Democracy and Technology Essay

While technologies such as the use of internet and e-democracy have made the dissemination of ideas quicker, they have also resulted in the increase in a group’s power to manipulate general opinion. The technologies aiding democracy today, such as computers, satellites, radio, telephones and television have undeniably changed the face of modern democracy. What constitute positive spill outs of these technologies for democracy also in some cases have a detrimental effect on it. While it increases the reach among people and nations, enriching both formal and business communication, it also provides these opportunities to fundamentalists to create rumours and channels individuals or a group of people against democracy. However a little caution such as verifying the news from multiple sources will easily reveal these elements and thus the negative influence of misleading a large group of rational individuals can be easily curtailed. The rise in literacy level and the positive trend of e-democracy deepens the process of democracy and empowers the individuals not only to have a say in the election of their government as earlier, but also empowers the citizens to have greater say in the decision making process of the government. With increasing literacy levels, as the citizens become more aware of the power of technology, they will find it easier to organise themselves for pressing on social, economic and political reforms from the government at helm thus ushering a truly democratic era where the citizens role is not only limited to electing their representatives but also to correct them if they are being found negligent in fulfilling their duties. However for this to happen in the future, it should be ensured that technology and their benefits are not limited to a select few in the upper echelons of society and that they are made available to those at the lowest level for complete integration of the masses to the democracy. References Allison, Juliann Emmons. (2002). Technology, development, and democracy. SUNY Press.

Psychology, IT and Individualism Essay

As information technology continues to develop with more people getting exposed to it, numerous changes are also taking place the field of psychology. Previously, many IT analysts frequently argued that psychology was taking longer than enough to implement and adopt technological advancements. However, recent researches indicate that the practices and methods applied in psychology have greatly transformed as a result of changes in information technology. First, the internet has been one of the major latest trends in psychology; it is highly associated with psychopathology (Wilson 2004). For instance, depression and loneliness have often been connected to the excess use of the internet since it results to addiction. Secondly, there is the use of information technology in counseling and psychotherapy. This is currently being done via the internet; this has resulted to some lack of privacy and confidentiality as well as loss of effectiveness in the practice since some important features such as facial expression and verbal expression has been lost (Wilson 2004). IT is also applied in research and development in psychology to enhance further growth and generation of useful knowledge. For instance, the authors of the current DSM IV-TR applied computerized criteria in revising the classification of disorders in the manual to come with a less flawless criterion of categorizing disorders and disabilities. Using IT, today’s psychotherapists have been able to make numerous improvements in the way through which they can reach, counsel and correspond with their clients (discussed in the next section) (Azucena, Hunter, 2001). The growth of Psychotherapy Psychotherapy refers to private individual counseling by professional psychotherapists. As a highly growing trend in psychology, psychotherapy is used by psychotherapists to assist them in developing deliberate interpersonal relationships with their clients as a strategy for helping the patient to improve their well being. The trend applies many modern techniques of building closer relationships with the patients such as face to face dialogues, home phone calls and regular visits of the therapist to the client (Azucena, Hunter, 2001). This trend is basically aimed at improving the mental health of the patient through interpersonal relationships. This represents a great shift in the nature of counseling psychology, psychiatry, occupational therapy, clinical psychology and other related fields in psychology. In essence, psychotherapy is not a new trend in the field of psychology since over the years, people have received private reassurance and counsel from others; what is new and becoming increasingly famous in psychology is the application of modern and deliberate professional techniques in psychotherapy. Such psychotherapeutic techniques include online counseling whereby a therapist handles client personally through creating client accounts where he can easily relate with the client on one-on-one(but not face-to-face) bases (Tredinnick, Fowers, 1999). Most of the new psychotherapeutic techniques are possible because of the advancements in the use of information technology in the field of psychology as discussed above. For instance, therapists encourage clients to use social networks to be able to communicate easily with them and their families. In addition, they also approve the use of phone calls whereby clients are free to call their physicians at any time of the day so that they can discuss their issues at convenience. However, modern psychotherapy is not without a number of flaws. Recently, concerns have greatly risen concerning the advancement of individualism in psychotherapy (Tredinnick, Fowers, 1999). Psychotherapy encourages individualism on both the therapist and the client. Individualism is a term used in psychology to refer to ways through which people recognize themselves only and concentrate on individual goals as opposed to collectivism. In this sense, psychotherapist no longer view psychotherapy as a collective discipline that require combined efforts with other experts in the field since they are in a position to carry out counseling and psychiatry without involving anybody else—they can visit their clients at home, chat with them online and make home phone class with them. This has resulted to a great decline in the success of psychology as a collective discipline (Tredinnick, Fowers, 1999; Azucena, Hunter, 2001). Conclusion The use IT in psychology and the advancement in psychotherapy are important developments in psychology and should be highly encouraged. However, it is upon therapists and other psychological professionals to ensure that this new trends are used effectively to prevent the decline evident in cooperation among professional bodies in the field of psychology due to individualism. References Azucena, P. G. , Hunter, H. G. (2001) Redefining Therapeutic Success with Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy, Cyber-psychology & Behavior, 4(3), pp. 484-489. Fowers, B. J. , Tredinnick, M. G. (1999). Individualism and psychotherapy; are psychologists leading or following individualistic trends? Counseling, Psychology Quarterly, 12(3): pp. 303-313 Wilson, J. T. et al (2004). Current trends in psychology and the behavioral sciences. University of Pittsburgh press: Pittsburgh, PA.

Using an example of your choosing, critically discuss the impact of Essay

Using an example of your choosing, critically discuss the impact of boycotting campaigns on your chosen international company,will upload a file of specific questions later - Essay Example This paper will discuss the effect of boycotting campaigns on an international company. It will elaborate on types and definitions of consumer boycotting and consider how it affected the international company. Finally, the essay will look at the principle strategic elements affected by the boycott. This paper will explore Nestlà © Company as the boycotted international company. The baby milk action IBFAN based in the United Kingdom has been in the front row advocating boycott on Nestlà © products. It is because of the unwarranted suffering and deaths of infants as a result of marketing baby formulas that do not conform to the international marketing standards around the universe (Baby Milk Action 2014: para 1). The baby Milk Action collaborates with partners from the International Baby Food action Network to watch the operations of business organisations. The bone of contention is in the use of marketing phrases such as ‘gentle start’, ‘protect’ babies and ‘natural start’ by Nestlà © in formulas. The reality is that the infants fed on the formula are at high risk of getting sick or dying compared to the babies that are breastfeeding. The breast milk has the potential of preventing deaths that occur in children below the age of five. On the other hand, the expensive baby formulas lead to malnutrition because of poverty. The company expose the young babies feeding on the foods at risk because it does not put warnings that the formula is not germ-free. As a result, most infants get bacterial infections, and there are no appropriate instructions on the course of action to be taken (Baby Milk Action 2014: para 5). The Nestlà © company baby products are promoted through health workers, pregnant women and mothers with young babies to increase their sales. The objective of the boycott campaign is to pressure the company to make amendments and at the same time sensitising individuals on

Should the government continue repatriating (i.e., returning) Research Paper

Should the government continue repatriating (i.e., returning) Guantnamo detainees to other countries - Research Paper Example Since they were arrested without trial, this ruined their lives. 4. The cost of maintaining Guantanamo bay detainees is costly and repatriating them would assist American government save on costs. 5. Repatriation of Guantanamo bay detainees would help in restoring the broken relations between US and the Middle East nations whose citizens were seen as targets of Guantanamo. CON: No, the US government should not repatriate Guantanamo bay detainees because†¦ 1. Repatriation of Guantanamo bay detainees would put their lives at risk. 2. Repatriating Guantanamo bay detainees will create a new security risk to American citizens. 3. Since Guantanamo bay detainees are prisoners of war, they have to face international charges on the crimes they undertook. 4. Repatriating Guantanamo bay detainees would seem unfair to victims of acts of terrorism who feel that these detainees deserve justice. 5. Repatriating Guantanamo bay detainees would amount to giving freedom to unlawful combatants. As a result, it would deal a blow to war on terrorism. The handling of Guantanamo bay detainees was not done in a proper manner since they were arrested and detained without trial. As a result, the US government has suffered a lot in terms of its image being soiled as a human rights violator. Therefore, the repatriations of Guantanamo bay detainees will help US to put behind the problems concerning human rights violations. Moreover, it will also assist the United States in giving justice to the detainees since they were first illegally and denied trial.1 In most case, Guantanamo bay detainees were not found at fault and therefore they will be released as a way of serving justice unto them. Guantanamo bay detainees should be treated as human beings and thus their release and eventual repatriation would guarantee them freedom. For instance, the case of Latif who committed suicide in Guantanamo tends to tarnish the human rights record of the United States.2 The US government will also sav e on costs of handling Guantanamo bay detainees if they were to be repatriated. The American government will save a lot if they repatriate Guantanamo bay detainees and it also well also help in reducing costs on people who are neither guilty nor innocent of war crimes. Guantanamo bay detainees have suffered a lot under the US administration since their incarceration was done against international laws. The detainees were not treated humanely and therefore man people criticised the move by President Bush’s government in detaining prisoners. For instance, the repatriation of Guantanamo bay detainees has been applauded as a good move by Elisa Massimino who said that the release of the prisoners by President Obama would help the US reclaim its role as a nation committed to human rights and the rule of law.3 The detention of people in Guantanamo bay was illegal and it lead to the ruin of the lives of many people from different locations. As a result, the repatriation of Guantanamo bay detainees would

The European Economic Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The European Economic Community - Essay Example This resulted in the benefits of four freedoms namely, capital, labor, products and services to the European community. In subsequent years, the movement gathered momentum, and as the policies of liberalization and globalization started having bigger impacts on the world polity, the EEC saw more relevance for it. Stated objective of formation of EEC is of course protecting the economic interests, but the region has also learnt quite a few lessons from the history as well. Germany used to be a loose confederation of independent states till 1870. On January 18, 1871, these states united under a Prussian king who had the title â€Å"Kaiser, of the German Empire†. Bismarck was the first Chancellor or Prime Minister of the unified Germany. This resulted in gradual expansion of Germany and alternation of distribution of power within Europe and a new world order (Henig, 2002). This shift is balance of power made the group of nations like Britain, Russia and France together. Gradually the imperialistic urge started crossing the borders and entered into the African region. All such events led to the two world wars and massive devastation on all sides. Therefore, formation of a common platform is also the efforts towards averting the recurrence of such wars. The stated objectives for the EEC in clude2; The common commercial policies are an important step towards safeguarding the interests of the region particularly while dealing with the outside world. After the treaty of Rome, a need was being felt to serve the interests of the customs union with a Common Customs Tariff (CCT) to deal with the third parties. Established by Article 113 [133] of the Treaty of Rome, Common Commercial Policies therefore took shape in 1961 to safeguard the common interests of the EU nations3. This effectively meant that the EU region will act as one country while

Equal rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Equal rights - Essay Example In Bakke, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a college can apply preferential treatment to minority applicants for admission where the system is applied for the purpose of achieving student diversity. The Court ruling in Bakke determined that a college may award bonus points except where there is evidence of a quota-based system. There is no evidence in this case that such a quota was implemented. In the companion case to Gratz (supra), Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), the court ruled that the affirmative action admissions policy administered by the University of Michigan Law School did not violate the Equal Protection Clause because the law school had an interest in obtaining a "critical mass" of minority students. Whatsamatta University is entitled to award bonuses for minority students and to a verdict in its favor. While the holding in the Bakke case appears to permit rationally based racial preference in college admissions, it is important to note that Bakke was eventually admitted to the University of California. Cracker has strong support for a ruling that Whatsamatta U. violated Cracker's Equal Protection rights under the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In Gratz v. Bollinger (2003), the U.S.

Economics of Canadian Immigration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Economics of Canadian Immigration - Essay Example In describing the political culture of Canada, certain recent happenings never fail to feature prominently. The Quebec separatist movement and the emergence of conservatism especially in the west are some of the issues that have had great impacts on the Canadian political culture especially in the last two decades (Little 112-125). The propositions in the Quebec agenda and the differences in these policies in relation to the federal policies that define the rest of Canada are indeed topical issues that greatly define the political culture in Canada. The Quebec separatists’ need to secede from the greater Canada was an issue that did not go down well with the Canadian government (Wiley 32). The fundamental concept that arises in the Canadian political analysis is the concept of immigration to Canada and its effects in shaping the political culture in Canada. Most Canadians, unlike Americans, strongly feel that their government should be involved in the political and economic aspects of life in the country (Jameson 78). This support of the government arises out of the historical experiences that marked the Canadian evolvement. Unlike the US, the resistance of republicanism in Canada created a culture of less individualism and more support for government activities (Russell 11). The adoption of British parliamentary and legal systems coupled with loyalist conservatism is certainly the idea behind the Canadians’ obsession with better forms of governance and good politics (Bond 34-42). Such a mindset has been very instrumental in creating a unique political identity in Canada. On the contrary, it has been noticed that most Canadians are never very keen in paying att ention and learning the overall history of their country and its effects on their present lives (Ballack 89). They instead focus majorly on the history of specific regions or the history of a specific people in Canada. Such an analysis does not inundate one with the very pertinent

Health Economics Comparison Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Health Economics Comparison Paper - Essay Example British health care is categorized into four sections that is: the Central Government, the National Health Service (NHS), Local Government and finally, Independent sector (Baggott, 1994). The chain of command flows from the Central Government through the Health Department to the NHS authorities. This flow continues down to the Local Government level where the Department of Health is seen to play a highly active role in the workings of the local authorities in terms of health matters, which includes provision of resources to the local authorities. The system is different In the U.S. Here, the system is more liberal, and the government’s role is more supervisory. WWII had deprived the country of funds thus a system that encouraged private companies to play the major role in this industry was evolved (Niles, 2010). There were, however some attempts made to protect the welfare of the vulnerable members of the society such as the elderly as well as orphans through the passing of the Social Security Act of 1935 as well as the formation of Medicaid and Medicare in 1965. Further improvements include the Children’s Health Insurance Program of 1997 which was further improved in 2010. On March 23, 2010, Obama signed the law of the Patient Protection an Affordable Care Act which was aimed at providing healthcare coverage to all Americans. However, the law received a lot of opposition from different quarters especially the opposing Republican Party, as shown in the current campaigns where his challenger Mitt Romney is against it. The Obama camp has gotten a further boost when the country’s Supreme Court upheld this policy whose opponents termed as too expensive for the country to maintain. This has meant that for now all Americans are covered though this may change should the Republicans come into power. Though this has not yet started being felt all over the country, it means that even minorities are going

The point in my career Essay Example for Free

The point in my career Essay I never thought of myself as being confident or even reliable.   It sounds worse than it is, I actually never committed to a job or a project that I felt I could not complete.   But I was at a point in my career or even in life in general where I was ready for a major challenge.   I applied for a job with a large school district in the area for an Associate Director position.   This was a big step for me since I always felt my work was nothing out of the ordinary. Part of the interview process was to answer the question, why should we hire you.   In my thought process I began realized the great achievements I have had in my previous jobs.   I talked about my duties and responsibilities, my projects and accomplishments.   I told them how I completed a 5 year back log that no one wanted to touch on my first three months of my first job.   I recalled how appreciative school administrators were when I was able to help them understand their school budget and financial condition. I explained my participation in developing an integrated financial system for the largest school district in the State.   As I answered this question and many more like it, I realized that I am a reliable person that can take on challenges and be sure to complete them.   I also told them about a 2 year program I completed in School Business Management.   I am knowledgeable, innovative and dependable.   My interview was beginning to be impressive.   My confidence during the interview was obvious but appropriate. I ended up getting the job as Associate Director and I entered that position with great confidence.   I knew I had the skills and determination to succeed in that position. I no longer doubted my reliability because in retrospect, I have been extremely reliable exceeding all expectations.   I was able to accomplish major projects in that position and serve my employers and community well.

Japanese foreign aid Essay Example for Free

Japanese foreign aid Essay Japan was the highest donor country in the mid 1990s. The rise to this status was gradual, spanning over 40 years. What began as a compulsion as an after effect of the Second World War, became an important tool of the foreign policy of Japan. It was under the US pressure that Japan began giving financial aid to the poorer countries. The amount kept on rising, to reach its peak in mid 90s. This was followed by a steep decline in the total amount disbursed as foreign aid. The decline was very steep. There may have been many reasons that can be attributed to the cause of this decline. However, one of the main reasons was the increasing fiscal deficit in its own budget. The economy of Japan, did not maintain as picture as rosy as it was during the mid 90s. In this context, the following two visuals are worth looking at. Figure 1. Japanese foreign aid (Cooray N. S. and Shahiduzzaman Mohd. , table 2, page 8) Fig. 2 Fiscal situation of Japan (current Japanese fiscal condition ) These charts indicate that the fiscal situation of Japan has been deteriorating since the mid 90s, at a constant rate. The issuance of deficit bonds, has been comparatively much higher than in any of the earlier years. A direct implication of this fact is that the government has been requiring more and more money to cover up its fiscal deficit. This amount is raised by issuing bonds. This condition has compelled Japan to reduce the foreign aid every successive year. No sooner Japan reached its position as the highest donor, it has been losing its position. The rapid downfall of Japan as a donor country is indeed a interesting study, and the fact that there is hardly any research done on the effect of fiscal position on the foreign aid, makes this topic even more interesting. This paper intends to make an in depth study of the fiscal situation which compelled Japan to reduce its foreign aid. It analyzes the major governing factors of the economy of Japan since the late 90s. The quickness with which Japan lost its status as the highest donor, is bound to be a good case study for other donor countries also. This study reveals that Japan has a glorious economic past. Despite the aftermath of the World War II, it had a sound economy witnessing a GDP growth nearing to 15% in the 50s, 60s and 70s. This enabled a freehand distribution of foreign aid. However, the sorry state of fiscal affairs of Japan, have compelled her to lost its status as the highest donor country. This paper in the first section briefly looks into a research paper on this subject. It tells about the history of Japanese foreign aid and discusses few important characteristics of Japanese aid. This includes the features of aid, the shift in policies and the central importance of China as a top priority receiving nation, of this aid. In the second section, details about how the fiscal situation of Japan has affected the reduction in foreign aid will be demonstrated. The third and the final section will deal with an analysis of the study. History and Characteristics Japanese foreign aid A research paper published by Marie Soderberg, associate professor, at Stockholm school of Economics, provides a good insight into the various aspects of Japanese foreign aid. The history of Japanese foreign aid begins in the 1950s as a result of war reparations agreement with Burma, Philippines and Indonesia were signed. This agreement and the subsequent aid granted by the Exim Bank were tied up with purchase from Japanese firms and very well served the interests of Japan. So far, Asian countries were the major recipients of the Japanese aid. The oil crisis of the 70s, saw the Arab nations also getting a fair share of the foreign aid from Japan. The late 1970s saw a huge rise in the foreign aid amount of Japan. This was partially a result of Japan’s wish to be respected by the international community.

Telemedicine for Type II Diabetes Mellitus

Telemedicine for Type II Diabetes Mellitus Diabetes Mellitus is a common chronic disease that requires lifelong medical care and control as well as constant patient self-management, education and support to prevent severe complications and to reduce the incidence of long-term complication70. Type II diabetes mellitus is increasingly common, mainly because of increase in the prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle and obesity1. This study evaluates and compares whether an intervention using SMS and telephone call would improve plasma blood glucoses levels (HbA1c, FBS, PPBS) for three months in patients with type II diabetes mellitus. Similar study was conducted by Piette et al. (2001) in which patients in a telephone disease management group had a reduction of HbA1c during the one year study period79. Hanauer et al. (2009) used email and SMS reminders to support diabetes management and noted a decrease in SMS use after two to three months74. Mahwi et al. (2013) reported that in their study pharmaceutical care provided by pharmacist to type II diabetes mellitus patients yielded a statistically significant reduction in the glycemic level83. Soriano Marcolino et al. (2013) concluded in their findings that in clinical practice, positive motivation and contact through telemedicine should be intensified over time to increase the impact on glycemia75. This study was conducted at the hospital. A total of 135 type II diabetic patients who visited the outpatient diabetic department of the hospital were included in the study. Out of which 40 patients were assigned into the SMS group, 45 patients into the telephone group and 50 patients into the control group. After duration of 3 months, 27 patients from SMS group, 30 patients from telephone group and 24 patients from control group came for review. The demographic details among the subjects reveals that 29 (34.6%) were males and 52 (65.4%) were females. The percentage of males in SMS, telephone and control group was 37.1, 36.7 and 33.3 respectively and the percentage of females in each of the groups was 62.9, 63.3 and 66.7{Table 1; Figure 1}. The mean age of male among the study population was 50.28Â ±9.05 and that of female was 49.98Â ±10.67 {Table 2; Figure 2}. In SMS group the mean age was found to be 48.85Â ±13.95, the mean age in telephone group was found to be 50.16Â ±8.21 and in control group it was 51.29Â ±11.46 {Table 3; Figure 3}. From a study conducted in Pune, India, it was found that the prevalence of type II diabetes was 4.6% with equal prevalence in both the sex. Greater prevalence in male was found in the age group of > 60 years while in females it was 51-60 years (Patil et al., 2013)30. Valliyot et al. (2013) reported that those above 50 years of age have five times more chance to get diabetes when compare d with those in the 20-30 age groups. Gender did not show any statistical significant relationship with diabetes31. A study done by Deepthi et al. (2013) showed an increase in the prevalence of diabetes with increase in age irrespective of the gender73. From the literacy distribution 53.0% of the patients are in the primary level, 23.5% of the patients are in the secondary level, 21.0% have degree and 2.5% are post graduate {Table 4; Figure 4}. Some studies reported that there is a relationship between literacy and health outcomes. For example DeWalt et al. (2004) confirmed that low literacy is linked with a series of adverse health outcomes61. Agardh et al. (2011) reported that educational level was most consistently associated with increased possibility of type II diabetes62. From all the three groups 50.6% of the patients were housewives, 16.0% of the patients were doing business, 13.6% were professionals, 10.0% were labour, 4.9% were retired and 4.9% were jobless {Table 5; Figure 5}. In women, high job stress and low work social support had a higher risk of type II diabetes compared to those not exposed to work stress, according to (Heraclides et al., 2009)44. It was also found that work stress and shift work contributed to the development of type II diabetes in women. In men, the risk was decreased by high work demands, high strain, and an active job (Eriksson et al., 2013)45. Patient’s data were collected for their smoking habits and 13.6% were found to be smokers. Alcohol history of the study population was collected, out of this 1.2% were found to be alcoholics and 6.2% were found to have both the habits {Table 6; Figure 6}. Majgi et al. (2012) in their study reported that there is no relationship between smoking and alcohol consumption with diabetes38. Kokiwar et al. (2007) concluded that abnormal glucose tolerance was more prevalent among males, physically inactive persons and alcohol consumers39. Distribution of patients with activity and those without activity were 30.9% and 69.1% respectively {Table 7; Figure 7}. Jeon et al. (2007) in their findings stated that those who are regularly engaged in physical activity of moderate intensity had 30% lower risk of type II diabetes as compared with inactive individuals. They also stated that physical activities such as brisk walking can considerably reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes55. Bacchi et al. (2013) did a systemic review and concluded that regular work out improves insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control in individuals with type 2 diabetes and is considered a chief factor in the management of this situation54. Concerned with the duration of diabetes, 7 (8.6%) had an experience of >1 year, 50 (61.7%) had 1-5 years, 20 (24.7%) had 6-10 years, 2 (2.5%) had 11-16 years and 2 (2.5%) had more than 16 years of experience {Table 8; Figure 8}. On considering the complications 17.2% had heart related problems, 20.9% had thyroid disorders, 18.5% had other problems and 44.0% had no complications {Table 9; Figure 9}. Duration of diabetes is often known to be associated with complications of diabetes. Song (2008) reported that type II diabetes may be an aggressive disease phenotype to develop cardiovascular complications37. Several studies had found that in cardiovascular disease, adherence to medications is low. Over 50% of patients do not take medications as prescribed. Similar study was reported by Granger et al. (2011)34. There was no significant difference in age, gender, duration of diabetes, activity, literacy, occupation and social habits between the three groups. The mean difference between the baseline and review values of HbA1c, FBS and PPBS in each group of the study population i.e. SMS, telephone and control were measured and the significant difference produced were compared by paired student t test. HbA1c reflects the average blood glucose levels of the previous six weeks. Glycosylated haemoglobin has developed into a standard measurement of glycaemia and a standard component of diabetes supervision20. The baseline value of HbA1c in these three study group were found to be respectively 8.25Â ±1.84, 7.84Â ±1.68 and 7.87Â ±1.85. The review values of HbA1c in these three groups were found to be 7.70Â ±1.50, 7.16Â ±1.01 and 7.35Â ±1.48 {Table 10; Figure 10}. There was a significant percentage change in HbA1c for the SMS (p = 0.023) and telephone group (p = 0.001). But no significant percentage change in HbA1c for the control group (p = 0.130) was found {Table 15}. In this study, HbA1C levels decreased 6.7% in SMS group, 8.7 % in telephone group and 6.6% in the control group after twelve weeks compared with baseline {Table 15}. HbA1C did differ significantly with telephone and control group (p = 0.037) {Table 19}. Previous studies showed the following results: Zolfaghari et al. (2012) reported that after the three month follow up examination, HbA1c level in diabetic patients in SMS and nurse led telephone groups decrease to 1.01% points and 0.93% points respectively20. Seung Kim et al. (2006) in their study revealed that SMS and telephone intervention by a nurse improved HbA1c in type II diabetes patients after twelve weeks, with a decrease of 1.1% and 1.2% respectively6. Goodzari et al. (2012) concluded that HbA1c levels decreased in experimental group greater than control group after three months compared with two baseline (p = 0/24)19. Seung Kim et al. (2007) revealed that internet based intervention by a nurse in patients with type 2 diabet es resulted in a decline of 1.15% points of HbA1c at three months and 1.05% points at six months33. The baseline value of fasting blood sugar in three groups of patients was found to be 154.29Â ±59.00, 129.73Â ±52.20 and 131.80Â ±49.02. The review values in each group of patients were found to be131.59Â ±44.26, 111.60Â ±25.69 and 121.20Â ±39.24 {Table 11; Figure 11}. Fasting blood sugar did differ significantly with telephone and control group (p = 0.011) as well as SMS and telephone group (p = 0.040) {Table 19}. There was a significant percentage change in FBS for the SMS (p = 0.016) and telephone group (p = 0.017). However, there was no significant percentage change found in the control group (p = 0.078). In the telephone, SMS and control group a decrease of 14.7%, 14.0% and 8.0% points were noted respectively, at three months compared with baseline {Table 16}. Ferror Roca et al. (2004) in their experiment recommended that SMS may provide a easy, quick and efficient accessory to manage diabetes76. The present study adds that an educational interventional program using telep hone call and SMS improves levels of glycosylated hemoglobin and fasting blood sugar for three months in patients with type II diabetes. The baseline values of PPBS in the three groups of patients were found to be 222.03Â ±93.20, 226.56Â ±99.90 and 219.09Â ±85.84. The review values in each study group were found to be 206.10Â ±77.00, 187.86Â ±34.30 and 199.18Â ±63.50 {Table 12; Figure 12}. Patients in the telephone group had a decrease of post prandial blood sugar of 17.5% mg/dl at three months compared with baseline in this study. In the SMS group it decreased 6.9% mg/dl and 9.0% mg/dl in the control group {Table 17}. Although PPBS level of the telephone group decreased after intervention, it was still above the target PPBS level. Ilknur Cinar et al. (2010) revealed that a nurse led telephone intervention may improve glycaemic parameters including HbA1c, FBS, PPBS, diet, exercise, medication adherence in patients with type II diabetes mellitus after twelve weeks64. In this study, PPBS did differ significantly with telephone and control group (p = 0.047) but did not differ significantly with SMS and telephone gr oup (p = 0.245) as well as SMS and control group (p = 0.480) {Table 19}. There was no significant mean change in PPBS for the SMS group (p = 0.337) and control group (p = 0.704) but a significant percentage change in telephone group was found (p = 0.030) {Table 17}. This study evaluated patients medication adherence behaviour and satisfaction with and demand for SMS and telephone call service after the intervention. The effect of intervention on medication adherence in the three groups found that there was significant difference between the baseline and review values of the SMS (p = 0.005) and telephone groups (p = 0.002). However, the control group was not found to be significant (p = 0.119). It was observed that there was a mean percentage change of medication adherence in SMS, telephone and control groups and found 5.8, 11.2, 2.5% increase after three months from baseline {Table 18}. It was suggested that beside telephone follow-up, increased disease awareness, positive lifestyle modifications (diet, exercise and drug) could be the reason for improvements in glycaemic parameters35. In several studies like Ling Huang et al. (2013) 88.1% of diabetic patients according to the pre-test reported as frequent missing of medication in the control group, compared with 88.5% of patients in the intervention group. The percentage of patients who earlier missed a dose was 43.7% in the control group and 46.1% in the intervention group, respectively29. Samir Patel et al. (2013) reported that a mobile phone based automated medication reminder system shows promise in improving medication adherence and blood pressure in high cardiovascular risk individuals46. Fenerty et al. (2012) in their study reported that reminder based interventions improved adherence to daily medications. Meta analysis showed a statistically significant rise in adherence in the intervention groups receiving a reminder compared to controls78. In a study about 85% of patients reported that they were pleased with the ATDM intervention and 76% of patient’s reported that they would prefer to receive such calls in the future (Piette et al., 2000)84. According to the questionnaire determining the patient satisfaction in this study, it was found that all patients in the SMS group were satisfied with short service message and 93.3% of the patients in the telephone group were satisfied with telephone call {Table 14}. Ramachandran et al. (2013) stated that their study showed mobile phone messaging is acceptable to the recipients, potentially scalable, could be delivered at low cost and is a part of an alternative strategy7. Samith Shetty et al. (2011) concluded that frequent communication for one year through SMS was satisfactory to patients with diabetes and it helped to improve the health outcome43. At the end of the study, a statistically significant reduction was observed in the HbA1c and FBS levels of patients in the telephone and SMS group while a small reduction, which is statistically not significant, was detected in the control group. This result confirms that the use of telemedicine approaches has a positive impact on patient’s glycemic control.

Averting Arguments: Nagarjuna’s Verse 29 Essay -- Nagarjuna Verse 29 E

Averting Arguments: Nagarjuna’s Verse 29 ABSTRACT: I examine Nagarjuna’s averting an opponent’s argument (Verse 29 of Averting the Arguments), Paul Sagal’s general interpretation of Nagarjuna and especially Sagal’s conception of "averting" an argument. Following Matilal, a distinction is drawn between locutionary negation and illocationary negation in order to avoid errant interpretations of verse 29 ("If I would make any proposition whatever, then by that I would have a logical error. But I do not make a proposition; therefore, I am not in error.") The argument is treated as representing an ampliative or inductive inference rather than a deductive one. As Nagarjuna says in verse 30: "That [denial] of mine [in verse 29] is a non-apprehension of non-things" and non-apprehension is the averting of arguments or "the relinquishing of all views." "Not making a proposition P" would be not speaking P or silence with regard to P (where P is some opposing view) and, as Sagal argues, not meaning a global l inguistic silence (where P stands for any proposition whatsoever). Such an interpretation would lead to attributing wholesale irrationalism to Nagarjuna-something I wish to avoid. In this paper I examine Nagarjuna averting an argument of an opponent (Verse 29 of Averting the Arguments), Paul Sagal's general interpretation of Nagarjuna, (1) and the former's conception of "averting" an argument. Since I focus my discussion around verse 29, we shall begin with it, then possible interpretations of it, and finally move to considerations of how to best characterize Nagarjuna's "stance" (for lack of a better word) given that verse. Verse 29: If I would make any proposition whatever [P], then by that I would have a logical error [E]... ...ent way (83). (5) See The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way: Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamkakarika, translation and commentary by Jay L. Garfield (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995). (6) Consult, e.g., J. N. Mohanty, "Indian Theories of Truth: Thoughts on Their Common Framework," Philosophy East and West, vol. 30, no. 4 (October, 1980): 439-451, esp. 441. (7) Garfield (note 5), 352: Verse "30. I prostrate to Gautama/Who through compassion/Taught the true doctrine,/Which leads to the relinquishing of all views." (8) Reprinted in Understanding Non-Western Philosophy, 180-181; and World Philosophy, 107-110. (9) David Michael Levin has an interesting, recent interpretation along these lines; see his "Liberating Experience from the Vice of Structuralism: The Methods of Merleau-Ponty and Nagarjuna," Philosophy Today, vol. 41, no. 1 (Spring 1997): 96-111. Averting Arguments: Nagarjuna’s Verse 29 Essay -- Nagarjuna Verse 29 E Averting Arguments: Nagarjuna’s Verse 29 ABSTRACT: I examine Nagarjuna’s averting an opponent’s argument (Verse 29 of Averting the Arguments), Paul Sagal’s general interpretation of Nagarjuna and especially Sagal’s conception of "averting" an argument. Following Matilal, a distinction is drawn between locutionary negation and illocationary negation in order to avoid errant interpretations of verse 29 ("If I would make any proposition whatever, then by that I would have a logical error. But I do not make a proposition; therefore, I am not in error.") The argument is treated as representing an ampliative or inductive inference rather than a deductive one. As Nagarjuna says in verse 30: "That [denial] of mine [in verse 29] is a non-apprehension of non-things" and non-apprehension is the averting of arguments or "the relinquishing of all views." "Not making a proposition P" would be not speaking P or silence with regard to P (where P is some opposing view) and, as Sagal argues, not meaning a global l inguistic silence (where P stands for any proposition whatsoever). Such an interpretation would lead to attributing wholesale irrationalism to Nagarjuna-something I wish to avoid. In this paper I examine Nagarjuna averting an argument of an opponent (Verse 29 of Averting the Arguments), Paul Sagal's general interpretation of Nagarjuna, (1) and the former's conception of "averting" an argument. Since I focus my discussion around verse 29, we shall begin with it, then possible interpretations of it, and finally move to considerations of how to best characterize Nagarjuna's "stance" (for lack of a better word) given that verse. Verse 29: If I would make any proposition whatever [P], then by that I would have a logical error [E]... ...ent way (83). (5) See The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way: Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamkakarika, translation and commentary by Jay L. Garfield (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995). (6) Consult, e.g., J. N. Mohanty, "Indian Theories of Truth: Thoughts on Their Common Framework," Philosophy East and West, vol. 30, no. 4 (October, 1980): 439-451, esp. 441. (7) Garfield (note 5), 352: Verse "30. I prostrate to Gautama/Who through compassion/Taught the true doctrine,/Which leads to the relinquishing of all views." (8) Reprinted in Understanding Non-Western Philosophy, 180-181; and World Philosophy, 107-110. (9) David Michael Levin has an interesting, recent interpretation along these lines; see his "Liberating Experience from the Vice of Structuralism: The Methods of Merleau-Ponty and Nagarjuna," Philosophy Today, vol. 41, no. 1 (Spring 1997): 96-111.

Internet Censorship Essay - Filters Help Improve Morality :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Internet Filters Help Improve Morality Hello there. My name is Apple Internet Macintosh, known to most people as "iMac". I was born a very long time ago as an Apple Computer; computer nerds keep updating my brain and I seem new and young every new year. I know it is hard to understand, but actually it is really helpful to my users. Most of my users mainly use one of my programs, which is the Internet. Sometimes my users don't use this in a good way and look at nasty and sick sites. I don't like looking at these sites and change is needed. The Internet first came to me and many of my other computer friends from the ARPANET project, a defense related project to help the army become more educated in technology. It came together between UCLA and Stanford in 1969, when UCLA students tried to log "onto the Stanford computer and try to send it some data". Problems occurred, and some major events took place; then, in 1976, networking was available to many, and the Internet was off and running (Gromov). Today you can even shop from home and have products delivered right to your doorstep using the Internet. The Internet is a great way to find anything that you need and even find a loved one you haven't heard from and want to get in contact with again. To do this, there are many search engines on the world wide web that help you find what you are looking for. Some people abuse this help to find porn sites, bomb-making sites, and other dangerous sites. There are many people that use the web every day learning new ways to be sick minded such as making bombs to blow up buildings, killing people, and looking at naked bodies of children. Not only are these sites available, but there are sites out there that teach young people how to damage their bodies by starving themselves or how to hurt others by making weapons. I am not alone in my decision to stop this nonsense. People use my program in many ways, but there is also a different side of this picture. Take the events of September 11, 2001, for example. There are many web sites out there that support Osama bin Laden and his actions. A boy from Florida, for example, flew a small plane into a multi-story bank building trying to recreate the events of September 11, 2001.

‘Mugged’ by Andrew Payne: Analysis Essay

The script ‘Mugged’, by Andrew Payne, follows a group of teenagers and how they each react differently to the medias â€Å"made-up† viewpoints after one of their friends in murdered. The script effectively manipulates the dramatic elements of tension, language, place and symbolism to invoke change upon its audience, making them reassess their views/opinions on how adolescent youth are portrayed by the media. Tension of relationships was created throughout the text of ‘Mugged’. The script demonstrated an advanced use of tension of relationships (intimacy) in the first two scenes between Marky and Dig. The script establishes the intimate relationship between the two boys as they share their stolen goods, their bond grows as they share food and swap their goods. Their relationship develops even further when Dig tells Marky he has a crush on Soph and Marky then gives him relationship advice. This reveals the bond between the two and establishes the intimacy of their friendship. Tension of relationships (intimacy) was successfully created through the friendship of Marky and Dig as they share the secret of what they have stolen, and discuss Dig’s feelings for Soph. Relationships in the script where used to create language. In the text of ‘Mugged’ language was used to help create a didactic dramatic meaning. In the script verbal language is effectively used when Taylor refers to a man as â€Å"some old geezer† and when Leon calls Sophie a â€Å"skank† this reveals Leon’s and Taylor’s lack of respect for other people. Body language is also effectively used in the script after Marky is murdered and Dig is found â€Å"Sitting on the right-hand bench. Hunched over looking at the ground in front of him.† This shows that Dig was in great mourning and shutting everyone out. The language used in the text was successful because it demonstrated Leon and Taylor’s lack of respect towards others and how Dig became depressed after the death of his friend. Language and place can often be associated together. Place was established in the script of â€Å"Mugged† when certain characters described the environment surrounding them. This was evident when the  teenagers where describing what was happening when Marky was approaching the muggers, by having the teens describe what they saw, example: â€Å"He’s going up to the playground† â€Å"They’re standing by the fence† â€Å"Get away form the benches†, this successfully establishes a place because the description created by the characters creates a picture of where the scene is taking place. The place can have an effect on the symbolism created in the text. The symbolism used in the script of ‘Mugged’ helped create a deeper meaning to the script. The park benches demonstrates a successful use of symbolism within the script. The benches represented a sense of diversity. When Marky and Dig where siting on the bench, once Leon and Taylor arrived they had to move to the other bench because of the diverseness between the groups, after Marky is murdered all the teenagers are seated on the same bench, while the media sits on the other, this showed how Marky’s death brought the group of youths together and that the media and teenagers had a sense of diversity between them. The benches are an example of successful symbolism in the script because they represent a deeper meaning beyond their physical appearance. Symbolism can play a main role in invoking change upon the audience. Invoking change forces the audience to rethink their viewpoints on a certain subject, in â€Å"Mugged† the script makes the audience reassess their views on how adolescent youths are portrayed in the media. The script achieves this by showing how the media portrays an innocent teen, into a violent gang member within a day of his death, this makes the audience rethink what to believe the media tells them. Through its effective and successful use of the dramatic elements of tension, language, place and symbolism, â€Å"Mugged†, by Andrew Payne, successfully invokes change upon its audience, making them reassess their views/opinions on how adolescent youth are portrayed by the media.

Levis Strauss & Co. an Analysis

Levi Strauss & Co. An Analysis EEP 142 Group Project Young Lee James Moon Michael Lin Problem †¢The Levi Strauss company is experiencing losses and is continuing to under-perform in the denim jean market. †¢The firm faces the general problem of a dominant firm losing market share when more firms enter the market. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Background – History †¢The company was founded by Levi Strauss in 1853 primarily selling wholesale dry goods. The company was founded in San Francisco, California. A tailor named Jacob Davis thought of an idea to use copper rivets to reinforce the points of strain on pants. †¢Davis and Strauss purchased the patent of the idea of using copper rivets in clothing on May 20, 1873. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Background – Company Growth †¢The innovation of the rivets in the jeans differentiated Levi’s j eans from others because of its increased durability. †¢Over the years, Levi’s jeans have become more popular, initially due to its durability. Jean products expanded, targeting different consumers. Levi Strauss & Co. eventually captures most of the denim jean market, becomes the largest manufacturer of jeans, and profits reach $1 billion by 1974. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Background – Time Line †¢1853: Levi Strauss begins selling dry goods in San Francisco. †¢1873: Levi Strauss & Co. patent riveted jeans and begin selling them. †¢1912: Koveralls, denim playsuit for children, is first nationally sold product for the company. †¢1935: Company sells first blue jeans for women. †¢1940s: U. S. overnment issues denim work clothes for employees in the defense industry. †¢1974: Company sales reach $1 billion †¢1986: Company introduces Dockers as a new casual line of clothes Problem B ackground Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Successes – Monopoly †¢Since the patent of the rivets in jeans in 1873, the company achieved monopoly power. †¢Monopoly power was gained through entry barriers. –The patent granted the firm monopoly rights to sell riveted jeans. †¢Also by product differentiation –The rivets on the jeans allowed for longer durability, a form of vertical differentiation. Product differentiation and barriers to entry allowed the company to gain more popularity and market share. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Successes – Expansion †¢By 1977, Levi Strauss & Co. is the world’s largest jean manufacturer. †¢Department stores and boutiques sell Levi’s products and are additional channels of distribution for the company. †¢Levi’s provides a wide range of products that target different market segments, capturing demands. †¢After the release of the 501 product line, Levi’s enjoys worldwide market dominance in the denim jean market. Levi Strauss & Co. maintains it’s image as an American Icon and the originator of American jeans. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Successes – Positioning †¢Other marketing strategies, like the position of the product, created increased differentiation, contributing to the companies market power. †¢In 1930s, the company survived the Great Depression due to increased interest in Western culture. –Jeans were positioned as being worn by â€Å"cowboys. † cowboys. † †¢Levi’s jeans were issued to employees in the defense industry (including veterans) during World War II. Post World War II, veterans that went to college wore Levi’s jeans on Levi’ campuses, increasing popularity. †¢WWII veterans were regarded as heroes. –Jeans were shown to be suitable for casual wear, rather than work. work. –During the Baby Boom era, Levi’s targets younger consumers and Levi’ positions product as â€Å"cool. † cool. † †¢Early movie stars wore Levi’s jeans. An example of celebrity endorsement Levi’ †¢Consumer demand shifts from durability of jeans to fashion of jeans. –Culturally, jeans became symbol of youth and rebellion In 1960s, student protesters wore jeans as a uniform †¢In 1970s, company sells bellbottom jeans †¢ The firm positioned its products with changing times and changing demands, keeping existing customers and capturing new markets. Increases in sales ultimately increased profits Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Competition – Effect †¢Levi Strauss & Co. was threatened by competition, because barriers of entry were relatively low in the jean market. (excluding the patent) †¢S ome of Levi’s competitors include: –Calvin Klein –Gap Jeans –VF Corp (Lee, Wrangler) –Tommy Hilfiger The entrance of new competitors had many effects on Levi’s. –Levi’s no longer has monopoly power more competitive prices Levi’ lower profits –Availability of substitutes firm faces increase in elasticity of demand –Consumers prefer other brands. Levi’s customers buy from competition Levi’ lowering Levi’s market share. Levi’ †¢These newer upstarts are able to â€Å"chip away† at Levi’s market dominance because they are able to capture segments. –VF Corp captures low-end jean consumers; Calvin Klein captures highlowhighend consumers. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Competition – Strategies †¢Competitors successfully were able to take from Levi’s market due to heavy advertising and branding. Branding was especially effective for companies like Calvin Klein that targeted high-end consumers. †¢Some of the marketing strategies that competitors like Calvin Klein used to differentiate their product and brand included: –Celebrity endorsements (Calvin Klein and Brooke Shields) –Up-to-date European product designs (low-rise, tighter) Up- to(low–Advertise jeans as â€Å"designer. designer. † †¢These advertisements were used as a barrier to entry, because of spurious product differentiation. Although Levi’s jeans may be physically the same as its competitor’s, consumer preferences are affected by brand name. †¢In addition to the idea of branding, Levi’s largest consumer market were Baby Boomers , and by the time competitors increased in the 1980s, the Levi’s brand was perceived to be â€Å"mommy jeans. † This reinforced the more youthful perception of other brands. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Competition Premium Jeans †¢Levi’s failed to recognize and enter a new and booming premium jeans market, originating in 2000 and led by brands such as Seven For All Mankind, True Religion, and Rock & Republic. †¢Levi executives themselves admitted failing to see the premium jeans trend, and the company was forced into radical cost-cutting, closing dozens of factories and laying off thousands of workers. †¢The premium jeans market has over the last five years largely driven the growth of an otherwise stable jeans market, as premium jeans sales grew at a 40-45% rate for multiple years. Levi’s failure to adequately respond to this trend was a large part of its posting declining sales in nine out of ten years prior to 2007. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Solutions – Advertising †¢With the rise of competitors and decrease in brand image, Levi Strauss & Co. makes use of edgy advertisements. †¢Brand Loyalty –Many of Levi’s ads stress brand loyalty to maintain existing customers. Levi’ The word â€Å"original† is used many times. original† –Some tv ads are set in the late 1800s, stressing the historic value of the company. Brand Image –At the same time, Levi’s ads stress the â€Å"youthfulness† of their brand Levi’ youthfulness† jeans. –The 501 product line and the Red Tab collections offer jeans that appeal that to younger consumers competing with the high-end jean competitors. high–Television advertisements a re more innovative and target younger crowds. –http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=CSG807d3P-U http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=CSG807d3P–http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=skWFyop_pxU&feature=related –http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=W-SZN1VRIl4&feature=related http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=W- These marketing strategies however did not help with the worldwide decrease demand for jeans. This implies that other clothing is becoming a substitutable good for jeans. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Solutions – Alternative †¢Although Levi Strauss & Co. had worldwide market dominance in the 1980s after the release of 501 product line, profits continue to plummet due to: (1) decrease of demand for jean products and (2) more competition. †¢In 1996, revenues were reported at $7. 6 billion and a U. S. market share of 18. 7%. By 2001 revenues drop to $4. 5 billion and U. S. market share of 12. 1%. †¢I n order to maintain revenues, the company releases the Levi’s signature jeans. –This product line appeals to the low-end consumers. –Decrease in demand for jeans causes market price to drop, so consumers want cheaper jeans. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Solutions – Alternative (cont. ) †¢In 2002 Levi Strauss & Co. makes an agreement with largest retailer Wal-Mart as a supply-chain strategy to massmarket consumers. –Levi’s Signature brand to be sold in Wal-Mart stores exclusively This was an excellent strategic move because Wal-Mart was making large sales while Levi’s could not keep up in sales. This had potential to benefit both parties. –By 2002, Wal-Mart was #1 in the Fortune 500 rating. –Levi Strauss & Co. was ranked #383 in 2002. †¢Although this partnership was a success, Levi Strauss could not offset the slowdown in the aggregate denim jean market, continu ing to loss profits. –2008 Rating for Levi’s: 522 from previous 510 –Profits continue to fall. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Solutions – Alternative (cont. ) Forced to re-evaluate itself by years of declining sales, Levi’s has been able to find some degree of success with primarily the introduction of the Signature line and a largescale streamlining of costs and it’s business. Levi’s is also being helped by its international presence and is currently being benefited by impacts from the global currency exchange market, as the company benefited from the weak dollar. †¢The company is still trying to find a way into the lucrative premium jeans market, introducing a new premium line and hiring famous artists to liven up the brand. Competitor VF Corp. ecided to purchase Seven For All Mankind as their market entry. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclu sion Q&A Responsibility – Background †¢Levi Strauss & Co. is a family owned worldwide corporation with headquarters in North America, Europe, and Asia. –The company is vertically integrated, meaning it owns/has owned factories for every level of production for the jeans. –The company employs about 10,000 people worldwide. †¢Historically Levi Strauss & Co. is recognized as a caring and corporately responsible company. –After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, he company continued to pay workers as it was rebuilding factories and buildings. –During the Great Depression, the company kept workers busy installing new floors in factories rather than fire them. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Responsibility – Background (cont. ) †¢Levi Strauss & Co. has also taken the lead on social issues. –During the 1940s, the company desegregated its factories bringing white and black worker s together. –In 1980s, the company was very involved in educating people about AIDS providing $37 million to HIV/AIDS services. One of the first companies to extend healthcare to their workers’ spouses. †¢Levi Strauss & Company approach to business: â€Å"profits through principles. † –†As business leaders we have the obligation, both individually and collectively, to make our enterprise not only a source for economic wealth, but also a force for positive social change in the conduct of our business. This principle of responsible commercial success is embedded in our more than 150-year experience, and continues to anchor how we operate today. † Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Responsibility – Sweatshops †¢With increased competition from other jean producers in the 1980s and 90s, like any profit-maximizing corporation, Levi Strauss & Company closed many factories and subcontracted production. –Subcontracted production is cost-minimizing because labor is relatively abundant and wages cheaper. –In order to compete with prices, subcontracting work makes sense. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Responsibility – Sweatshops (cont. ) †¢The company had 6 subsidiary factories in Saipan, capital of the U. S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. –The U. S. Department of Labor cited that workers were paid sub-minimal wages, 7 day work weeks with 12-hour shifts in â€Å"slave-like† conditions. †¢The subcontractor, Tan Holdings Corporation, had to pay a fine of of $9 million as restitution to 1,200 employees. †¢Levi Strauss & Co. claimed no knowledge of the offense, cut-off cutties to Tan Holdings, and issued labor reforms. †¢1999, Sweatshop Watch, Global Exchange, Asian Law Caucus, Unite, and workers filed a class-action lawsuit 3 times to 27 U. S. retailers, including Levi Strauss & Co. Levi Strauss was the only defendant to win the case. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Responsibility – Environmental †¢Continuing on the approach of â€Å"profits by principles,† in 2006 Levi Strauss & Co. launches the Eco clothing line. –Jeans are certified to be made from 100% organic cotton and fully sustainable production processes. This includes cotton untreated by chemicals, pesticides, and manufactured at sustainable carbon emissions. –The jeans are also packed in 100% recyclable and reusable materials. †¢Economic implications Organic jeans are more expensive, due to the added costs to certify these genes to organic standards. –However, discouraging the use of chemicals for cotton is a step toward the right direction. Pesticides have externality costs to the environment and workers, because they are mostly improperly used in poor countries. A reduction in externalities improves social welfare. –In the long-run, sustainable production has the possibility to being profitable. –Corporate responsibility also has long-run profits. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A Conclusion †¢Levi Strauss & Company had most of its early success because the firm was behaving monopolistically. The company patented the riveted jeans, increasing durability, and gaining popularity. †¢Over the years, the company maintained profits by providing a wide range of products, capturing new markets, and increasing its market shares. The company created barriers to entry by patents and trademarks, and by differentiating its product from generic jeans. †¢However as more firms entered the market, the company started losing customers and incurring losses. The upstart companies captured niche market shares from Levi’s immense market domination. †¢Despite these reduction of sales, Levi Strauss & Co. maintained its corporate responsible image and progressive stance on social, labor, and environmental issues, which may have long-run profit opportunities. Problem Background Successes Competition Solutions Responsibility Conclusion Q&A References Frith, Maxine. â€Å"The Ethical Revolution Sweeping Through the World’s Frith, World’ Sweatshops. † commondreams. org. 16 April 2005. 2 May 2008 Sweatshops. † commondreams. org. .

Fast Food Effects on Health

Fast Food Effects on Health In today’s age of convenience, fast food needs no introduction. Everyone from a 2-year-old toddler to a 60-year-old grandpa seems to be enjoying it every chance they get. And why not? It’s delicious, it’s filling, is really affordable, and readily available just any time of the day, being only a drive through phone call away. What more can you ask for when you are living life in the fast lane? Well, plenty – fast food is all good tasting, except that it is not nutritionally balanced and, therefore, unhealthy in the long run if consumed on a regular basis. Fast food is loaded with calories from refined sugar and fats (especially, the artery-clogging saturated and hydrogenated fats, which are repeatedly reheated to high temperatures for frying purposes). It is also very high in sodium, coming from common salt and other additives. On top of all this, fast food is deficient in dietary fiber and essential micro-nutrients like vitamins and minerals. To make matters worse, heaps of fast food are normally guzzled down with gallons of sugar-rich colas – which many fast-food restaurants serve free with food as an incentive. To make a long story short, all this results in piling up of unused empty calories in the body, which get stored as body fat – till one day you look in the mirror and realize that your great figure has been replaced by this creature in the mirror. But that’s not the end of the story, it’s just the beginning – consuming too much fast food not only turns a handsome guy into an unsightly obese man, but as Eric Schlosser points out in his book Please enable JavaScript to view this page content properly. it is a big health hazard too. And being physically inactive only adds to the problem of obesity. Not many people who love fast food are ready to acknowledge that obesity is not simply an eyesore – it is a major risk factor for a large number of deadly diseases like hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, and even many types of cancers. Recent scientific studies have shown that high-calorie foods rich in fats, refined sugar and salt could reconfigure the hormones in the body in such a way that they make you crave for such foods and always leave you asking for more. In other words, fast food is kind of addictive; you get hooked on to it and continue consuming it in an uncontrolled way in spite of knowing that it is unhealthy. The more you consume, the more difficult it is for you to opt for healthy foods. The situation is worse in case of children who from a very young age get hooked on fast food. Making them change their food habits from fatty and sweet foods and develop a taste for health-promoting fruits and vegetables is a task easier said than done. Such children would grow up to be obese adults who have never felt the advantages of being a healthy weight. To sum up, consuming fast food on a regular basis leads to many health hazards. But bringing about changes in eating habits is not easy. To start with, a simple change that one could make is to successively reduce the frequency of eating fast food and eat more frequently home-cooked food, with plenty of fresh foods and vegetables.

Some Aspects Of British Architecture Essay

My male parent ‘s household is from Hampshire county in England. He lived in Gosport until age 18 when he attended to the University of Leeds ( northern England ) . He worked in Manchester and London, and so he moved to USA. My male parent ‘s household ‘s roots on his female parent ‘s side can be traced to the Gallic Huguenot household. They were Protestants being persecuted by Catholics and so they fled to Guernsey in the channel islands so came to England. My male parent came to the USA in 1983 from England because Margaret Thatcher cut his support with the Tropical Medicine Disease Board. He was working at St. George ‘s infirmary in London at the clip. He moved to the Unites States because he had met an American in Bogota who had got him a occupation for with the US authorities. Like most migrators, he was looking for work. My male parent went to work at Montana State University, but his visa expired so he left the Unites States and went to Canada to happen work because he could n't acquire a Green card. He will return with me & A ; my mother old ages subsequently in 1994. My household ‘s roots are in, Gosport a town, territory and borough that is along the southern seashore of England in Hampshire county. It is the 4th largest metropolis in Hampshire, and until the late twentieth century it was a outstanding military and naval centre. Its location was ideal because it is in Portsmouth Harbor opposite the metropolis of Portsmouth. This is of import to me because my gramps was one of the Queen ‘s Royal Physicians in the Royal Navy for many old ages. Naval activities declined in the last one-fourth of the twentieth century and so installings related to these activities are unfastened to the populace and attract tourers. These include Fort Blockhouse and Palmerston Forts like Fort Brockhurst. Gosport and Portsmouth are popular tourer finish because of the historic significance, but this helped by the temperate clime in southern England. The winters are cold but it seldom snows. The summer is warm, normally temperatures in the 70s or 80s. Royal Hospital Haslar closed in 2009. It was the last officially recognized military infirmary in England at the clip it closed and had been opened since 1753. Obviously many well-known naval officers were born and/or brought up in Gosport. Roger Black who was an Olympic Athlete that ran path was brought up at that place. He won single Ag decorations in both universe title and Olympic Games. The beginning of the name â€Å" Gosport † is controversial. Some believe it was derived from â€Å" God ‘s Port † but other historiographers and lingual specializer argue it could be derived from the word†¦ â€Å" goose. † The importance of naval civilization in southern England can be traced back to the Tudor period ( 1485-1603 ) . The first naval ships were built by Henry the VII, the first Tudor sovereign and the fleet was expanded by his boy, Henry the VIII. English civilization during Tudor times is intriguing. Not merely was it when the Royal Navy was created, which has shaped British civilization for coevalss, but Henry VIII initiates what is now known as the English Reformation which was the beginning of a spiritual yo-yo that lasted throughout the Tudor dynasty and has mostly influenced English faith as we know it. Tudor society was mostly agricultural. Agriculturists grew chiefly rye and barley for staff of life and herbs and veggies for soups. Most households were besides pastoralists. They kept animate beings to bring forth cheese, milk and eggs. The most common animate beings were hogs and poulets. The first Royal Navy was built, get downing of the British navigation tradition. The officers and soldiers on board used information engineering to turn up and strategize on how best to assail and get the better of their enemies. Southern England was particularly affected because of its location. Before, the King had to borrow merchandiser ships to travel to war, and as these ships were n't meant to transport many heavy canons and accidents were frequent so King Henry VII solved this job of endurance by constructing specialized ships. The new navy ships had gun ports so they could transport more canons and the canons would be unafraid. Southern England was ideal for building non merely because of close-by organic structures of H2O such as the English Channel, River Thames and Portsmouth Harbor but because of the woods of Kent and Sussex that were needed for edifice stuffs for these ships. Naval paces were built in legion locations in Southern England and many still play a function in today ‘s civilization, either politically because they are still used for military intents or economically because of touristry. This began at the clip of the House of tudors and has influences the cultural moral force in England today. We can state the new naval forces was an of import portion of civilization because we know so much about the ships of this clip. The male monarchs and Queenss in Tudor times were really proud of their ships. Pictures were drawn and narratives were written about them, so we know a batch about what they looked like and the events out at sea. Industrialism was introduced during the terminal of Tudor period.A Coal lead and Sn were mined, though this wo n't take off until the eighteenth century. It did, nevertheless, lead to increase in the figure of towns and their size due to the migration towards the mines in hunt of work. Technologies of industrialism were crude. Industrialists used chiefly shovels. This was possible because the mines were shallow and in some instances mining merely consisted of grating the surface where the merchandises could be found. Agricultural engineering consisted chiefly of ploughs, which were normally pulled by Equus caballuss or other animate beings. Pastoralists † engineering was besides unsophisticated. Their farm animal lived in barns or little constructions. In many instances they were fenced in. they were kept on the farm, near the house so they would hold easy entree to the merchandises, such as milk and eggs. Shearss for shearing sheep were an of import portion of pastoralist engineering, as the demand for wool was high. Ships were evidently the most of import engineering for those who subsisted utilizing information. Though the particular naval ships had been built, sometimes the male monarch still had to borrow merchandiser ships to his fleet complete fleet. On board these ships were canons. There were two types sorted by weight: heavy and light. Specialized naval ships allowed more heavy canons to be on board. Hand-held arms called expresswaies and measures were besides on board, along with longbows, and towards the mid/late 1500 ‘s matchlock muskets were on the stock lists of big ships. Gun shields were portion of the ships protection, and crude pilotage engineerings and surgical engineerings were besides used on board naval ships. These were of import because they helped construe the information and maintain the crew and soldiers healthy. Division of labour during the Tudor period was really much gender related. Womans did n't take part in industrialism. Boys and work forces worked in the mines, and the adult females stayed place and took attention of the house. This meant cookery, cleaning and child-rearing. Though agricultural adult females besides tended to the place, they grew nutrient in gardens and, though the work forces did much of the work in the field, the adult females would take excess to markets to sell. Pastoralist adult females were besides homemakers, but like agricultural adult females they had other occupations. They tended to the animate beings, which included feeding them and, for illustration, milking the cattles. When it came to occupations in the naval forces, the division of labour was different. There were no adult females in the naval forces, and the occupations on the ships were divided by specialisation. On big ships like the pride and joy of Henry VIII the Mary Rose ; there were 200 crewmans to make the manual work on board. They took attention of the ship since the following class of workers was the soldiers and officers. There were different rankings in the naval forces, much like today, and some are appointed by the male monarch while others may be promoted. They were in charge of forming and contending the conflicts. On a ship like the Mary Rose, there were about 185 soldiers on board. The concluding group is the artillerymans, who were in charge of the arms on board. there was besides a physician on board, to take attention of the ill or those wounded in conflict. Henry Tudor came became England ‘s sovereign in 1485. He killed Richard III, and proclaimed that his power was legitimate â€Å" by conquering and God ‘s judgement on the battleground. † A sovereign ‘s power is God-given. Henry Tudor became Henry VII King of England because he believed God had chosen him to get the better of Richard III. He is instantly accepted as King because if a sovereign chosen by God is questioned, God ‘s authorization is questioned. This would be unacceptable in these times. The system is centralized and persons have yielded their personal sovereignty the sovereign, who is God ‘s representative. They are hence indirectly giving to God. There was besides a parliament in Tudor times. Decisions are made by the King or Queen and a little group of advisors. Before the determinations become Torahs they must be approved by the parliament. The parliament, nevertheless, is submissive to the King for the most portion. Since by oppugn ing the sovereign you question God, parliament seldom disagreed with the King. Again, all personal sovereignty is yielded to the caput of province. For the most portion, political engagement of the general population was minimum. Parliament consisted of two houses, The House of Lords who are appointed because of their rubric and the House of Commons. They members of the latter are supposed to be elected by the people in the country they represent, but there are few electors so normally the largest landholder designates the representative. These were the first efforts to do citizens politically engaged, and though it did n't work good at the clip, it contributed to the English civilization we have today and how the civilization is reflected politically. There is still a royal household in England today, but they are constitutional sovereigns, intending they merely have ceremonial and representational responsibilities. The Prime Minister who holds much of the political power is democratically elected. The system remains centralised because though the people elect their leader, legalizing his authorization, they still yield their single sovereignty to him. There is still respect for the royal household. When Windsor Palace burnt down, the taxpayers agreed to reconstruct it out of regard for the Queen. The royal household and is such an of import symbol of English civilization that symbols stand foring its prestigiousness are valued to a high degree. The current Queen is really smart and seen as an authorization. The premier curate goes to see her on a hebdomadal footing to inquire for advice and discuss affairs of province. She has been queen since 1952, doing her one of the longest-serving caputs of province in the universe. She is perceived as a valuable resource. This is why the people respect her today and why the royal household is an of import and long-standing symbol of British civilization. Most of the good are produced by agriculturists and pastoralists. The excess nutrient grown on their farms is taken to market to be sold. Negative reciprocality is used in the exchange of goods at the market. For illustration, craftsmen which produce pots needed by the agriculturists need the nutrient produced by the agriculturists. The marketer will seek and acquire what he needs from the exchange by acquiring the better terminal of the exchange. This is the footing of capitalist economy. These markets are an illustration of primary and secondary economic sectors. The agriculturists are selling natural stuff and nutrients ( primary ) and the craftsmen are selling finished goods ( secondary ) . The currencies used in the negative reciprocality exchange are lbs, shilling and pence. Tudor England was known for its wool, which accounted for 90 % of English exports at the clip. Subsequently in the Tudor period industrialists ‘ goods would besides be exported but I smaller per centums. Imports were chiefly for the benefit of higher socio-economic categories. These imports included tapestry, lacing for all right vesture and art from Brussels, Venice and Iznik. Henry VIII was known for the big sum of Gallic vino imported during his reign. This brings us to the third sector: services. One illustration in Tudor times would be merchandisers, whose ships were used in the negative mutual exchanges with other states, importing all right goods and exporting wool. Henry VIII, the 2nd Tudor male monarch, spun England into spiritual convulsion. Religion was really of import during the Tudor period. One of the cultural intents of faith is to function as a moral guideline for behaviour. When Cathrine of Aragon, Henry VIII ‘s first married woman, failed to give him a boy, Henry VII requested the Pope to allow him a divorce since the Roman Catholic Church was caput of England ‘s Church. The Pope refused. When the King failed to acquire a divorce, he decided that he would go the caput of the Church of England, interrupting off from the Roman Catholic Church. He was so able to allow himself a divorce, and get married his 2nd married woman Anne Boleyn. This was merely acceptable because the Church had declared his matrimony bastard. This matrimony represented the triumph of Protestantism. However, after Henry VIII and his boy Edward ‘s deceases, Mary I, his first girl and a devout Catholic, was crowned queen. The 1s responsible for he r enthronement was the group of Roman Catholics who still recognized her female parent ‘s matrimony to Henry VIII legitimate since the Pope had n't declared it illegitimate. This meant that she was still portion of Henry VIII line of descent and was entitled to his throne. Religion ‘s cultural importance here is clear: it defines line of descents and empowers persons. Queen Mary I persecuted Protestants, seeking to reconstruct the Roman Catholic Church at the caput of the Church England. After her decease, Elizabeth was crowned queen. She eventually was able to settle the cultural issue that had stemmed from the difference sing who was to be the caput of the Church. She re-established the Church of England, but balanced the demands of the Puritans and the Catholics. This brings us to where we are today: the British Monarch is the caput of the Church of England. Though faith is no longer every bit of import as it was during the reign of the Tudor dynasty, there are far fe wer Roman Catholics ( 9 % ) in England today that people who belong to the Church of England ( 20 % ) . These statistics are the consequence of the spiritual yo-yo during the Tudor dynasty. Family is the most basic signifier of societal organisation in any civilization. The anthropological maps of matrimony are clearly reflected in Tudor civilization. Marriage is first and foremost to legalize the kids. When Henry VIII divorced his first married woman and once more when he divorced his 4th married woman, the girls he had had with them were declared bastard. At the clip they were declared bastard, they were ne'er expected to go up to the throne because when the matrimony dissolved they were no longer portion of his line of descent. Many matrimonies in Tudor times allied households and allowed for money, land or power to stay under a certain household ‘s control. For illustration, after the decease of Henry VIII ‘s boy Edward, Lord President Numberland hoped that Lady Jane Grey would go queen so he could get married her to his boy, seting his household in a place of political power. Marriage is besides the footing of affinity: when Mary I became queen, she dec lared that Henry VIII and Cathrine of Aragon ( her female parent ‘s ) matrimony was legitimate. This meant she was still portion of the Tudor dynasty and, had she had kids, they would hold ascended to the throne because they are portion of Tudor line of descent. Tudor matrimonies were arranged, particularly for richer households because big sums of belongings, money and power were at interest. Marriages were monogamous: a adult male could merely be married to one adult female and a adult female merely to one adult male, therefore the divorces, executings and deceases of five of the six married womans of Henry VIII. This means that matrimonies were exogamic by sex: people married people of the opposite sex. However, people have a inclination to hold endogamic matrimonies by socio-economic categories were expected and hence the most common. Children were married immature, misss normally between the ages of 15 or 16 and male childs between the ages of 18 and 21. The life anticipation was merely 35, so they had to be able to reproduce and care for their kids until they are no longer dependent. Typical Tudor households tended to be atomic and patrilocal.A When the male parent ‘s parents died, his estates and other properties and in some instances his rubric was passed down to his boy or boies. Descent was unilineal and patrilineal. The hubby or male parent was ever caput of the family, and adult females were by and large considered inferior. Their function in the matrimony was to take attention of the family and give birth to boies to transport on the household name. Even today in England, many facets of modern matrimony remain patrilocal- for illustration, adult females lose their maiden name and take their hubbies ‘ names. This is another testament to the male high quality in Tudor times and throughout British history. The lone ground to maintain path of a adult female ‘s line of descent would be if it was of import in allying two households. For illustration, when Henry VIII married Anne of Cleves to ally himself with her German Protestant Brother, he s ubsequently declared the matrimony bastard, but did n't lock her up like he had Cathrine of Aragon. Alternatively she became an adopted sister to maintain the confederation strong. Four groups constituted the socio-economic categories in Tudor England. The first was aristocracy, which were chiefly land proprietors. The 2nd consisted of aristocracy and rich merchandisers. Gentlemen besides owned land, and were educated. They ne'er did any manual work, because it was considered beneath them. Yeomans and craftsmen, like aristocracy, owned their ain land, but they were n't systematically educated and worked alongside those who worked for them. Finally, the lowest socio-economic category was the renters who leased land from the rich. They were ever illiterate and hapless. Stratification was based on how much land one had, how educated the individual was and how much manual labour they were required to make. It was possible to alter stratification, or societal ranking, in Tudor England, but it was really hard and did n't go on frequently. With difficult work, a renter could buy his ain land or possibly larn a trade to go a craftsman. Not all kids in Tudor Times went to school. Merely the kids belonging to households higher in stratification went to school. Boys lower in stratification hoped to acquire an apprenticeship to larn a trade. Those higher in the stratification went to Chantry school until they were closed during the English Reformation. After Chantry schools closed down, affluent households created â€Å" grammar schools † . The smartest male childs were able to go to University. There were merely two in England in the sixteenth century. They were Oxford and Cambridge, and they still exist today and are among the most esteemed in the universe. Womans of lower categories, nevertheless, were ne'er educated. Those belonging to a higher stratification had coachs come to their places, or female parents taught their girls. Some facets of British instruction have changed really small. For illustration, when my male parent was go toing school, he went to grammar school and everyone learned Latin and Greek. These were topics in grammar school in Tudor times. King Edward made many schools free, and today in England, there are dearly-won private schools ( though the English name them â€Å" Public Schools † ) but there are besides legion free schools and if a household can non afford to direct their kid to university the authorities pays if the pupil gets good plenty classs. House of tudors had to do their ain amusement. Those populating in poorness frequently went to dramas. Marlowe and Shakespeare were great dramatists, and they contributed to the integrating of theater into English civilization. By 1595, dramas were undeniably popular. Theaters were really popular in London. Up to 15,000 people attended dramas each hebdomad in London! Before the popularity of dramas lead to the edifice of theaters during Elizabeth ‘s reign companies travelled from town to town and performed informally in the streets. Elizabethan theater is still an of import portion of British civilization. We can travel watch dramas at the Globe Theatre in London, and dramas by Shakespeare and other well-known dramatists from the clip are performed all over the universe. The rich were n't every bit limited in their signifiers of amusement. Though the in-between ages were over, fencing and jousting were common among households of higher stratification. They besides watched bear combat and went Hawking.

Asf Essay Research Paper During the 19th

Asf Essay, Research Paper During the nineteenth century the intervention of both inmates and ex-convicts was in most peoples eyes inhumane. A inmate would be worked for long hours without nutrient. Many ex-convicts were neer to the full re-accepted back into society due to their yesteryear as a inmate. If an ex-convict managed to maintain his yesteryear a secret and do a new life for himself, if and when the ex-con revealed his yesteryear he was one time once more excluded and non considered a portion of society. When Jean Valjean is eventually released from the galleys after 19 old ages he emerges a strong, but frail adult male. His original sentence was 4 old ages for stealing a loaf of staff of life to feed his hapless household. Jean Valjean attempts and fails to get away several times adding the 15 old ages to his sentence. # 8220 ; In the 6th twelvemonth his bend for flight came once more ; he tried it, but failed once more. He did non reply at axial rotation call and the dismay cannon was fired. At dark the people of the locality discovered him concealed beneath the keel of a vas on the stocks ; he resisted the galley guard that seized him. Escape and opposition. This the commissariats of the particular codification punished by an add-on of five old ages, two within the dual concatenation, 13 old ages ( p 32 ) . # 8221 ; Here one can see how the penalty for certain Acts of the Apostless of inmates was taken attention of. When Jean Valjean is put to work on the two-base hit concatenation he is given really small nutrient and worked for highly long hours. After Jean Valjean is eventually released from the galleys after 19 old ages he journeys to a little town and seeks lodging. Jean Valjean tries several hostels and tap houses but none accept him because he was a inmate. Jean Valjean so finds a kennel and crawls in and is still forced out by a Canis familiaris baring all its dentitions. â€Å"The provincial? s face assumed an look of misgiving: he looked over the new-comer from caput to pes, and all of a sudden exclaimed, with a kind of frisson: â€Å"Are you the adult male! † He looked once more at the alien, stepped back, put the lamp on the tabular array, and took down his gun ( p 20 ) .† As you can see Jean Valjean was forced off practically at gunpoint. As Jean Valjean walks the streets of the town in hunt of a topographic point to eat and kip for the dark he runs into a adult female who points him in the way of the bishops house. When he gets to the bishop? s house he knocks on the door and when the bishop opens the door he comes right out and tells the bishop everything about his yesteryear. In malice of his history the bishops lets Jean Valjean in for dinner and a topographic point to kip for the dark. So as you can see ex-convicts had a really hard clip suiting back into society due to their history. It? s been 10 old ages and Jean Valjean? s adopted girl, Cosette, has grown to be a beautiful immature adult female. With this beauty of class comes a adult male who will desire to get married her. This adult male is Marius. When Marius marries Cosette Jean Valjean reveals his yesteryear to Marius. Marius? first reaction is to censor Jean Valjean from Cosette from now until his decease. But Marius sees how defeated Jean Valjean is and says that if he wants to see Cosette he must eat dinner with them every dark, and Marius would maintain his secret. Jean Valjean had hidden his yesteryear for a legion sum of old ages and being the honest adult male he is he revealed it to a individual really near to him. But Marius? reaction merely iterates that even a individual who was an ex-convict 10 old ages ago is still thought of as a threat. Hugo, Victor. Les Miserables. Fwcett Premier. 1961

Managing Employee Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Managing Employee Relations - Essay Example With regards to maintaining a working and mobile corporate structure, EIP has been playing an active influential role for the companies. In other words, the above discussed idea tends to maintain the working balance within different corporate organisations (Apostolou, 2000, pp. 21-23). Observably, EIP is held accountable for stabilising corporate order by providing effective guidelines and developing individuals’ behaviours. This particular approach has often been advantageous for organisations to attain their respective goals along with objectives by strengthening decision-making procedures and utilising the available resources effectively. The efforts of individual employees and inputs are highly regarded as important elements that help in attaining the fundamental objectives of the firms and enabling them to grow in an efficient manner. Additionally, EIP is not only an important part as per the industrial context, but also contributes in the development of the overall economy (Holden, n.d., pp. 560-563). With this concern in mind, the prime intent of this essay is to argue about the fact that EIP fundamentally intends to weaken the collective will of the workers by individualising their respective actions and also aligning them with the goals of the employers. Moreover, the essay also discusses the disadvantageous factors involved with the notion of EIP that might impose negative impacts over the working process of the employees as well as the performance of the organisations in order to argue the aforesaid fact (West Virginia Department of Health and Human Sources, 2014, pp. 1-2). It is strongly believed that with the rise in globalisation and internationalisation, the value of employment has raised gradually. Justifiably, the companies have started valuing the involvement of employees in their operational procedures, mostly related to decision-making.

The effects of the cold war on the middle east Research Paper

The effects of the cold war on the middle east - Research Paper Example Egypt found itself cornered as it was unable to get ammunition and economic support from the USSR; it could not support Egypt in the 1967 Six Day War and in the War of Attrition against Israel. Although Egypt underwent a political changeover from Soviet Union to the United States in 1972 under the leadership of Anwar El Sadat yet the 1973 Yom Kippur War brought about huge congregation of American forces putting at stake detente because of the propaganda of Soviet involvement in backing Egypt in the Yom Kippur War. Soviet influence in the Middle East could be seen not only in the pre-Sadat Egypt getting Soviet help but other countries such as South Yemen, Algeria, and Iraq as well as indirect support to the Palestinian cause by backing Yasser Arafat’s Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (Cold War, â€Å"Wikipedia,† par. 6). The Six Day War or June War held in 1967 was one such major event known by different names such as the 1967 Arab- Israeli War or the Third Arab-I sraeli War was waged between Israel and the neighboring countries Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. Israel won the war comfortably capturing Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria. The area captured by Israel during the Six Day War followed up with the refugee problem, which has become a concurrent issue of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. This has created issues in global law affecting international relations in the long term (Six Day War, â€Å"Wikipedia,† par. 1). Earlier, after the 1956 Suez Crisis, Egypt had to give consent to the positioning of the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) in the Sinai for abiding with the 1949 Armistice Agreements. It entered into bilateral defense agreement with Syria. Jordan blamed Egypt for not supporting it militarily under the garb of UNEF. When the Soviet Union made false reports of gathering of Israeli forces on the Syrian, borders, Egypt ousted the U NEF forces from Gaza and Sinai; its force taking up UNEF positions at Sharm el-Sheikh opposite the Straits of Tiran. Along with others, Egypt also sent its forces to Jordan to support against Israeli aggression resulting from the closure of the Straits for Israeli shipping. The deteriorating political climate finally provoked Israel in waging war by the name of Operation Focus at the firs day of the Six Day War with a sudden air attack. On can not deny the role of the Soviet Union played by sending false announcements of Israeli troops positioning at the Syrian borders. In one way or the other the then super power, the USSR, played the provocative role of adding petrol in the enflamed political environment, furthering it to the Six Day War (Six Day War, â€Å"Wikipedia,† par. 2). Afghanistan became the battleground of Cold War when the Soviet troops landed on its soil in December 1979 in support of the Afghanistan’s Marxist government led by its ex-Prime-minister, Nur Muhammad Taraki. The US has been providing support to the Mujahidin insurgency against the Soviet supported Marxist government even before the arrival of Russian forces there. This fact was revealed in an interview by the French weekly newsmagazine Le Nouvel Observateur by the American President Jimmy Carter’s National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski. The Cold War between the then Super Powers was an extension of their desire to become world leader by waging a proxy