Sop313 Essay Work Route Out Of Poverty - 1645 Words

Damien Russell B00643639 Social Policy SOP313 Poverty and Social Security Is work a route out of poverty? In recent years there has been much debate on the subject of work and is work the true route out of poverty? This piece of work will show both sides of the story as in how people look at the topic from government officials to the common person. It will look at policies that government have set to get people back to work. This piece of work will look at a number of different sources. There are many that still believe that staying on benefits is the best choice for them and there is much evidence to support this point as well, this point can be seen more and more in the last 7 or 8 years,†¦show more content†¦In truth, there are millions who still live in a poor household and this is even when there is at least one occupant that is in a full time job, these people are still in poverty because wages are not keeping up with the rate of infliction. In recent years the number of household that are working and that are still in poverty has actually increased. Although in recent yea rs the number of households that have no one working in them and that were in poverty has declined, so it can be seen that in some cases work is not the route out of poverty. Buck, (2008) The more you look into this subject in depth the more you see that there seems to be no way out of poverty even if the person is working in a full time job. The state of the nation report which was done by Alan Milburn suggests that work is no longer the way out of poverty because of the rise in day to day living which has been rising for many years, but the minimum wages has not being keeping up with this rise. Alan Milburn believe that to help with the minimum wage, the winter fuel allowance should be cut. He pointed out that pensioners are not affected by the down turn as much as younger people that are still working. This point was seen to be citizen heavily. Alan Miburn also say in the report that there should be more of a performance-related pay for teachers and many other jobs. The

The Rise And Fall Of Bernie Ebbers - 787 Words

Introduction One of America’s famous corporate leaders rose to prominence like a whirlwind and, then years after the euphoria, he fell from grace. Bernard Ebbers, a Mississippian native, became the face of America’s corporate world just for a short time. Then, his glory ended only to face allegations of fraud, abuse, and other corporate malpractices. The rise and fall of Bernie Ebbers shocked the business world for he lived, then, in modesty, supported education and contributed to his community. Ebbers’ community called him â€Å"responsible business leader† (Trevino Brown, p. 90) and author George Gilder described him as â€Å"one of the most fascinating, improbable, and inspiring in North American business† (p. 90). What went wrong? Discussion†¦show more content†¦He generously loaned this select group without documentation, a patronage behavior rampant in developing countries. Just a strong showing of social learning and social exchange wrapped in ethics and morality would have done the tricks (Trevino Brown, 2005). Q3. Identify some theoretical linkages between Ebbers’s leadership style as practiced and the behavior that occurred within WorldCom. Answer: Ebbers’ self-inflicted, self-centered, transactional leadership style paved the way for the firm’s demise. He loaned subordinates to ensure compliance, loyalty, and cooperation. A transformational leader leads subordinates to achieve goals for all. The main issue is trust, a trait that is higher in transformational than in transactional leadership (Principles of Management, 2015). Ebbers decided otherwise. He surrounded himself with a select group of people and kept others in the dark on decision-making. Q4. The law firm report identified Ebbers as the source of a culture that resulted in the company’s accounting fraud. How did Ebbers’s leadership style contribute to the values and actions of key managers? How could key managers perform their jobs effectively and ethically in the WorldCom culture? Answer: Ebbers promoted a culture of patronage and a disdain for openness and contrary opinion. He had a select group that made all the decisions. He rewarded them by personallyShow MoreRelated WorldCom and The Mississippi Scheme Scandals Essay1704 Words   |  7 Pagesstock prices and dubious practices within the organizations to keep the public unaware. Bernie Ebbers was the founder and CEO of WorldCom. He took a small telecommunications firm and transformed it into an industry giant before it collapsed into bankruptcy in 2002. The stock prices of WorldCom began to fall in 2000 and in order to prevent the price from falling further WorldCom made mass loans to Ebbers to stop him from selling his stock. He initiated the fraud and false reporting. He did notRead MoreEssay about Worldcom: Organizational Culture and Unethical Safeguards1195 Words   |  5 Pagesrelatively small amount of people, are completely wrong. Bernie Ebbers, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Financial Officer, Scott Sullivan’s classical view of social responsibility was the beginning of the end for WorldCom; this classical view shaped WorldCom’s organizational culture, and blinded how WorldCom should have safeguarded against unethical accounting breaches. Ebbers and Sullivan’s Classical View of Social Responsibility Ebbers was one of nine investors of Long Distance Discount ServicesRead MoreAccounting Fraud at Worldcom 21405 Words   |  6 PagesWorldCom The break up of ATT opened the long distance service market to small companies during the mid- to late-1980s and 1990s. Long Distance Discount Service (LDDS) opened in 1983 with moderate growth until its stock went public in 1989. CEO Bernie Ebbers decided to grow the organization through acquisitions (70 companies over the course of its lifetime) with its largest in 1998, the acquiring of MCI for $37 billion. The acquisitions caused the company’s stock to increase and WorldCom used thisRead MoreWorldCom Fraud Case Essay2223 Words   |  9 PagesIn 1983, while in a small coffee shop in Hattiesburg Mississippi, Bernard Ebbers developed the business concept that would eventually become the second largest long distance telephone company in the United States, WorldCom (Romar and Calkins). In 2002, the company that Bernard Ebbers grew from the ground up declared the largest bankruptcy in United States history. The unethical and illegal accounting treatments that WorldCom par ticipated in eventually led to the demise of the company and a newRead MoreThe Fraud Triangle And Fraud Scale3490 Words   |  14 PagesFraud Scale to analyse the actions of Bernie Ebbers and Scott Sullivan. What does your analysis suggest? As Albrecht et al. (2012) illustrate, there are many ways to commit fraud but common to all frauds are the following three elements, which make up the fraud triangle: 1. A perceived pressure 2. A perceived opportunity 3. A rationalization of the fraud as acceptable These three elements are almost always present in every fraud and are interactive. This gives rise to the fraud scale. As Albrecht etRead MoreLong Distance Discount Services ( Ldds )1460 Words   |  6 Pagesand Jickling 2002). This report examines and analyses the underlying reasons behind how and why such a massive fraud took place, how it went unnoticed through the years and the actions taken by senior management at Worldcom that led to the rise and subsequent fall of the company. This report also provides recommendations that could have helped prevent this scandal from taking place as a result of ethical accounting practices and having a strong corporate governance system in place. 2. Earnings ManagementRead MoreEnron And Its Impact On Enron s Downfall Essay1492 Words   |  6 Pagesthe most innovative company in the United States; it exemplified the transition from the production to the knowledge economy. Many lessons can we learn from its collapse. In this paper we present an analysis of the factors that contributed to Enron’s rise and failure, underlying the role that energy deregulation and manipulation of financial statements played on Enron’s demise. We summarize some lessons that can be learned in order to prevent another Enron and restore confidence in the financial marketsRead MoreAudit and Wall Street13173 Words   |  53 Pagesfor his internal insight into the case. Thank you. iii Dedications For my family, who fed me, clothed me, and distracted me, all to make sure I stay sane during this knowledge gaining experience. For the numerous cups of tea that made me fall asleep and saved me from information overload. For my grandfathers: the businessmen. iv Contents Introduction ..............................................................................................................................Read MoreEvolution of Corporate Governance3567 Words   |  15 Pagesway, Bernie Ebbers became the scapegoat in the Worldcom â€Å"scandal†. He was greatly influenced by Jack Grubman and other leaders from banks and investing firms. There were emails showing how he was coached on speeches by these very people. When it came time to place blame though, Bernie Ebbers was the biggest loser. Other individuals involved were only fined monetarily. This turned out to be a minor portion of the overall gain they had received from their involvements in the rise and fall of WorldcomRead MoreCorporate Governance Benchmarking Paper6593 Words   |  27 Pagescollapse or disarray of many organizations. Team A will provide a brief synopsis of specific organizations experiencing unethical challenges and how these organizations experience total collapse and devastation or how these organizations have come to rise above these unethical challenges by changing the corporate culture. By identifying the key course concepts, comparing and contrasting the practices of the various organizations will also provide insight of how each organization was able to react to

Ideal Renaissance Man Essay Example For Students

Ideal Renaissance Man Essay Hum Renaissance and Baroque April 16, 2013 The Ideal Renaissance Man or Woman An ideal renaissance man or woman in the fourteenth and fifteenth century, a time when people aspired to be skilled in numerous areas and humanistic education was customary, meant you would have to stand out from the rest. Pico Della Miranda theories in Oration on the Dignity of Man sum up the ideal Renaissance man. He proclaimed that individuals face no limits to their development except those that are self-imposed (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia). In theory only one can hinder their win success. The ideal renaissance man had a broad base in knowledge or was highly skilled in the arts, music or literature. Some lived up to being ideal Just because they were bold or unique. The ideal renaissance man was respected by his peers and his knowledge and abilities were often required by the patrons of this era. Ingeniously, some individuals happened to be masters of art, engineering, and even anatomy all at the same time. Mostly men, renaissance contributors did not normally encourage women to participate during this time. Women were encouraged to fit the refill of wives and mothers and their political rights at this point were still kind of limited. Nevertheless, there were many that fit the description of an ideal renaissance women. One unique women of this time was Laura Cerate. A writer who struggled with heavy criticism from her cohorts because of her scholarly pursuits. In response to both the men and women who were Judgmental of her, Laura wrote two letters that were penned to answer both critics: a defense of learning aimed at male humanists and a defense of her vocation directed toward her female critics (Cunningham 289). Laurels heated verbiage in these letters won her great recognition and respect. In describing an ideal renaissance man Leonardo Deviance owned up to that title for his many achievements. He donated to us many chemical theories, the air balloon, the telescope, and trigonometry. He was a plethora of knowledge. He was also recognized for his many works of art known all around the world today, The Mona Lisa and The Last Supper for example. He was diverse in his thinking and saw many of his ideas through. He was a living example and true to Leon Liberties (1404-72) quote: that men can do all things if they will. The Renaissance is understood as a historical era of cultural movements. Its contributors are termed Ideal Renaissance Men and Women for making it possible. Even so, they continued to pursue more knowledge and abilities. For this, they were ideal renaissance people of their time. Cunningham and Reich. Culture and Values . 3. Ohio: Coinage Learning, 2009. Print. Giovanni Pico Della Miranda, Content. Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition (2013): 1. Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 Par. 2013. What Is a Renaissance Man? Weeklies. N. P. , n. D. Web. 26 Feb.. 2013.

The Basic Process of Program Evaluation in Non

According to W.K. Kellogh Foundation (1998), program evaluation is the â€Å"efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of a department, program or agency.†It applies â€Å"systematic measures and comparisons so as to provide the outcome of the program to executives who in turn use the results in making decisions for the program† (W.K. Kellogh Foundation 1998).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Basic Process of Program Evaluation in Non-Profit Sector specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More An outcome is usually a description of â€Å"short or long term effects, including those that were not planned for but occurred as a result of the program’s outputs†(United Way of America, 1998).The basic process of program evaluation involves outcome evaluation as discussed below. â€Å"Outcome Evaluation† (W.K. Kellogh Foundation,1998) According to W.K. Kellogh Foundation (1998), ther e is no specific method or approach can suit all programs in outcome evaluation. However, W.K. Kellogh Foundation (1998) recommends that â€Å"it is important to start with the overall goals and outcomes of the program and then come up with a way of measuring these outcomes.† The initial step is to identify outcomes (W.K. Kellogh Foundation, 1998).This can be achieved by creating a team which may comprise of internal and external stakeholders to help you have a wider view of the outcomes of your organization (Herman Associates, 2005). The next step is to think about areas whereby change is eminent in the program. It could be change in clients, in the society or even in the larger systems (W.K. Kellogh Foundation, 1998).The outcomes can be classified into three groups: †initial outcomes, intermediate outcomes and longer-term outcomes† (Herman Associates, 2005). One way in which these outcomes can be measured is by is by identifying indicators. According to Lanzer otti Lanzerotti (2004), an indicator should be something that is visible, audible, tangible or something that can be verified and â€Å"every outcome should have at least one indicator†. Their main purpose is usually to determine the extent to which an outcome has been realized. The indicators can also be compared with targets and benchmarks. In this case, targets are your expected achievements in form of numbers while benchmarks are data from a past program that one can use to compare with a current program.Advertising Looking for research paper on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Logic models can also be used to measure outcomes in program evaluation. According to W.K. Kellogh Foundation (1998) a logic diagram is a â€Å"diagram that helps clarify the links between the components of your program design.† The logic diagram is usually composed of â€Å"inputs, activities, outputs, initial outcomes, intermediate outcomes and long term outcomes† (W.K. Kellogh Foundation, 1998). This diagram can them be compared with the program’s outcomes. Quantitative and qualitative approaches can also be used in evaluating the program outcomes (United Way of America, 1998). According to Lanzerotti Lanzerotti (2004), quantitative method involves â€Å"experimentation and testing, a reflection of changes introduced by a program in numeric form, interviewing a large group of people, and analyzing relationships between hypothesized variables and the outcomes.† On the other hand, United Way of America (1998) notes that â€Å"qualitative evaluation seeks to explain how a program functions, the views of the program implementers and the clients as well as the extent to which the objectives are met.† Some of the qualitative measures that can be applied include â€Å"collection of non- numeric, in depth descriptions of the program, sorting through large amounts of data and allowing for in-depth study of selected issues† (United Way of America, 1998). The other evaluation method of outcomes is â€Å"effectiveness and efficiency† (Lanzerotti Lanzerotti, 2004).Effectiveness seeks to examine how well the program performed. According to Lanzerotti Lanzerotti (2004), this can be achieved by â€Å"identifying standards, benchmarks or criteria against which progress or performance can be assessed.† On the other hand, â€Å"efficiency seeks to find out whether the cost was worthy the outcome by determining the output to input ratio† (United Way of America, 1998).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Basic Process of Program Evaluation in Non-Profit Sector specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More If the output ratio is greater than the input ratio, then there was efficiency but in case the input ratio is greater than the output ratio, then there was la ck of efficiency in the program (W.K. Kellogh Foundation, 1998).The problem of inefficiency can be solved by looking for ways to minimize costs. The final evaluation method of outcomes is by use of cost benefit analysis (W.K. Kellogh Foundation, 1998).although this method is commonly applied in the profit sector, it can also be applied in the non-profit sector. One is supposed to determine the relationship between the costs and the benefits. According to W.K. Kellogh Foundation (1998) the cost benefit relationship is â€Å"the relationship of the cost of the program to the cost of achieving them.† â€Å"Politics of Goal Definition†(Hellriegell Slocum, 2007) Political behavior often occurs in organizations due to â€Å"different opinions over goals, different views about the organization and it’s limitations, different knowledge about dealing with situations as well as how to make use of resources that are scarce† (Hellriegell Slocum, 2007).These are the basic forces that result in politics of how goals are defined. However, doing away with these forces is not possible because there is no point in life when all people will have similar views. Similarly, organizations are always striving to make use of the scarce resources so as to obtain the required goals. As a result, political behavior must be exhibited as every individual in the organization strives to acquire their preferred results (Hellriegell Slocum, 2007). In cases whereby such situations arise, a manager should not use force to stop such behavior but instead should work to see that such behavior does not impact the organization in a negative way (Herman Associates, 2005). According to Hellriegell Slocum (2007) the political behavior among employees can be stimulated by the actions of a manager. For instance, as Hellriegell Slocum (2007) notes â€Å"in departments like accounting, human resources, and quality control, legal and information systems among others† employees’ performance is hard to measure.Advertising Looking for research paper on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thus, leaders processes give yield to inadequate resources in terms of â€Å"pay, bonuses, and benefits† (Hellriegell Slocum, 2007).Other leaders tend to give the political behavior in the process of appraisal a blind eye and assume that it does not exist. However, politics in appraisal is a fact that can not be done away with and which can have several impacts. Some of these impacts as noted by Hellriegell Slocum (2007) include â€Å"organizational goals and performance are undermined; increase political behavior in other decision making processes and expose the organization to litigation if employees are terminated.† In conclusion, program evaluation involves several steps. The first step should be to identify the outcomes. After that, other processes follow. These other processes include: identifying indicators, use of logic model, use of quantitative and qualitative methods, determining effectiveness and efficiency as well as determining the cost-benefit analysis . On the other hand, political behavior is often displayed in organizations when it comes to formulation of goals. It is important for managers to know that this can not be avoided but can be minimized. One of the ways in which a manager can minimize political behavior is by ensuring that the goals are clear and specific. References Hellriegel, D. Slocum, J.W. (2007). Organizational behavior. New York: Thomson Learning. Herman, R. D. Associates. (2005). The Jossey-Bass handbook of nonprofit leadership management. 2nd ed. San Francisco: John Wiley Sons. Lanzerotti, R. Lanzerott, L. (2004). Measuring Change to Make Change: The Fundraising Case for Program Evaluation. Grassroots Fundraising  Journal, 23, 4-8. United Way of America. (1996). Measuring Program Outcomes: A Practical Approach. Alexandria: United Way of America. W. K. Kellogg Foundation. (1998).Outcomes Logic Model. Mexico: Kellogg Foundation This research paper on The Basic Process of Program Evaluation in Non-Profit Sector was written and submitted by user Stephanie Harvey to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Movie Review The Impact of Globalization in the Movie Still, the Children Are Here

Animal Behavior Essays - Ethology, Limbic System, Human Behavior

Animal Behavior Essays - Ethology, Limbic System, Human Behavior Animal Behavior Biology lb Abstract Animal behavior is predictable. Their behavioral tendencies are influenced by the relationship of its anatomy to their environment. By observing various forms of life, and associating the mechanism of their abilities to perform a behavioral action, evolutionary influence thereafter, can be analyzed and deduced from that point. Introduction The science and study of animal behavior involve an enormous array of complicated factors. For instance, stereotyped responses are unlearned behavioral reactions to some environmental stimulus predicated upon an organism relationship to its physical environment and anatomy. This obviously begs the question; is the observable behavior such as, the vertical movements demonstrated by brine shrimp (marine plankton experiment) or peristaltic movements showed by earthworms (animal behavioral lab experiment) a form of deliberate taxis or random kinesis? However, to properly be able to address those questions, it's far more important to examine the intricate factors involving the complex interactions between the effects of environmental stimuli,(dry air for the earthworm and directional light for the brine shrimp) towards the affected anatomical structure and physiological function of a specific organ system of those particular animal species. Therefore, I hypothesize, that an ! earthworm will exert random kinetic behavior through peristaltic movement in an arid clinical environment because, it's sensory apparatus (respiratory system) will detect a potential life/death situation precipitated by the threat of desiccation; whereas, the brine shrimp will demonstrate deliberate vertical movements of behavioral taxis because, the environmental stimuli of light will be effecting an entirely different sensory apparatus (ocular nervous ) ofwhich, doesn't afford the potential possibility of impending doom. By that, affording the luxury of stereotypical behavior that can be later linked to environmental fitness. In short, an animal's behavior about a particular type of movement is predicated upon the environmental clues, which directly influence the innate survival mechanisms of a species or its anatomical configuration with evolutionary fitness. However, inasmuch as some forms of animal behavior can be easily be analyzed by a simple stimulus and response scenario, such as with earthworms and brine shrimp. Others such as the rheotactic behavior of trout (aquarium field trip) and penguin mating habits (zoo field trip) are far more complicated. These particular types of animal behavior involve a wider spectrum of coordinated organ systems. For instance, trouts are migratory fish and posses the additional physical characteristics of using chemorecptors (smell) too located their initial spawning grounds. Because of this evolutionary/genetic characteristic, they must swim against currents to be able to maximize their olfactory senses. Although the sense of smell is apart of the nervous system, the mechanism that coordinates rheotactic behavior is an entirely different nervous component. Trout like other fish use their mechanoreceptors located in their lateral line system to detect the movement and direction of water.! Which solicits the question, if trouts are rheotactic, then why do they need to intermediately break from the current and swim in a particular pattern? Therefore I hypothesize, which a trout's general rheotactic behavior is predicating upon the coordinated environmental stimulus of an aqueous solute concentration, ofwhich will confirm olfactory distance, and the lateral line thereafter functions to facilitate in the correct direction. Consequentially, rheotactic behavior controlled by the lateral line is dependent upon the chemoreptors of the olfactory senses of a trout. Thus, a trout's intermittent behavior during rheotactic movement is more or less a pause for the benefit of olfactory orientation. Penguins unlike trout, brine shrimp and earthworms are flightless birds. Because of their physical size, they inherently have a larger cerebral capacity. This anatomical characteristic complicates the qualitative analysis of penguin mating behavior tremendously. Largely because, penguins have the physical capacity of conscious thought, interactive communication immersed in a sheath of innate unlearned behavior. However, penguins are similar to trout in that, they to are migratory creatures. Thus, penguins like trout integrate a number of different physiological systems for mating behavior. One of which involves the coordinated interaction between their endocrine system and nervous system. Therefore I hypothesize, that male penguins during the mating season are territorially aggressive due to the imbalance of testosterone within their system, and female penguins are passive and somewhat behaviorally more submissive due to the higher amounts of estrogen within their sys! tems. Furthermore, because the endocrine system is

Preliminary Investigation of the Company Assignment

Preliminary Investigation of the Company - Assignment Example The company's target markets include local clients as well as clients from foreign countries. Several concerns and opportunities were mentioned. The first is to establish the company as a household name when it comes to land management software. The company also hopes to establish itself as a big brand name in providing consultancy services, training, and customization in the said field. In order to establish itself as a market leader in the local scene, one should have a lot of customers. To rake in more sales, the company should be visible to potential clients locally as well as abroad. With this end in mind, the company is keen on putting up their own website. This will serve not only as an information center to current and potential clients but will bring in more sales what with the ease of availing products online and within the comforts of one's home. The company, being global in scale has recently felt that the market is too large to maintain strong relationships with all potential buyers. The company has been used to utilizing direct mail to attract new clients. However, this method does not ensure that the brochures and advertisement material are reaching the decision makers of the target companies. The current advertisement setup uses mail-outs to special groups which have been selected based on predefined criteria. These are sent out every 2-3 months. Instead of doing this, focus on the key persons for such companies, send them emails and find out how they will be able to use the software, and if possible, set up presentation meetings over lunch or dinner. This way, with a clear void to fill, the goal is more focused and a strategy to present the product in the best way possible to the potential customer can be formulated. Also, contingency plans can be set up in case the client rejects the first approach. Moreover, if the correspondences would prove that the prospect is a dead end, it should send the signal that it's time to move on to other prospects, thus saving time.     

Breast Cancer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Breast Cancer - Research Paper Example Morphologically breast cancer is divided into two basic types depending on the anatomic site affected by the tumor cells; Ductal and lobular carcinoma. As the name indicates, the ductal type originates form the ducts or lactiferous tubes of the breast while the lobular carcinoma originates from the stroma or lobules of the breast responsible for lactation. On the basis of penetration through the limiting basement membrane, the breast cancers are divided into two basic subtypes; Invasive and non-invasive. The non-invasive types are classified into two types which include ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) on the basis that tumor cells have not invaded the adjacent tissues (Chen 2010; McPherson et al 2000). The causes or risk factors of breast cancer can be divided into two major categories which are modifiable and non-modifiable. Non-modifiable risk factors are age, geographical variations, family history, menstrual history, associated familial syndromes and genetics. The increase in the age of a woman is also a risk factor for breast cancer. Women who fall between the age group of 40-50 are at the highest risk of getting this malignancy. Moreover, if family history shows positive cases especially in first degree relatives like mother, daughter or sister, then it also increases the chances to develop breast cancer. Breast cancer has been associated with genes which include BRCA1 and BRCA2 which have been linked to the causation of familial breast cancer. These are genes located on chromosome 17 which undergo autosomal dominant mutations and are responsible for 5% to 10% inherited cases of breast cancer. The sporadic breast cancer is considered to be caused by mutations in several tumo r suppressor and oncogenes like p53, c-myc, c-myb and bcl-2. Moreover, the over expression of HER2/neu also has a very strong relation to breast cancer. The age of menarche and menopause also plays an important role in the incidence of breast

Sexually transmitted diseases Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sexually transmitted diseases - Essay Example The foremost factor that contributes to the pending problem is that people are not knowledgeable about the dangers and risks of sexually transmitted diseases. In-depth awareness of the causes, risks, and effects of STDs is clearly lacking in the public. Such lack of awareness is evident in the lifestyle that many Americans live today. Although people may have realized the need for safe sex, they continue to be uninformed about the other ways by which they can contract sexually transmitted diseases. Increasing awareness regarding sexually transmitted diseases has become a growing concern in today's society. Various means of educating the public have been continuously been explored. However, the most important public information source has yet to be fully utilized, the media. The media in the modern times has served as the primary means people gain knowledge about the various issues that are present in society. It is from the media that people get information about current issues ranging from politics, global affairs, economics, and public health. The media is the information resource that has the most extensive reach. Moreover, the influence of media in the lives of people is vast. It can sway public opinion towards one side. (Stoughton) With such great influence over public perception and opinion, media can easily promote awareness regarding important issues such as STDs just as it promotes awareness regarding violence so easily. This paper will discuss the role of one form of media, newspaper, in increasing the public's knowledge and awareness regarding sexually transmitted diseases. New articles found in the nationally-circulated newspapers that tackle the issue of STDs will be analyzed to determine the extent to which the issue is discussed. Furthermore, past researches and studies will likewise be reviewed. The primary objective of this study will be to determine the extent to which print news media informs the public regarding sexually transmitted diseases. Review of Related Literature In this section, previous studies will be discussed to determine what their findings suggest about the coverage that the subject of STDs receives from print news media. Also, news articles from nationally-circulated newspapers will be analyzed to ascertain whether sexually transmitted diseases received ample substantive news reporting from the newspapers. Furthermore, this section will discuss how print new media reports STDs to the public and whether such kind of reporting contributes to increasing the awareness of the public significantly regarding the problem. A study conducted by Davidson and Wallack (2004) involved a content analysis of articles from the leading American newspapers to determine the type of new coverage that print media outlets gave to the issue of sexually transmitted diseases. The results of the study revealed a lack of substantive reporting on the subject of sexually transmitted diseases. Davidson and Wallack found that less that one-fourth of the articles they reviewed contained anything that pertains to the causes, consequences, prevention, signs, or symptoms, screening, transmission, treatment, trends or rates of STDs. (2004). Most of the articles contained statistical information regarding sexually transmitted diseases. According to Davidson and Wallack (2004), statistical information may be what journalists perceive as newsworthy about STDs; journalists report that they are

Top and Bottom Down Approaches in Research

Top and Bottom Down Approaches in Research 1.1 Introduction: The theoretical challenge of managed environments General works in the field of development studies or environmental management typically imitate structural, institutional and political economy analyses. This dissertation however focuses on the theoretical and methodological foundations of an actor-oriented, process-based and social constructionist form of analysis. It also aims to show the usefulness of such an approach for providing new insights into critical areas of empirical enquiry. In the introductory chapter I posed the dilemma confronting change managers and citizens with existing practices of environmental governance reform that are performing inconsistently. My starting point is the premise that experiences of decision-making over environmental management practices have not reflected the intent of smoother transitions and greater legitimacy that a turn to more participative approaches had promised. More democratic methods are not consistently producing more democratic outcomes, at least so are reports from practice warning. Instead, governance reform is experienced as frustrating struggles by actors brought together using ideals of collaborative practice that are frequently proving disappointing in application. The stories that this report recounts are indicative of the type of struggles and indeterminacies more and more encountered by policy actors in addressing issues of society-nature relations. It will be shown that the day-to-day tensions are not well expressed in the languages of social science or practitioners. Are there better ways to conceptualize these problems? Do we have language for this? To answer this, I will have to look for alternative ways to enter the subject and pose questions in different ways. A search for models of practice and theoretical foundations that may prove relevant to the rapidly changing contexts of managed environments encounters a rich literature that has engaged with the problems posed by the environmental pressures of population increase and technological development. However, as will be seen, existing conceptualisations encounter limits of abstraction. The implicit recognition of that has seen practitioners develop a wide range of approaches that are nearer to a recognition of actor perspectives in the field of environmental governance reform that more anthropological perspectives will highlight. A closer examination shows that abandoning abstraction in order to acknowledge the natural complexity of modern contexts in a post-modern time does not resolve the problem of constructively navigating changing knowledge systems. I therefore turn to post-structuralist thinking which allows me to give more attention to the social constructivist view and, in particul ar, to the co-constructed nature of knowledge, framing and subjectivities. The method that proves most promising to demonstrate and resolve the ambiguous nature of social knowledge is a dialectical approach to mapping the deliberative spaces of 21st century environmental governance reform. To do this work, perspectives from different disciplinary areas are brought together, including environmental sociology, environmental policy, anthropology, development studies, conservation management, political ecology and public policy. The discussion will seek to ‘ambiguate key notions in the society-nature literatures, that is, work with the ambiguity that becomes exposed when different scholarly worldviews are applied to core concepts of environmental governance. Working dialectically with the framings of theorists and practitioners means moving at different levels of extension, probing generalisation and rethinking subjects. This will show how ideas of nature, knowledge, community, and identity are central. The journey I will pursue in this chapter and effectively continue in the following transects key themes in the literature on environmental and development issues that I will not attempt to treat comprehensively a futile task even with the best of intentions but instead I want to trace insightful tensions and contours in the landscapes of academic, practitioners and subjective knowledges that shape the individual and institutional behaviour of social actors. By focussing on boundaries, and the conceptual or physical movement across these, I claim that I can show useful insights into the processes through which actors engage in participative, democratic spaces. By evoking a journey through the literature, I shadow the journey that I myself followed when I entered into and pursued this research, coming from a career as aid worker and encounter with the Great Barrier Island setting. Entering into academic reflection on social and political situations from that background opened perspectives that are not easily available to a researcher arriving from the outside or evaluating social processes with less reference to practical experience. At the same time, a positioning on the boundaries of the settings studied that my own background with the frequent geographic and career changes allowed, can be said to have greatly elevated my ‘hermeneutical horizon, opening up better appreciation of multiple, overlapping contexts. The aim of this chapter is to reveal a range of features and entry points into a number of settings that I gained access to, even if not comprehensively but certainly illustrative. I want to show that abstraction needs to adopt not only an actor-grounded and situated methodology but equally a more subjective theorisation, in order to give new meaning to abstraction. The literature I will bring into the discussion will help me elaborate how simultaneously seeking out top-down, bottom-up and reflective positions can give complementary insights into processes of actor engagement over environmental governance. The reason is that the political, social and cultural complexities that determine human-nature, and particularly society-nature, relations impose a need for multiple perspectives. In the following sections I will construct several positions located on metaphoric boundaries that offer perspective on subject areas and cultures of practice. To do that, I will open three views, or categories of view: one as a top-down view, which uses analytical thinking looking at overviews, comparisons and indicators to form structural explanations that underlie theory and practice. A second position approaches actors within a situation and is interested in narratives that convey the struggles and explanations present in a given situation, as they are seen from the bottom up. And with a view that is neither top-down, nor bottom-up, I want to emphasize a self-conscious, reflective treatment of knowledge and the co-construction of world views that deliberative practices can entail. 1.1.1 Case study or research intervention? The scholarly practitioner as participant in knowledge production Before I enter the subject area however, I must first clarify my point of entry into and positionality within the subject. In particular, the performative character of social science research needs to be acknowledged. Scientific inquiry is recognized as a social practice mediated contextually through symbolic means {Foucault, 2002; Pryke, Rose, Whatmore, 2003}. Sociological research has documented the extent to which science is as much a socio-cultural activity as a technical enterprise. The post-positivist challenge to the social sciences that was evoked by Fischer and quoted introductory chapter, derives from evidence that the elements of empirical inquiry from observation and hypothesis formation through data collection and explanation are grounded in often limited theoretical assumptions of the socio-cultural practices through which they are developed {Root, 1993}. Scientific explanations therefore have to be understood as explanations offered by specific communities of inquirers situated in particular places and times, so Fischer emphasizes (1998). These are discursive communities that are located alongside and intermeshed with other political communities in the social landscape. This draws attention to positioning researcher and science within the political communities that are present. Attention must be paid throughout the approach, engagement and interpretation of social situations to be reflective about the relation of the researcher to the subject. In my engagement with the actors within the settings I investigated, my approach and interest was shaped by all of my curriculum vitae but especially by my background as former aid worker. At least three specific aspects of this career were particularly significant in forming my approach to this study and, in particular, the lines of questioning that I adopted. For many years while working on behalf of large non-governmental aid organisations like Oxfam and Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), when I was often assigned as project planner in collaboration with medical or logistics experts with the task to research the humanitarian, political and security context in a particular setting to identify priority needs an organisation was able to address and to design the detailed aid interventions. I led needs assessment missions lasting 2 to 4 weeks to Georgia, Tajikistan, Congo, Burundi, Syria, Iraq, and Nepal among others,. The output would consist of reports documenting findings of data collection and interviews, verbal and written interpretation of implications for launching aid operations, and proposals to governmental donor agencies that complied to institutional requirements and priorities in order to maximise chances of gaining funding support. Essentially this was a research role with an action orientation. My primary role while working for these international aid organisations was project manager and/or country representative, positions that I held in Russia. Chechnya, Congo, Kenya, Lebanon, and Mauritania among others. Aid projects would be managed by a team of expatriates and local staff, often growing into large, well-resourced and formalised organisations with up to 50 staff. This required me to manage teams and situations with a view to producing outcomes, conforming to organisational policies. As head of usually one of the larger NGOs in a sector, I would frequently also act on behalf of a wider community of aid agencies that shared similar values and objectives in collaborating and representing interests to government counterparts. The emphasis on advocating for universal rights and principles on behalf of vulnerable and victims under threat was an important advocacy priority for organisations like Oxfam and MSF, and thus was a critical rationale for situating, maintaining, and promoting many aid activities. At the same time I would be representing associations that had explicitly defined visions and principles in an organisational environment and so I had to be very self-conscious about the philosophical distinctions between advocacy, religious, purely charitable, bilateral or inter-governmental agencies. In other words, through this work I had been sensitized to the subtleties of organisational culture and its relationship to operational policies. In general, as a project manager I shared an outcome orientation that allowed me to identify with the role of other project managers in comparable organisational settings, even outside the domain international aid. The reason I found myself in a ten-year career as aid worker was in part due to a long-standing interest in foreign settings and the extensive time I had already spent living abroad. The familiarity with different cultures from growing up in the Middle East, emigrating during school years to New Zealand and working in several European countries not only opened my appreciation of how cultures and societies are distinguished but also permitted me to acquire conversational fluency in eight languages. Overhearing the words our interpreter used to translate my speech into Arabic for a group of village elders in a Sahel village, or joking with Russian militia officers to be able to enter an ethnic enclave in the Caucasus, added diverse points of view that only first-hand knowledge can make relevant to other situations. The value of knowing how language and cultural upbringing can shape world views, understanding and humour is invaluable when attempting to reflect on other situations from a position that is neither entirely inside nor outside but on the boundary between cultures and places that are in (dialectical) relation. 1.1.1.1 Adopting an inside-out view: focus on protagonist, on the relationship between identity and subject. While it is tempting to examine a situation from the point of view of those with the power to affect it the change makers and potential audience for the research findings it can be critical to also adopt the point of view of less influential actors. An inside out view seeks to show how outside forces influence the nature of polity, rather than using the people in the area of interest to provide a background against which to set the actions of outsiders {see also Routledge, Pacific History as seen from the Pacific Islands, Pacific Studies Spring 1985}. This study, in other words, seeks to be not merely island-centred but islander-oriented. The perspective thus adopted is that of a scholarly practitioner. Bentz and Shapiro {, 1998 #1684} use this term to recognise that in the enterprise of knowledge generation and critical reflection, there is a two-way relationship. The role of the scholarly practitioner involves â€Å"using professional practice and knowledge as a resource for the formulation and production of scholarly knowledge as well as for evaluating, testing, applying, extending, or modifying existing knowledge† (p. 66). Bentz and Shapiro stress that this requires also an awareness of the limits of knowledge, and, I would add, the contested nature of knowledge. This recognition brings attention to the production of knowledge in environmental politics. 1.1.1.2 Social science must be conscious of its performative character: Reconnecting the researcher with the researched There are a number of research traditions that address the ontological gap between researcher and the researched. Action research for one, is a participatory methodology that seeks to produce knowledge that emerges from context of action as a collaborative project between researcher and the researched. It typically sees the researcher performing functional roles within groups working together on real world projects and tasks (Wadsworth, 1998). Participatory research finds many other outlets and emphasizes a philosophy of co-production or research, from the formulation of the question, through reflection on outcomes to the communication of findings (Cornwall Jewkes, 1995). A methodology that seeks to discard theoretical preconceptions completely is grounded theory. Theories are grounded in the groups observable experiences, but researchers add their own insight into why those experiences exist. It is a method formulated by Strauss and Corbin that categorizes empirically collected data to build a general theory to fit the data (Barney G. Glaser, 2004; B.G. Glaser Strauss, 1967; A. McCarthy, 1999). The investigator develops conceptual categories from the data and then makes new observations to develop these categories. Hypotheses are derived directly from the data, and may be tested against it. All conclusions must be grounded in and supported by the data. Their seminal work, The Development of Grounded Theory (1967), moved researchers past the hypothesis-testing uses of raw data into the hypothesis-generating potential of their observations. The approach has been steadily expanding its reach within academia through sociology and social anthropology an d, more recently into applied disciplines like nursing and educational research. Notwithstanding the uptake of grounded philosophy by researchers motivated to reconnect with the empirical subject, the lack of theorizing underlying this may be criticized by more ‘sophisticated theorists like Habermas, who I later want to bring into this discussion. For the German, the lack of critical framing that grounded theory represents is a crucial shortcoming that needs to be addressed methodologically. I will begin this by first discussing methodological treatment of settings and context. 1.1.2 Accounting for context with mental models and ethnographic methods The cognitive patterns that underlie social behavior are not easily accessible to the researcher. Conceptualizing mental models that can account for communicative behavior in a way that relates to settings and context must represent basic notions of cognition such as ideology, knowledge and values. Ideologies in the sense used here, are general and abstract, principle based, axiomatic beliefs, while knowledge are the actual facts and beliefs held as true. Attitudes are taken to comprise opinion, beliefs, feelings, and intentions about specific issues, typically socially shared (see also Leiserowitz, Kates, Parris, 2006). A mental model then, is the categorical understanding constructed from ideologies, knowledge, and attitudes of specific contexts and situations. An accompanying notion is that of group knowledge as those social beliefs that which a group, or imagined community, holds to be true according to its own evaluation or verification (truth) criteria (eg science) and which can be doubted by outsiders. But such cultural, common ground knowledge is not challenged within groups, and is presupposed in public discourse, even when they are shifting as are the notions of conservation, environment and sustainability did that were discussed. 1.1.2.1 Context models as subjective representation To study context and its relation to subjective meanings, ethnographic approaches hold most promise as they work with subjective representation and group knowledge processes (e.g. Descola, 1996; Wolfe Yang, 1996). Such a view is also interested in how context structures social relations (communicative and interactional), social dynamics (group membership and interaction). But it also brings another interest relevant to the study of participation, of how cognition has a role in terms of framing goals, knowledge and other beliefs of participants in deliberation. The notion of context is used in scholarship as ambiguously as ‘environment is in wider discourses. To be able to treat it as an analytical object needs a basic model. By defining contexts and contextualization in terms of mental models and their role in discourse production and comprehension, this can account not only for the role of social representations such as attitudes and ideologies in discourse, but also allows a more subjective explanation of discourse and its variation in terms of personal mental models. The empirical studies will demonstrate this. Van Dijk (2001) sees context as a model of relevance that shapes actors opinions and actions. He recognizes that context is subjective and individual and with that is ideologically based and has coherence within group discourse. Thus, context models are subjective representations of social situation, including communicative events they define what is relevant. This makes an account of context critical for understanding participation. And subjective context framing may be ideologically biased. 1.1.2.2 Frames of referenceand the ‘black box of mental models The concept of frame of reference is also used commonly used to refer to the cognitive effect of contextual models (Swaffield, 1998). It describes and categorizes the attitudes displayed by individuals when discussing a management issue. The framing concepts in this study were defined as follows: A frame of reference is an analytical model of attitudes concerning a resource policy or management issue. A personal frame of reference refers to the attitudes expressed by an individual. A common frame of reference refers to the distinctive pattern of attitudes that is common to a number of individuals. However, there is no claim that the frame of reference as defined here represents cognitive processes. Rather, it is a model of the attitudes openly expressed by individuals when discussing an issue. A basic problem that remains, is that context, subjectivities and cognition remain inaccessible to a researcher. A ‘black box model of subjective context therefore lacks explanatory relevance. But as the subject of deliberation, context circumscribes the cognitive boundaries of actors ‘mentalities. For van Dijk (2001), the advantage of such an approach is that it accounts not only for the role of social representations, such as attitudes and ideologies in discourse, but also allows a more subjective explanation of discourse and its variation in terms of personal mental models. And since contexts are by definition unique and personal, context models of framings precisely allow an individual approach to contextualization to be combined with a more social one, in which shared representations, groups, and other societal aspects play a prominent role. 1.1.3 Boundaries: Locating and moving across by following, pushing or re-imagining phenomena ## I will begin with the premise that the totality of relations in a socio-ecological geography are meaningful, that is the relations between people, places and things. And that the inverse of relationships are distinctions that coalesce to form boundaries between categories and instances. This is worth emphasizing since the recognition that boundaries constrain meaning can draw attention to the contrived and therefore limiting nature of abstraction. How this premise will permit established abstraction and meanings to be questioned, fragmented and reassembled is the work that this chapter will begin and will be completed in the methodological chapter that follows. The first boundary to highlight and that can show what is meant by transgressing distinctions consists of the separation of human from non-human nature. Imagining environmental governance reform as regulating the entry of humans into nature and the export of non-human resources out of nature is counter-intuitive to any gardener. Fence lines, compost bins and patio seating all blur the boundaries. Self-identity for many derives from emotional attachments to home and garden, nurturing roles that a vegetable plot reinforces and status that manicured lawns or urban bio-diversity islands respectively can demonstrate. Thus the domain of interest should not be a non-human nature as an object of human intervention but instead a nature as a geography of human relations that are linked to an environment through diverse interests. This is a geography that is physically located in both the commons and in private property another paired abstraction that will prove to be divided by a blurred boundary. But this is also a geography that exists in the social imagination as social, cultural or political objects. The environment so seen can be conceived as the total of society-nature relations which relate to all material, subjective, cognitive, political, and other interests or dimensions. The challenge then becomes not in naming these complex relations but in thinking about them, in framing them. 1.1.4 Environmental governance as an adjustable lens [## develop] The first conceptual tool to prepare will thus be the notion of environmental governance as an adjustable lens. Rather than using the literature in an inevitably selective manner to stabilize the meaning of this concept at least for the duration of this discussion, I will adopt a counter-strategy of reinforcing the ambiguity of the notion and employing it with shifting meanings to approach the research problem from different scales, extension and perspectives. Environmental governance is a category of practices and ideas that are of interest to several perspectives. As a domain of practice it is the concern of academic text books (Durant, Fiorino, OLeary, 2004; Hempel, 1996; Kettl, 2002; Levy Newell, 2005) as much as ministerial policy statements {Ministry of the Environment 2000, 2003}, international donor policy, and publications of environmental agencies. In practice, actually relating good governance to ecological outcomes is near impossible. Choosing one arbitrary example from international experience, an in-depth evaluation of different forest management governance regimes in Madagascar showed how there were enormous difficulties in explaining the dynamics and assessing measures of sustainability and equity (McConnell Sweeney). The term of environmental governance can be encountered in a range of contexts. In a recent survey of issues in environmental policy and management Durant et al (ibid.) identify key topics in environmental governance as sustainability, the precautionary principle, common-pool resource theory, deliberative democracy, civic environmentalism, environmental justice, property rights, environmental conflict resolution, devolution, among others. This has introduced a range of perspectives from environmental economics, democratic theory, public policy, law, political science, and public administration. In effect, environmental governance does not so much represent a theoretical field or a professional discipline, but a theme of shared concerns in scholarship and applied practice. This chapter will consider how environmental governance can be re-approached by detaching it from the portfolio of resource managers and relocating it within a wider arena of development and democratic practices. In the development field the notion that the public, stakeholders or local people have an important role in environmental governance is emphasized. Environmental governance includes the structures (e.g. management regimes), organizational forms (e.g. farmer research teams, water user associations), processes (e.g. multi-stakeholder dialogue), actors and rules (e.g. negotiated access rights and boundaries) that determine how resources are managed at international, national and local levels. (International Development Research Centre) Aside from government agencies and development practitioners, scholars will also characterize contemporary environmental governanceas a â€Å"collaborative approach to policy formulation and implementation†(Durant et al., 2004, pp. 22-23). Environmental governance therefore is relevant to several different fields of interest to scholars and can be framed in several ways. In the first instance, environmental governance is political and so a subject of political inquiry. This opens up a diverse body of literature to employ in developing an approach to environmental governance. Another dimension that arises out of the political, and that the following discussion shows to be explicitly present, is deliberative democracy. But the most promising approach to begin to problematize environmental governance lies with the notion of development and its contemporary manifestation as sustainable development, particularly its application by foreign agents in local settings. Each of these dim ensions embodies unresolved tensions tensions that can also be encountered in many sites of social theory and practice which centre on epistemological concerns. It may also be useful to think in terms of environmental governance as a body of political theory, as Humphrey has done (2007), that has a central focus upon environmental concerns as these relate to democracy, justice, globalization, political economy, freedom, the welfare state, and other aspects of political life. This body of work is no longer as closely related to the environmental ethics and values of nature of a deep ecology, but is more integrated into mainstream political theory. For the purpose of this discussion, I will develop the notion of environmental governance as a conceptual tool to approach the research problem from different scales, extension and perspectives. The complementary notions of environmental governance offer entry points into related literatures and cultures of practice: Environmental Democracy, Environmental Reform, Environmental Collaboration, and Environmental Sustainability. Environmental governance can thus best be treated as both as assembly of practice and as a body of theory that is doing political work. To reconnect theory and practice will be the task of this chapter. 1.1.5 We are being ‘participated again: An incomplete typology of participative approaches There is an emerging consensus that the public need to be more involved in the processes of environmental decision making. From the international arena exemplified in documents such as Agenda 21 and the initiatives of the World Bank to national government policy initiatives, local policy and planning systems such as the New Zealand Resource Management Act, and in the discourses of actors including scientists and business groups, a role for public participation has been instituted (Davies, 2002). Implicit in the idea of participation is that the initiative lies with the reformers, the change-makers to approach the public with a project to respond to. From the perspective of an un-associated citizen, the prospect of another round of workshops and discussion groups events that have become familiar to many villagers in target zones of international aid the process is passive and invites the expression not surprisingly encountered in developing nations of ‘we are being participated again. The notion of taking part in environmental decision-making and in contrast to an authority taking top-down action is taken up by a wide range of terms and practices. Participation in the social science is an umbrella term including different means for the public to directly participate in political, economic, management or other social decisions. Participatory decision making then infers a level of proportionate decision making power and can take place along any realm of human social activity, including economic (e.g. participatory economics), political (e.g. participatory democracy), cultural (e.g. communalism) or familial (e.g. Feminism). In practice, the term participation applies to processes initiated by an agency seeking to initiate a project or introduce reform. It thus becomes critical to ask, who is invited to participate, and by whom. What regulatory requirements may apply, is there precedent, and what resources are available are only some of the parameters that the term participation by itself does not convey. In the government sector, at least in New Zealand, the word consultation is frequently used to describe a range of processes to engage with the community i.e. citizens and citizen associations. These range from the prescribed processes in the Local Government Act (2002) such as the special consultative procedure (section 83) to informal processes such as e-mail chat groups or anecdotal local knowledge. In this report, the term consultation will be used in a broad sense to include any form of government agency engagement with local communities, including activities carried out by an authority to inform itself of community views as well as specific consultation exercises. Collaboration is another category that carries the notion to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavour. The sense that will be used here, emphasises the absence of authority, a consensual decision making process with respect to an established domain. Dispute resolution is a related practice that seeks to reduce differences or to seek a solution when a conflict situation exists. When the services of a third party are utilized, this is often referred to as mediation. These categories denote some of the dimensions that structure relationships in public involvement: consultation as an exercise in information exchange, participation implying a direct input into deliberation over decisions linked to

Critical Evaluation ? Lamb to the Slaughter Essay -- essays research p

A tale of the unexpected is Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl. The story has a twist in the tale ending in which a loving wife gruesomely murders her husband. Mr Patrick Maloney, a senior in the police force seemed a happy married man to his pregnant wife, Mrs. Mary Maloney. Mr Maloney comes home one night, shocking his wife with the news he is leaving her. Mrs. Maloney is in great shock, to a state that she kills her husband, with a frozen leg of lamb. In the end she gets away with it, unwittingly the police then destroy the evidence by eating the cooked lamb. Mrs. Maloney is your normal housewife, she sits at home in suspense waiting for her prized husband to return home from work. Her relationship with her husband Patrick is almost as a sunbather feels the sun. This is shown in the opening part of the story when Patrick returns home from work. Mary has his usual drink set out for him and when he comes in she is just content to sit in silence, his presence gives her a glow. Throughout the opening part of the story Mary will do anything that Patrick says, showing that she has a great love for him and would never want to disappoint him. At six months pregnant she is the one that should be resting but instead she is jumping around just to try and please her husband. At the start of the novel, Mary seems very innocent, but her whole personality changes when she kills Patrick. At the start she seems happy, loving, caring, friendly and very dependent on Patrick. After Patric...

San Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert

The San Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert A well-known foraging community in the southwest region of Africa is the San Bushmen. These hunting and gathering bands have lived in the Kalahari Desert region for thousands of years. The men of these communities are the primary hunters, who provide about 20 percent of the diet from the animals they kill. The women collect a various nuts, tubers, melons, and berries that provide the other 80 percent of the San diet (Nowak & Laird, 2010). The San live in one of the most marginal environments in the world and generally move around in bands when hunting or while moving around to find water or food about two to three times a week. Women can collect enough food in one day to feed their families for a full week, while men hunt two or three days a week. Vegetation is found in the same place every year, whereas animals are less reliably found in a particular location. Thus, women's knowledge about reliable locations to find food is respected and seriously considered. The rest of the time is spent in leisurely pursuits: visiting, playing, sleeping, and just enjoying each other's company (Lee, 1979). Like other foragers, have many hours of free time for leisure activities, including socializing with their kin and friends. San men vary widely in their skill at hunting, but different levels of success do not lead to differences in status. Self-deprecation and understatement are rigorously required of the hunter after a successful hunt. This modesty is evident from the moment he enters the village to relay his news. Although an energetic man might be a successful hunter, he is the â€Å"owner† of the meat only if the spear or arrow used to kill the animal was his. A man who does not excel at hunting can therefore be successful by giving an arrow he made to another hunter. If his arrow was used in the kill, he is considered the â€Å"owner† of the meat (Shostak, 1981). When looking generalized reciprocity from the outside, one would think a hunter, who chooses to share his kill among others is being very generous. However, the real reason behind this is that it enhances their survival. Without collectively sharing, the San life would be much harder. This way of life helps relieve tensions and strengthens their bonds of kinship. Reciprocity helps foragers in the way of a safety net. If a community loses a food or water source, they can ask another community to share theirs. As far as ownership is concerned, the San, have rights to waterholes, and if others want to use the waterhole, they must get permission. By sharing the use of the waterhole, the community receiving the water will reciprocate in the future with other goods or services. Other forms of ownership include tools, such as blowpipes, darts, digging sticks, and animals. Today, the San are having trouble maintaining their identity, their traditions and their cultures. The land that was once free to them is being taken away and used for game reserves and other purposes. Forcing them to move from their lands disrupts and weakens their kinship. Kinship in today’s society can go either way. It can be cohesive or disconnected due to the nature or patterns of how the relationship was built. If a child for instance had a great relationship with his/her family while growing up, they are more likely to have a great relationship throughout their lives and continue respecting their family and others. If the opposite applies, as it unfortunately happens in today’s world, they grow up to believe that they are an â€Å"island† and if they do not take care of themselves, no one else will. References Nowak, B. , & Laird, P. (2010). Cultural anthropology. San Diego, Bridgepoint Education, Inc. https://content. ashford. edu. Lee, R. (1979). The ! Kung San: Men, women and work in a foraging society. Melbourne, Australia: Cambridge University Press. Shostak, M. (1981). Nisa: The life and words of a ! Kung woman. New York: Vintage.

Transition Words

Transition Words Transition Words Transition Words By Maeve Maddox A frequent fault of inexperienced writers is a tendency to present thoughts and ideas without showing connections between them, or without making their significance clear to the reader. Transition words and phrases keep the reader on track by showing relationships between ideas and information. Consider the following paragraph: People who adopt a dog need to teach it basic commands.  Basic obedience keeps the animal safe and prevents it from becoming a danger. Many pet owners fail to teach their dogs to obey. They should always consider the need to train their puppies to obey. The writer of this paragraph sees value in training a dog in basic obedience, but a reader might wonder what connection there is between basic obedience and the dog’s safety or dangerous behavior. Transitions are needed to show these connections. The paragraph revised: People who adopt a dog need to teach it basic commands in order to keep it safe and prevent it from harming others. For example, a dog that won’t come when called might run into the street and be hit by a car. A dog not trained to keep from jumping on people could cause injury by knocking someone down. Unfortunately, many pet owners fail to teach their dogs to obey, and, as a result, the animal becomes a nuisance or danger to family and strangers alike. To avoid undesirable behavior in their pets, dog owners should always consider the need to train puppies in basic obedience. Here is a list of transition words grouped according to the types of transition they can be used for: To add information: and, not onlybut also, also, moreover, furthermore, in addition, again, besides, equally important, what’s more, too To give examples: for example, for instance, specifically, in particular To show contrast: but, however, on the other hand, otherwise, instead, in contrast To show concession: yet, nevertheless, however, although, even though, despite the fact that, despite To show similarity: likewise, similarly, in the same way To show result: so, as a result, therefore, thus, as a consequence, consequently To indicate time or sequence: first, second, finally, meanwhile, immediately, thereafter, soon, finally, previously, formerly, next, following this, after, soon, therefore To offer conditional thoughts: or, whetheror, ifthen To explain or emphasize: in fact, actually, in other words, namely, obviously, in any case, naturally, certainly, unquestionably To offer alternatives: or, eitheror, neithernor To compare: on the other hand, on the contrary, by comparison, compared to, balanced against, visvis, although, in contrast To prove: because, for, for the same reason, obviously, evidently, in fact, in any case To conclude: in conclusion, in brief, on the whole, to conclude, as I have shown Some transition words, like also, and, or, like, as for, and further are unobtrusive, directing the reader without distracting. Others, like albeit, jump out at the reader and must be used sparingly. Still other transitions cast doubt on the credibility of the writer. Here are some transitions often seen in freshman compositions. They are perhaps best avoided: in all honesty, to tell the truth, to put it briefly, be that as it may, last but not least, to get back to the point, to make a long story short. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Fly, Flew, (has) FlownFlied?30 Baseball Idioms5 Erroneously Constructed â€Å"Not Only . . . But Also† Sentences

Consideration of HRM Essays

Consideration of HRM Essays Consideration of HRM Essay Consideration of HRM Essay Title A Consideration of Human Resource Management future: Its time to unleash HRS full potential Introduction Human Resource Management involves the recruitment and management of the people who work in an organization. The focus of Human Resource Management is to attract, select, train, motivate and compensate employees, while making sure that they comply with employment and labor laws. In the stressful environment of todays businesses, organizations and managers are faced with numerous challenges. Technological change and innovation in product on one hand and the management complexity, on the other hand, make managers rely on human capital. Due to the changing business environment, human resource management also does undeniably need to change to respond to changes. The future is unpredictable and difficult to determine. As a result, the flexibility and business knowledge towards responding to this uncertainty is important. Today, the strategic challenges in the field of human resources are not limited only to administrative matters, but at the same time ttention should be given to the four criteria: 1) Human resources development infrastructure should be maintained, 2) Employees commitment should be engineered, 3) Human resource professionals are strategic partners of the organizations and, 4) HR professionals as internal consultants handle their change management. Literature Review Researchers and theorists have different views about what will happen to human resource function in future. Most research has been done on topics of technology, intellectual capital, and government regulation, workforce demographic changes, hrinking organizations, international management and globalization. It is evident that all the issues mentioned play a very important role in human resource management over the coming decades, and some are clearly more effective than others, but very broad issues like the Future of human resource management are ambiguous. Workforce planning grew during the 1960s and early 1970s in a period of relative economic stability when unemployment was low and organizations were faced with supply shortages and the need to improve labor utilization (see Reilly, he economic downturn of the 1980s when the failure to prove the economic value of workforce plans resulted in many efforts being eliminated. The Problem Identification The activities of HR appear to be and often are disconnected from the real work of the organization. In fact, the primary responsibility for transforming the role of HR belongs to the CEO and to every line manager who must achieve business goals. The reason? Line managers have ultimate responsibility for both the processes and the outcomes of the company. It follows that they should lead the way in fully integrating HR into the companys real work. Indeed, to do so, they must become HR champions themselves. More important, they must hold HR accountable for delivering it. A team of professionals cannot be built by an organization without good Human Resource Management. As a result, businesses with good Human Resource Management (HRM) have higher profits than businesses without or with poor HRM. So, now its demand of time to explore new value for HRM. Although, some studies was done previously in he field of HRM but mostly all studies explored the importance of HRM (Q. Ye et al. , 20110) and scope, limitation which is now only for an historic symbol . These studies do not generalize for the future orientation. Also, there is a very limited research in the existing HRM literature by exploratory method. Therefore, this study will be undertaken to explore the Future of HRM among the world. Objectives The objectives of this study are to investigate and create an entirely new role and agenda for the field that focuses it not on traditional HR activities, but on outcomes. HR should be defined by what it delivers results that enrich the organizations value to customers, investors, and employees. Methodology A qualitative, case study research methodology will be chosen in this research. The research will be conducted through semi-structured interviews and common themes. Participants will be HR officials Experts who will be chosen randomly by sampling method from various famous organizations in Malaysia. Importance of the study The findings of this study will be useful for HR officials to be informed of new role for heir framework and also to make decision in different key point. It will also be helpful to make themselves capable while taking new challenges. Moreover, they can utilize this information to develop such an imperative plan model using user- generated content. 2013-2014 research time line Activity/Duration November December January February March April May June Problem formulation Finding Literature review Preparing Methodology 2014-2015 research time line July August Sep oct Nov Jan Feb Data Collection Analysis acquired data Thesis Submission References

A Day at Belton Lake Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Day at Belton Lake - Essay Example The most common is sand though mud can also be up the Leon River that drains to Lake Belton and the cowhouise arms. Lake Belton has no aquatic vegetation, but some investigation reveals little presence of some vegetation in the lake. The water of the lake is usually cool in the summer time making the environment cool for swimming and in water relaxation. I had great anticipation that morning to participate in the activities that are in the lake. I hurriedly rush to my drawer containing my swimsuit. I pulled out my favorite blue swimming costume. I rush down the stairs to start off the daddy with daddy’s famous chocolate, grapes and biscuits for the morning. That is an original breakfast that we do have every time before we spend our day in Belton Lake. Lak Belton is a public lake that is open for all public access facilities. Ramping using boats, bank fishing, camping and picnics are all available. This place forms the best are to spend some time with family members and enjoy the weekend (Carpenter et al. pg. 163). The serene environment altogether with the hot summer makes the atmosphere and the lakes water cool for swimming to take place. My parents and I love swimming in Lake Belton and nearly every summer we take a day to send in the cool waters of the lake. Along the lakes beach, there is 300 foot plus the water slide curve that plunges from the start tower down to the splash pool that is four foot. The family picnics are usually located just adjacent to the lakes beach (Hoare and Hoare. pg. 225). Before taking off on our boat, we have to make sure that every equipment is in place, and we are fully prepared for any circumstance. My duty is to ensure that all essentials items including lotion, drinks, snack food, beach towels and sunscreen are all packed. As I do that, my brother and dad are always busy our boat fuel tank is full of gas, life jackets in plenty and intertube that is usually fun but dangerous

The Role of Communication in the Strategic and Program Planning Term Paper

The Role of Communication in the Strategic and Program Planning Processes in a Health Care Oganization - Term Paper Example Sometimes changes can be small tweaks and fine tuning of the existing strategy or a complete replacement of the old strategy with a new one. A development of a strategy or a program, majority of the times, is a case for change. The change can be for development of an existing service or introduction of an entirely new service and it can involve minor or major changes. But irrespective of what kind of change is being brought in organizational strategy, it will definitely make an impact on the quality of care (Rowe, 2008) Communication plays a very important role not just in the implementation process but also in the strategic and program planning process. Health care organizations have very less products and in all probability are completely based on the service offered which is wholly dependent on the human resources of the organization. It is the employees at the bottom level who have hands on experience of what the problems are at the most basic level than those at the top manageme nt of the company. Their inputs during the strategic and program planning process can be vital. Also it is the employees at the bottom level who are responsible for the actual implementation of the strategy and program designed by the top management. Communication need not be one sided but needs to be an interactive process where there are exchange of views and ideas. Active participation and effective communication among all stakeholders (internal to the organization) can be the difference between designing an effective strategy and a mediocre one. Also even more important is the role that effective communication can play in the process of identifying the areas that are problematic and need to be addressed. Hence, communication channels must be created between the employees at the basic level and those at the top for the formulation of an effective strategy. Now moving on to the implementation phase of the strategy and programs, communication plays an even more important role. As m entioned earlier, any organizational strategy is a case of change and change is always met with resistance from employees. Employees at all levels need to be communicated the purpose and need for the change. Also, what the change in strategy could mean to the employees and how it can improve their job performance. It is only when employees identify with and understand the intent and need for the change in strategy or a program that their full cooperation can be expected and this is vital for the overall success of the strategy. A health care organization has numerous functional units and the broader organization strategy will not be able to cater to the different needs of each of these units. A broader organizational strategy must be used a reference and a strategy must be prepared by the managers and the stakeholders of each functional area that would best suit the function. There are two main criteria that need to be considered here. One, the functional area strategy must be in ac cordance with and mesh with the wider organizational plan. Two, it must be in sync with the plans of the other functional areas (Moseley, 2009). The role of communication is vital in the process. Effective communication between stakeholders of the functional areas and that of wider organization is essential to meet the first criteria. More important one is the communication

Managerial Finance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Managerial Finance - Assignment Example c) The utility company can take out a large debt as it is able to sustain it as it generates enough revenue throughout the year to finance the debt where a software company which works on one of orders and generates revenue on successful orders completed hence they cannot afford to reduce their profitability and revenues by taking debt and then giving interest on it. d) The investor would not invest all the investment in one company as this will increase risk. When the investment is spread over all the various companies and various industries of different nature the inherent risk of investment is diversified and minimized. P2-15 a) The company has a very effective sales collection system in place and as per the figures the company has a defective rate of 12.5% and rest of the sales in other terms have been collected in cash or were already collected as per the system. b) Yes it would increase the entire debt from a 12.5% to a staggering 16.67% which would mean the company is effectiv ely loosing 16.67% of the 75% sales that it is making which is a huge problem for the company.

The controversy that is evolution Essay Example for Free

The controversy that is evolution Essay I will be looking at the controversy that is evolution. The one side being we have evolved from primate to Neanderthal man to homo sapien. And the other from a religious creator point of view and the view of no proof of evolution. I shall start with the argument against evolution. The issue here is that faith is something which can not be proven thats why its called faith because you have to believe, compared to that which has not been proven (theory) (1). This articles argument is that until there is specific evidence and proof in some form of fossil or gradual progression and transition from one species to the next, evolution will remain an unproven, yet appealing, theory. Creationism in the Oxford English Dictionary (6) means the belief that the universe and living creatures were created by God in accordance with the account given in the Old Testament. Creationists will try and argue the case in favour of their belief when people comment on how the Earth is far older than 6000 years and therefore how could God have made it. They infer that the natural processes back then were a lot different to how they are today, such as radioactive decay occurred far more rapid thousands of years ago than it does today, making the earth seem older than it really is. (2). Whether or not decay did occur a lot faster back then is still to be discovered this is why theorist trying to prove evolution cant be sure about anything and nor can the creationists be sure about what happened. 45% of Americans agreed with the statement: God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10 000 years or so (3, page 499). They believe and stand on what they believe so much that it creationist materials have been published not only in English but in 13 other languages (3, page 500). They believe that the universe and earth was created 10,000 years ago, and that the earth was inundated by Noahs flood and that all living things were created by God to reproduce after the kind, thus setting limits on evolution. This article goes on (3, page 502) to talk about how Darwin didnt publish in detail all facts in his origin of species (4) which he regarded as a mere abstract of his planned yet never completed Natural Selection (5). Reasons for this are not known but makes you wonder why didnt he complete it and creationists use this in their favour against the idea of evolution. The arguments here are good, until proof is given when someone makes a theory it is not fact and so therefore can not be relied upon no matter how many assumptions and theories are put together. The bible has been translated more times and into more languages (more than 2,100 languages) than any other book, and it is the best selling book of all time, this fact makes it seem more than just a nice story and makes it easier to believe that it actually possiably true. However questions may be asked from the opposing side about the religious background to the creationism argument. The point being if your not religious your not going to believe in the creation story and therefore not going to believe God created everything so they will look for answers in nature and elsewhere and create theories to try and prove where we did come from. In these evolution scientist minds we did evolve from apes, and they will try and prove the creation story wrong and their theory right. I shall now go on to look at the arguments for the theory of evolution. Evolution in the oxford English dictionary (6) means the process by which different kinds of living organism are believed to have developed, especially by natural selection ; gradual development. Humans and chimpanzees share some 99% of DNA and amino acid identity (8, page 721). These figures are good numbers to look at and to try and prove we have evolved from chimps, and are convincing. However despite this high percent our morphological, biomedical and cognitive differences are significant. This is why creationists and other people find it hard to believe we have morphed from chimps into humans. There is also the fact that if we were once chimps and we evolved into humans, there are now still humans and still chimpanzees, why is there no in-between living proof about. Darwin argues that humans are only slightly remodelled chimpanzee-like apes, he based this on the asserted importance of numerous points of resemblance (8, page 727). Darwin missed the point, its not so much the points of similarity that makes the line of descent, it is more a few points of dissimilarity that breaks the lines, and makes a species different (8, page 728). Here we seem to have a point being made and then another point being made against that point, it makes a good article, but doesnt make a good argument for evolution when you prove what you just said wrong in a later paragraph. Natural selection meaning larger males mate with larger females which then reproduce to make larger offspring (9). However in the animal world you cant force animals to mate and you cant predict or guarantee who will either. The article goes against itself and talks about how there may be other reasons for taller people not just tall reproducing tall. Reasons such as better nutrition and standard of living and health care (10, page 257). There are also links to climate and stature due to living and adapting to similar conditions (10, page 278), however oddly the tallest and shortest populations ever recorded were Nuer 184.44cm and Mbuti 144.1cm which were both recorded in central Africa (7, page 672). So although Darwin and his natural selection may be true to some extent on the whole other factors play apart in the way we have changed over the years. More a change due to environmental conditions and better living standards which wouldnt explain the change from ape to human. Monkeys can be trained to walk bipedally rather than quadrupidally (11, page 739). This meaning we could have evolved to better suit ourselves, a kind of survival of the fittest. The bipedal walking after 2-3km per day, changes there skeletal system and existence of humanlike lumbar lordosis shows (7, page 740). The benefits of this bipedal walking means they expend less energy and can walk with longer less frequent sides so therefore have adapted to benefit themselves. The arguments here for evolution theory arent as strong as those for the creationist theory purely because of the facts that they are theories and havent been proven yet. One theorist says one thing and then another theorist says another, always contradicting each other. Until facts are made clearer and proof found the theory of evolution will go on. All the articles I have read have been convincing to there point of view, some more so than others. Some even seem to debate and out different ideas across in their own argument. The best arguments were those with the facts and figures and scientific drawings. Points which are reliable and not biased which are factual and true. References (1) Lipman. R, Creationism versus evolution, The Lancet, volume 360 (September), issue 9336, (2002), page 872. (2) Langen. T, what is right with teaching the controversy?, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, volume 19 (March), issue 3, (2004), pages 114-115. (3) Scott. E and Branch. G, Evolution: Whats wrong with teaching the controversy?, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, volume 18 (October), issue 10, (2003), pages 499-502. (4) C. Darwin. On the Origin of Species, John Murray (1859). (5) A. Desmond and J. Moore. Darwin: The Life of a Tormented Evolutionist, Warner Books (1991). (6) www.askoxford.com/, 19/02/06, 2015 (7) Harding. R and McVean. G, A structured ancestral population for the evolution of modern humans, Current opinion in Genetics and Development, volume 14 (December), issue 6 (2004), pages 667-674. (8) Gibbons. R, Dugaiczy. L, Girke. T, Duistermars. B, Zielinski. R and Dugaiczy. A, distinguishing humans from great apes with AluYb8 repeats, Journal of Molecular Biology, volume 339 (June), issue 4 (2004), pages 721-729. (9) Lindenfors, 2002 P. Lindenfors, Sexually antagonistic selection on primate size, J. Evol. Biol. 15 (2002), pp. 595-607 (10) Gustafsson. A and Lindenfors. P, human size evolution: no evolutionary allometric relationship between male and female statue, Journal of Human Evolution, volume 47 (October), issue 4 (2004), pages 253-266. (11) Hirasaki. E, Ogihara. N, Hamada. Y, Kumakura. H, Nakatsukaa. M, do highly trained monkeys walk like humans? A kinematic study of bipedal locomotion in bipedally trained Japanese macaques, Journal of Human Evolution, volume 46 (June), issue 6 (2004), pages 739-750.

The Signalman by Charles Dickens and The Darkness Out There by Penelope

"The Signalman" by Charles Dickens and "The Darkness Out There" by Penelope Lively Comparing 'The Signalman' by Charles Dickens and 'The Darkness Out There' by Penelope Lively is an ideal way of looking at two authors from different times and backgrounds. Dickens, writing in the nineteenth century, would have had a very different audience to write for from Lively, writing in the twentieth century. Therefore, each author uses different techniques to create tension in the two pieces. During the nineteenth century there was a strong belief in ghosts and the spiritual world; telling ghost stories around the fireplace is often seen as a typical form of Victorian entertainment. Dickens draws on this tradition to create a short story that would have strongly appealed to readers of that time. Lively, however, is not writing for an audience that would enjoy a ghost story as much, therefore 'The Darkness Out There,' is not blatently a ghost story. To capture her readers' interests she instead uses the war and the attitudes to the Germans as a focus of concern. As Dickens lived in a time when the Queen was married to a man of German origin, war with Germany was very unlikely. This meant he had to use an alternate approach to draw the audience into the story. For this he used the recent invention of the steam train to gain a foothold into the reader's minds. This was already causing a lot of anxiety so it would have been easy to take advantage of the reader. He uses this approach to create tension. Another way the writers create tension is by exploring elements of the unknown. They both do this but in contrasting ways. In 'The Signalman,' the unknown is explicitly explored and it is obviously a ghost story from ... ...s and Lively create tension through their use of plot, characters, style and setting. The eerie "Packers End" matches the claustrophobia enhancing setting of 'The Signalman'. Dickens' anonymous characters of the narrator and the signalman keep the readers on edge in 'The Signalman,' whereas Sandra's naivety, Kerry's suspicious nature and Mrs Rutter's seeming innocence then the abrupt exposure of true character build up tension and surprise in 'The Darkness Out There.' Dickens' compacted plot works well to hold the reader's attention and the build up to Lively's final climax keeps her audience hooked to the end. On the whole both authors use events of their time well to create suspense. I feel that although Dickens appears to do this more effectively, the seeming normality yet the sense of unease about 'The Darkness Out There' creates just as much tension.