He postulated that the foundation of personality is formed between the ages 1-5 wherein an individual goes through a series of developmental stages which were also called psychosexual stages. Man’s search for pleasure commences during these stages, wherein the most basic desire or sexual urge is manifested in a child’s growth and developmental needs. In explaining the four psychosexual stages that he has identified, he introduced the idea of erogenous zones. Erogenous zones Also called erotogenic zones, erogenous zones are areas in a man’s body where the inner and outer skins meet and when manipulated, are capable of arousing pleasant and sensu... ...duce specific character traits associated with the acts of retention and expulsion. Cited Works Bischof, Leonard J. Interpreting Personality Theories. New York, N.Y.: Harper and Row, 2nd Ed.,1964. Fox, Ronald E., Gregory, Ian and Rosen, Ephraim. Abnormal Psychology. London: W.B. Saunders Company, 2nd Ed., 1972. â€Å"Psychodynamic Theories.â€Å" noteaccess.com. 19 June 2005. Bibliography â€Å"Freud's Psychosexual Stages of Development.† about.com 19 June 2005. Hall, Calvin S. and Lindzey, Gardner. Theories of Personality. N.Y.: John Wiley & Sons, 3rd Ed., 1978. Stevenson, David B. â€Å"Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Development†. Victorian Web. 19 June 2005.

Invisible Man :: Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man

One obvious theme that I picked up when I read Invisible Man was the theme of invisibility. I think the theme of invisibility has different meanings to it. One meaning is that invisibility suggests the unwillingness of others to see the individual as a person. The narrator is invisible because people see in him only what they want to see, not what he really is. Invisibility, in this meaning, has a strong sense of racial prejudice. White people often do not see black people as individual human beings. Another meaning of the theme of invisibility is the idea that it suggests separation from society. While the narrator is in his hole, he is invisible. He cannot be seen by society. He is invisible because he chooses to remain apart. Invisibility, in this meaning, is similar to hibernation, with the narrator’s choice to remain in his cave and think. This meaning of the theme doesn’t relate to me, but in a way, relates to the poet, Emily Dickinson, who wrote, â€Å"The Win d Tapped Like a Tired Man.† Dickinson withdrew from the world in her early twenties and became a recluse. It’s like Emily chose to be isolated from the rest of the world, just like the narrator in Invisible Man did. The third meaning is that invisibility indicates lack of self-hood. A person is invisible if he has no self, no identity. If a person doesn’t have a soul, spirit, personality, etc., then they seem like a ghost, a thing who is cold and invisible. Invisible Man may be read as a story about the narrator’s development. It is a first-person narrative, and because you experience the novel through the narrator, you get to know him better than anyone else. One pattern of development is that of innocence to experience. At first, the narrator is extremely innocent and does not understand what is happening to him. He does not believe people are bad. He does not see that Bledsoe is making a fool of him. As he suffers, he learns. With experience, he begins to see the world more as it really is. Experience teaches him to be a better judge. This relates to me, because experience is a major importance in my life. Four years ago, when I first started forensics, I was â€Å"innocent† or inexperienced. But as I started experiencing new techniques of how to present the speech, I learned more and, therefore becoming a better judge.

This way to student success

My experience in avid so far has been really great. We got nice teachers and also the tutors that come to help us with any problem we have. Avid has influenced me by being more focused in class, and getting better grades, also avid has helped me reached a lot of goals in life. Avid has interested me in a lot of colleges, I’ve gotten four letters from different colleges that would like me to go there to study, and avid really helps a lot. Avid has made a lot of great opportunities like being an honors student for passing all my pre AP classes.My avid teachers, all my avid teachers have helped me a lot with grades, keeping up with my work and for them I wouldn’t of probably be in high school right now. 8th grade was my first year in avid and I realized that I wanted to go to college. Avid is the best program to achieve your goals going to college. I still remember that day Mrs. Medina had told me â€Å"Nayeli come here, I’ve been checking your grades and youâ€⠄¢re not passing math, you need to start staying for torturing so you can pass this semester† â€Å"I know Mrs. I’ve been paying attention but I just don’t get it.† â€Å"Well you should start questioning questions about math in tutorials† â€Å"okay Mrs. I will.†Mrs. Medina really cared about my grades she was always there for all of us, if she will see that we weren’t passing she would make us go to torturing because she wanted us to pass. 8th grade was the best year; I will never forget my 8th grade. Participating in avid is really great, avid helps us to get to college and helps us to get ready. Our family hasn’t faced any obstacles yet but if we ever do we will try to help each other to resolve the problem.My family is really happy that I got in avid, because avid has helped me a lot with my grades I’ve had brought my grades up a lot this passed months that we’ve been in school. Also has also helped me with my attitude, being a really good student helps a lot with grades, also having a good attitude with the teachers helped me get advanced in my classes, and avid has really helped me a lot.

english literature Essay

english literature Essay english literature Essay both in oceania and gilead, rationalised and controlled temporality is supplemented by the state's attempts to manipulate traces of memory 1984: simultaneous control of personal memory and state history is the founding principle of ingsoc's doctrine member's memories are controlled by a way of lunatic dislocation in the mind (doublethink) the handmaid's tale: physical and symbolic remnants of before are either renamed or completely destroyed offred (herself deprived of name and identity) goes shopping and is haunted by echoes of vanished buildings like everything else in gilead, erasure of the past is distinctly gendered, most of the shops carrying things for men are still open it's just the ones dealing in vanities that are closed money is a thing of the past, it is something to be stuck in a photo album to be remembered As well as tearing down, covering up, and otherwise superseding the material culture of the undesirable past, Gilead, like Oceania, attempts actively to reshape its historiography so that the relation between past and present conforms to proper ideological principles. The Party in Nineteen Eighty-Four uses the discourse of history to posit an absolute, irreducible break between a supposedly ghastly pre-Revolutionary past, and a glorious, utopian present and future. To borrow from Derrida, its historiography consists in a series of â€Å"detestable revisionisms† (90), such as the child’s history text that Winston transcribes into his diary, which contrasts the (supposedly) â€Å"dark, dirty, miserable place† that was capitalist London with â€Å"the

Practice Speaking French Every Day

Practice Speaking French Every Day Daily French practice is a must since its only by practicing and using your French that youll be able to develop fluency, which occurs slowly over time. Aside from talking in French class and reading French books, there are a number of other ways you can incorporate French into your daily life. The basic premise is to use French whenever and wherever you can. Some of these ideas might sound silly, but the point is to demonstrate how you can easily introduce French into everyday situations. Thinking about French every day will help you learn how to think in French, which is a key element of fluency. You want your brain to go straight from seeing something to a French image, instead of going from object to English thought to French thought. Your brain will eventually process French faster, which facilitates fluency.   Fill your home and office with French Things Surround yourself with French things.  Make French labels for your furniture, appliances, and walls; buy or create French posters, and use a French calendar. French first Make French the first thing you see when you connect to the Internet. Set a high-quality French entity, such as  easy French news on Radio France Internationale, as your browsers default  homepage. Practice Your French If you know other people who speak French, practice with them whenever you can. Dont let speaking anxiety hold you back. For example, you and your roommate can declare Mondays and Fridays French day and communicate only in French all day. When you go out to a restaurant with your spouse, pretend youre in Paris and speak French to each other.   French Lists Need to make a shopping list or a to-do list? Do them in French. If the other people you live with speak French, write notes to them in French. Shopping in French When you go shopping, practice French with yourself.  For instance, count out your apples or your cans of tuna fish in French, look at prices and imagine how to say them in French. Routine French Think in French while performing routine actions. When walking to the refrigerator, think Jai soif or Quest-ce que je vais manger  ? Consider the conjugations of se brosser while brushing your teeth and hair. State the French name of each item of clothing as you put it on or take it off. Vocabulary Building Keep a notebook handy so that you can write down new words and keep track of ones you need to look up. This can also be part of a French journal or language scrapbook. French Internet If you use Windows, you can set your computer to display menus and dialogs in French. Mots flchs (Crosswords) Print out free mots flà ©chà ©s  and see how well you do. How Students Themselves Practice Speaking French Lets look at some of the great ideas students themselves have  for practicing spoken French. The following comments were taken from a French learning forum:   I challenge myself by picking a few objects around me and playing I spy with myself or others around me who also speak French. For example, I see an umbrella. Using circumlocution, I describe the item without using any of the words, such as pluie (rain), to give it away.  Because Im so self-conscious about speaking French, I find myself speaking it to my mother, who speaks no French. A live person allows me to put myself out there and I can practice my pronunciation without feeling so uncomfortable. Speaking to someone live forces me to form the word order in my mind along with the pronunciation. Ill say it out loud in her presence, then switch over to English so that she can understand me.I make sure to find things in French that really interest me so that it doesnt feel like school. The Internet is a great source because there are so many avenues to explore. I read reviews of things Im interested in, like books and movies. I go to French language message boards that deal with sub jects Im interested in. Ive also started a journal which is slow going but fun because I get to write about whatever Im interested in. I have books on tape in French and I listen to them while driving. I also have a teddy bear that a French friend gave me. When you press his jaws, paws or stomach he says things like Je mendors...Bonne nuit, or Aà ¯e  ! Ça fait mal; his left paw says Bonjour. Every morning, I touch his paw, he says Bonjour and I proceed to tell him, in French, my plans for the day. It gets me in the mood for French for the remainder of the day.  I try to skim the French newspaper Le Monde on the Web several times a week. If I have time, Ill read one of the articles out loud, which is difficult because the stories are written in fairly sophisticated written French, not in the style of a newscast. Occasionally, I play their aural stories. And I get daily and weekly horoscopes in French from Yahoo. They usually have a lot current French expressions in them.I listen to a series of Hachette pronunciation tapes, Phonà ©tique, in the background. I try to do the exercises, but they sometimes are ve ry difficult even when I can give them my full attention, and its easy to get frustrated. If the International Film Channel or the Sundance Channel is showing a movie Ive already seen, Ill try to keep that on in the background to see if I can pick up the French.  I often try to think of the French equivalent of something and articulate it, but Im often worried about speaking in phony French and  making mistakes, which would be easy to do since I havent studied French in quite some time. Were these ideas promising? If any seemed useful, try them yourself. The more you practice, the more youll train your brain to think in French. And over time, that leads to fluency.  Bonne chance.

Eastman Kodak Essays

Eastman Kodak Essays Eastman Kodak Essay Eastman Kodak Essay Through this slogan formulated by its founder George Eastman, Eastman Kodak Company revolutionized and set off as the pioneer in modern imaging. From its initial introduction of the dry glass plate process technology and machine, Kodak has further introduced novel technologies in imaging, which throughout the years, redefined societys life styles. Through its basic principles of low-cost mass production, extensive advertising, focus on customers and international distribution, Kodak has become one of the worlds most recognized brands with its products becoming the markets beacon for the photographic industry for more than a century now. With the emergence of competition and antitrust concerns, Kodak has evolved, through diversification strategies, into an enormous company catering to pharmaceutical, health care, electrical, computer and chemical products among others. The company, as a consequence, moved away from its core competencies, was unable to compete with its rivals competently and has suffered from heavy losses. As his first move to answer this predicament, newly appointed chief executive officer George MC Fisher has cut down costs and debts through divestiture of non-imaging related business segments. At present, Kodak is engaged primarily in developing, manufacturing and marketing traditional silver-halide photoimaging products, services and solutions for consumers, professionals, healthcare providers, the entertainment industry and other commercial customers. In its continuing thrust to foster long-term growth, development and success, Eastman Kodak Company is now faced with the dilemma to sustain in the mature and slow-growing silver-halide business. In addition, the company is contending with a legion of competitors to achieve and sustain a dominant position in the emerging digital imaging business, which at the moment poses encouraging and promising opportunities. Technological Environment. The influx of technological advancements into the photographic marketplace has presented the industry with a unique set of challenges and possibilities. Technological discoveries and enhancements may foster, or even hasten, the growth of the traditional silver-halide market. The Advanced Photo System (APS), for example, a product of technological advancement currently being developed by nig industry players may bring silver-halide-based products into a higher level. In addition, with the onset of digital technology, the industry is faced with chance to expand its business through venturing more into digital imaging which is currently putting forth enticing opportunities. On the downside, considering the electronic nature of the products offered in line with digital imaging (eg. Scanners, printers, etc.), entry of potential competitors, particularly from the electronics group who may have equally competent resources and capabilities, is at a height. As a result, the structure of the industry may be altered. Socio-Cultural Environment. With societys increasing awareness over environmental preservation, possible hindrance in the growth of the players in the industry is present, The film marketed by these companies, as an example, are currently packaged in plastic non-biodegradable tube cases. As a response to environmental concerns and grievances, repackaging using nature-friendly materials may be ensued. This also holds true with single-use cameras (SUCs) which is primarily composed of plastic non-biodegradable materials. Here, companies may either reduce its margin or impose higher prices over its products in repackaging its products to be environmental-friendly brought by a possible increase in its production cost. The markets culture may also impede the entry of global industry players. As an example, with Japans resistance to Western influence and its societys higher preference over locally made products, foreign industry players would most likely have difficulty in penetrating in this geographical segment. In addition, with the fact ascertained that photographic products are usually used in instances of special occasions (eg. weddings, birthdays, holidays, fiestas, etc.), regularity of celebration of these occasions would deeply affect the demand of the products. Economic Environment. The global scale of the photographic market presents some threats to its core business. Sales in its geographical segments would generally differ according to a countrys economic state. Sluggish economy or economies under recession would decrease sales as a result of delayed spending on leisure goods?. In addition to the state of the economy, tariff and foreign trade laws may render leisure good spending in lull brought by higher prices as a result of the duties imposed on the goods. Tourism economy, as a whole, has a direct effect on the industry. As the number of tourists increase, usage of photographic materials would most likely increase demand. Legal or Political Environment. Legal influences may hamper the growth of some players in the industry. Antitrust laws, for example, may limit expansion of industry players through its provisions. On the brighter side, however, this may protect the position of a company in the market. This holds true in the case of Kodak and Polaroid in the late 1980s when Kodak engaged into marketing instant cameras. Foreign laws, in addition, in its move to protect local firms, may thwart the entry of global producers in its market. Furthermore, patent and proprietary rights laws would deter firms to expand, venture, and produce patented products. Threat of New Entrants. With great barriers, the threat of new entrants in the industry is at a low level. This is brought about by the sizeable investment required in procuring manufacturing equipments for a potential entrant. Furthermore, marketing costs are also high for these entrants for it to be able to topple down existing players or even penetrate the market. This is in view of the current industry players, which if characterized, are established and successfully positioned in the market obtaining brand loyalty. Also, with the length of these companies operations in mind, they have been riding down the experience curve; as a result, economies of scale and cost advantage have already been achieved. In addition, prospecting players must introduce into the market differentiated products that are more enhanced than that offered by existing players, which would require it to spend a substantial amount in research and development projects. However, with the emerging digital imaging in view, the risk posed by potential industry entrants may be shifted from a low level to a moderate one. This is in view, as stated in the earlier part, of the electronic nature of some products offered by the digital imaging technology which has the possibility of attracting electronic companies who may possess capabilities and competencies that could equal or even exceed that of the current industry players. Rivalry Among Established Competitors. Firms under the photographic industry operate in an oligopolistic environment were few of the member firms share dominance such as Eastman Kodak, Agfa and Fuji Films. Competition among these firms is at a fierce level given the fact of its slow-growth particularly in the traditional silver-halide photography. Here, with demand conditions at a moderate level of progress, firms closely compete to capture and increase market share through price wars. Exit barriers within the industry is at a high level as well contributing to the intense rivalry among industry players. Bargaining Power of Buyers. The influence set forth by the buyers in the industry is at a moderate degree. Though products offered by the firms in the industry have attained brand loyalty, cost advantage and economies of scale and has a lesser threat of substitute products (further discussions to be made in the later part), still, firms are forced by buyers to bargain for lower prices by the quantity of their purchase?. In addition, with price wars evident among industry players, buyers take advantage on playing off with these firms to obtain cheaper costs or even present a threat of providing for a lesser shelf space. Bargaining Power of Suppliers. The pressure exerted by the suppliers over the firms in the industry is at a low degree. Silver, for example, a major raw material in the industry is widely available. It is evidenced with the fact that in the past years, no direct relationship can be established that price of the commodity has been affected by fluctuations in the availability and price of raw materials. In fact, the photographic industry consumes about one-fourth of the global demand for silver. Furthermore, with the high level of availability of packaging materials, in this case plastic tubes and canisters, and boxes, bargaining power of suppliers is at a lesser scale. Threat of Substitute Products. With high switching cost to substitute products, in this case video cameras, a low extent of threat is shown. Aside from the cost factor, accessibility of outputs and simplicity of operation ensure the industry of low level of preference toward substitutes. Here, pictures can easily be obtained and seen without the use of any other devices, unlike videotapes which requires videocassette players for it to be viewed. In addition, cameras are more preferred than video recorders or cameras with the fact that video recorders are more complex in operation as compared with cameras. As a part of a hyperactive competitive environment, Eastman Kodak must be able to efficiently and effectively strategize in order for it to be able to sustain its position in all areas of the market, existing and emerging alike. However, the success of the companys adopted strategy would depend upon the reaction of its competitors; thus, it is imperative that in its strategies, competitors competitive profile must be given proper consideration. Kodak is faced with a legion of competitors; among which, Polaroid, Agfa, Fuji and Konica pose as the major rivals of the company. Polaroid. Between the latter mentioned competitor, Polaroid shows the lesser degree of competition with the fact that Kodak is unable to directly compete in the instant photo imaging business as a result of a previously ruled antitrust lawsuit. As a result, competition between the two companies would be on attracting and capturing the markets preference between instant photography and traditional silver-halide imaging. Agfa. Agfa, known as the Kodak of Europe for its typically the same business strategy, enjoys dominance over the European market. As the second largest chemical manufacturing company, the company offers its products (particularly in its developing equipment and imaging business) at a lower price compared to that of its competitors through the concept of vertical integration a strategy previously enjoyed by Kodak until the time it has divested of its chemical manufacturing business, Eastman Chemicals, in 1993?. Its current move to increase market share in the US market through its advertisement campaign of free film rolls clearly shows the seriousness of the company to compete with Kodak. In addition, with its less-priced products at hand, the company demonstrates a greater degree of competition for Kodak. Fuji Photo Film Company. Among its competitors, Fuji presents to be the closest rival of Kodak. With its product offerings at the same nature with that of Kodak, the degree of their rivalry may also be evidenced by the continued battle of lawsuits. The fierce competition between these firms stem from Fujis offering of low-priced films which stirred and reduced Kodaks market share by 10%. Also, Fujis strong foothold in the Japanese market which hampered Kodaks position and made the latter felt in an unfair situation contributed to the perceived battle. Recently, in its move to topple over Kodak, Fuji moved for an establishment of a US division focusing solely on digital imaging. Through this move, the company will be able to market products which it has already offered in its Japanese market. Furthermore, it has proposals of hooking-up with computer companies for its products to be integrated in computer systems. These, among others, present a more pronounced competition for Kodak. Other Competitors. Aside from the earlier discussed companies, Konica is another competitor of Kodak in the imaging business. It has been said that together with Agfa and Fuji, Konica was able to decrease Kodaks market share in the traditional imaging and photofinishing business. Though at a lesser degree, private label films also compete with Kodak. Other competitors of Kodak are camera manufacturers such as Canon, Minolta, and Olympus. With the dawn of digital imaging, electronic and computer companies agitates competition to be stiffer.

Comm 4462 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Comm 4462 - Coursework Example One party perceives that the other party has better alternatives of power so the weaker party tries to suppress the conflicting issues. It is distinctive as power relationship is maintained between two parties on consideration of weaker and stronger party. 3. Anything that can be employed in achieving the set goals of a party or getting into conflicts of others qualifies as a resource such as personal strengths and skills. These resources can be employed for solving different kinds of conflicts. 4. The three methods that supervisors can use in criticizing their subordinates can be 1) private criticizing of subordinates instead of criticism in front of other people, 2) along with issues, points of better performance and good work are also discussed by the supervisor and 3) supervisor did not attach compensation increase with criticism. These methods are supportive in endorsing power because subordinates cooperate with the supervisor and do not challenge his authority. The resistance is minimized because of this approach as subordinates consider themselves affiliated with the supervisor. 5. The two levels of meaning carried by messages during face-to-face interactions are report aspect and command aspect. The report aspect can be described as the deliverance of content of the message while command aspect can be described as a relational message or verbal message that is indicative of the relationship between two people or their regard for each

Risk Appraisal and Remediation of Oil-contaminated systems Dissertation

Risk Appraisal and Remediation of Oil-contaminated systems - Dissertation Example The main purpose of the determination of both the risk posed to the receptors and the extent of that side was mainly achieved through background research and essential data collection, the development of a conceptual site model (CSM) describing the pollution linkages and the risk values calculated by using the RISC4 software. Through the conceptual site model and software used in the conduct of the research, a number of important results were found. For instance some of the high risk receptors of the various risks that were posed were found to include workers of the company on board the vessel that crashed against the Bligh Reef, the marine animals in areas of 5,500 square meters (14,000km2), the water within the area of 5,500 square meters (14,000km2) and air within 5,500 square meters around the spill. Again, the quantitative results turned out an average risk of 5.2E+02. Having identified the pollution linkage and the risk posed to receptors, one of the core objectives of the rese arch was then to identify remedial actions that are necessary in reducing the possible harm that receptors may receive. Out of the discussions, it became clear that a well coordinated risk assessment held the key in preventing the disaster. On the other hand, key factors like the fact that the Bligh Reef, which was the site of the disaster had a number of environmental conditions such as the presence of plant forest and high tidal activities, which were all sources of the accident. The fate of the crude oil, which includes the ability of the oil to evaporate and undergo volatilisation also accounted for the degree of harm that was caused because the air became highly polluted. Several pathways which included both active and passive pathways also made it possible for the hazard to reach receptors, which included human receptors and environmental receptors. In order to curtail the intensity of the harm that receptors may get from the spill the use of solidification as a remediation st rategy is suggested. This is because it helps in further spread of spilled oil to nearby sources. For all future oil transportation, it is recommended that a technology based risk assessment models such as RISC 4 be used to get a better idea of the levels of risks that exists so that appropriate remedial measures will be taken in relation to the identified risks. Keywords — Risk assessment, fate, receptors, contaminants, transport pathway, oil spill, RISC 4 Table of Contents Introduction 6 Historical Background 6 Natural Environment of Prince William Sound 9 METHODOLOGY 17 Sources of Information 17 The present study was conducted following the qualitative research approach. Subsequently, a lot of secondary data were collected for analysis under the methodology section of the paper. By secondary data, reference is being made to the fact that the data collected made use of existing data on the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. This was necessary to do because the data collected did not h ave immediate access to primary data from the disaster grounds where first hand data collection could be collected. Noting the need to ensure a high quality paper that could be trusted as reliable and valid, the data collected ensured that only authentic academic sources of information were used. These included information from academic journal, books from the National Geographic Library and of course, internationally approved statistical websites. 17 Model used for Data

Neurological Disorders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Neurological Disorders - Essay Example Migraines can be caused by variations in the brainstem and the interactions it has with the trigeminal nerve, which is the main pain pathway. Another cause may be an imbalance in brain chemicals such as serotonin since it helps regulate pain in the nervous system.Some of the signs of migraines include Vision disturbances that occur in both eyes and can involve blurred vision, seeing stars, eye pain, a temporary blind spot, and tunnel vision. Sometimes one may experience yawning, nausea, a problem in finding the right words or even difficulty concentrating.Precipitating factors include external stimuli, psychological factors, and physiological phenomena. Stress is a commonly recognized trigger phenomenon associated with a migraine attack. The sufferers are sensitive to changes in both eating and sleeping patterns. Vasoactive substances such as alcohol, tyramine, nitrate, and caffeine are also precipitating factors. Estrogen and progesterone in women play a great role in occurrence and timing of migraine attacks.Migraines don’t have a specific cure. The goal is to treat the symptoms immediately by changing and avoiding triggers. If one experiences regular migraines, they may be prescribed medicine to minimize the number of attacks. The medicines may include blood pressure medicines, antidepressants, and seizure medicines.Analgesics are drugs designed to relieve pain. There are various types of analgesics: acetaminophen (available without a prescription) and a various opioid analgesics.

The Legislative Department (United States Goverment) Research Paper - 1

The Legislative Department (United States Goverment) - Research Paper Example The House contains of four hundred and thirty five members who are elected from fifty states of the country. In addition to that there are also six other members with non-voting rights. The person presiding the House proceedings is the Speaker of the House who is chosen after an election between the representatives (Tocqueville, Alexis & Goldhammer 2004). The House of Representatives are brought into power following an electoral process. Elections take place in all fifty states of the country and they decide who will make it to the House and who will lag behind the race to make it to the Congress. As a general rule, all members of the House of Representatives are elected every two years. Moreover, they should be at least twenty five years old at the time of election. Also, it is a pre requisite that they must hold the citizenship of the USA for a period of at least seven years alongside being a resident of the State that they wish to represent (US Congress 2007). As far as the Senators are concerned, the Congress comprises of one hundred of them, of which two represent each State of the country. They are also elected by the people of their respective states for a period of six years. They are elected in such a manner that one third of the Senators have to be re-elected after every two years. Moreover, it is a must that the Senators should be at least thirty years of age, residents of the State they wish to represent and citizens of the United States for a period of at least nine years (Quirk, Paul & Binder 2005). As mentioned above, the Legislative Branch consists of two organizations which together make up the Congress of the United States of America. Those two organizations are known as the Senate and the House of Representatives. These together are responsible for carrying out the legislative process that is required to maintain proper running of the economy. One of the many

Healthcare systems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Healthcare systems - Assignment Example In the United States, there are bodies that have been put in place to manage information about the health care providers. These bodies are the NPDB and the HIPDB. The NPDB is a federal data bank in the United States that was created to serve as a store for information about health care providers in the United States. The Medicare and Medicaid Patient and program Protection Act of 1987 led to the development of NPDB. This aimed at protecting the beneficiaries of health care from unfit health care practitioners. The NPDB not only not keep information about adverse professional society actions against physicians and dentists quality of care but also tracks all payment made that are not in accordance to the health care ethics. The other data bank in the United States is the HIPDB. This data bank was established by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.It was purposely created to fight fraud and abuse in health insurance and health care delivery to the people. HIPDB contains information about actions by the licensing agencies against provision, supply and delivery of health care. The two data banks are different in that while NPDB contains information about professional conduct and competence in health care delivery, HIPDB contains information about judgments made against health care providers. In the health care sector there may arise issues about funds. Decisions on who to pay, for what to pay, and how much to pay create risk and incentives which in turn affect the type of and amount of health care service offered. This necessitates the coming in of payment systems which play an important role in the health sector. Different payment methods can lead to different outcomes. The criteria used in payment and reimbursement are critical to determine the diverse outcomes. However, hospitals can decide to use the per

The Legislative Department (United States Goverment) Research Paper - 1

The Legislative Department (United States Goverment) - Research Paper Example The House contains of four hundred and thirty five members who are elected from fifty states of the country. In addition to that there are also six other members with non-voting rights. The person presiding the House proceedings is the Speaker of the House who is chosen after an election between the representatives (Tocqueville, Alexis & Goldhammer 2004). The House of Representatives are brought into power following an electoral process. Elections take place in all fifty states of the country and they decide who will make it to the House and who will lag behind the race to make it to the Congress. As a general rule, all members of the House of Representatives are elected every two years. Moreover, they should be at least twenty five years old at the time of election. Also, it is a pre requisite that they must hold the citizenship of the USA for a period of at least seven years alongside being a resident of the State that they wish to represent (US Congress 2007). As far as the Senators are concerned, the Congress comprises of one hundred of them, of which two represent each State of the country. They are also elected by the people of their respective states for a period of six years. They are elected in such a manner that one third of the Senators have to be re-elected after every two years. Moreover, it is a must that the Senators should be at least thirty years of age, residents of the State they wish to represent and citizens of the United States for a period of at least nine years (Quirk, Paul & Binder 2005). As mentioned above, the Legislative Branch consists of two organizations which together make up the Congress of the United States of America. Those two organizations are known as the Senate and the House of Representatives. These together are responsible for carrying out the legislative process that is required to maintain proper running of the economy. One of the many

America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

America - Essay Example This Constitution is the supreme law which governs the U.S.A. in all aspects of the political arena, be it be the legislative, executive or judiciary. This Constitution is the landmark legal document of U.S.A. which oversees all affairs. Changes in the constitution can have a lot of repurcussions for the countrymen. It determines the rights of every citizen, be it be a minority or a Black. It was in effect from 17th September 1787 in Philadelphia. Being the oldest Federal constitution in existence, we can expect it to have been amended the most with changing times. It has been in subsistence for long and the affect of many shifting eras would be prominent in it. The Founding Fathers are those who framed the constitution and had a say in the Declaration of Independence. The Forefathers were a figure of 55 men who represented the great leadership that America received in the 18th century. Each one of them was a prominent and important inidividual in their own sphere. They all were well-educated and had been participating actively in national affairs. Drafting the constitution was no minor responsibility. They put all their energy and brains in coming up with the best possible constitution. Whether it was the Revolution or the U.S. Army, most of them had powerful positions of command in these areas. Their far-reaching political experience and the sweat they put in making the Constitution would make them reluctant to accept changes in it. But the number of editions and supplements that are now available of the United States Consitution speaks loud and clear that the Founding Fathers would definitely be hit with ground-breaking realities of chan ging times and the resultant mould of their dear Constitution. THE CONSTITUTION AS THEY MADE IT The Constitution was laid down with seven major articles, one each for legislative power, executive power, judicial power, states' powers and limits, process of amendments, federal power and ratification. Whether it was the manner of elections or the qualifications for office, the kinds of cases that may be heard by the federal judiciary or the relationship amongst the states, the process needed to go through for amendments in the Constitution or the amount of federal power in the hands of the leaders, the requirements for ratification of the Constitution the Founding Fathers had decided it all! Even the people of the past knew that amendments cannot be avoided. However, they did not want the change process to be too easy for hastening and unplanned changes to take effect. CHANGES THAT WOULD SURPRISE THEM! After the original Constitution was passed, there were a total of 27 amendments in it. These amendments were aimed at changing various aspects of the political scene, such as controlling the scope of federal power or the method of presidential elections.BILL OF RIGHTS The first ten, collectively, came to be known as the Bill of Rights and was promulgated between 1789 and 1791. They all are concerned with decreasing and restricting the power of the federal Government. As the Bill of Righ

Business Research Ethics Essay Example for Free

Business Research Ethics Essay The accounting world is changing constantly and so are the rules that are being set up to protect companies and their assets. There are codes of conduct that accounting offices and their personnel must adhere to and when they are not followed, there can be an ethical challenges that you have to deal with. Users of accounting information perform different types of creative accounting. Some of these practices are ethical and legal and other are not. It is important for a company to set up procedures that check and double check everyone in the accounting department from the clerks to the Controller. There is never a time in any business that someone is allowed to do things without having someone else check on their work. When there is no follow up or checks set in place is when the company finds themselves in trouble. As accountants, we are required to make sure that the work that we produce is accurate, credible and true information. This information is used to help investors and banks to make a good business decision in regard to their credit and investment opportunities. Many times, an accountant will get â€Å"creative† with the numbers to assure just that outcome. The numbers are inflated to show a better financial picture and this will help the company get more money and have the bank invest more in their future. Sometimes, this can go on for a long time without anyone knowing it is all false. Other times, companies get caught. May I remind you of Enron? Over the years stockholders and investors have lost large amounts of money due to false reporting or â€Å"creative† accounting. It is for this reason that the need for restrictions on those practices and find a solution to this problem became necessary. A company that I worked for in the past had to eventually file for bankruptcy because the Executive Board was unaware of what the Controller was doing. Many of us were aware of the incorrect numbers and were not sure how to handle it because we could not really prove that the numbers that he was  reporting were actually wrong. There are procedures in effect that prevent accountants from doing this, but not all companies follow them. This is why auditors are used with many companies. Auditors are there to make sure that all numbers and documents are proven to be correct and that there is no creative accounting or inflated numbers when looking at financial statements. Auditors can also be a deterrent for theft. If there is never a check and balance with an accountant in a company, there can be a greater chance of theft. I know of a company that I worked for suffered a loss of over $50,000 because the Controller was not required to get a second signature on checks under $5,000, so he issued himself eleven checks in the amount of $4,000. He would take the check and record that the check went to a vendor or supplier. When the bank statement was sent to our office, he would do the bank reconciliation, so no one saw the actual cancelled check because he destroyed it. Had there been an auditor that would be checking his work, this never would have continued to happen, they would have found it after the first check. It is important accountants to maintain integrity and avoid questionable situations. There are many things that can be seen as inappropriate. Many times over the years, I have been offered tickets to baseball games, dinners, gift baskets, etc. to use a particular company as a major supplier or to use a certain bank. I never thought much of accepting a gift basket, but I was told by an auditor for our firm that can be misunderstood and never to do that. This is a small scale, many companies have been known to get government contracts or big jobs because of making certain promises. Research has proven to our executives and investors that the only way to make sure that there is no inappropriate behavior by having internal and external auditors to examine the books on a regular basis. Knowing that there are audits completed on a random basis and knowing that those audits are being audited by external companies prevents mishaps, theft and misappropriation of funds. Having a clear set of policies and procedures in place and also having a clear plan of action for employees that do not follow these procedures is a sure way to insure that your company is protected. GAAP (generally accepted accounting practices) defines what is and is not permissible, but it is not infallible. GAAP can be manipulated and subject to interpretation and accountants can commit fraud any time. Eventually, we have to count on good accounting  procedures, our auditors and most importantly, employee ethics and morals to keep everything and everyone in line. REFERENCES Al Momani, M. A., Obeidat, M. I. (2013). The effect of auditors ethics on their detection of creative accounting practices: A field study. International Journal of Business and Management, 8(13), 118-136. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1418426106?accountid=458 Leung, E. C. (2004). Accounting ethics. Business and Society, 43(2), 226-226+. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/199387513?accountid=458

Policy Changes for Working and Single Parents

Policy Changes for Working and Single Parents Compare the way that successive governments have responded to the needs of working parents. Introduction This paper aims to compare the way that successive governments have responded to the needs of working parents. There will be a particular focus on women as working parents, particularly as there has been a focus over the last twenty years on women as single parents and their over-reliance on state benefits. The paper will begin with reference to the post-war welfare state and then move on to how both Conservative and Labour Government’s in recent years, have dealt with the issue of working parents’ needs. The Welfare State In 1942 Earnest Beveridge was concerned to combat the evils of poverty, disease and ignorance and he based his seminal report on this analysis. When the welfare state was set up one of its primary objectives was to support families by providing a range of services that would benefit families with children along with other services such as healthcare, education and housing. However, over time traditional concepts of the family with a male breadwinner, a stay at home wife and their children have changed. An ever increasing number of lone parent families has been problematic for governments during the last two decades. Lone parent families are almost always headed by a woman who has to combine childcare with work. This inevitably results in financial problems and means that lone parent families are among the poorest in the country (Moore, 2002). With lone parent families, and more married women going out to work because they are unable to manage on a single wage, there has been an increased need for a range of childcare services. The welfare state relies on the family because it provides the foundation for the provision of heal th and welfare services which is why most British social policy is based on the idea of the normal family. It was this notion that prompted Margaret Thatcher’s Government to call themselves the party of the family. This was a government where the New Right Approach to policy making became very influential. The only time that government should interfere in the corporate sector (that of the employers) was if one company had a monopoly and could control prices and access to goods. This belief in a free market economy soon became evident in Government policy making and was introduced into the health and education sectors. Privatisation was the order of the day. This was a Government which maintained that people had no automatic right to welfare. It was not the business of the state to look after you, rather people needed to learn to be responsible for their own care and their own future (Giddens, 2001). The conservatives made a distinction between those people who deserved help, people with physical or learning disabilities for example, and those who were not deserving, for example the young unemployed. These people, the Government believed were not entitled to any welfare provision. It was believed that the more the state helped some people the more they would not take responsibility and help themselves, Britain, they believed was becoming a dependency culture. Only those who were really in need should receive support and free healthcare and the rest should have to pay for it. Thus the Conservatives used means testing in an attempt to determine who was entitled to welfare and who wasn’t. Feminism and the Welfare State Feminists recognize that the welfare state has participated in advancing the cause of women’s emancipation. At the same time they recognize that the benefits paid fo lone mothers makes it difficult for them to leave violent or unsatisfactory relationships. The state tends to confine women to traditional relationships (maybe unintentionally) and to ‘women’s’ employment roles such as nursing or teaching (Moore, 2002). Feminists start from the position that men have more power in society than do women, however not all feminists are agreed in their approaches to the family and the welfare state. Thus many feminists have an ambivalent view of the welfare state and its relationship to women. Over the past twenty years feminists have written about, and critiqued, what they argue is the gendered nature of the welfare state and of Government policy making (Blackburn, 1995).[1] Blackburn (ibid) maintains that there has been a lot of important work which has challenged the ideologies that lay behind the 1942 Beveridge Report. Socialist feminists in particular were critical of the fact that women’s contribution to the war effort had been ignored. She maintains however, that rather than the Beveridge Report aiming to repress women, it was more a question of having to be mindful of the market forces in operation at that time. Pascall (1986) maintains that the underlying assumptions of the Beveridge Report were that married women would stay at home and be supported by their partners. There was no prediction of the vast number of married women who would enter the work place in the years following the Second World War. Pascall further maintains that this attitude has meant r esistant to reform and Britain tends to modify Beveridge’s findings rather than adhere to European rulings on equal opportunities. Pascall asserts that there is a need to put women in a picture that has been largely drawn by men (1986,p.6)[2]. Ideas centred on a man being able to earn enough to support a family benefited the capitalist economy and the working man at the expense of women (Barratt and Mackintosh, 1980). These writers further maintain that government policy making is still centred on the idea of a family wage. This notion is embedded in British society and has been a major reason for women’s continuing inequality with men. The idea that a man was entitled to earn a family wage but women were not has meant that women have, (and still do in a number of areas) earn less than men. Furthermore, the low pay which accompanies what is often termed ‘women’s work’ means that women’s choices are restricted and their economic powers within marriage have been reduced. Women and Policy Changes Women have been struggling to achieve equal status with men in the labour market since the late 1960s. Women’s efforts in this area saw the introduction of the Equal Pay Act in 1970. This said that women were entitled to the same pay as men if they were doing the same job. It became illegal under the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975 to discriminate against women in education, in employment, and in the provision of goods. These changes did not satisfy the European Court, which demanded a strengthening of Britain’s Equal Pay Act in 1982. There was a further amendment in 1984 which allowed that women were entitled to the same pay as men in their organizations. This rested on women being able to prove that their work involved the same kinds of decision making and skills as those carried out by men. It also meant that they should have equal access and an equal chance for promotion to that of men. Until the late 1980s girls were less likely than boys to achieve the requisite number of A levels to enter university. In recent years there have been concerns about the growing underachievement of boys compared to girls. Girls are matching or exceeding boys across the curriculum and thus there are more women entering higher education. This does not, however, give them much advantage in the job market where they are disadvantaged in comparison with males who have the same qualification levels ( Epstein, et al, 1998). Moore (2002), however, maintains that things are changing, men have more domestic responsibility than they did 20 years ago and also a much greater involvement with their children than in the past. The government has recognized this through their introduction of parental leave. In the past only mothers were entitled to such leave. Parental leaves means that both parents can take legitimate time off, but in many cases men’s leave is unpaid and so often not taken. Women in the Workplace Census figures for 1991 tend to suggest that at the time, the workforce was 47% women. Needless to say there were regional and ethnic variations and single women were more likely to be in paid work than married women. (Abbott and Tyler, 1995). maintain that this is due to the fact that women’s participation in the labour market is affected by their domestic responsibilities.Women spend time out of the labour market when they have young children and then may work part time while children are at school. Many women do not return to full employment until their children are older. There growing number of women in the workplace has resulted in more flexibility in working arrangements to accommodate that. Crompton (1997) maintains that much of this springs from the increase in the number of part-time jobs available. Millar (1993) states that flexible working may look encouraging in terms of women’s visibility in paid work, but it also means that there are more women living in poverty than ever before. Most of these women are part-time and flexible workers. The only interest such flexibility serves is that of the employer because there is a need to be more competitive and to reduce labour costs while at the same time expecting greater worker productivity (Giddens,2001). The introduction, in the 1970s, of family credit was a move to encourage more people to go back to work. Those with low paying jobs would receive payments from the state through family credit. Critics of this policy argued that although it did provide low income families with some extra money it provided no incentive for low paying employers to increase wages. Changing Policy: The Third Way New Labour came into power in 1997. They offered a ‘third way’ approach. It is really an updated model of the original welfare state with new right influences. One of its concepts is o rely on the importance of successful businesses to bring in the wealth for the rest of society and to increase employment levels. It also argues for an end to discrimination based on gender roles and on race, despite this it is still a party that holds to the concept of the traditional family. The present government promotes a more integrated approach to policy making thus the number of areas having an effect on benefits has been increased. Benefits are no longer the sole preserve of the Department for Work and Pensions, the Inland Revenue and the treasury have also become important providers with tax credit schemes being used to offer an alternative method of social protection. Family Credit was replaced by Working Families’ Tax Credits and Children’s Tax Credits in April 2001. These were meant to guarantee families a minimum weekly income.[3] New Labour have increased maternity grants, promised greater help with childcare, and believe that these methods will help bring British families out of the poverty trap (Moore, 2002). Despite these policy changes there are a number of disadvantages that parents, and particularly women, face when it comes to paid work. While some jobs are seen as offering more flexibility working part-time, Crompton (1997) argues that this can also put women at a disadvantage as it is generally lower paid, has less job security and less opportunity for promotion. Although child care arrangements do have an effect on women’s working patterns, lack of proper child care is not the only reason women do not participate more fully in the workplace. For example, while the number of women in work has continued to rise only a third of single mothers with young children are economically active (HMSO, 1999). Despite Government initiatives such as Sure Start Centres, most lone mothers may not have sufficient extra support to return to the workplace, or they may only be offered low paid work which may leave them worse off than they were on benefits. Moore (2002), however, maintains that although women have been discriminated against in policy making, things are changing, men have more domestic responsibility than they did 20 years ago and also a much greater involvement with their children than in the past. The government has recognized this through their introduction of parental leave. In the past only mothers were entitled to such leave. Parental leaves means that both parents can take legitimate time off, but in many cases men’s leave is unpaid and so often not taken. Having said this, according to the Guardian (15/12/1999) 50% of people said that the introduction of parental leave would increase their loyalty to their employers, There has been some redistribution of resources under Labour but their policies still have a lot of drawbacks. Job creation schemes have not really helped the situation and families in receipt of working tax credits can end up worse off than they were when they were unemployed. Changes in thei r hours and mistakes made by those who pay these credits has caused an uproar in the media and financial problems for many families as their money is stopped without any reason being given or any notice. Therefore such policies can be double-edged. Conclusion This paper has attempted to give some idea of the policies that relate to working parents and their children. The New Right approach was to bring in means testing and family credit and basically assume that people’s families should help them out. As such the Conservative Government of the 1980s and ‘90s did little to address the needs of working parents. New Labour on the other hand has specifically target policies at the family but some of their policy making has a double edge. Critics regard New Labour’s efforts at change as an indistinct set of policies that harks back to old labour but swings to the right in its ideology. The introduction of working family tax credit has been a double edged sword with a huge amount of overpayments. Although New Labour has attempted to introduce more and better childcare, what there is, is still insufficient and exorbitantly expensive. It might therefore be concluded that successive Governments tend to hold on to outdated notions of the family and of welfare and that these work against the interests of working families. Bibliography Abbott and Wallace, 1997 An Introduction to Sociology: Feminist Perspectives. London, Routledge Abbott and Tyler 1995 Ethnic variation in the female labour force: a research note†in British Journal of Sociology 46 pp 330-353 Allan, Graham and Crow, Graham 2001 Families, Households and Society: Basingstoke: Palgrave Barrett and Mcintosh 1980 â€Å"The family wage: Some problems for socialists and Feminists† Capitlalism and Class 11 pp51-72 Blackburn, S. 1995 â€Å"How useful are feminist theories of the welfare state† Women’s History Review 4 (3) p.369-394 Epstein et al 1998 Failing boys: Issues in Gender and Achievement Buckingham, OUP Giddens, A. 2001 4th edition. Sociology. Cambridge, Polity Press. HMSO 1999 Social Trends 29 London, HMSO Moore, S 2002 Social Welfare Alive (3rd ed) Cheltenham, Nelson Thorne Pascall, G. 1986 Social Policy: A Feminist Analysis London, Tavistock http://www.direct.gov.uk/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/TaxCredits/fs/en 1 Footnotes [1] Blackburn, S. 1995 â€Å"How useful are feminist theories of the welfare state† Women’s History Review 4 (3) p.369-394 [2] Pascall, G. 1986 Social Policy: A Feminist Analysis London, Tavistock [3]http://www.direct.gov.uk/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/TaxCredits/fs/en

Abortion :: essays research papers fc

Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy before the fetus is capable of independent life. Abortions must be conducted before the end off six months, or the fetus will leave the womb and it would be considered a premature birth.There are two types of abortions. One is spontaneous and the other is induced. If the fetus ways less than 18oz or is less than 20 weeks into the pregnancy, it is usually considered an abortion. Spontaneous abortions are known by another name, miscarriages. These usually occur during the first three months of pregnancy. It is estimated that 25% of all pregnancies end in spontaneous abortion.The second form of abortion is induced abortion. This is the deliberate termination of the fetus. There are four main types of induced abortions. The first takes place up to 12 weeks. It is called vacuum aspiration. This is where a tube attached to a vacuum is inserted into the uterus and sucks out the embryo and all other material. The second type takes place after the 15th week and is called saline infusion. Here, the doctors replace a little fluid with a salt solution. This causes the uterus to contract. The fetus is then expelled. The third type is a hysterotomy. This is a similar procedure to a cesarean section. The only difference is, in this operation, is that the cut is smaller and lower. The fourth type is available in the first fifty days. It is a drug called RU-486. It was developed in France and approved for sale there in 1988. Clinical trials in the United States began in 1994.When performed under proper conditions, the sooner the person has the baby, the less risk she is at. The likelihood of complications increase as the woman gets farther into the pregnancy. Although, an abortion has less of a risk of injury than does actually delivering the baby.Abortion is one topic that has been heavily debated. Many cases have gone to court over an abortion. Perhaps the most famous case was Roe vs. Wade. It was a case that was settled in 1973 under Justice Blackman. The Supreme Court ruled that they could not ban abortions in the first six months of the pregnancy. After six months, the states can ban an abortion except in cases in which the woman's health is at risk.I think that there is a lot that can be done.

Alcohol Misuse Among Minors In The UK :: essays research papers

The law in this country states that it is illegal for anyone under 18 years to consume alcohol or to work in licensed premises; to buy alcohol or to have it bought for them anywhere. Those over 16 may drink a small amount with a meal in a specially allocated area, but beyond that they face arrest and prosecution.In spite of this the law is frequently broken. Following the example of adults, for whom alcohol is the most used drug, several surveys show that children try alcohol. 68% of boys and 54% of girls (in the UK) appear to have tried it by the age of thirteen. The majority may not drink to excess but many have already experimented with the effects of intoxication. The young do not seem to know the dangers and public houses frequently hold discos which attract them in. Stewards find it difficult to assess who is below the age limit. The increase in consumption expected when the price of alcohol falls is bound to include youngsters. the serious implications of this must be faced, not least because drug abuse is closely linked to alcohol abuse.Clearly the law has a role to play. The police must be encouraged to enforce age limits, and, if necessary, licensing hours should be restricted. Unfortunately, this may inconvenience legitimate drinkers and deprive landlords of potential legal business. Having extra police and stewards may be useless since 16 year olds are not easy to pick out anymore. One solution offered by the Portman Group is the identification card system whereby only 18 year old will carry age identification cards. This should help, but even one of the director involved admits it is only a contribution.The alternative lies in education. Adults can help by example and by de-glamorising alcohol. Children can be taught about the risks to health and to performance, about the chances of being involved in violence or serious accidents and the dependency which lands many in hospital wards.

Influences on F. Scott Fitzgeralds’ writing in The Great Gatsby Essay

The Roaring Twenties was a period of frivolous days and exciting nights. Times were prosperous and life was good for most. In The Great Gatsby, published in 1925, F. Scott Fitzgerald writes about the fictitious life of Jay Gatsby, a self-made millionaire (Gross 1). The setting of the novel is New York in the twenties, a time, and place, where people were jovial and carefree. In New York, more than anywhere, people did not worry about life’s downs, but focused on the highlife and partying. Prohibition made partying difficult, but it prevailed nonetheless. In the novel, Fitzgerald’s description of humans was of an appalling nature. He shows them as careless, greedy, and inconsiderate; much like they truly were in this decade. Inevitably he would become involved in some type of lackadaisical ways. Fitzgerald’s writing’s were significantly influenced by these surroundings. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s writing was profoundly influenced by e vents in his life, the exciting times he lived in, and the people he knew. Born on September 24, 1986 to a wealthy merchant family, Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald showed signs of an exemplary writing ability (Dyson, 1380). As a small boy, Fitzgerald began writing down his thoughts and ideas. He frequently wrote about his life. While in school, Fitzgerald was very self-criticizing and did not have many friends. He was not very popular at school, although he greatly wanted to be. Just like Fitzgerald, Gatsby did not like who he was, so he decided to change himself. In the novel, Gatsby has a list of things he wants to change about himself. He called them his ‘General Resolves’ and they were: No wasting time at Shafters, no more smoking or chewing, bath every other day, read one improving book or magazine per week, save $3.00 per week, and be better to his parents (Fitzgerald 182). As Fitzgerald grew, so did his attitude towards life. He kept writing. Fitzgerald attended Princeton, but quit shortly after he began (Young Adult Authors 58). Fitzgerald, like Gatsby, wanted to live and adventure. Soon after the war started, Fitzgerald signed up hoping to have the adventure of his life. He only got as far as the coastline. Fitzgerald, unlike Gatsby was not sent to the war, so he married Zelda Sayre (H ickey 345). In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby lost his love  because he had to fight in the war. Fitzgerald was writing in comparison to his own life, or what might have been if he had been sent off to fight in the war. Since Fitzgerald was not sent to war, and he had to make a living somehow, he began writing for small papers. He and Zelda settled down and had children. His life was now beginning to feel right. In 1922, Fitzgerald came upon the idea for The Great Gatsby. Shortly after his arrival in France, Fitzgerald completed the most brilliant novel he would ever write. Richard Lehan said, â€Å"Fitzgerald was in position to write a master work like The Great Gatsby – everything in his life had been building toward this moment† (Lehan 2). Fitzgerald’s life, like Gatsby’s, had become a series of exciting parties and rich lifestyles. Barry Gross described Fitzgerald’s life like this: Fitzgerald was conscious about his social position because his parents had a hard time coming up with money for support. He was always trying to impress people by his estate. His parents were not that wealthy either, so he took his own route to achieve happiness. (Gross 18) In the 1920’s, the paparazzi were aware of his eccentric lifestyle. Gatsby’s life was just as daring and glamorous as his. Fitzgerald did some illegal activities such as drinking, and forging bonds. Gatsby was also involved in bond forgery and prohibition rebellions. For Fitzgerald, life was better than it had ever been, but to his great dismay it would not last. The key reality in his life was that between his twenty-eighth and thirty-fourth year, he wasn’t able to write a new novel. Fitzgerald began drinking and stopped writing. His wife Zelda began having serious mental problems, which dramatically affected Fitzgerald. He very much loved his wife, just as Gatsby loved Daisy. Fitzgerald was a dreamer. He though everything would turn out fine, just as Gatsby had, but he was wrong and had to recompense for it in the end. The roaring twenties was a time of parties, and socializing. Times were prosperous and people just wanted to enjoy themselves. Since the war was over, soldiers were back at home, working and taking care of their families. There was a sense of rebellion in America at this time. The rich were lazy  and slapdash, which, in The Great Gatsby, was portrayed by their very shoddy driving abilities. Times were excellent, for most, and people were beginning to just have a good time. Many people were so rich they had no need to work, so they had to occupy themselves with other things. Prohibition began in 1919 (Moss, Wilson 148). People did not like the idea though, so they started revolting the law. Gangsters would get liquor and other kinds of alcohol to people who wanted it, but for a price. In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby is involved in these illegal activities. Gatsby always had alcohol at his parties. His wealth gave him things that normal people couldn’t have. He invited hundreds of guests to his parties, and most of them got extremely intoxicated before the night was over. The female crowds at Gatsby’s parties show how women really dressed and acted in the twenties. Bobbed hair, short dresses, bright red lipstick, and long strands of pearls with a knot tied in them were female fads of the elite citizens. Jordan Baker personified women of the 1920’s with her independent and proud attitude towards life (Moss, Wilson 147). Independence was a major influence in the twenties, not just for women, but for men also. The American dream had three key parts. The first was that America was a new ‘Eden’ with endless opportunity. The second idea was that everyone born in America should expect life to get better and better. The last, and most important, was to be an independent, self-reliant individual and you would triumph over all. In the conclusion of The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald connects Gatsby’s dream, his â€Å"platonic conception† of himself with the American Dream (Mizener 2). Gatsby believed that everything would work out fine, and that he would get Daisy soon enough. Gatsby’s dreams were never realized though. He never ran off with Daisy, and he was killed by mistaken identity. In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald shows how the American dream faded out during the later part of the decade. The valley of ashes,= where Myrtle lived played an important role in explaining this to the readers. Dr. J. T. Eckleburg’s eyes faded away as the novel went on, symbolizing the debasement of the American Dream. In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald makes several allusions to how he came up with the characters. Fitzgerald shows, in many ways, how he modeled Gatsby after his own life and the things that happened to him. Gatsby and Fitzgerald both wanted to be something different. Fitzgerald had a hard time  making friends while he was a child. When he began writing and getting recognition, his life changed. He was a partier, and had a wild lifestyle. Gatsby, like Fitzgerald, wanted to be someone different. He changed his name from James Gatz to Jay Gatsby. As Gatsby was a bootlegger and bond forger, so was Fitzgerald, though he was not as into it as Gatsby might have been. Fitzgerald’s wife Zelda and Gatsby’s love Daisy share many qualities also. Fitzgerald portrays Daisy as ‘white’ in the novel, suggesting that is a faà §ade for who she truly is. The white she wears gives her a naà ¯ve and innocent appearance, but her impolite actions seem to prove otherwise . Fitzgerald described Daisy as the girl whose disembodied face floated along the dark corners and blinding signs (Moss, Wilson 150). The cover artwork of the novel shows an illustration of this idea. The ‘floating’ relates that Gatsby always had Daisy floating in his mind, as well as Fitzgerald had Zelda floating in his. Both Zelda and Daisy were beautiful and demanded great things from their suitors. Another person that relates to one of Fitzgerald’s characters was a man named Arnold Rothstein. In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby told Nick that Meyer Wolfshiem, a man Gatsby introduced to him, was the one who set up the World Series in 1919. Rothstein was said to have fixed the 1919 World Series. Arnold Rothstein placed bets to lose the series, and since they were playing against Cincinnati, they were going to win (Moss, Wilson 149). Jordan Baker, a tennis player that Nick fell in love with, relates to the whole of women in the twenties. She was loud, pushy, flashy, and had very short hair. In the 1920’s, women discarded their old ways of life. They were no longer proper and silent. Women in the twenties were showy and loud. They wore short skirts and short hair. They smoked cigarettes in public and spit on the ground. Jordan Baker was the independent women of the 1920’s personified. The Great Gatsby is tragedy of wealth, love, and frivolous pleasures. F. Scott Fitzgerald expressed most of what actually happened in the 1920’s in this one novel. The illegal bootlegging, changing women, and happy times of the twenties are all described. Because Fitzgerald was alive in the twenties, he was able to live what he wrote about. He had personal experience with bootlegging and ostentatious women. Fitzgerald’s life events also helped him write The Great Gatsby. His wanting to be different helped  him come up with the character Gatsby. Zelda, his wife, helped him come up with Daisy Buchanan, and people around him helped him shape other characters. In The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald’s writing was profoundly influenced by dealings in his life, the exciting decade, and people he was around.

Do Nursing Interventions Have an Impact on Cancer Patients? Essay

Critical Appraisal is a means of which research data is evaluated and examined for the validity and quality of individual studies after the elimination of studies that do not contribute to determining current best evidence (Hamric, Hanson, Tracy, & O’Grady, 2014). This evaluation can be used to eliminate studies that do not meet criteria for meta-analysis. Critical Appraisal is used to help people develop certain skills to make sense of available scientific research evidence based on the validity, results, and relevance. It consist of a systematic process through which the strengths and weaknesses of a research study can be identified (Young ; Solomon, 2009). The basis for my beginning research has been focused around home care patients and since I have a background of working on an oncology floor I have decided to further explore cancer research for homecare patients. This paper is a review of both quantitative and qualitative research completed in the efficacy of treating cancer patients in the home setting. The burning question is â€Å"Do nursing interventions implemented in the home setting improve the quality of life for cancer patients†? Upon completion of this assignment I hope to gain a general understanding of what a critical appraisal is. In addition, a basic knowledge of the difference between a qualitative and a quantitative review will be established. Cancer is a disease caused by the uncontrolled division and growth of abnormal cells in the body. If a cell is cancerous it is referred to as a malignant cell. According to World Health Organization (WHO) Cancer represents 30% of the burden posed by non-communicable diseases in the Region of the Americas (Luciana, Cabanes, Prieto-Lara, ; Gawryszewski, 2013). Research articles presented in the paper assess whether or not interventions implemented within the home or outpatient setting have a positive or negative impact on physical endurance and the quality of life of a cancer patient. Loss of physical function is one of the most distressing symptoms of cancer patients’ leading to additional emotional and psychological breakdown (Lowe, Watanabe, Baracos, ; Courneya, 2013). Purpose The purpose of this paper is to take levels of evidence in a meta-synthesis (qualitative) review as well as a meta-analysis (quantitative) review and critically evaluate the information. The findings for these methods are taken from multiple studies, combined, and analyzed statistically. A meta-synthesis involves integrating qualitative research findings on a specific topic that are themselves interpretive syntheses of narrative information (Polit ; Beck, 2012). Qualitative designs are used best to understand patients’ experiences, attitudes, and beliefs (DiCenso, Guyatt, ; Ciliska, 2005). Meta-analysis is a method of integrating quantitative findings statistically (Polit ; Beck, 2012). Three questions in particular are asked when a quantitative or qualitative study is appraised, they generally are: What are the results? Are the results of the study valid? How can the results be applied in the identified case? Critical Appraisal: Quantitative Study Quantitative studies are used for evaluating the effectiveness and safety of nursing interventions, the accuracy and precision of nursing assessment measures or diagnostic tests, the strength of causal relationships, and the cost-effectiveness of nursing interventions (DiCenso, Guyatt, ; Ciliska, 2005). The selected quantitative article for critical appraisal is titled â€Å"Home-based functional walking program for advanced cancer patients receiving palliative care: a case series†. This article presented a clearly focused research question related to evaluating how physical activity interventions implemented in the home or outpatient setting impact a cancer patients’ quality of life. The purpose of this study was to examine the initial development and pilot testing of a physical activity intervention in patients with advanced stage cancer receiving palliative care (Lowe, Watanabe, Baracos, ; Courneya, 2013). Researchers wanted to see if a home based walking program would help to decrease the rates of declining physical function in advanced stage cancer patients or add to the quality of life for these patients. Methods and Results This research study was conducted using qualifying participants in an outpatient or homecare setting receiving palliative care. This was a trial study in which participants were not randomized. Participants meeting study criteria were identified by researchers and consent to participate in the study was obtained by all participants before trial monitoring began. Inclusion criteria required subjects to be age 18 years or older, english speaking, have the cognitive ability to participate, and to have a diagnosis of progressive, incurable and locally recurrent or metastatic cancer and receiving palliative care. Nine adult cancer patients were chosen for this study all residing either in a palliative home care environment. By the time baseline information was taken three participants dropped out of the program due to hospitalization or feeling overwhelmed, another three left the study due to severe symptoms leaving three remaining participants to complete the program. The sample consisted of two men and one woman with the median age of 55. This physical activity program was monitored over the course of six weeks. A quasi-experimental pilot study design was used to provide preliminary data of the six week physical activity program among advanced stage cancer patients. The quasi-experimental design can be descriptive or correlational and takes place when the researcher actively manipulates the independent variable to see the effect on the dependent variable (Zaccagnini ; White, 2011). The interventions used was a modified home based functional walking program combined with muscle strengthening excercises. Duration and intensity was individually set for each participant based on baseline results of a physical function test. Previous surveys of patients with advanced stage cancer presented findings with a median survival of 104 days. Findings of this quantitative study revealed that post intervention scores showed that all three participants showed worsening symptoms and fatigue scores by the end of the six week home-based walking program. Two of the three participants passed away within 90 days of completing the program. Although study results demonstrated challenges associated with physical activity interventions in advanced stage cancer patients, no definitive proof was uncovered showing improvement in the quality of life for advanced stage cancer patients. Critical Appraisal: Qualitative Study Quanlitative study designs are well-suited for helping to understand the illness experience (DiCenso, Guyatt, ; Ciliska, 2005). The selected qualitative study article for critical appraisal was titled â€Å"Early support visits by district nurses to cancer patients at home: A multi-perspective qualitative study†, posed a clearly focused research question. Multi-perspective study can be defined as combining multiple viewpoints, representations and roles. Many palliative care patients spend most of their final days at home with caregivers and some support healthcare staff. It is said that nurses make frequent support visits to patients, yet there is still very little known about what is actually provided by visiting nurses to homecare palliative patients and their caregivers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to address limitations of previous studies of reported practice by taking a multi-perspective approach, along with views of nurses, patients, and caregivers and directly observing and reporting findings (Griffiths, Ewing, ; Rogers, 2012). Participants were studied in focus groups. This study was developed to help present findings that explored how district nurses early support visits to advanced stage cancer patients is both described and carried out. Previous studies identified have been limited to the reports of practice by nurses. With this study researchers were able to observe interactions between nurse, patient, and caregivers during home visits in order to record findings. This observation by researchers was then used to identify how home visits were conducted and what they entailed. Methods and Results This research study was completed using a focus group design method. The study sample included a total of 77 participants, 10 palliative care patients (seven women, three men), nine caregivers (five spouses, four daughters), and 58 nurses. Of these 58 nurses 28 were leaders and 30 were staff nurses. The age range of the 10 patients was 53-85 with a median age of 72. All of the patients had a diagnosis of various advanced staged cancer. Data was collected by experienced qualitative researchers that worked as community nurses. The setting for this study took place in the North West (urban), and South East (rural) regions of England. Prior to data collection ethical approval was granted and participants provided written consent. Each focus group session lasted from 60-90 minutes. Researchers began recruitment by making observations of visits, with each patient receiving two observation visits. Patients and caregivers were interviewed both before and after observations in order to retrieve needed background information for research. Upon collection and analysis of data audio recordings were used during home visits. Findings revealed that the nurses that participated in this study showed great value for palliative care. There were four types of visits described: assessment of physical care needs, assessment and delivery of practical help, and two cross cuttig themes of information giving and enabling talk. Detailed observations of these visits with interviews were presented from the nurses in the assessment of physical care needs and while nurses reported carrying out early support visits there was difficulty in articulating the content covered in these visist. In the assessment and delivery of practical help it was noted by nurses that physical needs dominated visits but this was mostly a review of what patients needed as far as equipment, etc. Research findings show that this particular study can be applied to patient care by educating support staff that early support visits could potentially play a part in reducing costly hospital admissions. Patients also reported a decrease in stress levels with support from visiting nurses. Overall this multi-perspective approach provided new insights about support visits by district nurses. Conclusion Qualitative and quantitative research methods make different contributions to knowledge (DiCenso, Guyatt, ; Ciliska, 2005). Critical appraisal is an essential part of evidenced-based research and its methods help to form a portion of the systematic review process. It is the analysis of findings that allows the reader to form an opinion about the validity and reliability that such research can be used in patient practice. This process enables the reader to assess the study’s usefulness and whether or not the findings are trustworthy (Young ; Solomon, 2009). Teamwork is an essential part to providing palliative home care and nurse play a vital role (Griffiths, Ewing, ; Rogers, 2012). Although earlier studies have found that physical activity interventions in early stage cancer patients present positive results, that has not been confirmed in patients with advanced stage cancer and further research will be required. Overall I found that the results presented in the quantitative study were not valid due to lack of identifiable evidence shown. While reviewing the qualitative study I found  that the sample size was not large enough to provide a definitive answer as to whether this study provided valid results. When referring to the burning question I think that it has been shown that to a certain point nursing interventions implemented in the home such as adding physical activity and nursing support visits to cancer patients’ agenda can positively affect the patient’s quality of life. When searching for effective interventions researchers must always remember to incorporate patient preferences in their studies because this will help to enhance both recruitment and adherence.