GE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

GE - Essay Example Diversification and market penetration are two strategies that have always played an important role in bringing growth in the business activities of an organization. Same is the case with General Electrics. By entering new markets and providing services designed around strategic problems faced by communities and market sectors, GE has expanded both effectively and efficiently. For any organization capturing emerging markets that have growing economies is an important business decision, which when taken at the right time, usually results in major benefits for organization. In 2003, Goldman Sachs economist, Jim O’Neill highlighted the growth in the economies of the four countries, namely, Brazil, Russia, India and China and predicted that the rapidly progressing economies of these countries will make them the world leaders by 2050. His report helped investing organizations, researchers and academics put more focus on these four countries in the future and shed light on the prospective prosperity that lay in investing in these rapidly growing countries. Currently, General electric is doing business in all four of the BRIC countries, but plans to increase its market share in these countries. The predictions that O’Neill made are dependent on a number of external issues that may eventually decide whether all of these four countries will make the progress that is thought that they will make or not. Similiarly, GE’s investment decisions in these countries will also be based upon the various risks and benefits that are associated with each country. China, being the third largest country in the world area wise and having the largest population on earth is slated to overtake all the G7 countries including America and become the world’s biggest economy by the year 2045. Experts have argued that the real ‘muscle’ in the BRIC name is due to China. With the economic and financial growth that china has experienced in the past decades, its increased

The Gender of the Travestis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The Gender of the Travestis - Essay Example Interesting a topic, Kulick undertakes to study the lives of the travestis and their general take on the question of gender identity. So to what gender do travestis belong to? Kulick, through a series of illustrations and interviews with volunteer travestis, gives comprehensive details about the travestis. Surprising as it can be for a person changing his or her gender, to the travestis, it is a norm. Most people who hear of travestis the first time think of them as being abnormal. They are somewhat an in-between gender, completely lost from the normal life and perhaps they live in a world of their own, away from reality. Kulick candidly suggests: â€Å"We see reality like it is, they [travestis] don’t. They live in a world of fantasy.† (p.94). Kulick finds out that travestis are not generally accepted in their homes or families. Once they start on the journey to becoming travestis, often at the age of as low as ten, they are no longer wanted by their parents. Their spirit growing stronger, most aspiring travestis will choose to leave their families and go out on their own, and some are forcibly expelled (p.59). Kulick gives an example of Keila, a travesti who chose to leave their home at the age of thirteen (p.59) and went to live alone, this time too choosing a female name. This tells about the pains the travestis are determined to endure to be fully free, or else to belong to the ‘gender’ of their choice. That is not the end: â€Å"Travestis consider that males are males and females are females because of the genitals they possess.† (p.193). This derives a strong conviction, on their part, that they should retain their genitals – it does not matter the genital one possesses and at least they respect God’s thus creation of genitals (p.193) – so the travestis never remove their penises.

Physical Structure Of Management Information System

Physical Structure Of Management Information System Jump to: Physical Structure of Management Information Systems Management Information System Types Advantages of Management Information Systems Disadvantages of Management Information Systems Management Information Systems in Banking Conclusion and Recommendations The report on Management information systems reviews the role of information systems in an organization. It is a system through which organization takes an effective decision which help to attain the overall objectives of an organization. A management Information System is a system which consists of people, computers and procedures for collecting and organizing of information that will help mangers to take decision in an organization. It aims as to provide information to the top level managers so that they can take effective decisions in an organization. Information system is a system which helps manager to make effective decisions for an organization. Information system can be defined as a set of interrelated components that collect, process, store and distribute information to the management of an organization for making effective decisions, to ensure coordination and control in an organization. (Laudon, 2006) Information systems consist of information related to people, places and things in an organization or outside the organization .i.e. the environment surrounding business. (Laudon, 2006) Functions of an Information System Information systems consist of three important activities which provide information to an organization to make relevant decisions, to control operations of an organization, to identify problems and to create new products and services. Three important activities in an information system are input, processing and output. (Laudon, 2006) Input collects data from within the organization or from its external business environment. Processing converts the data to an useful and meaningful form i.e. information Output helps to make available the processed information to the user of information. Output also provides feedback to the organization. Management Information System A management information system is a computerized system (Sarkissian, 2009) that is designed to provide useful information to an organization which will help them to make decision so as to attain their short term and long term goals. MIS is a combination of people, computers and procedures for collecting and organizing information in an organization that is useful for decision making in an organization. (Sarkissian, 2009). MIS is an integrated system for gathering relevant data, convert it in to right information and supplying the relevant information to concerned executive thus it is a system to provide the right information to the right person at the right time.(management-hub.com) The main objective of MIS is to provide necessary information to an organization so as to manage organization effectively. It is a communication tool between the top management and staffs that helps organization to attain their overall goals.( Sarkissian, 2010) Physical Structure of Management Information Systems A MIS is an organized system which consists of people, hardware, and communication networks and data sources that collects, transforms and distributes information in an organization. It is a tool which helps mangers in making decisions by providing regular flow of accurate information in an organization. (Sarkissian, 2009) The physical components of an MIS include hardware, software, database, personnel and procedures. Hardware Hardware consists of all physical components of a computer system like central processing unit (CPU), input devices, output devices, storage and communication devices. (Sarkissian, 2009) Software Software is an interface between the information system and users of information system. Software can be of two types system software and applications. The system software includes the operating system and special purposes programs. Application is developed to achieve a specific task. Software plays an important part in MIS. (Sarkissian, 2009) Database A database is a centrally managed and organized collection of data. Database helps to store data in an organized manner and to make available to those who need that data. Database helps to reduce duplication of data as it is centrally managed data one data can be store at one place avoiding redundancy and duplication of data. (Sarkissian, 2009) Procedures Procedures are essential for effective use of information system. Procedures consist of various instructions like user instructions, instructions for input preparation and operating instructions. These instructions help in using information system effectively. (Sarkissian, 2009) Personnel Number of personnel is required for implementation of MIS like computer operators, programmers, systems analysts and managers. Human beings are key requirements for implementation of MIS. In MIS both technical and managerial level people are required for proper implementation of MIS. (Sarkissian, 2009) Types of Management Information Systems There are four types of Management Information systems (Sarkissian, 2009) Transaction processing systems: TPS is a type of MIS which records a huge volume of recurring and routine data. They were introduced in the 1960 and are used widely today. TPS record transactions relating to inventories, raw materials, customers and sales. Many organizations use these systems to record day to-day transactions like banks use these systems to record deposits and payments made into bank accounts and Manager Use TPS to record transactions related to payments made to suppliers, customer billing and so on. (sarkissian, 2010). These systems help manager to determine trends in data and help them to plan accordingly in order to achieve overall organizational objectives. Operations information systems: These systems were introduced after TPS. They access data from TPS and organize data into a useable form. They were basically used to obtain data related to sales, inventory, and accounting and other performance related information. Operations information systems are used to plan and schedule production and assembly functions. (sarkissian, 2010). They help managers to take various curial decisions like how much raw materials to be ordered, when to schedule production and when to assemble the final products. It also help managers to take decisions about the manpower which will be require in the production and assembly processes. Decision support systems: A DSS helps managers to make important decisions. It consists of three fundamental components: Database management system (DBMS): it stores large amount of data related to all problems the DSS has been designed to tackle. Model-based management system (MBMS): it helps to convert data from DBMS into useful information which help managers in decision making process. Dialog generation and management system (DGMS), it provides a user-friendly interface between the system and the managers who are not experts in computer. (sarkissian, 2010). Expert systems: These systems uses human knowledge stored in a computer to solve problems same as human beings. These systems recognize, formulate and solve a problem. They also explain their solutions and learn from their experience. (sarkissian, 2010) Advantages of MIS MIS helps organization in their functioning. MIS record, process and tabulate all business transaction which helps organization to refer to the relevant data and to make improvements in the business transaction where the organization feels that they are lacking behind. (Moorty, 2009) For example the organization can compare actual and projected sales and can take necessary steps to improve their sales performance. (Moorty, 2009) MIS helps the top management of an organization in good decision making. It also helps the top management to evaluate whether the allocated resources have been properly utilized and whether the targets are been met by each department. It helps to facilitate a two way communication process in an organization. (Moorty, 2009). The top management communicates to employees what is expected from them and employees discuss their problems to their top management. Therefore MIS ensure an effective communication in an organization. Facilitates planning and controlling MIS provides relevant information from the top management to people working as staffs in an organization. It helps the top management to facilitate proper planning of organizational activities by providing relevant data of past and present. MIS integrates all information and ensures that each department is aware of the problems and requirements of another department and thus leads to co-ordination in an organization. (management-hub.com) Relevant Information MIS only provides relevant data by compressing the huge amount of data which helps management in quick decision making. Fast reaction to market changes MIS provides facts, data and trends which help organization to react immediately accordingly to the changes happening in the market. (Pirraglia, 2010) Competitive advantages Today Competition is very strong in any industries. It is important for an organization to identify their competitive advantage in order to differentiate them in the market. MIS provides huge amount of data to management which help them to identify their competitive advantage and to make strategies to enhance their competitive advantages through their decisions. (Pirraglia, 2010) Disadvantages of MIS MIS is a useful tool for management for making effective decisions for an organization. But there are many limitations of MIS which are as follows. MIS cannot be used independently MIS cannot be use independently in an organization. MIS provides only information which is useful for an organization but the interpretation and analyzes of the information requires human being and therefore MIS cannot use interpedently in an organization. (Moorty, 2009) MIS Expense MIS helps in effective decision making process but the implementation of MIS in an organization can be very expensive as all the divisions and processes of an organization should be reviewed. Training of new employees for the MIS can also add up to implementation charges. Besides this the installation charges are also huge. (Vitez, n.d) Employee Training MIS helps in effective decision making through review of all the processes and operations of an organization and proper trained employees are important for MIS implementation. Employees are involved in all the operations and processes of an organization and providing proper training to the employees will help the organization to achieve their overall objectives. (Vitez, n.d) MIS Flexibility MIS once installed in an organization may prove to be inflexible. And Changes in MIS program may require huge cost Information Flaws MIS helps management in effective decision making by providing information to the management. The main disadvantage of MIS could be that MIS sometimes gives improper or inadequate information to the management which makes it difficult for management in making decisions. (Vitez, n.d) Analysis and Discussion Example: Lakshmi Vilas Bank Lakshmi Vilas Bank is a fast growing private sector bank in India. The bank provides its banking services to several customers through a network of 271 branches and 168 ATMs spread over 14 states and one union territory. (lvbank, 2010) The products of Lakshmi Vilas bank consists of business credit, home loans, rental loans, car loans, education loans, SME credit facilities, NRI Services and online banking. It also provides mutual funds products and life insurance products of Aviva Life Insurance Co. Ltd. and general insurance products of Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co. Ltd. (lvbank, 2010) The LVB has been offering various technology products through innovative delivery channels like NEFT, RTGS, SMS Alerts, SMS Pull Services, Net Banking, ATMs Mobile Payments and E-commerce. (cxotoday) Online services provided by Lakshmi Vilas bank National Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT) NEFT is an efficient, secure and reliable system of funds transfer between accounts of customers of different banks. (lvbank, 2010) REAL TIME GROSS SETTLEMENT SYSTEM (RTGS) RTGS enables an efficient, secure and reliable transfer of funds between accounts of customers of different banks. (lvbank, 2010) INTERNET BANKING Internet banking allows customers to do their financial transaction from secure website of bank. Lakshmi Vilas Bank started internet banking on August 9, 2008. This facility is available to all their customers, who wish to do online banking. (lvbank, 2010) SMS BANKING Lakshmin Vilas bank also provides SMS banking to their customers. Using the mobile customers can enquire about their account balance and the status of their cheque book (lvbank, 2010) Electronic Clearing Service (ECS) Lakshmi Vilas Bank provides ECS facility to their customers. It allows fund transfer electronically and it is generally used for bulk credit and debit transactions like distribution of dividends, interest, salary pension, payment of bills. (lvbank, 2010) Problems Faced By Lakshmi Vilas Bank The Banks systems were unable to provide collective information to the manager which resulted into delay in decision making process even during emergency. (Microsoft, 2009) The accounts and planning team spend a huge amount of time in collating financial data from 250 branches which was submitted in various format. Analyzing all these data and preparing statutory reports took valuable time and resources of the bank. (Microsoft, 2009) The efficiency of the bank was affected due to lack of up to date information (Microsoft, 2009) Customers wanted fast information and more reliable information. Employees Productivity was affected Management was facing problem in their decision making process due to unavailable of proper information. Use of Information systems in Lakshmi Vilas Bank Lakshmi Vilas Bank International Visa Debit Card. The Visa debit cared introduced by Lakshmi Vilas Bank has help the bank to provide its new as well as existing customers with the facilities to shop, pay their bills, book their movie or airline and rail tickets online. (lvbank, 2010) MPLS architecture It is the first bank in Tamil Nadu to achieve 100% Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) Architecture. The implementation of MPLS architecture helped LVB to reduce network operating cost as well as to provide higher availability of network for the branches. It helped bank to better performance of the application at branches through lesser congestion o the network. MPLS architecture will help bank to reduce maintenance and operational cost of 21 hubs of their bank. (cxotoday) Enterprise storage solution LVB has acquired enterprise storage solution which is a centralized system and will help bank to consolidate all its business database into one single system to effectively manage their customers. This solution has helped the bank to improve their overall efficiencies. (Information week, 2010) Datacraft IT security infrastructure and datacenter upgrading Datacraft is a provider of IT solutions and services. It had given IT security infrastructure and datacenter upgrading to LVB which will help the bank to avail the benefit of security for all their branches. (ciol, 2010) D2K technologies The bank chose MIS solution offered by D2K technologies while helped bank for consolidating real and accurate information for internal and compliance related reports.(Microsoft, 2009) Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Microsoft SQL Server 2008 provides security and reliability to banks business applications. As Mentioned by chief technology officer of Lakshmi Vilas Bank which says that the speed with which they were able to provide information to internal stakeholders, customers and government departments has improved significantly. (Microsoft, 2009) Advantage of information Technology and MIS in the Lakshmi Vilas Bank MIS in LVB helps the bank in their accurate reporting and functions of the bank. It helps them to plan their business activities, performance their business review and to exchange information in accurate time. (expressindia, 2001) Savings and Earning Potential Up MIS has help bank to savings in many forms. The branch is not busy preparing statement and the account department does not spend much of their time collating reports of 251 branches. On an average each person saves almost 3 hours a day leading to huge savings in people cost. The systems has also helped bank to available all the data centrally and that is why the branches doesnt have to submit their report to central office. (Microsoft, 2009) Improves Financial Management Compliance The time spends on consolidation of statements from 251 branches by the account department and planning department has been reduced by 30%. As stated by assistant manager of Lakshmi Vilas Bank, Compliance and reporting to the RBI and other government agencies have become fast and accurate as per compliance requirements. (Microsoft, 2009) Dashboards Enable Management with Decision Making The decision support system type of MIS enables management in fast decision making process by providing tabular and graphically representation of information. This system provides banks management by setting new goals by evaluating past trends. Each employee of the bank can access relevant and more secure information from central location. Customers and all stake holders of the bank can access relevant information from the bank. (Microsoft, 2009) Conclusion and Recommendations Information system is a system which helps management to take effective decisions for an organization. It is a tool which collect, process, store and distribute information to the management. Information systems are useful for providing information rather than raw data to the management. Data only shows number whereas information provides logical understanding of a figure. Information systems basically consist of data related to people, process and procedures inside the organization as well as it provides information of external business environment affecting the business. Information system performs the functions of processing of input into output .i.e. collecting of data and processing of the data into information and thereby helping managers in their decision making process. Management information system is a computerized system of providing information to the manager so that they can take long term and short term decisions in an organization. MIS is organized system which consists of people, hardware, and communication networks that collect data and transform that data into information. There are various types of Information systems based on different levels of organization i.e. strategic level dealing with the top most management for their long term decisions. Management level which deals with various managers with their plans and operational level that deals with the day to day activities of business. There are different types of Management information systems like Transaction processing systems that records huge volume of recurring and routine data like raw materials, inventories, customers and sales. Operations information systems track data from TPS and whose aim objective is to plan and schedule production and assembly functions. Decision support systems deal with making important decisions. Experts systems is a system which helps organization in solving their problems like human beings through their past experience. MIS helps organization by providing various benefits like MIS compares the performance of an organization which helps managers to identify whether the organization is performing good or not. It helps management in their decision making process by providing useful information to them. It is a tool of communication between top level management and employees. It provides only relevant data to management by compressing huge amount of data. It helps to ensure better co-ordination in an organization. It helps company to identify their competitive advantage and help them to enhance the value of their products. Besides various benefits there are some limitations of MIS like MIS cannot be independently used in an organization. The expense of installing MIS is very huge. MIS is a technical product which requires organization to provide training to huge number of their employees. Once a MIS is installed it is very costly to change that MIS system. Sometimes it may happen that MIS provides inadequate data which may not prove helpful for an organization. We have also taken example of Lakshmi Vilas bank in order to understand the impact of information systems on the working of the bank. It helped this bank to increase the speed and accuracy of information flow in the organization as well as outside the organization Today MIS is a useful tool of making effective decisions in an organization so it is very important that it should have no limitations. The cost of implementing MIS in an organization is very huge and is not flexible enough so it is important to make available MIS which doesnt cost much for an organization and which can accept changes. As stated earlier in our example of Lakshmi Vilas bank, the bank is using Information systems effectively and earning profits from it but there are many things bank should focus on With the increase in technology Bank should update their IS so that they can provide their customer with better services and increase its productivity. The IS used in a bank should be more secure. Thus Management Information system helps management in their effective decision making process and help them to run their organization profitably.

The End of Play Essay -- Article Review, Marie Winn

Long gone are the days of playing kickball and flying kites in the park on a Saturday afternoon. Children of today's society would most likely prefer staying inside playing Guitar Hero on their Xboxes or watching the latest episodes of their favorite television show during their free time. The time for imaginative and physical play is slowly being pushed to the side as the years pass by, and room is being made for empty, redundant television shows and video games. The essence of childhood play is gradually diminishing as today's society encourages the idea of growing up as quickly as possible. In the process of allowing children to indulge in as much television and video games as they please, the problem of childhood obesity is introduced since outdoor play and physical activities are not of great importance to today's children anymore. Children should have a restricted amount of time on how much they are allowed to watch television or play video games so that they learn the importan t benefits of outdoor and imaginative play, ultimately resulting to a healthier lifestyle. In Marie Winn's article titled â€Å"The End of Play†, she discusses the topic of how children today are seeming to lose the sense of being a child. Compared to children of previous generations, the children of today's society have parallel interests and occupations of modern day adults. (Winn 1). They seem to be losing touch with their inner child and skipping straight to adulthood. A child a couple of decades ago would be easily distinguished from an adult due to their interests, but since then television and video games have replaced the imaginative play that children once enjoyed. (Winn 2). In Winn's article, a parent of two school-age children mentions that s... ... relationships to be shaped effectively. (Winn 29). The issues of losing the essence of being a child, the encouragement of obesity and the inability to function socially have one common factor that ties them together. They are all negatively influenced by the presence of television and video games. The regulation of television and video games has not been brought to attention until recently, but is it too late to reverse the effects it is having on the present generation of children? Not much can be done to undo the leniency society has allowed for the past couple decades except to educate the children and implement more restrictions on what is being broadcasted and marketed towards their age group. The children are a very important fundamental to society because they are, after all, the ones who will run our future and generations after the next.

Beauty Pageants and Our Children Essay

Alost 3 million children, most of them girls, from the ages of 6 months and 17 years compete in beauty pageants annually in America. Competition can be local and national and they compete in categories such as swimwear, talent, costume of your choice, and eveningwear. This is an industry where mothers give her daughter energy drinks for a boost before pageants, 3-year-olds don fake fingernails, and parents regularly spend five thousand dollars on a child’s pageant outfit (O’Neill 1). Beauty pageants have negative consequences on America’s youth contestants through the pressure to be â€Å"perfect,† media influences, and child sexualization, which results in exhaustion, eating disorders, and body image issues in their future. In recent years, the child beauty pageant industry has exponentially grown in size and popularity. This growth is mainly due to television shows, such as Toddlers & Tiaras and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo that may be entertaining but exploit little girls in the process. These reality shows expose the behind-the-scenes horrors of beauty pageants that most people were oblivious too before. These shows have also revealed the use of energy supplements to improve the contestants performance, age-inappropriate costumes, intense and painful beauty regimens. Alana Thompson, featured on TLC’s Toddlers & Tiaras, is a seven-year-old beauty queen, nicknamed Honey Boo Boo, whose mother frequently gives her the infamous â€Å"Go-Go Juice†, a mix of Red Bull and Mountain Dew, before pageants. It is common knowledge that energy drinks are bad for one’s health, but every nutritionist in the world would agree that Red Bull for a seven-year-old is tremendously dangerous. Alana now has her own reality television show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Parents are not only harming their children’s health but also their moral. On one Toddlers & Tiaras episode, Paisley, merely 3-years-old, sported a costume based on the prostitute in Pretty Woman. In a 2011 episode, Madiysyn â€Å"Mady† Verst‘s mother filled out the then-4-year-old’s chest with fake breasts and an impossibly round behind for a Dolly Parton routine. Experts in child development argue the difference between playing dress-up and making a profession out of it. â€Å"Little girls are supposed to play with dolls, not be dolls,† says Mark Sichel, a New York-based licensed clinical social worker, who calls the extreme grooming common at pageants â€Å"a form of child abuse.† Playing dress-up â€Å"is normal and healthy, but when it’s demanded, it leaves the child not knowing what they want,† he says. Accentuating their appearance with such accoutrements as fake hair, teeth, spray tans and breast padding â€Å"causes the children tremendous confusion, wondering why they are not okay without those things† (Triggs 1). All of this confusion and body image problems is instilled in child beauty pageant contestants at a very young age. Ultimately, this leads to eating disorders, psychological issues, and relationship problems in the contestants’ later years. A study conducted at the University of Minnesota by Anna Wonderlich, Diann Ackard, and Judith Henderson showed the correlation between childhood beauty pageants and adult disordered eating, body dissatisfaction, depression, and self-esteem (Wonderlich 1). The results of this scientific experiment proved that for all the tests that assessed characteristics of anorexia and bulimia nervosa scores for those who had participated in beauty pageants were higher than scores for those who had not participated (Wonderlich 5). These results indicate a significant association between childhood beauty pageant participation and increased body dissatisfaction, difficulty trusting interpersonal relationships, and greater impulsive behaviors, and indicate a trend toward increased feelings of ineffectiveness (Wonderlich 6). Another example of the destructive effects of childhood beauty pageant is Brooke Breedwell, now nineteen, who was a child pageant contestant and a star of the television documentary, â€Å"Painted Babies.† â€Å"As a girl, [Breedwell] suffered from stress and anxiety while striving for an unrealistic standard of perfection. [In various interviews], she explains that her mother’s ambition, coupled with her own obsessive drive to win, resulted in severe social and psychological consequences† (Ahrens 86). Another negative consequence of childhood beauty pageants is the disturbing sexualization of young girls that steals away their treasured innocence–as if eating disorders and body image problems were not enough. Former child beauty queen Nicole Hunter confirms this theory by explaining that â€Å"dressing and acting like a woman at a young age compelled her to prematurely confront her sexuality, which in turn lowered her self-esteem† (Liberman 741). The child pageant circuit concentrates on the ideals of perfection and beauty, with an accompanying focus on sexuality. Innocent girls dressed in skimpy costumes parade and dance, remove pieces of their outfits and wink at judges. Basically, young beauty queens are taught to flirt and manipulate their early sexuality in order to win. Though frequently condemned for such eccentric and damaging practices, the child pageant industry has been gaining success and extensive popularity (Liberman 745). Additionally, reporter Richard Goldstein investigated the JonBenet Ramsey, a child beauty queen, murder case and brought to the surface both our horror at how effectively a child can be constructed as a sexual being and our guilt at the please we take in such a sight (Giroux 50). Her dynamic role in pageants was vastly examined by media after the murder. After JonBenet’s highly publicized murder, the problems of child beauty pageants, especially the degradation of young girls, are first brought to society’s attention. Although many pageant parents argue that the press unfairly focused on the connection of beauty pageants to Jon Benet’s murder, these defenders rarely address the concerns of robbing a child of her virtue by depicting young girls as â€Å"sexualized nymphets.† They have little to say about what adolescents actually gain in pageants. Those in favor of the pageants overlook how a child might see herself and her ability to form relationships with society when her feelings of self-worth is defined solely through a belief that beauty is one-dimensional and patronizing (Giroux 54-55). No five-year-old child enjoys getting her hair ripped out and teased, spending hours each day practicing exhausting dance routines, or devoting every weekend traveling to pageants rather than playing with friends. It is the beauty pageant contestant’s mother who forces them to endure these strenuous and sometimes painful rituals in order to achieve their own satisfaction. When feminist writer-performer, StaceyAnn Chin first saw Toddlers & Tiaras she was â€Å"flabbergasted by the parents who were so invested in these contests they got angry if their girls showed any signs of flagging.† In regards to the infamous pageant moms, Chin states that, † the pageant reminded me a little of dog shows–tiny, powerless competitors trained to do as they are told, with trainers who exploit their charges to gain fame and fortune and live out some archaic dream they once had for themselves† (Chin 1). The vast majority of pageant moms deny the harmful effects beauty pageants have own their child. Pageant mothers often â€Å"neutralize† their deviant behavior of enrolling their daughter in pageants by claiming pageants help their daughter rather than hurt. Also, mothers deny their own responsibility as the accountable parent by claiming that her daughter chooses to participate in beauty pageants (Pannell 68). Every single pageant mom asked in a study about childhood beauty pageants talked about competitors winning prize money, crowns, trophies and gifts in child beauty pageants (Mosel-Talavera 81). Some mothers deceptively sign their children up for pageants to exploit their daughters financially. One pageant mother says that there is a very infamous pageant child that always wins a large sum of money, ‘There is one little girl down South – she’s the daughter of one of the biggest known photographers. In six weeks’ time she went from pageant to pageant and won like $40,000.’ In the summer of 2005, there was another child, whose mother also owns a pageant business, who won three cars at pageants (Levey 204-205). These examples clearly reveal the evils of parents exploiting their children in pageants for their own selfish rewards. In childhood beauty pageants, the pressure from parents, influence from the media, and the desire to win all lead to disastrous consequences for the participants, which will stay with them for the rest of their life. Eating disorders, body image issues, and an early loss of innocence are just a few of the consequences these precious girls will have to deal with in their lifetime. No child should have to struggle with these problems at such a young age. Although little girls dressed up in frilly dresses and tiaras may be cute, there is a fine line between a fun beauty pageant and ruining a young girls life.

Disruption of High School Education by Arrest and Court Involvement

Gary Sweeten utilized the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 to research an understudied element of high school drop out rates, using the factors of criminal involvement, specifically first-time arrests and involvement in the court system. He then examined the outcome of their completion of high school after these events. In the article â€Å"Who will graduate? Disruption of high school education by arrest and court involvement†, theoretical approaches are tied into more statistical data to encompass a more comprehensive view of the issues surrounding juvenile arrests and court involvement on future school success.This study is extremely useful, in that the populations studied were more broad, as studies before have honed in on specific subsets of school populations. 8,984 youths were qualified for this study and assessments were conducted in the selected group. Several follow-up study waves were then conducted after initial selection, the first being obtaining backgro und information, then over a period of three years, self-reports by the cohorts and their court involvement was assessed followed by drop-out statistics on this group.4,432, who reported dropping out of high school were then analyzed. Theories that came into play to assist in the process of assembling data were labeling theory, deterrence theory, and propensity theory. Propensity theory was dismissed in that it gauged no correlative and valid results. Labeling theory and deterrence theory pose results that range on the opposite ends of the spectrum with deterrence theory proposing success in stopping future criminal activity, but gives no regard to educational and vocational achievement in the long-run.Therefore, labeling theory emerged as the most crucial with the idea presented that students, who feel stigmatized, will struggle with that stigma and with interruptions of schooling due to the criminal process and will face overwhelming odds to complete high school. Sampson and Laubà ¢â‚¬â„¢s life-course theory of cumulative disadvantage is also introduced, as is 39 other references and 5 tables to show the extent of analysis and the found effects in this article.Sampson and Laub’s theory furthers the labeling theory that is used throughout the paper and suggests that labeling is especially detrimental to already disadvantaged youth. In other words, if one already carries a label of poor or any minority status, the label of â€Å"criminal† will accelerate negative internal attributions of self-worth. Sweeten uses both traditional labeling theory and Sampson and Laub’s assessments not only to compliment his findings in the paper, but to also suggest irregularities with particular points that do not correlate.This leads Sweeten to realize that with both the limited amount of studies already completed on this particular subject without a broad base of research subjects, as he uses, and the lack of consensus among different theorists, that more research need be done on this topic. He realizes that looking at mediating factors and certain types of intervention may lead to studies that have a conclusive and usable strategy in its findings that will ameliorate the issues that he concludes in this study.

Free Essays on The Word Feminism

Feminism 1 The word feminism is a noun that as a few different meanings. The web site www.dictionary.com states that feminism has two definitions. The first definition, states that feminism is â€Å"Belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes† (www.dictionary.com). The second definition reads, â€Å"The movement organized around this belief†(www.dictionary.com). As stated by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, feminism is the â€Å"Theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes,† (The Merriam Webster-Dictionary 280) and the second listed definition is â€Å"Organized activity on behalf on women’s rights and interests.† Although the definitions appear to be somewhat similar, the contrasting aspects can be seen. In example, the online dictionary resource views feminism as a belief as opposed to a theory. The Cambridge Dictionary of the American Language only has â€Å"The belief that women should have the same economic, social, and political rights as men† (The Cambridge Dictionary of the American Language 67). Basically, the past three dictionary sources have the same ideas behind the definition. However, the Political Dictionary has a more in-depth perception on what feminism is. It defines feminism as â€Å"The movement that attempts to obtain women equal rights in all spheres of life including; discrimination in work (equal opportunity means equal pay), education, and activities funded by the government† (Political Dictionary 45). Although politics is somewhat related to sociology, the Sociology Dictionary defines feminism as â€Å"A theoretical and ideological framework that directly opposes sexism by supporting gender equality† (Dictionary of Sociology Terms and Phrases 89-90). This definition seems to be the most precise out of all of them. It gives one an understanding of the word and in a way summarizes all the other definitions. It seems as if the regular dictionaries are... Free Essays on The Word Feminism Free Essays on The Word Feminism Feminism 1 The word feminism is a noun that as a few different meanings. The web site www.dictionary.com states that feminism has two definitions. The first definition, states that feminism is â€Å"Belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes† (www.dictionary.com). The second definition reads, â€Å"The movement organized around this belief†(www.dictionary.com). As stated by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, feminism is the â€Å"Theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes,† (The Merriam Webster-Dictionary 280) and the second listed definition is â€Å"Organized activity on behalf on women’s rights and interests.† Although the definitions appear to be somewhat similar, the contrasting aspects can be seen. In example, the online dictionary resource views feminism as a belief as opposed to a theory. The Cambridge Dictionary of the American Language only has â€Å"The belief that women should have the same economic, social, and political rights as men† (The Cambridge Dictionary of the American Language 67). Basically, the past three dictionary sources have the same ideas behind the definition. However, the Political Dictionary has a more in-depth perception on what feminism is. It defines feminism as â€Å"The movement that attempts to obtain women equal rights in all spheres of life including; discrimination in work (equal opportunity means equal pay), education, and activities funded by the government† (Political Dictionary 45). Although politics is somewhat related to sociology, the Sociology Dictionary defines feminism as â€Å"A theoretical and ideological framework that directly opposes sexism by supporting gender equality† (Dictionary of Sociology Terms and Phrases 89-90). This definition seems to be the most precise out of all of them. It gives one an understanding of the word and in a way summarizes all the other definitions. It seems as if the regular dictionaries are...

AidsCause and Effect essays

AidsCause and Effect essays In 1981, a new fatal, infectious disease was diagnosedAIDS (Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome). It began in major cities, such as New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and San Francisco. People, mostly homosexual men and intravenous drug users, were dying from very rare lung infections or from a cancer known as Kaposis sarcoma. They have not seen people getting these diseases in numerous years. Soon, it also affected hemophiliacs, blood recipients, prostitutes and their customers, and babies born from AIDS-infected women. AIDS was soon recognized as a worldwide health emergency, and as a fatal disease with no known cure, that quickly became an epidemic. When high-profile victims began to contract the virus, such as basketball star Magic Johnson, the feeling spread quickly that anyone, not just particular groups of people, could be at risk. AIDS impairs the human bodys immune system and leaves the victim susceptible to various infections. With new research, scientists think that the disease was first contracted through a certain type of green monkey in Africa, then somehow mutated into a virus that a human could get. AIDS is a complicated illness that may involve several phases. It is caused by a virus that can be passed from person to person. This virus is called HIV, or Human Immuno-deficiency Virus. In order for HIV to become full-blown AIDS, your T-cell count (number of a special type of white-blood cells that fight off diseases) has to drop below 200, or you have to get one of the symptoms of an AIDS-induced infection. Most people recently infected by the AIDS virus look and feel healthy. They may not show symptoms for several years, but the condition is eventually fatal. Even though one might not know that they have this deathly disease, and remain apparently healthy, they can still pass it along to others, and they then pass it on to others, etc, until an abundant amount of people are infected. Sym...

Business continuity Essay Example for Free

Business continuity Essay Just in time concept is a lean operation concept applied in supply chain management where an enterprise strives to produce only what is needed, whenever it is needed and in the amount that is needed. It allows for efficient production of quality products through complete waste elimination, avoidance of inconsistencies and also elimination of non-value addition activities within the production line. (Lieb & Miller 1988) According to (Stank & Crum 1997) the wastes that are eliminated are related to labour, where over staffing is a waste, time, in this case idle time or use of extra time to accomplish a goal is considered waste. Just in time concept emphasizes on customer requests and avoids making decisions based on forecast. In this concept, inventory is considered as an additional cost to the process. Traditionally, it would be considered to be value adding in the system. In this case, businesses and organisations are advised to eliminate any form of inventory that does not impact any additional value to the product. The just in time concept has various benefits to a business firm or enterprise. The benefits include an improvement in the flow of goods into, within and from the warehouse. There is also better planning and consistency in the organisation. Manpower can be reduced when production process has stopped mainly due to planned shut downs for maintenance, stocktaking activities, or any other reason (Stank & Crum 1997). This helps the enterprise to save on cost related to labour and other production overheads. When an organisation adopts the JIT concept and implements it, it helps in the production of better quality products and also increases the efficiency of production. All the aforementioned benefits are customer oriented. We therefore realise from the benefits customer satisfaction is enhanced. This in turn has an impact on customer loyalty and improved sales by the organisation. The net effect of this is improved profits by the organisation (Swamidass 2000). Despite having all the above benefits, the outcome of the terror attacks on September 11 has cast a lot of doubt on the just in time (JIT) concept deliveries in the supply chain. In a supply chain, each organisation along the chain depends upon a supplier and therefore in case of a hitch along the chain, the repercussions are felt along the whole chain. Before the September 11 attack the â€Å"JIT† was comfortably applicable and implemented to various businesses. Until this time, overstocking was avoided and components were delivered to the right place at the right time and in the right form with no hitch. Piling of inventory was avoided and production processes proceeded smoothly. However, the events of September 11 reversed all these, there were delays caused by grounding of aircrafts and also a longer time was required for border inspections. Transport on land was also highly affected. As an example, due to these interruptions, commodities destined for the Gap, Banana republic and the old navy stores ended up to a warehouse next to an airport. The business environment, both external and internal will always be fluctuating. External environment like the impact from natural calamities e. g. hurricanes, snow, storms, floods, earthquakes and internal environments like strikes, affect business operations. Therefore, for an organisation with a JIT system, in case of any fluctuation in the business environment, the supply chain will be disrupted and therefore flow of products downstream will not be realized (McClenahen & Jusko 2001). For a sudden change in the business environment, the shocks will be felt throughout the supply chain. There will be a gap that will be created along the chain at the point where the fluctuation is highly felt. It is a noble idea for businesses to consider having some safety stock on hand at each link of supply chain, which will take care of the emergencies in case of any eventuality. Since a supply chain consists of a network/series of suppliers and consumers, a hitch on one supplier side will affect the consumer who is also a supplier to the next consumer. Therefore in a business that has adopted the JIT system, it might end up being grounded because of lack of inventory to process or sell to the next stage of the chains. It is therefore highly recommended for such businesses to develop a Just in case system, a system that allows for a safety supplies that will take care of any eventualities. Even though the JIT system has a number of shortcomings in case of shocks within the supply chain, it is important to note that organisations can still implement JIT and maintain an attractive supply chain with lean inventories even during emergencies. To achieve this, one of the moves that a firm can make is locate where there is stock piling of inventories (Lu & Kyokai 1989). Firms can have most of its inventories stocked next to or near their locations. This will help overcome the problems due to shipment or air transport in case these modes of transport are affected. A firm can also consider having more than one supplier for a given commodity, this will be a second option during emergency situations. For an organisation to succeed in its implementation of the JIT system, major changes within the organisation need to be undertaken. The top management need to show commitment and offer full support. They are also required to lead from the front if the benefits of the JIT system are to be realised. The adoption and implementation of the JIT system will substantially affect the mode and criteria through which carriers and other logistics services providers will be recruited by the organisation. Organisations should be able to come up with service providers who are very efficient so as to pass on the efficiency downstream the supply chain. The just in time concept is highly dependent on the speed and efficiency with which products are moving at along the chain. It is therefore worthy to mention that the JIT system will highly affect the style of operations in the logistics industry. The number of logistics service providers to be recruited will also be determined by the success of the JIT system. According to (Ian 1988), constant and effective communication between business firms and their suppliers is another important factor that will affect the future of JIT in the global business environment. The quality of information that will be conveyed should also be put into consideration. The right information should be conveyed to the right place, at the right time and to the right person. A successful implementation of the JIT system in the future will highly depend on additional training of the implementing personnel (Abuhilal, Rabadi, & Sousa-Poza 2006). A lot of emphasise should be on the training of the personnel that are directly involved in the implementation of the JIT concept. This should not be taken to mean that other employees in the organisation should not be trained. An elaborate training plan on this system should be unveiled and the concerned departments or functions for example, production, logistics, marketing should be given intense training. The major areas to be considered should include: policies on JIT system, communication skills and training on commitment to the principles of JIT. The future of the just in time (JIT) system in the global environment will highly depend on the level of technology that will be embraced by an organisation. This includes both in machinery and other office operations. Adoption of improved technology for material handling is a key area that firms need to look at. They should consider embracing cross docking or flowing inventory through a distribution centre. With an improved material handling facility, the businesses can absorb shocks easily in the event that there is disruption in the supply chain (Kreng & Wang 2005) The use of information technology is in inventory management is particularly crucial if the growth and success of the JIT system is to be guaranteed. Business organisations should utilise information technology resources both in hardware and software so as to enhance the success of the JIT system. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) modules should be adopted for inventory management and controls within the organisation. Internet resources should be highly utilised for an effective JIT system. The most applicable resources include e-procurement, e- marketing. e-banking and e-mailing. When an organisation conducts procurement via internet, a variety of goods both in terms of quality and quantity may be obtained. The business deal is also conducted in an accelerated speed. Marketing via the internet allows for the organisation to reach many customers within a very short time and hence improve on the organisation’s sales. Internet banking allows for faster business transactions hence delays associated with payments are reduced and therefore the supply chain is protected from such delays (Hale 1997). To ensure that the intended results of the JIT concept are achieved, it is important for firms doing business together along a given supply chain be proactive in their operations. By being proactive, it means that a consumer should be involved directly in what their supplier is producing. The consumers should be involved in product design so as to have a product of their own making. On the hand it is very important for the suppliers to follow up and find out how their products are serving the customers. This will help in the elimination of ripples along the chain and hence easy implementation of the JIT system. The players in the supply chain should develop a culture of sharing problems when they occur at a particular point of the supply chain, this in a nutshell will reduce the overall effect that the problem would have on the entire supply chain (Titone 1996). The just in case system is another approach that will have an impact on the future of JIT system in the global environment. It is very important for firms to have a buffer stock that can bail it out when events in the supply chain don’t seem to be favourable. The idea of having safety stocks for emergency times should not be confused by firms holding inventories. It is a different concept from overstocking. Business continuity. (2016, Oct 17).

The Other Side of Homeschooling Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Other Side of Homeschooling - Research Paper Example This essay declares that homeschooling has been tagged as an offspring of older pedagogical movements which value individualism, non-conformity and empowerment, which most schools do not encourage. Proponents of homeschooling were former supporters of ‘free schools’ which were considered left-wing and detest conformity and ‘rat-race’ status-seeking that is usually associated with schools. Since homeschooled children are isolated from school and are expected to be educated from home, they are likewise not conforming to any norm dictated by the school environment. Being so, they are thought of as being deprived of social contact with their peers and other adults. Tis discussion declares that home-schooled children may excel academically, and even outstrip their peers in academic tests. Socially, they are deprived of experiencing normal peer interactions that bring about challenging situations that make them stronger as individuals. The social adjustment that goes with being with other young people or situations that make them struggle to survive on their own build character and develop coping skills they would need as grown-ups in the real world. Being shielded from differing personalities of people leaves them unable to interact appropriately especially with those with difficult temperaments. Teachers who encourage an â€Å"open classroom climate†, push their students to air divergent viewpoints to stimulate their thinking and test their faithfulness to their long-held beliefs. When students hear different perspectives, it helps them understand an issue better and become less likely to feel

International Trade - Definition, Meaning Term Paper

International Trade - Definition, Meaning - Term Paper Example Commerce includes all those activities, which are connected with trade and auxiliaries to trade such as transport, warehousing, insurance, and banking and finance. In 1980 only 25 percent of the exports of developing countries were manufactured; by 1998 this had raised to 80 percent Davis and Weinstein show that developing country exports are indeed now labor-intensive. This is an astonishing transformation over a very short period. The developing countries that have shifted into manufactures trade are quite diverse. Relatively low-income countries such as China, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka have manufactured shares in their exports that are above the world average of 81 percent. Others, such as India, Turkey, Morocco, and Indonesia, have shares that are nearly as high as the world average. Another important change in the pattern of developing country exports has been their substantial increase in exports of services. In the early 1980s, commercial services made up 17 percent of the exports of rich countries but only 9 percent of the exports of developing countries. During the third wave of globalization, the share of services in rich country exports increased slightly to 20 percent-but for developing countries the share almost doubled to 17 percent. What accounted for this shift Partly it was changing economic policy. Tariffs on manufactured goods in developed countries continued to decline, and many developing countries undertook major trade liberalizations. At the same time, many countries liberalized barriers to foreign investment and improved other aspects of their investment climate. Partly it was due to continuing technical progress in transport Containerization and airfreight brought a considerable speeding up of shipping, allowing countries to participate in international production networks. New information and communications technologies mean it is easier to manage and control geographically dispersed supply chains. And information-based activities are "weightless" so their inputs and outputs (digitized information) can be shipped at virtually no cost. Some analysts have suggested that new technologies lead to the "death of distance" undermining the advantage of agglomeration. This is likely true in a few activities, while for other activities distance seems to be becoming even more important-for example, the proximity requirements of "just-in-time" technologies. The OECD agglomerations continue to have massive cost advantages and technological change may even be increasing these advantages.  Ã‚  

Contemporary film Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Contemporary film - Movie Review Example The story centers on the relationships of Sam and his father George and Robin’s second husband and their two little children. In the beginning, George Monroe and Robin Kimball had decided to divorce, resulting to Sam’s struggles when he was a teen-ager. George did not able to get the heart of his son as he lived separately from them. George was residing on the Southern California coast when he was fired on his job owing to his illness. He was diagnosed with a terminal cancer. He stipulated not to disclose his condition to his family, instead spend his remaining time with his family. For that, he called up his son to live with him for the summer. The two did able to reconnect as a family. However, Robin and her second husband Peter Kimball were not happily living as Peter is unaffectionate to his children and to his wife. Robin realized that she made some unfavorable decisions. Moreover, George did not expect the relationship to go far considering his health condition. A ll he wanted was to do all he wanted to do before time betrays him (â€Å"Life as a house,† 2006). A family genogram is used to trace family patterns. Genogram is illustrated through â€Å"lines, squares, circles, text, and symbols† (Genogram-Make Millenium, 2005 as cited in Shapiro, Kaslow, & Maxfield, 2007, pp. 76-79). Using this notion, Life as a House family tree will be illustrated to understand further the relationships of the members of the family from the past and as time goes by. The signs and symbols in the genogram, which are illustrated below, have been adopted to evaluate the relationship patterns of the members of the family. These are the basic signs and symbols developed by the GenoPro (â€Å"Introduction,† n.d.). The pattern of relationships is shown above; George has close relationships with his son Sam, and his ex-wife Robin’s two little children. At first, Sam has a hard time

China is in a better position than India to succeed in the new global Outline

China is in a better position than India to succeed in the new global economy - Outline Example Consequently, there is a panic in Middle East on this basis and it is possible that global consequences may follow (Cetron et al, 2006). "Looking across the Pacific and to Asia, the emerging powers of the previous decade are now key players and global economic powers. Asia, led by a dynamic China and India, has emerged to lead the global economic recovery; it will be essential for America to engage with Asia in all areas ­Ã¢â‚¬â€œeconomic, security, and energy† (India, China new global powers, 2010). This idea expressed by a representative of American government means that America is on the way of establishment a strong partnership though diplomatic and political complexities may occur. China China impacts global economy by its incredible growth. China is a well-known producer of 13% of world economic output and is the largest consumer of nickel, copper and oil in the world. This country exports cement and is the leader in this niche. Investments of China are wide-spread in t he world. Import and export has been growing for the last 25 years to the greatest extent. China entered WTO in 2001 and thus China’s trade has increased. Every year China’s export grows per 29%. China has shifted accents of its export from textile to electronics (A New World Economy, 2005). Moreover, China intends to produce and export cars and airplanes in the nearest future. China invests in its own economy as well as foreign investments are attracted to this country. International society is greatly concerned about investments in China. If to compare China’s development on this stage with Korea’s development, it would be clearly seen that China is more open for foreign investments and is able to create many labor places in different industries, and not only low-paid jobs in agriculture (Chen et al, 2001). China proves that it is a favorable country for skilled professionals, their training and education. Thus this country has a great potential and doe sn’t intend to take place of a competitive employer, exporter and importer. Nevertheless it is necessary to mention that development of China is a well-weight policy. For example, China has very quickly managed firstly to transform Beijing boulevards and then modernize Shanghai by numerous skyscrapers. China’s manufacturing resides in the Pearl River Delta Region and its virtuous financial services reside in Hong Kong. Investments inside of the country are also evident in infrastructure of the country (Chen et al, 2001). Transportation infrastructure is well-developed and impresses by its large-scale innovations developed. China is able to deal with millions of new cars joining country’s traffic every month. Thus transportation infrastructure is of high interest for China’s investments. Thus economic growth of China, its overall investments make it a powerful participant of modern globalization process. India India is another challenger for a global power . There is an interesting expression about role of China and India in the international arena: â€Å"China is the ?workshop of the world, then India has become the laboratory of the world† (India, China new global powers, 2010). India’s services make this country an outstanding competitor (e.g. Tata Consultancy Services, Infosystems and Wipro Technologies). Moreover, India’s intention to develop its manufacturing sector makes this country as competitive in this area as

The Authority of the Secretary-General to Prosecute Peacekeepers Essay - 1

The Authority of the Secretary-General to Prosecute Peacekeepers - Essay Example Additionally, the literature will discuss briefly how peacekeepers may be prosecuted before the ICC. The process of waiving-off of peacekeepers’ immunity by the Secretary-General to promote their prosecution will also be analysed. Olivera Simic in 2009,1 in the journal article â€Å"Rethinking ‘sexual exploitation’ in UN peacekeeping operations† explains the term sexual exploitation and how it is confusing to researchers. The article also takes into consideration various sexual exploitation cases related to several peacekeeping missions. She argued that the term â€Å"sexual exploitation† might cover activity that is not necessarily â€Å"sexually exploitative†. However, she mainly focuses on the type of crimes and also mentions the ‘zero tolerance policy’; completely omitting the notion of prosecution and punishment of the criminals. Gabrielle Simm in 2011,2 in his article â€Å"International law as a regulatory framework for sexual crimes committed by peacekeepers† discussed the jurisdiction over peacekeepers and the responsibility of states and international organizations in relation to crimes of peacekeepers, and how their possess immunity that prevents judicial action against them. Therefore, he argued that â€Å"international law’s strength lies in standard setting, but some of its standards are problematic, and it is weak in both monitoring and enforcement mechanisms†. He also pointed out that immunity can be waived-off by the Secretary-General. However, there are no special criteria to waive the immunity of peacekeepers or to prosecute them. Although Nigel D. White and Sorcha MacLeod 3 stated that immunity should be waived when crimes result from non-official tasks; this is considered against Section 20 of the 1946 Convention that grants the Secretary-General the right to waive a peac ekeepers’ immunity when he feel it is necessary. In 2012, Melanie OBrien4

Contemporary film Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Contemporary film - Movie Review Example The story centers on the relationships of Sam and his father George and Robin’s second husband and their two little children. In the beginning, George Monroe and Robin Kimball had decided to divorce, resulting to Sam’s struggles when he was a teen-ager. George did not able to get the heart of his son as he lived separately from them. George was residing on the Southern California coast when he was fired on his job owing to his illness. He was diagnosed with a terminal cancer. He stipulated not to disclose his condition to his family, instead spend his remaining time with his family. For that, he called up his son to live with him for the summer. The two did able to reconnect as a family. However, Robin and her second husband Peter Kimball were not happily living as Peter is unaffectionate to his children and to his wife. Robin realized that she made some unfavorable decisions. Moreover, George did not expect the relationship to go far considering his health condition. A ll he wanted was to do all he wanted to do before time betrays him (â€Å"Life as a house,† 2006). A family genogram is used to trace family patterns. Genogram is illustrated through â€Å"lines, squares, circles, text, and symbols† (Genogram-Make Millenium, 2005 as cited in Shapiro, Kaslow, & Maxfield, 2007, pp. 76-79). Using this notion, Life as a House family tree will be illustrated to understand further the relationships of the members of the family from the past and as time goes by. The signs and symbols in the genogram, which are illustrated below, have been adopted to evaluate the relationship patterns of the members of the family. These are the basic signs and symbols developed by the GenoPro (â€Å"Introduction,† n.d.). The pattern of relationships is shown above; George has close relationships with his son Sam, and his ex-wife Robin’s two little children. At first, Sam has a hard time

The Authority of the Secretary-General to Prosecute Peacekeepers Essay - 1

The Authority of the Secretary-General to Prosecute Peacekeepers - Essay Example Additionally, the literature will discuss briefly how peacekeepers may be prosecuted before the ICC. The process of waiving-off of peacekeepers’ immunity by the Secretary-General to promote their prosecution will also be analysed. Olivera Simic in 2009,1 in the journal article â€Å"Rethinking ‘sexual exploitation’ in UN peacekeeping operations† explains the term sexual exploitation and how it is confusing to researchers. The article also takes into consideration various sexual exploitation cases related to several peacekeeping missions. She argued that the term â€Å"sexual exploitation† might cover activity that is not necessarily â€Å"sexually exploitative†. However, she mainly focuses on the type of crimes and also mentions the ‘zero tolerance policy’; completely omitting the notion of prosecution and punishment of the criminals. Gabrielle Simm in 2011,2 in his article â€Å"International law as a regulatory framework for sexual crimes committed by peacekeepers† discussed the jurisdiction over peacekeepers and the responsibility of states and international organizations in relation to crimes of peacekeepers, and how their possess immunity that prevents judicial action against them. Therefore, he argued that â€Å"international law’s strength lies in standard setting, but some of its standards are problematic, and it is weak in both monitoring and enforcement mechanisms†. He also pointed out that immunity can be waived-off by the Secretary-General. However, there are no special criteria to waive the immunity of peacekeepers or to prosecute them. Although Nigel D. White and Sorcha MacLeod 3 stated that immunity should be waived when crimes result from non-official tasks; this is considered against Section 20 of the 1946 Convention that grants the Secretary-General the right to waive a peac ekeepers’ immunity when he feel it is necessary. In 2012, Melanie OBrien4

The Battle of Mogadishu Essay Example for Free

The Battle of Mogadishu Essay The Battle of Mogadishu took place in the narrow streets of Mogadishu, Somalia October 3-4 1993 over 17 hours. 160 United Nations combatants under the command of US General William Garrison fought an estimated 2000 supporters of the warlord, General Mohammed Farah Aidid, head of the Somali National Alliance. The Battle generated considerable public interest and debate, impacting US foreign policy and future UN missions. Among many books on the incident are those by Mike Durant, a combatant and Mark Bowden, who conducted extensive interviews. Parker’s Military History online contains useful data. The background was the outbreak of civil war after dictator Mohammed Siad Barre had been ousted by clan chiefs in January 1991, who set their differences aside long enough to topple him. Their unity did not survive and civil war began. Two parties emerged, one under Aidid and one under Ali Mahdi. The civilian population, caught in the middle, experienced severe hardship. More than 300, 000 died from starvation (Durant 2). Thousands crossed into neighboring states as refugees. When the international community responded with food aid, warlords hijacked supplies to use them to purchase arms. The UN launched Operation Provide Relief (United Nations Operation in Somalia – I) in April 1992. This did little to halt the crisis because hardly any food actually fed anyone. The United Nations then requested members to send combat troops to Somalia, to protect the food convoys. President George H. W Bush of the United States agreed to deploy 250,000 US troops. Known as Operation Restore Hope, or UNITAF (United Nations Unified Task Force) the mandate, dated December 3 1992, was restricted to supporting the humanitarian effort. This mandate was extended in March 1993 to include â€Å"nation building†- ending the war, establishing a stable state and a democratically elected government. When Bill Clinton became President, he reduced the level of US involvement to 1200 combat and 3000 support troops. Italy, Pakistan and Malaysia also joined the UN force, now called UNOSOM-II, established in March 1993. UNOSOM-II consisted of 15,000 military and police personnel. Fifteen of the sixteen clans agreed to cooperate with the UN force. Aidid refused. The UN subsequently ordered its forces to disarm Aidid’s militia. On June 5 1993 a contingent of Pakistani soldiers engaged in this task clashed with Aidid’s troops in Mogadishu, suffering 24 casualties (Bowden 427). The UN responded by ordering the apprehension of those responsible for their deaths, so that they could put on trial. US troops received intelligence that Aidid’s foreign affairs advisor and chief political advisor were at the Olympic Hotel in Mogadishu to attend a high level meeting, possibly with Aidid himself. Based on this intelligence, a US led strike code named Operation Gothic Serpent was planned for October 3, 1993. The force consisted of 160 men drawn from Delta Force (US Special Operations Force), Rangers from the 75th Regiment, Navy SEALS and from the Air Force, supported by 19 M H-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. The plan involved personnel fast-roping down from the helicopters, securing the targets so that they could then be retrieved by ground vehicles (12 in number) then transported back to the US headquarters. The Humvees were due to reach the Hotel shortly after the operation began. Under Captain Michael Steele, four Rangers secured the perimeter to prevent anyone entering or leaving the Hotel. Another Ranger blocked the road, while the Delta team entered the Hotel at 15: 32 (Bowden 4). Colonel Danny McKnight commanded the ground convoy, whose SEALS were meant to assist the assault team (Bowden 59). At 15: 42, the first Delta operatives hit the Hotel, capturing both men and 22 other senior Aidid aids. One Ranger, Todd Blackburn lost his grip and fell 70 feet, injuring himself (Bowden 4). By 15: 47 Somalis had crowded the area around the Hotel, impeding the progress of the ground convoy, making it impossible to keep to schedule. At 16: 20, an enemy rocket hit Black Hawk Super 61, which crashed five blocks North of the Hotel. Both the â€Å"ground assault element† and the â€Å"exfil convoy† were â€Å"ordered to re-group† at the crash site (Durant 20). Although the supporting helicopter crews tried to send warnings about roadblocks and detour information to the convoy, the communication system was too slow. The helicopters could not speak directly to the convoy but had to do so via their commanders. By 16: 35, the convoy had lost its way. Search and rescue teams were dispatched to assist the stricken helicopter, which resulted in the US switching â€Å"the point of attack† from the Hotel where the prisoners and their Delta force captors were waiting to be retrieved to â€Å"three hundred yards West† (Stevenson 94). At 16: 40, Black Hawk Super 64 was brought down a mile to the southwest of the Hotel. Again, a rescue team was sent to retrieve the crew. As soon as the aircraft hit the ground, hundreds of armed Somalis, some civilian some members of militia, appeared at the scene. 99 US personnel were surrounded at the first crash site. At 16: 42, two members of Delta force volunteer to lower themselves to the second downed helicopter to help defend the injured crew. At 17: 40 both were killed, together with all members of the helicopter crew except the commanding office, Mike Durant who was dragged away by militia. The ground convoy and a rescue convoy failed to reach their targets, returning to HQ at 17. 45. At 19. 08, Black Hawk 66 dropped supplies and ammunition to the soldiers trapped at the first crash site. A new rescue squad, including Pakistani and Malaysian soldiers, left HQ at 23. 23, reaching the trapped men at 1. 55 October 4. At 5. 30, the troops are able to begin to leave the city on foot heading for the Pakistani compound. By 6. 30, it had been confirmed that 13 US soldiers were dead, 73 injured with six missing. The final toll was 18 dead. Durant was released on October 14. March 24, 1994 all US troops left Somalia, followed by all UN troops the following year. Between 200 and 500 Somalis died. Subsequently, the US and the UN became reluctant to commit forces where little real agreement exists on the ground between rival parties. Washington became reluctant to commit troops to situations that present no direct security threat to the US itself. In addition, strategic lessons have been learned from the battle. These are especially relevant in situations where insurgents blend with local populations. First, intelligence – the US did not know that Aidid possessed rocket propelled grenades. Aidid planned to neutralize US air support, then flooded the battle zone with superior numbers. He was also prepared to use civilians as â€Å"human shields† (Stevenson 94). Claims have been made that Italian soldiers tipped Aidid off about the operation, which would explain why militia with rockets reached the scene so quickly. Also, better knowledge of â€Å"Somali city streets† would have helped the ground forces reach their targets (O’Hanlon 119). The Somalis had the advantage of local knowledge. Second, direct communication from air support to ground may have prevented convoys from getting lost. Thirdly, too few troops were deployed against a much larger foe – albeit crack troops against irregular and poorly trained insurgents. The basic plan, though, was sound, the type of extraction for which the forces involved were well trained. Technically, too, the operation was successful, since 24 insurgents were taken into custody. References Bowden, Mark. Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1999. Durant, Michael J. , and Steven Hartov. In the Company of Heroes. New York: G. P. Putnams Sons, 2003. OHanlon, Michael E. Technological Change and the Future of Warfare. Washington, D. C. : Brookings Institution Press, 2000. Parker, Larry. The Battle of Mogadishu. Military History Online http://www. militaryhistoryonline. com/general/articles/mogadishu. aspx Accessed April 25 2009. Stevenson, Jonathan. Losing Mogadishu: Testing U. S. Policy in Somalia. Annapolis, Md: Naval Institute Press, 1995.

Concept of Hope in Nursing

Concept of Hope in Nursing INTRODUCTION The aim of this assignment is to explore the concept of hope, which has a great significance in nursing practice, and how this concept relates to the patient care provision will also be discussed. Hope is vital for everyone, and is an inner power or expectations of something better outcomes from any situation. Hope could be renewed with the restoration of peoples confidence in themselves, their government, and the future, hope does not depend on facts or logic, nor can it simply be ordered into being, although it can be encouraged (Parse 1999). Hope is a powerful thing which gives energy to the life, to achieve goals and perditions of better life. DEFINIING THE CONCEPT Hope is defined by many authors in their own views. Some of the definitions will be undertaken to understand the concept of hope precisely in this piece of work. Hope is defined as an essential but dynamic life force that grows out of faith in God, is supported by relationship, resource and work, and results in the energy necessary to work for a desired future; Hope gives meaning and happiness (Holt 2000).It means that hope is an important part of life, and it forces the life believe in the trust. The relationship, work, and resources also support it. Hope plays a vital role to improve the patients condition and nurses utilize this concept by using their efficient nursing skills. A nurse must have to understand that how unique and different is every individual before applying this concept to motivate their inner power to believe in this concept of hope. Hope has a meaning and provides happiness. According to Miller and Powers (1988) hope is defined as an anticipation of a future whic h is good, based on mutuality (relationships with others), a sense of personal competence, coping ability, psychological well being, purpose and meaning in life, and a sense of the possible. Therefore, the concept of hope is a part of future which is very important for the better and successful life. It is based on various aspects including need to equality, means the relationship with others, personal ability and coping ability to gain planned objectives. It has a purpose and meaning in life and there is need to physical as well as psychological well being to achieve the desired result. There is also need to develop positive attitude and a feeling of possibility. Nowotny (1989) concluded that hope is a multidimensional dynamic attribute of an individual which includes six critical attribute: future oriented, active individual involvement, comes from within, related to trust, that which is hoped for is possible, involves other people or a higher being, outcome is important to the i ndividual. A person having hope has the characteristics of multilayered elements which involves six significant traits which means a person must set goals for his/her future and should develop active individual involvement physically as well as psychologically, It also correlate the person to faith which is very necessary for the possibility of hope. According to Farran et al. (1992) hope is defined as expectation about attaining some desired goal in the future, a necessary condition for action, a subjective state that can influence realities to come, and knowledge that we can manage our internal and external realities. It is a required circumstance for the action of planned goals. It is a fact which deals with the inner and outer veracity of a person. Default and Martocchio (1985) stated that hope is defined as a multidimensional dynamic life force characterized by a confident yet uncertain expectation of achieving a future good which, to the hoping person is realistically possible and personally significant. Hope is a strong positive feeling, which is related to the achievement of the goals that are established for better future. According to Snyder et al. (1991) hope is defined as a cognitive set that is based on reciprocally derived sense of successful agency (goal directed determination) and pathway (planning of ways to meet goals). Therefore, hope is an intellectual set up which depends on the sense to achieve desired goals and objectives of life. It is a way to achieve the desired objectives by well planning that includes all the methods which are going to follow. RELEVANCE OF THE CONCEPT TO PRACTICE In nursing, hope has a significant role. When a nurse gives care to the patient he/she encourages the patient to think positively by using this concept of hope. It is only hope which motivates the individuals to be positivistic towards life. This will help them to maintain good interpersonal relationship as well as it accelerates the healing process. Mickley et al. (1992) considered that a multidimensional dynamic attribute of an individual which includes the dimensions of possibility and confidence in the future outcome, active involvement which comes from relations with others and spiritual beliefs. In this, the concept of hope has multidimensional characteristics involving possibilities and confidence. This can be only achieved by the interaction with others. Here the role of a nurse is to instill hope in the patient and build confidence and motivate to perceive life positively. According to Herth (1989) Hope is a source of energy, enabling healthy coping, and influencing survival , it is positive relationship between level of hope and level of coping in the individual. The author suggests that the terms hope and coping are inter-related with each other. It has good relationship with coping and expecting. When this concept is utilized in nursing, the nurses have to consider each patients needs and cope up with their expectations and disease process. It can further result in good patient outcome. The concept of hope has great impact on the role of nurse and patient care. Hope is a motivation for the nurses which relate them for their active involvement in the work (Kulig 2002). A good working environment promotes both nurse and patient to work together. Hope is also relevant for the nurses who give palliative care to the patients (Feudtner et al. 2007). Nurses play vital role in encouraging the patients to take part in the effective management. According to Snyder (1998) hope is build upon the principle that a good deal of everyday behavior is goal directed to wards the patient care. It means that good behavior of the nurses plays an important role while giving care to the patient. Good communication with the patient by nurses can foster a positive hope, which may provide an effective way to achieve the goal. There are some barriers of hope which come forward when this concept of hope put in nursing practice. According to Jackson, et al. (2000) barriers in hope are difference in spiritual beliefs, lack of knowledge, language and communication, economical factors, lack of trust about healthcare system and accepting hospice is perceived as giving up hope. Every individual may have different views on their spirituality, lack of knowledge about disease condition withdraw a nurse to develop hope in the patient. Language and communication also can be the major barrier to motivate hope in patient. Moreover, nurses can also promote the hope in patient with good communication and motivate the patient by giving proper explanation regarding the dise ase process, its treatment and recovery. So, a nurse must have good communication skills as well as she should be a good listener. Economical barriers also affect the quality of care. Due to the financial problems one cannot afford the facilities that can be provided in good hospitals. Furthermore, different language and customs of patients can also hinder the application of the concept of hope in the nursing practice. Therefore, it is essential to know the significance of hope in nursing as well as to understand the barriers of concept in order to deliver a quality of care to the patient. CONCLUSION To sum up, in this piece of work the concept of hope, its various perspectives and characteristics have been analyzed. Moreover, its relevance in patient care in nursing practice were identified in this framework. It is obvious from above analysis that hope has a crucial role in nursing practices and in ones life. It has a great influence in the coping mechanism of the patient from illness. Nurse assumes a primary role while giving care to the terminally ill patient. Finally, Hope is a multidimensional process which boosts the patient actively to takes part in the process related to their care and for the welfare of their health.

The Sixties Exposed in Takin it to the Streets and The Dharma Bums Ess

The Sixties Exposed in Takin' it to the Streets and The Dharma Bums      Ã‚   One cannot undertake any study of the 1960s in America without hearing about the struggles for social change. From civil rights to freedom of speech, civil disobedience and nonviolent protest became a central part of the sixties culture, albeit representative of only a small portion of the population. As Mario Savio, a Free Speech Movement (FSM) leader, wrote in an essay in 1964: "The most exciting things going on in America today are movements to change America" ("Takin' it to the Streets," 115). His essay is critical of those that maintain the status quo and oppose change in America. It seems quite obvious that change has occurred as a result of the efforts of this highly vocal minority and few would argue that these changes were not good and just, yet historical perspective allows us to also consider the "flaws" and contradictions of this sixties subculture.    It is rather ironic that a group so dedicated to fighting for societal change could also be part of a resistance to change in other aspects of the same society or could be a part of maintaining the status quo. Savio also stated: "The most crucial problems facing the United States today are the problem of automation and the problem of racial injustice" (113). A group seeking to change America, Savio and the minority he represented seem to be both advocating and resisting change. While fighting for changes in attitudes toward and the treatment of racial minorities, the group also opposed automation. It seems obvious that automation has been a highly instrumental force in changing American society and to oppose automation would seemingly be a definite resistance to change. While opinions... ...n 1968, Reagan condemned student militants, saying: "There has been general incitement against properly constituted law enforcement authorities and general trampling of the will, the rights and freedom of movement of the majority by the organized, militant, and highly vocal minority" ("Takin it to the Streets," 346). It seems rather obvious today that "the great and thoughtful majority of citizens" to which Reagan referred in the same address are not always correct in their beliefs and that the laws that have been created by this majority, as well as the enforcement of such laws are not always just.    Works Cited Biner, Pierre. The Living Theater. Takin' It To The Streets: A Sixties Reader, pp. 288-293. ed. Alexander Bloom and Wini Breines. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. Kerouac, Jack. The Dharma Bums. New York: Pengiun Books, 1958.

Drug Addiction: A Brain Disease? :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Drug Addiction: A Brain Disease? When people hear the words drug addict, these words have negative connotations and stigmas attached to them. People visualize a person who does not care about anything, including family, work, or commitments, except for obtaining money to buy drugs to get high. However, there are many people who are drug addicts that maintain a normal, functioning life. Before we can examine why these people are addicted to drugs, one must first define the word addict. George F. Koob defines addiction as a compulsion to take a drug without control over the intake and a chronic relapse disorder (1). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association defined "substance dependence" as a syndrome basically equivalent to addiction, and the diagnostic criteria used to describe the symptoms of substance dependence to a large extent define compulsion and loss of control of drug intake (1). Considering drug addiction as a disorder implies that there are some biological factors as well as social factors. There are many biological factors that are involved with the addicted brain. "The addicted brain is distinctly different from the nonaddicted brain, as manifested by changes in brain metabolic activity, receptor availability, gene expression, and responsiveness to environmental cues." (2) In the brain, there are many changes that take place when drugs enter a person's blood stream. The pathway in the brain that the drugs take is first to the ventral tegmentum to the nucleus accumbens, and the drugs also go to the limbic system and the orbitofrontal cortex, which is called the mesolimbic reward system. The activation of this reward system seems to be the common element in what hooks drug users on drugs (2). Drugs seem to cause surges in dopamine neurotransmitters and other pleasure brain messengers. However, the brain quickly adapts and these circuits desensitize, which allows for withdrawal symptoms to occur (3). Drug addiction works on some of the same neurobiological mechanisms that aid in learning and memories (3). "This new view of dopamine as an aid to learning rather than a pleasure mediator may help explain why many addictive drugs, which unleash massive surges of the neurotransmitter in the brain, can drive continued use without producing pleasure-as when cocaine addicts continue to take hits long after the euphoric effects of the drug have worn off or when smokers smoke after cigarettes become distasteful." (4) Since memory and pleasure zones are intertwined in the brain, many researchers have been using psychological approaches to stop drug use.

Preamble: United States Constitution Essay

The Preamble was placed in the Constitution more or less as an afterthought. It was not proposed or discussed on the floor of the Constitutional Convention. Rather, Gouverneur Morris, a delegate from Pennsylvania who as a member of the Committee of Style actually drafted the near-final text of the Constitution, composed it at the last moment. It was Morris who gave the considered purposes of the Constitution coherent shape, and the Preamble was the capstone of his expository gift. The Preamble did not, in itself, have any substantive legal meaning. The understanding at the time was that preambles are merely declaratory and are not to be read as granting or limiting power—a view sustained by the Supreme Court in Jacobson v. Massachusetts (1905). Nevertheless, the Preamble has considerable potency by virtue of its specification of the purposes for which the Constitution exists. It distills the underlying values that moved the Framers during their long debates in Philadelphia. As Justice Joseph Story put it in his celebrated Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States, â€Å"its true office is to expound the nature and extent and application of the powers actually conferred by the Constitution.† Alexander Hamilton, in The Federalist No. 84, went so far as to assert that the words â€Å"secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity† were â€Å"a better recognition of popular rights, than volumes of those aphorisms, which make the principal figure in several of our state bills of rights.† An appreciation of the Preamble begins with a comparison of it to its counterpart in the compact the Constitution replaced, the Articles of Confederation. There, the states joined in â€Å"a firm league of friendship, for their common defence, the security of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare† and bound themselves to assist one another â€Å"against all force offered to, or attacks made upon them, or any of them, on account of religion, sovereignty, trade, or any other pretence whatever.† The agreement was among states, not people, and the military protection and the liberties to be secured were of the states as such. The very opening words of the Constitution mark a radical departure: â€Å"We the People of the United States.† That language was at striking variance with the norm, for in earlier documents, including the 1778 treaty of alliance with France, the Articles of Confederation, and the 1783 Treaty of Paris recognizing American independence, the word â€Å"People† was not used, and the phrase â€Å"the United States† was followed immediately by a listing of the states (â€Å"viz., New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations,† and so on down to Georgia). The new phraseology was necessary, given the circumstances. The Constitutional Convention had provided that whenever the popularly elected ratifying conventions of nine states approved the Constitution, it would go into effect for those nine, irrespective of whether any of the remaining states ratified. In as much as no one could know which states would and which would not ratify, the Convention could not list all thirteen. Moreover, names could scarcely be added to the Preamble retroactively as they were admitted. Even so, the phrase set off howls of protest from a number of opponents of ratification, notably Patrick Henry. Henry charged that the failure to follow the usual form indicated an intention to create a â€Å"consolidated† national government instead of the system that James Madison described in The Federalist No. 39 as being â€Å"neither a national nor a federal constitution; but a composition of both.† Henry’s assertion was made in the Virginia ratifying convention and was promptly and devastatingly rebutted by Governor Edmund Randolph: â€Å"The government is for the people; and the misfortune was, that the people had no agency in the government before†¦.If the government is to be binding on the people, are not the people the proper persons to examine its merits or defects?†