Open Religion Exam Review

What problem does global free trade cause? Explain â€Å"common good. † – the 3 essential elements for common good. What is social justice? 7 themes of Catholic Social teaching. What each theme teaches Explain globalization How much of the total world income do countries like Canada receive? How much of the total world income do the poorest people in developing countries receive? How has globalization become a nightmare for poor countries? Explain how globalization could lead to justice.Who is Craig Eagleburger. What issues does he care about? Who has he helped? How has he helped them? â€Å"Inside Your Threads†. What are the issues raised. How are these situations unjust? What could be done to bring justice to these situations? Who is Ryan Hershel? What issue does he care about? Who has he helped? How has he helped? Why are relationships important? Define intimacy. Briefly explain the 5 levels of intimacy Describe the stages Of the family life cycle. What Stage is your family in?What are the types of families? Describe the moral decision making model What are values? Describe standards for judging values Define or explain sex, sexuality, sexual orientation, heterosexual orientation, nonsexual orientation, abstinence, celibacy, chastity What are SST Is – list ‘bacteria caused' SST Is – treatment – list ‘virus caused' Stir – treatment 2 reasons why the Catholic Church calls for abstinence from sexual intercourse outside marriage What is Natural Family Planning (NAP)?What does it mean to be Catholic in today's society? Movies we watched this semester Power of One Stolen Summer Dan in Real Life Junk Ryan's Well It Take a Child Inside Your Threads pay it Forward Explain how each movie connects to a theme or topic discussed in class this semester.

Microeconomic Theory Essay

1. Explain why society faces a trade-off between consumption goods and capital goods. Society is faced with trade off between consumption goods and capital goods in that resources are scarce, and therefore it has to make choices based on the opportunity costs of benefiting from consumption at present or having a greater level of consumption tomorrow through investment in capital goods. 2. Distinguish between absolute and comparative advantage. Absolute advantage refers to that trade, which is not reciprocally favorable as opposed to a Comparative trade, where trade is reciprocally favorable. 3. Explain the Law of Demand. The law of demand states that as the price of a service or good increases, consumer demand for the service or good will decrease and vice versa, provided all other factors remain constant. 4. Explain the Law of Supply The law of supply states that as the price of a service or good increases, the quantity of services or goods tendered by suppliers increases and vice versa, provided all the factors remain constant. 5. Explain the effects of price ceilings. It is a kind of government measure, where it fixes a limit on the price to be charged on a product. Effective price ceiling must be different from the free market price. A price ceiling positioned below the free market price will put suppliers in a state where they can no longer charge what they had been charging, for that particular product. This will force some suppliers to move out of the market, hence reduction in the quantity produced. On the other side quantity demanded will increase for the same product because consumers are able to buy at a lower price. Since quantity demanded exceeds quantity produced, a shortage will occur and it will result to non-price competition 6. Explain the effects of price floors. It is a kind of government measure where it imposes a limit on the lowest price that can be charged on a product and for it to be effective it must be set higher than the equilibrium price. When the price floor is position above the market equilibrium price, consumers observe that they now have to pay a higher price for that particular product. Suppliers, on the other part are ensured higher price than what they were charging before. This has the effect of increasing production, hence excess supply of the product in the market. Thus to maintain price floor over a longer period, the government will be forced to take action to reduce the excess supply 7. Distinguish between private goods and public goods and explain the nature of the free-rider problem. Private goods are the kind of goods whose profits, are indivisibly spread over the whole community, even if the individuals do not desire to purchase it. While private goods refers to the ones that are divisible and can be provided separately to various individuals, without external costs or benefits to others. Positive externalities that are not remunerated normally result from the production of public goods. When private organizations are not getting all the profits of a public good that they have produced, there will be no sufficient incentives to produce it voluntarily. Hence, consumers will take advantage of public goods without sufficiently contributing to their production. Distinguish between average tax rates and marginal tax rates. Average tax rate refers to the total amount of taxes paid divide by income. It shows the sum of tax paid per dollar earned while marginal tax rate refers to the income tax rate paid on the last dollar of income earned 9. Distinguish between average tax rates and marginal tax rates. Average tax rate refers to the total amount of taxes paid divide by income. It shows the sum of tax paid per dollar earned while marginal tax rate refers to the income tax rate paid on the last dollar of income earned 10. Explain the structure of the US income tax system. The structure of US tax system is very complex one that entails payment to at least four various levels of government and many ways of taxation. US taxation comprises local government possibly consisting of one or more of township, municipal, county and district governments. It may also embrace regional entities like school and utility and transit districts as well as incorporating federal government and state 11. Describe how prices indexes are calculated and define the key types of price indexes Price indexes refers to a standardized average or a weighted average of prices for a given category of services and goods in a given place, over a given intermission of time Types of price indexes include consumer price index, producer price index and GDP deflator 12. Distinguish between nominal and real interest rates. Nominal interest is the rate of interest prior to adjustment for inflation in contrast to real interest rate and it encompasses all three risk factors plus the time value of money in contrast to real interest rate, which includes only systematic and regulatory risks. Generally, real interest rate is equal to nominal interest rate minus inflation and currency adjustment. 13. Describe the circular flow of income and output. The circular flow of income and output shows joint flow of income between consumers and producers. The mutually supporting entities of consumers and producers, referred to as households and firms respectively offer each other with factors to facilitate the easy flow of income. Firms supply consumers with services and goods in exchange for consumer spending and factors of production from the household. 14. Define gross domestic product (GDP). Gross domestic product is the total market value of all the final services and goods produced within a country over a given period. 15. Define economic growth. Economic growth refers to the sturdy process by which the productive capacity of the economy is increased over time to produce growing levels of national income and output 16. Discuss the fundamental factors that contribute to a nation’s economic development. Policies of national development need to be formulate in conformity with national needs, development priorities and conditions and should focus on the lessons erudite from decades of development. International cooperation in the formulation and implementation of macroecomic policies need to be reinforcing with an analysis to enhancing greater lucidity and consistency of domestic policies and in so doing reinforcing their effectiveness. 17. Describe the effect of economic growth on the long-run aggregate supply curve. Economic growth will cause the aggregate supply curve to shift. Positive economic growth will lead to increase in productive resources that will make it possible to produce more final services and goods, thus the natural level of real GDP increases. Positive economic growth will make the LAS curve to shift to the right and vice versa 18. Discuss the meaning of the long-run equilibrium for the economy as a whole. Long run equilibrium refers to where the aggregate demand and long run aggregate supply curves intersect. Output is fixed and the price level is variable in the long- run. Thus increases in aggregate demand leads to higher prices and vice versa 19. Discuss the central assumptions of the classical model. The central assumptions of classical model are that it assumes that economic agents’ posses’ perfect information and the markets are characterized by perfectly flexible wages and prices. The result of these assumptions if functional on the short run with fixed capital stock is that output is dogged by independent supply factors 20. Describe the short-run determination of equilibrium real GDP and the price level in the classical model. The aggregate supply-aggregate demand is the fundamental macroeconomic tool for studying output variations and the resolve of the price level and inflation rate. The intersection of the aggregate demand and supply curves determines the economy’s equilibrium price level and equilibrium real domestic output 21. Distinguish between saving and savings and explain how saving and consumption are related. Saving refers to that process of constantly putting aside a sum of money while savings is that income received by a consumer not used in the output of firms through spending. Savings and consumption can be related in the equation where income is equal to the sum of savings and expenditure (consumption) 22. Identify the primary determinants of planned investment. The primary determinants of a planned investment include the expected return from investments, the taxation of returns, the cost of capital in relation to interest rate and the ease of use of savings to meet investments 23. Discuss ways in which indirect crowding out and direct expenditures offsets can reduce the effectiveness of fiscal policy actions. Inflation has an indirect outcome on international competitiveness. As prices increase, products tend to be more expensive relative to foreign products. This will result to reduced demand for exports as compared to imports. Net export being a parameter of aggregate demand will contracts GDP and partly offsets the expansionary fiscal policy. Expansionary fiscal policy makes interest rates to increase because the government must borrow to finance the increased deficit. The government raises revenues through taxes or borrowing. Hence, as the interest increases, private investment decreases. In the short run, it will decrease private investment demand, a parameter of aggregate demand and this will effectively lower GDP. Describe how certain aspects of fiscal policy function as automatic stabilizers for the economy. Automatic stabilizers are programs that automatically increase fiscal policy during recessions and contract it during booms. Unemployment insurance is an exemplar of automatic stabilizer in that the government spends more money for the period of recessions when unemployment rate is high. Equally, taxes are roughly proportional to profits and wages; hence, the size of taxes collected is higher during boom than recession. 25. Explain how federal government budget deficits occur. Federal government deficit occurs when it pays out more money than it can receive 26. Define the public debt and understand alternative measures of the public debt. Public debt refers to the credit or money owed by any echelon of government; federal government, central government and municipal government or local government. The debt is seen as an absolute number and can therefore measured as a percentage of the GDP. Alternatively, it can be measured by the amount owed in any given year. 27. Define the fundamental functions of money. Money can be described in terms of its core functions that are; it act as a medium of exchange, store of value and as a unit of account. 28. Identify key properties that any good that functions as money must possess. Properties of money is that it should be able to serve as (1) means of exchange (2) a enumerative (3)a source of liquidity and (4) store of value 29. Describe how the Federal Reserve assesses reserve requirements on banks and other depository institutions. The reserve requirement is a bank rule that puts the minimum reserves each bank must hold to customer notes and deposits. The reserves are meant to assure withdrawal demands. Federal Reserve approval is essential to begin any foreign banking institution in the US. Foreign banks need acquire regulatory approval from the OCC or the state banking supervisor when establishing new branches and agencies. Banks that are federally licensed must deposit cash or suitable securities at approved depository to convince the capital equivalency requirements specified by the IBA 30. Explain why the money supply changes when someone deposits in a depository institution a check drawn on the Federal Reserve System. The Federal Reserve buys and sells government securities. These, increases or decreases banks capabilities of making loans. This equally decreases or increases interest rates. If Federal Reserve sells a bond, an institution or individual buys the bond with a debit on their account and transfers the funds to the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve removes an equivalent amount from the bank reserve of the customer. The bank will then take away the equivalent amount from the customer’s account who bought the bond. This will decrease money supply and increase interest rates. The trend changes when the Federal Reserve decides to buy a bond 31. Identify the key factors that influence the quantity of money that people desire to hold. Motives for holding money, which can be expressed as factors that influence people to hold money, are transaction motives, precautionary motives and speculative motives 32. Describe how the Federal Reserves Tools of monetary policy influence market interest rates. The Federal Reserve buys and sells government securities. These increases or decreases banks capabilities of making loans. This equally decreases or increases interest rates. If Federal Reserve sells a bond, an institution or individual buys the bond with a debit on their account and transfers the funds to the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve then removes an equivalent amount from the bank reserve of the customer. The bank will then take away the equivalent amount from the customer’s account who bought the bond. This will decrease money supply and increase interest rates. The trend changes when the Federal Reserve decides to buy a bond 33. Explain why the actual unemployment might depart from the natural rate of unemployment. The departure of the natural and actual rates of unemployment is a sign of the business cycle. The stages when actual unemployment exceeds the natural unemployment are times of recession or early stages of economic recovery. The stages when actual rate is below the natural are times of a booming economy 34. Describe why there may be an inverse relationship between the inflation rate and the unemployment rate, reflected by the Phillips curve. The inverse relationship in the Philips curve can be explained well when you consider that with high unemployment laborers would accept lower wages and this would reduce firms’ cost. High wages bring about high inflation and the lower the rate of unemployment, the higher the rate of inflation and vice versa. 35. Explain why population growth can have uncertain effect on economic growth. There is no clear-cut explanation of the effect of population growth on economic growth. It can be argued that high population growth creates pressures on limited natural resources, decreases public and private capital formation and redirects counts to maintaining relative to increasing the stock of capital per worker. It can also have affirmative effects like economies of scale and specialization. Describe how government inefficiencies have contributed to the creation of relatively large quantities of dead capital in the worlds developing nations. Government poor policies make capital investment impossible. The government tends to involve in the production of consumption goods that are less important. The rate at which the economy can absorb extra human capital is low and therefore it leaves the available resource idle. The government is also not receptive to new technology whish is important in the formation of capital. Discuss the worldwide importance of international trade. International trade is very crucial for the development of a country in that it expands the choices that could otherwise been limited to what can be produced locally. Thus, countries can access goods and services cheaply from abroad. Labor can also be obtained cheaply in some countries. Cheap labor reduces production costs and this will have effect to low prices to the final product. Therefore, countries can import final product at a much lower price compared to when produced locally where labor is very expensive. Explain why nations can gain from specializing in production and engaging in international trade. A country specializing in the production of goods which it has comparative advantage will profit and it will trade for goods which it does not have comparative advantage. Therefore, free trade will make a country to use its resources efficiently. Efficient use of resources will increase the amount of goods available for production and consumption. Hence, the benefits of trade will be the outcome of specialization 39. Distinguish between the balance of trade and the balance of payments. The balance refers to discrepancy between a county’s exports and imports and it is the major part of a country’s balance of payments, which is an accounting report of the economic transactions that have taken place stuck between the inhabitants of one country and the inhabitants of other country over a particular period. 40. Identify the key accounts within the balance of payments. Key accounts within the balance of payments are current account, capital account and financial account. References Ariel, R. Lecture Notes in Microeconomic Theory: The Economic Agent. New York: Princeton University Press, 2006

You are ugly, too Analysis

Zoe seemed to be unsure about everything, including herself. She bought furniture then returned them because they didn't look like what her had expected. She doubt whether the Chinese symbols on the rug really meant Peace and Eternal Life as the salesgirl said. And she eventually returned the rug. She was not quite sure about herself as well. She worried that the woman she saw everyday was not herself: â€Å"Sometimes I looked puffer and plainer than she remembered. † Each time she was told that she looked like other people, she doubt more about her looking.Just by listing her actions and thoughts, the author successfully described Zoe as a cynical and possibly depressed character. Page 446, when she flew to NYC: Zoe revealed her trick to flying safe: never buying a discount ticket and telling yourself you have nothing to live for anyway. And even if the flight was safe, she suggested coming up with a persuasive reason to go on living. It sounded like Zoe always prepared herse lf for anything bad happens, like she really â€Å"had nothing to live for†. Zoe Conversation with Earl: In this story, the author Lorries Moore emphasized sexual relationships between an and woman.The conversation was impressed by how Zoe replied to Earl's talking. Earl tried really hard to talk about love and relationships, but eventually got beaten by Zoo's sarcastic replying. He said: â€Å"You know, I Just shouldn't try to go out with career women. You're all stricken. A guy can really tell what life has done to you. I do better with women who have part-time Jobs. † Zoo's past experience with three unrewarding relationships made her become alienated and desperate. Her situation Is a common for professional women at that time.

Most Valuable Provisions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Most Valuable Provisions - Research Paper Example This is only possible if the nurses are aware of the specific health needs of the patients, as well as other concerns that affect health such as environmental pollution, violation of the human rights, inaccess to healthcare amongst others (Lachman, 2009). The provision also involves the public in ensuring that the health needs of a people are met (Lachman, 2009). The public is expected to work closely with the nurses in making the community responsive to the circumstances that contribute to illness, and how they can modify their lifestyle to promote fit lifestyles. The nurse must also incorporate all the cultures in an attempt to proffer health services to the public. In the thought of Sasso, et. al. (2008), provision 9 is accountable for expressing nursing values that uphold integrity for the nursing profession, and its involvement to shaping the nursing policy. According to the provision, the profession organization is expected to be in touch with and avow the values to its members; hence, encourage self assessment and reflection within the profession. This leads to the public holding the opinion that nursing plays a crucial role to social change that improves health. It is in this argument that the profession ensures that they ensure collective liability through the concerned professional associations. This provision also checks for principles of practice. Additionally, Lachman (2009) indicates that the provision scrutinizes the mechanisms of assessing the efficacy of professional nursing. The provision also makes sure that inter-professional uprightness is attained through the proviso. Educational requirements for official recognition and practice of nursing are well scrutinized by the provision (Lachman, 2009).The nursing profession and practice, in this case, is evaluated for effectiveness, all for the benefit of the public. In the course of my nursing profession, these provisions have been of fundamental nature as

Strategies for Building Effective Relationships Research Paper - 1

Strategies for Building Effective Relationships - Research Paper Example Is it possible to add new features to the existing product or entirely a new product needs to be developed? Where do the company’s products stand in comparison to competition in terms of overall acceptability? While marketing department’s feedback will help ascertain the key features required for a new product, the design department will help develop a product with those features. Developing a product with good aesthetics is also the responsibility of the design department. The costing department will put its efforts in keeping the cost as low as possible because that is the mantra for enhancing its acceptability. While marketing department emphasizes on ‘optimal pricing of the product’ as one of the essential requirements, the production and process department of the company will assess whether the current setup of machinery and equipment is sufficient to produce a new product commercially or any further investment on capital equipment is required. If addi tional investment is necessary, the finance department will have to explore whether it is feasible to manage those funds at all and if yes, then at what cost? The point is that while developing a new product, the project leader needs to coordinate with numerous departments and extract their expertise successfully. It is indeed a challenging job as none of the department directly reports the project leader. The project leader needs to exhibit exemplary leadership qualities to complete the task given by the company management. He needs to resolve conflict situation that may arise time to time between the departments of the company and their office-bearers, especially when it is known that the last project leader failed to resolve conflicting situations with peer managers and supervisors. While developing a new product through participatory management, the role of a project leader is multifaceted. Primarily, they need to be creative and innovative with good empathy for the customer so that they can develop a product at an affordable cost that is unique and no one else offers in the marketplace. At the same time, they must assess the company's strength accurately to deliver such a product on a commercial scale within a stipulated period. They also need to take some key decisions on final product design or features after great deliberations within the organization that may have long-term repercussions on the company. That is where they need to be visionary too. Prima facie, it may appear that the project leader functions as a coordinator and facilitator in the development of a new product but their success will largely depend upon how accurately and precisely, they can resolve all issues that may crop up during the developmental phase and in that sense, their leadershi p role takes over all other roles.

Low carbohydrates diets lead to weight loss transformation, but leave Essay

Low carbohydrates diets lead to weight loss transformation, but leave lasting harms of mental illness and depression - Essay Example The most prominent and important consequence of a low carbohydrate diet are psychological problems such as depression. â€Å"Consumption of diets low in carbohydrate tends to precipitate depression, since the production of brain chemicals serotonin and tryptophan that promote the feeling of well being, is triggered by carbohydrate rich foods† (Sathyanarayana et al, 2008) Previously, most people in order to shed the extra pounds engaged in low fat diets where intake of fatty, oily and fattening food products were not consumes however low fat diet programs have been today replaced by the low carbohydrate diet program. This happened primarily because low fat diet program approaches that â€Å"decrease fat mass also result in undesirable loss of lean body mass† (Volek et al, 2010) since after the depletion of fats in the body the stored muscle proteins are targeted for energy extraction. Thus a diet program where the carbohydrate is restricted means that the lean body mass of a person would be preserved since right after energy extraction from stored carbohydrates the body targets the stored fats and not muscle proteins. In order to lose weight fast low carbohydrate diets are very much in vogue since they yield the results much faster and much more efficiently than other diet plans that are designed and followed. Today low carbohydrate diet is al so done as a treatment for several problems such as obesity, CVD etc. In an average person’s life the highest intake through food is mostly that of carbohydrates. An average person consumes carbohydrate in form of staple foods such as bread, rice, pasta etc. However when a person undergoes a low carbohydrate diet he/she is prohibited from consuming such easy digestible carbohydrate food products and is given a much more protein enriched and fat enriched diet such as meat, cheese, poultry etc. Improvement of body

Major Assignment 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Major Assignment 1 - Essay Example Yes, â€Å"if you fail to tip the person getting you that coffee, you may be directing and even substantially affecting that persons income (Lewis),† but the state sets a minimum wage requirement that the employer must adhere by. If tips and wages do not meet the minimum wage requirement, then the employer must compensate the employee for the difference. Yes, â€Å"they know that if someone shoots up his school, he will become a celebrity (Ellis),† but they also know that jail time will be in their future. Usually a school shoot up has nothing to do with fame but is a psychological reaction to bulling inside or outside the school or home. Yes, â€Å"61 percent of the programs examined last year contained some violence (Ellis),† but television program does not put the firearm in the hands of the adolescent. Parents with firearms have the responsibility to keep them locked up tight and safe from children. Yes, â€Å"the violence depicted on television and movies escalates with each passing year, as audiences grow inured to â€Å"routine violence (Ellis),† but many people watch violence without committing violent acts. Parents should monitor children’s viewing habits and watch violent programming with the child to explain what is happing and that it is wrong to do what they see in real life. In The Case against Tipping by Michael Lewis, Lewis had a point when he said, â€Å"people who serve you are more likely to do it well and promptly if they will be rewarded.† I felt this concern had merit in that servers do expect the tip and know that if they perform great service then they will be tipped generously. Servers also provide mediocre service if the patron is not spending much money at the establishment because they know the tip is based on a percentage of about 15%. A patron spending $2 on coffee will only be required to pay a 30-cent tip and that is hardly worth any effort. The expected tip should not influence the amount of service the patron receives but

Reading Responses to a Poem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reading Responses to a Poem - Essay Example Brooks’ poetic style and substance complement each other in producing realist literary wonders, resulting in her being granted the Pulitzer Prize in 1950. It was possible that Brooks herself was influenced by her contemporaries when it comes to form and content (Hacker, n.d.). The point, however, is that when The Pool Players is detached from the consequence of such possibility or not, it is indeed a poem that could only come from poet laureate such as Brooks. Typical of modern poetry, The Pool Players does not use the classical poetic forms that can be attributed to the style of Romanticists. Instead, its form and language is basically colloquial in nature. In just reading the poem, one would have the impression of youths who are just expressing themselves in the simplest language that they are accustomed to; no flowery descriptions, no use of symbolisms, and no adjectives to clarify further what they mean. However, the effectiveness of the poem in delivering its message is d efinitely achieved through the use of such language, coarse or crude it may sound for those whose usual impression of poetry is highly influenced by Romanticist ideals. Brooks herself explained in an interview that the form or language used for the poem was not prompted by an objective related to literary aesthetics, such as colloquial rhythm. Therefore, it could not be attributed to any possible influence of modernist poets, such as Ezra Pound or T.S. Eliot (Stavros, 1970). Instead, it represented how Brooks actually felt about the subjects of her poem, young men or boys who did not believe in the importance of education in their lives and who would rather play pool or stay on the streets until death comes. The effect of the poem on the reader is more profound though primarily because of the simplicity in the language used. The reader would easily get a picture of the scene that the poet wishes to portray. The language is very direct, allowing the reader to immediately get the imag e that poet wants to impart on the reader. However, it is also because of such characteristic that there is a tendency for the reader not to comprehend the deeper meaning behind the conversational verbiage applied. Ironically, this is the main problem with such kind of language and form. Because it appears too simple, it may not encourage the reader to reflect on the meaning. The power of the poem lies in its informality; its simplicity is â€Å"stark to the point of elaborateness†¦ it is virtually coded† (Spillers, 1987, p.225). By using the very language that the pool players themselves use, the reader is taken into the world that Brooks wants to portray. It is apparent that the poet believes that it is only through such method that reader is able to analyze the message and come up with his own impression on the issue being tackled. The poem has eight lines but it is only on the last that the message is made clear but even this would not be understood without the prior seven lines. If the poem had been arranged in a non-lyrical manner, it would have appeared as commonplace as any conversation would be. However, Brooks made sure that even as she used simple language, The Pool Players is still able to uphold its aesthetic value as a literary work. Because of this,

Tesla Motors and the use of IT technology in their business for Research Paper

Tesla Motors and the use of IT technology in their business for customer convenience - Research Paper Example Tesla also uses innovative distribution models i.e. company owned service centers and sales. This technology utilized by Tesla enables it to maintain high levels of customer experience and also improved from customer feedback loops so as to ensure the needs of its customers are fulfilled. This therefore provides the company with a competitive advantage over other traditional vehicle manufacturers. In wherever industry, an affective customer service and convenience is key for success. This is important since it helps companies retain its current customer and also attract more customers. Therefore, the key to improved customer experience and service is the use of intelligent systems. These systems offer a two – way method of exchanging information between the customers and the companies so as to complete the feedback loop. The idea behind integration of intelligent systems is to provide an enabling competitive advantage over competitors through full engagement of customers hence a high level customer service that ensure future loyalty. To accomplish this, Tesla Motors, Inc. has leverage embedded devices which are connected to intelligent systems which allows the company to differentiate their offerings, attract and retain customers. Tesla Motors, Inc. operates retail outlets and service centers across North America. Intelligent hardware and software are used in these retail outlets and service centers to provide a customized digital signage that is based on knowledge of the preferences of the customer hence provide the customer with suggestions based on their past purchases, service received and test-drives taken. These intelligent systems look up for a customer’s shopping patterns, their preferences, past service interactions, their recent purchases and orders made in a backend Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. This CRM systems

A research paper about Toni Morrison's novel Beloved Essay

A research paper about Toni Morrison's novel Beloved - Essay Example Besides, Morrison also foregrounds the significance of storytelling and employs different narrative voices to reflect Sethe’s fragmented stories. This form of narration allows her to keep the reader interested and eager to know the unfolding of the story. Morrison’s allusion to â€Å"Sixty million and more† represents not only an acknowledgement but also a tribute to the millions of Africans that had to go through the Middle passage. The exact number of these people who underwent much suffering and pain will never be known; however, their memory will survive through their experiences and writings like Morrison’s and others that strive to keep the memory alive. This statement reveals: â€Å"Let us turn to Beloved, a Pulitzer Prize winning book set in antebellum America. Usually classified as a neo-slave narrative, it deals with slavery and the myriads of traumas inflicted by such a horrifying institution on the survivors† (Palladino 54). Through Seth e’s and her fellow slaves’ experiences, Morrison portrays the atrocities and evil these millions of slaves had to go through. Besides, this homage to those who experienced slavery has a deep connection with another number that begins the novel: â€Å"124 WAS SPITEFUL. Full of a baby's venom. ... Therefore, 124 has a special link with slavery not only because it was a house that offered refuge to runaway slaves but it also symbolizes the brutalities of slavery through the painful murder of Sethe’s baby. In fact, the missing figure (3) in the number represents Beloved, Sethe’s third child sacrificed through the devastation of slavery, but it also symbolizes all the victims who died in the sea or through of the atrocities of their enslavement. This critic informs: â€Å"The sequence 1 2 4 that misses the third figure, signifies the absence of Sethe’s third child: Sethe has four children, Howard, Buglar, the little killed baby, and Denver. Beloved has been excluded from the family, from life and from being enumerated among Sethe’s children; she has been left out and consciously forgotten for being a heavy and unbearable memory†(Palladino 57). Thus, this deliberate effort to forget Beloved represents an attempt to ignore the pain and suffering r elated to slavery. Moreover, Morrison uses an efficient writing strategy in order to expose the destructive nature of slavery. She carefully combines form and content in an attempt to foreground the brutalities of slavery and the trauma it caused its victims. Indeed, the first paragraph sets the tone of the story without telling explicitly what the real problem is. This style reflects Morrison’s effort to keep the reader interested and waiting. The narrator introduces the ghost without naming it: â€Å"As soon as two tiny hand prints appeared in the cake (that was it for Howard). Neither boy waited to see more; another kettleful of chickpeas smoking in a heap on the floor; soda crackers crumbled and strewn in a line next to the door sill. Nor did they wait

International Relations theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Relations theories - Essay Example In that NATO countries view an attack upon one member State as an attack upon all treaty members collectively, the legal justification for the use of armed forces in Afghanistan in self-defence is not a matter of legal dispute in international law in the manner that the Iraq war was under contention. As professor Patrick Thaddeus Jackson wrote in ‘Theories of International Relations’ (2006) â€Å"Realism is characterized by a concern with material coercive power. It treats states as the primary unit of analysis. Power is primarily viewed in military terms, and the military power of other states presents the greatest potential danger to an individual state. Economic leverage is also considered an important element of national strength, and Realist analyses of international economics assume that hegemonic actors define not just political but economic structures.† (Jackson, 2006) In evaluating the realist concern for global security, the US and NATO powers are the pr imary police force for international trade and commerce, which was threatened directly by the World Trade Center attacks. The costs of the attack led to $40 to $60 billion USD in insurable costs according to a Congressional study, plus a large drop in the stock markets, contraction of the economy, support for the airline industry, and militarization for the war on terror internationally. (Makinen, 2002) Where international trade and business was impacted in such a major way by terrorism, the realist argument is given as the primary justification for the deployment of military forces in a police action to secure this. Where the 9/11 attacks also harmed the perception of America internationally as a hegemonic power, it also required a realist response to restore the balance of power to hegemony in a â€Å"zero sum† game of national interests. The natural resource interest in Afghanistan is arguably in natural gas, minerals, or pipelines. Yet a greater interest can be seen in NA TO of a containment of Iran, arguably a major concern due to the Islamic theocracy in the country and nuclear program. In establishing bases in both Afghanistan and Iraq, this can be seen as part of a NATO-US led policy of containment of Iranian power as well as regime change in Sunni States with the goal of democratization. The democratization argument applies to realism when NATO, the US, and others decide it is in their best interests to promote democratic governments around the world to support global security and the expansion of their social and economic interests. Finally, a critical view of realism can be seen in the interest of the Military-Industrial Complex to deploy in Afghanistan to further the expansion of the contracts related to the war and Department of Defence as they relate to private profit, ownership, and control. Question 2- How does Marxist theory address poverty and land reform as global security concern? In the economic theory developed by Karl Marx, there w ill be no true peace or security in the status quo internationally unless or until the developed nations make a commitment to economic rights and shared, egalitarian, economic development on a humanitarian and moral basis. It is the landless poor who in many regions suffer the most at the lowest levels of global capitalism internationally. Many of these

The Human Condition Portrayed in John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” Essay Example for Free

The Human Condition Portrayed in John Steinbeck’s â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† Essay John Steinbeck’s â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† is a story of one woman’s insecurities because of her age and her need to feel beautiful and worthy. There are many ideas portrayed in this story; including sexism, marital roles, basic human needs and emotions and many other ideas. The focus of this essay however, is the human condition of aging; the insecurities which can develop as a person ages.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Aging is one of many aspects of the human condition; according to Websters Dictionary. Human condition is â€Å"the positive and negative aspects of existence as a human being† and â€Å"inevitable events† of life such as; love, sex, aging and death (Webster’s, 1). â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† is a story of a woman who is uncomfortable with her age, and disappointed in her lot in life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Steinbeck gives the reader the impression that Elisa, the main character, has a problem accepting her age. In the fifth paragraph of the story, the reader is told that Elisa is thirty-five. In today’s standards thirty-five is quite young, but in the 1930s the average life span was only forty years old (Koncelik, 2002). Eliza likely felt her life was coming to an end.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Steinbeck introduces the reader to Elisa as she is â€Å"cutting down the old year’s chrysanthemum stalks with a pair of short and powerful scissors† (207; par. 7). When the reader is first introduced to Elisa, Steinbeck describes what others would see when looking at Elisa; she has a lean, strong face, and clear eyes (206; par. 5). This description implies that Elisa is a healthy, strong woman; however the way Elisa is dressed suggests that she is ashamed of her appearance. Steinbeck writes; Her figure looked blocked and heavy in her gardening costume, a man’s black hat pulled low down over her eyes, clod-hopper shoes, a figured print dress almost completely covered by a big corduroy apron with four big pockets to hold the snips, the trowel and scratcher, the seeds and the knife she worked with. She wore heavy leather gloves to protect her hands while she worked (206; par. 5).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Steinbeck’s description demonstrates that Elisa is dressed both practical and in a way which hides her body because of her insecurity. Her corduroy pockets are used for her gardening tools and the heavy gloves protect her hands. The author’s description of her low pulled down hat and the figured print dress that is almost completely covered gives the impression that Elisa is trying to hide herself. Elisa is allowing her age to define her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elisa is proud of her Chrysanthemums, something she creates with her â€Å"planting hands† (210). The Chrysanthemums are a symbol of beauty and perfection, something Elisa wants to see in herself. When she first meets the newcomer she feels annoyance until he asks about her flowers; â€Å"the irritation and resistance melted from [her] face (209; 51). The newcomer played on Elisa’s emotions, knowing he could make money by fabricating a story about a woman interested in having Chrysanthemums. He made Elisa feel so good about herself that she gave in and paid him to fix a few saucepans. The newcomer made the pans like new, similar to how he made Elisa feel. At the time of the man’s departure, Elisa felt proud; â€Å"her shoulders were straight [and] her head [was] thrown back† (211; 91), she feels that she has a purpose. Steinbeck creates a scene, drastically different then the beginning of the story. The beginning had a slow, depressing tone, whereas the scene after the newcomer leaves feels vibrant. The way Steinbeck describes the bedroom scene, where Elisa is dressing slowly in new undergarments and the nicest stockings; â€Å"and the dress which was the symbol of her prettiness† (212; 93), it is apparent that the positive feelings Elisa is demonstrating are rare. The feelings are so rare that she is defensive when her husband says she looks nice; it is also apparent when he says â€Å"why – why, Elisa. You look so nice!† (212; 100) that he is surprised at her change in attitude. She even boasts about her strength to her husband.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Elisa’s good feelings are short-lived, when she drives by her Chrysanthemums dumped out on the road without the pot. The beautiful flowers were tossed carelessly away; symbolizing the life she feels has thrown away, feeling it is too late for a change. It hurts her so badly that she can’t look at him as she passes. Instead of dealing with her emotions, her hurt and disappointment, she turns her attention to the night ahead of them. It is apparent that Elisa will never live up to her full potential and never make the change she desperately needs. She almost takes the plunge when she asks about the fights; but backs down and settles for a glass of wine at dinner.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Steinbeck’s â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† explores the human ability to cope with aging. Elisa desperately wants to feel young again, beautiful and strong like her Chrysanthemums; what she can’t understand is that she can be like the Chrysanthemums,   growing bigger, stronger and more beautiful every year. She chooses to hide herself behind bulky unflattering clothes and living life in the background because she feels she is too old. Aging is a human condition which is difficult for many people to handle; it can cause depression, like in Elisa’s case. Steinbeck has been known for his representation of the human condition in many of his stories; â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† explores a woman’s experience in aging which is as relevant today as it was in the 1930s. Works Cited Human condition. Websters New Millenniumâ„ ¢ Dictionary of English, Preview Edition (v 0.9.7). (2007). Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. 28 Aug. 2007. Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/human condition. Koncelik, Jooseph, A. â€Å"Designing for the Life Span† (Segment 2, slide 28). Georgia Tech Research on Accessible Distance Education. (2002). 28 August 2007 http://www.catea.org/grade/lifespan/Segment2/slide70.htm Steinbeck, John. â€Å"The Chrysanthemums†.

Gender Inequalities in Health Sociology

Gender Inequalities in Health Sociology This essay aims to understand why there are health inequalities between both genders and the social classes. This will be achieved by analysing the findings of sociological research, whilst discussing the main problems with how health inequalities are measured. The cultural and structural explanations on why health inequalities occur will also be evaluated. In 2009, The House of Commons Health Committee published a report, which found that even though peoples health was improving in all social groups, the gap between the health of the social classes had widened. The reason stated for this, was that the health of those in higher social classes was improving far quicker than the health of those in the lower social classes. The figures within in the report showed that if you are in a higher social group you are more likely to live longer than someone in the lower social classes. The report also stated that not only do poorer people die younger; they also suffer more years of ill health. Access to health care for the lower classes is also uneven and those who are poor, elderly and disabled are less likely to receive proper treatment than those who are young and able-bodied. A report done by the Learning Disabilities Observatory alleged that this was because the elderly and disabled were unable to access health care due to reduced mobility, being unable to communicate health problems to professionals and their carers failing to identify health problems. (Eric Emerson, 2010) The Health Committee report also illustrates the interrelations of gender inequalities and socioeconomic status. On a geographical level females who were born in the more affluent areas of London, such as Kensington and Chelsea had a significantly higher life expectancy (87.8 years) than females who were born in Glasgow (77.1 years), which has the lowest life expectancy figure in the UK. Subsequently, even though the life expectancy for males and females in social class l (professional) and social class V (unskilled manual) has improved compared to previous years, the disparity between them, is still widening. (House of Commons, Health Committee, 2009) A cultural explanation was also given for why mens life expectancy is more severely affected than womens life expectancy. It was suggested by the Mens Health Forum that men are more likely to take risks with their health due to them trying to cope with stress and conforming to role models in society. Men, compared to women also make poor use of primary care services such as pharmacies and GP surgeries. This is thought to be because men find it culturally unacceptable to discuss their health problems. Men are also more likely to die of health problems relating to their weight, as they are less able than women to identify when they are overweight, as weight is seen as a womens issue. (Memorandum by the mens health forum, 2008) However, even though the data found within the Health Committees report looks convincing the majority of the data is based on morbidity rates, which are not always reliable, as not everyone who gets ill may report their illness. Even human error and illness not being recorded accurately can mean that data based evidence of health inequalities can be unreliable. A previous report done in 2004 by Hilary Graham, featured evidence that suggested that if your parents were poor or in poverty then you were already predisposed to having poor health and having a higher mortality and morbidity rate. This was due to mothers who are poor not being able to afford nutritious food and not being able to access health care. This in turn can lead to babies being born with a lower birth weight, and poor cognitive and physical development. This can influence further problems in health as an adult and therefore, further inequalities in health than someone who was born to parents with a higher income. The findings of the report done by Graham also showed that those living with illness or an impairment were less likely to avoid economic hardships due to their persisting health difficulties and the discrimination they faced, meaning they were less likely to maintain long term employment. In turn, those who did belong to a higher socioeconomic group had a far bette r chance of staying in employment even when faced with ill health. It was also suggested within the report that socioeconomic position affects an individuals health indirectly by influencing intermediary factors such as their home and environment (e.g. poor living and working conditions) and psychosocial factors such as their stress levels and relationships within their family. (Graham, 2004) On analysing Grahams report, there are certain criticisms that can be made on the reliability of her findings. For instance, all the data that featured in her report is secondary; none of it is her own. Therefore, the validity and reliability of the findings featured in her report is only as good as the people she collected it from. However, the research she did use was up -to date and from credible resources. There are cultural and structural explanations that also help us understand why there are inequalities in health between the genders and social classes. In relations to gender inequalities in health the cultural/ behavioural explanation suggests that men are far more likely to suffer ill health and die younger than women due to role models in society and the need for them to feel masculine. Because of this, young men in particular are more likely to smoke, drink alcohol and take drugs. A higher consumption of alcohol and drug taking in particular is thought to be a prime reason why young men are more likely to commit suicide. Women, on the other hand have been socialised to pay greater attention to their health and body as it is seen as a way to define their femininity. However, more women suffer from eating disorders than men do. (Waugh,C. et al 2008) Many feminists believe that women no longer have control over the health care they receive, and any health care they are given is sui ted to doctors and hospital hours. They also argue that women are left to suffer at the hands of male doctors, who are more likely to diagnose female patients symptoms as that of a mental illness. (Browne, 2008) The structural/ materialistic explanation for inequalities in health has suggested that women are more likely to get ill because of their role in society as caregivers because they are more likely to suffer from stress and mental illness. Women who do part-time work are also more likely to suffer from ill health as they are less well paid and have fewer perks than women who are able to do full time work. Men on the other hand often do jobs that are dangerous, stressful and physically demanding (e.g. warehouse work, armed forces jobs etc.) The structural explanation also suggests that those who are in the lower social classes are more likely to suffer from ill health because they are less able to engage in healthy lifestyle choices due to lack of income. They are also more likely to do manual jobs and have less money to buy good quality foods. Lack of transport may make it harder to access medical care and stress of not having enough money can lead to further health problems, which ma y eventually lead to unemployment. Marxists claim capitalist society causes people to become ill as it aims to serve only the higher classes. Being unable to work is seen as the definition of sickness, whilst Doctors are seen as agents of social control with the power to sign people off work. Yet not working can equally make people ill by increasing the risk of ill health, depression and suicide. (Kirby,M. et al 1997) Both explanations are equally valid; however, the structural explanation looks at the wider picture of why people in lower classes or certain genders are more likely to suffer from high morbidity and mortality rates, as they cannot afford healthy lifestyles like the higher classes. The cultural explanation gives insight into why one gender more than the other seeks health care and why data for morbidity if higher for women than men yet mortality levels are higher than men than in women. (Martin Holborn, 2004) In conclusion, the findings in both the reports from the Health Committee and by Hilary Graham both show that the lower your social class, the higher your risk of suffering from poor health and lower life expectancy. Furthermore, the cultural explanation gives reason to why men are less likely to visit the doctor due to wanting to conform to masculine stereotypes, whereas women are encouraged to look after their health. Alternatively, the structural explanation gives greater insight into how your social class can affect your health by limiting your access to healthcare and the means to living a healthier lifestyle.

Pros And Cons Of Biotechnology

Pros And Cons Of Biotechnology The Convention on Biological Diversity signed on 5 July 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Rio Earth Summit) defines biotechnology: as any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use. Understand the many disciplines that contribute to Biotechnology The main focus of biotechnology revolves around the use of molecular biology in the application of genetic engineering. Biotechnology encompasses many disciplines and relies on contributions from areas such as chemistry, computer science, mathematics, biology and engineering in addition to other fields such as economics and philosophy. Historic and current applications of biotechnology and its products Fermentation to produce foods Fermentation was discovered over 10,000 years ago and is widely considered to be the most ancient biotechnological discovery. Mankind was producing beer, wine, vinegar and bread using yeast. Lactic acid bacteria in milk and moulds were used to produce cheese. Modern food production still employs these processes but the cultures have been genetically refined and purified so that only the most desirable traits remain. Food preservation Preserving food through drying, salting and freezing was practiced even before anyone really understood why food spoiled in the first place. Louis Pasteurs research on the spoilage of win in 1864 was the first attempt to research food technology in a scientific manner. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) PCR is a technique in molecular biology use to amplify a few copies of a piece of DNA through thermal cycling generating millions of copies of a particular DNA sequence. This technique is used for a variety of purposes including DNA sequencing in cloning, analysis of hereditary genetic diseases or even in the identification of genetic fingerprints used in forensic science. Microbial biodegradation The elimination of pollutants and waste from the environment is a concern that has intensified in recent years as humanity strives to find sustainable ways to cleanup contaminated environments. Bioremediation harnesses the natural ability of microbial xenobiotic metabolism to degrade and transform a huge range of compounds including hydrocarbons and metals. List and describe different types of biotechnology and their applications There are a number of jargon terms for sub-fields of biotechnology. Red biotechnology refers to biotechnology used in medical processes. Its applications include the production of antibiotics, vaccines and genomic manipulation to cure diseases. White biotechnology refers to biotechnology used in industrial processes. Its applications include using organisms to produce useful chemicals. The aim is to surpass traditional manufacturing processes by consuming fewer resources. Green biotechnology refers to biotechnology used in agricultural processes. Its applications include designing plants to grow under specific conditions or in the presence/absence of agricultural chemicals. One of its aims us to produce more environmentally friendly solutions separate from traditional industrial agriculture. Bioinformatics addresses biological problems using information technology. It plays a key role in areas like biotechnology and pharmaceutical sector. Bioinformatics also helps in the analysis of functional genomics, structural genomics, and proteomics amongst others. Provide examples of potential advances in Biotechnology Red biotechnology, especially in the field of regenerative medicine, is poised to transform healthcare. Advances in genetics, stem-cell research and cloning promises a golden age in medical care for the future. Genetics is the principle science behind regenerative medicine. Recombinant DNA technology is currently applied in producing vaccines to combat hepatitis B and human-protein drugs to treat diabetes. New protein drugs are in development to treat a wider range of diseases. It is speculated that genes can be used to stimulate the growth of new tissue, and create antibodies to either suppress or enhance the immune system. This can be used to treat diseases such as arthritis and various cancers in the future. Regenerative medicine, unlike chemical based drugs that simply supports failing or damaged organs or tissues, cures disease while having less toxic side effects. Cellular biology plays a major role in regenerative medicine. Human cells are currently being used in a variety of ways such as growing blood vessels and manufacturing artificial skin. Stem cell research offers even more promising treatments. In the future, adult stem cells can be harvested, cultured, and reinserted to heal damaged tissue, bones, nerves, and organs for those suffering brain and spinal injuries. Adult stem cells have limited flexibility as they are often difficult to locate and activate, this means they are unviable in the treatment of a number of disease and injuries. Embryonic stem cells are easier to obtain and their plasticity offers greater therapeutic benefit. Regenerative medicine promises many benefits. Better precision in diagnostics means earlier and more effective medical interventions. The Human Genome Project and ubiquitous monitoring will allow medicine to develop an appropriate response to the onset of debilitating and life-threatening diseases. Effective therapies will affect the quality of many patients lives. Diseased or damaged organs can be repaired or replaced completely. This will prove a great boon for the worlds ageing population as it improves the longevity of human life. Reflect on how it affects you and the world There is intense debate over the development of medical biotechnologies. Studies in genetics, cloning and stem-cell research have sparked unflattering headlines. How do we balance the great hope of treating currently incurable conditions such as Alzheimers with the moral cost that many argue is to high? Will embryonic stem-cell research and therapeutic cloning mean a callous commoditization of human life at its most vulnerable stage? Or are attempts to restrict development in regenerative medication condemning countless individuals to needless suffering? Will the benefits of regenerative medicine be distributed evenly, or will only the wealthy be able to afford it? What will be the social effects of a society populated by genetically enhanced individuals of varying levels? Does this prospect mean greater or less regulation of regenerative medicine research? Admittedly, these questions each embody a number of issues that are contentious in their own right. And each of them requires detailed analysis and scrutiny. Such inquiries are themselves shaped by a bigger picture of religious, moral, social, and political convictions. To what end are the current and future developments in regenerative medicine directing us? And how do we judge whether this end is desirable? Commoditization of human life Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is a technique to produce human embryonic stem (ES) cells for research or therapy. The technique creates human embryos that serve as sources of human ES cells. In deriving the human ES cells, the cloned human embryo (enucleated human egg transplanted with somatic cell nucleus) is destroyed at the blastocyst stage. This technique has many significant applications for clinical applications and medical research. Human ES cells produced from unfertilized egg cells transplanted with a nucleus from a human somatic cell can serve as a renewable source of cells with varied applications. These cells are capable of self-renewal and can transform into any other type of cell in the human body. Human ES cells can also be used for research into in vitro studies of normal human embryogenesis, abnormal development, human gene discovery and teratogen testing. Therapeutic cloning involves the destruction of cloned human embryos. The moral controversy arises depending on what status cloned human organizes possess. I feel that there are 3 main responses to this question. Human being and human embryo are essentially different Human embryos are essentially different from human beings and have no status. Bonnie Stienbock stipulates that cognitive status is not a matter of species membership but rather the ability to think, feel and experience. Early embryos cannot feel or experience anything. Thus, nothing you do to an embryo, including the act of killing it, can harm its interests because embryos do not have any interests. Human being and human embryos are essentially the same Peter Garret, research director of Life, an anti abortion group in Britain states that therapeutic cloning is simply a form of technological cannibalism. The moral reasoning being that cloning a human embryo to harvest stem cells would be equivalent to creating an individual with the eventual aim of plundering him/her for body parts. To bring it in line with Steinbocks view, species membership is the core determining factor when deciding whether a human organism has cognitive status. Respect for human life The third response presents that view that while human embryos are not equivalent to human beings, they are still a form of human life and are deserving of respect. Steinbock stipulates that the significance of and importance of embryos is symbolic. The respect that we confer to human embryos is analogous to that we accord to dead bodies. A dead human body does not have interests by itself but we show respect for dead bodies by burying them in accordance with our social or religious views. We do this because the dead human body represents a person who has existed. Similarly, we can argue that respect should be accorded to human embryos because of its potential to become a human being. I do feel that the development of sound bioethics depends on according embryos, fetuses or babies some sort of moral significance and importance. But as these reflections show, advances in biotechnology lead us to explore the philosophical issues regarding how to develop and apply new medical and technological possibilities. There are conflicts regarding the moral standing of early human life, issues regarding the meaning of personal identity and the potential to become a person. The challenges of the future will not only be scientific, but will require careful grounding in bioethics. Post humanism The development of superior diagnostic, therapeutic, preventive and enhancement techniques are sure to raise human life expectancy. Eminent researchers in the field of biogerontology such as Aubrey de Grey speculates that if accelerated aging syndrome such as Progeria can be fought as a disease, natural aging should fall along the same lines. Regenerative medicine can eventually thwart the natural aging process resulting in increased longevity. This is certainly within the realm of possibility, when all dysfunctional organs can continually be refreshed, we would have a substantially longer lifespan. If regenerative medicine is the first step in curing aging and subsequently, a declaration of war on human mortality, then an interesting issue is forced upon us. Should humans use technology to overcome or extend the limits of our mortality imposed on us by the evolution of human biology? When indeed these limits are overcome or greatly extended, then mortality is no longer a definitive feature of human life. In the absence of this defining feature, are human beings aspiring to become mere artifacts of our own engineering? I personally feel that much of the meaning and virtue in being human stems from our understanding of the finitude of mortal life. Much of the nobility embodied in human beings stem from procreation, a recognition that our future is shaped by and for our successors. Nothing good can come from continually extending the life of the progenitors. Preimplantation Genetics Testing and Eugenics Developments in reproductive medicine have provoked another range of questions, arising from the fact that techniques involving in vitro fertilization make it possible to examine and possibly alter the embryo prior to its implantation and development through fetal to the infant stage. This leads to what is known as the designer baby issue; imposing an ideal pattern on an embryo. The usual practice in clinics is to create a number of embryos in vitro and retain only those that meet the desired criteria. There are a number of situations where this procedure may be chose. It may be a matter of parents seeking to have a child free from a genetic condition known to be a risk in the family. However, groups representing the disabled claim that such selection disvalues disabled people. The same situation can be applied to selecting embryos by sex when the genetic condition involved is sex-linked. This would have broader impacts when sex selection is done for cultural or social reasons since this raises issues on the relative value set on male and female and the impact on the balance of sexes in society. Pre-implantation Tissue Typing (PITT) to produce a compatible donor for a sick family member takes the discussion onto new grounds. Many of them were covered in the film My Sisters Keeper and it raises questions about the exploitation of the resulting child and the violation of its own human rights claims. The spectrum of a new type of eugenics lies in the wait in any debate about designer babies. Scientists have rubbished the practice of eugenics as the convergence on a monoculture of ideal types may lead to elimination of traits that turn out to have evolutionary advantages. The issues that I have discussed have shown that there is a possibility of altering the embryos genetic structure either to eliminate some genetic diseases or, to promote sought-after characteristics such as intelligence or sporting potential. We are already screening various potential lives (embryos) in vitro to decide which should be given a chance at live and which should be allowed to perish. It is no longer the creation of live as we discussed earlier but the control, shaping and disposal of life that are at stake. This all leads to a brave new world of scientific eugenics. A variety of philosophers and scientists have argued for a developmental model of the legal status of the human embryo and foetus. The Roe vs. Wade decision held that pregnancy can be divided into 3 periods, corresponding to the degree that the foetus has been developed. The Supreme Court upheld that these periods correspond to an increasing standing of the emerging person in the human community. Yet the national debate continues and the lack of consensus about the status of the embryo has resulted in contradictory legal definitions in the US. Legality of embryo research varies from country to country as well. There is no clear guideline to the usage and treatment of embryonic material as there are too many fundamental questions that go to the root of humanity. Yet, I suggest that we apply the Kantian tradition of respect for persons and human rights that has been part of our history of civilized societies that balances. By all means, move ahead with stem cell research but let us be aware of all the issues surrounding it. Bioethics will continue to be faced with challenging questions, some of which we have not even conceptualized. In considered how to deal with moral issues, we should not narrow the range of persons who have moral responsibilities in determining answers. Both bioethicists and lawmakers must look to guidance from the public, not only from scientific and business interests. The public too have a special duty, which the media should assist in, to be well-informed in these complex matters.

Hidden Exposure - Working Diary :: Drama

Hidden Exposure - Working Diary =============================== This is a written analysis and evaluation of the creative process leading up to, and applied during, the dance performance of 'Hidden Exposure', based on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Dreams. The piece, was choreographed by 'Dance Performance Experience' year 2, and performed on January 13, 1998. The aims of this 'Dance Performance' module were to apply newly learnt techniques, movement skills, and the research of existing practitioners, combine them with existing dance skills and knowledge to create an original innovative dance performance. Members of the class will choreograph sections, with the common theme, in pairs or individually that will be put together to create a collage style dance. Each individually choreographed section should make use of some recurring motifs and demonstrate contact improvisation where possible. Before we started any of our own choreography we had to decide on a stimuli. This is very important, as it will be the idea that all movements are representing. This is called Ideational Stimuli and is when "the movement is stimulated and formed with the intention to convey an idea or tell a story."[1], as opposed to us taking a piece of music and dancing to it. As a group we had many ideas to choose from but after weighing out the options we opted for OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The idea of counting within the disorder gives us a good basis for a dance, because we perform to a beat, or a count, usually of eight. It is an interesting subject with much scope for contact improvisation, or non-contact, as the sufferers would prefer. The stimulus for the dance, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, is a condition that affects approximately 2.5% of the UK population. More common in females than males, the sufferer has an irresistible impulse to perform relatively meaningless acts repeatedly and in a specific manner. Compulsive persons do not enjoy their ritualistic behaviour and view the activity as foreign to their personality. They are unaware of the absurdity of their behaviour and yet are unable to stop it. Compulsive hand washers may wash their hands several times in an hour. In addition to being time consuming, compulsions can be costly to a person's well being. Other common compulsions are counting things to make sure that they are all there, checking the placements of objects, checking appliances are switched off, Exercising, cleaning, and feeling suffocated. (See appendix 1) A dance session should always start with a warm up; this comprises of warming up the different body parts in a range of exercises. Start, standing in parallel, beginning with the head and neck, we gently roll the head slowly to the left and then to the right repeating this

Making a Leader :: Leadership Papers

Missing Formatting Leadership According to Nathan F. Iannone, leadership can be defined as the art of influencing, directing, guiding, and controlling others in such a way as to obtain their willing obedience, confidence, respect and loyal cooperation in accomplishment of an objective. Leaders are not born†¦sure there are some gifts-traits-attributes, natural endowments that affect relative abilities†¦but they are not born, they are made. Any reasonably intelligent person with enough forcefulness to develop his/her ability to inspire others to follow him can earn leadership status. Remember that we have both formal and informal leaders†¦. Being a Captain /Sergeant doesn't make you a leader! Classic Leadership Theory: Common Traits of Leaders. Booher and Watson refer to classic leadership theory because it describes an approach to understanding leadership that by and large is out of style. Nonetheless it is clear that one can learn a great deal by studying the important personal ingredients in the l eadership equation. Studying the traits of great leaders became unpopular because it was and is associated with the "great man" theory of leadership. This approach was espoused in the 19th. and early 20th. Centuries, and asserted the leadership qualities are largely inherited. This was called "trait theory." Researchers such as Mann and Stodgill found no consistent correlate between particular traits and leadership. Later research, particularly more recent and more sophisticated work has found a consistent and strong relationship between certain traits and leadership. Possessing these core traits simply makes it more likely that a person will take the appropriate action leading to leadership success. Overhead #2 The Art of Leadership. What is the nature of leadership, leadership is an art! As with any form of artistic expression, painting, music, leadership is an art form in that it: ï‚ · Is an expression of the individual within the social and environmental context. ï‚ · Refl ects the individual's personality. ï‚ · Can be easier to demonstrate and develop when one has a talent for it. ï‚ · Can be learned-you may have a talent for it, you may not, either way, anyone can still become an effective leader. ï‚ · Is greatly enhanced through a disciplined regimen of learning and feedback. Through science, we can study the elements of leadership and provide valuable understanding into its nature. This enables us to determine where to focus our leadership skills and abilities, as well as measure to some extent, our effectiveness. However, the act of leading itself is largely unscientific and is far more akin to practicing an art form than studying scientific variables.

Lic of India

India’s Leading BFSI Companies 2008 Life Insurance Corporation of India Yogakeshema, Jeevan Bima Marg, P. B. No. 19953, Mumbai – 400021, Maharashtra Tel: 91 22 66598547; Fax: 91 22 22817253; Email: [email  protected] com; Website: www. licindia. com History Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) was formed in Sep 1956 after the Parliament of India passed the Life Insurance Corporation Act in Jun 1956.The company was created with the objective of spreading life insurance more widely, especially to reach all the insurable people in the rural areas and provide them with adequate financial cover at a reasonable cost. Apart from its corporate office, LIC had five zonal offices, 33 divisional offices and 212 branch offices in 1956. The nature of life insurance contracts being long-term coupled with the need to provide a variety of services during the term of the policy, LIC re-organised itself by opening a number of new branch offices.After its re-organisation, servicing functions were transferred to branches which were converted to accounting units. other cities. LIC has also launched Satellite Sampark offices in order to provide easy access to its policy holders. The company had 340 such offices as on Mar 2008. LIC also provides housing finance through LICHFL. It has also formed an asset management company known as LICMF AMC. The corporation has also extended its operations to the international arena; through various JVs and subsidiaries it operates in as many as nine countries.T S Vijayan Chairman D&B D-U-N-S ® 65-005-6716 IRDA Registration No Business Segment Life Insurance Key Information (As on Mar 2007) Total Income (Rs mn) NPE (Rs mn) Policy Holders Branches Employees Agents No of Policies Issued No of Claims Received No of Claims Settled Solvency Ratio (%) Management Chairman T S Vijayan Managing Directors D K Mehrotra Thomas Mathew T A K Dasgupta 1,744,405. 7 1,277,822. 6 212. 6 2,048 113,710 1,103,047 38,229,292 13,257,345 13,258,205 1 . 50 512 Products & ServicesLIC offers a wide array of insurance products to its customers such as insurance plans, pension plans, unit-linked plans, special plans and group scheme. During FY08, the company introduced certain new products such as Profit Plus, Fortune Plus, Jeevan Akshay, Jeevan Amrit & Amulya Jeevan. As of Mar 2007, total number of agents of the company stood at 1. 1 mn while the total number of policies issued was 38. 2 mn. The premium earned by the company reported a growth of 41% in FY07 when compared to the previous year.During the year, the company insured 34. 28 mn individuals for the first time, taking the ratio of first insurance to total business to 89. 61% for number of policies. Operations As on Mar 2008, LIC had 2,048 fully computerised branch offices, 109 divisional offices, eight zonal offices apart from its corporate office. LIC’s network connects all the branches through wide area network. The company also has tie-ups with certain banks and se rvice providers to offer on-line premium collection facility in select cities.Besides, ECS and ATM premium payment facility to its customers, the company has also commissioned IVRS and information centres at Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, New Delhi, Pune, amongst Key Highlights †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ 97. 11%ofmaturityclaimsaresettledonorbeforetheduedate. InFY08,LIChassettledover13. 9mnclaims,amountingtoRs372. 06bn. ThetotallifefundofLICstoodatRs6866. 16bnasonMar31,2008. ThetotalnumberofIn-Forcepolicieswasover233mnasonMar31,2008. AsonMar31,2008,LIC’stotalassetsvaluedatRs8038. 2bn. TotalincomeincreasedtoRs2063. 6bnbytheendofFY08,showingagrowth rate of 18. 3%. 137

Savage Beast

Importance of a good Elevator Pitch – While persistence and ingenuity were also important factors in getting Savage Beast's initial investment, the investor decided to invest after only ten minutes. This implies that Savage Beast had a strong elevator pitch that was both informative enough and interesting enough to hook an investor. 2. Defined roles – When everybody know what their role in the company entails, it akes for a well-oiled machine.When everybody has a Job to do and everybody is open and understanding of the Job decisions get made that are in the best interests of the company. 3. Sustainable plans – There are a lot of good ideas, but in order to be a successful company these ideas have to have long term footing. Without growth, the company will fail. For instance, if there is a music tool with a small music library, no one will invest. 4. Corporate decisions – It is important for everyone in upper management to be on the same page and to agree o n company decisions.When the ounders of a company are not in agreement the entire company suffers. In this case, I think one of them leaving was a good decision. 5. Redirection – Taking a step back and reassessing goals and options can be a huge turn around for a struggling company. There is no shame in stopping one failing strategy as long as the new strategy has purpose and direction. Section C – Discussion Questions 1 . Where exactly did Savage Beast go wrong? There was timing issues (the dot com crash), unsustainable goals, and corporate dissonance, but which were causes and which were effects?

Elderly living in institution and community

The rapidly increasing population of elderly all over the world has been one of the important concerns of the decision makers and planners on how to provide health care and facilities. Statistics shows that population of elderly accounts for one individual of the ten persons is now at age 60 years old and above. It is projected that in the year 2015, there will be an increasing rate of elderly population such that there will be five out of 10 persons considered as senior citizens. In the Philippines, there is an estimated 5. Million elderly Filipinos or about 6. % of the total 80 million populations. This is projected to grow by 9. 5% in the year 2020. Despite of the life expectancy and the facilities on medical and social systems provide to elderly, the vital question is â€Å"What are their situations and experiences at elderly stage? † Are they experiencing uncomfortable situations such as loneliness, depression, social isolation or controversial quality of life? In some As ian countries like the Philippines culture dictates that the family must take care of their elders.But some arousing circumstances like when both couples of a family must work so that here is no one to take care of them or when poverty cripples the financial status of the family. These circumstances will leave an option but to put their elders in an institution. The connotation that putting them in an institution might divulge some questions such as will the elders be lonely when they are in an institution or will they be happy thinking that they will never be a burden for their family.? Will their loneliness affect the quality of life that they have in the institution?How the Filipino family may adjust when their elders are in the institution and as they are facing the dead of ingratitude to their loved one. According to some research studies, it was postulated that the quality of life is not homogeneous, but multidimensional in nature with many option extending from health indicat ions to individual habits, cultures and ethics. Loneliness has a psychological dimension which reflects somebody attitude and behavior about his life. Elderly often expresses negative feelings and loneliness because of the ageing process and social strength that influence their quality of life.In this reasons, loneliness could be a one important parameter or indicators that effect the quality of life or vice versa, particularly the elders' society. Theoretical Framework Psychosocial Theory. Erik Erikson (1950) who took a special interest in the final stage of life, concluded that the primary psychosocial task of late adulthood (65 and beyond) is to maintain ego integrity (holding in to one's sense of wholeness) while avoiding despair (fearing there is too little time to begin a new life course).According to the author, those who succeed at this final task also develop wisdom that includes accepting without any regrets of life and has to live until the end of last breath death). He e mphasized that even older adults who are above in the high degree of integrity can felt some despair at this stage which they contemplate their past experiences. Interactions Theory. Weiss (1978) mentioned there are two elements of loneliness. One aspect is the emotional loneliness due to the absence of an attachment figure; and the other one is the social loneliness or the absence of an acceptable social network.Register Theory of Generative Quality of Life for the Elderly. According to M. Elizabeth Register and JoAnne Herman (2006), the quality of life is defined as being unconnected with the forces and processes that constitute an assenting existence. The elderly generate quality of life as they experience connectedness in which is a state of synchronous, harmonious, and interactive presence with the six interrelated forces and processes. It involved the act of being metaphysically connected to spiritual, biological, environmental and to the society.Conceptual Framework In the ab ove theoretical framework, the conceptual framework of the study is developed as shown in Figure 1. The first rectangle box contains the variable of loneliness (independent variable) while the second rectangle box contains the actors contributing to the dimensions of quality of life. The two arrows determine the relationships between loneliness and the quality of life of elders. The third rectangle contains the output/outcome of the study as an â€Å"Enhanced Quality of Life† of the elders in the community and the institution.Conceptual Paradigm Figure 1. Conceptual Paradigm Showing the Relationship between Loneliness and Quality of Life of Elders Statement of the Problem The study will determine the relationship of loneliness and quality of life of elderly individuals living in the community and institutions. Specifically, the study will seek to answer the following questions: 1. How may the level of loneliness of the elders in the community and in the institution be describ ed when categorized as: 1. 1 . Positive feelings, and 1. 2. Negative Feelings? . What is the level of the quality of life of the respondents when grouped according to: 2. 1. Emotional aspect 2. 2. Physical aspect and 2. 3. Social aspect? 3. Is there a significant relationship between loneliness and quality of life of the elders? 4. Is there a significant difference in loneliness and quality of life between elders in the community and in the institution? 5. What are the policy recommendation(s) to improve quality of life and sustain the programs of elderly in mitigating the loneliness of elders?In this study, the researcher will provide policy recommendations or measures on how to intervene appropriate program and activities for the elderly whether in the community or within the institution. Hypothesis The hypothesis will be tested at 0. 05 level of significance. Ho: There IS no significant relationship between the level of loneliness and quality of life among elders. Ho: There IS no significant difference IN the loneliness and quality of life of elders living in the community and institution. Significance of the Study Student nurses.The result of this study will help them enhance their knowledge and understanding on taking care of elders. It will help them to have an open mind to care holistically for the elders and to treat them highly individualized. Family members. The findings of the study can help them assess the quality of life of elders in institutions and will serve as a guide in the decision making if they are pushed to whose between putting their beloved parents to an institution or not. Health practitioners. The results of the study can help them to reach out beneficial conclusions.They can detect the factors on how to mitigate and improve the quality of life by avoiding the loneliness experiences of elders. It can also provide information on what are the weaknesses and opportunities of elder's daily living and make a sustainable program and activit ies, I. E. , rehabilitation programmer for elders. Future researchers. This study can provide information to have follow-up study to elated the variables and other parameters to measure the loneliness relative to the quality of life.Scope and Limitation The focus of this study is to establish the relationship between loneliness and quality of life of the elders at the institutions and community levels. The study will adapt and use the generic questionnaire developed by Nottingham Health Profile for Quality of Life and UCLA Loneliness using the Liker scale. The respondents of this study will be limited to 150 respondents in which the elders had an age ranging from 60 to 89 years old. The respondents also had no dementia and physical disability.Definition of Terms Loneliness refers to the positive and negative feelings of the elderly in community and institution. Negative Feeling- refers to a state of social isolation and feelings of emptiness. Positive Feeling- state of harmony with oneself and other people. Quality of Life- refers to the emotional, physical and social dimensions of the elders. Emotional Aspect- refers to the inner feelings of elders regarding their emotion. Physical Aspect- refers to the functional and biological status of the elder Social Aspect- refers to the status of connection of elders to the people surrounding them.

Modern Beliefs and Religion Essay

Children are influenced by the environment that they are subjected to. It is the responsibility of practitioners and other adults who are in contact with children to ensure that they are presented with positive ideas and images in order to support their moral and spiritual development. Task 1: A child’s spiritual development includes the development of their sense of self, their potential, their understanding of their strengths and weaknesses, and their motivation to achieve. Their moral development involves children gaining an understanding of the difference between right and wrong, a concern for others and the will to do what is right. They begin to be able to reflect on the consequences of their actions and learn how to forgive others and themselves. Moral and spiritual development is taught through all subjects of the curriculum and in particular RE and PSHE. Early years care practitioners help to support children’s moral and spiritual development throughout their early development stages. Practitioners help to do this by using inclusion, this is where they provide children with the opportunity to learn and develop through activities and other types of school work. However, the practitioners may need to amend activities to meet all the different children’s needs and requirements; e.g. a child with special educational needs may need work sheets in a certain font size to enable them to read it with ease. Another way in which practitioners may help to meet each child’s aims is to provide ability appropriate activities. It is important for early year’s practitioners to do this as the children will then realise that everyone can join in activities even if they have specific needs. This will result in the children feeling valued and building on their self-esteem. An early year’s practitioners should behave morally correct for the children to follow and look up to as a role model/example as children imitate and learn behaviour from others who are significant to them. To support children’s moral and spiritual development it is essential for the early year’s practitioner to praise and encourage children’s healthy behaviour. Practitioners should encourage children to tell the truth, keep promises, respect others, care for the less fortunate, and to accept responsibility for their own actions. Behaviour like bullying, lying, cruelty, irresponsibility, and selfishness should be expressed to the children as morally wrong, and it could upset or hurt other individuals. How care practitioners support moral and spiritual development through; The learning environment: The school, but mainly the classroom provides a suitable environment for promoting and supporting moral and spiritual development. Children learn to lead, use their initiative, and become disciplined through learning what is right and wrong. It will help to create positive personal relationships between children and adults, and they should be encouraged based on the value of and respect for every individual. The learning environment will help the children to be knowledgeable about the different celebrations that take place in a diverse society e.g. Diwali, Christmas, Easter and so on. Sensitivity: Practitioners should emphasis to children that they should values themselves and others as everyone has a place and a role within society. Also, the preparation for life within a diverse society should be included into the children’s teaching to ensure they are aware that there are many different cultures and beliefs living in one society. Another role the practitioners need to take is to ensure children are aware of the role of the family in society. Inclusive behaviour: This involved promoting values, for example, explaining to the children that they should tell the truth and not lie to other children or adults. With this children should respect others and treat people the way in which they want to be treated. Practitioners should include all children within the day to day activities and plan for those with extra specific needs. Considering spirituality even without a structured belief system: Children should be able to explore their own beliefs and think about what they may belief without the practitioners putting bias views on them. Practitioners should encourage children to look more deeply into their own belief and explain it is okay to have a different belief compared to their other peers. Task 2: Early year Practitioners must make sure that they are keeping each individual safe so that they don’t victimize any child in the setting regarding their religion or beliefs or any other structure in their life such as culture as this will destroy the child’s self-esteem or may begin to lose their beliefs. At placement each practitioner values each child to making sure that that they are not picking on any child because of their religion or beliefs. Practitioners must make sure that they include all children to the activities making sure that the children are in a diverse atmosphere at all times so the children will be able to follow their beliefs. The practitioners should set up activities that relate to a religion introducing the children to different religious celebrations etc. so that the Children would be aware of other religions around them. Practitioners should read books that include different religions for the children to gain more knowledge about there and other religions. At placement spiritual development is promoted as we have many books about religious celebrations such as; Christmas, Ramadan, Easter and many more. This teaches the children to respect other beliefs as they are aware of other religious festivals. At early years settings practitioners must persuade children to tell the truth and also telling them what will happen if they were to be lying to one of the practitioners. For the practitioners to be able to encourage children to tell the truth practitioners should have activities like role play for the children to take part in as by this activity the practitioner can show the children that it is bad to lie. Practitioners should also encourage discipline to children, such as if a child is doing the wrong thing such as ripping a book the practitioners that see it must talk to the child immediately and let them know that ripping a book is wrong and explain in detail for the child to understand. This way children learn from their mistakes what they did was wrong, by punishing the child for instance putting the child in time out will persuade them not to do it again. Care practitioners also need to teach children about valuing themselves and others around them. This will in return build an atmosphere in which peers respect one another and also respect members of staff/adults. Practitioners can help children grasp a sense of valuing themselves by praising them if they have done something good, for example, if the child helped to tidy up, or doing something extra than what they normally would do, then praising the child will make them feel good about themselves. The child will feel as though they have achieved something good and will therefore be happy with themselves. However, the practitioner may find it hard to teach the children to value others around them as children find it difficult to empathize how others feel and respect others when they are young. This mainly comes with age, but a firm grounding from the practitioner will help. Teaching them things like the common saying of ‘treat people how you want to be treated’. When children have been unkind to one another the practitioner may want to ask them questions like ‘How would it make you feel if someone did that to you?’ This will allow the children to begin to value others as they will realize that unkind actions may hurt or upset others.