.

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Questionnaire for Mcd

We are currently conducting a research on ethics of McDonald’s advertisement. We are surveying on the opinions of college students towards the ethics of McDonald’s advertisement. Are they really advertising their fast food ethically? Your response and feedback will be much appreciated. It will take 5 minutes to complete this questionnaire. Gender: Age: _20_ {draw:rect} {draw:rect} Male Female Which faculty do you study in? {draw:rect} {draw:rect} {draw:rect} {draw:rect} Business Engineering Biomedical Law How often do you eat McDonald’s fast food every month? draw:rect} {draw:rect} {draw:rect} Seldom 1-3 times > 3 times What do you think about the taste of McDonald’s food? {draw:rect} {draw:rect} {draw:rect} Not tasty Tasty Very tasty Do you think that McDonald’s food is as tasty and attractive looking as shown in their advertisements? {draw:rect} {draw:rect} Yes No Do you think that McDonald’s advertisements are affecting kids to eat more fa st food? {draw:rect} {draw:rect} Yes No Do you think that McDonald’s food is as healthy as advertised? draw:rect} {draw:rect} Yes No Do you think that the information provided about the food by McDonald’s is complete and true? {draw:rect} {draw:rect} Yes No What factor makes you eat McDonald’s food? {draw:rect} {draw:rect} {draw:rect} {draw:rect} Taste Advertisement/ Promotion Price Time saving Do you agree that McDonald’s advertisement has caused people to eat more and become more obese? {draw:rect} {draw:rect} Yes No Does the advertisement or promotion made by McDonald’s make you consume more McDonald’s fast food? draw:rect} {draw:rect} Yes No Do you think that McDonalds should put complete information about the nutrition in the food prepared in the advertisement? {draw:rect} {draw:rect} Yes No Consider this scenario: You are the sales manager of McDonald’s and you have to make a decision in a meeting with colleagues to decide on th e advertising plans for McDonald’s. Your colleagues suggested that you should advertise McDonald’s food as healthy as the society now is getting more conscious of health issues. However, you know that McDonald’s food is not the ideal healthy food. What would you do? {draw:rect} Advertise McDonald’s food as healthy and earn more profits in order to get a higher commission. {draw:rect} Gives full information about McDonald’s food and risk your job as a sales manager because it may affect the sales. When you buy burger from McDonald’s, does it exactly look like how it is advertised? {draw:rect} {draw:rect} Yes No If no, do you feel that you are misled by the advertisement? {draw:rect} {draw:rect} Yes No

Errors of Attribution

With reference to research discuss two errors in attributions. (22 marks) The Attribution Theory is a concept of social psychology that makes reference to how individuals feel the need to provide ‘cause to the events around us’. Fritz Heider first proposed the theory ‘The Psychology of Interpersonal Relations (1958), which was later developed by others such as Harold Kelley and Bernard Weiner. The developed definition of this theory refers to the role of our minds in relation to our social behaviour. There are two main categories within this particular theory, Situational factors, which refer to how one’s environment and external circumstances can influence an individual, whilst Dispositional factors refer to our personality and our traits, factors that are to do with us as people. The Self- Serving Bias focuses on the way in which we as individuals tend to associate successes with our internal ability and characteristics and equating failures to external factors. The reason that this is seen as a common human tendency is because people acknowledge success as a way of positively influencing their self-esteem levels. This bias can affect our opportunities to learn from our mistakes and improve- by refusing to accept responsibility for our failures, our skill levels remain unchanged. Although this bias can be recognized in people throughout modern day society, Lewinsohn et al (1980) proposed that the bias will have the complete opposite effect on people who have a low self esteem or see themselves in a negative light. All successes are seen as luck rather than ability, whilst failures are seen as dispositional factors, generally seeing stupidity as the sole factor for their mistakes. Ironically, Lewinsohn suggests that depressed individuals will see themselves more realistically, making more practical attributions about their personality than a ‘normal’ person will. A study that was carried out by Johnson (1964), demonstrated a Self Serving Bias through teaching. Participants (psychology students) taught two children how to multiply numbers by 10 and 20. The study was done in two phases through a one-way intercom. The first phase was to teach them how to multiply by 10, the second, by 20. After each phase, the participants were able to access the worksheets that the children used and were told to evaluate the children’s progress. The worksheets had been constructed in such a way that pupil A gave the correct answers in both worksheets, and depending on the circumstance, pupil B either did badly in both worksheets, or did badly for the first and improved in the second. The participants were therefore asked to assess their teaching abilities based on the pupils’ results. What Johnson found was that in the situation where pupil B improved, the participant saw this improvement as an indication of their abilities as teachers. When pupil B did not improve, the participants blamed the failure on the pupil’s lack of ability. Wolosin, Sherman and Till (1973) is another classic example of a study examining the self-serving bias. Participants in this study partook in a decision-making activity, in which they chose geographical locations where they believed they were most likely to meet a friend. In the first phase, the participant was performing the task whilst co-operating with another individual. The second phase consisted of the participant competing against the individual. After these two experiments were completed, the participants were given feedback. In the co-operative phase, the participant assumed more responsibility when they received positive comments, in contrast with the participants who received negative or neutral feedback. This again reiterates the point that individuals will exhibit self-biased attributions, whilst in circumstances of failure; they will provide situational factors for their lack of success. Although there is evidence to support this error of attribution, there are also contradictions to the theory. Zuckerman (1979) argued that this bias depends on our desire to maintain our self-esteem. He reasons that it we attribute our successes to dispositional factors it improves our self-esteem, whilst if we deny responsibility to failure, we are protecting our self-esteem, therefore suggesting that it all depends on the individual. Cross-cultural examination also shows that the bias is consistent. Heine (1999) and Kashima & Triandis (1986) used studies to support the theory. They found that in collectivistic cultures such as Japan, members are far less likely to attribute success to dispositional factors compared to individualistic cultures such as the US or the UK. Kashima & Triandis found that when Japanese and American participants were asked to remember slides from unfamiliar countries, Americans tended to attribute success towards their ability, whilst the Japanese attributed failure to lack of ability. This study therefore shows that there is definitely a link between maintenance of self-esteem and self-serving bias, in individualistic cultures. Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE) refers to the tendency for individuals to view behaviour as a significant factor. Therefore, we tend to overestimate dispositional factors and underestimate situational factors when attempting to explain behaviour in a member of society. The reason for this attribution error, is because generally, we focus more on the individual in the specific situation, which leads to us making judgments and decisions relating to their personality- internal attributions, simply because we do not have enough information on their character to make a balanced assessment. Lee Ross first introduced this term in 1977 defining it as ‘The tendency to underestimate the importance of situational determinants and overestimate the degree to which actions and outcomes reflect the actor’s dispositions. Napolitan and Goethals (1979) examined the theory by asking student participants to talk individually to a woman told to behave either aloof and critical or friendly and warm. The first batch of participants were told that she was acting spontaneously, whilst the other half was told that she was instructed to behave in a certain way towards them. Interestingly, the knowledge of her instructions versus spontaneity had no effect on the participants, all of whom attributed her behaviour to internal dispositional factors rather than situational. Another classic demonstration of the study was by Jones and Harris (1967). They hypothesized that people would attribute apparently free-chosen behaviour to disposition and instructed behaviour to situational factors. This was investigated by asking participants to read a series of Fidel Castro essays, some of which were pro and others were anti Fidel Castro. After reading these essays, the subjects were asked to rate the attitudes of the writers. When the subjects believed that the writers had chosen freely on their position on Castro, the participants naturally assumed that the essays reflected the genuine attitude towards Castro. However, even when the subjects were told that the writers had no choice, they still believed that the essays reflected their actual views on Castro. This supports the error of attribution because despite the fact that the participants knew that the writers were heavily constrained by the situation, the subjects still chose to attribute their views to dispositional factors. Cultural variance may affect the Fundamental Attribution Error, as members from individualistic culture have a higher tendency to commit this error compared to members from a collectivistic ulture that are less prone to it. Miller (1984) supports this argument as he found that children from western cultures make dispositional attributions whilst children from India make situational attributions, particularly when explaining the actions of someone who has done wrong. Moghaddam (1998) also stated that the FAE was due to ‘pervasive individualism' of modern western culture. Reference: http://education. calumet. purdue. edu/vockell/edPsybook/Edpsy5/edpsy5_attribution. htm http://changingminds. org/explanations/theories/attribution_theory. tm http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Attribution_(psychology) http://changingminds. org/explanations/theories/fundamental_attribution_error. htm http://changingminds. org/explanations/theories/self-serving_bias. htm http://ibpsychologynotes. files. wordpress. com/2011/02/04-discuss-two-errors-in-attributions. pdf http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Fundamental_attribution_error http://ion. uwinnipeg. ca/~clark/teach/1000-050/Ch18-social. pdf http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Self-serving_bias http://www. psychwiki. com/wiki/Self-serving_bias

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

The Forever Changing Events of the 1950’s -1990’s

The Forever changing Events of the 1950’s -1990’s Throughout the last fifty years there are many events that significantly shaped who we are today and changed America’s future greatly. Throughout these decades the American experience has greatly varied. There were several wars such as the Cold War, Vietnam War, and the Gulf War all which took its own toll on the American people and their economy. The civil rights movement, protest, and demonstrations throughout the decades were validated by the impact they left. Through the various presidents we witnessed many scandals and terminologies that remain and affect America today. McCarthyism, Cold War Ideology, Eisenhower’s politics, The New Frontier, and Reaganomics will stick with the American people forever. These are chain of events that constantly shaped our country for what it is today. This paper will hit on a few of these events that had the most powerful effects on the American People and the economy. McCarthyism/ â€Å"The Red Scare† of The1950’s Cold War ideology crystallized after the end of World War II. After World WarII, Americans began to be very afraid of communists taking over the United States. American referred to communist as â€Å"reds† this symbolized the communist as worse than urderers. At one point during World War II the United States had an alliance with Russia and Britain; however that alliance ended as America began to rebuild and Europe continued to struggle. A power struggle known as the Cold War began between the United States and Russia creating more fear in the American people of communism. Americ ans became more and more suspicious of the Soviets; Americans thought being associated with the communist were as bad as being one yourself. The fear and concern p. 2 The Forever changing Events of the 1950’s -1990’s rose amongst the Americans fro communism which caused mass suspicion. The Truman doctrine was put into place by President Truman. The doctrine enforced loyalty against communism. Many were being accused of being connected to communism or communist with no real evidence, in that came the Red Scare. The Red Scare or McCarthyism Era is a termed used to describe anti-communism era of the 50’s which was named after Joseph McCarthy. He was a former U. S. Senator who used the public’s fears against communism to gain political standing. He claimed to have a list of suspected communists. He accused many in and out of governmental positions of being communist or having commingled ith communist. There was and is no real evidence to base his claims. This caused a great deal of miss trust for the American people and the government and caused a great deal of social issues. The senate held hearings and along with McCarthy and the HAUC many were black listed. McCarthyism had a major hand in the change in feelings America had about both politics and socie ty. The Civil Rights Movements of the 1960’s In the 1960’s racial challenges was discouraging and overtaking the society. The African Americans bore the antagonistic reaction to the economy and were racially segregated in every way from society. Their civil rights were violated and were not part of the national agenda for change. The African American race was usually referred to as â€Å"Negro† or â€Å"Colored. † The Civil rights of the 1960’s came with a high price. In spite of The Declaration of Independence which states â€Å"All men are created equal† the injustice that the African Americans endured was one that wasn’t easily spoken out about. There were risk that took place in standing up for their right, many gave everything they had p. The Forever changing Events of the 1950’s -1990’s and lost everything, if not their lives. They endured and stayed committed to change this injustice. In effort to build a coalition for racial equality many of races and creed gave up their place in society and thousands lost their lives. There were strong black men and women that played key figures in the Civil rights movement they were Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Emm ett Till, and Dorothy Height. In 1967 The Detroit Riot took place because police raided a local illegal drinking hole for African Americans. In The 1963 March on Washington there was an estimated 250,000 people who gathered for a peaceful demonstration to promote Civil Rights and economic equality for African Americans. This is where Dr. Martin Luther King gave his famous â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech took place. During the civil rights movement many demonstrations, protest, and riots took place and was successful in the coalition for racial equality. The Watergate Scandal of 1970’s The 60’s were full of chaos many thought that the chaos of the war and the social changes made would carry on into the 70’s. The Vietnam War continued to divide the ountry. It was at war that many contested and by the early 70’s many of the American people views were begining to change. Daniel Ellsberg turned over secret Pentagon reports to new paper. President Nixon could not stop the publications of these pentagon papers and it infuriated him. President Nixon had a group who were called the â€Å"Plumbersâ €  because they fixed the leaks in The Whitehouse. They set out to discredit Ellsberg and with a job well done they were assigned a new job. They were in charge of derailing the democratic ticket. The Plumbers broke into the Democratic National . 4 The Forever changing Events of the 1950’s -1990’s Committee and bugged the office. A security guard spotted the men and called the police. The Plumbers were apprehended. All of this was going on while President Nixon was seeking his second term as President. President Nixon was re-elected by a landslide. As the time passed and the break in was investigated it was traced back to the officials of the CREEP, which was the committee to re-elect the president. President Nixon denied any involvement to the break ins. The president was forced to turn recordings which directly ndicated him and that he tried to cover the entire thing up. The break in’s became known as the Watergate Scandal. Watergate was known for the fall of President Richard Nixon. In 1974 the courts named President Nixon as a co-conspirator in the obstruction of justice over the Watergate matter scandal. President Nixon feared impeachment and on August 8, 1974 he announced his resignation. 1980’s Reaganomics In the 1980 Ronald Reagan was elected president during what was considered the worst recession since the great deppression . He came in with a plan to fix the deficit introducing The Economic Recovery Act. This plan would restore the economy over and within the next three years. President Reagan truly believed that economy needed awakening. In the Economic Recovery Act the income bracket would receive a twenty five percent tax cut, breaking down to five percent the first year and ten percent the next two years. Many American felt as though the president was favoring the upper class by cutting the top rated tax by twenty percent yearly. Through the recovery act wealthy people could grow more wealth and create more business’s therefore stimulating the economy. By creating more business’s it would in turn create more jobs and drive the p. 5 The Forever changing Events of the 1950’s -1990’s prices down. Reagan's Economy Recovery Act was passed on July 29, 1981 it did boost the economy but failed at repairing the deficit. Unemployment and poverty was on the rise, the president had taken a huge chance with the tax cut, and it was the largest tax cut ever. His theory was based on supply-side economics. Today we know it as â€Å"Reaganomics† Unfortunately President Reagan did not understand that in order for the tax cut to work spending would have to be cut. Budgets were cut but do to the high amount President Reagan spent on military issues the budget did not balance out. Reagan's Economy Recovery Act affected Americans in many ways good and bad. The people who benefited most from the tax cut were the wealthy. They seemed to becoming wealthier. The Lower income/poverty Americans had more trouble getting ahead. It is all depending on what side of the economy you were on to say if â€Å"reaganomics† worked or not. 90’s The Gulf War After serving as Vice President under President Ronald Reagan, President George W. Bush became president in 1988. President Bush faced a world that was drasticly changing, after forty years the cold war had come to an end,The Berlin wall came down, and the communist empire was no longer. The hardest challenge President Bush was to face was when Iraq invaded Kuwait. On August 2, 1990 Iraqi President Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait one of the major oil producing countries in the Middle East. He was also threatining to move into Saudi Arabia. Americans were in fear because without receiving oil from Kuwait the prices would sky rocket. Iraq’s invasion came about after p. 6 The Forever changing Events of the 1950’s -1990’s Kuwait lowered the world price for oil production by increasing it’s own oil production. Iraq was in debt to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and with low world prices on oil production Iraq would never be able to pay off their debt. President Bush called upon the United Nations and operation Desert storm began. America sent 40,000 troops and 118,000 troops from allied nations. The United nations also sent a quarter of a million soilders to Saudi Arabia also known as Operation Dessert Shield. These troops were mostly Americans and sent to protect Saudi Arabia. Suddam Hussien had been highly trained in chemical war fare and was makin and testing chemical warfare wweapns of mass destruction. Suddam was testing these weapons on his own people and the American troops found and destroyed these weapons. Operation Desert Storm eventually conquard Iraq’s million-man army. The war lasted exactly 100 hours and 40,000 troops were involved. Many of the soilders came home with what they call Gulf War Syndrome. Democrats protested the war, however it was needed and The President called on all to help. Ultimately Suddam was left in power and refused to allow the United Nations to conduct any and all inspections for chemical weapons of mass destructions. Suddam began harboring terrorist and providing training for them. With his own little terrorist army and a safe place to train the could prepare for retaliation. If you look back on these events from the 1950’s – 1990’s you will see how they shaped America as we know it today. All of these events had a dramatic impact on Americans, and our society socially, economically and politically. We are still very much affected by these and many p. 7 The Forever changing Events of the 1950’s -1990’s other events of these decades. As we go through our own eras and decades much of it seems to be the same, in many ways. Presently we ourselves are going through much of the same obstacles, war, recession, civil rights, unemployment and poverty. We will continue to face these things as we continue to grow as a country. In ten years I believe there will still be the same things effecting America for it seems that history just repeats itself. References Page 1950’s McCarthyism/ â€Å"The Red Scare† was retrieved April 20, 2010 from http://www. eisenhower. utexas. edu/Research/Digital_Documents/McCarthy/Mccarthydocuments. html (2002 )Written by Barbara Mack – Pagewise retrieved from http://www. essortment. com/all/mccarthyismred_rmfw. htm 1960 African American Civil Rights movements of the 1960’s Written by Toonari and retrieved on April 20, 2010 from http://www. africanaonline. com/civil_rights. tm African American Civil Rights movements of the 1960’s retrieved on April 20, 2010 from http://www. pbs. org/wnet/aaworld/timeline/civil_01. html 1970’s The Watergate Scandal (2002) Written by Noell Wolfgram Evans retrieved on April 22, 2010 from http://www. essortment. com/all/watergatescand_reji. htm (2010) The Washington Post Company retrieved on April 22, 2010 f rom http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-srv/politics/special/watergate/ 1980 Reaganomics (April 1996), Christopher Frenze Chief Economist to the Vice-Chairman retrieved on April 22, 2010 from http://www. house. ov/jec/fiscal/tx-grwth/reagtxct/reagtxct. htm (1979-89)Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. â€Å"Chronology of Ronald Reagan’s Presidency, 1979-89. † retrieved on April 22, 2010 from http://www. reagan. utexas. edu/archives/reference/preschrono. html (accessed 18 May 2005) 1990’s President Bush and the Gulf war was retrieved on April 21, 2010 from http://www. whitehouse. gov/about/presidents/georgehwbush (January 17, 2001) A National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book Edited by Jeffrey T. Richelson retrieved on April 22, 2010 from http://www. gwu. edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB39/

Monday, July 29, 2019

History, development, and use of color in digital media Research Paper

History, development, and use of color in digital media - Research Paper Example 116). By combining two primary colors, it is possible for us to produce a secondary color. For instance: Mixing blue and yellow will create green whereas red and yellow will create orange. By mixing side-by-side colors that are presented in the color wheel, we create another color that is ‘in-between’ colors (Golombisky and Hagen, p.117). For example: Mixing red and orange will create reddish orange whereas blue and green will create bluish green. Color presented on the screen is totally different from the color that may come out in prints when using multimedia. Reddish color in screen may turn pink in prints because the screen color adopts â€Å"additive process† whereas printers use â€Å"subtractive process† (Golombisky and Hagen, p. 121). To produce high quality commercial printing, cyan has to be combined with magenta, yellow and black (CYMK) (Golombisky and Hagen, p. 123). For colors viewed electronically, light has to be added in order to produce color on electronic screens to create more attractive color output. (See Appendix I – Sample Image on page 4) Based on Hering’s opponent-process theory of color vision, the human eyes have three types of color receptors including red, green, and blue-violet. Since each type of color receptors has opposing receptors like black and white, some people may be sensitive to color red and/or green whereas others may be sensitive to blue and/or yellow (Nevid, pp. 96 – 97). Therefore, balancing of color is needed to avoid eyes sensitivity to a particular color. Light and color are two interrelated subjects in the sense that the presence of light is necessary to enable the human eyes see the different shades of color which is then perceived by the brain. In the absence of light, the human eyes will not be able to perceive any color but darkness. Among the different kinds of light includes: natural light, LED, fluorescent light, carbon

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Of Pandas, People, and Propaganda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Of Pandas, People, and Propaganda - Essay Example This holds that the acquisition of knowledge can be explained by justified true belief. Justified true belief was defined by Plato in his work Theatetus. This says that in order for anyone to truly know a thing, that thing: must be true; we must believe it; and there must be sufficient evidence for it (i.e., it must be justified). "If a belief is justified, there is something which justifies it. The thing which justifies a belief can be called its justifier. If a belief is justified, then it has at least one justifier What sort of thing can be a justifier Three things that have been suggested are: beliefs only; beliefs together with other conscious mental states; and beliefs, conscious mental states, and other facts about us and our environment (which we may not have access to)" (Answers.com, 2005). Gettier posed the question: "Is justified true belief knowledge" In his paper, Gettier set forth conundrums which he believed demonstrated a fallacy with justification of belief into know ledge. d. Jones is the man who will get the job, and Jones has ten coins in his pocket. Smith's evidence for (d) might be that the president of the company assured him that Jones would in the end be selected, and that he, Smith, had counted the coins in Jones's pocket ten minutes ago. Proposition (d) entails: Let us e. The man who will get the job has ten coins in his pocket. Let us suppose that Smith sees the entailment from (d) to (e), and accepts (e) on the grounds of (d), for which he has strong evidence. In this case, Smith is clearly justified in believing that (e) is true. But imagine, further, that unknown to Smith, he himself, not Jones, will get the job. And, also, unknown to Smith, he himself has ten coins in his pocket. Proposition (e) is then true, though proposition (d), from which Smith inferred (e), is false. In our example, then, all of the following are true: (i) (e) is true, (ii) Smith believes that (e) is true, and (iii) Smith is justified in believing that (e) is true. But it is equally clear that Smith does not know that (e) is true; for (e) is true in virtue of the number of coins in Smith's pocket, while Smith does not know how many coins are in Smith's pocket, and bases his belief in (e) on a count of the coins in Jones's pocket, whom he falsely believes to be the man who will get the job" (Gettier, 1963). Gettier demonstrated that knowledge is not acquired as simply or straight-forwardly as philosophers had assumed for over 2000 years. Factual knowledge is not as simple or self-evident as it so often seems to be. Thus, the process of learning cannot be taken for granted. Questions about learning and the acquisition of knowledge need to be posed that can apply to all disciplines, including the natural and social sciences, history, the arts, mathematics, and language. Definitive answers are hard to come by. "'What is Truth' said jesting Pilate, and would not stay for an answer," wrote Francis Bacon in his Of Truth, Essays or Counsels Civil and Moral (Theory of Knowledge, 2005). Philosophers have studied the topic of epistemology ever since the time of Plato. Several different theories of the learning process have gained hold in Western

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Please read the assigemnet and answer it Assignment

Please read the assigemnet and answer it - Assignment Example From experience, a basic structure made of unfinished cypress does not describe sophistication. A reader with such a prior schema finds it impossible to value the full splendor of the construction, unless he is convinced otherwise. Another way of looking at the passage is from the general knowledge point of view. Japanese culture is known to be rich. This ranges from their food, culture to dressing code. A person under the influence of such knowledge is thus sure to take Ise as one of the most incredible artworks in history of constructions. Idealized schema, otherwise known as prototypes will also inform the way one reacts or looks at the Ise as a cultural pillar. This is a generalized schema. A reader who expects changes that come about as a result of war, will readily believe the claims that the war lords took the structure of Ise into the national limelight. War lords usually exercise a lot of authority over their subjects, and are likely to take the structure architecture without the consent of its designers. There will be a variety of sentiments over the passage, depending on what schema informs the reader (Martin, 26). Not all readers will agree with the claims presented in the excerpt and not all will refute the

Friday, July 26, 2019

The Performance of the U.S. Economy Today Essay

The Performance of the U.S. Economy Today - Essay Example The main reason for the slow economic growth of the economy is lack of responsibility and initiatives taken by the government in reducing the expenditure. While considering the GDP rate of the country it is experienced that the overall economy should be rated as B grade. The rate of GDP decreased during the first quarter, it decreased to 0.2 and then it recovered in the second and the third quarter. The decrease in the oil prices facilitated the people to spend more which mainly accounts for two third of the gross domestic product. The government took initiatives in raising the GDP of the economy by reducing the total government spending which includes local, state and federal expenditure. The spending decreased from 39% to 35%.The decline in government spending led to the increase in GDP. The main reason behind grading the economy as B is that the economy is not performing effectively and efficiently, the corporations and the owners of the company or the businessman have become greedy, cautious and myopic. The investors instead of holding the cash for future they are engaged in hoarding the cash and utilizing the cash for short term profitability (Collins, 2015). The export and import function of the economy did not prosper. After the recovery of the financial crisis it is observed that the changes in case of both export and import are comparatively less. This resulted in the increase of trade deficit. The FED justified and explained that the labor and the market condition of the economy are improving as compared to the previous years. Although the number of investors increased during the period of recession but the amount of investment by the investors are decreasing with the due course of time. Therefore the level of investment failed to contribute towards the growth of the economy. The consumer spending is mainly measured in

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Politcal Science 240 Comparision Report Canada Essay

Politcal Science 240 Comparision Report Canada - Essay Example hough the Aboriginal people originally inhabited the country, the eastern region Canada was a French settlement for more than a century before the white man discovered it. In the late eighteenth and nineteenth century, the country received most of its immigrants from Britain and the United States where some of the people who settled from the US were called Loyalists since they were loyal to the interests of the British. By the late 1800, the country had a countrywide railway system that was able to transport settlers who had European origins and most of these settlers were the underprivileged or those running away from religious or political persecution. Nonetheless, particular groups of immigrants, such as the Jewish were subsequently denied entry into Canada during the consequent world wars as well as the Great Depression. However, since the late sixties, a greater part of the country has developed more tolerance in accepting more political refugees and immigrants from different countries all over the globe. Canada experienced a return of prosperity after World War Two as a result of the continued Liberal governments that allowed national policies to address social welfare such as universal health care, pensions for the older members of the population as well as for the veterans. The financial crisis associated with the Great Depression, along with the extensive corruption in the country, had resulted I the people of Newfoundland relinquishing responsible government 1n1934 making the country a crown colony under the rule of a British governor. Success was restored when the United States military came in with more than ten thousand soldiers together with massive investments in various bases. Popular sentiments started to favour the United States and this alarmed the Canadian government, which wanted the Newfoundland to enter into a confederation rather than joining the United States. In 1948, the people of Newfoundland were given three referendum choices by the

Women and Self-Esteem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Women and Self-Esteem - Essay Example Other researchers are in line with the current findings that the more affirmed women feel by their fathers, the greater their self-esteem. In addition, perceived affirmation by the father goes in hand with feeling less fearful of intimate relationships. The need to uphold the relationship between perceived fatherly affirmation and fear of intimacy as noted in the current study by partializing the effect of self-esteem on the variables is significant. Even though it contradicts Naus and Thesis, 1994 study on males, the finding is appropriate. In addition, feeling affirmed with one’s father and feeling comfortable with one’s sexuality cannot be separated. I will include the perception of father’s feeling towards and treatment of one’s mother as an exploratory variable. Such inclusion is significant as it showed a high correlation with some of the other variables in the studies. Especially, it correlated with the perceived fatherly affirmation and fear of intimacy and thus will culminate in women developing self-esteem during the counselling. Tanya S. Scheffler and Peter J. Naus, (1999). The Relationship Between Fatherly Affirmation And A Womans Self-Esteem, Fear Of Intimacy, Comfort With Womanhood And Comfort With Sexuality. University Of St. Jeromes College. Waterloo, Ontario. The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, Vol. 8(1). Spring, P.

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Systematizing Tantric Practices in Japanese Buddhism Essay

Systematizing Tantric Practices in Japanese Buddhism - Essay Example This recitation was passed down as an oral tradition until the first century BCE when the Pali Canon was first recorded in Sri Lanka. The various schools of Buddhist thought were broadly categorized as the Southern school and the Northern school. The Southern schools also referred to the Theravadin schools, relating to the Individual Vehicle or Hinayana and prevalent more in Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand. The Northern Schools corresponded to the Universal Vehicle or Mahayana and developed in and spread to China, Japan, Mongolia and Tibet. In the Mahayana there is the Perfection Vehicle or Paramitayana, which is also known as the sutra system and the Adamantine Vehicle or Vajrayana. Vajrayana is also known as Tantrayana through practice of the four classes of tantras which are 1) Action or Kriya, 2) Performance or Carya, 3) Yoga or Anuttara and 4) Mahaanuttara or Highest Yoga tantra. To some extent, Japanese Buddhism can be thought of as a series of imports from China. The arrival of Buddhism in Japan has three main characteristics. Firstly, it did not come to Japan on a popular level, but was only accepted by the imperial court and then disseminated in the country from the top. Secondly, Buddhism was often associated with magic powers, and was used by the court as a means of preventing or curing disease, bringing rain and abundant crops etc. Thirdly, Buddhism did not replace the indigenous kami, but always recognized their existence and power. Nara Period. The initial period, later known as the Nara period, saw the introduction onto Japanese soil of the six great Chinese schools, including the Hua-Yen and Lu, which became respectively the Kegon and Ritsu in Japanese. However, the Buddhism of this early period was not a practical religion, being more the domain of learned priests. This led to the growth of "people's priests" Their practice was a combination of Buddhist and Taoist elements, and the incorporation of shamanistic features of the indigenous religion. Heian Period (794-1185). The comprehensive syntheses of the Chinese doctrine by Saicho and Kukai, two systems of teaching and practice were created. Saicho founded the Tendai School, whose essential doctrine was the teaching in the Lotus Sutra that the possibility of salvation is given to all. Kukai propounded a doctrine known as the True Word, Shingon. Esoteric practices were very influential to the point that they dominated the Heian period. Kamakura Period (1185-1333) The Tendai and Shingon schools declined, and more earthy democratic movements such as Zen and the devotional schools advanced. The first of the three great traditions of Kamakura Buddhism was the doctrine of the Pure Land. Genku (1133-1212), better known as Honen concentrated on an intensified religious feeling which found expression in the simple invocation of the name Namu-Amida-Butsu, stamped by unshakeable faith in rebirth into Amida's paradise. Honen's successor, Shinran-Shonin (1173-1262) founded the True Sect of the Pure Land, Jodo-shinshu. He explained that the doctrine, practice, belief and realization are all given by Amida Buddha and that nothing depends on one's "own power" (jiriki). Instead, everything depends on the "power of

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Symbolism in Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward Essay

Symbolism in Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward - Essay Example The greatest symbolism that the reader finds in the novel is Esch’s body. Esch is the eldest sister of her siblings. She gets pregnant with Manny’s child, and the reader finds that she views the world though her bodily existence. She wants to touch the world, see it, hear it, taste it, and smell it, in order to love it. The bodily existence of everything is important to her. She says, â€Å"For though I’m small, I know many things/ And my body is an endless eye/ Through which, unfortunately, I see everything† (Ward 66). Esch calls her body an endless eye, with which she sees hunger, poverty, dog fights, devastation, accidents, thefts, and finally, the Hurricane. She has seen how it is being motherless, and now she is experiencing the pregnancy from a man who has fallen in love with another woman. So, her body has also made her seen un-faithfulness from somebody she loved. She describes her brother’s muscles, dogfights, and hunger in such a descripti ve language that the reader feels as if he is seeing over her shoulders into her world. The reader finds that Esch narrates about her world through instinctive vision, making a blend of what she sees around her and her instinctive thoughts, and describes that blend through symbolic, evocative language. The reader finds metaphors in Esch’s language, sometimes so beautifully expressed through simple similes and symbolism that the attention of reader goes beyond Esch’s description of her bodily experiences of her world, and reaches out to Ward’s wonderful handling of figurative language. We read: â€Å"Manny threw a basketball from hand to hand. Seeing him broke the cocoon of my rib cage, and my heart unfurled to fly† (Ward 5), where Esch describes her rib cage as a cocoon, and describes her heart flying. Beautiful symbolism again comes across when we read: â€Å"Manny’s face was smooth and only his body spoke: his muscles jabbered like chickens† (Ward 11). Again, we read about the living expressions of a body, where Manny’s body is shown speaking about his condition when his face remained calm. The muscles’ jabbering like chickens is again a beautiful example of symbolism-cum-metaphor. Ward writes, â€Å"†¦her skin was dark as the reaching oak trees† (22), and â€Å"†¦until his legs turn to noodles and he is sliding down Randall like a pole† (43), which are beautiful expressions of her crafting of symbolism, metaphors, and similes in her novel. So, we see that metaphorical language can be found more often throughout the novel, like when Ward writes: â€Å"We fall into a pace. My face feels tight and hot, and the air coming into my nose feels like water. I am swimming through the air† (66). The beautiful use of symbolism shows itself when the reader reads about China, Skeetah’s dog. We see China tending its puppies like a mother, making us remember the children’s mother, who used to tend the family until Junior was born. Esch talks about her mother when she would cook and bake for them. Esch’s description of her mother’s chores around the house makes the reader think that the past was more civilized than the present. So, the presence of China tending her puppies is a symbol of motherhood. Esch supporting the provision of resources to the puppies is a symbol of her abilities as a mother, since she is pregnant and tries to compare her feeling and situation with that of

Monday, July 22, 2019

Customer perspectives revisited Essay Example for Free

Customer perspectives revisited Essay When a business loses the drive to pursue and retain customers, it loses its soul and therefore the right to exist. No business can function, thrive or prosper without a reliable customer base. In the customer perspective theory BSC makes it clear that it is not only essential to know who the target customers are and how a business can better serve that customer base. The BSC identifies three primary ways of providing services to customers in the Balance scorecard system. Operational excellence emphasizes low prices, and convenience ( Nevin 2003). Product leadership focuses on providing the  best product in the market. In customer intimacy the business stresses the development of long term relationships with the customer, doing whatever is necessary to know what it is that the customer truly wants. It does so while maintaining as much knowledge as possible of its customers. The reason for these efforts in acquiring superior customer knowledge comes down to the point that the businesses are attempting to provide as much satisfaction to the customers as possible. The other reasons include customer loyalty and the need for more market share. (Balancedscorecard. org. ) INTERNAL PROCESS PERSPECTIVE REVISITED: This area focuses on identification of the things that would need to be done in order to continue to add value to the customers and ultimately to the shareholders (Nevin 2003). The internal process aims to serve the customer and increase the total value of the organization, as well as keep record of the companies progress. The team’s objective is primarily to develop better products, to find better ways of manufacturing better products. To find better ways of delivering their products, and to find better ways of delivering better services after the products had been delivered. LEARNING AND GROWTH PERSPECTIVE REVISITED: This may actually be the most important aspect of the entire process. Organizations would get as far as their employees could take them. A team that lacks knowledge may not be able to provide the necessary services required by the customers. Therefore genuine effort must be made to keep employees abreast of necessary information. And that is what the learning and growth perspective tries to define. It emphasizes that information be made available to the employees. It requires the employees skills be as sharp as necessary. It does not want employees to be ignored. Again the key here is that any organization would only go as far as the employees could take it. With adequate care and education, employees can only do better for the company. It is important to point out that the BSC system does not ignore the financial perspective. But the key is that when a company has satisfied the other objectives, that company stand a pretty good chance of doing well financially. BALANCE SCORECARD AS A STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: Obviously putting a business and management strategy is important, but no strategy will function if it does not actually get implemented. So the first step in resolving the  issue of non-implementation, is to identify what the potential problems towards implementation may be, and then address those issues. According to fortune magazine (1999) about 70% of strategies are poorly executed, so how can it be executed better. Both the team and the management must pay attention to the four barriers: the vision barrier, the people barrier, the resource barrier, and the management barrier. (1) VISION BARRIER: To overcome the vision barrier, employees must not be kept in the dark. The BSC wants management to be very clear as to what the vision is. When possible place a figure on the  vision . For instance if the goal is to manufacture products without defects 90 % of the time, then it may be made clearer by stating exactly that. That figure of 90% translates the vision to a level that could not be misunderstood. Give the employees the appropriate knowledge base and strategic structure, that makes the entire strategic objective easier to follow. Management should facilitate a total understanding of the strategy and the whole structure in order to enable all the team members to fully understand the strategy and therefore work towards achieving it as a unit. (Kaplan Norton).

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Project management methodology

Project management methodology An Insight into Project Methodology PRINCE2 (20-Mar-2010) PRINCE is a project Management methodology that expands into projects in controlled Environments. It is a registered trademark belonging to the Office of the Government Commerce (OGC). OGC is an autonomous office of HM Treasury of the United Kingdom. The second major version was released in 1996 as PRINCE2 and has now become a popular standard for project management in the UK. The latest version was released in June 2009 under the name of â€Å"PRINCE2:2009 Refresh†. There are two manuals associated with this version. They are ‘Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2 2009 Edition and ‘Directing Successful Projects with PRINCE2 2009 Edition. The main advantages pertaining to PRINCE2 is the technique of structured approach it provides to project management. It says that a project should have an organized and controlled start, an organized and controlled middle and an organized and controlled end. Basically it implies that things have to be organized and planned before initiation, continue to be organized and controlled and when the project delivers the desired outcome and is completed any loose ends should be tidied up. The PRINCE2 2009 gives definition to 40 separate activities and these are further organized into seven processes. Directing a project is a process that spans from project initiation to closure. This process is managed by the Project Board. The key processes for the Project Board consists of Initiation, Stage Boundaries, providing Ad hoc direction and Project closure. Starting up a Project (SU) is the first process in PRINCE2. It is to make certain that the pre-requisites for initiating the project are prepared. The work done in this process ensures that the information essential for the project team is on hand, the Project Management team is appointed and the Initiation Stage plan is formed. Some of the objectives of Initiating a project (IP) are to decide on the sufficiency of justification to proceed with the project, establishing a stable management basis, Confirmation of Acceptable Business Case, Agreeing on the commitment of resources, Project board taking ownership of the project and ensuring that time and effort are invested wisely. Managing Stage Boundaries (MSB) is process that focuses on providing the Project Board with key decision points such as assurance on the deliverables status, providing information to assess and approve current stage and authorize the continuance into the next stage and record measurements that can serve at a later stage. Controlling a Stage (CS) is a process wherein the Project Manager manages and controls the stage by handling day-to-day management activities. For all the stages activities like authorization of work, gathering information about progress, monitoring changes and reviewing the situation, reporting and taking corrective action are all part of the process. Risk management and Change control being imperative, are on-going integrated inclusions. The main objective of Managing a Product Delivery (MP) is to ensure that planned products are created and delivered as per requirements and quality. The process also ensures on obtain of necessary approvals and assessment of forecasts and work progress. The purpose of the process, Closing a project (CP) is to execute a systematic and controlled closure. The chief work goes towards preparation of input to the Project Board on getting acceptance of closure. The activities consist of checking the extent to which project objectives were met, confirming customer satisfaction and receiving formal acceptance and confirm on the maintenance and post implementation operations. Following this will be the preparation of Lessons Learned Report if any, Project End report and releasing of resources. Planning (PL) is a repeatable process and an important criterion in all other processes. PRINCE2 has a planning framework that is useful for any type of project. This involves studying the need of products, determining the order of production, defining form and content, deciding the activities that are required for the conception and delivery. The PRINCE2 Project Management Roles require a Project Manager, Customer, User and Supplier and also a Project Board consisting of the Customer and someone on behalf of the User and Supplier. The Project Management Techniques followed take care to providing Project Assurance, Project Support and a way to control the impact of changes. PRINCE2 is a proven method for managing projects, but does not guarantee success as successful projects depends largely upon the quality of the whole team. References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRINCE2 http://www.prince2.com/

The Definition Foster Care Social Work Essay

The Definition Foster Care Social Work Essay New World Enclopedia (2012) defines foster care as full-time substitute care of children outside their own home by people other than their biological or adoptive parents or legal guardians. According to The Adoption Foundation (2012) Foster care means placing a child in the temporary care of a family other than its own as the result of problems or challenges that are taking place within the birth family. Johnson (2004) defines Foster care as a 24-hour substitute care for children placed away from their parents or guardians and for whom the State Agency has placement and care responsibility. To summarise the Foster Care aim is to provide the opportunity to children victims of abuse and/or neglect to live in a substitute family on a temporary basis. The role of the foster parents is to give support to the child and help him to grow physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually. 3.2 History of Foster Care The Children Aid Society (2012) stated that placement of children in foster homes is a concept which goes as far back as the Old Testament, which refers to caring for dependent children as a duty under law. Early Christian church records indicate orphaned children lived with widows who were paid by the church. English Poor Laws in the 1500s allowed the placement of poor children into indentured service until they became adults. This practice was imported to the United States and was the beginning of placing children into foster homes. The most significant record of fostering was in 1853, a child was removed from a workhouse in Cheshire and placed in a foster family under the legal care of the local government. At the beginning of the 1900s only orphaned or abandoned children under the age of 11 years were fostered, and they had to have a demanding psychological profile well adjusted, obedient and physically normal. Jeune Guishard-Pine (2007) identified that in 1969 research was carried out on the foster care system and it was found that foster families required training on how to deal with the foster children and make them fill secure in the placement. 3.3 Foster care as a global concept Johnson (2005) emphasised that foster care is most likely the most widely practised form of substitute care for children world-wide, depending on the needs of the child, the culture and the system in place. According to Askeland (2006) there are many different kinds of fostering and definitions of foster care vary internationally. It can be short -term, a matter of days ,or a child whole childhood. A review of foster care in twenty-two countries found considerable diversity in the way of fostering in both defined and practised. Mannheim (2002) stated that kinship foster care, which is the most common form of fostering in African countries, is not called foster care in all countries. In Ireland for example only children placed with no relatives are said to be fostered. According to Colton William (1995) in some countries foster care is only seen as a temporary arrangement. Johnson (2005) stated that the procedures to be registered as foster parents in different countries such as United Kingdom, Australia, Uganda and South Africa are similar. In some countries foster care programme is managed either by the government or an agency, and each country has their own basic criteria that should be fulfilled, such as; being physically and mentally fit and healthy, having a room for the child ,having time to spend with the child. According to Blatt (2000), the process to be registered as foster families can take approximately six months or more. Individuals who are willing to become foster families must make their applications to the agency. A home study is conducted by a social worker to assess the capability of the applicants for taking care of a child. The assessment form is then forwarded to a panel who gives the approval. 3.4 Placement in Foster care According to (Blatt 2000; Zuravin Deponfilis 1997), children are removed from their homes to protect them from abuses. These children have suffered physical, sexual abuse, or neglect at home, before they are transferred to a secure milieu. Some children are abandoned by their parents or legal guardians, or have parents or legal guardians who are unable to take care of them because they have financial difficulties, some are alcoholics, others are irresponsible. These children are then placed into foster care until the parents or guardians are capable of taking the parental responsibility. Elisa et al (2010), states that in all foster care cases, the childs biological or adoptive parents, or other legal guardians, momentarily gives up legal custody of the child. The guardian gives up custody, but not necessarily legal guardianship. A child may be placed in foster care with the parents agreement. In a clear case of abuse or neglect, a court can order a child into foster care without the parents or guardians consent. Duncan and Shlonsky (2008) emphasizes that before any placement the foster care family is screened by the Government or agency through a psychologist or social worker that assess the foster care families under certain criteria such as emotional stability, motivation, parental skills and financial capabilities. Elisa et al (2010) states that the government provides foster families with an allocation taking in foster children. The foster parents are required to use the funds to buy the childs food, clothing, school supplies, and other incidentals. Most of the foster parents responsibilities toward the foster child are clearly set in legal documents. According to Blatt (2000), foster placements may last for a single day or several weeks; some continue for years. If the parents give up their rights permanently, or their rights to their child are severed by the court, the foster family may adopt the foster child or the child may be placed for adoption by strangers. 3.3.1 The Aim of Foster Care System According to Hayden (1999), the aim of foster care system is to protect and endorse the security of the child, while providing foster parents and biological parents with the sufficient resources and available services needed to maintain the childs healthy development. Foster care environments are proposed to be places of safety and comfort, and are monitored by several welfare agencies, representatives, and caseworkers. Personal caseworkers assigned to a foster child by the state or county are accountable for supervising the placement of the child into an appropriate foster care system or home. The National Conference of State Legislatures (2006), states that the caseworker also carries out regular visits to the foster care family home to monitor progress. Other agents involved in a childs placement into foster care may include private service providers, welfare agencies, insurance agents, psychologists, and substance abuse counselors. 3.3.2 Types of Foster Care Ambrosino et al (2008), emphasis that parents may voluntarily place children into foster care for various reasons. Such foster placements are monitored until the biological family can provide appropriate care for the child, or the biological parental rights are terminated and the child is adopted. Legal Guardianship, is a third option which can be used in cases where the child cannot be reunited with their biological family and adoption is not a suitable option. The Guardianship option most commonly occurs for older children aged 10years old onwards, who are strongly bonded to their biological parents. Geen (2003) mentions that voluntary foster care can be utilised when the parents are unable or unwilling to care of a child; a child may suffer from behavioural or psychological problems and requires specialized treatment. Involuntary foster care is applied when the child is in danger and should be removed from the family to be put in a secure place. (Blatt 2000; Bath 2010;Moe 2007) mention different types of fostering: (i) Foster family home, relative A licensed or unlicensed home of the childs relatives regarded by the state as a foster care living arrangement for the child. (ii) Foster family home, non-relative A licensed foster family home regarded by the state as a foster care living arrangement. (iii)Group home or Institution A group home is a licensed or approved home providing 24-hour care for children in a small group setting that generally has from 7 to twelve children. An Institution is a facility operated by a public or private agency and providing 24-hour care and/or treatment for children who require separation from their own homes and group living experience. These facilities may include child care institutions, residential treatment facilities, or maternity homes. Associated Problems with Foster Care System According to Mannhein (2002) stated that in the United States, placement success rate was 40% and failure rate was 60%.From previous studies carried out, Children and Family Research Center (2004), Proch Taber (1985), there are many associated problems with the foster care system that leads to the removal of the child from the foster care home such as time of placement in the foster care family, characteristics of home, foster parents characteristics and child characteristics. According to a study carried by Mannhein (2002) in the United States, placement success rate was 40% and failure rate was 60%. Fernadez and Bath (2010) states,that foster children face a number of problems both within and outside the foster care system. Foster children are more exposed to neglect, abuse, family dysfunction, poverty, and severe psychological conditions. The trauma caused to a child when removed from their home is also severe and may cause depression, anger, and confusion. Psychological conditions of abused and neglected children are required to improve when placed in foster care, however the separation from their biological parents cause traumatic effect on the child. 3.3.4 Time of Placement in Foster Care family According to Bremner Wachs ( 2010) many studies which has been carried out show that behaviour of the child is the strongest predictor of placement disruption and is one of the main reasons foster parents request removal the children from Foster Families. Newton et al (2000) confirms that children showing sign of behaviours such as disruptive, aggressive or dangerous behaviour in the foster homes are requested to be removed from Foster Families. Zandberg Van der Meulen,(2002) study show that behaviour becomes a critical issue for foster placements for children over the age of 4 years. Webb et al, (2010) states, that children are more prone to experience insecurity in the foster home during the initial phase of placement and the first six months of a placement are crucial as 70 % of removal of foster children occur within this period. According to Whittaker et al (2010) older children experience more placement instability during the initial phase compared to infants and older girls are at the highest risk of placement disruptions than boys. 3.3.5 Characteristics of the Home Berridge Cleaver, (1987) stated that children have difficulty to adapt in foster home when they are placed with other children who are roughly the same age or if they are placed in foster homes where the foster parents have children of their own. Foster Children placed with other children may feel insecure and start competing for affection and materialistic objects eventually this leads to conflicts in the foster care family. 3.3.6 Foster Parent Characteristics According to Walsh Walsh (1990) to deal with a childs problem behaviour is mostly related to the Foster Parents character and sense of understanding. Doelling and Johnson (1990) states that the other most predictive characteristics of foster parents is their goodness of fit with a child including a match temperaments and having a relationship that is described as close. Butler Charles (1999) also state that a mismatch in temperament between a foster parents who is inflexible and a child with negative mood will eventually lead to disruption. Walsh and Walsh (1990) study also shows that for a placement to be successful the foster parents should be motivated, they should accept the child, they should feel the desire to parent the child and they should be motivated by their own childhood experience. According to Fine (1993), Social Support in foster family is important to prevent placement disruption and foster parents who have good relationship with their family and friends are more likely to be successful. 3.3.7 Child Characteristics According to Children and Family Research (2004), the behaviour of a child is closely linked to placement disruptions. As stated by Lindheim Dozier (2007) foster parents do not understand the behavioural problems of the child and finally they request removal of the child from their custody. The behaviour of the child is a result of the child characteristics i.e the background of the child. Foster children are more exposed to neglect, abuse, family dysfunction, poverty, and severe psychological conditions. The trauma caused to a child when removed from their home is also severe and may cause depression, anger, and confusion. Psychological Trauma in Children Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the mind that occurs as a result of a severely distressing experience. When that trauma leads to disorders , damage possibly will involve physical changes inside the brain and to brain chemistry, which modifies the persons reation to future stress. A traumatic event involves a single experience, or an enduring or recurring event or events, that fully surmount the individuals capacity to deal with or integrate the ideas and emotions involved with that experience. The sense of being overwhelmed can be delayed by weeks, years or even decades, as the person fights back to cope with the abrupt situation. Psychological trauma can lead to serious long-term negative consequences that are often overlooked even by mental health professionals: Trauma can be caused by a wide range of events, but there are a few general aspects .There is, putting the person in a state of tremendous puzzlement and lack of confidence. Psychological trauma may accompany physical trauma or exist seperately of it. The usual causes and dangers of psychological trauma are sexual abuse , domestic violence, being the victim of an alcoholic parent, particularly in childhood. Long-term exposure to situation such; as extreme poverty or milder forms of abuse, such as verbal abuse, can be traumatic. Psychological trauma may happen during a single traumatic event or as a result of repeated (chronic) exposure to overwhelming stress (Terr, 1992). Children exposed to chronic trauma normally have considerably worse effect than those exposed to severe accidental traumas. In addition, the failure of caregivers to satisfactorily protect a child may be experienced as betrayal and further supply to the adversity of the experience and effects of trauma. Acute psychological trauma causes impairment of the neuroendocrine systems in the body. excessive stress triggers the fight or flight survival response, which activate the sympathetic and suppresses the parasympathetic nervous system. Fight or flight responses increase cortisol levels in the central nervous system, which enable the individual to take action to survive (either dissociation, hyperarousal or both), but which at extreme levels can cause alterations in brain development and damage of brain cells. In children, high levels of cort isol can disrupt cell differentiation, cell migration and critical aspects of central nervous system integration and functioning. Trauma affects basic regulatory processes in the brain stem, the limbic brain (emotion, memory, regulation of arousal and affect), the neocortex (perception of self and the world) as well as integrative functioning across various systems in the central nervous system. Traumatic experiences are stored in the childs body/mind, and fear, arousal and dissociation associated with the original trauma may continue after the threat of danger . Development of the capacity to control affect may be destabilized or disrupted by trauma, and children exposed to severe or chronic trauma may demonstrate symptoms of mood swings, impulsivity, emotional irritability, anger and aggression, anxiety, depression and dissociation. Early trauma, mainly trauma at the hands of a caregiver, can distinctly modify a childs perception of self, trust in others and perception of the world. Children who experience severe early trauma often develop a foreshortened sense of the future. They come to anticipate that life will be dangerous, that they may not survive,and as a result, they give up hope and expectations for themselves that reach into the future (Terr, 1992). Among the most demoralizing effects of early trauma is the disruption of the childs individuation and differentiation of a separate sense of self. Disintegration of the developing self occurs in response to stress that overwhelms the childs limited capacities for self regulation. Survival becomes the focus of the childs interactions and activities and adapting to the demands of their environment takes priority. Traumatized children lose themselves in the course of handling with ongoing threats to their survivalà Ã‚ ¾they cannot afford to trust, relax or fully look at their own feelings, ideas or interests. Characterlogical development is shaped by the childs experiences in early relationships (Johnson, 1987). Young trauma victims often come to believe there is something naturally wrong with them, that they are at fault, unlovable, hateful,helpless and unworthy of protection and love. Such feelings lead to poor selfimage, self abandonment, and self destructiveness. Eventually, these feelings may create a victim state of body mind spirit that leaves the child/adult vulnerable to subsequent trauma and revictimization. Acute trauma in early childhood affects all area of development, including cognitive, social, emotional, physical, psychological and moral development. The pervasive negative effects of early trauma result in significantly higher levels of behavioral and emotional problems among abused children than non-abused children.In addition, children exposed to early trauma due to abuse or neglect lag behind in school readiness and school performance, they have diminished cognitive abilities, and many go on to develop substance abuse problems, health problems and serious mental health disorders. Serious emotional and behavioral difficulties include depression, anxiety, aggression, conduct disorder, sexualized behavior, eating disorders,somatization and substance abuse. Early childhood trauma contributes to negative outcomes in adolescence, including dropping out of school, substance abuse, and early sexual activity, increasing the occurrence of sexually transmitted diseases, early pregnancies and premature parenting. Early childhood trauma contributes to adverse adult outcomes as well, including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, health (Harris, Putnam Fairbank,2004). Although the effects of child abuse and neglect vs. family environmental and genetic factors have been debated, recent twin studies confirm a significant causal relationship between child abuse and major psychopathology (Kendler, Bulik, Silberg,Hettema, Myers Prescott, 2000). Acute trauma in early childhood seems to set in motion a chain of events , a negative path that places those children who have the highest exposure and a less positive mediating or ameliorating factors at greatest risk of significant debilitating effect on development and increased occurrence of psychopathology (Perry, 1997, 1999, 2001à Ã‚ ¾ Eth Pynoos, 1985à Ã‚ ¾ Pynoos, 1994). The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (1998)carried a study where researchers mailed questionnaires to over 13,000 people who had freshly had medical workups at the Southern California Permanente Groupin San Diego. These patients were asked about their experiences with any of seven categories of childhood trauma: psychological, physical, or sexual abuseà Ã‚ ¾ violence against the motherà Ã‚ ¾ or living with household members who had problems with substance abuse, mental illness, were ever imprisoned or committed suicide. Over 9,000 patients responded. Among those who reported even one such exposure, there were substantial increases in a awful range of disorders, together with substance abuse, depression, suicide, and sexual promiscuity, as well as increased incidences of heart disease, cancer, chronic lung disease, extreme obesity, skeletal fractures and liver disease. In summary, experience to extreme traumatic stress affects people at many levels of functioning; somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral (e.g., vander Kolk, 1988à Ã‚ ¾ Kroll, Habenicht, McKenzie, 1989à Ã‚ ¾ Cole Putnam, 1992à Ã‚ ¾ Herman,1992b, van der Kolk et al., 1993). Childhood trauma sets the stage for a variety of disorders, such Post traumatic stress disorders,eating disorder,Attention deficient hyperactivity disorder,oppositional defiant disorder,pervasive disorder,attachment disorder.(Herman, Perry, van derKolk, 1989à Ã‚ ¾ Ogata, Silk, Goodrick, Lohr, Westen Hill, 1989 3.4 Disorders with the Foster Child The Northwest Foster Care Alumni Study (2012) on foster care children showed that foster care children, were found to have double the incidence of depression, and were found to have a higher rate of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than combat veterans. In long term the foster care children suffer from psychopathology and cognitive disorders. 3.4.1 Psychopathology Disorders with Child According to Barkley and Mash (1996), child psychopathology is the manifestation of psychological disorders in children and adolescents. Some examples of psychopathology are post traumatic stress, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and pervasive developmental disorders. 3.4.1.1 Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Cash (2006) states that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an emotional illness that that is classified as an anxiety disorder and usually develops as a result of a terribly frightening, life-threatening, or otherwise highly unsafe experience. PTSD victims re-experience the traumatic event or events in some way, tend to avoid places, people, or other things that remind them of the event , and are exquisitely sensitive to normal life experiences (hyperarousal). According to Dubber (1999) 60% of children in foster care who were sexually abused had post traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD). 18% of children who were not abused faced PTSD just by witnessing violence at home. The symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder are tabulated below Table 3. 1 Symptoms Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Re-experiencing the Traumatic event Avoidance and Numbing Increased Anxiety and Emotional Arousal Intrusive, upsetting memories of the event Avoiding activities, places, thoughts, or feelings that remind you of the trauma Difficulty falling or staying asleep Flashbacks (acting or feeling like the event is happening again) Inability to remember important aspects of the trauma Irritability or outbursts of anger Nightmares (either of the event or of other frightening things) Loss of interest in activities and life in general Difficulty concentrating Feelings of intense distress when reminded of the trauma Feeling detached from others and emotionally numb Hypervigilance (on constant red alert) Intense physical reactions to reminders of the event (e.g. pounding heart, rapid breathing, nausea, muscle tension, sweating Sense of a limited future (you dont expect to live a normal life span, get married, have a career) Feeling jumpy and easily startled Intrusive, upsetting memories of the event Avoiding activities, places, thoughts, or feelings that remind you of the trauma 3.4.1.2 Attention Deficient Hyper Activity Disorder Millichap (2010) , defines attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as a psychiatric disorder and it is characterized by either significant difficulties of inattention or hyperactivity and impulsiveness or a combination of the two. ADHD impacts school-aged children and results in restlessness, acting impulsively, and lack of focus which impairs their ability to learn properly. It is the most commonly studied and diagnosed psychiatric disorder in children, affecting about 3 to 5 percent of children globally. Robin (1998) has listed some of the symptoms of Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder are inattention, hyperactivity, disruptive behavior and impulsivity. Academic difficulties are also common signs of ADHD. According to Ramsay et al (2008), the symptom categories yield three potential classifications of ADHD-predominantly inattentive type, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type, or combined type if criteria for both subtypes are met. The table below shows the Attention Deficient Hyper Activity Disorder Symptoms Predominantly inattentive Symptoms Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive Symptoms Impulsivity Symptoms Be easily distracted, miss details, forget things, Fidget and squirm in their seats Be very impatient Have difficulty maintaining focus on one task Talk nonstop Blurt out inappropriate comments, show their emotions without restraint, and act without regard for consequences Become bored with a task after only a few minutes, unless doing something enjoyable Dash around, touching or playing with anything and everything in sight Have difficulty waiting for things they want or waiting their turns in games Have difficulty focusing attention on organizing and completing a task or learning something new or trouble completing or turning in homework assignments, often losing things (e.g., pencils, toys, assignments) needed to complete tasks or activities Have trouble sitting still during dinner, school, and story time Not seem to listen when spoken to Be constantly in motion Daydream, become easily confused, and move slowly Have difficulty doing quiet tasks or activities Have difficulty processing information as quickly and accurately as others Fidget and squirm in their seats Struggle to follow instructions 3.4.1.3 Oppositional defiant disorder Matthys W Lochman J (2010), defines oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) as an ongoing pattern of anger guided disobedience, hostilely defiant behavior toward authority figures which goes beyond the bounds of normal childhood behavior. People may appear very stubborn and often angry. Freeman et al (2006), also listed some common features of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) as persistent anger, frequent temper tantrums or angry outbursts and well as disregard for authority. Children and adolescents with ODD often purposely annoy others, blame others for their own mistakes, and are easily disturbed. The table below shows the signs and symptoms of Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Signs and Symptoms of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (lasting at least 6 months, during which four or more are present) Symptoms often loses temper often argues with adults often actively defies or refuses to comply with adults requests or rules often deliberately annoys people often blames others for his or her mistakes or misbehavior is often touchy or easily annoyed by others is often angry and resentful is often spiteful or vindictive 3.4.1.4 Pervasive Developmental Disorder Waltz M (2003), defines Pervasive developmental disorders,( PDDP, as a group of conditions that involve delays in the development of many basic skills, most notably the ability to socialize with others, to communicate, and to use imagination. Malmone Quinn (2004) also states that these conditions are usually identified in children around 3 years of age a critical period in a childs development. Although the condition begins far earlier than 3 years of age, parents often do not notice the problem until the child is a toddler who is not walking, talking, or developing as well as other children of the same age and four types of Pervasive Development Disorders have been identified; Autism, Apergers Syndrome, Childhood disintegrative disorder and Retts syndrome. According to Volkmar (2007), children with autism have problems with social interaction, pretend play, and communication. They also have a limited range of activities and interests. Many (nearly 75%) of children with autism also have some degree of mental retardation. Malonne Quinn (2004), stated that children with Aspergers syndrome have difficulty with social interaction and communication, and have a narrow range of interests. However, children with Aspergers have average or above average intelligence, and develop normally in the areas of language and cognition (the mental processes related to thinking and learning). Volkmar (2007) also stated that children with Aspergers often also have difficulty concentrating and may have poor coordination. Waltz (2003) stated that children with Childhood disintegrative disorder begin their development normally in all areas, physical and mental. At some point, usually between 2 and 10 years of age, a child with this illness loses many of the skills he or she has developed. In addition to the loss of social and language skills, a child with disintegrative disorder may lose control of other functions, including bowel and bladder control. According to Goldstein Reynolds (2011), Children suffering from Retts Syndrome which is a very rare disorder have the symptoms associated with a PDD and also suffer problems with physical development. They generally suffer the loss of many motor or movement skills such as walking and use of their hands and develop poor coordination. This condition has been linked to a defect on the X chromosome, so it almost always affects girls. The table below summarises the General Symptoms in Pervasive Developmental Disorders General Symptoms in Pervasive Developmental Disorders Difficulty with verbal communication, including problems using and understanding language Difficulty with non-verbal communication, such as gestures and facial expressions Difficulty with social interaction, including relating to people and to his or her surroundings Unusual ways of playing with toys and other objects Difficulty adjusting to changes in routine or familiar surroundings Repetitive body movements or patterns of behavior, such as hand flapping, spinning, and head banging Changing response to sound; the child may be very sensitive to some noises and seem to not hear others. Temper tantrums Difficulty sleeping Aggressive behaviour Fearfulness or anxiety Eating Disorders Hudson et al (2007) defines eating disorders refer to a group of conditions defined by abnormal eating habits that may involve either insufficient or excessive food intake to the detriment of an individuals physical and mental health. According to Hadfield (2008), obesity in

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Death Of A Salesman Essay example -- essays research papers

Tragedy was a very controversial issue in literature until recent years. Recent figures in literature have set a clear definition for tragedy. Author Miller is one of these figures. Plays and novels have distinguished the definition of tragedy. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary tragedy is a serious piece of literature typically describing a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force and having a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion that excites pity or terror. Miller’s explains that a tragic hero does not always have to be a monarch or a man of a higher status. A tragic hero can be a common person. A tragedy does not always have to end pessimistically; it could have an optimistic ending. The play Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, is a tragedy because it’s hero, Willy Loman, is a tragic figure that faces a superior source, being the American dream and the struggle for success. Loman also excites pity in the reader because of his defeat and his in ability to become a success or teach his children how to make their lives successful. Miller defines a flaw as â€Å"an inherent unwillingness to remain passive in the face of what one conceives to be a challenge to one’s dignity†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Loman fulfills many of the requirements of being a tragic hero. Willy is not â€Å"flawless† in his actions, which by Miller’s standards make him a tragic hero. It is not wrong for Willy to have flaws and it does not make him a weaker man but a tragic figure. Miller designed the play so that Willy could be a tragic hero and for this he needs to have a flaw. Willy’s flaw is that he is unable to see things in a more realistic perspective. Charley says something in the play that sums up Willy’s whole life. He asks him, "When the hell are you going to grow up?" Willy’s spends his entire life in an illusion. He sees himself as a great man that is popular and successful. Willy exhibits many childlike qualities. Many of these qualities have an impact on his family. His two sons Biff and Happy pick up this behavior from their father. He is idealistic, stubborn, and he has a false sense of his importance in the world. The extreme to which he followed the dream brought him to disillusionment and a loose sense of reality. Willy created a reality for himself where he "knocked 'em cold in Providence," and "slaughtered 'em in Boston."(p.33) â€Å"Five hundred gr... ...nderstands. Willy could have still been successful if he was able to see the flaws in his ways and teach Biff the right way to be a success, which is in hard work. If Willy had not killed himself and taught Biff that working hard at anything would make his successful then Biff may have reached success for himself and make Willy a successful father as well. The reader must look at Willy’s suicide through Willy’s eyes. He killed himself in order to give Biff a better shot at being a success. Willy doesn’t understand that killing himself is wrong and he is not looking for any pity. Willy has sacrificed his own life so that Biff could have a better life. This truly does make him a tragic hero. Willy Loman is a tragic figure in the play Death of a Salesman. Willy faces a superior source in the play and puts his life on the line for his beliefs and the beliefs of others. He meets the requirements of Miller’s article for a tragic hero. Death of a Salesman also meets Miller’s requirements for a tragic play because of Willy’s role in the novel along with the other standards that Miller sets for a tragedy. The exploration of tragedy by people such as Miller helps to define it more clearly.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Leakey, Richard :: essays research papers fc

Richard Leakey- Homo habilis Richard Leakey was born December 19, 1944 in Nairobi, Kenya. His parents were the esteemed anthropologists Louis and Mary Leakey. Richard first became a tour guide in Kenya, but changed his mind when he found an extinct human jaw. He then schooled himself by completing a two-year secondary education program in six months. From 1967-77 he and his co-workers dug up around 400 fossils, that accounted for 230 individuals. The most important discovery was an almost complete skull found in 1977, which Richard believe to be a new species called Homo habilis. Richard Leakey’s accomplishments are discovering the crania of Australopithecus boisei in 1969 with the archaeologist Glynn Isaac on the East shores of Lake Turkana, Homo habilis in 1972, and Homo erectus in1975. He was appointed administrative director in 1968 of the National Museum of Kenya, and in director 1974. Since 1989 he has been director of the Wildlife and Conservation Management Service, Ke nya. His publications include Origins in 1977 and The Making of Mankind in 1981, both with Roger Lewin. Australopithecus africanus inhabited the earth roughly 3 - 1.6 million years ago. The characteristic difference between the Ausrtalopithicus afarenis and africanus is the height and brain capacity. The height of the africanus is 1.4 m and the brain capacity is approximately 400 - 600 cc. Smaller incisor teeth and a slightly flatter face are also noted. The afarensis has a height of 1.2 m and a cranial capacity of 380 - 450 cc. Sticks, and stones were most likely used to gather food by the Australopithecus africanus. Homo habilis (also known as "handy man") is theorized to have lived with Australopithecus africanus. Homo habilis was known as â€Å"handy man† because he used primative stone tools. The flat face and large molars of the Homo habilis resemble the Australopithecus lineage. The brain size of the Homo habilis is about 700 cc which is larger than the Austr alopithecus). The "apelike" body structure with long arms and a small body was a characteristic of the Homo habilis. Recent discoveries, such as from Lake Turkana, of better-preserved fossils have revealed new insights on early Homo in the Plio-Pleistocene. Of this new habilis material, the most amazing is a nearly complete cranium discovered in 1972 at East Lake Turakana. This individual, with a cranial capacity if 775 cm3, is clearly outside the known range for Australopithecines and it overlaps the lower boundary for Homo.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

To Rent Or Not To Rent :: essays research papers

Renting a home to live in, rather than buying a home to live in is a much wiser decision. When renting a home you are able to have free maintenance, partially included utilities and the freedom to pack up and move at anytime you wish.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We all like the luxury of being waited on, especially if it is at no cost to us. With a rental home, if the plumbing fouls up, the roof starts to leak or some other untimely mishap, free maintenance is only a phone call away for the renters because the landlord is liable for repairs on his rental properties. Whereas, the unlucky home owners better have some deep pockets when something goes awry in their household. Because a home owner does not have the free maintenance that those who rent do. The only things the home owners get are maintenance expenses and some free headaches.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Partially included utilities are a real bonus for those who rent. Some rentals have both water and trash pick up paid by the landlord. That means two extra bills the renters need not to worry about. One can water his or her grass and take long showers without having the worry of having to look forward to a large water bill. While the one who owns their own home, has to be rather limited in their water use or else they may have to pay the high water bills.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Renting homes also has a nice freedom. When a person rents, they can always up and move with a written thirty day notice given to their landlord. For instance, what if the neighborhood starts to turn into a less desirable area for residing in? Like maybe the crime rate goes up or bothersome neighbors move in next door? Well then, the renter can look for another place in a more desirable part of town and move out of their rented home. On the other hand, if a person owns their home, they either have to deal with the unfavorable changes in the neighborhood or put their house up for sale.

Brownie Baker: Case Analysis

One of the ways The Brownie Baker accomplishes this effort is through its use of product packaging and design. However, based on the company's overall performance history and strategic business maneuvers, low-cost leadership is what truly Is In motion. The Brownie Baker relies heavily on achieving maximum value through its products. One of the many ways that this is achieved is through product quality control. The Brownie Baker has placed a lot of effort into making sure higher grade ingredients are implemented into the production of their food products.Another way that I live quality and value are achieved is through the strict guidelines followed to assure product freshness. Customers find exceptional value In The Brownie Baker's products not only for the amount of product they receive for their dollar, but also the consistency of a delicious fresh product. The Brownie Baker company has consistently made changes over the years to drive down costs while maintaining product quality. From changes to its production processes to the establishment of third-party business partnerships, The Brownie Baker has strives for efficiency to promote a sustainable and profitable business. Referring to the list of operations strategies in the Powering booklet, which does The Brownie Baker use? Please cite examples from the case to support each strategy that you mention. There are a multitude of operational decisions that a business must utilize Its operational management strategy. The Brownie Baker clearly uses the low-cost leadership business format in its day to day business processes. For example, The Brownie Baker has been very decisive with the distribution points for its products.The company has identified its target markets and the consumer types for effective reduce placement that have proven successful. The company Initially defined Its Because The Brownie Baker has maintained its value and quality over the years, management has realized further market potential to ex pand its reach into the super market industry. To accomplish this task the company has had to also maintain cost production to keep pricing competitive. The Brownie Baker has partnered with a multitude of third-party resources to ensure efficiency, product development and maintenance of external costs.Another way that The Brownie Baker has practiced the low-cost leadership strategy is n the internal production of its products. The company has found a number of methods to refine the production process and lower overhead expenditures with inventory control. For instance, the company used to produce food products for future sales but now has shifted too production by order process. This strategy has lowered production costs through better inventory management and reduced the likelihood of overproduction and waste. . Referring to the Powering slide which shows various patterns that can be found in historical demand, which can be observed at the Brownie Baker? How can you tell? The Brown ie Baker has experienced steady growth volume in sales over the years by paying close attention to commodity price fluctuations and adapting its business strategies appropriately. Historically the company has embraced a steady stream of demand from the consumer market with only a slight deviation normally seen in the month of January.Management has come to see this slight differentiation of the norm possibly due to lack of consumer expendable income and dieting after the holidays. This pattern in the normal trend of demand behavior would be considered an irregular variation. 4. What changes have been made in production scheduling and inventory management? Why have these changes been important? The Brownie Baker has taken advantage of several new technologies and techniques to enhance product consistency and productivity over the recent years.Some of the most critical strategies the company has revamped are in production scheduling and inventory management. The company began this res tructure in scheduling by increasing employees and modifying work hours to optimize production output and cleaning maintenance. Another significant change the company took was to reduce the overproduction of its rodents. Since The Brownie Baker's food products have a 21-day shelf life they had to remain frozen in storage until shipment. The company was lumping orders together and baking goods for future distribution; this was keeping money tied up while products waited to be shipped.Instead, the company now prepares its shipments and freeing assets frozen in inventory and storage costs. Finally, I believe another important change to The Brownie Baker's production process was the implementation of cross-training its employees in product production. At one point the company had 10 to 20 workers that were trained to reduce one type of product. Having this new strategy in place has increased the flexibility needed for shorter production runs and increased overall efficiency. 5.How are c hanges made to deal with increasing commodity prices also related to sustainability issues? (Cite three examples of changes AND how each change is related to sustainability. ) There are several measures The Brownie Baker has taken through use of low-cost leadership operational decisions to sustain itself successfully over the years. In an ever-changing external environment with some changes that are predictable and there unforeseen, a company has to consistently forecast, prepare, innovate and refine its processes.One way that The Brownie Baker has found sustainability in the volatility of commodity prices was the establishment of Third-party partnerships with other companies to offset transportation costs due to the increase in fuel prices. The Brownie Baker has also implemented newer technologies, utilizing newer servers, computer hardware and financial software to provide them vital reports on costs. To have this current computer technology at dispose is crucial in today's busine ss market and environment. These systems provide management the tools accessory to monitor and optimize purchases for necessary commodities in real time.Having the ability to research cost data provides sustainability through purchase cost savings potential. Current technology and powerful software offers the company better flexibility, efficiency and purchasing effectiveness. Lastly, I believe a key element that The Brownie Baker has carefully managed is the accuracy and timeliness of its product pricing. The company has been able to sustain itself by properly adjusting its product pricing to remain not only competitive but also offset increases in commodity costs and other economic factors.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Debate Team paper on Obamacare

Our teams palisade topic covers a controversial thin at heart the Affordable C ar put to work in America, known as Obamac atomic number 18. Obama cover is the public surfaceness vex in the joined States that give ups Ameri fundaments access to affordable, superior wellness indemnification, with a goal of reducing growth in wellness cover spending. This universal wellness invention is technic solelyy a mandate or revenue enhancement, in which non-comp pillowrs may be penalized by their federal return. Our topic debates whether Ameri asss should be agonistic to birth this shared duty stipend for non accompanying with Obamacare. Arguments for Pros The get unneurotic States of America is a rich and mightily country.The way we handle political, br oppositely, and ethical issues are closely watched by the entire world. We are a free democratic order of magnitude who has entrusted our government to make the best, most capture last for each individual in this country, even if that means we be in possession of to pay a little more. Obamacare is one of umpteen other(prenominal) policies that illust footstep the American muckles impartingness to help one a nonher. check to Obamacare Facts (2013), Health and serviceman Services (HHS), the department in carriage of implementing and overseeing the Affordable dispense set, reported that in the maiden two months of open enrolment nearly 1.2 million Americans had selected a wellness broadcast. With so more people utilizing these policies, it sends a positive message to other countries demonstrating how, through and through democracy the American peoples concern for and leadingness to help one another is evident. In countries corresponding lacquer, the government has been operative together with its citizens to help with health care be with fall out any hesitation. According to The Lancet (2011), In health care the government overtime succeeded in changing the basis of medi cal exercise from Chinese to Western medicine.Moreover the transition was achieved without marginal cost and limited affable fault The like social ossification can be achieved through Obamacare, even with the imposeation mandate in place. Throughout history, the American people has overcome tremendous social hardships (9-11 and Sandy Hook/Connecticut to account a few), by coming together and supporting one another, exemplifying our tenacity, resilience and dedication to each other Arguments for Con thither is another side of the coin that should be addressed.With the tax revenue penalty and the implementation of Obamacare not being as smooth as our government would drop liked, many Americans who were in favor of Obamacare are quickly rethinking their stance. For Americans to richly utilize the Obamacare health care system, Americans moldiness relieve obligation and pay the tax for non-compliance. Obamacare offers healthcare sheafs specific to ones gather ups a tenac ious with many added benefits. Due to a substantial marrow of Americans who need or insufficiency to fix health redress policy policy, the cost of these plans must(prenominal) be covered.For Americans who are experiencing an increase in healthcare expenses delinquent to the unacceptable regulations of indemnification companies and the ascent cost of prescription medications, Obamacare seems to be a perfect solution. Yet, some Americans insist that the tax is unfair and paymentl they should not be labored to pay anything. According to the dismissal (2007), Observe that all legitimate rights take a shit one thing in common, they are rights to action not to rewards from other people. The American rights impose no obligations on other people, merely the negative obligation to confide you alone.The system guarantees you the chance to work for what you want not to be given it without movement by somebody else. honest, Moral, statutory, and Technical Issues in that locati on are many ethical, moral, and efficacious issues that lie inside the Affordable Care Act. Ethical issues like early dayser Americans being relied upon to cover the benefits of the older, sicker Americans. The moral issues like the fact that other countries with universal healthcare- lacquer for example, strictly regulates cost to hang on policy policy affordable yet, Obamacare does not guarantee affordability for its citizens and legal issues like the fix on grandfathered health plans.Americans who will consume healthcare less(prenominal) frequently are needed to subsidize the cost of older sicker ones (Oliphant, 2013). In order to achieve affordable health insurance and include the benefits of the packages, not only must Americans actively participate in the healthcare law but newfangled personer Americans especially. In theory, the law would create large pools of younger, better participants whose premiums would help offset the cost of providing care for older policyho lders who use the health care system more (Cohen, 2013).As thedeadline approaches for Americans to shop and purchase healthcare packages, the desperate need for compliance by young Americans has increased and has been communicated to the People. According to CNN News reporters, President Obama encouraged young supporters to recruit their peers to sign up for healthcare on Wednesday December, 4th 2013 (Cohen, 2013). Americans who will be depending on their healthcare more, will excessively depend on Americans who are healthier, to comply and pay into the plan as an act to maintain affordability in Obamacare.Affordability in Obamacare is not however guaranteed. The ACA was enacted with the goals of increasing the quality and affordability of health insurance and lowering the un assure rate by expanding public and private insurance coverage Wikipedia/Affordable Care Act (2013). As Americans shop, some are experiencing significant rate increases. Obamacare offers many rights, protect ions and benefits including, improvements to women health operate, better care and protection for seniors, no annual or lifetime limits (Obamacare Facts, 2013), and word sense of pre-existing conditions.In order to include these all-important(a) additions, some Americans are facing increases in their premiums or, for Americans who were not covered before, experiencing higher than anticipate insurance costs. Several studies on insurance premiums expect that with the subsidies offered under the ACA, more people will pay less (than they did antecedent to the reforms) than those who will pay more, and that those premiums will be more stable (even in changing health circumstances) and transparent, collectible to the regulations on insurance Wikipedia/Affordable Care Act (2013).Even though many Americans will notice a discount, when compared to health care in Japan, Obamacare communicates a stance of quality over affordability. The Nipponese Government strictly regulates health car e to run across its consumers are paying as little as possible out of pocket. The affordability of Japanese healthcare may be a factor in usance that is 4x that of the United States. This government regulation guarantees affordability for the Japanese causing an increase of usage of health care.Not to mention,people who live in Japan can expect to persist in good health longstanding than anybody else in the world, according to the World Health Organisation(WHO) (BBC news, 2000). Legal issues like the grandfathered plan fix live with impacted the roll-out of Obamacare. Confusion raised when already insured Americans experienced significant increases in costs of current premiums. This confusion was due to the promise of President Obama to Americans, if you like your plan you can keep it that Americans who were already insured would experience no change in premium costs.After further review, Grandfathered plans (plans in power before March 23, 2010) now remain prepareive until 2 015. President Obamas educational activity if you like your plan you can keep it still stands. Previously insured Americans can take advantage of their current plans that dont have to follow ObamaCares rules and regulations or offer the same benefits, rights and protections as new plans (Obamacare Facts, 2013). The issues that exist within the healthcare law require the American people to go against skills that aid in the execution of complying with Obamacare slip bylines.Despite these issues, all Americans share a responsibility to beget the means and detain by the healthcare law course Competencies Obtaining health insurance requires many Americans to develop a skill-set of research, evaluation, critical thinking, end making, and overly coping with pressure due to the many inconsistencies of the roll-out and progression to deadline. Too short paragraph. virtuosos competence in assessing and obtain for plans nominates him or her (or business) the incentive to take aim t he package that fully covers all specific needs.Creating an judgement of information on plans and details within the package, along with applying these expertise to shop and choose the perfect plan, lets consumers to take an active lineament in achieving health insurance. Whether you are shop for individual, family, or employee coverage, paying attention to the qualifications, offers, and costs of each package will allow one to find quality health insurance while remaining alive(predicate) of the benefits of Obamacare. Americans who choose not to shop for healthcare packages must withal achieve competence in evaluating fees.The individual mandate goes into effect January 1st, 2014. The penalty will be utilise to your annual taxable income for each month you do not have health insurance. The fee for not having insurance in 2014 is $95 per adult and $47. 50 per pip-squeak or 1% of your taxable income (up to $285 for a family), whichever is greater (Obamacare Facts, 2013). For e mployers who have over 50 fulltime equivalent employees and wish not to provide insurance, competence in calculating the fee is also important.The annual fee is $2,000 per employee if insurance is not offered. The fee is a per month fee due annually on employer federal tax returns starting in 2015. So the per month fee is 1/12 of the $2,000 or $3,000 per employee (Obamacare Facts, 2013). Americans who choose to shop, as well as those who make the ratioci community not to comply must obtain the necessary skill-set to remain informed and be prepared of how Obamacare will affect their pay and life beginning January 1st, 2014.In times of non-compliance, web-site flaws, the need to become familiar with new information, and fleck the clock to deadline, Americans must also lintel with pressure. Maintaining a positive outlook and running(a) productively to choose a plan, disrespect the circulating flaws that may arise, will progress healthy mental processes that will guide one to suc cessful decision making. retention emotions under control during difficult situations will help individuals, families, and businesses obtain quality health insurance while remaining centering free and open-minded.Making the decision to pay tax rather than comply with standards of Obamacare may also increase stress. Americans making this tough decision must think critically on the matter yet remain level-headed to check valid and sound arguments against the insurance of their health. conclusion Americans may impression stripped of their exemption of choice when forced to either pay more taxes on private health insurance or enroll in the Affordable Care act, better known as Obamacare.Many days Americans have gone without having health insurance which has increased the cost of insurance, as well as increased the cost of hospitals, medications, health insurance premiums, and other medical colligate costs. Over the knightly few decades, health in American people had deteriorated due to lifestyle choices. One of the initiatives of Obamacare is geared towards young people also known as get covered. It also seeks to force young adults into action by word-painting insurance as a social responsibility, and encouraging peers and parents to put pressure on the uninsured (Bohan,2013).After many years of this go on practice and still increasing costs, we are indirectly paying for the people who go to receive treatment and do not pay their medical bills. It could be argued that Obamacare will force Americans to reassess and accept responsibility of their healthcare. Obamacare allows Americans to make a conscious decision to carry the cost for being provided quality health insurance, whether it is choosing to pay the penalty tax or enrolling in a healthcare plan.Life expectancy has increased over the past decades and unfortunately, this means more people have utilized Medicaid over a longer period of time. Instead of being activated when diagnosed with heart disea se, diabetes, or other long term conditions which are very dear(p) over time, Obamacare will make Americans proactive in awareness of their health by having set parameters of the requirements in coverage, i. e. , requiring a physical. Having a healthy nation that helps young Americans understand the importance of health is something we all must contribute to.The mentality of wherefore Americans must pay penalties, follow requirements, and how freedom of choice will change is the first reaction to the unknown. Obamacare provides access to a commercialise of quality and affordable health insurance for Americans. Obamacare mandates that anyone who can afford it must provide themselves, family, or employees with quality health insurance. To ensure a more healthy nation and align with the notion of shared responsibility and a willingness to help each other, Americans must abide by the mandate or pay the shared responsibility fee.