Probability Puzzles Odds of a Flush in Poker

There are many different named hands in poker.  One that is easy to explain is called a flush.  This type of hand consists of every card having the same suit. Some of the techniques of combinatorics, or the study of counting, can be applied to calculate the probabilities of drawing certain types of hands in poker. The probability of being dealt a flush is relatively simple to find but is more complicated than calculating the probability of being dealt a royal flush. Assumptions For simplicity, we will assume that five cards are dealt from a standard 52 deck of cards without replacement. No cards are wild, and the player keeps all of the cards that are dealt to him or her. We will not be concerned with the order in which these cards are drawn, so each hand is a combination of five cards taken from a deck of 52 cards. There are a total number of C(52, 5) 2,598,960 possible distinct hands. This set of hands forms our sample space. Straight Flush Probability We start by finding the probability of a straight flush. A straight flush is a hand with all five cards in sequential order, all of which are of the same suit. In order to correctly calculate the probability of a straight flush, there are a few stipulations that we must make. We do not count a royal flush as a straight flush. So the highest ranking straight flush consists of a nine, ten, jack, queen and king of the same suit. Since an ace can count a low or high card, the lowest ranking straight flush is an ace, two, three, four and five of the same suit. Straights cannot loop through the ace, so queen, king, ace, two and three are not counted as a straight. These conditions mean that there are nine straight flushes of a given suit. Since there are four different suits, this makes 4 x 9 36 total straight flushes. Therefore the probability of a straight flush is 36/2,598,960 0.0014%. This is approximately equivalent to 1/72193. So in the long run, we would expect to see this hand one time out of every 72,193 hands. Flush Probability A flush consists of five cards which are all of the same suit. We must remember that there are four suits each with a total of 13 cards. Thus a flush is a combination of five cards from a total of 13 of the same suit. This is done in C(13, 5) 1287 ways. Since there are four different suits, there are a total of 4 x 1287 5148 flushes possible. Some of these flushes have already been counted as higher ranked hands. We must subtract the number of straight flushes and royal flushes from 5148 in order to obtain flushes that are not of a higher rank. There are 36 straight flushes and 4 royal flushes. We must make sure not to double count these hands. This means that there are 5148 – 40 5108 flushes that are not of a higher rank. We can now calculate the probability of a flush as 5108/2,598,960 0.1965%. This probability is approximately 1/509. So in the long run, one out of every 509 hands is a flush. Rankings and Probabilities We can see from the above that the ranking of each hand corresponds to its probability. The more likely that a hand is, the lower it is in ranking. The more improbable that a hand is, the higher its ranking.

In Praise of Science and Technology by Carl Sagan

In the middle of the nineteenth century, the largely self-educated British physicist Michael Faraday was visited by his monarch, Queen Victoria. Among Faradays many celebrated discoveries, some of obvious and immediate practical benefit, were more arcane findings in electricity and magnetism, then little more than laboratory curiosities. In the traditional dialogue between heads of state and heads of laboratories, the Queen asked Faraday of what use such studies were, to which he is said to have replied, Madam, of what use is a baby? Faraday had an idea that there might someday be something practical in electricity and magnetism. In the same period the Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell set down four mathematical equations, based†¦show more content†¦The establishment of such research and environmental assessment organizations will require substantial political courage if they are to be effective at all. Technological societies have a tightly knit industrial ecology, an interwoven network of economic assumptions. It is very difficult to challenge one thread in the network without causing tremors in all. Any judgment that a technological development will have adverse human consequences implies a loss of profit for someone. The DuPont Company, the principal manufacturers of halocarbon propellants, for example, took the curious position in public debates that all conclusions about halocarbons destroying the ozonosphere were theoretical. They seemed to be implying that they would be prepared to stop halocarbon manufacture only after the conclusions were tested experimentally-that is, when the ozonosp here was destroyed. There are some problems where inferential evidence is all that we will have; where once the catastrophe arrives it is too late to deal with it. Similarly, the Department of Energy can be effective only if it can maintain a distance from vested commercial interests, if it is free to pursue new options even if such options imply loss of profits for selected industries. The same is clearly true in pharmaceutical research, in the pursuit of alternatives to theShow MoreRelatedEssay on Is Technology Constructive or Destructive?1896 Words   |  8 PagesWhere would this world be without technology? Debates have been made for many decades whether or not social networking and technology is producing a more etiquette economy or a more destructive one. Social Networking and technology is transforming this society in positive ways. Think about the Wright brothers. They had no technology whatsoever to back them up; they made creations with the bare resources that the earth gave them. Wilbur and Orville did not have computers to aid them in recordingRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesBehavior 22 Coming Attractions: Developing an OB Model 23 An Overview 23 †¢ Inputs 24 †¢ Processes 25 †¢ Outcomes 25 Summary and Implications for Managers 30 S A L Self-Assessment Library How Much Do I Know About Organizational Behavior? 4 Myth or Science? â€Å"Most Acts of Workplace Bullying Are Men Attacking Women† 12 An Ethical Choice Can You Learn from Failure? 24 glOBalization! Does National Culture Affect Organizational Practices? 30 Point/Counterpoint Lost in Translation? 31 Questions for ReviewRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 PagesContinuous improvement 5.1 Requirements vs. actual [5.3] Chapter 17 Agile PM 6.1.2.2 Rolling wave This page intentionally left blank Project Management The Managerial Process The McGraw-Hill/Irwin Series Operations and Decision Sciences OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT Beckman and Rosenfield, Operations, Strategy: Competing in the 21st Century, First Edition Benton, Purchasing and Supply Chain Management, Second Edition Bowersox, Closs, and Cooper, Supply Chain Logistics Management, Third

Organisational Behaviour Employee Engagement And Performance

Question: Discuss about the Organisational Behaviour Employee Engagement And Performance. Answer: Introduction The purpose of this study is to understand and analyse the association among various organisational terms such as employee performance, employee engagement and organisational commitment. All these three terms are interlinked as well as different from each other. There is a significant impact of one term on another (Robertson-Smith and Markwick, 2009). The organisational commitment and employee engagement put a direct impact upon the performance of the employees. Therefore, the organisational managers are required to have their equal attention of all these three aspects for achieving improved organisational productivity and development (Albdour and Altarawneh, 2014). The essay will provide critical comparison of all these elements as well as also highlights the correlation among these aspects. There will be critivcal analyse the impact of the organisational commitment and employee engagement on the performance of an individual in the organisation. The study will also offer the positiv e and negative implications of the commitment towards the organisation and employee engagement on the overall performance of the employees and the organisation. Organisational commitment, employee engagement and employee performance Employee-organizational commitment and the employee engagement are vital and significant requirements of an organisation as in the globalized business economy and trades, it is essential to get recover from the global recession. In an organisation, the organisational and employee commitment and engagement at work have always been the most concerned areas for the organisational managers, executive and the HR department (Curtis, Upchurch and Severt, 2009). Because of the finding that employee engagement ahs several positive association among various other aspects of the organisation such as organisational profit, organisational success, and retention rate of the employees, productivity, growth and customers satisfactions. Thus, the mangers take much interest in the subject of employee engagement and organisational commitments (Albdour and Altarawneh, 2014). Employee engagement is an approach at the organisational workplace which results in development of appropriate conditions for all the organisational employees so that they can put their utmost efforts for the accomplishment of the organisational goals which directly results in organisational growth and success. Employee engagement can also be explained as an emotional attachment which the organisational employees sense for their organisation, job role, colleagues and the organisational productivity and growth (Kular, et al., 2008). From the viewpoint of the employers, the employee engagement is regarded as taking use of several initiatives and measures for improving and enhancing the emotional attachment of the workforce with the overall organisational and business success. In several organisations, the employee engagement is regarded as one of the primary tool for achieving increased competitive advantages. The approach of employee engagement can also be understood as the extent to which the employee is absorbed and focused in her or his job role and performance (Mehta and Mehta, 2013). There are two different kinds of employee engagement i.e. organisational engagement and job engagement. The organisational engagement depicts the degree to which an individual is mentally pesent as an organisational member and the employee engagement demonstrates the amount to which an individaul is actually attentive in ones respective job role performance (Albdour and Altarawneh, 2014). The organisational commitment can be explained as the psychological affection of an employee with the organisation. The primary purpose for focusing on the aspect of organisational commitment is to improve the manner in which the employees sense about their job, work role and the organisation. There are several positive as well as negative outcomes of organisational commitment defending boon the density that it is high or low (Simpson, 2009). There are several factors which are directly or indirectly dependent upon the organisational commitment such as the job performance, organizational citizenship behaviour, employee turnover, organisational productivity, etc. If there is organisational commitment from the employees side then there is a responsible behaviour of the employees towards the job related responsibilities and the organisational goals and values (Attridge, 2009). There are majorly three kinds of organisational commitment that includes normative organisational commitment, c ontinuance organisational commitment and affective organisational commitment. Firstly, the affective commitment can be explained as emotive affection and participation of an individual in an organisation. Secondly, the continuance commitment is that the employees are attentive of the costs which are linked with their turnover from the organisation. And third, the normative commitment can be explained as that the employee perceives a kind of responsibility or obligation to stay in an organisation. The normative commitment is a sense that employees feel that they ought to do so and as a result they continue their assurance with the establishment (Albdour and Altarawneh, 2014). There is a strong link between the employee engagement and organisational commitment. It has been found and analysed by several researchers that with the rise in the employee engagement, there also takes place growth in the level of organisational commitment and as a result it enhances the job satisfaction among the workforce (Guest, 2014). The increased job satisfaction is one of the most potential aspects for the organisations as it helps in developing innovative ideas, decreasing absenteeism and turnover rates of the employees, improving sreciurity and health and also upsurge the motivation level of the employees (Brunetto, et al., 2012). In the business organisations, it has been analysed and evaluated that if the employees are involved in the various organisational decision making processes as well as the discussion, then it increased their level of motivation which improves employee engagement. The higher employee involvement and employee engagement is one of the primary strate gies or approaches of the business organisations for achieving high competitive e benefits (Albrecht, et al., 2015). Due to the impact of globalisation, it is essentially required for the companies to pay increasing focus upon the development of the employees and their engagement with the organisation. This is because that if the employees will not be engaged with the organisation, the level of motivation will be decrease which will result in ineffective and downturn performance outcomes (Albdour and Altarawneh, 2014). A highly engaged employee is a noteworthy asset for an organisation as the level of organisational commitment of the engaged employees are usually very high. The highly committed employees are not just committed or pay focus on their individual job roles rather they have a commitment with the attainment of the organisational goals along with the overall success of the organisation (Bakker and Schaufeli, 2008). The employee performance is another vital aspect which is associated with the employee engagement and organisational commitment. The efficiency or in efficiency of the performance of an individuals in an organisation is completely depended upon several factors. The two primary factors which impact the most are organisational commitment and employees engagement. If an employee is fully engagement with organisation and have the integration of personal goals with the organisational goals then it positively impact the employees performance (Albdour and Altarawneh, 2014). Some authors have argued that only the monetary incentives are the source of organisational commitment and employee engagement. But in present scenario, this statement can be argued by taking insights from various researchers and discussions. There are numerous source and factors which have their significant contribution in enhancing the employee engagement and organisational commitment level of the employees (Geldenhuys, Laba and Venter, 2014). These factors comprises of job enlargement, job enrichment, involvement of the employees in the decision making processes, improved security, formal recognition, providing authoritative position in the organisation, development of the informal association among the colleagues, etc. (Macey and Schneider, 2008). All these factors also play a vital role in enhancing the employee engagement which in turn develops the commitment of the employees towards the organisation and the attainment of its goals. And if an employee work with increase commitm ent then there are almost double the chances of success and organisational growth as the human resource are the actual and potential asset of the organisation which helps them grow and attain long-term sustainability and development (Albdour and Altarawneh, 2014). Conclusion Organisational success and development is not possible to be attained without a highly engaged and committed workforce. Due to improved globalisation as well as industrialisation, the way of managing the workforces has changes across the globe. The organisational mangers pay key attention on the development and engagement of the employees so that there can be attained high level of organisational commitment and improved organisational productivity. From this essay, it can be concluded that there is a link between the organisational commitment of the employees and the employee engagement which directly impacts the performances of the employees which can be in a positive or a negative manner. The higher the level of employee engagement is, the greater is the organisational commitment and the improved outcomes are shown in the performances of the employees. Therefore, it is essential for the business organisations to have initiatives for increasing the involvement of the employees and a ttaining competitive advantages from it. This will help the organisation in declining the attrition rate as well as increasing the growth rate of the organisation. References Albdour, A. A., Altarawneh, I. I. (2014). Employee engagement and organizational commitment: Evidence from Jordan.International Journal of Business,19(2), 192. Albrecht, S. L., Bakker, A. B., Gruman, J. A., Macey, W. H., Saks, A. M. (2015). Employee engagement, human resource management practices and competitive advantage: An integrated approach.Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance,2(1), 7-35. Attridge, M. (2009). Measuring and managing employee work engagement: A review of the research and business literature.Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health,24(4), 383-398. Bakker, A. B., Schaufeli, W. B. (2008). Positive organizational behavior: Engaged employees in flourishing organizations.Journal of Organizational Behavior,29(2), 147-154. Brunetto, Y., Teo, S. T., Shacklock, K., Farr?Wharton, R. (2012). Emotional intelligence, job satisfaction, well?being and engagement: explaining organisational commitment and turnover intentions in policing.Human Resource Management Journal,22(4), 428-441. Curtis, C. R., Upchurch, R. S., Severt, D. E. (2009). Employee motivation and organizational commitment: a comparison of tipped and nontipped restaurant employees.International Journal of Hospitality Tourism Administration,10(3), 253-269. Geldenhuys, M., Laba, K., Venter, C. M. (2014). Meaningful work, work engagement and organisational commitment.SA Journal of Industrial Psychology,40(1), 01-10. Guest, D. (2014). Employee engagement: a sceptical analysis.Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance,1(2), 141-156. Kular, S., Gatenby, M., Rees, C., Soane, E., Truss, K. (2008). Employee engagement: a literature review. Macey, W. H., Schneider, B. (2008). The meaning of employee engagement.Industrial and organizational Psychology,1(1), 3-30. Mehta, D., Mehta, N. K. (2013). Employee engagement: A literature review.Economia. Seria Management,16(2), 208-15. Robertson-Smith, G., Markwick, C. (2009).Employee engagement: A review of current thinking. Brighton: Institute for Employment Studies. Simpson, M. R. (2009). Engagement at work: A review of the literature.International journal of nursing studies,46(7), 1012-1024.

Describe and examine the major components of market orientation Essay Example

Describe and examine the major components of market orientation Essay Describe and examine the major components of market orientation in relation to the marketing mix, target marketing, relationship marketing and the marketing plan. In doing so, explain and evaluate how the passive concept of the marketing mix adopts a market orientation focus.The marketing mix, target marketing, relationship marketing and the marketing plan are the key constituent parts of marketing as a general concept. Any successful company must be market orientated, but not all businesses subscribe as much as they should to this requirement. There are three main components of market orientation customer orientation, competitor orientation and inter-functional co-ordination. We need to examine each component of marketing orientation and look at how effective the concept of market orientation is in terms of contributing to the success of a business.Market orientation has been characterised as that part of an organisation that requires customer satisfaction to be paramount within th e operations of a business (Liu et al, 2002). This, in turn, produces superior value for customers and outstanding performance for the firm (Day, 1994; Narver and Slater, 1990). A company must also remember that a customers expectations evolve over time, so there is an ever-present need for a company to deliver products of the highest quality and respond to changes in the marketplace (Jaworski et al, 1993).Every market orientated company wants to attract and retain customers and it can only do this by satisfying their wants and needs. In a company that is customer orientated, there are five main marketing tasks. These are:- identifying target markets- conducting market research- developing products- setting the right marketing mix- monitoring the marketIn order to ensure that this customer orientation is successful, initially management has to identify the customers to whom it wants to appeal. Managements choice of target markets will, in part, be governed by the socio-economic prof ile of its potential customers and its own ability to meet their needs. The company must also carry out market research to collect information on existing trends and the needs of customers. The market research will look at what competitors offer and how their innovations can be improved and in turn capitalised upon. Businesses need to develop products and services that meet the needs of its target consumers. Then, having identified potential target markets and developed relevant products, management must utilise the marketing mix. They must set the correct price, promote it in an appropriate way by using relevant marketing mediums, ensure that the placement of the product is suitable for its target customers and ensure the product is distributed widely.The company must then monitor the market by building a stable relationship with their customers. They need feedback from customers as to what they like about a particular product or service and what they dislike. By using this informa tion, they can tailor and tweak future products to ensure that they are better and more relevant.When looking at a customer orientated business from an economics and value-based perspective, consumers do not search for products with maximum quality or minimum price but seek products which are optimal to them on the quality-price-ratio (Rust and Oliver, 1994). When deciding on a product, customers consider both quality and non-quality dimensions such as price and speed of delivery. In the modern technological world, consumers have much more information available to them and the ability to ensure that their decision-making process is made as well-informed as possible. For example, websites such as Kelkoo (www.kelkoo.co.uk) and Pricerunner (www.pricerunner.co.uk) allow consumers to compare prices and delivery times on a range of products, as well as read reviews from other consumers to evaluate whether the item is suitable.The marketing mix is one of the most well known phrases in mark eting and incorporates the four Ps product, place, price and promotion. These concepts were first highlighted by McCarthy in 1960. Each of these components is vitally important to a company that is market orientated. In terms of ensuring that a company is customer orientated, it is likely that it will need to balance of all four Ps in order to attract customers to the product and entice them away from the companys competitors. However, the mix can vary as a company can alter how much importance it places on each component depending on the requirements of, or its own perceptions of, its prospective market.Above: The Marketing MixFor example, if a company has a new product where price may initially be less important compared to securing knowledge of its existence amongst the general public, the company will place more emphasis on the promotion element of the mix.A target market for a particular product is usually defined by its age, gender and socio-economic grouping. For example, ch ildrens toys are marketed to children and their parents but not to pensioners, though one should not forget that even they are potential grandparents. Similarly, a Barbie doll would not be marketed towards young boys.Therefore, in terms of customer orientation and target marketing, a business must ensure that it targets a suitable demographic background. There is no point in investing money in targeting customers who are not interested in the product. This means that the business will need to conduct market research in order to determine who their product appeals to and therefore where they should invest their marketing budget.Relationship marketing places emphasis on longer term links with customers rather than on individual transactions. The origins of modern relationship marketing date back to 1980 when Schneider (1980) noted: What is surprising is that researchers and businessmen have concentrated far more on how to attract customers to products and services than on how to retai n customers. Later, Fornell and Wernerfet (1987) coined the term defensive marketing to examine ways of increasing customer loyalty and reducing customer turnover. This is part of the competitor orientation component of market orientation. When using defensive marketing, a company focuses on reducing or managing the dissatisfaction of its customers, whereas offensive marketing focuses on tempting dissatisfied customers away from a competitor to generate new customers. This is of vital importance to a competitor orientated business if it is to assume a leading position in the market. As relationship marketing aims to build a rapport with customers through one good experience, it is likely that customers will assume that the company deals with them appropriately at all times so they are more likely to purchase from the company in future.Effective inter-functional co-ordination ensures that all departments of a business work in conjunction with each other to provide the best possible s ervice and price to consumers. Each part of the business needs to support the end marketing objectives of the business as a whole. For instance, the technical specifications of a product are just as important as the promotional aspects or the pricing strategy. They all have to work in tandem.Inter-functional coordination can be used effectively in the marketing mix to ensure that each department is properly represented. For example, the marketing department will need to consult with other departments in order to find out the relevant product specifications, the price that the item should be sold for and who the item is targeted to in order to work out the best way to promote the item. It means that every department must be communicating effectively with one another in order to ensure that the final customer experience is seamless.It must be noted, however, that there are alternatives to market orientation that dont encompass Narver and Slaters three components of customer orientatio n, competitor orientation and inter-functional co-ordination described above. Kohli and Jaworskis (1990) behavioural approach defined market orientation in terms of organisational behaviours such as the generation of information, dissemination of information and responsiveness to information.There are alternatives to a pure market orientation business philosophy such as sales orientation, production orientation and product orientation. Sales orientation focuses on selling the most number of units possible. Its premise is to make full use of selling, pricing, promotion and distribution skills just like a marketing orientated business, but unlike the latter, it pays less direct attention to the needs of customers and does not necessarily give priority to creating suitable products.A production orientated business is mainly concerned with making as many units as possible. In such a business, the needs of customers are secondary compared with the objective of increasing output. On the o ther hand, a product orientated business is obsessed with being at the forefront of its market in terms of believing that their product is the best in the market. They may, however, not be up-to-speed with the latest developments and consumer preferences and therefore may find that their competitors start to overtake them.However, none of these three alternatives is likely to prove successful in anything but the short term. Companies have choices as to how they orientate their business and ensure they target the right market. By using the marketing mix thoroughly and effectively as a total concept, companies can benefit and use the theory to their advantage. They must, however, ensure that the mix is correct: if they do not give any single component sufficient attention, the mix will fail to produce the right results.

Drugs And Teenagers Essays - Drug Culture, Entheogens,

Drugs and Teenagers Drug use is the increasing problem among teenagers in today's high schools. Most drug use begins in the preteen and teenage years, these years most crucial in the maturation process. During these years adolescents are faced with difficult tasks of discovering their self identity, clarifying their sexual roles, assenting independence, learning to cope with authority and searching for goals that would give their lives meaning. Drugs are readily, adolescents are curious and venerable, and there is peer pressure to experiment, ad there us a temptation to escape from conflicts. The use of drugs by teenagers is the result of a combination of factors such as peer pressure, curiosity, and availability. Drugs addiction among adolescents in turn lead to depression and suicide. One of the most important reasons of teenage drug usage is peer pressure. Peer pressure represents social influences that effect adolescents, it can have a positive or a negative effect, depending on person's social group and one can follow one path of the other. We are greatly influenced by the people around us. In today's schools drugs are very common, peer pressure usually is the reason for their usage. If the people in your social group use drugs there will be pressure a direct or indirect pressure from them. A person may be offered to try drugs, which is direct pressure. Indirect pressure is when someone sees everyone around him using drugs and he might think that there is nothing wrong with using drugs. Person might try drugs just to fit in the social norms, even if a person had no intentions of using drugs one might do it just to be considered "cool" by his friends. Today drugs are considered to be an acceptable social phenomenon by many teenagers. Here is a personal example o f drug use from a teenager, " When I started using, was only on weekends, at parties. I used drugs 'recreationally' and therefore thought I had no addiction problem. I used drugs like nicotine, marijuana or LSD to be happy or to have fun. I needed drugs. I kept using drugs; I used drugs like marijuana to fit socially. I had problems in my life, emotionally, that drugs only seemed to solve. Drugs made my problems worse. I started snorting cocaine. I injected heroin into my veins. I almost died. I was addicted" In today's highs schools the availability and variety of drugs is widespread. There is a demand for drugs and the supply is plentiful. Since drugs are so easy accessible, a natural interest in them may develop. A person may hear about drugs experiences, on reactions of drug usage, such as " Hey the weed that he sold us was cool, I got stoned man". This response will create a sense of curiosity and may convince the person to try drugs themselves. Many teenagers today believe that the first use of drugs is safe. However even though there is no instant addiction with the first try, youngsters tend to experiment further. Soon a person could actively seek the euphoric effects of drugs. Drug addiction is the result of intense preoccupation with the dicer to experience the mental and bodily changes with drug use. The final and the most disastrous stage are when a person needs drugs in order to function adequately. Therefore availability, curiosity and experimentation could result in drug ad diction among teenagers. One of the most devastating side effects of drug addiction and abuse is depression. Depression is the result of chemical imbalance, environmental influence, or a combination of both. Using heavy and very highly addictive drugs as heroin, cocaine, opium and many other will cause sudden mood changes, deterioration of the immune system, nervous breakdowns, unusual flares of temper and many other side effects. Besides physical side effects, drug addiction can create problems in a person's social circles. The person may run into many conflicts with his family and friends, resulting in desire for isolation. This in turn will create more problems since the person will have no social support. Furthermore, drug addiction is a financial strain especially for teenagers. When a person is addicted to drugs he will do anything to obtain money to fulfill his needs. According

Why a bug was used in the Metamorphosis essays

Why a bug was used in the Metamorphosis essays Why a bug chosen for the form of Gregors Metamorphosis Kafka choose the form of a bug for The Metamorphosis because of the perception that a bug is perceived as a mindless systematic creature, a metaphor for the way Gregor lives his life, and acts in society. This short story, by Franz Kafka illustrates how one can get lost in their roles and responsibilities in society, forgetting ones own path and self. This is brought to light through Gregors transformation into a bug. The general knowledge or belief of a bug is that they are both mindless and insignificant. Due to their size, and numbers we can honestly feel indifferent as to if they live or die, and because of how they look and lack of any kind of personality they could easily be deemed flat out undesirable. Bugs in colonies, or hives are mindless drones, much like lemmings sacrificing themselves for the greater good of the colony/queen without question. Despite these things insects are the staple of many ecosystems, it could be said many organisms depend on the existence of these small, and perhaps under appreciated beings. These traits are visible both in society and The Metamorphosis relating to human behavior. It is not uncommon to hear people who work for a large corporation referred to as corporate drones. This comes from the day to day work of sitting in a cubicle, taking orders from supervisors, and sacrificing a small piece of identity for the greater good of the company (Office Space anyone?). Gregor is constantly sacrificing time and any personal gain not only through his work, but for his family as well. On his shoulders alone lays the burden of supporting a four person family, through an unforgiving job, not once questioning his seemingly endless, and depressing situation. Gregors family and friends could not have been more eager to forget about him. Perhaps only the lingering thought of what Gregor on...

Risk Assessment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Risk Assessment - Research Paper Example However, there is no security expert tasked with ensuring secure operational environment. The company’s network is segregated into segments. The Trusted Computing Base is the internal network within GFI. This segment hosts company’s mission critical systems that are essential to the company’s operations that affect the financial situation. The most used systems in the enterprise are Oracle database and email. GFI cannot afford a network outage due to the nature of activities in it undergoes. It financial activities will be adversely affected since they depend on network availability and stability. As it is, GFI has experienced DoS attacks twice this year, and its Oracle database and email servers have been compromised for a total downtime of one week. The recovery process cost the company $25,000 and an estimated loss of $1, 000,000 was recorded in addition to customer confidence. In this study, I am going to undertake risk assessment based on GFI network diagram. Knowledge of the vulnerabilities existing in the network will facilitate the design of a solution to counter the threats. Risk assessment will be conducted ion GFI network to establish the likely areas of failure. Risk assessment will focus on managerial, operational and technical aspects that are prone to vulnerabilities and which can be exploited by attackers. Once vulnerabilities have been established, it is easy to tailor safeguards to counter them. Security safeguards and controls are measures undertaken in the company, or added to the information technology environment to mitigate the risks associated with the operation and management of resources. A risk assessment procedure is conducted to determine the adequacy of security controls employed by Global Finance Incorporation. The risk assessment process adopts a methodology and, in this case, a qualitative methodology is preferred. It focuses on the

Property Tax Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Property Tax - Essay Example Assuming that David is having more than property in UK, assuming that David new property at 12, Mudchute Court is second property owned by him or one of the many properties he owned, then, for reducing his capital gain tax, he can claim the following as a deduction from the capital gains earned on the disposal of 12, Mudchute Court namely fees paid to solicitors, all professional fees paid to estate agents, Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) and expenses incurred for improving the property. Further, as David lived in the new property bought for few weeks, he can term it as â€Å"principal private residence† to avail exemptions between properties he owned as he is planning to sell it after two years. However, David has to establish some corroborations that he lived there for some time albeit even it is for short-term. If David resided in that house even for some weeks in the new property which should be his second or one of the many properties owned by him, which facilitates him to write off the past three years of capital gains when David decides to sell it after two years. Thus, David should elect the new property as his residence and should inform the Income-Tax Authorities within two years of purchase of 12, Mudchute Court. It is to be noted that the choice can be changed by the David if he wants to select some other property he owned. If he fails to inform about his â€Å" principle private residence â€Å" to tax authorities , then , he would be losing hi s chance to claim exemption from capital gain taxes under the above scheme4. It is to be noted that just living in the property for avoidance of capital gain taxes can prove to be costlier to David as held in Court of Appeal in HRMC5 case where the defendant employed an intricate chain of derivative transactions to minimise capital gain tax on  £10.7 m. The court opined that any

Balanced Scorecard Assignment Research Proposal

Balanced Scorecard Assignment - Research Proposal Example The objectives of the business can be classified under four different heads such as financial objectives, customer value objectives, internal operations objectives, learning and growth (employee) objectives. c) Customer value: The objective is to add value to customer through supply of quality products at reduced rate. It also aims to keep up the value and business ethics by following business strategy helpful to appealing the customers. a) Measure of process performance: The objective is to attain higher performance efficiency. The process should be capable of producing the product at minimum cost and time requirements while ensuring higher quality of product. c) Operations: The objective is to attain maximum return on investment by reducing the cost of production and improving the production efficiency. Advanced production technology will be adopted for the production process for ensuring lower production cost with higher quality. Presentation of the strategic objectives of the business along with its metrics and targets by using balanced score card provides insights into the performance targets of the business. It helps to inform the organizational personnel about their role in improving the business performance. Discussion of the strategic objectives by segmenting it under each different heads makes clear the role of each department of the organization towards the business performance

Influence of Capitalism on Current Food Regime

Influence of Capitalism on Current Food Regime Introduction The structure of Capitalism may have been existed during the first food regime and leading up to the second food regimes but implicitly refrained from exposure to the rise of nation state system. Peasant farming and agrarian system of development might be seen as a form of capitalism in the first food regime period as cultivation and farming of land are restricted to only certain localities particularly common in the European countries. For instance, Jarosz, (2009) states that agrarian form of development was only common in Europe during the mid-nineteen centuries. Towards the end of the second food regimes, the form of capitalism structure developed through rules and regulations which governed production and consumption of foods worldwide. A discursive definition of food regimes which capitalism ideology is embedded within. According to Bernstein, (2015: 3), eight element of the three food regimes were analysed and identified as the international state system, the division of labour and patterns of trade, the rules and legitimacy of different food regimes, the relationship between agriculture and industries, the technical and environmental change in farming systems and procedures, the dominant form of capital and their modalities of accumulation, social force, tension and contradiction of specific food regime and transition between food regimes. Capitalism structure has emerged perceptibly towards the third regime. This essay will outline the following two ideas as to why influence of capitalism may be a trigger to food crises experience in different parts of the world. It will begin with the discussion on the effect of the rules and regulations on world food development in relation to uneven geography, moving on to the rivalry in technology and food production particularly to safe guarding domestic markets, and then it will give a personal responses on the influence of capitalism on the current food regime and end with summary conclusion. Effects of rules and regulations on current world food development The current food regime periods is dominated by the international rules and regulation in relations to the international organizations such as World Trade Organization (WTO), World Food Program (WFP) and Food Agriculture Organization. These policies are dominated by industrialized countries who have advance technologies in producing large quantity of foods. When comparing the second food regime with the current regime (third food regime), it is evident that during that period (second food regime), rules and regulations imposed are sort of more lessen, allowing for respect for free international markets and free enterprise, also allow for easy market channel on food distribution. The governing premises during the second food regime allowed free flow of scientific and crop information, more state control system resulted in low priority for national self reliance. According to, Bernstein (2015: 10), capitalism became more visible during the third food regime which provided ground for political dynamics and arrangement in the international state system. National and international rules and regulations on food productions and distribution emerged and social movements were formed to defend their space and place in national and international markets. The effects has rippled into the current regimes and underpinned by international capitalism power of industrialized countries such as USA and UK, followed by other countries such as Japan and other developed nations and now globally. It can be said that, this is globalization. International regulations on food production and distribution were not adhered by certain countries due to high cost of production as fossil fuel price increases. This has put more pressure on developing countries who depend entirely on food products from these developed industrial countries. For instance, according to Jarosz, (2009), as the oil price increase, food price increases result in food crises. There are no clear rules and regulation to regulate free markets and trades so that food price may be control to avoid continues food crises. The rivalry of technology and food production to Safe guarding domestic markets. The ideology of competing in food production technology also restricted free flow of scientific information sharing and result in the retrenchment of the production of food. The accumulation of capitalism during the third regime and continue to increase today has prodded the trigger for more protection of domestic markets, and restriction on the flow of information on the production technology is seen as a priority for powerful countries. Jarosz (2009), pointed out that during this period, more emphasizes is put on technology to increase the application of synthetic fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides to enhance water management and plant breeding aimed at increased yields. The accumulation of competition in the production of foods and other goods and trades in the world market between industrialized countries has seen as an ignorance to stabilise food distributions to unprivileged parts of the world, particularly the Global South countries. The rivalry in production technology was affected by a more recent regime embedded within the third regime, a green environmental regime (green revolution) ideology bulged as pressure from the climate, financial and fuel crises accumulated through social movements. Social movements were formed and underpinned by countries who are affected by climate change crises mainly the third world or developing countries that continued to push for reduction on fossil fuel consumption. Even though measures were taken to addresses food distributions through establishment of institutions such as World Food Program (WFP) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and climate change issues addressed through earth summits, food cris es still remain a dilemma for developing countries. Personal Responses on the Influence of capitalism on current food crises. I will give my personal view on influences of capitalism on current food regimes (environmental regimes). The trend in the governance of different food regimes has shifted very rapidly as economic power base of industrialized countries accumulated due to increase population growth. During decolonization periods, the rise of state- system may have triggered farmers to hold on to their farms, a capitalism paradigm. Capitalism system started to emerge imperceptibly during the second food regime, due to free international market and free enterprise, and free flow of scientific and crop information. This scenario of free markets and information has foretold the future of food distribution and consumption of industrialized countries to be more aware of their domestic markets for local consumptions. Protection of niche market of products became a priority and allowing surplus of food products to be forced into international markets. The ownership of the means of food production particularly, has explicitly spread worldwide and the rules and regulations governing the means of production has become a barricade for free market and trades. I see this as a counter reserved to food distributions compared to the second food regime periods. The international and national policies on food trades are becoming more complicated as private individual and corporations competed to safe guard their space in the international market domain for profitable return on their products. Furthermore, looking at developing world, capitalism system has imprinted a more essence of division between the rich and the poor, in terms of food productions and consumption rate. If the state systems of developing countries do not function properly in terms of safe guarding its people from the influence of capitalism, this triggered food crises as recently experienced in Venezuela and Yemen. Conclusion (summary) In conclusion, capitalism system has change the way humans occupied space and places. Monetary ideology is dominating how people behaviour from individual to international corporations. The governance power based on strict rules and regulations developed through each food regimes has shifted the state -system of unification which knowledge, skills and free market are shaded to a more imperceptible one which are more restricted. For example, policy to set tariffs and restriction in order to protect domestic industries in powerful countries (Jarosz, 2009). This essay has discussed two features of capitalism, namely the governance (rules and regulations) during food regimes periods and the protectionism of production technology in International Food Corporation dominated by powerful countries which leads to rivalry or competition in technology on production. It is argued that rules and regulations set by industrialized countries or international organizations in order to control food productions and prices has adversely impacted the way food is distributed and accessibility to the developing world. Food crisis continued to hit parts of the world such as the current food crisis in Venezuela and Yemen. Protectionism of production technology by industrial countries does not allow for free flow of information limiting knowledge and skill transfers to other countries. Competition in producing goods and services has resulted in more competitive markets and increase in prices of goods. For smaller island nations or developing countries to compete in international markets with big players such as USA, UK, Japan and other industrialized countries is beyond their capacities in terms of resources. References Bernstein, H. (2015). Food Regimes and Food Regime Analysis: A Selective Survey. Campbell, H., Evans, D., Murcott, A. (2017). Measurability, austerity and edibility: Introducing waste into food regime theory. Journal of Rural Studies, 51, 168-177. Friedmann, H. (1993). The political economy of food: a global crisis. New left review, (197), 29. Friedmann, H. (2005). From colonialism to green capitalism: Social movements and emergence of food regimes. In New directions in the sociology of global development (pp. 227-264). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Holt Gimà ©nez, E., Shattuck, A. (2011). Food crises, food regimes and food movements: rumblings of reform or tides of transformation? The Journal of peasant studies, 38(1), 109-144.

Events During the Cold War Essay

The Cold War was a very terrible war that started in 1945 between the United States and the Soviet Union and lasted 45 years. The Cold War got its name because both sides were too afraid to fight each other directly. They used words against each other to make the enemy look dumb and foolish. They fought through many other wars, too afraid of nuclear attacks directly hitting them. These wars caused great devastation across the globe. This war had started because the Soviet Union wanted to spread communism across the world, but America being a democracy, did not want that. The first ten years were somewhat interesting. On February 4 1945, there was a Yalta Conference, a wartime meeting between the heads of government from the United States, United Kingdom and Soviet Union, and the Cold War began. Right after that, Germany surrendered to the Red Army in Berlin. On August 6, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima and killed 80,000 people. Then three days after, the United States dropped another bomb on Nagasaki that killed 70,000. Shortly after that, the Japanese surrendered and that was the end of World War II. Winston Churchill had issued warnings about the Soviets in 1946 and first used the term â€Å"iron curtain†. This term was used to describe how the Soviets had wanted power. 1946 was also the year Josef Stalin made a very hostile speech, claiming communism and capitalism couldn’t live in peace. In June of 1947, the Marshall Plan was announced. This plan set a precedent for helping countries combat poverty, disease and malnutrition. That same year, the Rio Pact was established. This was a security zone around the hemisphere with the 19 Latin American countries. Between June 1948 and September 1949, Britain and America were struggling to keep West Berlin supplied through aircraft, since the Soviet government closed all ground traffic. That year, they made 277,000 flights to carry products. In March of 1948, Truman started a Loyalty Program which was made to catch Cold War spies. Then, in that same year the Brussels Pact was made to protect Europe from communism. In 1949, China became a communist country because Mao Zedong took over. He then established the People’s  Republic of China. In June of 1950, the Korean War started and Stalin supported North Korea and gave them Soviet weapons to invade South Korea. The war in Korea ended two years later, though. In 1951 the Federal Defense Administration was established which was a program that spread information about communism and the threat of attacks. March 1954 was when KGB (Committee for State Security) was established. KGB was the national security of the Soviet Union during the Cold War. In May of 1955 the Warsaw Pact was established. This pact was a mutual defense treaty between the eight communist states of Eastern Europe during the Cold War. During these ten years, there were a few treaties and some different experimental things done, also some different groups were made just for this one huge war. The next 10 years (1956-65) didn’t have as many exciting things happen. In 1956, there was a rebellion in Communist Hungary. Then after that in 1957, Sputnik was launched into space and Laika died in space. In 1958, Khrushchev, the leader of the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War, made the Soviet troops withdrawal from Berlin. Khrushchev then visited the United States in 1959 which caused the Kitchen Debate. This was a debate between Nixon and Khrushchev at the opening of the American National Exhibition. In 1960, the Soviets revealed that there had been a United States plane shot down over Soviet territory. This year was also the year John F. Kennedy was elected president of the United States. Cuba aligns itself with the Soviet Union and their policies that same year. The Bay of Pigs invasion happened in 1961, this invasion was by CIA trained exiles of Cuba into southern Cuba to try to overthrow the government, but it was unsuccessful. In 1962 the United States becomes more involved in the Vietnam War to keep communist takeover of South Vietnam as a strategy of containment. That was the same year of the Cuban missile crisis between the Soviet Union and Cuba and the United States, it lasted thirteen days. November of 1963 was a sad month because President Kennedy was assassinated, probably because of a conspiracy. The Gulf of Tonkin incident was in 1964 which was a confrontation between North Vietnam and the United States. In 1965 some United States marines were sent to the Dominican Republic to fight Communism. These 10 years were not very exciting but there were a few important events that changed the United States. From 1966 to 1975, not much happened. It was kind of a dull period compared to the last twenty years. In 1967 the United Stated Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara admitted that the United States bombing raids had failed to meet their objectives. Richard Nixon was elected for president and North Korea captured U.S.S. Pueblo the year after. The USS Pueblo was a United States spy ship and it is still currently being held captive by Korea, though it is a museum now. Then, in 1969 Apollo 11 landed on the moon which had Neil Armstrong in it. He was the first person to step on the moon and it was a great accomplishment in US history. In 1970 Nixon spread the Vietnam War to Cambodia. The Pentagon papers were signed the year after in 1971. These papers were a United States history of its involvement in the Vietnam War. In 1972 not only did Nixon visit China, but SALT I (Strategic Arms Limitation Talk) was signed; this was between the two Cold War superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union on the issue of armament control. The United States supported coup overthrew the Chilean government in 1973. The year after that, Nixon resigned but since then he has been the only president to ever resign. In 1975 North Vietnam defeated South Vietnam who then fell into communism. I do not know why these ten years were so boring, but they were even though they ended in another country falling into communism. The next ten years from 1976 to 1985 were even duller than the ones before. It started off with the Soviet Union and Cuba forcing Angola to become a communist state. In 1979, SALT II was signed. This time it was just an experimental negotiation about curtailing the manufacturing of nuclear weapons. The same year SALT II was signed, the Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan and the United States and China established diplomatic relations. In 1980, Polish shipyard workers started a strike and the Solidarity Union was formed, which was the first non-communist trade union in Warsaw Pact territory, and the strike leader, Lech Walesa, was elected as the head of the Solidarity Union. Three years later, President Reagan proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative. That initiative was created to protect the United States from nuclear missile attacks. In that same year, United States troops invaded and overthrew the regime in Grenada and ended  in a victory. Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet Union and initiated a campaign of increased openness and transparency in government institutions called â€Å"glasnost† and a political movement within the Soviet Union called â€Å"perestroika† in 1985. As you can see, not much happened during these ten years but there were still some interesting things that happened. The last five years were when quite a few countries became independent after so long. In 1986 President Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev resolve to remove all intermediate nuclear missiles from Europe. Then in the year after that, Reagan and Gorbachev agree to remove all medium and short-range nuclear missiles. This meant that the war was coming to a close and things were becoming less violent. The Soviet groups with drawled from Afghanistan in 1989. Poland and Hungary both become independent and communist governments fall in Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and Rumania, the Soviet empire declined in this year as well. Russia got a new president; Boris Yeltsin, in 1990 also. Another country became independent a year later, Lithuania. Germany also became reunited during this year. In 1991, the Warsaw Pact ended which meant the Cold War was over and the Soviet Union was done for, the end of it all. The Cold War was something terrible that happened between the United States and the Soviet Union for a stupid reason. It caused a lot of problems and different wars throughout the world just because they were too afraid to fight face to face but, it did not cause a huge amount of deaths. The Cold War was not really the kind of war that killed people; it was more of a war on which country could develop faster. This war could have been easily prevented but I guess some things just have to happen. A 45 year war for only one thing. Power. Works Cited â€Å"Cold War.† enotes. n.d. Web. 20 May, 2012. â€Å"Cold War Timeline.† History Timelines. n.d. Web. 20 May, 2012. Pillai, Prabhakar â€Å"Causes and Effects of the Cold War.† Buzzle. n.d. 21 May, 2012. â€Å"Timeline of the Cold War.† Think Quest. n.d. Web. 20 May 2012. Wikipedia.org.

Cultural competence Essay

This paper explores the Hmong people’s views toward medicine within the lens of their culture. It will take into account their history and also seek to explain the natural aversion these people have to most modern techniques in medicine. The Hmong people have a large immigrant population in the United States and represent unique challenges to most medical practitioners that can be used as a model to teach new methods of treating patients who may not understand western medicine. Understanding the Hmong is the first step in devising better techniques for nurses and other health professionals who seek to provide the best standard of care to all peoples in a safe, professional and cooperative way. Medical Views of the Hmong People: The Importance of Cross-Cultural Understanding As the United States becomes a more racially and ethnically diverse nation, health care systems and providers must adapt to be able to better care for patients’ with regard to their perspectives, values, and cultures. Failure to understand and manage social and cultural differences may have significant health consequences to the patient and could lead to ineffectual practices in the delivery of care. This is particularly significant in the treating of patients from the Hmong ethnic group. Whose cultural beliefs and practices are often opposed to the methods of modern U. S. Medicine. The Hmong people are made up of peoples from China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Indigenous to South East Asia, many of them resided in Laos until 1975 when Pathet Lao came into power and began to persecute them for their involvement (on behalf of the United States) in Vietnam. As a result of this political crackdown many Hmong fled Laos and have been accepted as refugees in many western countries including the United States. Although they are a largely diaspora population they have managed to hold onto their cultural traditions as well as assimilated (partially) to the culture s of their home countries. These traditions are passed down from elders to youth and are a strong pillar through which the Hmong are able to maintain their history and community. Currently there are 245,000 Hmong people residing in the United States, most of which live in California, Minnesota and Washington. As their numbers grow so does the importance of dynamic care practices that can better suit their medical needs. The Hmong are a primarily Shamanistic culture, with a strong reverence for ancestral spirits. Their beliefs in spirits are not regulated to simply deceased family members, but in all things both animate and inanimate. These spirits reside in a mirrored Spirit realm, where the spirits of their ancestors and also that of trees dwell. The individual is thought to have multiple spirits residing in them that regulate both the spiritual and physical health of the person. Illness is thought to come from evil spirits who attempt to harm the native spirits that reside in individual’s body. These spirits are the cause of all illness and exist in the spirit realm. It is to be noted that these spirits exist on the same plane as regular mortals, however the deity Saub made us blind to them after conflicts between the spirits and the mortals. It is only through the utilization of shamans that we may access them, and treat illness. As the malevolent spirits descend on the body, they may cause the native spirits to leave their human host, this is thought to be manifested in the physical world as serious illness. The Hmong believe that illness is intrinsically linked with a spiritual imbalance, therefore the Shaman is called upon to conduct rituals to bring back the wayward spirit and to discern the cause of its leaving. These beliefs can be in direct opposition to the belief of modern medicine, which relies heavily on scientific and empirical evidence. The simple diagnosis of illness can be greatly impeded when the patient believes that their rash comes from evil spirits as opposed to the contact of a poisonous material. Also this can breed a general distrust of western medication, when for centuries the answers to illness have always lied with the shaman and not with pills and elixirs. The language barrier also is challenging, but in a novel way, whole concepts in the Hmong culture are untranslatable, and the nuances in regional practices of the Hmong make each group individual in their phrasings and pronunciations. Even with the assistance of a native translator many concepts remain completely lost in translation, especially for American nurses who are often the first line of care for these people. Traditionally when a Hmong person becomes sick they are taken to see the community Shaman. The Shaman is considered a very important member of Hmong society as they are able to communicate and travel with spirits. They serve the role of both doctor and priest in that they care for the physical and spiritual wellbeing of the person. Because of the link between spiritual and physical illness, it is held that the main means to achieve health wellness is through ritual to appease the spirits. This can be dangerous to the person as their illness may go undiagnosed and untreated as the afflicted wait for the results of the ritual to affect them. Among the largest problems with treating the Hmong is noncompliance, as their tradition may prevent them from actually utilizing the medicine given to them from western hospitals and pharmacies. The treatment of psychological disorders in the Hmong people also poses a unique challenge to western health professionals. In the Hmong tradition those with unexplained psychological illnesses such as bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia, multiple personality disorder, and some neurological disorders (i. e. epilepsy) are considered to be chosen to become shamans. The symptoms with these maladies are often closely associated with spiritual intervention such as: multiple personalities exhibited being the manifestation of different spirits attempting to possess the body, or epileptic seizures being a communication from spiritual forces. This has caused these disorders to be revered in the Hmong tradition and have led to many of them going undiagnosed. The usual protocol for such episodes are for the child (as these ailments often present themselves in childhood) to be blessed and sent to learn with a shaman teacher, so that they may use their gifts for the community and become a shaman themselves. As shamans are highly respected and important members of the community any attempt to stifle or diminish their gifts can be construed as going against the wishes of ancestral spirits. To have a shaman in ones family is considered one of the highest honors, thus creating a situation where the illness goes both undiagnosed and untreated. Interactions between American health professionals and the Hmong people have even been documented in the book The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman where culture clashes between ignorant parents and culturally insensitive medical staff ends very tragically for a young girl diagnosed with epilepsy. The combination of the Hmong parents unwillingness to trust the medicines of the Merced doctors and doctors unwillingness to understand the culture of the Hmongs and to tailor the care of the daughter unfortunately end in the girl in a vegetative state. This book goes through the history of the Hmong and makes the reader understand the nature aversion they have to medicines. To them healing is their religion, and to these people the American method of medicine is entirely too invasive. They feel we cut and defile bodies, we take too much blood and we cause dramatic personality changes with our drugs. This failure to understand these concerns is damning for Lia Lee (the little girl) and led to both noncompliance and also fear about regarding possible surgeries for the very young child. This book is assigned reading for many medical programs and is compelling read, The importance of its theme of cultural understanding cannot be stressed enough. When Lia was brought to the emergency room for the last time, the staff at the hospital assumed that she had a big seizure because of her parent’s unwillingness to give her seizure medications that had been prescribed. They all silently agreed that it was just a matter of when. It was to the disappointment of many and a shock to Neil Ernst and his wife Peggy Philp when another neurologist who had treated Lia previously announced that it was septic shock and not under medication that had caused the â€Å"big one†. The fact that Neil Ernst did order a septic workup on Lia indicated that he was not treating her symptoms but was had used previous experience with the parent’s noncompliance as all- purpose explanation that blinded him from seeing exploring other more obvious possibilities of Lia illness. The role of the nurse as educator is paramount in these situations. A nurse when performing her role in the health care setting always has the opportunity to bridge the gap between the patient and the physcians. Anne Fadiman after researching the book for eight years ascertains that â€Å"We do not know if Lia would be able to walk and talk today had she been treated by Arthur Kleinman instead of by Neil Ernst and Peggy Philp. However, I have come to believe that her life was ruined not by septic shock or noncompliant parents but by cross-cultural misunderstanding. † In modern medicine there has been an increased prominence put in patient education and understanding. What could have saved Lia’s life is a more tailored course of treatment that both respected her families beliefs while also allowing for the benefits of modern medicine. When helping patients it is always important to respect their cultures and traditions, but it is more important to build understanding between their traditions and what will best allow them to get better. Nurses can play the greatest role in building cross-cultural trust, when they (as the first line of care) educate patients on their medications and dietary recommendations. In a more diverse America we will need more Nurses to be able to not only respect cultural boundaries, but foster cultural cooperation to better treat all patients.

Briefly compare and contrast the Progressivism of T. Rooseve essays

Briefly compare and contrast the Progressivism of T. Rooseve essays The Progressive movement was fortunate to receive support from the President of the United States consecutively for three different Presidents. Theodore Roosevelt was the first president of the United States to support progressivism, although he considered himself a devote member of the Republican Party. The following two presidents, William Howard Taft and Woodrow Wilson, continued to address the same problems that the Progressives saw as the most significant. Each of these three presidents succeeded in aiding the Progressive Movement in different areas and through different methods. It is clear Roosevelt was the first to deal with the problems the Progressive Movement hoped to solve; however, his achievements may not be as impressive on paper as those of Taft or Wilson but Roosevelt is recognized as the President who initiated the Progressive Reform Movement in America. Theodore Roosevelt adopted a cautious version of progressive reform. He cultivated party leaders in Congress, and he steered away from such political thickets as the tariff and banking issues. (Tindall The Progressives had three basic goals; open the government to more people; correct societal abuses; and level the economic playing field. (Notes) Each of these three presidents attempted at least one or more of these problems. Roosevelt was very successful in beginning to delve into the trust problem; he strongly enforced the Sherman Anti-Trust Act and continued to use his big stick to fight against oppressive trusts. Altogether his administration initiated about twenty-five anti-trust suits; the most notable victory came in Swift and Company v. United States (1905), a decision against the beef trust through which most of the meat packers had avoid...

The Basis of a Moral Judgement

The Basis of a Moral Judgement The debate on the subject of moral judgement is continuous and cannot be easily resolved since there is no absolute standard of what is really moral and on what grounds people make moral judgements. The basis used to create a standard of morality differs with different individuals.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Basis of a Moral Judgement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Some people appeal to pragmatism of the solutions presented at a given moment as the basis of judgement while others appeal to religion as their sole instruction for morality. This essay takes a critical look at the views of David Hume and Immanuel Kant regarding the concept of moral judgement. First, we examine Kant’s moral philosophy. His basic idea is human autonomy (Fieser 284). One of the tasks of moral philosophy is to discover the binding principles of behaviour among humans. Kant argues that studying human anthropology only gives an idea of how people behave and fails to give the ideal behaviour that is expected (Fieser 284). Even with this shortcoming, people still make moral judgements. Fieser observes that Kant’s argument in a case such as â€Å"we ought to tell the truth† (285) is essentially similar to the scientific view that all changes ought to have a cause. The statement â€Å"we ought to tell the truth† is equated to a scientific view as it is based on reason and not an individual’s experience. Reason introduces an aspect of causality to noticeable objects thus explaining the change. It further institutes a facet of duty to a moral situation. Therefore, this duty breeds notions of ‘ought to’ and ‘ought not to’ in moral situations. Kant holds the view that concepts transcend facts experienced at any given moment. Therefore, obligations must not be based on the special properties of human nature or upon the consequences, but on the concept of reas on. Kant’s view on the subject of morality is based on awareness of regulation of behaviour that is universal and necessary (Fieser 286). Universality and necessity, according to Kant’s arguments, are the fundamentals of judgement. Kant focuses on ‘goodness’ as a quality affecting actions and not as a rational aspect of behaviour. Kants moral philosophy centres on autonomy. He proposes one elementary principle of morality from which all individual moral duties emanate (the moral law). Kant argues that people give themselves moral laws as well as the general laws of nature. According to Kant, human beings ought to act according to principles that they wish should become universal laws (Fieser 289).Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Kant’s moral philosophy is not complete without looking at his idea of the categorical imperatives (Bowen 37). Th e categorical imperative considers the universality of moral law. It dispenses liberty and autonomy to a person’s will thereby affirming the absolute worth of each rational person (Fieser 289). According to Kant, people are moral and rational equals hence they ought to act according to the maxims that they wish to become universal laws. Due to rationality, humans create the same set of laws all over the world (Birsch 56). Kant gives a connotation that people are the end in themselves and not the means to an end (Birsch 56). The statement â€Å"act in such a way that you treat humanity whether in your person or in the person of another, always at the same time as an end and never simply as the means† (57) is a clear indication of his stand on morality. By virtue of being rational, people can use other people to accomplish tasks for them as a way to accomplish an end, but never merely as the means to that end (Birsch 57). According to Kant, this is acting morally. David Hume’s approach to morality is scientific as he likes to call it. He asserts that morality is a topic that interests all humans (Fieser 251). Hume argues that moral judgement is equally a result of feeling as it is of reason. He claims that moral assessments are emotional responses. According to Hume, reason in forming moral judgements is limited as it emphasizes ‘matters of facts’ and ‘relations of ideas.’ Matters of facts and relations of ideas are judgements of truths or falsehood of things based on a person’s emotionality (Fieser 251). According to Hume’s moral philosophy, when someone commits murder there is an underlying fact behind the crime. A vivid recollection of all that happens at the time of committing the crime does not clearly show which part of the event constitutes the crime. It is not clear whether a crime has been committed because the incident is considered either as manslaughter or as an act of self-defense dependin g on the facts collected. Two important aspects to consider in such a scenario are the act itself and the motive behind the act. Therefore, moral judgement is merely a formation of the mind and is susceptible to sentiments (Fieser 251). Hume’s moral assessment of individual actions takes into consideration the sympathetic attitudes of pain and pleasure experienced on observation of someone else’s actions. Hume contends that moral sentiments are universal and that all humans possess them. He further adds that people praise or blame a similar action and that the praise or blame is not a consequence of narrow self-love.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Basis of a Moral Judgement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More He says that the sympathetic feelings are not restricted to specific events, but are instinctive (Fieser 252). The virtues that trigger universal quality of moral approval include industry, prud ence and caution. He insists that there are universal arguments and that even the most cynical people agree that these virtues are universal. These qualities are useful and agreeable not only to the person in possession of them, but also to the entire community (Fieser 252). Immanuel Kant and David Hume try to give a basis on which moral judgement is formed. According to Kant, humans install a reliable guide to moral truths within themselves. Nevertheless, they do not always adhere to this guide. Hume, on the other hand, views the notion of moral truth as problematic and that it is based on feelings. Both philosophers overestimate the human ability to develop universally moral laws (Birsch 56; Fieser 253). According to Kant, rational beings ought to arrive at logical conclusions that are acceptable to all. In Hume’s view, even the most cynical humans agree on certain virtues. Humans cannot be trusted to be infallible since it is indisputable that human is to err. Therefore, n either philosopher is committed to the idea that humans judge infallibly. Both philosophers dedicate their focus to the subject of discovering what exactly makes the law. For instance, using Hume’s morality in the case of a murder and what constitutes a crime in that case, there are many descriptions of the event. However, it is uncertain what happens if the crime is committed in self-defense. Although human faculties of emotions are unstable and very subjective, there is no moral justification for killing regardless of the explanations given (Fieser 253). The same idea of the lack of an absolute moral standard is consistent with both philosophers’ reasoning. According to Kant, there are other factors built in human desires and other human tendencies that specific duties demand from them at varying times. A rational being at times acts out of inclination or self interest. Fieser gives an illustration of somebody who wishes to be popular (Fieser 287). This person must a ct in obedience to certain rules that earn him the approval he desires. However, the individual’s popularity is not necessary. Therefore, there is no absolute standard that determines whether an individual’s willpower at any given point is in line with the law. Nothing can pass for being unreservedly good without a form of qualification. Even the moderation of passion is not usually considered a good thing. Kant argues that it is the humans’ rational willpower that aids in the creation of a universal law. This is the law that is good and inbuilt in humans who do not always live up to the law’s goodness (Fieser 287).Advertising Looking for essay on philosophy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There are notable differences between the two philosophers’ views. Hume’s arguments consider the role of emotion alongside reason while Kant’s postulations leave out the role of emotion in moral judgement. David Hume considers the reality that the human will is not only determined by reason, but is also influenced by other factors such as emotions (Fieser 252). Kant’s rationality and consistency principles give no room for the subjectivism of emotionality. Therefore, it can be concluded that morality is a subjective topic and that David Hume and Immanuel Kant have different ideas on this concept. Birsch, Douglas. Philosophical Issues: A Brief Introduction, New York: McGraw-Hill companies, 2003. Print. Bowen, L. Jonathan. The Categorical Imperative of a Confucian Evil Demon in America, Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, 2005. Print. Fieser, Stumpf. Socrates to Sartre and Beyond: A History of Philosophy, New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2008. Print.

First half of the 20 century, visual arts, design and arcitecture Essay

First half of the 20 century, visual arts, design and arcitecture produce a better world - Essay Example These art forms that unite through employment of human creative impulse (Wikipedians, NP: 15). This means that art implies to a diverse range of disciplines than the perceived art, which according to modern terms, is usually referred to as visual arts. Most people confused art and visual arts while the fact is that art refers to visual arts, and that visual art is not among the disciplines of art but rather it is a common term of arts. Art is a global activity that comprises of a host of disciplines that include Liberal Arts, Fine Arts, Decorative Arts, Design, Crafts, Performing Arts, and many others (Wikipedians, NP:15). The other major field of the arts is the literary arts commonly referred to as literature. Literature includes poetry, short stories, novels and other numerous forms. The other literary art are the performing arts that comprise of dance, music, magic, film and theatre. This paper will outline how different form of arts in the middle of the 20th century and how thei r evolvement transformed the society and changed the world. During the 20th century, industrialization tremendously matured into global industrial capitalism, which eventually spurred the rise of consumer economics (Gardner et al, 2006:687). These developments brought forth great promises and significant problems to the society and the world in general. Change brought excitement and anxiety because people experienced the outcomes of change that were spurring in the society. Events like the Great Depression, World War I, the rise of totalitarianism, and World War II exaggerated this schizophrenic attitude. Artists were not exceptional in the evolution because many of them changed not only their personality but also their artistic perspectives. Some of these artists responded with energy and optimism while others responded with bleak despair. More so, the world’s evolution influenced artistic developments,

Do the ICU Nurses Experiences Help in Evolving Medical Futility Research Paper

Do the ICU Nurses Experiences Help in Evolving Medical Futility Guidelines - Research Paper Example Findings: - when the contents of the literature are viewed through the glasses of the three extracted views, it is found that experiences of nurses form a great volume of the database. Nurse's perception of medical futility is not given due place in decision making by physicians. Terming the utility behind the medical system and its care oriented activities, as futility is an oxymoron. Treatments that do not fetch results/goals are considered as medical futility. If this can be taken as a rule, then any stage of treatment towards the curative goal can also be rejected as medical futility, because the stages of treatment may not land immediately on the anticipated results. The interactive gap between doctors and patients or their families worsens the situations in many decision-making junctures. Critical situations like withdrawal of life support systems and stoppage of ineffective medical interventions are to be managed in consensus with the patients and families. To achieve this consensus more than five sittings of negotiations are needed at times. Lack of skill in maneuvering the negotiations in the interest of patients on the part of doctors and physicians of entry-level forms the crux of the problem. The term futility is associated with the target-missed. When maintaining the quality of life of the patient is the target, the medical futility makes no sense. Only when life-saving is the issue, medical futility works; that too because of the occurrence of death, which is never in the hands of us. Thus keeping a negative target-- that is death-- as a measure to judge the medical interventions seems quite irrelevant. During the last decade of the 20th Century, medical futility guidelines began to emerge at different levels in many institutions. The role of the nursing community in ICU and their perception of medical futility were unfortunately given less importance in evolving the guidelines.  Ã‚  

WC Mod 7 WA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

WC Mod 7 WA - Research Paper Example Although most crimes are linked to male counterparts than female this has been attributed mostly to the fact that men are typically more aggressive than their female counterparts. The impact of these challenges hinders efficient and effective administration of justice. In addition it is a basis of stereotypes that causes a lot of psychological harm not only to the affected individual but the general population that views it self as minority. The complex relationship between criminology and gender is attributed to the fact that relatively little attention has been dedicated to women in the justice system because of their small percentage in the system. This explanation fall short in a number of ways, first is that while women are underrepresented as victims, workers and offender, the number of women falling into criminal activity is still rising. Secondly practices that negatively affect the men have an effect on women as well for instance women are the ones who bear the responsibility of child-care when the male counterpart is imprisoned. Additionally while the criminal system is all male based gender is relevant when talking about male involvement in the system as well as female. It is however worth noticing that significant developments have been witnessed and currently discussing gender and crime is definitely an easy task now as compared to how it was thirty years back. Criminology is a wide concept that requires a holistic approach and to establish the link of gender and crime and the overall effect it has on criminology and justice system. Gender plays a critical role in understanding and resolving issues of related to crime. Criminology takes into consideration the theories of Marxism, feminist and critical theory as crimes originate from inequalities. In the 19th century Italian criminologist known as Cesare Lombroso developed the theory of

Graphic Organizers Essay Example for Free

Graphic Organizers Essay Graphic organizers are wonderful tools for learners of all abilities in all grades. They help students to visually and clearly organize their opinions and ideas. Students are enabled to see connections and relationships between information, facts and terms. For ELL students and struggling readers, this is particularly useful because it aids with language issues and challenges in comprehension these students struggle with. It visually provides them with a broad picture of this corpus of information they are trying to learn as opposed to words and language. Introducing and organizing instructional content can be done in a fun and simple way. I would begin with a simple fun math lesson that is on a more personal level. To introduce the lesson; the first step should describe to the students the lesson’s purpose (how to budget within your means), then explain its components (reason, solve problems, communicate, computation) and finally model its use (3 column chart) together with the class. This will ensure students comprehend the material they are learning. The 5th grade class would be instructed to divide into 3 groups of 6. Each group will be assigned a budget of $60.00. I would then hand out menus to each group from a popular fast food restaurant (Wendy’s). Students in each group will order any item off the menu for lunch but within their group budget. They will itemize their choices on their worksheet and include quantity and total amounts. Students will be aware that all deluxe meals come with french fries and a drink. Any state tax will not be configured for this lesson. Together we will input the information collected from each group onto the organizer. We will analyze, compare and discuss the decisions each group made with their selections and how well they managed their budget. The graphic organizer will also help them reflect individually as they see the information unfold from this valuable tool. It is important for students to learn the concept of managing money and to learn to live within their means.

Indeterminacy: Order Versus Chaos :: Philosophy

Indeterminacy: Order Versus Chaos ABSTRACT: Indeterminacy, uncertainty, disorder, randomness, vagueness, fuzziness, ambiguity, crisis, undecideability, chaos, are all different terms. Yet, they are also semantically related to the idea of something opposed to order or structure and organization. Such terms denote prima facie insuperable obstacles to the attainment of true, certain, or precise knowledge about things and events. After analysing the ontological, logical, and axiological status of indeterminary, I outline the aoristic logic which allows adequate descriptions of phenomena pertaining to an area of indeterminary. Aoristic logic provides a propositional calculus that makes possible the compatibility of order with indeterminacy. 1. Argument Truth, certainty, precision are the highest criteria for judgement on any statement concerning structures and processes of a universe within the reach of the human mind. People learned that the mythological heritage cannot satisfy all spiritual needs and, consequently, the mind activity extended from the perceptual explanation of the world to the conception of means to record and disseminate the resulting cognitions. Thinking became gradually a researching activity with a lasting educational component and was able to develop a twofold advance: philosophy dealing with general retrospective analyses and prospective outlooks, and science focussing the attention on particular actual problems approached by specific means. In spite of obvious differences, both philosophical and scientifical thoughts are to submit their statements to he above criteria for assuming the noblest tasks of Paideia. At the turning of our century the science of the inert world, i.e. physics and chemistry, discovered phenomena that compelled the scientists to revise old deterministic patterns of explanation wich became controversial, and to look for new ones. During our century concepts like natural law, order, certainty became a matter of doubt for both theoretical and experimental scientists. Almost concomitantly biologists discovered that life phenomena had to be approached as chains of changes, so that the concept of creation was to be redefined together with the concept of order. Similar changes were recorded in the social sciences wich are dealing with animal and human collectivities. Finally, the uncontroversial model of exactness, mathematics, had refine its tools in order to tackle the problems issued from empirical sciences and to use efficiently the amazing facilities provided by electronic computational devices. All these changes of pattern in science have entailed many ideatic changes in the philosophical camp, where were working not only specialized philosophers but also scientists who used to expound sometimes polemically their own theses on topics from their domains.

Cognitive Dissonance in Religion and Spirituality

Cognitive Dissonance in Religion Cognitive dissonance theory was developed by Leon Festinger more than fifty years ago as the most influential consistency theory of attitudes (Fanzoi, 2009). This theory argues that we often justify and rationalise our behavior in order to maintain cognitive consistency (Franzoi). In the classical cognitive dissonance experiment conducted by Festinger and J Merrill Carlsmitch, (Festinger, 1959, as cited in Franzoi, 2009) where a group of people were asked to perform two 30-minute mundane boring tasks where some were paid $1 and others were paid $20. At the end of the tasks, one group was asked to relay the message that the tasks were â€Å"very enjoyable† and â€Å"fun† to the next group of participants. There was also control group where they were not required to lie. At the end of the experiment, the entire group of participants were interviewed and asked the question how fun and interesting they actually found the tasks to be. The result of their finding showed that the $1 liars actually showed more enthusiasm in telling others that the tasks were â€Å"very interesting† and â€Å"fun† than the group who said so for $20. The $1 group was experiencing greater discomfort by telling the tasks as â€Å"very enjoyable† when they felt it was actually boring tasks whereas the $20 liars have more justification for their action. The cognitive dissonance experienced by the $1 liars naturally motivated to change their attitude in order to reduce the dissonance. According to Franzoi (2009), there are some strategies commonly employed to reduce cognitive dissonance such as changing one’s attitudes, adding more consonant thoughts, altering the importance of the discrepant thoughts, reducing perceived choice, making selfaffirmations to overlook current dissonance and changing behaviour. Having laid a little ground work on Cognitive Dissonance, I now wish to examine how we can observe cognitive dissonance occurring in one’s religion and spirituality. I will attempt to establish the premise that one’s spirituality may effect dissonance in one’s religious beliefs. â€Å"Religion is a fixed system of ideas while spirituality is the personal views on the fixed system of those ideas† (Ventis, 1995, as cited in LUTZ, L. 2003). â€Å"Given the Cognitive Dissonance in Religion facts that religious beliefs can be challenged by the critical historical studies, and cognitive dissonance would be generated when this occurred resulting in unconscious alteration of beliefs and attitudes† (Burns, 2006).A Study on Religion and the Role of It on People and Media†¦. When situations become inconsistent with one’s belief, dissonance would occur and needs to reduce it become obvious. When one is being perceived as hypocritical, such as â€Å"not practicing what he preaches, one would engage an unconscious strategy to reduce the dissonance often through the misattribution of arousal to a source other than one’s own discrepant behaviour† (Burns). This is an effective way â€Å"to maintain one’s self-concept as a psychologically consistent and moral person† (Fried and Aronson, 1995; Aronson, 1999, as cited by Burns, 2006). In a 1975 study of young women participating in a Christian youth program were first asked to state their beliefs publicly concerning the divinity of Jesus. They were then exposed to information aimed at disconfirming the divinity claim. The study found that those who believed Jesus’ divinity and also considered the disconfirming information as bona fide dealt with the cognitive dissonance by strengthening their belief in the divinity of Jesus. Those who dismissed the disconfirming information as true did not intensify their stance. The study showed that in some cases â€Å"the dissonance can actually reinforce original attitudes† (Burris, Harmon-Jones, and Tarpley, 1997, as cited in Burns, 2006). Kimberly Mahaffy (1996) did a study on religion and how it effects cognitive dissonance (Mahaffy,1996, as cited by MCCLUNG, 1999). â€Å"This study consisted of participants who were self-proclaimed lesbians who were either associated with a Christian church previously or presently† (MCCLUNG). The objective of the study was to determine do these women experienced dissonance when they realized their sexual orientations. Her finding concluded that the pre-evangelical Christians experienced more dissonance than their counter-parts and some women resorted to denying the supremacy of the Bible and thus Cognitive Dissonance in Religion believe that their sexual orientations may not be against their beliefs (Mahaffy, 1996, as cited by MCCLUNG, 1999). My personal association with two friends who are gay who regarded themselves to be committed Christians, high cognitive dissonance appeared to occur when they first realized their sexual orientations; they even attempted suicides. They claimed to have made attempts to change their behaviour, sought medical treatments but to no avail. They eventually conceded their current lifestyle was not by choice. I would like to cite an observation of cognitive dissonance in my personal spirituality. I used to hold strong conviction that God has ordained the church I pastor to be in Mid Valley; its existence there has been ordained. There has been much self-affirmation with providence for the first eight years confirming and intensifying that stance. However, tension started to develop the last two years when financial commitment became burdensome. Cognition dissonance of spirituality became obvious with questions held in great tensions: â€Å"Why do we need to continue paying high rental to stay in Mid Valley? † vs. â€Å"But isn’t God able to provide? † â€Å"How do we justify paying so much with little result to show? † vs. â€Å"But isn’t it worth it if even one soul has been saved? † â€Å"Aren’t we called to be in Mid Valley? † vs. â€Å"May be God is redirecting our path to elsewhere; better use the money to buy own building. The dissonance to remain in current location and the contemplation to relocate became a spiritual crisis. Coping strategies began to emerge. One member has suggested it is alright to relocate with the hope of returning once we consolidated. The same member altered the importance of the discrepancy with his remark, â€Å"It’s crucial to r elocate to conserve resource than to stay on till a crisis looms large. † I personally entertained the notion of financial limitation as sign of divine redirection. As long as dissonance remains high, justification intensifies. Once I embraced new attitudes justifying relocation, dissonance Cognitive Dissonance in Religion seemed to reduce significantly. With newly changed attitudes and beliefs, previous justification supporting old beliefs become irrelevant. From the observation of studies done by Burns (2006), Burris, Harmon-Jones, and Tarpley (1997, as cited by Burns, 2006), Mahaffy (1996, as cited by MCCLUNG, 1999) and from the reflection of personal affect, one could reasonably conclude that cognitive dissonance has been observed to occur in religion and spirituality.