An Orientation Tour along with Fall Prevention Education Coursework

An Orientation Tour along with Fall Prevention Education - Coursework Example Step 3:Create your research question. State your full question. For example: For new students entering an online program would a mandatory orientation course improve retention by increasing computer literacy and professional writing proficiency? Step 4:Select the key PICOT terms for searching the evidence.Is the potential solution something for which you (as nurse or student) can find a solution through evidence research? In the above example the PICOT search terms would be: Â  I will compare the rate of fall to tour with the family members alone to the unit prior to the admission without patient aware of the facility he/she is going to orientation tour with both patient and family members. One of the strategies I will use to expand the search would be refining the search statement, choosing the appropriate data base, using more focused key words, opting for advanced search as well as Boolean search. In addition, controlling the language and vocabulary can also be used in expanding my search. 3. Describe ways you might refine your general search to reduce the number of results from your search. Can you use the EBSCO subject headings? What about the advanced search option using Boolean limiters such as AND. Once you have a reasonable number of relevant search results (10-30) what final limiters will, you set to reduce the search results further (i.e., English language limiter, age limiters, publication year limiters, peer-reviewedjournallimiter, and/or human subject limiter)? The use of advanced search or the Boolean search is effective ways of refining the general research. The EBSCO database presents an opportunity for the use of headings of the intended subject which I can successfully use to define my subject. Moreover, using the option of AND, OR and NOT which are the Boolean limiters can serve as a strategy of refining my research.

The Cultural Dimensions Between The Us And Netherlands Commerce Essay

The Cultural Dimensions Between The Us And Netherlands Commerce Essay Culture is program of human mind which distinguishes two different human groups one from the other. Culture according to sense is a system of collectively held values geert hofstede Culture is a level of basic assumption and the belief that has been shared by members of an organisation, which operates unconsciously and is defined as taken for granted style of an organisation view of its self and environment -Edgar schein Culture is some thing which is differentiated between in groups, out-group of people. Now that the growth of the organisations are developing internationally there is much relation existing between the international companies to work together, these interactions occurs differently in different countries there develop the cultural difference which indeed effect the organisations. These cultural differences have been discussed and analysed by hofstede analysis in detail. Hofstede also defined culture as software of the mind which guides us with our daily interactions. Culture is a collective phenomenon of thinking, feeling, potential acting, which are acquired in early childhood .to change these acquired characteristics and establish and develop in new ways of thinking, feeling, acting is more difficult for the first time using the analogy in which computer are programmed the patterns of thinking, feeling, acting are referred to software of mind. Culture is a collective programme of mind, which has the ability to distinguish the members of one group of people from another. Hofstede did studies on IBM in 72 different countries and identify 5 different types of cultural dimensions HOFSTEDES CULTURAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN UNITED STATES AND NETHERLANDS SOURCE: http://www.geert-hofstede.com/hofstede_dimensions.php?culture1=95culture2=62 A. Power distance Power distance is used to measure how the subordinates usually respond to their power and authority according to hofstede they are high power distance an countries and low power distance countries in high power distance countries The subordinates are scared of the bosses, the bosses tend to be very autocratic and demanding over the employees, in lower power distance countries the subordinates are more friendly with the bosses who can even challenge them at work, the bosses usually tend to use a consultative management style. United States Us has the lower power distance ranking (PDI) (40), when compared to worlds average of 55 according to hofstede cultural dimension in a country with low power distance is an indicative of a great quality between societal, government, organisation and families. this shows the cooperative interactions across all power label and these creates suitable cultural environment, this low power distance shows that there is friendly relation between bosses and employees which helps the companies to stay stable in many situations. Netherlands Netherlands have the power distance (PDI) (44) which indicates that there is good understanding between the higher officials and the employees yet they might be some differences in some situations. B.Individualism Individualism is a level of independence in a community or organisation; there are two types of individualisms, high individualism and low individualism, low individualism according to hofstede is described as having low interaction and dependence for another work with other persons, in high individualism there is more involvement with the organisation and work responsibilities rather than the immediate family, a high individualism is expected to be more respectful and dedicated towards the work in the organisation. United States US ranks high in the individualism, which would indicate that there are more Individualistic attitude less bonding between direct family members and others Usually the members in the individualistic society concentrate more on the work and themselves and very close members. Individualism is expected to look after themselves, on the collective side we find people who are strongly bonded and connected with in groups and extended families which has exchangeable loyalty collectivism has no political meaning it refers only to group and is extremely fundamental one. Netherlands Netherlands has high individual ranking which is almost similar to us this also have loose bonding towards the family and others in this place people are expected to be more individualistic with the work they do, they usually care take of themselves and close family members where as in the collective society people are bonded to relations and are expected to work with each other in the organisation C.Masculinity By hofstede analysis it is said that mens goals are different from womens goals and these can be differentiated as masculine and feminine. Wherere the feminine values most strongly with the relationship at work they tend to work with people who cooperate well with each other living in an area where they are comfortable with the families and tend to have a security that they can work in particular organisation as long as they want to. Where the masculine is high, people have attitude of respecting for high earnings, getting recognition, which they deserve while doing good job, to look for opportunity in higher levels jobs challenging their work. United States In hofstede dimension us ranks 62 in masculinity, When it is compared to the worlds average of 50 they shows that united state has large gender difference, male domination in the society, usually male s are considered as important because of their roles play in the society this generates the female population become more competitive with woman trying to shift into male roles. Netherlands: Netherlands has the lowest hofstede dimension in masculinity at 14 they shows that there is a very low level of discrimination between the genders female are treated equally with males in the society this low masculinity ranking in the society displaces an open society D.Uncertainty avoidance: Uncertainty shows the level of uncertainty among people and uncertain situations they are two types of uncertainties high uncertainty and low uncertainty where an uncertainty is strong the culture tends to develop unknown situation as threats and people will tend to avoid them in places where uncertainty is low people feel very less threatened by the situations by these people tend to be more opened and innovative. United States United states ranks 46 in hofstede dimension of uncertainty avoidance when compared to the worlds average of 64 low ranking of uncertainty avoidance in a society is known to have very few rules and regulations and they do not attempt to control the outcomes and results this type of society is always opened to new ideas thoughts and beliefs. Netherlands The uncertainty avoidance of Netherlands is 53 when compared to worlds average of 64 this shows that Netherlands have moderate score for the uncertainty avoidance which indicates that cultural tenancy to minimize this shows the reduction level of uncertainty within the population with rules, laws, policies to overcome most of the situations. E.Long-term orientation This is the last hofstede cultural dimension, which was established in 1990, this refers to long-term and short-term tradition and values. Long-term orientation has a respect for the status of relationships .in short-term orientation there is sense of security and stability keeping up reputation, to respect the tradition. United States Us ranked lowest in the long term orientation as 29 when it is compared to worlds average of 45 they shows that society has the cultural traditional according to rules and regulations Netherlands: When compared to united states Netherlands have the high long term directions as 44 when compared to worlds average it shows that country have great level of social obligations, stability, reputations tradition are well followed 3. Sony Corporation of America: Sony corporation of America based in city of new York(united states of America) is a subsidiary of Sony head quarter in Tokyo Sony is a leader in manufacture of vedio,audio and communication and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets Sonys television ,computer entertainment, online business., music and its motion pictures makes Sony one of the most wide spread entertainment companies in the world Sonys us businesses include Sony pictures entertainment,sony electronic,sony computer entertainment America and Sony music entertainment the company recorded an annual sales of approximately 78.9$billions for the year 2009 Sony employees 1,71,300 people worldwide. Sony American is one of the leading music, audio visual electronic and information technology in united states and worldwide it is also said to be code developer of the CD, DVD and SACD.to its credit it is the first developer manufacturer and marketers of the play station .it is also inventor of vast range of consumer audio ,video products Sony has always manage to dominate the competitive electronics market within the united states .the company has almost seen a constant growth ever since its start in 1960 throughout this time In the us it has introduce a varied no of products that has revolutionise the electronic industry the walkman personal stereo and the Sony Trinitron televisions have become industrial leaders there are even more products on the horizon such as VIAO,CLIO AND SONY LINE OF CAMERAS . 4. Managing innovation and creativity For developing and producing these products Sony employees 21000 person work force the Sony mainly encourages these employee work forces to innovate take risk and to exceed customer expectation they work done by talented individuals lead to nearly 14 billion dollars in sales in the recent years a poll conducted among leading 2000 companies, in America Sony was recognize as number 1 brand name beating out cocola,ford and Disney Sony mainly invests greatly in the community and relationships with both their employees and customers every day at Sony corporate ethics play major part the company has develop ethics and action programme which is designed to train all levels of workers of Sony how they remain trust worthy, honesty and fair. 4.1SONY COMPANY innovation practices Changing management structure to remain innovative. The shift from analogy to digital technology and growth of it have been continuous at the 50th anniversary of Sony it was embarked as the start of new digital age by recognising its management structure to improve its decisional company system in order to respond more fast to the market change and to generate a structure e that encourages development of new business the Sony has now reconstructed their corporate structure from a vertical system to horizontal system for first time 50 year history in order to speed up market responsiveness and decision making Sony puts itself into strong position in fulfilling its goals by internalising much of the technological advances by being prepared to change and adapt from itself, 4.2. Establishing new ventures for innovation In the year 1995 Sony has made in long-term technology agreement with Intel Corporation, which is largest manufacturer of microprocessors for computers in US. Sony strengths of any software and hard ware are now combined with Intels strengths of computer technology and semi conductors. Since these agreement Sony has introduce the revolutionary DVD player and DVD anticipating with innovation(digital dream kids)digital dream kids shows the Sony strong commitments in realising their dream to digital technologies the digital Dream kids are analyse as future customers, at all the levels of Sony the employees become dream kids to continue generating new products that will satisfy meet the expectations of future customers to connect the potential of digital technology, Sony will identify dreams of young and digitally educate to create unique fun products and applications the Sony uses dream kids format in union with market research to regularly keep in touch with customers future dreams pio neers of market in the process of constant technological innovation marketing plays a vital role the Sony has always standardized the view that a very good marketing always involves pioneering the market ,which comes down to market creation in the long run there will always be a failure by simply producing the goods that meets market current needs rather than having react to changes Sony has been able to become proactive force by driving markets forward innovation research and development 4.3Future innovation programmes Sony has set few continuous challenges to face in coming future 1. Sony has plan to further strengthen its leading position in the AV while developing it business 2. To secure a firm foot hold in the entertainment industry it will promote a deeper understanding among the company employees and management 3. To integrate an entertainment business and electronics in order to create totally new business opportunities 5. Sony innovative research and development as a leader in innovation Sony electronics is a company that majorly focuses imagination than manufacturing in the past manufacturing hardware has been major drive of the business it is now currently taking newer and different paths to the future the companies majorly focussing its research and development on integrating the broadband and finding the synergy between contend and hardware the main aim of the Sony creative centre is that the engineers are thinking of the ways to touch the heart of consumers foreseeing future trends is the Sony main method of developing new product this really means that Sony is majorly trying to getting tune with what the consumers want and majorly what the consumers are willing to accept another major issue Sony currently faces is timing that is reducing products ahead of markets ability to use them in a recent fortune article emphasizing on happening of Sony electronics and development future wonders has a TV display with thickness of not more than fe w sheets of paper, granting light valve -a high definition video projector that turns entire walls into film screens ,digital chopsticks appointer that allows a user to pick a particular folder and transfer it directly to another screen beside, The companies R and D has been described as the future toy factory buy few of the open minded employees and engineers Sony.com indicates that Sony s vision is not necessarily about refrigerators talking to toasters .its about bringing to market products that capture imagination of consumers and enhance their life in the process. 6. Philips company profile Royal Philip electronics situated at Netherlands is a diversified health and well being company mainly focus on improving peoples life through their timely innovations it is a world leader in health care lightening and life style .Philips combines technology and design into peoples solutions based on simple customer needs and the brand promises of sense and simplicity the Philips head quarters is situated in Netherlands and employees approximately1,21,000 employees more than 60 countries around the world the company had sales of 26 billion Euros in year 2008,it is market leader in cardiac care and home health care and acute care it also leading provider of energy saving lightening solutions and new lightening applications along with life style products with personal wellbeing .it also has the pleasure by being a strong leadership position in flat TV grooming ,male shaving ,portable entertainment and oral health care 7. Philips innovative campus (PIC) This is a division of Philips electronics India limited situated at Bangalore and owned 96 percent by royal Philips electronics Netherlands it was established with a vision to been an innovative hub creating next generation solutions and products of life style and health care the pic comprises of the industries finest professionals using platforms including real time system and state of art software engineering paradigms ,component based software engineering and multi threaded architecture to drive the creation tomorrows services and products the pic has adopted an open innovation strategy which leverages the partnering companies for joint innovative power and researches in order to bring more innovations in the market faster and effectively 7.1Philips innovations On the fortune list of global top corporations royal Phillips electronics is in the 10th position the company active in its 60 different business varying from domestic appliances to consumer electronics and semiconductors to security systems they are said to be world leaders in digital technologies for wireless communications ,video compressions ,televisions and displays optical products and underlined semiconductor technologies that makes these break through possible the company plays leading role in shaping the worlds digital electronics by bringing meaning full technological innovations to people most of those innovations find their routes in the labs of Philip research the company is majorly dedicate to innovations that are environmentally sound in the terms of its products how it takes them .in the company, the traditionally design discipline are included with skills from the human science and technology from multi disciplinary research based approach that makes possible to gene rate new solution that convince and satisfy peoples needs and aspirations they call these new enriched design as high design 7.2Innovation at Philips Philips mammon trak system is develop for breast screening and diagnosis and biopsy application combination with mri system (magner resonance tomography) this application improves patient comfort, work flow and simplify the processor for biopsy this creation was done keeping in mind the cost and time wasted during the diagnosis of different breast cancers in women this innovation was result of increase of rate of breast cancer patients every year and demand for mammography procedures 8. Managing innovation and creativity At Philips design they think that they can full fill only people needs and desires when they truly understand what they are for these reason they always begin with getting information as much as possible about their targeted audiences, their values ,their priorities ,likes and dislikes with theses approach their international multi disciplinary and diverse design team is able to bring out truly applicable solutions that predict peoples needs enhance their customers business success by exceeding their expectations this is why the Philips is said to be one of the largest organisation in the world with around seven studios in north America ,Europe, Asia the Philip design wins a minimum of 50 plus design awards each year it comprises of a creative force of 400 professionals representing over 35 nationalities with a varied client list of 60 fortune 500 companies 9. Recommendations As both the firms are very large multinational firms, these firms have used quite very varied types of creative tools. The tools used by both the firms vary in final outcome but the tools used are generally the same. When taking the Sony America company, this company majorly emphasises on using the creative tools for the outcome of products related to the entertainment sector like televisions, music systems and other accessories. So, they majorly need to use the creative tools for making the life of human more comfort and more luxurious and easy. But when coming to the Philips they majorly work on healthcare like operating and scanning machines and other health products. They do even produce electronics like televisions music systems and other gadgets but not as the way Sony does. This company uses creative tools that give an outcome relating to bringing down the medical costs for a person. They are also majorly involved in semiconductor industry. Both the firms have very large group of people working in their own R and D centres using much of the creative tools. Even thought there are a numerous Sony products coming up every day, the company is lacking behind the Philips in the electronics sector. This can be said because Philips wins 50+ awards every year for its innovation achievements. Even though sonnys working on innovations there has been not much results compared to Philips. So we recommend that sent to use all the varied types of creative tools and techniques to even get better results. Philips has even mentioned that whatever new innovation it does it also does in way that is environmental friendly. 10. Conclusion Managing of innovation and creativity is a very important aspect for any organization in any country. For any firm to compete and sustain in this fast moving world it should majorly emphasise on using the creativity and innovation tools to get innovative and creative ideas. Hofstede methodology of cultures will help in better understanding the effects of culture on innovation. It will help in studying the cross cultural dimensions and help in growth of the firms eventually. For both multi- national firms it has been important that they manage the innovation and creativity centres well. As these are very large firms both Sony and Philips are managing their innovation centres well by spending lots of amounts on these centres. Both the companies are using varied tools for generating the innovative ideas. So by this we can conclude that both the companies are using and managing the innovations and creativity very well to gain more profits and lead the market.

Antony and Cleopatra :: essays research papers

‘Antony and Cleopatra’. The simplicity of the Jacobean Stage and its lack of scenery focused the audiences’ attention on the actors. Discuss how Shakespeare created the grandeur of the Worlds of Rome and Egypt, and the magnificence of the protagonists, through his use of imagery in ‘Antony and Cleopatra’. The play of ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ was written in 1606, and is mainly set in their respective worlds of Rome and Egypt. ‘Antony and Cleopatra,’ like Shakespeare’s other plays was written to be performed on the Jacobean Stage. In Shakespeare’s time there was a lack of scenery and stage props, but he compensated with his use of language that he gave to the audience, to assist them, bring to life the characters, plot and the setting in their own minds. That was the past, here and now in the present, we go to the Cinema, which is full of special effects, computerised graphics, and exciting camera shots, which all goes towards creating a typical Hollywood blockbuster film. With ‘Antony and Cleopatra this is not necessary as it is still more effective on the stage than on screen, which is due to the elaborate language used, which tests our imagination. Shakespeare’s plays are written in dramatic verse and his use of imagery is very effective, as it engages the audiences’ attention, to give them a deeper meaning and reality to each and every character. In order to analyse how Shakespeare uses imagery to describe Antony and his world of Rome, and Cleopatra and her world of Egypt, it is necessary to look at how he breathes life into their larger than life personalities by the use of powerful, vivid language. The opening speech raises the audiences’ awareness of the Roman view towards Antony and Cleopatra’s relationship. â€Å"You shall see him The triple pillar of the world transformed into a strumpet’s fool,† which ultimately means that Antony is Cleopatra’s jester, that would do anything for her and that his imminent downfall is due to Cleopatra the â€Å"Strumpet†. Mark Antony’s character at the beginning of the play, is that of a great, powerful, triumvir whose heart has been entrapped by Cleopatra’s enchanting personality. The audience hears many good things about Antony’s character, which is shown through his great past, â€Å"It is reported thou didst eat strange flesh which some did die look on,† which informs us that he was a great warrior which evoke feelings of respect towards him.

Com225 Assignment

In 3 days, I violated the rules of communications in 3 different situations when messages to welcome myself next to people I did not know were delivered non-verbally. I specifically acted against norms of proxemics. Proxemics is the area of nonverbal communication that focuses on space and distance and a person’s personal space. It is where you evaluate how intimate the relationship of two people interacting. The closer you get the higher the intimacy level the people must have. Day 1: There was a male student sitting by himself on a bench outside of a lecture hall reading Newspaper.   For the most part, there weren’t any other students around and there were two empty benches nearby. I wanted to see his reaction when I sat next to him very closely and looked over his shoulder to check out what he was reading.   While I looked over the article, he slowly turned his head and looked at me then back at the article.   He then laughed a little and asked what I was doing. I smiled and I didn’t say anything and kept looking at his face.   He was trying to avoid eye contacts with me and prepared to leave. I explained to him what I was doing and about my goal to break norms of nonverbal communication to unsuspecting individuals.   He thought it was funny and said that I definitely did make him feel very uncomfortable as well as very confused. Day 2: The next stop on my nonverbal communication norm-breaking project was in the Student Union.   There were two young women eating dinner at a nearby table.   There was an empty table next to them and students eating at other tables around them.   The two women were mid-conversation when I took a seat next to them at their table.   Not saying a word, I simply sat down and waited. Their initial reaction was confused and they stared at each other.   One of the girls pointed to me and opened her eyes wide to her friend as if to ask â€Å"Do you know her?†Ã‚   When they realized that I was a complete stranger to both of them and just invited myself to sit down and join in their dinner conversation, they started laughing and reacted with a confused â€Å"Hi!†Ã‚   They stared and waited for a response and then I started laughing with them and explained what was going on and why. The two young women said how awkward they felt when a complete stranger joined them at their table for dinner. Day 3: The next stop on my project was in front of my apartment. There was a girl who was talking on the phone. I tried to stay too close to her and then I pretended to listen to her phone conversation. For the first time, she looked at me and she tried to make a little more distance from me. However, I kept going closer to her and thus invaded her personal area. Finally, she went inside of Starbucks. When we found her inside of the coffee shop, she was still using her phone and she kept ignoring us. After her phone conversation, we explained to her about our nonverbal communication project and asked her a question about her feelings.   She said that it was uncomfortable, and she felt that I was invading her privacy and too close to her personal space. From the both situation, people felt that they were surprised and uncomfortable as well. I knew that I did inappropriate things that we normally won’t do in our lives. Intimate distance was invaded as I sat very close to the young man on the bench reading the newspaper and casual distance was made awkward as I put myself at this distance with two young women where I welcome myself at their table same as with a girl who I met in front of Starbucks conversing whom I did not know. The young man sitting on the bench and the talking on the phone prepared to leave or left because I think they don’t want anyone invading their privacy, especially a person they don’t know. The girls on the table were quite confused so I think they thought that I am just being friendly with them so they said â€Å"hi.† I think they did what a normal person would do in those situations. While I’m doing the exercise, I’ve thought that breaking communicative rules like proxemics could result to sending a wrong message. Like what I did when I welcome myself by sitting on a table where two girls were sitting. They conceived a message that I’m being friendly to them. But what if, you just have to sit there because there were no other sits available. The interaction would be unhealthy.         

African Americans: Fighting for Their Rights Essay

During the mid 1950s to late 1960s African Americans started responding to the oppressive treatment shown to them by the majority of white people in the country. They responded to the segregation of blacks and whites during that time and the double standards the African Americans were held to. African Americans responded to their suppression by participating in boycotts, marches, sit-ins, and trying to get legislation passed so that they could overcome their degrading situation. They were successful in many of these actions and through them brought around more rights for African Americans. Boycotts were a major way that the African Americans got their voices and wants heard. The most famous boycott was probably the Montgomery Bus Boycott. After the arrest of Rosa Parks for refusing to give up her seat to a white man, Martin Luther King Jr. , urged the people of Montgomery to boycott the bus system. African Americans didn’t want to be considered substandard to white people, and they didn’t want to be forced to be subservient to them on buses. They didn’t think it was fair that they had to sit in the back of buses and give up their seats to white people. As King put it, â€Å"[†¦] there comes a time when people get tired of being trampled over by the iron feet of oppression† (King 347). Because African Americans were ready to do something to support their rights they followed King’s advice to â€Å" [†¦] work with grim and firm determination to gain justice on the buses in this city [through boycotting]† (King 348) The Montgomery bus boycott made the public transportation system realize how important African Americans were to the transportation system. The combined effect of loss of money and pressure from around the country created a victory for the African American Civil Rights movement. The boycott lasted 382 days, until the law allowing racial segregation on buses was lifted and white people and African-Americans were able to sit wherever they wished to on buses. There were also boycotts of businesses where the segregation of African Americans was still very prevalent. Many of these boycotts were successful. The boycotts caused enough financial difficulties that the segregated businesses either had to close or integrate. Diners where African Americans had to sit separate from white people or where African Americans weren’t served at all were boycotted against as well until that diner served African Americans and allowed them to sit wherever they wanted and with whomever they wanted. Diners also faced the difficulty of sit-ins if they refused to serve African Americans. In Greensboro, North Carolina, a black college student named Joseph McNeill was refused service at the counter of a restaurant. The next day he and three of his friends came and sat at the lunch counter waiting to be served. They weren’t served that day. The four of them returned to the lunch counter each day, but were never served. The students were aware each day that they came to the lunch counter that they would probably not be served, but â€Å"they were also aware that this form of nonviolent protest could be a powerful method in accomplishing the desegregation of lunch counters† (McElrath 1). Then, an article in the New York Times, brought notice to this sit-in and many other students joined in on the sit-in. This started a chain of sit-ins around the country to protest the ill-treatment of African-Americans. Despite many hardships, including being beaten and doused with Ammonia, more people kept showing up at these demonstrations. The sit-ins were effective in the fact that restaurants either served the African-Americans at the counter, or closed down. In one case a restaurant took out all of the chairs in the restaurant so that no one could be served anywhere, which ended up causing him to have to close down. In addition to sit-ins, there were also kneel-ins at churches where African-Americans were not allowed to worship due to race. Sit-ins and kneel-ins were very effective. As John F. Kennedy said, â€Å"[the protestors] have shown that the new way for Americans to stand up for their rights is to sit down† (Kennedy 1). Marches were also a prevalent way in which African Americans showed their discontent and fought out for their rights. Black leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. led marches on major cities, trying to voice their support of the Civil Rights movement. One of the first marches in support of Civil Rights was the protest march led by three ministers, including Martin Luther King Jr. , in Birmingham, Alabama. The march was met by policemen and dogs and the three ministers were put into jail. This was where King wrote his inspiring, â€Å"Letter From Birmingham Jail,† which set forth the need for the non-violent protest against unjust laws. This call for non-violent protests was one of the major factors that induced people to take the path of non-violent protests in order to promote Civil Rights. Perhaps the most famous march in favor of Civil Rights was The March on Washington. Civil Rights leaders, Bayard Rustin and Philip Randolph, were the chief planners of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. They wanted â€Å"to embody in one gesture civil rights as well as national economic demands. † (Randolph 1). The march was held on August 28, 1963, and more than 200,000 demonstrators gathered in front of the Washington Memorial to protest against the ill treatment of minorities, primarily African Americans, and to listen to many speakers, including Martin Luther King Jr. , who gave his famous â€Å"I have a dream† speech. The march had six official goals, but the major one was the passage of the civil rights law that the Kennedy administration had proposed after the problems in Birmingham. The march gained its purpose, but not without much controversy and struggle. The African American voice could not be ignored though, and many advances for Civil Rights were gained through the March on Washington, a march that would â€Å"go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation† (King 1) Another very effective response to the degradation of African Americans was to try to get legislation passed. One of the landmark cases for Civil Rights was Brown v. Board of Education. This case over-turned the ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson which said that schools could be segregated as long as they were equal in education and facilities. Brown v. Board of Education explicitly said that there is no way that separate can be equal and that by having â€Å"separate but equal† schools, the government was blatantly ignoring the 14th amendment which states, â€Å"No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State [†¦]deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws† (Congress 1). This court case caused the schools to be integrated, which was one of the first steps to racial equality. Another important ruling in the fight for Civil Rights was the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that, â€Å"All persons shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation [†¦] without discrimination or segregation on the ground of race, color, religion, or national origins† (Congress 350) This meant that. African Americans couldn’t be turned down from jobs due solely to race, their voting rights couldn’t be taken into question due to race, and they couldn’t be denied service in any public facilities. This piece of legislation had a far reaching impact, and furthered along the Civil Rights movement. Another very important piece of legislation was the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This outlawed the use of literacy tests to determine the right to vote. This gave more African Americans the ability to vote and to have a say in the government that was ruling them. The ability to vote allowed African Americans to have a voice in government and to elect people that they thought would further their rights. The ability of African Americans to get legislation passed that supported their rights was a major step in the improvement of the treatment of African Americans and made it so that legally people could not discriminate against, segregate, or deny voting rights to them. The different responses of the African American Community, including boycotts, marches, sit-ins, and fighting for legislation, changed civil rights in the United States. The African Americans fought out against injustice, just as our founding fathers fought out against the injustice of the British. Their efforts helped create a more integrated and accepting society where race is not the only thing people see when looking at a person. Although the society today is not perfectly accepting of all races, society is much more accepting than it was half a century ago, and that is due largely to the African American movements in favor of Civil Rights. Works Cited â€Å"Brown v. Board of Education. † Wikipedia. Wikipedia. 2 Feb 2007 . â€Å"African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968). † Wikipedia. Wikipedia. 29 Jan 2007 . â€Å"Brief Timeline of the American Civil Rights Movement (1954 – 1965). † Timeline of the American Civil Rights Movement. 29 Jan 2007 . King, Martin Luther. â€Å"Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. Defends Seamstress Rosa Parks, 1955. † Major Problems in American History Volume II. Edited. Edited. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. â€Å"The March on Washington. † The Civil Rights Movement. 2 Feb 2007 . McElrath, Jessica. â€Å"African American History. † Lunch Counter Sit-Ins. About. 2 Feb 2007 .

Forecasting Problem Essays

Forecasting Problem Essays Forecasting Problem Essay Forecasting Problem Essay Forecasting Problem POM Software: For this part of the problem I need to use the POM software: 1. Forecasting. 2. I should select Module-gt;Forecasting-gt;File-gt;New-gt;Least Squares and multiple regression 3. Use the module to solve the Case Study (Southwestern University). this case study, I am are required to build a forecasting model. Assume a linear regression forecasting model and build a model for each of the five games (five models in total) by using the forecasting module of the POM software. 4. Answer the three discussion questions for the case study except the part requiring me to justify the forecasting technique, as linear regression would be used. Discussion Questions 1. Develop a forecasting model, justifying its selection over other techniques, and project attendance through 2007. 2. What revenues are to be expected in 2006 and 2007 3. Discuss the schools options. Case Study (Southwestern University) Southwestern University (SWU), a large state college in Stephenville, Texas, enrolls close to 20,000 students. The school is a dominant force in the small city, with more students during fall and spring than permanent residents. Always a football powerhouse, SWU is usually in the top 20 in College football rankings. Since the legendary Bo Pitterno was hired as its head coach in 1999 (in hopes of reaching the elusive number 1 ranking),attendance at the five Saturday home games each year increased. Prior to Pitternos arrival, attendance generally averaged 25,000 to 29,000 per game. : Season ticket sales bumped up by 10,000 Just with the announcement of the new coachs arrival. Stephenville and SWU were ready to move to the big time! The immediate issue facing SWU, however, was not NCAA ranking. It was capacity. The existing SWU stadium, built in 1953, has seating for 54,000 fans. The following table indicates attendance at each game for the past 6 years. One of Pitternos demands upon joining SWU had been a stadium expansion, or possibly even a new stadium. With attendance increasing, SWU administrators began to face the issue head-on. Pitterno had wanted dormitories solely for his athletes in the stadium as an additional feature of any expansion. SWUs president, Dr. Joel Wisner, decided it was time for his vice president of development to forecast when the existing stadium would max out. The expansion was, in his mind, a given. But Wisner needed to know how long he could wait. He also sought a revenue projection, assuming an average ticket price of $20 in 2006 and a 5% increase each year in future prices. Southwestern University Football Game Attendance, 2000-2005 2000 GAME ATTENDEESOPPONENT 1 34,200 Baylor 2 a 39,800 Texas 3 38,200 LSU 4b26,900 Arkansas 5 35,100 USC 2001 GAME ATTENDEES OPPONENT 136,100Oklahoma 2a40,200 Nebraska 339,100 UCLA 4b25,300 Nevada 536,200 Ohio State 2002 GAME ATTENDEES OPPONENT 135,900 TCU 2a46,500 Texas Tech 343,100 Alaska 4b27,900 Arizona 539,200 Rice 2003 GAME ATTENDEES OPPONENT 141,900 Arkansas 2a46,100 Missouri 343,900 Florida 4b30,100 Miami 540,500 Duke 2004 GAME ATTENDEES OPPONENT 142,500 Indiana 2a48,200 North Texas 344,200 Texas AM 4b33,900 Southern 547,800 Oklahoma 2005 GAME ATTENDEES OPPONENT 146,900 LSU 2a50,100 Texas 345,900 Prairie View AM 4b36,300 Montana 549,900 Arizona State (a) Refer to Homecoming games. (b) During the 4th week of each season, Stephenville hosted a hugely popular southwestern crafts festival. This event brought tens of thousands of tourists to the town, especially on weekends, and had an obvious negative impact on game attendance.

Determination of Ksp of copper(II) Essays

Determination of Ksp of copper(II) Essays Determination of Ksp of copper(II) Paper Determination of Ksp of copper(II) Paper Introduction: Copper(II) iodate(V) ionizes weakly in water: Cu(IO3)2 + aq Cu2+(aq) + 2IO3-(aq) For a saturated solution of copper(II) iodate(V), concentration of IO3- ions doubles that of the Cu2+ (aq) ions, and Ksp of Cu(IO3)2(s) can be calculated by determining the concentration of Cu2+(aq) ion of a saturated Cu(IO3)2(aq). The e. m. f. of a galvanic cell consisting of a Zn(s)/Zn2+(aq) half-cell and another half-cell containing a copper strip in contact with a saturated solution of Cu(IO3)2(aq) is measured by a commercial DMM. Concentration of Cu2+(aq) is determined with reference to the EO values of the Zn(s)/Zn2+(aq) and the Cu(s)/Cu2+(aq) couples as well as the Nernst equation for a metal/metal ion half-cell: where n is the number of electrons transferred in the reduction process. ? Zn Zn2+ + 2e- Cu2+ + 2e- Cu ? n=2 For the Zn(s)/Zn2+(aq) half-cell, = -0. 76V For the Cu(s)/Cu2+(aq) half-cell, Ecell = ER EL = {(+0. 34) + 0. 0295 log [Cu2+(aq)]} {(-0. 76)} = (1. 10) + 0. 0295 log [Cu2+(aq)] When the voltage of the cell system is measured, the concentration of Cu2+ can be determined by the above equation. Therefore, the solubility product can be calculated by the above principle. Purposes: To determine the solubility product of copper(II) iodate(V) at room temperature and pressure by e. m. f. measurement. Apparatus and Reagents Used: Apparatus used: Well-plate; Plastic pipettes; Copper wire electrode; Zinc plate electrode; Digital multimeter (DMM); Connecting wires with crocodile clips; Filter paper strip, and Sand paper 1 Reagents used: 1M ZnSO4(aq); 0. 3M KIO3(aq); 0. 15M CuSO4(aq), and Saturated KNO3(aq) Chemical Reactions Involved: The equation of dissolution of copper(II) iodate(V): Cu(IO3)2(s) + aq Cu2+(aq) + 2IO3-(aq) The equation of redox reaction between Zn and Cu2+: Cu2+(aq) + Zn(s)Zn2+(aq) + Cu(s) Procedures: 1. 50 drops of 1M ZnSO4(aq) were placed into a well of the well-plate; 2. 25 drops of 0. 3M KIO3(aq) were placed into an empty well next to the well containing the 1M ZnSO4(aq), by using a clean Jumbo pipette; 3. The plastic pipette used in step(2) was cleaned. By using the same plastic pipette, 25 drops of 0. 15M CuSO4(aq) were added and stirred well with a micro-stirrer or toothpick. 5 minutes were waited to attain equilibrium; 4. The two wells were connected by a strip of filter paper moistened with saturated KNO3(aq); 5. A clean homemade copper wire electrode and a clean zinc plate electrode were placed into the well containing the pale blue suspension and the well containing the 1M ZnSO4(aq) respectively; 6. The prepared galvanic cell was connected to a DMM. The steady voltage developed was recorded. Observations: When the galvanic cell completed in step(5) was connected to the DMM, a steady voltage was developed. Data and results: Temperature of the aqueous solution = 26 E. m. f. of the cell formed by Zn(s)/Zn2+(aq, 1M) and Cu(s)/Cu(aq, saturated) = 0. 997V. Discussions: 1. The expression of the Ksp of copper(II) iodate(V) = [Cu2+(aq)]eqm [IO3-]2eqm 2. By the equation evaluated in the introduction, Ecell = (1. 10) + 0. 0295 log [Cu2+(aq)] = 0. 997V 0. 0295 log[Cu2+(aq)] = -0. 103 log[Cu2+(aq)] = -3. 492 ? [Cu2+(aq)]eqm = 3. 225 i 10-3 moldm-3 Concentration of Cu2+(aq) in the saturated pale blue suspension = 3. 225 Â  10-3 moldm-3 3. By the equation of dissolution of copper(II) iodate(V), Cu(IO3)2(s) + aq Cu2+(aq) + 2IO3-(aq) [Cu2+(aq)] : [IO3-(aq)] = 1 : 2 ?[IO3-(aq)]eqm = 2 i 3. 225 i 10-3 = 6. 450 Â  10-3 moldm-3 Concentration of IO3-(aq) in the saturated pale blue suspension = 6. 450 Â  10-3 moldm-3 4. The value for Ksp of Cu(IO3)2 = [Cu2+(aq)]eqm [IO3-]2eqm = (3. 225 10-3) Â  (6. 450 Â  10-3)2 = 1. 34 Â  10-10 mol3dm-9 5. From the data of the Faculty of Chemistry and Technology, University of Split, the literature value of Ksp of Cu(IO3)2 is 6. 94 i 10-8 mol3dm-9 [1]. Obviously, the literature value was much larger than the experimental value. The discrepancy came from several reasons: 1 The experimental temperature was 26? , which was different from the expected room temperature 25?. As temperature is the main factor of Ksp, the discrepancy of Ksp was caused by the difference of temperature; 2 The low quality of copper and zinc electrode may affected the e. m. f. taken from the DMM, so the Ksp result was also affected; 3 The concentration of solutions prepared may be different with the expected value. The e. m. f. given out may not equal to the theoretical values, so the Ksp obtained may be different. Conclusion: By the e. m. f. method, the solubility product of copper(II) iodate(V) at room temperature and pressure was determined. Ksp for = 1. 34 i 10-10 mol3dm-9 Reference: [1] : Solubility Product Constants, Faculty of Chemistry and Technology, University of Split ktf-split. hr/periodni/en/abc/kpt. html .

Red Barons Kills

Red Barons Kills Flying ace Manfred von Richthofen, more commonly known as the  Red Baron,  was not only one of the best pilots of World War I:  he has become an icon of the war itself. Credited with shooting down 80 enemy aircraft, the Red Baron owned the skies. His bright red airplane (a very unusual and ostentatious color for a fighting plane) brought both respect and fear. To the Germans, Richthofen was known as the Red Battle Flier and his exploits brought the German people courage as well as increased morale during the bloody years of the war. Although the Red Baron survived for much longer than most fighter pilots during World War I, he eventually met their same fate. On April 21, 1918, the day after his 80th kill, the Red Baron once again got into his red airplane and went searching for the enemy. Unfortunately, this time, it was the Red Baron who was shot down. Below is a list of the Red Barons kills. Some of these aircraft  held one and others held two people. Not all of the crew members were killed when their airplanes crashed. No. Date Type of Aircraft Location 1 Sept. 17, 1916 FE 2b near Cambrai 2 Sept. 23, 1916 Martinsyde G 100 Somme River 3 Sept. 30, 1916 FE 2b Fremicourt 4 Oct. 7, 1916 BE 12 Equancourt 5 Oct. 10, 1916 BE 12 Ypres 6 Oct. 16, 1916 BE 12 near Ypres 7 Nov. 3, 1916 FE 2b Loupart Wood 8 Nov. 9, 1916 Be 2c Beugny 9 Nov. 20, 1916 BE 12 Geudecourt 10 Nov. 20, 1916 FE 2b Geudecourt 11 Nov. 23, 1916 DH 2 Bapaume 12 Dec. 11, 1916 DH 2 Mercatel 13 Dec. 20, 1916 DH 2 Moncy-le-Preux 14 Dec. 20, 1916 FE 2b Moreuil 15 Dec. 27, 1916 FE 2b Ficheux 16 Jan. 4, 1917 Sopwith Pup Metz-en-Coutre 17 Jan. 23, 1917 FE 8 Lens 18 Jan. 24, 1917 FE 2b Vitry 19 Feb. 1, 1917 BE 2e Thelus 20 Feb. 14, 1917 BE 2d Loos 21 Feb. 14, 1917 BE 2d Mazingarbe 22 Mar. 4, 1917 Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter Acheville 23 Mar. 4, 1917 BE 2d Loos 24 Mar. 3, 1917 BE 2c Souchez 25 Mar. 9, 1917 DH 2 Bailleul 26 Mar. 11, 1917 BE 2d Vimy 27 Mar. 17, 1917 FE 2b Oppy 28 Mar. 17, 1917 BE 2c Vimy 29 Mar. 21, 1917 BE 2c La Neuville 30 Mar. 24, 1917 Spad VII Givenchy 31 Mar. 25, 1917 Nieuport 17 Tilloy 32 April 2, 1917 BE 2d Farbus 33 April 2, 1917 Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter Givenchy 34 April 3, 1917 FE 2d Lens 35 April 5, 1917 Bristol Fighter F 2a Lembras 36 April 5, 1917 Bristol Fighter F 2a Quincy 37 April 7, 1917 Nieuport 17 Mercatel 38 April 8, 1917 Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter Farbus 39 April 8, 1917 BE 2e Vimy 40 April 11, 1917 BE 2c Willerval 41 April 13, 1917 RE 8 Vitry 42 April 13, 1917 FE 2b Monchy 43 April 13, 1917 FE 2b Henin 44 April 14, 1917 Nieuport 17 Bois Bernard 45 April 16, 1917 BE 2c Bailleul 46 April 22, 1917 FE 2b Lagnicourt 47 April 23, 1917 BE 2e Mericourt 48 April 28, 1917 BE 2e Pelves 49 April 29, 1917 Spad VII Lecluse 50 April 29, 1917 FE 2b Inchy 51 April 29, 1917 BE 2d Roeux 52 April 29, 1917 Nieuport 17 Billy-Montigny 53 June 18, 1917 RE 8 Strugwe 54 June 23, 1917 Spad VII Ypres 55 June 26, 1917 RE 8 Keilbergmelen 56 June 25, 1917 RE 8 Le Bizet 57 July 2, 1917 RE 8 Deulemont 58 Aug. 16, 1917 Nieuport 17 Houthulster Wald 59 Aug. 26, 1917 Spad VII Poelcapelle 60 Sept. 2, 1917 RE 8 Zonebeke 61 Sept. 3, 1917 Sopwith Pup Bousbecque 62 Nov. 23, 1917 DH 5 Bourlon Wood 63 Nov. 30, 1917 SE 5a Moevres 64 Mar. 12, 1918 Bristol Fighter F 2b Nauroy 65 Mar. 13, 1918 Sopwith Camel Gonnelieu 66 Mar. 18, 1918 Sopwith Camel Andigny 67 Mar. 24, 1918 SE 5a Combles 68 Mar. 25, 1918 Sopwith Camel Contalmaison 69 Mar. 26, 1918 Sopwith Camel Contalmaison 70 Mar. 26, 1918 RE 8 Albert 71 Mar. 27, 1918 Sopwith Camel Aveluy 72 Mar. 27, 1918 Bristol Fighter F 2b Foucacourt 73 Mar. 27, 1918 Bristol Fighter F 2b Chuignolles 74 Mar. 28, 1918 Armstrong Whitworth FK 8 Mericourt 75 April 2, 1918 FE 8 Moreuil 76 April 6, 1918 Sopwith Camel Villers-Bretonneux 77 April 7, 1918 SE 5a Hangard 78 April 7, 1918 Spad VII Villers-Bretonneux 79 April 20, 1918 Sopwith Camel Bois-de-Hamel 80 April 20, 1918 Sopwith Camel Villers-Bretonneux

Perspectives on Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Perspectives on Culture - Essay Example societies, widely grouped into Nilotic, Bantus and Cushitic, cultural diversity is widely evident in day-to-day life .Different cultures are accompanied by unique customs and norms, some surprising and shocking while others are common to all the cultures. Norms refer to particular rules concerning right and wrong in a society while customs are the society’s practices (Tierney, 2007).   Many elements of culture and diversity such as aesthetics, ceremony, ethics, health and medicine, gender roles, folk myths, religion and spirituality, gestures, grooming, sexuality, taboos and ownership differ among societies. Gender roles, for example, differ greatly among these societies. The Maasai-a Nilotic tribe mainly comprising nomadic pastoralists, surprisingly assign the role of building houses and cooking to women in their community whereas men are expected to protect the community and look after livestock. This is not the case with the kikuyu (a Bantu community) or luo (Nilotic) and many other cultures where houses are built by men. Religion and Spirituality, including purpose in life, the possibility and type of afterlife also has great diversity among various societies. Each society has a unique ‘god’ that they worship and believe in. The gods have different names and are believed to reside in specific places where they can be worshiped and consulted at specific times. The kikuyu community for example believes their god-ngai, lives a mountain so they face this specific mountain during worship. Another surprising variation in element of culture among the Maasai is evident in their status- attitudes and behaviors related to people of different rank like age, wealth, office or fame. This community considers keeping more livestock and having more children a sign of wealth, the more a person has the wealthier he is. Living among these communities requires knowledge of their language and acclimatize to their food. Language is a set of  shared symbols that

Biblical Prophets in the Old Testament Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Biblical Prophets in the Old Testament - Essay Example He used them to deliver messages to the people of Israel during Old Testament times. The messages they delivered were of future happenings, to flee from sin and temptation, and to come back to God. The messages they delivered always required some type of action. There were five major prophets during Old Testament times. Robinson explains the meaning of major, â€Å"term ‘major’ in this context means that the prophet's message was preserved in a lengthy book and covered a wider variety of subjects than did the minor prophets. There were of course dozens or perhaps hundreds of prophets whose stories were never recorded.† The five major prophets whose writings were recorded in books are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations (the author is unknown), Ezekiel, and Daniel. The first major prophet who will be discussed is Isaiah. He lived in Jerusalem and was a preacher. He delivered a message of peace that God would bring to the people of Israel. His messages were not fulfilled until the second coming of Christ. Jeremiah was known as the â€Å"weeping prophet† due to his desperate messages about Jerusalem’s future. He also had predictions for Judah and other nations. Daniel was captured as a teenager by the Babylonian army. He held a high-ranking position in King Nebuchadnezzar's court and interpreted dreams for kings. Ezekiel was known as a â€Å"son of man†. His book told about things that would happen about Jerusalem’s fall. Ezekiel also wrote about a new temple for Jerusalem. ... did the minor prophets. There were of course dozens or perhaps hundreds of prophets whose stories were never recorded." The five major prophets whose writings were recorded in books are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations (the author is unknown), Ezekiel, and Daniel. The first major prophet who will be discussed is Isaiah. He lived in Jerusalem and was a preacher. He delivered a message of peace that God would bring to the people of Israel. His messages were not fulfilled until the second coming of Christ. Jeremiah was known as the "weeping prophet" due to his desperate messages about Jerusalem's future. He also had predictions for Judah and other nations. Daniel was captured as a teenager by the Babylonian army. He held a high- ranking position in King Nebuchadnezzar's court and interpreted dreams for kings. Ezekiel was known as a "son of man". His book told about things that would happen about Jerusalem's fall. Ezekiel also wrote about a new temple for Jerusalem. Biblical Prophets 4 The prophets, all of them and not just the major ones, were human. The Bible says that prophets deliver messages from God. The prophets delivered messages of all types. Some were happy messages of good news. Others were of about upcoming trouble and despair. Many did not even want to be called by God to deliver messages and to help "correct" the people. People felt like they were being judged and blamed at times and the prophets did not like having to receive this type of blame. They were human and were similar to modern day prophets. However, the prophets of today do not have the ability to make preternatural prophesies like they could in Old Testament

The Best Airline in the United Kingdom and Europe Research Paper

The Best Airline in the United Kingdom and Europe - Research Paper Example The airline schedules are today subjected to strict regulatory measures, which limits the flying time across Europe as a whole. To remain viable in the market, British airways must implement security and regulatory measures as stipulated by the control acts. The level of security measures that an airline puts in place also influences customer confidence and trust. Consequentially, British Airways must enforce the political security regulatory measures that are put in place by global airline control (O’Connell & Williamson, 2011). A number of economic events in the global market have also affected the performance and vibrancy of the airline industry. For example, the global economic crisis of 2008 affected a number of businesses based in the United Kingdom, which further reduced the level of airline schedules. The growth of the industry following this crisis has not significantly picked up and is currently pegged at 2% yearly. Apart from the global financial crunch, the dwindling strength of the euro has also had a significant bearing on the performance of the airline sector (Punzel, 2011). The euro has continued to weaken against the pound and this has affected the performance of British Airways. To mitigate the challenges created by the meltdown, most businesses and individuals in the United Kingdom and the United States have cut down on their spending and travels, a situation that has affected the performance of the airline. The high cost of fuels, which has led to an increase in the cost of air travel, has also forced companies to adopt other cheaper alternatives such as teleconferencing (Balmer, Stuart & Greyser, 2009).

Stigmas of Mental Illness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Stigmas of Mental Illness - Essay Example Thus, it will result in a lack of understanding of the mentally ill by the society. The mentally ill, shameful of being seen as psycho, lunatic, crazy, and as a black sheep, will often stay silent about their condition which, in turn, deprives them of essential services. Evidently, there is little that has been done to educate the public of the predicaments and stigmatization that mentally ill people face (Eric, 2010). Some of the stigmas faced by the mentally ill when they disclose their conditions include rejection and ridicule at schools or workplaces, discrimination in social relationships, housing, employment as well as the rejection and ridicule on their families (Eric, 2010).The media has also been observed to exacerbate this discrimination, by presenting this illness negatively (Eric, 2010). This paper shall seek to understand the effects of adverse representations of the mentally ill. It will also show how society creates a vicious cycle of effects that leads to the mentally ill not getting the facilities that they would require to lead a happy and productive life. Through research and interviews, it will be established that some of the stigmas of mental illness include rejection and ridicule at school or work. Family members of the mentally ill are also affected with these similar rejections. Media portrays mental illness in a negative light and, thus, does not promote awareness issues. First, this study will explore how people are treated at work and school when they disclose their mental illness. Second, it will explore the impact that disclosing a mental illness has on family members. Lastly, it will explore the treatment of the media towards mental illness. A mentally ill patient faces two kinds of stigma. The most prevalent is the public stigma. This is the reaction that that the public has on the mentally ill (Corrigan & Watson, 2002). Most people with mental illness face a higher level of discrimination in western countries than

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

LinkedIn - Essay Example Slide Share is usually an under-utilized site. It is a presentation of Wikipedia and for those who love it says it remains a site that drives qualified leads for the company (Gerard, 2011). This shows that the company does not go for flashy networks but looks for those that provide the best benefits the company already offers. Additionally, LinkedIn contains ads that makes the experience of its users more robust and richer. This ensures it maintains its current users and attracts others. Through this, the company can be said to be so successful through its good strategies (Slutsky, 2010). To make LinkedIn more successful, it is vital to transform the company into a publishing hub to diversify its services. As a manager, I would lead the company into utilizing its best assets that are its 2.4 million companies and 200 million peers who use the service and link them through one large knowledge exchange platform. Through this, LinkedIn will be a professional publishing platform and valuable context will be provided for the small, medium, and large businesses who need to target and involve with professionals (Grove, 2013). In addition, business content like news articles, whitepapers, and educated discussion threads, among others that cannot be found elsewhere will be available on LinkedIn and this will ensure individuals and companies come back for more. The future strategy that LinkedIn should consider is to hang onto its walled garden method making it the professional network service. It should uphold its focus on serving professions and must not turn to another socia l network service like Facebook or Twitter. It must preserve distinctness. Lastly, it should acquire pulse which is a mobile readers application to enable its users access valuable information on the site from anywhere through their mobile phones. Through this, the company is likely to be

If It's Legal, It's Ethical; and Besides, Everyone Does It Essay

If It's Legal, It's Ethical; and Besides, Everyone Does It - Essay Example Group hedge-fund, Raj Rajaratnam obtained inside information through supporting the graduation parties of several young executives in major companies such as Intel. Arthur Anderson and Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation (CSFB) shredded documents that would be crucial in pending Enron investigations. The outcomes of such behaviours were costly legal suits by the SEC, loss of investor confidence in the industry (Jennings, 2012). Other executives were sentenced for long terms in jail. There are no disadvantages competitively if companies do not engage in the same behaviours as those of the industry. Companies that behave ethically will attain higher reputation and trust from clients thus gaining a competitive edge in the market. If firms do not follow the unethical industry behaviours, they will avoid costly suits by the SEC and gain market reputation (Jennings, 2012). Some of the negative consequences for companies that adopted industry practices include costly suits by the SEC, loss of investor confidence and bankruptcy. Such companies distorted the market prices and led to decline in the market capitalization since some investors sold their stocks below the issue prices in order to avoid further losses. If everyone in the industry is behaving unethically, it will not be difficult for one to be caught. The Securities and Exchange Commission constantly monitors the transactions of each financial identity after complaints of insider trading thus facilitating the identification of criminal and unethical behaviours. On the other hand, the SEC requires the suspected individuals to voluntarily assist in the investigation in order to qualify for leniency in the exchange of the insider trading and market manipulation testimony (Jennings,

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

LinkedIn - Essay Example Slide Share is usually an under-utilized site. It is a presentation of Wikipedia and for those who love it says it remains a site that drives qualified leads for the company (Gerard, 2011). This shows that the company does not go for flashy networks but looks for those that provide the best benefits the company already offers. Additionally, LinkedIn contains ads that makes the experience of its users more robust and richer. This ensures it maintains its current users and attracts others. Through this, the company can be said to be so successful through its good strategies (Slutsky, 2010). To make LinkedIn more successful, it is vital to transform the company into a publishing hub to diversify its services. As a manager, I would lead the company into utilizing its best assets that are its 2.4 million companies and 200 million peers who use the service and link them through one large knowledge exchange platform. Through this, LinkedIn will be a professional publishing platform and valuable context will be provided for the small, medium, and large businesses who need to target and involve with professionals (Grove, 2013). In addition, business content like news articles, whitepapers, and educated discussion threads, among others that cannot be found elsewhere will be available on LinkedIn and this will ensure individuals and companies come back for more. The future strategy that LinkedIn should consider is to hang onto its walled garden method making it the professional network service. It should uphold its focus on serving professions and must not turn to another socia l network service like Facebook or Twitter. It must preserve distinctness. Lastly, it should acquire pulse which is a mobile readers application to enable its users access valuable information on the site from anywhere through their mobile phones. Through this, the company is likely to be

History - King Ashoka Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History - King Ashoka - Research Paper Example King Ashoka ruled Indian subcontinent from 269 BC to 232 BC, until his death. In his early life, the king was known for his cruelty, but in the later period of his life, he became famous for his great edicts and acts. It was King Ashoka who played a major role in swelling Buddhism into the whole of Asia.1 Background of King Ashoka In 324 BC, the ruler of the Mauryan Empire, Chandragupta started out to surmount the weaker in the adjoining kingdoms. The motto was to enlarge his people’s territory. Chandragupta was an explorer by nature and used to travel in the surrounding lands to evaluate whether the probable defences can raise much struggle. Then on the basis of the evaluation, he would decide about the taking up of the war. He principally avoided those lands where the defence is strong. This way Chandragupta became the first king to rule over a united India. During the end of the century, Chandragupta handed over his reign to his son Bindusara. With the passage of time, the Bindusara became ill and decided to entrust the territory to one of his sons. As soon as the king announced his intention, a â€Å"silent sibling rivalry† started. The sons of Bindusara became the victims of an assassin and this way all the men fell until solely Ashoka stood tall. He was the only one to become successful in evading a murderer. In this way, Ashoka was crowned the new king in 274 BC. King Ashoka soon came to be known as a cruel king as he would administer capital punishment for even a minimum violation.2 On the desire to win rather than to acclaim demand, the king decided to continue with the efforts of his previous dwellers through demolishing the lands and kingdoms which previously remained unconquered. In this process of invasion and conquering, he was well aware of the fact that many innocent people have even lost their lives because of the king’s order. Following all these disasters, Ashoka asked himself about the treasures that his people have won in the war that converted women and children to widows and orphans respectively. Soon after the realisation, the king became attentive towards his subjects’ welfare. In this way, an era of internal progression and peace came to being. It was King Ashoka who persuaded and taught his people to respect and love all living creatures. Gradually, Ashoka became a Buddhist practitioner and built 84,000 stupas in his emperor for housing the Gautama’s sacred relics.3 Rise of Power of King Ashoka Ashoka grew to be a sharp and perfect warrior general and went on to command various brigades of the Mauryan army. Pertaining to his growing popularity, the elder brothers of Ashoka became impatient that their father Bindusara might prefer Ashoka to be the next emperor. His eldest brother Susima insisted Bindusara to send Ashoka to Taxilla, a city of unrest and trouble, governed by Susima himself. Ashoka successfully handled those situations and all the unrest ended without any fight. Th is popularity of Ashoka made Susima even more curious and he again persuaded their father to send Ashoka into exile. Ashoka was thus sent to Kalinga. After returning from Kalinga, he was again sent to Ujjain, another venue of violence. There he was injured and eventually treated by Buddhist nuns and monks. During this period, he first learnt Buddhist teachings. There he met Devi, a Buddhist nurse who took care of him, and later on Ashoka married her.

High School vs. College Essay Example for Free

High School vs. College Essay Stepping stones are like the baby steps into something greater, like high school and college. In high school, everyone says to focus yourself more into, because high school is the place to gain the knowledge that is nearly identical to the â€Å"actual world†. College, on the other hand, is when both the teachers and students can both relate to how the real world would function. So high school is the part of the baby steps that reach into college and as well as the real world. Although high school and college reading and writing become different, they also have some similarities, but in the end they’re both really important to everything that happens in people’s everyday lives. In my four years of being in high school English, I can say that it’s already really different from college. The reading in high school was always given and there were times that it included self-reading, but it was because we were given questions to answer. Other times, it was because we had to do journals on each chapter of the book; main idea, summaries, character changes, etc. Overall, it was really easy, because the teachers would do at least half of the work for you and then you would be given the rest as homework, as long as you don’t procrastinate. Being a freshman is college, it’s scary, because you hear stories from people saying how easy or hard it is being in college. There’s more self-reading that has to be done and during that time, you also have the process of taking notes and writing small responses when needed to on your own. It’s all about the independency and responsibility that any adult would have when entering through college. As much as I love the subject English, I was never a huge fan of writing, whether I’m in high school or college. The writing processes that happened in high school were usually the same. We would read something that the teacher had given to us, take notes, and from those notes, we would have had to write some form of paper or short response. All the information about the book and paper were given to us, made it that much easier to know what to write about and what the paper was required to have by the teacher. College is a whole new environment for those who are entering and sometimes it can take a while to get acquainted with everything. College is one of those things. The writing in college is very different, because the professors want something to be originally different form each student, rather than having to read all the class articles and they all end up sounding the same. Everything is different, because the formats that we have always stuck to throughout elementary and improved during high school is almost not needed in college. All those five paragraph essays won’t even be considered as an essay anymore, but if there are more paragraphs and as long as the topic is straight through, then that’s an essay. Reading and writing are really important things to be learned, because that’s basically what the whole world consists of; letters and words and paragraphs. You can’t learn how to write if you don’t how to read or else you wouldn’t know the meaning of those words and the sentence itself. The same concept goes for reading. Be glad that you know how to do both of these things, because some people aren’t as fortunate as we are. Where they come from, education is given differently, which doesn’t allow â€Å"everyone† to be able to have the same education as others. This is also another reason why some families travel to a country so that their children can have a better future than the parents or their families have had before them. This allows the not only the children new expectations, but also gives the families some new experiences as they travel through this journey. Writing and reading are two very important skills that are called Communication. For example, my major is Philosophy – Pre law. In pre-law it’s all about the debates and knowing how to communicate. Without these two main factors, then you wouldn’t be able to converse with others and be able to exchange ideas, because then how would you be able to learn and increase your knowledge to be able to win the debates? This is the main reason of why reading and writing are very important to all of us. Everyone has heard other people tell them that you must always prepare yourself when entering into the â€Å"real world†. Where we are at right now, whether it be high school or college, are considered as baby steps into reaching new experiences. First, there is high school, where we go to school and we gain more knowledge that is nearly identical to what we would be experiencing soon in the future. Then onto the next stepping stone, college, where it is the place that we can actually apply all those abilities that we learned before and into a place that the world would function similarly. So all in the end, it’s really important and maybe even critical that we all learn and know how to read and write since the entire world in made of mainly these two main factors.

My Writing Essay -- Personal Narrative Writing

My Writing In the past four years, I have written many papers for various classes, enjoying some and others having to choke out words to write down. In this memo I will describe my writing projects and how they made me become a better writer, and how they will continue to help develop me into a becoming a more prosperous writer. What I Really Learned in English 100 Well as a recent pupil of the Great McFadden I want to do all that I can to be on his good side, for he said that if I go one mile to meet him, he will go two miles to meet me, which seems more that fair. As an assignment I am told that I have to write what I learned in English 100 and how that it prepared me for English 200. Well since honesty is the best way of life, in my opinion, then I will be honest about what I learned in English 100. I didn’t learn very much at all in English 100, the teacher I had didn’t teach very well, and because of that, we all were on msn the whole time as he read from a book. Like most English classes we turned in our ruff drafts and they were returned to us with things we had to fix in order to receive a better grade. I also learned how to write a research paper that amounted to twelve pages, and many hours of hard dedicated work. Learning is an on going process, and a process of which one can never really stop learning. I would have to say I have an eagerness to learn. I usually learn fast and remember what it is that I was taught. I think it is very important in today’s society that a person should learn all that they can about how things work and how things are done for their own personal behalf. Having said that, I would also like to say that I like to learn what I am interested in, learning comes more natu... ...opinion on my paper would be a great help to me in making my paper better. I Like to Write About What Interests Me I am the type of writer who loves to write, but only really likes to write about stuff that interests me. I could write you a good story and my thoughts on running cause that is what I do, and it could be really good. Again you could ask me to write something on let’s say Global Warning and it could be so bad of a paper that nobody would want to read. I have not really written anything outside of my English classes before cause I am not interested in writing for myself. I do not think I am a bad write but I know that I am not a great writer. I love writing journals, and fun short stories. I just hope that taking these English courses will help me improve my writing skills, and to become more aware of what time of paper I am writing.

Rape and Intimate Partner Abuse In The Lesbian Community Essay

In every 45 seconds, someone is sexually violated in the United States. Out of every 6 women, one has experienced an attempted rape or complete rape. Lesbians and bisexual women remain at increased risk of sexual victimization compared to heterosexual women. In order for a woman to determine the direction of her life, she must first determine her sexuality. Sexuality is a deep, integral part of any human’s life. This should not be a subject of coercion or debate. The society must recognize that a woman has the right to freely pre-determine her sexuality without oppression and discrimination (Burn, 2004). Traditionally, women throughout history and culture have undertaken the role of independent, non-heterosexual, women-connected existence. Lesbianism according to ancient literature review has always existed. The practice has always been unacceptable and deviant. Lesbians are subjected to rape more often than other women. Worldwide, lesbians are subjected to verbal and physical abuse. In most cultures, lesbianism occurs prior to heterosexual marriages. These facts were gathered by Faderman in 1981. Female-female romantic relationships were found in European communities since the 17th century through the early 20th century after studying the fiction and poetry written during this period (Burn, 2004). Today, many societies view bisexuality and homosexuality as a sickness. The societies deny their existence entirely. However, biologists and psychologists believe that both are mere instances of many human variations. After successful lobbying by gay and lesbian political organizations in 1974, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) eliminated homosexuality from its list of mental disorder. The APA now takes the position that homos... ...(2010). External Barriers to Help-Seeking Encountered by Canadian Gay and Lesbian Victims of Intimate Partner Abuse: An Application of the Barriers Model. Violence and Victims, Vol. 25(4), 536-552. Pinto, S. (2012). Intimate Partner Violence: Sexual Abuse. CINHAL Nursing Guide. 1-2. Renzetti, C. M. (1996). The Poverty of Services for Battered Lesbians. Journal of gay and Lesbian Social Services, Vol. 4, pp 61-68. Tigert, L. M. (2001). The Power of Shame: Lesbian Battering as a Manifestation of Homophobia. Women & Therapy, Vol. 23, pp 73-85. Walters, M. L. (2011). Straighten up and Act Like a Lady: A Qualitative Study of Lesbian Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Service. Vol. 23, pp 250-270. West, C. M. (2002). Lesbian Intimate Partner Violence: Prevalence and Dynamics. Journal of Lesbian Studies, Vol. 6(1), pp 121-127.

Domestic Violence Speech

Domestic Violence Against Women Introduction On May 2, 1982, Michael Connell visited his estranged wife Karen and their son Ward. Karen and Michael had been separated for more than a year but were seeing each other. A friend of Ward’s also visiting and the four of them were going on a picnic. They never made it. At around noon, Karen staggered from the house, bleeding profusely from the neck. She collapsed into a neighbor’s arms, gasping that her husband had stabbed her and was still in the house with their 5 year-old son and his friend. The South Pasadena Police arrived on the scene to investigate. After several attempts to make contact with Michael or the children failed, they contacted the L. A. Sherriff’s SWAT team. The SWAT team, using a bullhorn, requested anyone inside the house come out. Two boys walked out of the house with their hands up, pleading, â€Å"Don’t shoot; we’re the good guys. † The SWAT team forced entry into the house at about 3:00. They found a man lying on the bathroom floor. He had massive slash wounds to his neck area and a stab wound to his chest. The wounds were self-inflicted. Michael Ward Connell was dead. At the same time, Karen was undergoing an operation at Huntington Memorial Hospital. She had lost seven pints of blood, and her vocal cords had been severed. Her young son Ward had saved her life by jumping on his father’s back and hitting them, screaming, â€Å"Don’t hurt my Mom! † The coroner’s report stated, â€Å"Decedent apparently had marital problems with his wife for quite some time. † Karen and Ward had been residents of Haven House, a refuge for battered women and their children. The Story that Shocked the Country At 12:05 a. m. n June 13, 1994, Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman were found with their throats slit and heads partially decapitated outside Brown's Bundy Drive condominium in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles, California. Her two children, Sydney (age 8) and Justin (age 5), were asleep inside in an upstairs bedroom. O. J. Simpson and Nicole Brown Simpson had divorced two years earlier. Evidence found and collected at the scene led police to suspect that O. J. Simpson was the murderer. Nicole had been stabbed multiple times through the throat to the point of near decapitation; her vertebrae were almost severed. Simpson was arrested and charged with the double murders. Three days later Simpson was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to both murders. During the trial prosecutors argued that Simpson killed his ex-wife in a jealous rage. The prosecutors opened it case by playing a 9-1-1 tape of Nicole Brown Simpson expressing fear that Simpson would physically harm her. The prosecuting spent the opening weeks of trial presenting evidence that Simpson had a history of physically abusing Nicole. However, after nine months of lengthy testifying and cross examinations O. J. Simpson was acquitted. The drama and tragedy of woman abuse will touch most of us, at some time in our lives, in a very personal way. This could happen directly as a result of our own intimate relationships with lovers or through the experience of some family members and or friends. Whether or not we have been raised in an abusive family environment, we are almost certainly going to have close contact with, and be affected by, someone who has. Domestic violence is on the rise in most countries around the world. Domestic violence is perpetrated against women in most cases. Every 15 seconds a woman is battered. Two to four million are abused each year and 4,000 of them die. Every 45 seconds someone in the United States is sexually assaulted. Domestic violence can be easily distinguished as being a disease which spreads rapidly and occurs in all religious groups, all races, relationships and to people of all ages. The roots to domestic violence lie in the soil of the patriarchal family. The belief that wives are the possessions of a male â€Å"head of household† who should control the behavior of all other family members is deeply embedded in social traditions. You may say to yourself this type of crime could never happen to me. To help determine if you have been a victim unaware let’s define domestic violence or sometimes called intimate partner violence (IPV) to determine if you or someone you know or love has ever been a victim of domestic violence. Domestic violence as defined by The U. S. Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) is a â€Å"pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. The definition adds that domestic violence â€Å"can happen to anyone regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender†, and that it takes many forms, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, and verbal abuse. Type of abuse To gain a better understanding of these different types of forms that abuse may have let’s characterize the most common ones in detail: Physical abuse is abuse involving contact intended to cause feelings of intimidation, pain, injury or other physical suffering or bodily harm. It often includes hitting, kicking, biting, shoving, restraining, slapping, punching, choking, and other types of contact that will result in physical injury to the victim. Physical abuse can also include behaviors such as denying the victim of medical care when needed, depriving the victim of sleep or other functions necessary to live, or forcing the victim to engage in drug/alcohol against her will. Sexual abuse is any situation in which force is used to obtain participation in unwanted, unsafe, or degrading sexual activity constitutes sexual abuse. Forced sex, even by a spouse or intimate partner with whom consensual sex has occurred, is an act of aggression and violence. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that between one-third and one-half of all battered women are raped by their partners at least once during the relationship. Furthermore, women whose partners abuse them physically and sexually are at a higher risk of being seriously injured or killed. Emotional abuse is defined as any behavior that threatens, intimidates, undermines the victim’s self-worth or self-esteem, or controls the victim’s freedom. This can include threatening the victim with injury or harm, telling the victim that they will be killed if they ever leave the relationship, and public humiliation. Constant criticism, name-calling, and making statements that damage the victim’s self-esteem are also common forms of emotional abuse. Often perpetrators will use children to engage in emotional abuse by teaching them to harshly criticize the victim as well. Emotional abuse includes conflicting actions or statements which are designed to confuse and create insecurity in the victim. These behaviors also lead the victim to questions themselves, causing them to believe that they are making up the abuse or that the abuse is their fault. Emotional abuse can include humiliating the victim privately or publicly, controlling what the victim can and cannot do, withholding information from the victim, deliberately doing something to make the victim feel diminished or embarrassed, isolating the victim from friends and family, implicitly blackmailing the victim by harming others when the victim expresses independence or happiness, or denying the victim access to money or other basic resources and necessities. Verbal abuse is a form of abusive behavior involving the use of language; it is a form of profanity that can occur with or without the use of expletives. Abuses can ignore, ridicule, disrespect, and criticize others consistently, manipulate words, falsely accuse, make others feel unwanted and unloved, threaten economically, isolate victims from support systems, demonstrate Jekyll and Hyde behaviors, either in terms of sudden rages or behavioral changes, or where there is a very different â€Å"face† shown to the outside world verses with victim. Why does she stay? People who have never been in an abusive relationship may wonder,† Why doesn’t she just leave? † There are many reasons why a woman may not leave an abusive relationship. She may have little or no money and have way to support herself or her children. She may reach out for help and find that all the local domestic violence shelters are full. She may not be able to contact friends and family who could help her. Or she may worry about the safety of herself and her children if she leaves. But if she does leave, victims often lack specialized skills, education, and training that are necessary to find gainful employment. In 2003, thirty-six US cities cited domestic violence as one of the primary causes of homelessness in their areas. It is also reported the one out of every three homeless women are homeless due to having a domestic violence relationship. Laws and Regulations Education concerning domestic violence has come a long way, but it still has a ways to go. The response to domestic violence is typically a combined effort between law enforcement, social services, and health care. The role of each has evolved as domestic violence has been brought more into public view. Domestic violence historically has been viewed as a private family matter that need not involve the government or criminal justice. First passed in 1994, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) made domestic violence and sexual assault crimes. The VAWA created new punishments for these crimes and gave agencies helping victims more funding to improve their services. In 2000, the VAWA was re-authorized, meaning that Congress and the president agreed to renew the law. In addition to re-authorizing the law, stalking and dating violence were added to the list of crimes covered by the law. Also, more funding was added for legal aid programs for victims. If you’re a victim of abuse or violence at the hands of someone you know or love. Get immediate help and support. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 800-799-SAFE. Conclusion everyday world could it be you, your roommate, your best friend or neighbor. if you’re a victim of abuse of violence at the hands of someone you know or love get immediate help and support. You’re not alone. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 800-799-SAFE. Sometimes its hard and confusing to admit that you are in an abusive relationship or to find a way out. There are clear signs to help you know if you are being abused. If you person you love or live with does any of these things, it’s time to get help: * Monitors what you’re doing all the time * Criticizes you for little things * Constantly accuses you of being unfaithful Prevents or discourages you from seeing friends or family, or going to work or school * Gets angry when drinking alchol or uses drugs * Controls how you spend your money * Controls your use of needed medicines * Humiliates you in front of others * Destroys your property or things you care about * Threathens to hurt you, the children, or pets, or does hurt you (by hitting, beating, pushing , shoving, punching, slapping, kicking or biting) * Uses or threatens to use a weapon again st you * Forces you to have sex against your will * Blames you for his violent outbursts

Critically Examine the Trend and Size of Poverty in Hong Kong

No city in the world is as ironic and contradictory as Hong Kong. This city has not only the 6th highest per capita GDP, but also the highest Gini coefficient in the world (World Bank, 2011). Fortunately, the Hong Kong government isn’t turning a blind eye towards this dilemma but are instead actively looking for a trade-off between economic performance and social welfare. One notable example is the re-establishment of the Commission on Poverty, it is hoped that a clearly-defined poverty line will shed a new light into the poverty situation in Hong Kong.Another important policy in recent years is the implementation of minimum wage law, which has been in effect for two years aiming to guarantee a basic wage for low-income workers, however its effect on overall employment level in Hong Kong is still to be determined. In this essay, I will first examine the overall trend and size of poverty in Hong Kong, then move on to assess the effectiveness of the present social security syste m, as well as the minimum wage in eradicating poverty in Hong Kong. Poverty, is an ambiguous term especially in Hong Kong.The United Nations places the benchmark for poverty as living under a monthly income less than or equal to half of the median household income of equal size households. This is the definition that the Commission on Poverty is likely to adopt. But before the launch of official poverty line people are considered poor only if they apply for Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA), which eligibility is largely determined by nominal income. As a result, the number of people applying for CSSA decreased after minimum wage law has been imposed.In this essay therefore, I will adopt the UN definition of poverty in examining its trend and size in Hong Kong. Poverty rate up to the year 2011 was the lowest since that of 2001. Before 2011, there had been an overall increasing trend in both the number of households living in poverty as well as the poverty rate. In this sense, 2011 can be seen as a watershed year; the poverty rate plummeted to 17. 1% when compared to 17. 9% in the previous year, which meant a reduction of 55000 people suffering from poverty.Additionally, the total number of poor households had been rising from 2001 to 2007, but this trend started to decline from then on. The total number of poor households in 2011 was 444,000, when compared with that of the years 2007 and 2010; there had been a reduction of 11,000 and 7000 households respectively. In spite of the declining poverty trend and size, income disparity in Hong Kong has been worsening. In the year 2001, the median monthly income of high-income group was $31,000 while that of low-income group was $10,000, which meant that the former was 3. 1 times that of the latter.However, this disparity continued to grow and in the year 2011, the median monthly income of the high-income group increased to $35,000, while that of the low-income group plunged to $9000, which meant that the high-income group had a monthly income 3. 5 times more than that of the low-income group. In brief, it is undeniable that the declining trend and size of poverty has been promising, but that was largely due to the thriving economy instead of governmental efforts, at the same time, the income gap has been widening despite the implementation of minimum wage law.These statistics all indicate that the current social policies are inadequate in eliminating the imminent threat of poverty. The social security system in Hong Kong is a three-tier system consisting of social assistance and social allowance in the form of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance and Old Age Allowance, mandated occupational pension in the form of Mandatory Provident Fund as well as private saving. In the remaining part of the essay, the effectiveness of the above social security policies in lifting poverty will be assessed one by one.The Comprehensive Social Security Assistance was renamed after the Public Assi stance Scheme in 1993 has the sole purpose to provide â€Å"a safety net for those who cannot support themselves financially. It is designed to bring their income up to a prescribed level to meet their basic needs. † (Social Welfare Department, 2012) It is a non-contributory and means-tested scheme financed wholly by the government. CSSA payments can be broadly classified into three categories: standard rate, supplements and special grants.Standard Rates from 2012 is divided into 5 types: elderly person aged over 60 or above, ill health adult under 60, disabled child, able-bodied adult aged under 60 and able-bodied child. The amount of standard rates payable to each type differs, but they are under the same guiding principles; the standard rates for children and seniors are higher than those of the adults, rates for single individuals living alone are greater than those of family members, and rates will increase with levels of severity of disability. Tsoi, 2002) Additionally, there are five types of supplements. Long-term supplement is an annual payment to recipients who have been receiving assistance for at least 12 months for the replacement of household and durable goods. Single parent supplement is a monthly payment to single parent families with special difficulties in bringing up their families. Community living supplement is a monthly payment to old, disabled and certified ill-health CSSA recipients living in the community instead of any institutions.Transport supplement aims to promote social integration and geographical mobility by providing monthly assistance to certified 100% disabled as well as population between 12 to 64 years of age. Last but not least, the intention of the residential care supplement is to relieve the accommodation burdens of old, disabled and certified ill-health CSSA applicants who are not living in subsidised housing estates. Besides, a range of special grants are also set up to meet applicants’ special needs in cluding school fees, school-related expenses, essential traveling expenses and so on.Famous English philosopher Midgley once commented that redistributing wealth in the form of social assistance has the â€Å"most direct potential impact on the poverty problem. † She identified three necessary conditions in order to fully realize this potential, first, social assistance must be financial by progressive taxation, second, the level of benefit provided must be sufficient to raise recipients out of poverty and third, needy people must have easy access to social assistance schemes and that these schemes would not deter them from applying for help. Tsoi, 2002). With applies the above mentioned three principles to Hong Kong, it is worthy to highlight that Hong Kong only fulfilled the first condition out of the three. In the following paragraphs, the low effectiveness of the CSSA will be discussed with respect to its level of benefits, process of application as well as incentives for its recipients to reintegrate into the job market. The level of benefits by the standard rates of the CSSA cannot reflect the actual needs of its recipients, but are in fact set arbitrarily. At the oment, the standard rates of CSSA recipients are reviewed and adjusted annually by the Legislative Council to reflect the changes in Price Level by the Census and Statistics Department. The Consumption Price Index however, is a reference to the household expenditure of the 25% of the population with the lowest income. It is highly dubious as to whether the household expenditures of the poor households would be an authentic indicator and correspond to what they actually need to support their daily living. In addition, some CSSA recipients described the process of application as humiliating and intimidating.According to a joint project by the Department of Applied Social Sciences in Polytechnic University and Oxfam Hong Kong on Perception and Utilization of the CSSA in 2007, it was found t hat some recipients felt that their applications were always delayed and mishandled. Some applicants even accused the social security officers as having bad manners and lack empathy. These findings were found out after in-depth interviews and group discussion, although it is questionable as to the representativeness of the sample size, the critique to the â€Å"humiliating† application procedures must point to some bearing of truth that the CSSA recipients feel.Besides, some social workers in the study also complained that â€Å"some officers tend to insult and threaten the applicants by making unreasonable requests†. Going back to Midgley’s third condition in order to eradicate poverty which concerns the access to social security must not deter the needy from applying; the Social Services Department could clearly do a better job. Furthermore, there is always an unspoken concern that receiving CSSA would encourage a â€Å"dependency culture†, especially w hen the CSSA mechanisms do not encourage able-bodied recipients to attain economic independence.Contrary to common misconception that only able-bodied lazy people and new immigrants would apply for CSSA, most CSSA applicants, amounting to 60% (Oxfam, 2007) treat social security as the last resort to alleviate their dire financial circumstances. However, due to a lack of support services, only 8%-10% of able-bodied CSSA recipients are able to re-enter the competitive job market (Ming Pao Daily News, 2000) through the Special Job Attachment Programme. In addition, the additional cost for attempting to re-enter the job market may ut an extra toll on the families receiving CSSA, let alone some single parent’s families with insufficient child-care facilities may choose to keep on receiving welfare instead of working. In short, CSSA do not provide sufficient incentive for its recipients to re-join the work force, which is the only way to escape poverty. Another aspect of the social security system in Hong Kong is mandated occupational pension, which is in the form of Mandatory Provident Fund in Hong Kong. It is a compulsory, occupation-related scheme with defined monthly contribution by both employers and employees.The Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance was passed in 2000 with the hope of strengthening the safety net and retirement protection. Contribution to the MPF is mandated to be 10% of the employee’s income with which 5% is contributed by his/her employer. Besides, the mandatory contribution is adjusted with relevance to employees’ income. After the implementation of minimum wage, the monthly relevant income is readjusted, for employees with monthly income less than $6500, only their employers are mandated to contribute 5% of relevant income, this becomes the minimum contribution.On the other hand, for employees with income higher than $25000, both employers and employees are required to contribute $1250, this becomes the maximum c ontribution. All MPF contributions will be injected into registered MPF trustee in the market chosen by the employers, but now, employees will be able to choose new MPF scheme annually based on their performance. In the following paragraphs, the limitations of the MPF scheme will be discussed including its limited coverage as well as inadequate retirement protection which undoubtedly hamper its effectiveness.As aforementioned, MPF is an employment-related protection scheme, which means that only people with long-term employment contract will receive retirement protection. The MPF only have limited coverage and do not have universal protection as people excluded from the workforce including the sick, the disabled, housewives, hawkers, domestic employees and so on are unprotected, this amount to quite a sizable portion in the population. Besides, the employers might try to evade from the mandated contributions by altering the terms of employment contract.Employers are legally bound to contribute to MPF for their employees if they are employed for more than 60 days, therefore, some employers may deliberately change the employment contract to 59 days or terminate the contract and re-employ the employees. In brief, the MPF scheme does not provided for universal protection in the sense that a significant portion of the population is left unprotected, let alone some canny employers attempt to alter the employment contract in order to avoid contributing to their employees’ retirement protection scheme.Furthermore, the predicament of the MPF Scheme is that despite its objective is to provide retirement protection and reinforce the safety net, the protection is in fact far from sufficient. MPF is a define-contribution scheme but it is not a defined-benefits scheme, which meant that employees’ contribution is contingent upon many factors including the duration of contribution, returns from investments by the trustees after deducing the high administrative a nd transaction costs incurred, as well as the amount of contribution.This led to the inevitable unpredictability of benefits which is neither guaranteed by the trustees nor protected by the government. Besides, the scheme was introduced only in 2000, which meant that people around retirement age at that time would receive either little or no protection at all due to the short contribution period. At the moment, elderly poverty was one of the severest forms of poverty in Hong Kong. In short, contrary to its initial intention, the MPF does not guarantee retirement protection, instead only added more uncertainties and unpredictability to lives after retirement.The statutory minimum wage was passed in 2010 and fully implemented Labour Day of 2011. It aims at â€Å"striking an appropriate balance between forestalling excessively low wages and minimising the loss of low-paid jobs while sustaining Hong Kong’s economic growth and competitiveness (Labour Department, 2011). The initia l minimum wage rate was set at $28, but the commission set up by the government to review the minimum wage rate biannually has agreed to increase to $30 an hour. From a theoretical standpoint, setting up a wage floor would upset the balance of the labour market by forcing some low skill workers to be laid off.Nevertheless, the government estimated that 273800 grassroot workers would benefit from the law and could sustain a basic level of living by avoiding from being underpaid. After about two years since the law has passed, however, it seems that reports about employers trying to cut the fringe benefits of employees were not uncommon and the actual effect and repercussion of minimum wage on the labour market is yet to be unravelled. In the following essay, I will examine the implementation of minimum wage law with regard to its effectiveness in eradicating poverty in Hong Kong.In order to assess the effectiveness of minimum wage, the first indicator is changes in monthly income of the lower income groups when compared with higher income groups in the lower half year of 2011. If we divide the whole population equally into ten decile groups with the first decile group being the poorest 10% of the people and the tenth decile group being the wealthiest 10%, it was found that in the first three decile groups all experience increase in monthly income ranging from 6. 9% to 9. 3%, while the last three decile groups experience either no change or negative growth in their monthly income (HKCSS, 2011).However, looking at income alone would not be a comprehensive assessment of the effect of minimum wage law given that the economic began to boom around the time minimum wage was implemented. Therefore, a much more reliable assessment would be to compare the living standards of low income households before and after the minimum wage came into force. A study commissioned by Oxfam Hong Kong adopted a two-stage stratified surveys that interview impoverished households with at least one family member receiving minimum wage and compare their livelihood from March 2011 to January 2012.In the following paragraphs, findings from this study will be further analysed. In terms of monthly income, the minimum wage law has indeed increase the nominal household income. About 70% of interviewees, representing 131125 families reported an increase in household income after the introduction of minimum wage. Moreover, 72. 6% of them also reported a rise in individual workers’ income. In spite of an increase in monthly income and in fact, hourly income as well, working hours of workers decreased.The average hourly wage of respondents who stayed in the same job before and after implementation of minimum wage increased, 56. 8% of them even receive an hourly wage that exceeded $28. However, the same group of people who remain in the same job also experience an average cut of about 13. 9 working hours. This reduction of working hour is more often than not, at the expen se of the workers’ benefit such as cancelling paid lunch hour or meal break and no overtime payment and so on. 46. % of respondents complained that the previously paid rest days were cancelled since the enforcement of minimum wage law. Taking into account of the loss of paid rest days as well as other fringe benefits, coupled with the reduction in working hours, over half of the respondents, 55. 8% of them experienced a drop in individual income despite the apparent increase in nominal monthly income. In the paragraph above concerning CSSA recipients, it was briefly mentioned that they treat social assistance as their last resort to mitigate their financial situation.In fact, most of them felt â€Å"perceivable prejudice† against them. The introduction of minimum wage has a wide application, but it affects most significantly low-income jobs that CSSA recipients crave. About half of the respondents receiving CSSA in the Oxfam study affirm the effectiveness of wage floor as an impetus to quit receiving social assistance. This in brief, could address the need of CSSA recipients to self-reliance and eliminate the stigmatization or label that they feel attached to them by re-entering the job market.Nonetheless, increase in income to a certain extent does not mean or signify poverty alleviation. The most pivotal finding in the Oxfam study is that it reveals 40. 5% of households still live in deprivation despite the minimum wage law. This is because they define â€Å"deprivation† as the inabilities to afford at least three items that are dubbed essential by most Hong Kong residents including dental check-ups, leisure activities, afford to go to private clinics when sick and tea house and so on.According to Townsend (1979), â€Å"a person is considered to be in poverty if he or she does not have enough resources to enable him or her to participate in normal activities commonly engaged by ordinary members in the community and therefore cannot beco me fully integrated into the mainstream of society. † Therefore, when 40. 5% of respondents, representing 531354 households are still deprived of a chance to engage in social activities simply due to the fact that they still could not afford the items they need highlighted just how ineffective minimum wage legislation has been in eradicating poverty.In conclusion, lifting people out of poverty is a difficult problem that could not be solved by any social policy alone, let alone the many flaws and limitations that are embedded in social policies. However, it is only through identifying the imperfection in social welfare policies could we make improvement on them and hopefully attain the final goal of eradicating poverty at the end. Reference list: Hong Kong Council of Social Service, The Statistic review of the Low Income Household in Hong Kong, 2011. w. hkcss. org. hk/index_e. asp Labour Department (2011). Statutory Minimum Wage: Reference Guidelines for Employers and Employee s. Legislative Council (2012). Before and After the Statutory Minimum Wage Ordinance in Hong Kong: Survey of Low-income workers and their Families. Oxfam Hong Kong and Centre for Social Policy Studies, Department of Applied Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University (2007). Perception and Utilization of CSSA: a Study on the Views of the Public and the Lower Income people.Social Welfare Department (2012), Comprehensive Social Assistance Scheme, retrieved from: http://www. swd. gov. hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_socsecu/sub_comprehens/ Tsoi Kcon-wah , â€Å"Poverty Eradication and Social Security in Hong kong†, in Advances in Social welfare in Hong Kong, ed. ,) by D. T. L. Shek, 2002, Chapter 9. World Bank (2011), Gini Index, retrieved from: http://data. worldbank. org/indicator/SI. POV. GINI