Early Civilizations

Early Civilizations HUMA215-1205A-32 Topics in Cultural Studies Unit 1 Discussion Board Shannon Sullivan There were many different forces that have contributed to the cultural makeup of early civilization. The beginning of human culture predates back to thousands of years which can be seen through evidence that has been discovered. This evidence that was left behind by the earliest of humans is found by cave paintings that helped to understand how these prehistoric individuals lived and survived in their everyday life.One aspect that contributed to the cultural makeup is from geographical areas from where these early humans lived. The geographical region determined what their main focus was when it came to agriculture, hunting, trade and religion. The availability of these natural resources would affect the kinds of houses they lived in, the types of weapons and tools they used, the food they ate and the type of containers they used to store food and supplies (Trigger, 2003). A numbe r of social issues occurred because of this cultural makeup. These issues were the cause of war and conflicts between many of these early humans.One of the factors that caused social problems was a result of different spiritual and religious beliefs. Others factors were political, economic and the development of one’s social class. Since early civilization started, humans lived successfully in small hunting and gathering tribes. This was the dominant way of life until agriculture began to gradually replace hunting and gathering of necessities such as food, clothing and homes which was some of the main cultural influences on early civilizations (All World History for Us, n. d. ). Revisionist history can be bad.The problem with revisionist history is that it usually is written by someone who has a curriculum that they want to publicize. Most of this comes from inaccurate information from an unbiased viewpoint. Their minds tend to be made up prior to looking at the facts. This r esults in choosing facts that support their viewpoint and ignoring facts that disprove their predetermined ideas. Another problem with revisionist history is that it tends to judge people, cultures and experiences in the past by the values, ethics and morals of today's society.People in the past lived with the knowledge, superstitions, values and ethics of their day and should be studied to find the correct information. The only good thing about revisionist history is when the correct information has been given. All World History for Us. (n. d. ). Farming and the Emergence of Complex Societies. Retrieved from http://worldhistoryforusall. sdsu. edu/eras/era3. php Trigger, B. G. (2003). Understanding Early Cilivizations. Retrieved from http://catdir. loc. gov/catdir/samples/cam034/2002074052. pdf

Machiavelli Discourses Essay

Within the Machiavelli’s Republic, a prince should be the sole authority of the state and should have a main part in determining every aspect of the state and the policies being established by the state. The best interests of the prince are gaining, maintaining, and expanding his political powers or views. Since the prince is the sole authority, he has the power over everything and everyone. Machiavelli speaks about this in his books The Prince and The Discourses. In The Prince, Machiavelli concerned about the principality of the state and the Prince’s role within the sovereign state. â€Å"Men worry less about doing an injury to one who makes himself loved than to one who makes himself feared. The bond of love is one which men, wretched creatures they are, break when it is to their advantage to do so; but fear is strengthened by a dread of punishment which is always effective† ( Prince, p 87). Within this quote, Machiavelli describes a man as self-centered and s elfish in a way. Within this republic, the prince needs to willingly deceive its citizens in order to win honor. He says that a citizen should have complete trust within the prince; therefore a prince should deceive himself in front of the citizens to show the public what they want. Machiavelli’s sole purpose was to help prince maintain his power for the good of its citizens. In the Discourses, his main interest is to preserve the liberty and independence of its citizens. He says that the prince is the foundation of the state. The prince has the ultimate power of veto and the only way to get rid of the prince is to kill him. From time to time, state needs constant transformation in the change of the transformation. Good laws are not enough to keep the survival of the republic. If the republic becomes corrupt, the prince can kill people for the good of the state, public trial and public execution. It is called truth and reconciliation trial. Everyone who is responsible for the corruption agrees to their wrong and they are pardoned by the one in charge. We keep the prince occupied by sending him to campaign. The prince should always be studying the war or fighting the war. The prince is the ruler that must stay in power. He has a role in the founding of the republic in The Discourses. He must maintain the virtue in the city. He defines virtue as the way one accomplishes his goals. In his book, he has a fight against the prince. For Machiavelli, power characteristically defines political activity, and hence it is necessary for any successful ruler to know how  power is to be used. He believes the same for a prince. He should know his duties for the country and how to carry out laws within the country. Machiavelli believes that individuals are brought to the world to obey and will the ruler be able to maintain the state in safety and security. Without exception the authority of states and their laws will never be acknowle dged when they are not supported by a show of power which renders obedience inescapable. The prince is the sole power of the state. He believes like the prince with the highest virtue is capable of authority. In his opinion, virtue is the most important aspect of authority. In the Discourses, Machiavelli describes his political personal beliefs of the republic. â€Å"In particular, across the two works, Machiavelli consistently and clearly distinguishes between a minimal and a full conception of ‘political’ or ‘civil’ order, and thus constructs a hierarchy of ends within his general account of communal life† (Machiavelli, 2008). A minimal civil order is one in which a strong government holds both the people and nobility and helps them live peacefully. He believes that a strong government is a key to a successful state and prince is the highest authority of the government. â€Å"As for the rest, for whom it is enough to live securely (vivere sicuro), they are easily satisfied by making orders and laws that, along with the power of the kin g, comprehend everyone’s security. And once a prince does this, and the people see that he never breaks such laws, they will shortly begin to live securely (vivere sicuro) and contentedly,† (Machiavelli, 2008) Machiavelli says about the prince. According to Machiavelli, a law- abiding character like the prince comprehends a state’s security. With that said, a prince is always willing and ready to go to war in order to protect his state. Machiavelli loves France and always gives examples of France’s kingdom in his book. â€Å"The kingdom of France is moderated more by laws than any other kingdom of which at our time we have knowledge,† Machiavelli declares (Machiavelli, 2008). â€Å"In his view, whatever benefits may accrue to a state by denying a military’s role to the people is of less importance than the absence of liberty that necessarily accompanies such disarmament† (Machiavelli, 2008). The prince is in charge of the military at all times and by this quote, it shows that a prince is always willing to go to war in times of hardship. The prince’s key role is to bring virtue to the state as discussed earlier. He cares the most about virtue in the book and talks  about how the divine power should bring virtue within the state. He speaks more about the role of the prince in his book The Prince, instead of the Discourses. It is people’s duty to obey the prince and help him in times of war. He speaks much about the war in his book and his main goal is war. Machiavelli is assertive that citizens will always fight for their liberty and freedom against internal as well as external oppressors. Indeed, this is precisely why the succeeding French monarchs left their people disarmed. They pursued to sustain public security and order. This security and order for them means the elimination of any opportunities for their subjects to their arms. â€Å"The French regime, because it seeks security above all else (for the people as well as for their rulers), cannot permit what Machiavelli takes to be a primary means of promoting liberty†(Machiavelli, 2008). The portrayal of Machiavelli’s republic is one of a kind and related to reality. The politicians in today’s world have similar traits and act in a similar manner. A man, who stated his theory on the republic hundreds of years ago, still has people who agree with him. The ways government’s duties are defined by Machiavelli haven’t changed much since the years. The government is the same, the people’s attitudes are the same, and the only thing that has been changed is the time. Works Cited Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince and the Discourses. Toronto: Random House, Inc., 1950. Print. Nerdman, Cary. Niccolo Machiavelli. Stanford Encyclopedia. Stanford University. September 2008. Web. 6 December, 2012.

Body soul destinction Essay

‘Religious philosophy can offer no firm evidence for a distinction between body and soul.’ Discuss. Humans appear to have both a body and a mind, the body which is related to physical movements and appearances. And the mind which relates to feelings and emotions, qualia. Many philosophers therefore make a distinction between the mind and body, the dualist view that a person is made of two separate substances. On the other hand, some philosophers take a monist/ materialist view that the mind and the body are the same substance. This is a contentious area of philosophy, and has created a debate known as â€Å"the mind, body problem†. Such philosophers as Plato take a dualist view and try to offer evidence to suggest a distinction between the body and soul. Plato saw the body and soul as two separate entities. The soul that most closely resembles the divine and immortal. While the body resembles the human and mortal, which is endlessly changing and can be broken down. Plato was not trying to suggest the soul was perfect as it joined the body which it is inhibited by, however, he explains that by taking care of the soul the person can develop knowledge. Plato used evidence such as the â€Å"world of the forms†. He suggested that by taking care of the soul and ignoring physical pleasures the soul can return to the word of the forms when the body dies. The evidence of Plato’s theory can be seen everyday. For the body to survive it must meet its basic needs such as food, reproduction and physical pleasure. On the other hand for the mind to be stimulated it has other needs that are met through deep thought and learning. However, there is a flaw to Plato’s theory, how can you have two completely different substances that are the same thing? Plato’s theory suggests the body and soul can work together to achieve a higher level of existence, but if the body and soul are completely different there is no evidence to suggest they would be compatible. Another dualist, Aquinas took a more religious view of dualism. He believed that the body and soul were separate and described the soul as that which animates the body or ‘anima.’ According to Aquinas, the soul operates independently of the body. Aquinas believed the only things that are divisible into parts decay. The soul is not divisible and therefore on this basis of Aquinas’ argument it is able to survive death. However, through the link with a particular human body the soul becomes an individual so even when the body dies the soul that departs has an immortal existence. Evidence for religious views on the soul come from the bible. Within the new testament, there are stories of Jesus’ resurrection that suggest dualism. Within one particular story Jesus’ disciples are walking to Emaus. Along the way they are joined by a man, it is only when they arrive at Emaus and offer the man a place to eat and stay that he reveals himself as Jesus. This supports the dualist view as firstly, it proves that the soul is immortal and lives on after death, and secondly that the soul is separate from the body as the man who claims to be Jesus appears to be unrecognisable implying he has a different physical appearance. For Christians this will act as firm evidence that there is a body soul distinction, however for those who are not Christian the evidence may not be so reliable. Cartesian duality formed by Rene Descartes, describes the mind and body as being separates and is based on the phrase † I think therefore I am.† Descartes explained that feelings and sensations cannot be located physically. He accepted that everything non physical is in the mind and therefore must be distinct from the body. The mind according to Descartes is non – spatial and is distinct from material and bodily substances. He suggested that everything has characteristics and that the mind and body’s characteristics are different therefore hey must be separate. For example a property of the mind may be consciousness, whereas the body has more aesthetic qualities such as height breadth etc. Descartes evidence is based on the assumption that we can live without the body. He concluded that the body has the job of performing physical activities however, it is the mind that contains our identity. For Descartes the mind is I, that we can live without the body as the mind makes us who we are. Descartes took the religious view that after our death the soul is able to continue and be with God. † A man’s soul is that to which the pure mental properties of a man belong.† Richard Swinburne developed a dualist view based on the soul being indestructible and indivisible. Swinburne suggested that is a logical possibility for a person to exist after the body dies, as the soul lives on. The soul according to Swinburne is linked with mental processes and activity and it’s independent from the body. Evidence for Swinburne’s theory comes from near death experiences. In many instances people have claimed to have had near death experiences whereby their hearts have stopped during surgery and yet they have reported detailed accounts of what happened during the time they were clinically dead. For some this is evidence for consciousness, however if the body and soul is one entity this would be impossible. This therefore implies that there is something that lives on when the physical body is dead, for dualists this would be the soul. On the other hand although the details of the experiences seem to be accurate there is no proof that the experiences may not be caused by another physical phenomena. On the other hand Dawkins, a biological materialist would disagree with the opinion that the soul and the body are separate substances. Dawkins bases his theory on evolution and genetics. He would reject any concept of an eternal soul and therefore rejects dualism. Some of Dawkins work includes the â€Å"selfish gene† and the â€Å"blind watchmaker† Within these he rejects any idea of the religious view of dualism and within the â€Å"selfish gene† he explains that humans are a lucky accident and that all life is opportunistic and humans are merely genetic mutations with the need to mindlessly replicate. Dawkins does not deny human dignity and accepts the complexity of human life to be able to contemplate the origins of human life. The evidence for Dawkins theory of biological materialism is based on DNA. Dawkins explains DNA as a code of instructions that is made up of millions of strands of genetic information. Genes according to Dawkins program who a person is, and it is DNA that singly creates what a person looks like as well as their personality. For Dawkins both the mind and body are controlled by the DNA and therefore he suggests that there is no need for a soul. Although Dawkins theory is based on empirical evidence and it has been proved that certain genes decide certain parts of a persons characteristics there is yet no proof to suggest that genes make up the whole of a someone’s personality and therefore it could be seen that there may be something else, this may be the soul. John Hick has formed a view of religious materialism. He stated that humans are one composite being, one substance. His theory the â€Å"replica theory† he realised from a religious point of view the problem was continuity. In life after death how can someone be the same person without their body. Therefore Hick suggests that there must be some kind of replica. This replica is the same person however, whilst they cannot exist at the same time. According to Hick at the same time that when a person dies a replica of them is created by God. This is a way of preserving personal identity after death. The evidence for religious materialism is based on the resurrection of Jesus. Some accounts during the new testament describe Jesus after the resurrection and was recognised by followers before ascension. From a religious view this is evidence for the replica theory as it appears that Jesus died and when he came back had the same physical appearance as well as the same personality. Identity theory puts forward a materialist view of the soul. Identity theory is against behaviourism and suggests that the mind and the brain are in the same place. In the brain, consciousness is generated as well as the other physical processes we link with the brain such as movement. Evidence for this is put foreward in â€Å"the philosophy files†. Within the book and analogy explains how if you were to look in the brain you would be able to locate an area that is stimulated and that thoughts must be generated in this area. We already know only 10% of the brains capacity is used consciously and therefore it is a logical assumption that our mind is located within the brain. An analogy for this is that a woman can be a mother, a daughter and a sister etc. The same person can have many functions, it is therefore the same for the brain which as well as having the functions we already recognise such as controlling physical activity, speaking and controlling bodily functions it ca n also control the mind. Overall, although religious philosophy offers an explanation for the body soul distinction it is based on little empirical evidence. For those who already follow the religion it may fit in with their beliefs however, for those who are atheist of follow another religion the evidence that it uses makes little logical sense. Such dualists views as Plato where the assumptions are based on everyday life may be more appropriate, however there is still little empirical evidence to prove the theory. On the other hand materialists put fore ward convincing arguments based on scientifically testable theories i.e. Dawkins. But neither arguments yet put enough evidence fore ward to either prove their views or disprove that of others. Therefore the statement Religious philosophy can offer no firm evidence for a distinction between body and soul may be considered as correct, however there is not yet enough evidence to suggest that religious views of dualism cannot be true.

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Leadership - Essay Example However, researchers have helped in making decisions about the behavioral patterns by providing three broad categories. The first category involves the ‘self-actualized’ employees who are never de-motivated and have high spirits and passion to achieve the goals. It involves an estimated 10 percent of the total workforce. The second category involves ‘fence sitters’, who can be motivated using the motivational techniques and skills. The largest group of workforce belongs to this category (i.e. around 80%). The third category involves the remaining 10 percent employees who are difficult to be managed and motivated. These employees do not intend to achieve anything over and above their current performance. In other words they do not have any intention to get motivated and improve their performance. The importance of categorizing the employees is the fact that the middle category (i.e. 80-90%) of the employees get motivated to improve their performance by the wa y self-actualized employees are treated and rewarded (Ramasamay, 2005). The most significant one is the performance appraisal method of motivation which would encourage the employees to work towards a goal so that they can get the respective appraisal report. It is this performance based appraisals which would encourage the employee to take part in discussions and decisions of the company and would hence give a platform to the company for a variable number of decisions. In addition, an increased participation of the employees in the decisions of the company can make somewhat obvious to the employees that the company cares for them. This care and warmth by the company is necessary for employee motivation. Employee performance based categorizing and careful rating of employees helps in motivating employees to achieve the targets and be on the top of the lists of high achievers. They usually get motivated by the feeling of superiority in work and this method of appraising their perform ance affects their working abilities as well. Thomas (2000) and O’Malley (2000) further illuminate the employees’ concept of an ideal organization in detail. Both studies provide a number of factors that result in a motivated, committed and satisfied workforce. These factors include friendly and safe working environment, performance appraisals, individual values, monetary and non-monetary rewards, records of achievements and other incentives. The motivation techniques also involve necessary steps at the planning stage. This includes distributing the tasks in short tasks such that every employee or group of employees is given a particular task to be achieved. The time period mentioned to achieve the targets act as a motivational factor for the employees. The behavior of employees in particular situations can be co-related to many theories of motivation but the best suitable theory should be identified and properly applied. The Maslow’s Need Hierarchy is the theor y in which the individual is motivated by a set of need hierarchy i.e. they are motivated only if their needs are not being met. The more they feel their activities and actions will lead to their goals and ultimate aim, the more they are motivated to work. This theory simply emphasizes on concentrating the needs of employees and projecting ways which

American history Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

American history - Assignment Example Answer 1 Social regulations refer to the measures taken by the government to protect public interest such as health, environmental controls, safety regulations and also restrictions on advertising and labeling. The cold war period experienced intense government intervention on social regulations. The government established many regulatory agencies such as Environmental protection Agency, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Consumer Product Safety Commission, and Occupation Safety and Health Administration (Hook 67). These policies were meant to deal with the social problems that existed in America at the time. Social regulations had a positive impact on the short run. This is because they helped to bring sanity in most sectors of the economy. Cold war threatened the social stability of the country and the government had to ensure the safety of its citizens mostly in production of goods by industries. However, in the long term effec ts are both positive and negative. The negative effect was that they have reduced the competitiveness of American companies due to high compliance and opportunity costs. In addition, there have been high expenditures on litigation which increases the cost of production. However, measures such as environmental protection have enabled the country to assure its population good health and hygiene (Hook 78). Answer 2 The statement is wholly valid. Conservatism is founded on four fundamental concepts which are liberty, tradition and order, rule of law and belief in God. The evangelical Christians were motivated by emphasis on Judeo- Christian values, advocated by Goldwater and Reagans in their campaigns. The Judeo- Christian values were predominant during the fist half on the 20th century and were now being reignited. Conservatism also emphasized on family values. They stood against same sex marriage, abortion and sexual permissiveness (Hook65). In addition, it advocated for strengthening of traditional standards in public life, religious life and education. These issues enabled conservatism to gain popularity among popularity among people. There was also emergence of a political right group that sought to counter communism in America. They wanted to fight spirit of communism. They believed on the fight against overregulation of free market capitalism, expansion of welfare state, growing power of labor unions and activism in courts. They saw these policies to be against the American values and sought to fight against their implementation (Hook 67). These political ideologies combined with those of mass culture and religion encouraged many people to join politics at the time. However, these values were not new but reignited the ideologies of the first half of 20th century. Answer 3 Cold war period witnessed many foreign policies being formulated by United States. These policies run parallel with domestic affair. The government sought to promote ideas of capitalism an d democracy. America supported corrupt, which were friendly to its policies. These ideologies run parallel with intensive indoctrination of American people. The indoctrination involved anti- communism propaganda and cold war rhetoric. The major vehicle used to propagate capitalist ideals was the film industry (Hook 345). Some actors and actress were blacklisted for

Position Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Position Paper - Essay Example There are a number of causes to such a feeling for example family problems, loss of a loved one, losing faith in your ideal person, underestimating boss or colleagues, neglecting society, or merely moving away from your house. I’m narrating this story according to my experience as a victim of this undesired eradicator ‘Alienation’. Out of many reasons as philosophers suggest, I was suffering from the neglecting attitude of my colleagues at work place from the time I joined in. Being a student, I took a part time job to cover my expenses. Not being part of the permanent staff, I was mostly excluded from conversations and group discussions. Not having anyone to talk to for the entire day frustrated me regardless of my purpose of joining the workplace which was merely to gain work experience and make a little money for myself. I started wondering why such discrimination? What is the actual reason for their unresponsiveness? I never thought I would do this, but I started questioning my purpose of life. I used to ask myself often, who am I? Why am I here? Who am I supposed to be? I couldn’t discuss this with anyone as I, myself was unsure as to what was happening to me. I lost focus from both, my studies as well as work when one of my teachers realized the despair I was going through. He was the one who figured out that I was suffering from the syndrome of alienation. I was made to leave the job and start community work for the time being. According to Amitai Etzioni, a sociology professor from George Washington University, one such social solution of getting rid of the feeling of alienation is the idea of communitarianism (Etzioni, 1990). Along with the community service, I started to study few subjects like art and culture to keep my mind occupied. Soon I became so fond of it, I started to bring my thoughts and ideas on the paper. My interest grew towards the subjects of humanities and I thought of taking it up as my

Thanks my old friend Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Thanks my old friend - Essay Example But I later learnt that patience is one of the best things required in attaining great things in life especially friendship. It was not until I had a chance to perform to my new friends in high school that I realized that I had a wonderful lesson. My high school friends were very supportive when they realized my great talent in playing piano. They applauded my great coordination skills that i meticulously used any time I played the piano. They said that I had a great skill that could take me to great places especially my outstanding ability of matching up my fingers, brain and the music. Certainly all these were due to my grand relationship with the piano. I believe piano contributed to my extraordinary performance in academic work. The piano training was the hardest lesson I ever had thus making other academic lessons easy to learn to comprehend. Music lessons have contributed to my larger vocabulary command because of the languages that most artists use in their performance. My abi lity to remember things has always increased perhaps because of the many songs I memorize. Additionally, piano lessons have made me gain wonderful discipline in the way i deal with any issue in life. Because of the challenging piano lessons I underwent, I have attained great discipline skills and patience which I have constantly applied in my academics as well as tackling daily life issues. I have been able to clearly listen to different kinds of sounds because of the constant use of different tones in music and I believe this has led to improvement of my hearing skills. I have great opportunities of performing in various functions such as birthday parties, high school and even... Piano lessons have made me gain wonderful discipline in the way I deal with any issue in life. Because of the challenging piano lessons I underwent, I have attained great discipline skills and patience which I have constantly applied in my academics as well as tackling daily life issues. I have been able to clearly listen to different kinds of sounds because of the constant use of different tones in music and I believe this has led to the improvement of my hearing skills. I have great opportunities of performing in various functions such as birthday parties, high school and even in the church. This has actually elevated my social status and made me feel great. Indeed my piano has introduced me to many things such as having new friends. I have been able to travel to many places in the name of performance and it has really been encouraging. I have enjoyed my relationship with the computer. It has been splendid and special. The piano and music have been there for me anytime I needed the m and our affiliation will certainly go far. Since nature gives us the chance to choose our friends, I think I made the best choice because I have never regretted. The piano has never stopped revealing to me some secrets of music anytime I perform and it has always remained loyal to me even when I almost lose hope in life. The piano has wonderfully cheered me up especially when I am upset thus making me feel special and improving my life. It has genuinely made me feel happy by supporting and entertaining me every time my spirit is down.

Research Summary and Ethical Considerations , consequences of nurses Essay

Research Summary and Ethical Considerations , consequences of nurses working long hours. needs to bequalitative or quantitative study - Essay Example Patients go to the hospital expecting the best of care from the nurses. When this is not the case due to nurses working for long hours, there emerges a cause for concern and immediate remedy. The consequences of nurse working for long hours are prioritized because of the intensity of human suffering that is associated with poor medical attention /care. The purpose of this study is to identify the consequences of long working houses for nurses and how they affect their ability to provide appropriate medical care to patients. Consequently, the goals of this study lead to formation of recommendations that can be adopted to handle the problem at hand. The purpose and the research question are directly related to the problem. Exploring ways to answer the research questions will give relevant information on the nature of the problem and provide insights on ways to deal with it. Qualitative methods such as case study analysis are appropriate in answering these research questions. Basically, the key consideration is how the nurses who work over long hours have behaved over time. The cases will provide information for analysis. There are qualitative and quantitative studies that have concentrated on highlighting the major consequences of long working hour’s for nurses. The school of nursing from the University of Pennsylvania conducted a study in 2012 where 22, 275 nurses were interviewed to give their experiences of working for more than 10 hours. The same study also interviewed patients who had been attended to by the nurses after the elapsing of the recommended working hours. Close to 80% of the nurses reported burnout due to fatigue and said they felt sleepy after working for 12-13 hour shifts. 70% of the patients interviewed reported dissatisfaction with the attention and medical care given to them by the nurses working for long hours. It has also been noted in the research conclusions that not much is done to improve the situation the nurses face. Other

Visions for ethical, caring nursing care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Visions for ethical, caring nursing care - Essay Example ces( Nursing Administration Quarterly Jan-Mar; 3-(1): 48-55) discusses the relationship that exists between economics, caring and administrative practices, and what is missing in this currently. The author asserts that a professional ethos is required so that health institutions are well managed. Therefore, health practice should be ethics based. The aforementioned articles illustrate similar concepts that are well illustrated by various ethical theories; utilitarianism, deontology and virtue theory. The utilitarianism theory requires that we are able to know consequences of our actions before performing these actions. Therefore, when performing tasks, it is important to go for those that are ethically correct. This theory when injected into health practice will ensure that only those actions that are ethically correct are done by nurses and other health care practitioners (Melden 2008, p12). The Deontological theory asserts that people are required to perform their duties and obligations when faced with ethical dilemmas. This theory when applied in nursing practice ensures that health care experts will always perform their obligations for the benefit of customers. The virtue theory is different from the other theories in that there is no emphasis on ethical rules, but instead the emphasis is on teaching people virtues like kindness, generosity and courtesy. Therefore, this theory ensures that health care mangers teach their employees virtues that would improve nursing practice (Melden 2008,

Nuclear Power and Radioisotopes Essay Example for Free

Nuclear Power and Radioisotopes Essay Radioisotopes are considered as a double-edged sword. They can be the greatest innovation in science, or the cause of death. Radioisotopes are isotopes that are produced artificially or naturally through the process of synthesis and separation. These combinations of protons and neutrons are unstable and give off a radioactive wave. Radioisotopes can be used for many different functions such as an atomic bomb or to help in the field of medicine. They are very important and without them, doctors would have lost a very important tool. In the field of medicine, radioisotopes are used to provide information about the functioning of a person’s specific organs or to treat disease. The idea of using radioisotopes is to â€Å"image internal structures and processes† in the human body (Ioffe). This is similar to using an X-rays. The advantage to using radioisotopes is that it can show all of the internal structures. X-rays can only see hard tissue like bones but radioisotopes can show a diagram of all soft tissue like muscle. Radioisotopes are not only limited to imaging processes. Another use is to treat diseased organs or tumors by â€Å"killing cancerous cells† (Ioffe). This process is called radiation therapy. Some examples of the radioisotopes in this process are â€Å"Iodine-131, phosphorus-32† and for â€Å"more radical uses, Boron-10 to specifically attack tumor cells† (Ioffe). In the process, radioactive elements are inserted near the tumor. Radiation is more harmful to growing cells and cancerous cells grow at an uncontrolled rate, giving them a disadvantage to radiation exposure. The cancerous will start to be destroyed and when it is all gone, there is no chance for the tumor to grow back again. An important factor in radiation therapy is that the radiation kills all cells indiscriminately. Although it is impossible to control the isotope to only kill the bad cells, the hope is that the radiation kills off more cancerous cells and less of the healthier cells. Without Radioisotopes, tumors would have to be removed in a different way. Tumors would have to be surgically removed. The down side to this process is that if all of the cancerous cells were not removed, the tumor has a chance of growing again. Making diagrams of the internal structure would also be hindered without radioisotopes. Technologies such as MRI scanners and CAT scans would not exist without radioisotopes. These clearer and more advanced imaging would not be available. Without radioisotopes, the field of medicine would have been left in a huge disadvantage. Although radioisotopes can be very beneficial, it has caused a lot of controversy throughout the world. Using radioisotopes causes radioactive waste. All isotopes have half-lives, the time taken until the amount is half of the initial amount. Half-lives can vary from each isotope. There are isotopes that have low half-lives where level of radiation â€Å"drops to less than 1% of the original amount in a matter of hours or days† (Newton). These can be stored safely until the amount can be safely thrown away. Other isotopes have half-lives over a millennium such as Uranium-235 which has a half-life of 713,000,000 years (Newton). These radioisotopes continue to emit harmful radiation for practically forever. To safely dispose of such long lasting isotopes require â€Å"burying them deep in the earth, a procedure that still has not been satisfactorily demonstrated† (Newton). There is no way to safely dispose of or to store these isotopes. As a result, the environment is harmed by the radiation that will never fade. These long lasting radioisotopes also happen to frequently be used in nuclear energy plants, which is also a very controversial topic. The energy given is a great amount but with dangers. Chernobyl and Fukushima are examples the negative side of nuclear energy. When disaster stuck, much off the radiation started to affect the environment and the people. Chernobyl had to be evacuated and even now after twenty-five year, the area is still dead. There is much fear that comes with radioisotopes and how they are used. There are not only positive results that come with using radioisotopes. Many problems can be created. Radioisotopes can also help out the future generations of humanity. As mentioned before, the nuclear power plants causes’ controversy, but it also produces solid results. The world faces a problem with pollution. Nuclear energy, however, produces no pollution from the process of creating energy. Today, the energy produced by nuclear power plants exceeds â€Å"360 gigawatts† (Merriman). This is a huge amount of energy that makes clean energy as well; much different than fossil fuels that creates many tons of carbon waste. For a better future, carbon emissions have to be cut down. Nuclear energy is also gaining popularity. Overseas and in Britain, â€Å"by 1990 it was obtaining more than 70 percent of its electricity† through nuclear energy (Merriman). This is an example of the potential that nuclear energy has. Over half of the electricity supplied in a whole nation was coming from nuclear energy. The future generations will gain a great asset to obtaining a clean and powerful energy source. Radioisotopes can be used for various functions. The isotopes can also cause many problems. The question is whether the isotopes give more than it takes away. As a chemistry student, I feel that radioisotopes are very important. They are the reasons why such advance technologies in medicine and energy are available. Even though there are negative aspects in using the radioisotopes, the benefits outweigh the downsides. Radioisotopes can kill the patient when applied too much dosage, but without radioisotopes, there may not have been a chance for recovery. That should make incentive for more research to go into radioisotopes and making them safer. There is no reason to be afraid of them. With more research, the safety of using radioisotopes can be increased. There are present dangers to using radioisotopes but it is still beneficial to use them

Social Construction Of Crime Criminology Essay

Social Construction Of Crime Criminology Essay Crime is a term that refers to many types of misconduct that is forbidden by law. There are a number of different reasons as to why crime can be viewed as a social construction. There cannot be social problems that are not the product of social construction naming, labelling, defining and mapping them into place through which we can make sense of them (Clarke, 2001). In this essay I will explain what is social construction, also what crime is, and why we think, that crime is socially constructed. Furthermore, I will explain how media construct crime and the stigma of black crime.   In the last paragraph I will explore the importance of Marxist and Durkheims theories on the emergence of crime. There is no doubt that crime is socially constructed. The constructionist perspective draws on a very different sociological inheritance, one that treats society as a matrix of meaning. It accords a central role to the processes of constructing, producing and circulating meanings. Within this perspective, we cannot grasp reality in a direct and unmediated way Reality is always mediated by meaning (John Clarke p.6). Indeed, some of its proponents argue that what we experience is the social construction of reality (Berger, 1967). How something or someone is named, identified and placed within a map of the social orders has profound consequences for how we act towards it or them (Becker, 1963). Public concern over crime relates mainly to theft and violence, which are regarded as being serious enough to warrant sustained attention from the police. This concern, reflected in periodic moral panics, tends to ensure that many of those who are involved in theft and criminal violence do so as a form of secondary deviation. As a result, many of them develop a criminal identity (Becker, H. S, 1963). The national British crime survey reports have demonstrated that the risk of being victims of crime is shaped by locality, lifestyle, age, gender and ethnicity. BCS confirm that the risk of being a victim of contact crime are highest for men those aged under 30, those living in intercity areas and those living in privately rented accommodation. Noon the less according to the BCS it is frequently those who are least at risk of crime who are most anxious about it, notably older people and women(May et al,2009). The very good example of how crime can be socially constructed is Black Crime (McLaughlin, 264). During the early 1970s indicated, that the media has continued to project an image of Britain as a white society (Hartman 1974). Crime and criminality came to be the central motif that constructed black people as a problem presence, and also signifying that they were not really British (McLaughlin, 264). Gilroy (1987) has added to this by analysing discourses on race, crime and nations. Perceptions of the weakness of black culture and family life, sometimes explained by absence of a father or authority figure, or more crudely, by a lack of respect for the Law and English tradition of civility, served to define black people as lesser breeds without the Law , as the others who stands outside what is meant to be British(Gilroy, 1987). However the significance of the prolonged campaign that led to the inquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence cannot be overstated. Dominant representations o f black people as a problem for white British society have been successfully challenged (Murji, 274). The media is the most powerful organisation which does a big impact on social construction of the crime. The importance of the news media in framing the public understanding of social problems is widely recognized (McLaughlin,263). Research in many countries confirms that crime reports are among the most headlines catching of news commodities. It is also suggested that there is broad correspondence between the images of criminality articulated in the news media and the interpretation for this (Murji, 264). Such as media presentation of the information reinforces social construction of the crime (McLaughlin et al, 264). There are three levels of explanation in the study of deviant and criminal behaviour. A first level of explanation is concerned with the existence of the many different forms of human behaviour that occur in any society ( Becker,1963). Biology may contribute towards an explanation of this diversity, but it can never provide the whole explanation. It is always necessary to take account of processes of socialization (Becker, 1963). A second level of explanation is concerned with the variation in norms between social groups, as manifested particularly in cultural and subculture differences ( Becker, 1963). Socialization takes place within particular social groups, and it is the norms of these groups that provide the standards for the identification of particular kinds of behaviour as criminal( Becker, 1963). The third, and final, level of explanation is concerned with the ways in which particular individuals are identified as criminals by others and so come to develop a criminal identit y. This is a matter of social reaction and control ( Becker, H,1963). In addition to understand social construction of crime, it is very important to look back at historical theoretical periods, which plays an important roles in revitalising past discoveries, putting new stress on the interpretation of events and relating these to current happenings(Jock Young, 307). First of all I would like to look at Marxist theory, where he sees crime being endemic in the social order. According to Marxism, men make their own history, but they do not make it just as they please: they do not make it under circumstances chosen by themselves, but under circumstances directed encountered, given and transmitted from the past (Marx, 1969,p.360). Marxist frameworks have developed a Marxist theory of crime. From Marx perspectives crime is seen largely as the product of capitalism, with criminal and antisocial behaviour indicative of the contradictions and problems inherent in the capitalist system (Marsh, 1997, 519). The basic motivation of capitalism, such as emphasis on materialism and self- enrichment, encourage self-interested, anti-social and, by implication, criminal behaviour (Marsh, 1997, 519). Marxist s argues that business crime is largely ignored by the legal system. There are some well publicized exceptions, but these tend just to reinforce the impression that criminals are mainly from the working classes and that business criminals are not real criminals they are just doing what everyone else does (Marsh,1997,519). Marxist arguments suggest that capitalism produces the conditions that generate criminal behaviour. According to him, crime occurs because of economic deprivation and because of the contradictions that are apparent in capitalist society. Working-class crime is a rebellion against inequality and against the system that uses the legal process- including the Law, the police, courts and prison as weapons in a class war(Marsh, 1997, 522). According to Durkheims crime theory, he points out two arguments on crime growth. The first argument is, that modern industrial urban societies encourage a state of egoism which is contrary to the maintenance of social solidarity and to conformity to Law , and second is, that in periods of rapid social change anomies occurs. By this he meant an anomic disordered society lacking effective forms of social control, and thereby leading to a state of individually perceived normlessness (Frank Heathcote, 347). Durkheim arguments that crime is inevitable and functional does not explain the causes of crime or why certain people are more likely to engage in, criminal activities than others (Frank Heathcote, 348). More recently functionalist theories, based on the notion of there being a general consensus of values and norms, have focused on causes of criminal behaviour. Functionalist theories of crime tend to assume that there is general consensus within society over what is right and wrong behaviour. The interactionist approach questions this assumption; it does not see criminals as essentially different from so called normal people. Many people commit criminal action and it is therefore not easy to maintain a clear distinction between the criminal in terms of particular personal characteristics (Marsh, 1997, 517). To summary, in my essay firstly I discussed that, crime has been seen as a response to the frustration felt by those who cannot achieve the norms or goals of society. Secondly, how dominant representations of black people as problems for white people society have been successfully challenged. Thirdly, that the media is the most powerful organisation which does a big impact on social construction of the crime, and finally I argued two most important theories, which are still in use.

The Human Genome Project Essay -- Genetics DNA Science Essays

The Human Genome Project The human genome project is something that I have been very interested with ever since first learning of it. I had heard bits and pieces of what it is about, but my interest was greatly stimulated by Dr. Whited in basic genetics 311 last spring. The discussion that we had regarding the project left me with several ideas and questions about not only the process and ethics involved, but the future of the study of genetics as a whole. To begin discussion about the HGP, we first must understand what it is. It is a massive undertaking of collaboration of geneticists that begin in 1990. Their goals are to identify all the estimated 80,000 to 100,000 genes in human DNA and determine the sequences of 3 billion bases composed of adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine. The project is being funded jointly by the Department of Energy and the National Institute of Health. This massive undertaking is estimated at a cost of three billion dollars, with the most current target date for the project's completion at the year 2003. They will then store this information in a centralized database so it can be used as tools for their analysis. Also as a first for science, they are going to address the logical, ethical, and social issues that the project will give rise to. What is a genome and why is it important? A genome is the DNA that an organism possesses. The DNA is made up of combinations of the four bases (A,T,C,&G) that I listed above. The sequence of these bases code for proteins that determine how an organism looks, it's viability, and sometimes even how it behaves. That is why this project is so important. The possibilities of what we can learn about ourselves are endless. The benefits of this project ar... ...ts of what the public can handle. If tomorrow the scientific community released the first genetically perfect human, how would people respond? If 25 years from now the first genetically perfect human were to be introduced, how would we respond? I do have a fear of mimicking the movie "Gattaca". That is why I believe in a panel of geneticists and nonscientists to constantly monitor and review just how far we are taking our advanced knowledge. I know that when I have children, I don't want a doctor asking me to select everything about my child. I prefer to leave it up to chance. References http://www.ornl.gov/TechResources/Human_Genome http://www.ornl.gov/hgmis/resource/info.html Consulting Resources Corporation Newsletter. Spring 1999. http://www.geneletter.org Gattaca. 1998 Whited, D.A. Genetics 311. North Dakota State University. Spring 1999.

An Ethnographic Study on Children’s Culture :: Sociology, Childhood, Culture

Children spend most of their time in institutions such as schools, learning, in order to provide themselves with the education they need to make their dreams come true. Children view these institutions as a space for sociability where they can form bonds with others, outside their families, as they create and spread their own distinctive culture (McDonnell 26). As a reading buddy at Brooksview Middle School, the knowledge I acquired while there was fascinating as it allowed me to reflect upon my own experiences and relate it to what we were learning in the course. Observing firsthand and note taking allows a researcher to examine the practices of children’s culture more efficiently and this is what I spent most of my Monday afternoon’s doing. Although these institutions are there to help children succeed, they also deny them access to their own culture which may prohibit them from becoming â€Å"fully human† (Friere 28). Viewing childhood as a culture allows one to understand why children view culture so differently from adults (McDonnell 22). At institutions such as Brooksview, children are denied access on a number of things and are assumed to be incapable of making their own rational decisions. Due to the institution’s location, the teachers and principle are extremely strict with the children on how they should act, giving them standards which may deny children from accessing their own culture. This influences these children to act in certain ways, ways in which they believe the society wants them to act. This is shown one day when I attended an assembly regarding the failing rate of the grade sixes. Throughout the assembly, the principle was educating the children on how they should behave in school which led him to his point that the cause of the failing rate (60%) was because of the â€Å"coloured† kids (Appendix, Day 6). This is similar to the experiment that is being tested on Octavian in the novel Octavian Nothing Traitor to the Nation. Due to Brooksview’s location and Octavian’s skin colour, people will presume that black people will fail, especially in practices such as education. â€Å"†¦ African is, by nature, (a) shiftless and (b) rebellious, requiring constant supervision to remain productive†¦ You have done us a wonderful service, through your failure.† (Anderson 337). This possibly will affect a child’s approach within their society as it may alter their perspective on how they should act rather than how they want to act; changing for the sake of others.

Reader Response to Wells’ The Time Machine :: Time Machine

Reader Response to Wells’ The Time Machine As a Christian, I don't personally believe in evolution in general; I don't think humans evolved from a lower life form and I don't think we will be here for another 800,000 years to evolve into anything else. But the logical scientist in me is nonetheless intrigued at the possibilities presented in The Time Machine. So what would happen to the human race a few hundred millennia from now? Would it divide into two distinct races that live separately from one another as Wells describes? I personally don't think this would happen. The human race seems to have a stubborn quality about it -- anytime there is a challenge or obstacle to face, we tend to try to overcome it in one way or another. I remember reading somewhere recently (I can't remember where) that humans have a natural tendency to resist captivity or oppression. This is why slavery is never permenent, and the history of man is littered with uprisings and revolts. This line of thinking begs the question: if indeed the Morlocks were forced underground at one point or another, why did they stay there? Even if they accepted their new environment without question, they were going to run out of food eventually -- no sun means no plants or vegetables, correct? This is where the Time Traveler presumes that the Morlocks began to feed on the Eloi out of necessity. But wouldn't the Morlocks just return to the surface at this point? Why would they stay underground if their only food was on the surface? It doesn't seem to make sense. Nevertheless, the year 802,701 as envisioned by Wells is fascinating. I have always loved good stories, especially imaginative ones, and I must admit that The Time Machine has become one of my favorite works of literature. Along these same lines, I have to agree with what Michael wrote in the first part of his journal entry. I, too, am not a fan of overanalyzing works of literature. For me good stories are just that -- stories. Don't get me wrong, there are many cases where looking past the surface of a book is appropriate -- for example Animal Farm is obviously allegory, and The Jungle by Upton Sinclair is not so obviously a book promoting socialism. But sometimes I think that critics are digging too deep into literature and finding things that just aren't there, nor did the author intend for them to be there.

Diverse Succession Planning

DIVERSE SUCCESSION PLANNING (DSP) INTRODUCTION â€Å"The future of many organizations is likely to depend on their mastery of diverse succession planning given that building bench strength among women and minorities will be critical in the competitive war for talent†. (Charles R. Greer and Meghna Virick, 2008. ) They stressed further: â€Å"Aside from the leadership provided by CEOs and diversity officers, management of diversity should be embraced by the entire leadership team and not perceived as the exclusive domain of the HR function. Cisco System becomes a $12 billion high-technology company with over 47,000 employees in not less than 54 countries of the world due to its strategic management policies and practices among which is diverse succession planning. Cisco puts in place its diversity initiatives and gender Initiatives because of its belief that connection of businesses, people and communities is a business imperative. This simple presentation on diverse succession planning is intended to explain the following points: 1- The concept of diverse succession planning (DSP) 2- The advantages of diverse succession planning – The steps involved in developing a diverse succession plan 4- Conclusion with the comments of some senior diversity leaders. What is Succession planning and diverse succession planning? Simply put, Succession planning is the process of identifying high-potential employees, evaluating and improving their skills and abilities, and preparing them for advancement into positions which are keys to the success of business operations and objectives. Diverse Succession implies incorporation of gender and racial diversity with succession planning by identifying methods for developing women and minorities as successors for key positions. Charles R. Greer and Meghna Virick 2008). Putting together, diverse succession planning is a process of identifying high-potential employees of any age, culture, ethnicity, gender, geographic backg round or sexual orientation, evaluating and improving their skills and abilities, and preparing them for advancement into positions which are keys to the success of business operations and objectives. Workforce diversity† describes the differences, similarities, and unique features that exist in an organization's workforce ue to the mixture of gender, ethnicity, race, national origin, disabilities, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious beliefs and other factors. The advantages of Diverse Succession Planning (DSP) Diverse Succession Planning has the following advantages: * It helps to avoid extended and costly vacancies in key positions and assure the stability of business operations. * It provides meaningful developmental opportunities for both the organization and its employees as it targets key leadership positions at varying levels. It helps to develop a diverse workforce by enabling decision makers to look at the future make-up of the organization as a whole. * It helps to connect business people and communities. * It facilitates better decision making * It helps in anticipating important market changes and be more responsive to customer needs. * It facilitates equal opportunity policy through recruitment, training and promotion process regardless of employees’ race, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religious background and nationality. * It boasts global workforce.The steps involved in developing a diverse succession plan Succession planning involves: * Understanding the organization's long-term goals and objectives. * Identifying the high-potential candidates and their respective developmental needs. * Determining workforce trends and predictions. * Identifying legal and diversity issues to consider. * Establishing present and future leadership roles and objectives. * Selecting key employees. * Evaluating the strengths, weaknesses and readiness for succession in key employees. * Planning for the individua l development of and ways to retain key employees. Identifying â€Å"emergency† positions without successors. * Planning for positions that cannot be filled internally. Going by the recommendations of Greer and Virick (2008) Companies should formalize a commitment to diverse succession planning throughout the organization and viewing it as a broad-based strategic imperative instead of solely a human-resources function. The company must clearly envision diversity as essential to business strategy because of the competitive advantages that follow. Companies should also identify early on the talented individuals who can be developed for advancement.They should design objective standards for performance evaluations. They should also identify and cultivate outstanding mentors They should also allow the chief diversity officer to have direct access to the CEO. They should also Base executive bonuses partly on achieving diversity goals. â€Å"Companies need to reach deep, almost do wn to entry level, for talented women and minorities who can rise to leadership positions. Early identification and development of talent is crucial,† says Dr. Greer. â€Å"Also, identifying skilled mentors and fully utilizing their talents should be a priority.Mentoring has great importance in terms of succession. † Patience and persistence are required, he says. Results can take four or five years, or more. So companies should be ready for a long-term commitment and be willing to work through the risks and challenges. Diversity Succession Planning in Malaysian Context John PG Tan (2009) revealed that most of Malaysian Companies do not engaged in leadership succession planning and implementation and few that engaged in it report low success rates. Companies commonly practice leadership replacement rather than leadership succession.Meanwhile, leadership positions are the key positions upon which rest the success of any organization. Western Companies are flourishing due to incorporation of diversity in to their succession planning. However, in Universiti Utara Malaysia, there has been a kind of diversity succession planning. Some foreigners are being employed as Lecturers in the University. This is also observed in some Universities in Malaysia. This would provide meaningful developmental opportunities for both the organization and its employees as well.It will also give the university an opportunity to pursue more effectively its mission through the participation of a diverse workforce; also there would be enrichment of the dimensions of expanded organizational learning. Observations of some experts in Management An emerging body of empirical evidence (e. g. , Richard, 2000; Wright, Ferris, Hiller, & Kroll, 1995) indicates positive performance effects for diversity, and there are increasing indicators of the strategic importance of diversity to the success of companies.PepsiCo’s previous CEO, Steve Reinemund, has said, â€Å"I believe tha t companies that figure out the diversity challenge first will clearly have a competitive advantage† (Terhune, 2005). A leading insurer, Allstate, also has embraced diversity and sees it as a source of competitive advantage, particularly in terms of expanding the number of minority policyholders (Crockett, 1999). Cosmetics maker L’Oreal attributes its global success in developing and marketing cosmetics to marketing initiatives that have drawn on international diversity (Salz, 2005). Bridge Partners LLC (www. ridgepartnersllc. com) is a retained executive search firm founded by principals with extensive experience and credentials in leadership and senior-level recruitment, both in the US and internationally. Billie Williamson, Partner, Americas Inclusiveness Officer, Ernst & Young: â€Å"We have to ensure the talent is here to begin with, so hiring the right people and making sure they are trained and provided with the right experiences is key †¦ A second thing th at is key to getting diversity to the top of an organization is people have to learn to put their biases aside.Sometimes we think it’s risky to put a woman or an ethnically diverse individual or an LGBT individual in a leadership role, and it’s really not a risk, but somehow we have created that in our biases and our frame of reference. The third thing that is key is that [senior] leadership has to set this as a personal goal that they care about. † Eugene Kelly, Worldwide Director, Global Workplace Initiatives, Colgate-Palmolive Co. : â€Å"It is critical for us to manage our talent well if we are going to continue to be successful.We have 30,000 employees around the world, 8,000 in the United States, and today, 82 percent of our revenues are generated outside the United States. Those statistics alone will tell you why we must get this right and why we must manage our talent. It’s a discipline that enables us at any point in time to identify the next two leaders or successors for any key position. Having a diverse slate of talent to do that is really the key. For us, it’s really important to have discipline and the CEO’s direct commitment. Rohini Anand, Senior Vice President, Global Chief Diversity Officer, Sodexo: â€Å"It’s really an end-to-end process. It’s about doing the diagnostics, understanding where the gaps are. For us, it’s about getting more women and people of color into operational †¦ profit-and-loss kinds of roles, which is the career path to senior-level positions in our company, doing that early on and making sure we provide enough substantive career tracks. In terms of succession †¦ having that accountability and commitment from the top is absolutely critical.It can’t only be a numbers piece. It has to be the behavioral piece. It has to be the commitment along with the metrics and the data so you get a holistic approach. † Conclusion All said and done, onc e those high potential individuals are a part of an organization that places value on diversity-inclusion initiatives, retention rates will increase as employees take pride in those initiatives, viewing their firm as an employer of choice, where appreciation for all people and their differences creates a work environment where all can thrive.The flip side is that, in companies where diversity initiatives are a low priority, employees may leave because they don’t believe they are valued, because they perceive a workplace to be unwelcoming, or because they believe a competitor organization shows precedent in developing careers paths for a more diverse range of executives. Both money and time invested in those employees are lost. Without a succession plan an organization will find it harder to grow. Without a strong diversity inclusion initiative, retention is a whole lot more difficult.Reference: * John PG Tan (2009). An investigation of Corporate Leadership Succession Planning and Implementation: The Malaysian Experience. A PhD thesis submitted to Massey University. * Human Resource Management Journal, Volume 47, Issue 2, Article first published online: 15 MAY 2008 accessed at Wiley online Library. * Diverse Succession Planning for Supervisors, a presentation by Society for Human resource Management (SHRM). * http://www. diversityinc. com/diversity-events/succession-planning-moving-diver

Ielts Task

www. ieltsbuddy. com – Free online IELTS Advice IELTS Sample Essay – Alternative Medicine This IELTS sample essay tackles the subject of alternative medicine. When you are asked whether you agree (or disagree), you can look at both sides of the argument if you want. This shows that you have good academic skills as you are able to see both sides of the issue. It can also sometimes be a good idea to look at both sides of the argument because it may be easier for you to brainstorm ideas. If you just look at one side, you may run out of ideas. If you look at both, then there are more ideas to discuss.In this IELTS sample essay, the writer disagrees overall with the opinion presented – that alternative medicine is ineffective and possibly dangerous. However, in the first body paragraph the writer discusses what those who agree with this opinion think. In the second body paragraph the writer then gives the reasons why he/she disagrees. In other words: Body 1 = the disa dvantages of alternative medicine Body 2 = the advantages of alternative medicine It is then a good balanced conclusion as the writer states that they are best used together. Question:You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Present a written argument to an educated reader with no specialist knowledge of the following topic. Currently there is a trend towards the use of alternative forms of medicine. However, at best these methods are ineffective, and at worst they may be dangerous. To what extent do you agree with this statement? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge. You should write at least 250 words. www. ieltsbuddy. com – Free online IELTS Advice www. ieltsbuddy. om – Free online IELTS Advice IELTS Sample Essay Model Answer Alternative medicine is not new. It is accepted that it pre-dates conventional medicine and it is still used by many people all over the world. I am unconvinced that it is d angerous, and feel that both alternative and conventional medicine can be useful. There are several reasons why the conventional medical community is often dismissive of alternatives. Firstly, there has been little scientific research into such medicine, so there is a scarcity of evidence to support the claims of their supporters.Furthermore, people often try such treatment because of recommendations from friends, and therefore come to the therapist with a very positive attitude, which may be part of the reason for the cure. Moreover, these therapies are usually only useful for long-term, chronic conditions. Acute medical problems, such as accidental injury, often require more conventional methods. On the other hand, there remain strong arguments for the use of alternatives. Despite the lack of scientific proof, there is a lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest that these therapies work.In addition, far from being dangerous, they often have few or no side effects, so the worst outcome would be no change. One of the strongest arguments for the effectiveness of alternative therapies in the West is that, whilst conventional medicine is available without charge, many people are prepared to pay considerable sums for alternatives. If they were totally unhelpful, it would be surprising if this continued. I strongly believe that conventional medicine and alternative therapies can and should coexist.They have different strengths, and can both be used effectively to target particular medical problems. The best situation would be for alternative therapies to be used to support and complement conventional medicine. (280 words) Comments The writer in this IELTS sample essay introduces the topic in the introductory paragraph (Alternative medicine†¦ ) and puts forward a clear view on the issue (I am unconvinced†¦ and feel†¦ ). The essay has a well-balanced argument looking at both sides of the issue. The first body paragraph expresses some doubt about alternativ e therapies (†¦ ittle scientific research.. .only useful for long term†¦ ), but in the second body paragraph the writer takes a different view (On the other hand†¦ ) and examines the benefits (†¦ few side effects). The writer's concluding paragraph offers a strong opinion (I strongly believe†¦ ) and sums up the fact that both types of treatment are valid today. There is also a good range of grammatical structures (If they were totally unhelpful, it would be†¦ ), and connectors (despite the fact, in addition, finally). www. ieltsbuddy. com – Free online IELTS Advice

The Medieval Civilization

The greater part of medieval civilization was a time of simplicity and little cultural development. Feudalism was the structure that governed medieval society and came to represent this time period. The church became the universal symbol of medieval unity. Toward the end of the medieval period, however, town life and large-scale trade and commerce were revived. Great changes took place in the church fostering a new era and change. Feudalism was a system of government that provided the structure for the political, social, and economic aspects of medieval civilization. It consisted of contracts between members of the nobility and less powerful nobles who served as their vassals. Economically it was a contract between the serfs who farmed that land and the nobles who owned it. Feudalism was very complex and confusing in some ways, but it could also be looked at as very simple. It was constructed in a pyramid or chess board-like form. Kings were at the top although they did not have much power, lords and vassals followed the king and had control of the lesser nobles. The serfs were at the base of the pyramid. A manor, otherwise known as the lord†s estate, was where everyone lived and worked. In exchange for a place to live, food, and mainly protection, the serfs farmed the land. Agriculture was the foundation of feudalism, where land and food was used to barter for other items. There were different taxes and positions of distinct people on the manor. This illustrates the complexity of feudal life during the medieval ages. If you look at it as what the duties were of each specific class you see the simplicity of feudalism. Each member of medieval society had its own particular tasks to perform. The serfs preformed the most labor-intensive tasks and often did the same thing everyday. The knights protected the manor and the lords were responsible for taking care of everyone on their manor. The feudal system could be compared to a modern corporation. The serfs could be looked at as the workers, the lords as management, the knights to the security, and the king would be the CEO of the company. Feudalism was complex in its organization and simple it its implementation. During most of the medieval time period the church was the center of society and was the law of the land. The church regulated business practices, had the power to tax, controlled all people through the power of excommunication and had influence on the aesthetic aspects of life. The church exemplified both the simplicity and complexity of medieval life. Monks led a very simple life. Their days were spent working hard, studying, and praying. The church wanted to make life simpler by standardizing the rite, calendar, and monastic rule. It was more complex then simple however. The church held a great deal of power that was often in conflict with the monarch. The head of the church, the pope, spent much of his time in Rome while attempting to govern the rest of Europe. It was difficult to govern such a large geographical area while residing in a city that was not centrally located. In A. D. 1377, Pope Gregory XI left Avignon and returned to Rome. This was known as the great schism and it developed great entanglement in the popes† standing in medieval society. The crusades, while increasing the status of the pope, also increased the power of the monarchs over the nobles. Feudalism was broken down and the power the church was illustrated in the crusades. Certain aspects of the church tried to simplify life while other things only made it more complex. Population growth contributed to the migration of people from the manor to the town, which was the base of complexity in the later stage of the Middle Ages. A self-sufficient manor sometimes was the beginning of a town where people came to form a complex web of commerce and trade. Products were bought with money rather then used to barter for other necessities such as in the earlier stage of the Middle Ages. As the towns grew the people became dissatisfied with being ruled by the nobles and church. They wanted to govern and tax themselves, and eventually they began to do these things without the consent of the church or nobles. To better protect themselves the townspeople often joined together with people from other towns to form leagues. These leagues would band together to protect one another and promote trade. The people organized themselves even further with forming merchant and craft guilds. The guilds controlled the making and sale of particular products. Feudal lords as well as the church was concerned with the formation of towns. Townspeople were able to increase their wealth through the sale and manufacturing of goods, while the lords only produced what was needed for their manor. The serfs began to move away from the manor because they realized that they could have a better life if they lived in the towns. By forming autonomous towns, people created complex relationships between themselves and the monarchs and churches. This was the development of a more complex form of economic subsistence known as capitalism. Medieval civilization was a time of change in many different ways, both simple and complex. Feudalism was organized in a quite clear way yet the structure in which it was carried out and the roles played in it were confusing. The church†s power was very perplexing in that it had the power to run the government and economy. The way that the church wanted to standardize certain things was easy to understand. Towns were complex in their organization and in the way they divided the power among the common people and the nobles and church. Medieval society that was once based on faith became rooted in scholasticism. Many new ideas brought up through the medieval civilization forced the society to be both simple and complex in many aspects.

Harrison Products Essay

Harrison Products Inc. (HPI) is a global manufacturer of molded plastic products and metal products that are used in the auto industry, food and beverage industry (containers), and in a variety of other products and packaging materials. HPI has several manufacturing plant located world-wide, generally in locations convenient to the company’s most significant customers. The present case considers one of HPI’s products, a one gallon metal can container used for paint and other chemical products. The product is produced in two U.S. locations, Los Angeles, CA, and Youngstown, OH. These plants produce several million of these cans each year. The competitive environment for HPI is challenging. Competitors in all parts of the world challenge HPI on cost, which is the primary order-winning factor in the business. All HPI customers expect very high quality and prompt service, so competition on price and reliability in meeting delivery dates are critical to its competitive success. Operating Data and Strategy HPI has focused its production of the one gallon metal cans in the two plants, in Los Angeles and Youngstown, Ohio. The summary information in Exhibit 1 shows the plant capacity, normal production, price and cost information. Currently, management believes that production costs are driven by volume; management’s goal is to meet competitive cost pressures by increasing volume and improving efficiency to bring costs down. For this reason, product costs are based on volume, as illustrated in Exhibit 1. The unit cost for the Los Angeles plant is $1.10, while the unit cost in the Youngstown plant is $1.00. The cost difference reflects the higher facilities cost at the Los Angeles plant, which is the newer of the two plants. The Los Angeles plant has similar equipment and manufacturing flow design to that of the Youngstown plant, but a key difference is that the Los Angeles plant was designed to be more efficient for smaller job (batch) sizes; the equipment and plant lay-out are con sistent with greater speed in  processing smaller jobs. The decision to design the Los Angeles plant in this way reflected the smaller orders that were generally received by the Los Angeles plant. See Exhibit 2 for a sample of the some of the jobs at the two plants; the exhibit shows a representative sample of 28 jobs for Los Angles and 41 jobs at the Youngstown plant, showing the quantity in each job (job size) and the estimated minutes per 1,000 units for that job. The number of minutes per 1,000 units is a commonly-used measure of job performance at HPI and is called â€Å"runtime.† Product Costs HPI includes manufacturing costs into three main categories. First, there is materials cost that includes the metal and other materials necessary in the production of the cans. These materials are considered direct materials and are $0.40 per unit at each of HFI’s plants. The second category is operating costs which include labor, supervision, some materials used in machine maintenance and repair, materials receiving and stocking, and related costs. Labor costs include runtime labor, setup labor and downtime labor. Operations costs are considered indirect costs and the costing method used is to apply these costs to product based on units of output, as noted above. The two plants have the same per unit operating cost of $0.50. The third category, facilities costs, includes equipment and the plant facility. Because Los Angeles is the newer plant, these costs are higher for Los Angeles, at $0.20 per unit relative to the Youngstown plant, where the facilities cost is $0.10 per uni t. Required: 1.Using the company’s current costing system, calculate the manufacturing cost and operating margin (price less manufacturing cost) for each of the jobs in Exhibit 2, for both the Los Angeles and Youngstown plants. 2.Assume that 20% of operating costs are due to setup costs and that the remainder are runtime costs. HFI is considering an activity-based approach which would apply setup costs to each job; each job would be applied the same amount of setup cost. Calculate the manufacturing cost and operating margin for each of the jobs in Exhibit 2, for both the Los Angeles and Youngstown plants. 3.Assume as above that 20% of operating costs are due to setup  costs and that the remainder are runtime costs. Now, assume that HFI is considering an activity-based approach which would recognize that each setup requires time and material that is partly proportional to the size of the prior job. That is, the part of setup that involves clean-up and preparation of the machine for a new job is longer after a relatively long job than it is for setups that follow a relatively short job. HFI now plans to apply setup costs so that one-half of the setup costs would be applied equally to each job and the remainder of setup costs would be applied based on the number of units in the job. Calculate the manufacturing cost and operating margin for each of the jobs in Exhibit 2, for both the Los Angeles and Youngstown plants. 4.Interpret briefly your findings in parts 1,2 and 3 above. Do you support the setup cost application approach in (3) above? Why or why not? What approach do you think would be preferable? 5.Using analysis based on charts, correlation or regression analysis or other means, study (a) the relationship between runtime and job size at both plants, and (b) examine how this relationship differs between the two plants. What are the implications of these relationships, and how they differ between plants, on (a) product costing, and (b) manufacturing strategy?

Issues Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Issues - Research Paper Example The process of globalization has led large organizations towards increasing interactions with people belonging to diverse cultures, beliefs and backgrounds than it was ever before. In other words, the diversity at the workplace has made employees vulnerable to experience discriminations at the place of work. As a consequence, managers are required to identify the changes occurring at the workplace and resolve those challenges effectively for mutually benefitting both the organization and the employees engaged in carrying out the various operations within the organization (Green et al., n.d.). Issues Raised In the Article According to the selected article, it has been identified that Quebec is planning to prohibit civil servants from wearing religious costumes and certain symbols in the workplace. It has been believed that if this proposal is enforced, Qubec’s Charter of Values would ban religious symbols, including large Christian crucifixes, the Jewish yarmulke, Muslim hijab or Sikh turbans. It has been believed that such proposal is an attempt towards creating separate and unique culture and society from the rest of Canada. At the same time, strict measures are likely to be put forward for those employees breaching the legislature. It is believed that these measures will possibly seek for serious conducts resulting in firing of employees from the organization. It is forecasted that a considerable number of employees working in different sectors of Quebec province would be affected by the enactment of such legislatur

What is nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What is nursing - Essay Example lling a vital role within a given industry or business, the definition of nursing that has been laid out above strictly differs from the definition or â€Å"scope† that many jobs may have (Azuri et al., 2014). As a means of understanding this and delineating what the specific responsibilities and expectations are for nurses, the following analysis will seek to engage the reader with a more profound and nuanced interpretation of what the nurse actually does and how they are expected to fulfill their unique role within the medical community. Through such a discussion, it is the further hope of this student that the reader will be able to come to a more informed understanding of the role of the nurse and how this vital position serves to strengthen the outreach and scope that the medical community has. A discussion of what defines a nurse would not be complete without briefly discussing some of the roles and responsibilities that nurses have. Although the following will not be an exhaustive list, as such a list might require a dissertation length response, the core responsibilities that will be defined are generally shared amongst most nurses. Firstly, the nurse is required to directly interact with the patient and gather information that the medical professional, whether a doctor, PA, or other professional, can utilize as a means of addressing issues relating to the health of the patient and their future prognosis. In such a way, the nurse is oftentimes required to engage in a physical exam or a discussion with the patient; as a means of categorizing and seeking to provide actionable information to the doctor or PA (Christiansen et al., 2013). In a more direct sense, nurses are oftentimes required to provide health counseling and education. Although this is sometimes overlooked, in lieu of the fact that this is an expectation of a doctor, the fact of the matter is that a nurse’s extensive medical training prepares him/her to counsel patients with regard to

Csr and mcdonalds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Csr and mcdonalds - Essay Example As a corollary of the above job enrichment and enlargement policies and programs were initiated with a view to encouraging and motivating the staff to accept new challenges. For instance employee welfare practices though were not many, could be seen to a certain extent in some of the surveyed restaurants. Absenteeism and labor turnover figures were low. In fact labor turnover figures were high only among crew members because most of them were college undergraduates doing a stint to cover up tuition fees. Most probably customer harassment could have contributed to the above average labor turnover figures among the crew members at McDonalds restaurants in Leicester in particular and elsewhere in general. McDonald's pay is based on performance and the monetary incentives are intended to encourage employees to perform better in the jobs and employees might require non-monetary incentives too to remain their current jobs in the long run whilst reducing the degree of turnover. Thus the pay rates determination criteria at McDonald's are essentially determined by evaluation techniques of the HRM Department. For example employees at these restaurants were given a selected array of monetary and non-monetary incentives with the hope that the well trained and skilled employees would not leave their jobs at least in the short run. While HRM related aspects of the retention strategy was focused on employee welfare, there was much less focus on the long term organizational capability building measures to retain employees. The best example of this inadequacy can be found in the fact that the whole staff at McDonald's takes customer harassments for granted.This research study has found a significa nt amount of positive correlation between McDonald's HRM strategy and productivity gains though the extent to which such gains can be attributed to HRM strategy isn't clear. In the first instance as suggested in the Literature Review, the theoretical perspectives on motivation and performance have taken a new turn with greater emphasis on Strategic HRM. Secondly cultural diversity of the workforce at McDonald's requires such SHRM practices to be aligned with international trends. Thus as borne out by the majority of responses to the questionnaire performance related pay at McDonald's would have a positive impact on employee motivation and the Company would try to maximize their incentives. However it has been identified as the most desirable policy to achieve organizational goals and survive in the long run. McDonald's success in Leicester could be attributed to well managed labor relations and good motivation policies in order to encourages greater participation of the employees in the decision making process of the company. Next those four McDonalds restaurants in Leicester along with the other three have not displayed any noteworthy divergence from the theoretical and conceptual contingency framework of analysis applied here as illustrated in the McDonald's approach to CSR. For example all McDonald's restaurants place equal emphasis on animal welfare, education, environment, people, quality and safety and Ronald McDonald's House Charities (RMHC). The connected success factors - sustainable supply chain, nutrition and well being,

The Cost of Capital; Financial Leverage; Which Counts Most Term Paper

The Cost of Capital; Financial Leverage; Which Counts Most - Term Paper Example The high sale will result in higher profits and a reduction in variable costs signifies that the organization does not have to incur any extra expenses for each unit sold. An increased volume of sales will enable to company to save gain benefits from its fixed costs. The idea of operating leverage was initially developed for utilizing in capital budgeting. Operating leverage is a significant concept as it affects how responsive profits are to transforms into sales volume. â€Å"The Degree of Operating leverage is a function of the cost structure of a firm and is usually defined in terms of the relationship between fixed cost and total costs. A firm that has high fixed costs relative to total costs is said to have operating leverage. A firm with high operating leverage will also have higher variability in operating income than would a firm producing a similar product with low operating leverage† (Choi 20). Other things remaining the same, the high difference in operating income will guide to a high beta for the industry with higher operating leverage. It is helpful to recognize how operating profit will vary with a given change in units formed; operating leverage is helpful to decide the business risks. Operating leverage can also be understood as the degree to which an organization utilizes fixed costs in creating its goods or offering its facilities. A fixed cost contains advertising expenses, equipment and technology, administrative costs, taxes, and depreciation. However, it excludes interest on debt, which is an element of financial leverage. By using fixed production costs, an organization can raise its earnings. If an organization has a high amount of fixed costs, it has a high level of operating leverage. High-tech and automated companies, airlines, utility companies etc commonly have high amounts of operating leverage. The difference between variable and fixed costs is an old idea. This separation of costs by behavior is the basis for breakeven a nalysis. â€Å"The idea of â€Å"break even analysis† is based on the simple question of how many units of product or service a business must sell in order to cover its fixed costs before beginning to make a profit. Presumably, unit prices are set at a level high enough to recoup all direct unit costs and leave a margin of contribution toward fixed cost and profit† (Helfert 193). Once adequate units have been sold to accrue the total contribution required to offset every fixed costs, the margin from any extra units sold will become revenue unless a latest layer of fixed expenses has to be added at any future point to support the high volume. Understanding this attitude will enhance the insight into how operational features of a business involve the elements of financial projections and planning. This information is also useful in setting operational strategies, which, particularly in an unstable business setting might, for instance, focus on reducing fixed costs during outsourcing certain operations. Cost of Capital: The cost of capital means the required rate of return for making capital budgeting. Cost of capital comprises the cost of debt and the cost of equity acquired through different sources. Cost of capital is the average rate of return required by the investors for their long term investments such as equity fund, preference fund and long term capital. When the firm makes long term investm

The Women's Movement in the United States Essay

The Women's Movement in the United States - Essay Example This paper shall describe and explain the women’s movement from 1848 to 1920, including the social and political events which eventually led to the 19th Amendment. Various major feminist groups fighting for women’s right to vote will also be discussed; a comparison of these groups would also be considered. A discussion on why the women’s movement faltered during the 1920s after women got the right to vote shall also be considered. This paper is being discussed in an attempt to establish a comprehensive discussion on women’s rights, including its highlights and how these highlights impacted on the current rights being enjoyed by women. Although major moves towards the establishment of women’s rights were first seen in 1948, previous actions to secure it were already being sought through smaller and minor activities and movements even before 1948 by women and different organizations. Angelina and Sarah Grimke are two of the women best known for their contribution to the establishment of women’s rights. They went through slavery and wrote various literature expressing their negative opinions about it. Angelina Grimke, in 1938, was the first woman to address the Massachusetts legislative body on the abolition of slavery; she also strongly expressed her desire for women’s equality and full citizenship. Other abolitionists also expressed their outrage against sexual discrimination and in 1848 they organized the first Woman’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls New York. In their Declaration of Sentiments, echoes of the Declaration of Independence were heard, pointing out that â€Å"all men and women are created equal† and therefore, they share the same inalienable rights – those of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Their declaration also expressed the need to change government policies, especially those which have traditionally been oppressive towards women. This Convention also supported various declarations, especially those which relate to legal and educational reforms which were not gender prejudiced. Finally, the convention also resolved that women had the right to secure their inherent right to vote. Their demands were immediately rejected and even scorned, especially by the religious leaders and other male leaders. Only few men expressed any form of support for women’s rights and sentiments. The women were however persistent in their objectives and they found allies in each other. Two of these close allies were Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony whose persistence found their way to the pages of the book ‘History of Woman Suffrage.’ The American Civil War momentarily interrupted the women’s rights movement, however, the war was also able to secure one of the goals of the abolitionists – the abolition of slavery. As soon as the war ended, the women again persisted in the cries for equal opportunities and equal rights. T hey believed that since efforts were also being made to grant black men their votes, they too should be granted the same right to vote. These hopes would however be dashed as their persistence was apparently falling on deaf ears. They were continually being turned down and suppressed in their fight for equal rights. As a result, the women’s movement was split and became less effective in the years that would follow. In 1868, women’s rights to vote became even more endangered when the