Southern Blacks in North America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Southern Blacks in North America - Essay Example This trend of industrialization threw up a complementary demand for hard workers. The Blacks have always been known for their hard working capacity as well as sheer physical strength. They began migrating towards North America, which had abolished slavery since the 19th century. (Palmer, 2005)This migration also gave them a chance to do what they really excelled at and earn a decent living while doing so. The industrial cities and their dwellers found a new sense of sympathy for and affinity towards these Blacks. There was a slow and steady movement towards respect in the attitudes that revolved around the way these people were subsequently treated. (Palmer, 2005) The industrial cities of North America needed due to the urbanization and its fast growing consequences. As a result of this urbanization, a number of new industries were set up with a growing demand for new kinds of products and services. Meanwhile, the traditional industries enjoyed a facelift by way of expansion and modernization of operations. This urbanization led to an influx of Blacks into the North. This led to a more even distribution as far demographics and population categories were concerned. Further, the corporate - capitalist trends helped the southern Blacks deviate from the traditional income generating activities like agriculture. (Palmer, 2005) In doing so, the Southern Blacks found a new lease of life. They learnt new things everyday and became the throbbing center of the industrial output of these Northern cities. The positioning of these Blacks at the very center of production activities helped them command terms that would appeal to them and elevate their lifestyles. The Black children received education and their parents, better training to further their prospects. In this, there was a sense of pride that awakened in their hearts. They were suddenly at par with their white counterparts and what was more; they were being offered the chance to build their lives. (Palmer, 2005)Through this integration of personal goals with the ones set by the organizations where they served, the Blacks endeavored to build the industries and form cities that became synonymous with modern urban centers the world over. There was also a new breed of Southern that came to hold white collar positions and occupy positions of power and respect. These factors helped the Southern Blacks in taking pride in the Northern industrial cities that had literally given them a new lease of life. They began to symbolize the growing face of American multi culturalism and freedom. (Parrillo, 2002) These sentiments were comparable only with the aggressively nationalist Mexicans. The Mexican love for the homeland is almost legendry. Having acquired a whole new state for themselves in the form of Mexico, these people guard their traditions fiercely irrespective of any part of the world they may be in. Further, they take immense pride in their language and culture as well as food habits. (Meier, 1994) The Mexicans have managed to fill the gap that was created during the first and second world wars, with unskilled labor in the American industrial market, yet their core has remained essentially Mexican. (Parrillo, 2002) The Southern Black experience shows that these people have great pride in where they come from and even

Nurse Staffing Essay Example for Free

Nurse Staffing Essay Adequate nurse staffing for patient care has been a major difficulty in the health care system . Patients’ acuity continues to grow at a fast rate while hospitals continue to struggle with the adequate number for nurse-to-patient ratio, leaving nurses in a very difficult situation while trying to provide the best care possible to their patients. The low nurse-to-patients ratio can be remedied when public and private hospitals realize the negative impact on the outcome of care. This paper will try to point out the negative effects of low nurse-to-patient ratio has on outcome of care. Like other professions that continue to face obstacles, nursing has its own obstacles that it must face from time to time. The world population increases so will the obstacles that nursing will have to face, but good administration can be used to defend the work conditions under which nurses are forced to work. Many studies have been done to point out the problem, with a pile of evidence to support the need to alleviate the burden on the nurses but to no avail. A study conducted in the Chinese hospital by Zhu, You, et al. (2012). Nurse Staffing Levels Make a Difference on Patient Outcomes: A Multisite Study in Chinese Hospitals proved, â€Å"more nursing staff per patient had statistically significant positive effects on all necessary nursing care, nurses’ reports of quality of care, their confidence on patients’ self-care ability on discharge from hospital, patient adverse events, as well as patients’ report of satisfaction (Zhu, You, et al, 2012, p. 266)†. The study was composed of 181 hospitals across mainland China. The sample that was used was 31provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions with level 3 hospitals. To show the strength of the study, the researchers applied statistics to prove their results. As much as the hospitals may not see the need to improve on the nurse to patient problem, the evidence is there. It is something that must be dealt with because it is dangerous to both nurses and patients. Further studies were also conducted on the problem by Nantsupawat A, Srisuphan W, et al. (2011). Impact of nurse work Environment and Staffing on Hospital Nurse and Quality of care in Thailand. This study was to prove the impact of nursing staffing on the work environment, the cause of burnout and the impact on quality of care in Thailand. Research elements was secondary data analysis of 2007 Thai Nurse Survey. The study took place at 13 general and regional hospitals in Thailand using a â€Å"multistage sampling†. Nurses were asked demographic questions about themselves both general and regional hospitals. Results shown the ratio of patient to nurse was 10:1. Nurses who worked in hospitals with fair patient to nurse ratio had less burnout. The study has great significance in nursing practice and can be used as proof to show the impact of high patients to nurses ratio. It was found that nurses in Thailand work environment have high burnout and great dissatisfaction of nurses. Nurse to patient is very low with a total of 1:10 per shift. At times, a nurse ended-up having to care for more patients. The high patients to nurse ratio brought with it adverse outcomes on patients’ care and place the patients at high risk of occurrences such as: mistaken one patient for another, patient falls, medication errors, pressure ulcers, and urinary tract infection. Furthermore, in the study conducted by Cho, June, Kim, et al (2009). Nurse staffing, quality of nursing care and nurse job outcomes in intensive care units. This study measured the proportion number of patients to nurse. As per the authors of the article, â€Å"nurses were more likely to rate quality of care as high when they care for two or fewer patients (odd ratio, 3. 26; 95% confidence interval, 1. 14-9. 31) or 2. 0-2. 5 patients (odd ratios, 2. 44; 95% confidence interval, 1. 32-4. 52), compared with having more than three patients (Cho, June, Kim, et al,, 2009, p. 1729)†. The research use for its design a â€Å"cross-sectional study with survey. Its method included 1365 nurses from 65 intensive care units in 22 hospitals in Korea, using â€Å"A Multilevel logistic regression model†. Two indicators were used, which are the number of patients for each nurse on the ward and the way the staff viewed adequate staffing. The research took place in the ICU units. Hence, the study also reported that in table #4 in the Sole ICU, there were largest number of patient 2. 8 + or – 0. 4 ( Cho, June, Kim, et al, 2009, p. 1733)†. What is proven is that when the ratio of nurses increases and the patient’s one decreases, there is a higher quality of care that takes place on the unit. This study has great significance to nursing and patient care, because nurses here in the U.  S often have similar complaints. In addition, the study from Manojlovich Sidani (2007). Nurse Dose: What’s in a concept. This is a pathway that the authors believed could alleviate the problem of nurse to patient ratio. The study provided an understanding between the link of nursing care and outcome of care. As stated by Manojlovich Sidani (20097), â€Å"by clarifying the conceptual and operational definitions of nurse dose, we offer a unified view of the inter-relationships among variables, with the goal of advancing research on nurse staffing and patient outcome (p. 11)†. With this concept of â€Å"Nurse Dose† future nurse staffing may greatly improve. Furthermore, in the research conducted by Al-Kandari Thomas (2008). Perceived Adverse patient outcomes correlated to nurses’ workload in medical and surgical of selected hospitals in Kuwait. It is understood that the proportion of patient to nurse ratio plays a vital part on the outcomes of care. The study shown that there is clear correlation that exist between the work load of the nursing staff and the outcomes of care. The research elements utilized for this study was â€Å"across-sectional survey conducted between RNs on medical and surgical units in five governmental hospitals. The result shown three major faulty outcomes were reported by nurses from their previous shift which were patients’ complaints and family concerns. The limitation of this study reports were only from the nurses on the units and future researches would need further details (Al-kandari Thomas, 2007, p. 589). It is impossible for nurses to give adequate care and expect good outcomes when nurses are stocked with non-nursing tasks to do. It was found that patients and families and medication miss dose were the two primary outcomes that added on the nurses’ workload. Second, occurrences tend to increase on the units as the workload of the nurses increased, and non-nursing tasks heavily impacted the workload of the nurses in Kuwait. The study shown great relevance to nursing practice, because it shows that hospitals need to employ other people to carry out non-nursing duties on the unit such as clerical work; which would alleviate the workload from nurses responsibilities. Hence, the article Relationships between Registered Nurse Staffing, Processes of Nursing Care, and Nurse-Reported patient outcomes in Chronic Hemodialysis Units by Thomas- Hawkins, Flynn, Clarke (2008) shown the importance of a high nurse to patient ratio in hemodialysis units. The authors reported in hemodialysis units, â€Å"higher RN staffing levels have lower odds of experiencing skipped dialysis treatments (Hawkins-T, Flynn, Clarke, 2008, p. 124)†. The study shows that it is to the benefits of the patients when there is a higher nurse to patient ratio on hemodialysis units because, patient will less likely experience any untoward events that are associated with the side effects of hemodialysis therapy. The study utilized a â€Å"cross-sectional method† for data collection which focused on the hemodialysis patient population. The study demonstrated the importance of having a high nurse to patient ratio in dialysis units. The higher the nurses to patient ratio, the less occurrences the patients will experience during hemodialysis treatment. The research used a type of questionnaire in order to find the most accurate adverse events that took place in the dialysis units. The limitations of this study was conducted with nurses who belong to an organization, the adverse patients’ outcomes were gathered from the nurses’ reports. The findings from this research were as follow: the nurse staffing levels played a significant role on patients’ outcomes during treatment. The ratio between patients and nurses is high, and each nurse had a patient load that consisted of 12 patients and sometimes more. This study has very good relevance to nursing practice due the fact that it shed light on a particular unit because it is a specialized unit. The study also demonstrated the importance of having professional RNs to perform such duties. Nurse staffing levels and Nursing outcomes: A Bayesian analysis, of Finnish-registered nurse survey data by Tero-h, Kiviniemi, et al (2009). Journal of Nursing Management, 17, 986-993. This report pointed out the impact of high patients to nurse ratio have on the nurses and their performance on the unit. Therefore, it is inevitable this kind of nurse staffing would bring negative patients’ outcomes. The design of this study used a survey of date collection from RNs in 46 units at five hospitals. The study found that many elements were contributed to occurrences on the unit such as mortality, failure to rescue, had a very closed correlation to the number of patients to nurse ratio. The study relates significantly to nursing, because it displayed the stress levels that nurses experienced due to heavy patient load assignment. Macphee, Ellis, McCutcheon (2005). Nurse Staffing and patient Safety. The Canadian Health Services Research foundation. This article brought up evidences of events that may occur in relation to lower nurse patient ratio. It is evident that with a lower nurse to patient ratio, patients are at greater risk of adverse outcomes such as increased rate of mortality, nosocomial infections. It is also proven that with a higher nurse to patient ratio, incidents can be greatly reduced. The study utilized sets of data collected from other researches. No specific population group was chosen for this research but the impact of having high patient to nurse ratio were strongly presented. The article displayed its use to the nursing practice with enough substantial facts. Ke-p. (2003) Relationships between Nurse Staffing and Patient Outcomes. Journal of Nursing Research, 11(3). The study was conducted on a medical –surgical unit in Taiwan with analyzed data from a â€Å"descriptive and multivariate inferential statistics†. The rational of this study was to demonstrate the co-relation that exised between high patients to nurse ratio and its impact on patient care outcomes. The results of this study were astounding. It was found that acquired infections, falls, pressure ulcers were the outcome results of inappropriate nurse to patient ratio. This study definitely has very good relevance to nursing practice. Curtin L. (2003). An Integrated Analysis of Nurse Staffing and Related Variables: Effect on Patient Outcomes. Online Journal of Issues in nursing, 8(3), 10913734. In this his study, the author shows a good co-relation between nurse staffing and the outcomes of care on medical patients. He also pointed out an increase in nurse staffing, that was associated with a reduction of 3 to 12 % in occurrences on the hospitals units. (Curtin, 2003). Here again it shows that the greater is the nurse to patient ratio, the better the outcome. Although, this study did not use a specific design, but the analysis it used shows the importance of having a low patient to nurse ratio. Therefore, it is vital for the hospitals to realize the great pain that are imposed on patients and nurses. It is time to remedy the problem. Aiken L. (2010). Safety In numbers: A mandatory minimum nurse to patient ratio improves outcome. Nursing Standard, 24(44). The author reported, â€Å"International Hospital Outcomes Study revealed that in England and the United States, hospitals with higher nurse staffing levels had lower mortality rates, nurse job dissatisfaction and burnout (Aiken, 2010, p. 2)†. The study was conducted in five different countries which survey 22,000 RNs in 604 hospitals in California, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. It was found that nurse in California and the two other states that are closed to California with similar staffing mandatory rules had decreased their workload subsequently providing better care. Duffield C, et al. (2010). Staffing, Skill mix and the model of care. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 19, 2242-2251 dio: 10. 1111/j. 1365-2702. 2010. 03225. The study design was based on secondary analysis collection of data on selected medical/surgical units in 19 hospitals in South Wales, Australia. The experienced nurses worked during the night while the least experienced nurses worked day or evening shift. The limitation of this study was that skill mix RNs was beneficial to outcomes, but the number of years of experience on a unit were not studied. (Duffield, et al, 2010, pp. 2246, 2249)†. The relevance of this study to nursing was that it shows how a unit can benefit from having different levels of experienced skill nurses give care to patients. Sidani S, Manojlovich M, Covell C. (2010). Nurse Dose: Validation and Refinement of a Concept. Research and Theory for Nursing Practice: An international Journal, 24(3), dio: 10. 1891/154-6577. 24. 3. 159. The study used â€Å"Anonexperrimental, modified survey† a questionnaire was used with four sections that participants used to answer the questions. The targeted population was nurse researchers who are experts in services related to healthcare (p. 163)†. The result of this study shows how important it is for nurses to spend time with their patients to bring an effective outcome. The study shows great significance of this study in nursing. Welton JM. 2007). Mandatory hospital nurse to patient staffing ratios: Time to take a different approach. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 12(3). (13p) (52 ref) This article did not show a specific design that was used. The article stressed another component of the problem, the fact that hospitals are being pressured to increase their staffing without any reimbursement. The article presented two arguments one for and the other against the problem. As a result, hospitals diminished their staff from other area which helped them to compensate for the deficit. Although the acuity of patients continue to rise, hospitals failed to increase nurse to patient levels to enable good outcomes. Currie V, Gill V, et al. (2005). Relationship between quality of care, staffing levels, skill mix and nurse autonomy: Literature review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 51(1) 73-82. Using a â€Å"cross-sectional analysis design and magnet hospitals, the article poke through between the problem of patient to nurse ratio and the level of occurrences such as, mortality and failure to rescue. The findings were that units with higher nurse to patient ratio experienced lower occurrences. Yes, the article did prove its significance into nursing and patient care. In conclusion, studies are not always conclusive on a particular problem or issue. Further studies are often needed to shed new light on the problem. Hospitals have their parts to play in order to bring a higher nurse to patient ratio to fruition. It still remains that nurses have the responsibility to provide safe and effective nursing care to their patients, regardless of the environment. As a reminder, nursing is a humanistic profession, and its aim has always and will continue to focus on human needs, without regard to ratios. Nonetheless, nurses own it to themselves to be steadfast and never to soften their stand on their demands. Nurses to patient ratio is of utmost importance in the health care and patient outcomes depend on safe nursing staff. It is undeniably true that most professions are facing their own obstacles, and nursing is no different. Nursing has its own obstacles that it has been fighting and must continue to fight for, but a higher nurse to patient ratio is a must win fight, because the end result will be good patients’ care.

Consequences of Decisions Made by Characters in Camus The Guest Essay

Undoubtedly, there is always a consequence to every action one makes. â€Å"The Guest,† by Albert Camus illustrates that no matter what choice someone chooses to make, or not to make, someone at some point will indisputably be affected. Throughout the story, each character is forced to make a decision at one point or another that affects someone else. This is best shown through the conflicts of the three characters, the setting, and the irony in all. â€Å"The Guest,† by Albert Camus is set at a school house that is in a secluded desert area. The first character introduced is Daru. This place at this time had just been through a long drought, and is now experiencing an extreme snowstorm. Daru lives better than most in the area, and receives a certain amount of wheat each week for himself. Being a thoughtful man, Daru rations his wheat to the poor village children to bring home to their families during the harsh conditions because none of their families are able to cultivate anything. One day at the schoolhouse, Daru noticed a horse and two men far off in the distance. As these men started approaching, Daru realized that one of the men (the one on horseback) he knew, and the other was an Arab prisoner who is being taken to prison for murdering his cousin because he ran away with his food. Balducci is the man Daru knows, an elderly military man, bringing a prisoner to Tinguit. As the two men came closer, Daru invited them inside to get warm, and then proceeded to make them tea. As they converse, Daru finds that Balducci wants him to finish the journey, taking the Arab to Tinguit. At first Daru thinks that Balducci is joking, when in reality, he is serious. Daru refused to take the Arab, but doe... ...e killed, which in turn will create an outrage among his people. This also will give them the spirit to start fighting for their rights. After all, it is their home; the French are just occupying it, which makes them feel as if they have all of the power. There really is always a consequence to every action someone makes. Camus’ story clearly exemplifies that no matter what choice someone chooses to make, someone else will be affected. As shown, throughout the story, each character is forced to make a decision at one point or another that affects someone else. Balducci’s choice was risky and could consequent in the loss of his job, Daru’s decision to let the Arab choose himself ended well, and the Arab’s decision benefited his people. All three characters, in all different ways, made decisions that resulted in some sort of alternate consequence.

Changes/ Continuites from 1492-1750

The Renaissance in Western Europe marked the end of the middle Ages and the start of Europe’s rise as a global power. States in Western Europe became more centralized, and monarchs exercised more control over their subjects. Christopher Columbus’s voyage to America and triumphant return signaled the beginning of a new era of exploration. Likewise, Prince Henry the Navigator’s expeditions along the West African coast led to increased trade with Africa. Long isolated from the rest of the world, the Native Americans’ lives were drastically changed by the presence of European explorers, and later, colonists.Some aspects of life, such as domination by the elite in Europe, trade in Africa, and Native American ways of life in the Americas, have remained the same through the period. New contacts among Western Europe, Africa, and the Americas, however, led to interaction that has only increased with time. New contacts and increased trade led to the rise of a middle class in Western Europe. Traditionally, and throughout the feudal period, nobles had controlled government and wealth. As trade with Africa and the Americas increased, however, a new merchant class rose.As the new class became wealthier, they began to agitate for political power, eventually leading to conflicts such as the 1789 French Revolution. In the Americas, social transformations were huge. Deadly diseases brought by the Europeans decimated local populations, who had no resistance to smallpox, measles, etc. In one notorious case, during Spaniard Hernan Cortez’s conquest of the Aztecs, the Spanish intentionally gave the Aztecs disease-ridden blankets. Such tactics also led to the downfall of the Incas, who were conquered by Francisco Pizzaro.From residing in mighty cities and presiding over huge empires, the Native American people were reduced to serving as servants or slaves of the new conquerors. A similar trend occurred in North America. Unlike the Aztecs or Incas, N orth American natives were decentralized, and loosely organized by tribes. Columbus’s initial subjugation of the Haitians, forcing them to mine gold, set a precedent for future domination. Africa was particularly affected by the slave trade. Large amounts of labor were needed on the Spanish and Portuguese sugarcane plantations, and Native American populations were often nable or unwilling to work as slaves. Especially after Bartolome de las Casas’s campaign against the subjugation of Native Americans, the Europeans needed another source of labor. Thus, the Atlantic slave trade began, ultimately resulting in the forced movement of 12 million slaves from Africa. The slave trade had both positive and negative effects on African society. While slavery was cruel and exploitative, the money some empires such as Benin acquired from working with the Europeans allowed them to build stronger empires.Despite massive change, some aspects of life stayed the same. In Western Europe, the gap between the poor and the rich remained; even though a middle class had developed, the power was still concentrated in the hands of a few. Every Western European country was a monarchy, and there was almost no popular representation. Even in Britain, by 1750 only about 2% of the population could vote, due to property ownership requirements and other standards. The period from 1492 to 1750 was still one of control.In the Americas, many tribes were still able to maintain their traditional way of life. Many tribes displaced by British settlers in North America moved west, and since the French had yet to settle the huge Louisiana Territory, they were free to continue with traditional methods. Africa was still, for the most part, free. Not until the 1880’s would the majority of Africa become colonized. Though less powerful than the Western Europeans, African nations remained independent and gained wealth through trade.In conclusion, the interaction between Western Europe, Africa, and the Americas has resulted in both change and continuity. One irreversible trend, however, was the growing interconnectedness of the global community. Columbus united the New World with the Old, creating a bridge that has never since been broken. Recent developments such as globalization and information technology have metaphorically shrunk the world. Interaction between 1492 and 1750 set a precedent for future actions.

How I Would Change The Immigration Healthcare Reform Essay

The debate over a comprehensive healthcare package has continued to rage on even after Obama signed the healthcare reform bill on May 4, 2010. Decades of rift and bad blood had finally culminated in the legislation of the healthcare reform. The stage is now set for the implementation of the long awaited savior of the masses. However, the healthcare reform package is not to be entirely loved, in as much as there is conflict in the aspect of immigration and healthcare provision, and the issue of immigrants and denied access to health insurance cannot be over sighted- at least for the illegal ones. That illegal immigrants would not be included in the federal health insurance scheme is a time bomb waiting to explode, as even documented immigrants were shorn of access to Medicaid in their first five years of residence, in the past. One can argue that it would not be right for tax payers to subsidize healthcare benefits for illegal immigrants who probably contribute less to the national income, but what about those who are earning well and have a secure source of livelihood. Whether â€Å"well to do† illegal immigrants would be allowed to purchase their insurance on the health insurance exchange is another matter to consider. As the keyword of this tenure has been change, there should be no frets when I put myself in the shoes of the president on how I would change the immigration healthcare reform. The fact is that, depriving illegal immigrants’ access to healthcare insurance would only increase numbers in emergency rooms, invariably service provision and pressure on resources. In view of this, I would allow illegal immigrants to access full government healthcare benefits, and if that is so difficult, I would permit those that have the financial capacity to purchase their healthcare insurance outright. After all, good healthcare should be available to everyone.

Free Essays on Problem Solving

Individual Assignment Compare and contrast two problem-solving methodologies, select one of these and apply it to a situation in your organisation. The latter should be written in a `case study` format Introduction – What is a Problem? In an individuals professional and social life, they will have objectives or desired outcomes that they aim to reach. These may be in preparing to take a family holiday or meeting a high sales target at work. During the course of attaining that goal they will encounter either an occurrence or obstacle that prevents the person achieving the desired aim or objective. This "circumstance" or "discrepancy" is a problem. It is preventing the individual from achieving their desired state of affairs in the manner that they had planned or had perceived it would be achieved. The problem solving methodology that an organisation will choose to attempt to solve these problems will determine their strategy and general approach to problem solving. It will determine what tools and techniques they use to assist in their processes. The comparison between a hard systems approach to problem solving and a soft systems approach provides us with two very different outlooks and are based on differing fundamental assumptions on how human beings interact. Hard Systems Thinking - Optimisation In the years after the Second World War, when lessons from military operations were applied to industrial companies and Government agencies, an interest in systems ideas developed in many fields. This interest was signalled by the formation of the Society for General Systems Research in 1954, a group of people who were interested in applying systems thinking in traditional disciplines. The basic principle that a hard system thinking emphasises is the use of quantification and measurement to understand systems. This strategy is intended to reduce the level of uncertainty that is associated with confronting problems and the possi... Free Essays on Problem Solving Free Essays on Problem Solving Individual Assignment Compare and contrast two problem-solving methodologies, select one of these and apply it to a situation in your organisation. The latter should be written in a `case study` format Introduction – What is a Problem? In an individuals professional and social life, they will have objectives or desired outcomes that they aim to reach. These may be in preparing to take a family holiday or meeting a high sales target at work. During the course of attaining that goal they will encounter either an occurrence or obstacle that prevents the person achieving the desired aim or objective. This "circumstance" or "discrepancy" is a problem. It is preventing the individual from achieving their desired state of affairs in the manner that they had planned or had perceived it would be achieved. The problem solving methodology that an organisation will choose to attempt to solve these problems will determine their strategy and general approach to problem solving. It will determine what tools and techniques they use to assist in their processes. The comparison between a hard systems approach to problem solving and a soft systems approach provides us with two very different outlooks and are based on differing fundamental assumptions on how human beings interact. Hard Systems Thinking - Optimisation In the years after the Second World War, when lessons from military operations were applied to industrial companies and Government agencies, an interest in systems ideas developed in many fields. This interest was signalled by the formation of the Society for General Systems Research in 1954, a group of people who were interested in applying systems thinking in traditional disciplines. The basic principle that a hard system thinking emphasises is the use of quantification and measurement to understand systems. This strategy is intended to reduce the level of uncertainty that is associated with confronting problems and the possi...

Sabah Issue Essay Example

Sabah Issue Essay Example Sabah Issue Essay Sabah Issue Essay The armed intrusion into Sabah by Sulu terrorists is a blow to the progress of the BIMP-EAGA (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), says BIMP-EAGA Malaysia Business Council chairman Datuk Roselan Johar Mohamed. Expressing profound dismay over the incident, he called on BIMP-EAGA member countries to go back to the original status quo, focusing more on accelerating economic development in the four countries in a safe and conducive manner. Quoting the age-old saying we cannot negotiate if you are pointing a gun at me, Roselan said that it was true in the context of the sub-regional grouping, which was launched in 1994. We must all retract and go back to the drawing board, rethink and revisit our strategy and go back to the negotiating table, he told Bernama. Roselan was commenting on the recent statement by Former Philippines’ President Fidel Ramos with regard to the standoff in Lahad Datu in the east coast of Sabah, that the BIMP-EAGA should be revived by the countries concerned as the grouping was the key to improve the people’s conditions in south Philippines, Borneo Island and adjacent areas. The BIMP-EAGA is the win-win strategy if we are looking from the perspective of a better, more prosperous, more peaceful, more harmonious and more sustainable future for all peoples, Ramos was quoted as saying. Ramos said the potentials of the BIMP-EAGA were so great that even foreign local governments such as Australia’s Northern Territory and Western Australia states had joined the grouping as associates. Ramos said that during his administration, he tried to set up a corporation that would develop the BIMP-EAGA sub-region. The company is to be jointly run by Malaysia, the Sulu Sultanate’s heirs and private sector partners. The company’s revenue can substitute the annual RM5,300 as the rent to the sultanate’s heirs, Ramos said. In this respect, Roselan acknowledged Ramos’ role in the establisment of BIMP-EAGA, saying that the Former Philippines’ President was both vocal and wise when he initiated the BIMP-EAGA concept together with Malaysia’s former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Are You Polarizing

Are You Polarizing This is one of my most important messages.   One of the many reasons I left my day job was stress. Many of you have done the same or are in the process of finding ways to leave the lifestyle that makes your world less palatable. I worked for the federal government, and my job entailed balancing the wishes of my politician boss, the needs of the public, and the competition of my peers. Add family to the mix, and it made for some sleepless nights and tight-chested days. I left that life to write, and it was one of the best decisions of my existence. Then I read an article in the latest Psychology Today (love that magazine) about how polarization saddens us and, if we do not control it, can make our lives toxic. But humans like to congregate. They evolved from packs. And we interact accordingly. So when the world looks safe, mammals happily fan out to find resources to meet their needs. When threats are perceived, mammals retreat to the safety of social alliances.   The problem these days is that we belong to multiple groups. We are writers. Thats one group. Many of us relate to one political party or the other. We often claim a religion or relate to our gender or sexual orientation. We are foodies, animal rights advocates, and home-schooling parents. All of us belong to several groups, but not all groups believe in each other a hundred percent. We have allies and contrarians even within the groups we align with. When my life gets too hectic, I feel it in my chest. I toss and turn and have nightmares, some nights am grateful for three hours of rest. I try to avoid items and people that cause me stress. Its not a weakness. I deem it a strength to be in control of my life. I fight for that  lifestyle, and anyone who has visited me can feel it in all Ive created. But there are some who choose to be more aggressive in one or two aspects of their lives. That does not mean they are right or wrongor that you are right or wrongor that I am all right or wrong. Choosing to be aggressive not to be confused with passionate about an issue or group, and infusing it into your writing world, will cause others to choose sides . . . and possibly avoid you. They retreat into the group they feel most comfortable with. As an author, you choose whether you want your lifes choices to walk alongside your writing, because to do so is choosing to alienate groups (or packs) of readers who feel differently. And not everyone is going to agree with the non-writer side of you. Sure, its noble to have causes. Others, however, may feel just as noble in their causes. Why do you have to clash if your unity is, say, mystery fiction? Why do we only have to relate to those who match us group for group? Ive supported one particular author for several years. Love her writing style. Back during the election, I got bombarded Months later, she won an award for her novel. She messaged me, and I rejoiced with her! Wonderful, I said. You deserve it. But why did you unfriend me on Facebook? And we held a very civil discourse about politics. I rather enjoyed it. We were on opposite ends of the spectrum, but nobody got angry. We agreed that we would not be Facebook friends because shes chosen these days to lead with politics over her writing, and I didnt want it spilling into my world. We agreed to disagree. Quite amicably. And we still support each others books. Not everyone will agree with you. And please, do not demand people agree with you. Let life run through you, not stop at your outstretched, palm up hand. You dont have to agree. You might better understand

How Bismarck used wars to bring about the creation of the new German Essay

How Bismarck used wars to bring about the creation of the new German state.Why was Bismarck successful in unifying Germany when the revolution of 1848 failed to do so - Essay Example At that time, Austria was not willing to recognize a united Germany predominated by Prussia. Thus, a meeting was held at Olmutz by Austrians n the November of 1980 which was torn down by Prussians and thus the contract of Prussian Union was given up. This meeting is seen by the Prussian historians as a disgrace of Olmutz. Significantly, the Prussians were more dominant in Zollverein operations and thus the Germans created a union in 1834 to renaissance to free trade. The five German states, comprising Austria, were not part of Zollverein by 1854. Thus, economic empowerment of Prussia was guaranteed again.2 But, this dominance was achieved by Otto von Bismarck during the era of 1815-1898 for Prussia. He was selected as the President in 1862. He inherited the Prussian nobility or better known as Junkers from his father’s side. A highly conservative person, he succeeded to many diplomatic posts. The times of constitutional crisis marked the beginning of his prime minister career. William I (1861-1888), who was a regent since the year 1858, became the then Prussia King in the year 1861 after his brother’s death. This new king was contemptuous towards army receiving more funds and also was disdainful towards the lower house of legislature. King was reluctant to support the established military and wanted to build up his own army. But, he needed tax revenues for this endeavor. Parliament refused to this notion. Thus Bismarck decided to receive taxes somehow, without the parliamentary consent. The loyal people of Prussia paid the taxes; and the King with Bismarck’s assis tance gave birth to a new army. 3 Bismarck needed a strong military because according to him, military power was more than the power of masses. He blew off the liberal constitutionalism as shown by the Frankfurt Assembly. Being a pragmatist, he devised that force was the ultimate success factor; and being a

Sustainability in Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Sustainability in Practice - Essay Example Corporations position, align and strengthen themselves around the change, experience, missed opportunities and learn from the wasted resources. Due to the various changes in the business environment, sustainability of enterprises is entirely relevant to the modern corporations. Glover (2001) believes that the changing space and environment may have adverse impacts on the performance of the organization. As such, initiating and designing more integrated sustainability practices by the organization is an important element in remaining competitive. The long-term success is the primary focus of every business of which the sustainability strategies serve to support. Pugh and Mayle (2009) explain that sustainability is quite critical in building a competitive 21st-century organization. However, the long-term success focused by the various firms comes through treating sustainability with great efforts in incorporating strategic changes and innovations in the business. According to Goodall (2012), companies that view change as a form of significant adaptation in ensuring sustainability apply a strategic approach called change management. Change Management is a focused, principled and a disciplined framework that considers all the dimensions of the enterprise that critically influences the aspects of change and innovation within the dynamic business environment. Ferrell et al. (2015) explains that, change management approach identifies what needs to be fixed, aligned and engaged to realize the projected success. Arguably, the method or the model takes the best part of the behavioral thinking at the organization. The management makes the most vital decisions and uses design concepts to craft the roadmaps that address all issues surrounding the successes of the corporation. In fact, Feireiss (2008) supports the idea that sustainability theory rotate on the framework of integrated decision-making in ensuring the

Contemporary Development in Business and Management Essay

Contemporary Development in Business and Management - Essay Example The telecom network in India were historically owned and managed by the Government of India as they considered that natural monopoly and strategic service were best controlled under the states supervision. The Department of Telecommunication (DoT), which is now known as Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL), was the single largest provider of telecom services. However, the examples of privatization in other economies in the 1990's, which resulted in better quality of service and lower tariffs, led Indian policy makers to initiate a change process. This finally resulted in unlocking the sector for the private operators. Unwrapping the sector was although greeted with a lot of optimism counting the potential and the kind of services the operators could offer, however the sky-scraping license fees, high investment requirements were not matched by a corresponding increase in revenues. With the subscriber base not matching up the expectation and airtime usage remaining sluggish, business plans made by the service providers began to falter that resulted in small companies winding up their businesses early. One of the first steps towards introducing reforms in the sector by the government was with the setting up of Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) in 1984. It was made with an objective of managing research in the switching and transmission segments. Thereupon, the government separated the Department of Post and Telegraph in 1985 by setting up the Department of Post and the Department of Telecommunications. In the year government instituted two public corporations viz. The Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) and the Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL). These were set up under supervision of Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The VSNL worked out an exclusive arrangement for access to undersea wideband cable capacity with Fibre Optic Link around the Globe (FLAG), an international telecom carrier in which it had invested US$37 million. However, the prime minister's office (PMO) intervened to make the VSNL review these exclusive rights. Ultimately, other private operators were given the right to work with FLAG and other similar carriers to have access to undersea bandwidth for providing ILD services. The VSNL's monopoly status was to be reviewed in the year 2004. Over a period of time the government diluted its stake in the VSNL by issuing global depository receipts (GDRs). Till the year 2000, the government still held nearly 53 per cent of the equity. The VSNL's incoming international traffic grew at an average rate of 24 per cent per annum between 1990 to 2000, and over the same period incoming calls grew by 12 per cent per annum. The VSNL's revenue could easily compare with the leading telecom companies of smaller countries like Chile, Pakistan, and Malaysia. In the year 1997, the government instituted a body called Telecom Regulatory Authority of India or TRAI. The authority was helpful in getting the private cellular operators approach them before contesting their case before DoT. The telecom Policies In 1994 the government issued the first ever Telecommunications Policy. The policy was issued to provide universal access to basic telecommunications services by 1997 and offered guidelines for entry of the private sector into basic telecommu

Organizations' strategies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Organizations' strategies - Assignment Example This paper presents a case study exploration of the elements of real organizational change interventions based on the context of the six key qualities of a good leader. It provides an analysis of how leadership and management can influence the occurrence of â€Å"resistance to change† through creating authentic and open lines of communication within today’s complex organizations (Gardner, 2006). The case study focuses on today’s aggressive banking industry, exploring the leadership competencies Main Street Bank has demonstrated in its efforts to remain prosperous in a volatile and continually changing external environment. While customers are constantly reevaluating how to handle the economic challenges and opportunities in their lives, banks are evaluating new ways they can provide better support and services for their customers and communities. This situation has created a necessity to think about reorganizing the organizations’ structure and assess the need to effect changes in strategies and design approaches. This paper explores the steps followed at each level by organizations to implement these changes to address customer concerns effectively and preserve vision while keeping an excellent relationship with followers. Main Street Bank asked thousands of their customers what they wanted in a bank account. The answer was, â€Å"Simplicity† through open and transparent rules, accounts with no surprises or unreasonable fees, and products in which they understand the true value. This prompted the institution to make changes by giving its customers a review that shifts their thoughts using real changes that influence their thinking. (Kotter & Cohen, 2002). In this scenario, the bank was able to maintain consistency with its vision, pay attention to customers and employees, admit mistakes, and make suitable decisions while displaying a good understanding of the business and integrity. The bank demonstrated both ability to liste n to customers by conducting a research in which they presented their customers with several sets of product choices, with different combinations of features, benefits, price points, and ways to earn out of fees. The findings of the research indicated that customers do not need a long list of account benefits alone; instead they want straightforward account features where they see the true value, such as identity theft protection. Main Street Bank also found out that customers are willing to pay for the convenience of banking with a bank offering online bill payment, mobile banking and an extensive ATM and branch network. Customers preferred a single up-front monthly fee rather than separate per-usage fees and wanted the ability to earn out of fees in various ways. The input from the customers was able to show â€Å"others the need for change with a compelling object that they can actually see, touch, and feel† (Kotter & Cohen, 2002). The decisive quality of a good leader is display by Main Street Bank through the decisions it took to address customer needs. First, the bank decided to simplify the fee structure by eliminating the daily overdraft fees and â€Å"per-transaction† fees for excessive withdrawals from a savings account. It also created a lineup of core checking and savings accounts that include basic, clear monthly service charges, with opportunities to reduce or waive the service charge based on a customer’s direct deposit, minimum monthly balance, and overall relationship with the bank. This was meant to capture the full range of their customers’ banking needs and enable them choose what is right for them. These decisions display good understanding of the business which is another key quality of a good leader. The way the business operates also shows understanding of

Fire Protection Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Fire Protection - Research Paper Example To understand fire, there is need to analyze the paradigms, which revolve around the origin of fire in eth living world, and the significance of fire to the human race. It is important however to note that these different paradigms are different and coherent on their own, but significantly insufficient on their own self. Thus, fire may assume many definitions, which is only suitable for the specific discipline framed by the condition outside the phenomenon (Fire Research Report). Such broad definitions introduce questions relating to the real fundamentals of fire, and the characteristics that people should undertake to control and use it. This paper seeks to define and analyze the fire problem, explore some of the potential solutions to the problem, and review the first steps that will initiate the solution to the problem. Introduction Fire is among the fundamental basics in the world, both for personal and industrial use. The phenomenon is commonplace and among the elements that sus tain humans in earth. Picture a world with no fire, which means there would be no cooking and other necessary processes that result from combustion or burning. Fire has numerous definitions depending on the discipline of concern. Essentially, fire is the process of burning or combustion in which chemical combination of components with oxygen takes place to produce light, smoke, and heat. However, it is common for most disciplines to have their own definition that conforms to their condition frame that lie outside the fire itself, and which seemingly poses no intrinsic intellectual identity. Such a wide and varying definition of eth phenomenon raises certain questions, which include the real fundamentals of fire and the characteristics that people should undertake to use and control it (Pyne 271). Such founding concerns seemed like illogical arguments in the initial studies on fire and its management. Then, fire was simply there, flaring and smoldering across the earth, and there was need to determine its direction, its fierce, and its speed, and subsequently devise means to stop its spread. With time, other questions emerged, especially concerning economical and ecological, though with reference to the conception that fire was embedded in physical sciences. Fire had similar impacts to the society and biota as windstorms and floods did, yet this did not provide an answer to the question of fire management. To understand fire and perhaps achieve a viable fire protection strategy, there is need to understand the three paradigms of fire: physical, cultural, and biological. Nevertheless, here is a discussion on the basics of fire (Coon 127). The Triangle of Fire Fire requires three elements to initiate. This essentially refers to the triangle of fire. If any of the elements is missing, then fire will not ignite, or if already burning, will quench the flames. These three elements are fuel, oxygen, and heat. Fire needs some consumable elements to ignite or to continu e burning. This consumable material or element is the fuel, which may be a gas, a liquid, or a solid. Furthermore, fire requires oxygen to burn. Removing oxygen from the fire will put off the flames. In technical terms, this is what experts call ‘quenching’ a fire. In atmospheres with less than 16% of oxygen, fires will not burn or combust (Coon 164). Heat refers to the energy that the fire requires to burn, without which the flames dies. The fire triangle simply shows the elements that must be present before a fire starts. Fig 1: The

The changing of a product among the years Assignment

The changing of a product among the years - Assignment Example However, after that point when the war ended, and America became more prosperous again, car production increased even faster than it had in the past due to all the demand that had built up during the war years and the fact that people had "several years worth of savings to spend" ("The History of 1940s Cars"). A few of the important changes that had happened after the wars end included the following. The efficiency of cars increased in terms of new technology like tires, better gas filters, and other newer developments that had been researched at war time ("The History of 1940s Cars"). In the 1950s, there was a big focus on modern designs and an increase in the speed of cars, and cars became sleeker looking and a lot of things we consider essential today like air conditioning were introduced for the first time ("Cars in the 1950s"). Cars are particularly interesting because of the rapid increases that have happened even in the past three or four years. Unlike some other products, cars are always being improved upon. For example, there is a company today called Tesla which builds completely electric cars, and their car the Tesla S could be "set to herald a sea change" in the design of cars completely

Fire Protection Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Fire Protection - Research Paper Example To understand fire, there is need to analyze the paradigms, which revolve around the origin of fire in eth living world, and the significance of fire to the human race. It is important however to note that these different paradigms are different and coherent on their own, but significantly insufficient on their own self. Thus, fire may assume many definitions, which is only suitable for the specific discipline framed by the condition outside the phenomenon (Fire Research Report). Such broad definitions introduce questions relating to the real fundamentals of fire, and the characteristics that people should undertake to control and use it. This paper seeks to define and analyze the fire problem, explore some of the potential solutions to the problem, and review the first steps that will initiate the solution to the problem. Introduction Fire is among the fundamental basics in the world, both for personal and industrial use. The phenomenon is commonplace and among the elements that sus tain humans in earth. Picture a world with no fire, which means there would be no cooking and other necessary processes that result from combustion or burning. Fire has numerous definitions depending on the discipline of concern. Essentially, fire is the process of burning or combustion in which chemical combination of components with oxygen takes place to produce light, smoke, and heat. However, it is common for most disciplines to have their own definition that conforms to their condition frame that lie outside the fire itself, and which seemingly poses no intrinsic intellectual identity. Such a wide and varying definition of eth phenomenon raises certain questions, which include the real fundamentals of fire and the characteristics that people should undertake to use and control it (Pyne 271). Such founding concerns seemed like illogical arguments in the initial studies on fire and its management. Then, fire was simply there, flaring and smoldering across the earth, and there was need to determine its direction, its fierce, and its speed, and subsequently devise means to stop its spread. With time, other questions emerged, especially concerning economical and ecological, though with reference to the conception that fire was embedded in physical sciences. Fire had similar impacts to the society and biota as windstorms and floods did, yet this did not provide an answer to the question of fire management. To understand fire and perhaps achieve a viable fire protection strategy, there is need to understand the three paradigms of fire: physical, cultural, and biological. Nevertheless, here is a discussion on the basics of fire (Coon 127). The Triangle of Fire Fire requires three elements to initiate. This essentially refers to the triangle of fire. If any of the elements is missing, then fire will not ignite, or if already burning, will quench the flames. These three elements are fuel, oxygen, and heat. Fire needs some consumable elements to ignite or to continu e burning. This consumable material or element is the fuel, which may be a gas, a liquid, or a solid. Furthermore, fire requires oxygen to burn. Removing oxygen from the fire will put off the flames. In technical terms, this is what experts call ‘quenching’ a fire. In atmospheres with less than 16% of oxygen, fires will not burn or combust (Coon 164). Heat refers to the energy that the fire requires to burn, without which the flames dies. The fire triangle simply shows the elements that must be present before a fire starts. Fig 1: The

Factors of production and circular flow of income Coursework - 2

Factors of production and circular flow of income - Coursework Example According to Samuelson (2010) the central concern of economics is solving three vital problems: what to produce, how to produce and for whom and the solution lies in making choices between inputs and outputs. The aim of this paper is thus to discuss the factors of production and the circular flow of income. To achieve this, the paper will be divided into various sections. The first section will be discussion on what economics is and the problems it seeks to address. It will also cover the importance of economics and brief explanation of different economies such as the market, command and mixed economy as mechanisms of allocating scarce resources. The second section will address the factors of production: land, labour, capital and enterprise. It will discuss their functions, qualities and how their productivity can be improved. The third section will discuss the circular flow of income which shows flow of inputs and outputs between firms and households or at microeconomics level. Last ly, a brief summary of the main points will be given. What is economics and why study economics? Samuelson (2010: 4) defines economics as â€Å"the study of how societies use scarce resources to produce valuable goods and services and distribute them among different individuals.† It aims at producing the highest combination of quality and quantity of goods and services thus enhancing efficiency. Efficiency according to Samuelson is achieved when no individual’s economic welfare can be improved unless someone else is made worse off (p. 5). When efficiency is achieved the welfare of the whole society is improved. Many people might think that it is not essential to study economics but it has a lot of benefits. According to Lipsey and Chrystal (2011) economics is important in helping to understand the world in which we live and to become astute participants in the economy. It helps us to understand business cycles in relation to credit, unemployment and policies put in pla ce to deal with such crises. It also helps people to understand international trade and the effects of globalisation especially in modern era where production has gone global. Government policies to promote economic growth, use of resources, full employment and price stabilisation are also the product of economic analysis. Economics takes a scientific approach to analysis of issues in the economy and also applies econometrics to economic problems. It is based on the principle of holding other things constant when analysing variables (Gitman and McDaniel, 2008). Economics is divided into two categories: micro and macroeconomics. Microeconomics deals with markets, firms and households while macroeconomics deals with the whole economy but we shall concentrate on microeconomics. Human wants are numerous or unlimited and as stated earlier, resources are scarce. As such, it is difficult to satisfy the unlimited wants thus choices have to be made that would lead to efficient allocation of resources. For example, if a firm decides to produce household items, it foregoes the opportunity or alternative of producing industrial items or any other product. The benefits the firm could have gotten by dealing with industrial items (the next best alternative) are what Samuelson (2010) calls opportunity cost. Economics is all about making choices on what to produce, how to produce and for whom given technology and scarce resources (Wessels, 2006). Whatever choice is

Do Prisons Work Essay Example for Free

Do Prisons Work Essay This study will examine the effectiveness of current prison treatment programs in Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia, United States of America in rehabilitating or reforming an individual and coinciding recidivism rates upon a prisoners release. Prison based treatment programs for sex offenders in Western Australia, New South Wales and New Zealand are examined and recidivism rates compared. Treatment programs for offenders with drug and alcohol issues and the various strategies within the criminal justice system such as diversion, education and drug court programs are examined and differences explained. Rehabilitation programs such as education, life skills, employment and cognitive behavioural treatment are explained and research discussed. Conclusions will be drawn outlining programs with the highest level of recidivism both in Western Australia and globally. The â€Å"nothing works† mantra (Martinson) 1974, is seen to be refuted and treatment is seen to be successful when it is matched to the criminogenic needs of the offender (MacKenzie, 2006). Future recommendations are made in regards to the need for correctional staff to assess each offender as an individual with different needs, and to therefore implement programs that will give the offender the best change of reform or rehabilitation (MacKenzie, 2006). There are many treatment and rehabilitation programs currently used in corrections around the world aimed at reducing recidivism (MacKenzie, 2006). A heuristic approach classifies various strategies into incarceration, treatment programs and rehabilitation (McKenzie, 2006). These interventions represent different strategies for controlling crime in the community, and have some theoretical rationale for expecting a reduction in crime, despite being different in the mechanism anticipated to produce the reduction (MacKenzie, 2006). Incarceration deprives the prisoner of opportunities to commit crime, usually through detention in prison or in some states capital punishment (McKenzie, 2006). Rehabilitation is based on the premise that people can change, and if assessment is to contribute to rehabilitation it must be capable of measuring change (MacKenzie, 2006). The Static 99 risk assessment measure is an International Tool that is currently used to assess recidivism levels of sex offenders (Hoy Bright, 2008). Rehabilitation orientated treatment programs include education, cognitive skills and employment (MacKenzie, 2006). Correctional educational programs are seen to have optimistic results in lowering levels of recidivism in prisoners (Stevens Ward, 2007). Kaki Bukit Prison School based in Singapore is seen to be successful in reducing recidivism by aiming to creative a learning environment based on Peter Senge’s book â€Å"The Fifth Discipline† (Senge, 1990). Part of the discipline involves inmates engaging in the â€Å"The Reflective Thinking Process† (Oh, 2007), an education programme which aims to assist prisoners in reflecting on past destructive behaviour and to encourage appropriate restitution. The school is supported by a multidisciplinary team of teachers, prison officers and counsellors who work together to help students in their studies and in their journey of change to become responsible, thinking citizens (Tam, 2007). For inmates who completed their studies at Kubit Bukit Centre and were released in 2000 and 2001, the 2 year recidivism rate was 24% (Oh, 2007). Acacia, Western Australia’s only private run prison, is operated by Serco and aims to bring service to life (Needham, 2009). Storybook Dads is an example of this and aims to rehabilitate prisoners, break the cycle of reoffending and close the gap between a child and his father (Needham, 2009). The program opens up a broad range of educational opportunities ranging from writing their own stories to learning how to use a computer (Needham, 2009). The main objective of the program is to empower fathers and for children to feel loved, which then improves the lives of the prisoner’s children (Needham, 2009). Prisoners are given the opportunity to record their child’s favourite bedtime story on a CD with sound effects, personal message and CD cover (Needham, 2009). Current research indicates that fathers who have been imprisoned tend to withdraw from life outside the prison and subsequently lose contact completely with their children (Needham, 2009). Statistics show that six out of ten children whose father is a current or ex- prisoner become involved in criminal activities and consequently find themselves in similar situations to their father’s in prison (Needham, 2009). The Storybook Dad’s program runs in eighty prisons in the United Kingdom and maintains family connections and reduces reoffending (Needham, 2009). The National Fatherhood Initiative runs a similar programme called the Incarcerated Father’s Program which operates at Branchville Correctional Centre in Indiana (Gosnell, 2006). It is similar to Storybook Dad’s programme in helping prisoners reunite with their children and families (Gosnell, 2006). One study monitored 186 men for three years after release from prison with only five returning (Gosnell, 2006). Three men returned for small offences whilst two came back on a long term basis indicating low levels of recidivism, when in comparison seventy percent of men released from prison normally return within an average of one to three years (Gosnell, 2006). Prison based treatment programs offered in Western Australia for sex offenders are the Sex Offender Program, Indigenous Sex Offender and Intellectually Disabled Offender (Macgregor, 2008). Community based maintenance programs are offered for each type of offender, the current program for disabled people being the Safe Care Program (Macgregor, 2008). In Australia, most treatment programs for sex offenders are based on cognitive behavioural therapy aimed to target the criminogenic needs or risk factors of offenders (Macgregor, 2008). If these needs are altered the chances of changing the criminal behaviour are higher in the range of 10-30% (Blud, 1999). The programs are seen to be effective in that they work to alter many of the cognitive deficits displayed by offenders (Blud, 1999). They target the known risk factors for sexual reoffending which are cognitive distortions, empathy deficits and wide ranging self regulation (Hoy Bright, 2008). A Western Australia study in 2002 measured recidivism rates of 2165 sex offenders referred to the treatment unit from 1987 to 1999 (Greenberg, 2002). The study compared treated offenders with non-treated offenders, with no significant findings on effects of treatment on sexual recidivism (Greenberg, 2002). Systematic differences between the non-treated and treated group in the Western Australian study, such as indigenous status, risk category, and length of sentence may have impaired comparisons of groups (Lievore, 2004). Inconsistencies across the data, methodological limits may have limited the study from being able to identify less significant treatment outcomes, and to identify sources (Greenberg, 2002). At present a prison based treatment program designed for adult sex offenders is offered in every Territory and State Australia, despite many having yet to be evaluated (Macgregor, 2008). An evaluation conducted in New South Wales on the Custody Based Intensive Treatment program for high risk offenders (Hoy Bright, 2008) compared recidivism rates of 117 treated offenders with those predicted by the STATIC 99 risk assessment measure, an internationally used tool that assesses the recidivism risk of sex offenders (Hoy Bright, 2008). STATIC 99 risk probabilities are based on a large sample of sex offenders in the United Kingdom and Canada (Hanson Thornton, 2000). The study found that 8. 5% of sex offenders treated at the Custody Based Intensive Treatment programs committed further sexual offences in 3. 5 years, compared with a predicted sexual recidivism of 26% (Hoy Bright, 2008). An evaluation was conducted on the Te Piriti Special Treatment Program for child sex offenders in New Zealand (Nathan, Wilson Hillman, 2003). Te Piriti incorporates cognitive behavioural therapy methods in combination with Tikanga Maori, holistic practices derived from world view and a desire to understand the universe (Nathan, 2008). This study compared recidivism rates of Te Piriti graduates with a control group used in the Kia Marama study (Nathan, 2008). In comparison with the non-treated group’s sexual recidivism rate of 21%, a small 5. 7% of offenders who completed the programme at Te Piriti reoffended sexually (Nathan, 2008). Maori sexual offenders were also found to have a positive response to the program (Nathan, 2008). Only 4. 41% of Maori offenders reoffended sexually after receiving treatment at Te Piriti (Nathan) 2003 compared with 13. 58% of Maori Kia Marama graduates (New Zealand Corrections, 2003). These results are supportive of the argument that programs are more effective in reducing sexual recidivism when the design and implementation are attuned to the cultural background of the offenders (Macgregor, 2008). Currently, there are various strategies within the criminal justice system that respond to offenders with drug and alcohol issues (Makkai Payne, 2003). At one end of the spectrum is the diversion by police of first offenders or low level offenders into education or treatment programs (Makkai Payne, 2003). At the other end, is the diversion of repeat drug dependent offenders facing imprisonment into intensive drug court programs (Makkai Payne, 2003). Drug courts aim to divert both men and women offenders (Freeman, Karski Doak, 2000). The elements of the New South Wales drug court program are treatment; social support and the development of living skills; regular reports to the court; and regular urine testing (Freeman et al. , 2000). During the twelve month program, participants are expected to stabilise their lives by not using drugs to address health issues, and to cease criminal activity (Freeman et al. ,). Ideally, they consolidate their situation and develop life and job skills, and financially reintegrate fully, becoming financially independent (Freeman et al. ,). Analysis of the data indicates a high success rate, with only thirteen percent of the participants having committed an offence on completion of the program, indicating a low level of recidivism (Freeman et al. ,). A promising approach to combating illicit drug use has been implemented at the Metropolitan Women’s Correctional Centre in Victoria (Peachy, 1999). Carniche program includes core courses in drug awareness, drug education and Alcoholics Anonymous, which provides a group therapy environment and a twelve step program based on abstinence and group support (Peachy, 1999). The program runs for three to four months, after which the prisoners are reintegrated into the mainstream prison population (Peachy, 1999). The program involves a maximum of ten prisoners who live in a residential unit separate from the main prison population who participate in intensive drug group and individual counselling (Peachy, 2000). The program has not been evaluated for its effect on offender recidivism and its success may depend on the support available to prisoners upon release (Peachy, 2000). A new program for women offenders, titled Reconnections, completed its pilot phase at Bandyup Women’s prison in September 2009 (Porter, 2009). The program was based on therapeutic interventions to assist women in looking at past trauma and abuse in addressing their offending behaviour (Porter, 2009). Although the program was scheduled to commence in early 2010, funding problems prevented the commencement of the program (Porter, 2009). Despite the program failing to commence prison doors at Bandyup continue to open to volunteers and visitors, a move imprisoned women value (Department of Corrective Services, 2005). The Western Australian Department of Justice allows over 3,000 volunteers who provide support for victims of crime, prisoners and juvenile detainees (Department of Corrective Services, 2005). Western Australia’s drug rehabilitation is seen to be a part of the whole sentencing process both in prison and the community for a prisoner’s release on parole (Cox, 2007). There is a continuum drug users who go through the Perth Drug Court’s treatment programs are less likely to reoffend than those sent to prison (Cox, 2007). Recidivism rates for offenders using the court’s drug treatment programs were 17 percent lower than those for offenders sent to prison (Cox, 2007). The study assessed 250 drug users, dealt with the Drug Court who were charged with offences such as burglary, theft or fraud between 2000 and 2003 (Cox, 2007). In comparison to Western Australia one in every 100 adults is locked up in America and there punitive corrections system do not follow a Western approach, incorporating resources such as Drug Courts to help prevent re-offending (McClatchy, 2008). Kansas has been seen to rethink incarceration policies, with a focus on reserving prison for the worst criminals who pose a real danger to society (McClatchy, 2008). Kansas’ only drug court, in Lyon County, has slashed offender rearrest rates almost by half. (McClatchy, 2008). In California, a study found that in a two-year period, drug courts cost $14 million but saved tax-payers more than $43 million over the costs of sending offenders to prison (McCatchy,2008). Kansas Department of Corrections has had success with a new parole re-entry program, including a pilot project in Wichita that gives parolees more support and helps them to keep on the straight and narrow (McClatchy, 2008). Corrections Secretary Roger Werholtz has seen the new philosophy dramatically cut re-offender rates state-wide and reduced recidivism (McCatchy, 2008). Spectrum Addiction Services offers residential treatment, outpatient, detox and domestic violence service for substance abusers and Correctional Recovery Academies in Massachusetts, Georgia and Rhode Island (Astell, 1995). The treatment strategy supported by Spectrum is based on behaviour and based on self-esteem, participant’s feelings, and self-revelation much as the 12 step program of Alcoholics Anonymous (Astell, 1995). Spectrum views the way to fight recidivism is behavioural, teaching people the skills to stay straight (Astell, 1995). A situational approach to drug abuse may be another avenue to explore when examining the Vietnam War (Astell, 1995). Many American soldiers who were involved with heroin use in South East Asia did not bring the habit home, indicating that some drug abuse is situational (Astell, 1995). In the mid 1970’s a pessimistic assessment of rehabilitation programs by Robert Martinson asserted that â€Å"nothing works† in correctional treatment (Cullen Gendreau, 2000). However recent reassessment using methods of meta-analysis has found that offender treatment programs do reduce problem behaviour (Cullen Gendreau, 2000). Effective programs are those which recognise the importance of individual differences and the measurement of these factors when assessing what programs and interventions would be most suitable for each offender (Harland, 1996). Privatisation of prisons is seen to be a positive solution to improving treatment programs and reducing associated recidivism in developing more of a restorative framework to treatment programs (Corporate Responsibility, 2007). This involves emphasising the importance of good relationships between prisoners and staff, the need to recognise the impact of cultural differences when implementing programmes and matching an officer of suitable culture and temperament to best assist the needs of the prisoner (Corporate Responsibility, 2007). Further study is indicated as being required for WA Sex Offenders with little research being available for this group of offenders when compared to other states in WA (Cullen Gendreau, 2000). Systematic differences between the non-treated and treated group in the Western Australian study, such as indigenous status, risk category, and length of sentence may have impaired comparisons of groups (Lievore, 2004). Inconsistencies across the data, methodological limits may have also limited the study from being able to identify less significant treatment outcomes, and to identify sources (Greenberg , 2002). A recommendation for improved research design is suggested in the implementation of a similar tool as the Static 99 in Australia which is currently only available internationally in measuring sexual recidivism (Mackenzie, 2006). Another finding from reviews of the studies is the large difference of amount of research completed for drug-offenders in comparison with other offenders, such as women prisoners and sex offenders which is currently limited (MacKenzie, 2006). Given the current concern about the increasing amount of drug offenders entering the correction system it is apparent as to why there is uch a large number of evaluations of programs being completed for these offenders (MacKenzie, 2006). Although the role for corrections appears to be a current challenge, it is hoped that with further research, funding , availability of treatment programmes and education of prison officers in addressing individual and cultural differences, that the offender be given the greatest chance for rehabilitation, reform and consequently a life of freedom outside the prison bars (MacKenzie, 2006).

Movie Analysis of Grease Essay -- Papers

Movie Analysis of Grease In this paper I am going to write about the movie â€Å"Grease.† Specifically, on the two main characters Sandy and Danny. I will be describing and analyzing their interpersonal communication, but mainly on the conflict of their communication. At the beginning they Sandy & Danny start off with a great relationship. They meet at the beach during summer break. Thinking they would never see each other again they went their separate ways. But Sandy ends up moving and goes to the same high school as Danny. They don’t know that the other is at the same school until Rizzo, one of the â€Å"pink ladies† introduces them to on another at the football pep rally. This is when all the conflict starts. Danny and Sandy are so excited to see each other, but all of sudden Danny changes his tone of voice, as well as attitude toward Sandy. Sandy is taken back by the way Danny is acting. She asks him, â€Å"What is wrong with you?† Then he replies â€Å"What’s the matter with me, What’s the matter with you?† Going on she calls him a fake and a phony and says she wishes she never laid eyes on him. The T-Birds, Danny’s friends start giving Danny a hard time about Sandy. So in a nutshe ll he treats her like she is just an ordinary person and not a girl that he cares for. On one day Sandy is at the local restaurant with a guy that happens to run track and Danny keeps watching her. When Sandy goes to the juke box she walks by Danny and does not acknowledge his existence. Danny then approaches Sandy and begins to give her a hard time about the guy that she is with. Sandy is very short with Danny and does not let on that she is upset. Danny then decides for Sandy to notice him that he needs to become athletic, so he starts try... ...e a lot, showing that she was committed to their relationship and tolerated their differences. Once or twice she used the voice response. When she was trying to find out about the girl he says he never dated, she continually brought it up for they could talk about it. I feel that this conflict was good, due to it helped them both grow and strengthen their relationship. It helped them both realize that they can change how they act towards one another and well as say what they really mean and to be open about how they feel for one another. I think that it was great how the two of them went for the Win-Win strategy to accommodate for the other. In all I feel that Danny and Sandy noticed not only by communicating but also by facial gestures as to what the other was thinking and how each of them could change to get to a compromise and go on with their relationship.

Freud Essay -- essays research papers fc

In The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx and Frederick Engels present their view of human nature and the effect that the economic system and economic factors have on it. Marx and Engels discuss human nature in the context of the economic factors which they see as driving history. Freud, in Civilization and Its Discontents, explores human nature through his psychological view of the human mind. Marx states that history "...is the history of class struggles" (9). Marx views history as being determined by economics, which for him is the source of class differences. History is described in The Communist Manifesto as a series of conflicts between oppressing classes and oppressed classes. According to this view of history, massive changes occur in a society when new technological capabilities allow a portion of the oppressed class to destroy the power of the oppressing class. Marx briefly traces the development of this through different periods, mentioning some of the various oppressed and oppressing classes, but points out that in earlier societies there were many gradations of social classes. He also states that this class conflict sometimes leads to "...the common ruin of the contending classes" (Marx 9). Marx sees the modern age as being distinguished from earlier periods by the simplification and intensification of the class conflict. He states that "Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps... bourgeoisie and proletariat" (Marx 9). The bourgeoisie, as the dominant class of capitalists, subjugates the proletariat by using it as an object for the expansion of capital. As capitalism progresses, this subjugation reduces a larger portion of the population to the proletariat and society becomes more polarized. According to Marx, the polarization of society and the intense oppression of the proletariat will eventually lead to a revolution by the proletariat, in which the control of the bourgeoisie will be destroyed. The proletariat will then gain control of the means of production. This revolution will result in the creation of a socialist state, which the proletariat will use to institute socialist reforms and eventually communism. The reforms which Marx ou... ...t; (Freud 111). Freud can not offer some vision of a human utopia, but can only suggest that there is some possibility for the improvement of the human condition and society, but also warns that our success at overcoming destructive instincts may be limited. Marx offers a radical philosophy which also sees conflict as one of the constants of prior human existence. Unlike Freud, Marx believes that the aggressive and conflict-oriented aspects of human nature will disappear under the communist society which he sees as the inevitable product of capitalism. This is the hopeful element of Marx's philosophy. However, if communism is not seen as inevitable or the possibilities for reducing human conflict before a socialist revolution are considered, then Marx's view of human nature locks humanity into constant conflict. If the future is to be like Marx's version of history, then there is little hopefulness in this view of human nature. Works Cited Freud, Sigmund. Civilization and Its Discontents. Ed. James Strachey. New York: W.W. Norton, 1961. Marx, Karl and Frederick Engels. The Communist Manifesto. New York: International Publishers, 1994.

Enemy of the State

In the movie Enemy of the State directed by Tony Scott, there is a political bias against having a powerful government. From the year 1998, which was when the movie was produced, technological development has exponentially increased at a rapid rate. The government has become more sophisticated within many administrations including the NSA or National Security Agency creating an elite system of gathering information, as well as upping security standards through surveillance. This has aroused fear in many American’s point of views on what this new â€Å"powerful† government is becoming.This is the prevailing ideal promoted within this movie. Exploitation of this growing federal power is sparking fear in regards to people’s concerns for keeping their constitutional rights, and personal safety. Furthermore, the notion of corruption of power within the federal system compounds the fear of the â€Å"weak† individual. Technology not only changes the way markets a nd businesses develop the economy, but can alter human’s social enviornment and interactions. This altering of human’s social characteristics is what is concerning.The NSA has ramped up their attempts on keeping the nation safe through the use of technology and many refer to one major example of this called the â€Å"Big Brother Policy. † This, metaphorically representing an actual big brother overseeing a little brother, enables the government to do many things in which privacy can be breached. This can be from tapping phone calls, retaining all of your medical history, billing information, birth certificate, and social security number to name a few. The idea of electronic surveillance All films are on reserve at the Fine Arts Library.Your job is not to merely summarize the film or to comment on whether or not the actors gave a fine performance or if the director did a good job. Instead, you are to discuss the sociological content of the film. Taking popular cu lture as pedagogical, consider the lessons that popular culture offers about the role of surveillance in society. As well, you could comment on the limits of this medium (film) as means of theorizing surveillance. Introduction In the introduction of your film review you are expected to highlight the main themes of the film.Here, there is no need to describe or summarize the entire film. Instead, focus on those aspects of the film that will be most relevant to your analysis. You will also need to state your thesis in this section. What will you be attempting to say in this film review? Your review will be only 3-4 pages, so please be concise. Body of the review This is the most important section of the review. Offering your opinion, whether or not you agree with the film, is not the same and cannot substitute for critical analysis.Instead, choose clearly defined issues to explore (e. g. , panoptic power, the role of the gaze, gender, race, the body, counter-surveillance, resistance, the role of confession, social discrimination) Remember that each paragraph must have a topic sentence. Do not make sweeping, general statements that you cannot substantiate. Instead, develop two or three points clearly and in detail. Use this section to explain further the points that you raise in your introduction. You could provide analysis of particular scenes from the film to substantiate your argument.As well, you could provide pertinent background information regarding the setting (temporal or what was occurring in ‘real life’ when the film was made and/or during the time that it is set in). Remember, your analysis must discuss the relevance of the film to the themes of the course. To do so, you could start by asking how technology figures in the film. Is it seen as productive or enabling, repressive, or as the inevitable part of some future? Taking technology in its instrumental sense as having the aim of altering the human environment (a technology could be a p en). What characters are agential subjects?Meaning, who has agency in the film? Does the film present a certain political bias? What assumptions does the film make in regards to privacy, the state, or the future? These are suggestions. You do not need to follow them. Conclusion Use this section to demonstrate that you have succeeded in writing what you set out in the introduction. The film Enemy of the plead is a conspiracy-thriller film released in 1998 by Touchstone Pictures and was directed by Tony Scott and written by David Marconi. The film uses a variety of cultural assumptions, attitudes, values and beliefs end-to-end to manipulate the viewers of the film into accepting them.Enemy of the State is found around the US Governments discussion agencies and politicians and their huge amount of power, technology and the conspiracies involved with their intelligence departments much(prenominal) as the National Security Agency (NSA). Robert doyen (Will Smith) a labour lawyer, who unkn owingly becomes involved in a establishment conspiracy when he receives a disc containing the characterisation of the writ of execution of Congressman Hammersly (Jason Robards). This is when Robert Deans life set downs to fall asunder; he loses his job, his family and all his money.Whilst on the run he meets a former government operative, Edward Lyle Brill (Gene Hackman) who then unwillingly befriends Dean and helps him to escape from the NSA. Brill becomes an antihero because of his unconventional methods, and because he is unlikeable, but is a protagonist in the end. In the film, Enemy of the State, there ar many cultural assumptions, values, beliefs stereotypes and attitudes presented throughout the film. One of the most essential values presented in this film is that of privacy, which conflicts with the governments want of safety.The film is based around the governments proposal to install video and audio devices throughout US households. This is for surveillance purposes, mainl y to rule out terrorism, but is as well as a major invasion of privacy. This is also the reason for the murder of Congressman Philip Hammersly, as he was impertinent to the idea and his vote could mean the cancelation of the bill. Because of this the audience are positioned where they begin to dislike the authority figures in this film, which then promotes Dean as the protagonist throughout the film, and becomes a more†¦

Lost in a Dark World: John Milton’s “When I Consider How my Light is Spent” Essay

Being blind would be an incredibly hard thing to endure, and an even harder situation to describe to other people. In John Milton’s 1652 poem When I Consider How my Light is Spent the author uses imagery, symbols, and extended metaphors to express his feelings of going blind and how it relates to the serving of his god. In exploring the use of his imagery you must first know that John Milton was blind when he wrote this poem. All of the imagery used in his poem is functioning to help the reader get a better sense of what it might be like to be blind themselves. The â€Å"dark world† he describes in line two is an example of imagery. He uses these words to describe how his new life or world is; completely absent of light. He’s almost trying to say that he’s not blind, but that the world is just dark. You can see this in line one where he states â€Å"my light is spent.† As you can see Milton uses complicated word play throughout the poem, this brings me to his metaphors. Most of his metaphors are used to describe how being blind has affected his life as well as his ability to serve his god. He uses the word â€Å"light† many times in the poem but this word can be substituted out for the word vision. His vision is what he is referring to but he chooses to use the word light to express to the reader that he isn’t going blind, but that the light is running out which I pointed out earlier. The word â€Å"talent† used in line three has a double meaning. The Biblical parable about hiding the talent and not turning the master’s currency into a profit (described in the foot note) is used as an extended metaphor in which God is compared to the lord, while the speaker is the third servant who has buried the money. He feels that because he is blind he can no longer serve his god properly and is wondering if he should just end his life now. Finally Milton uses symbols throughout his poem to allude to the fact that he will not end his life, but that he will wait for his time and live out the rest of his life blind. One symbol can be seen in line eight where he capitalizes the word â€Å"Patience.† The word is capitalized to symbolize that patience is some sort of being that he has encountered, and that it is what has convinced him not to end his life. In line twelve he states â€Å"Thousands at his bidding speed†¦They also serve who only stand and wait.† The thousands mentioned symbolize angels who serve God in every length, and that they also serve ones who are patient. This is Milton’s justification for living out the rest of his life even though he doesn’t feel he can serve his god anymore. He will be patient. This poem has lots of word play mainly dealing with imagery, metaphors, and symbols, but when you analyze and break it all down it turns into a great poem that makes you reflect on how John Milton felt about his blindness. I believe this was his intent in writing this poem.

Discrimination: Racism

Many conferences have been organized especially by the United Nations to discuss the issue of discrimination in different perspectives. Discrimination has been a setback in many nations especially in the West, like America where there is an influx of people from different parts of the world. In this paper, discrimination will be elaborated. The focus will be on racism as a type of discrimination. Scientist hold the opinion that races came into being as a result of family groups living together over a period of time. The different races of human beings can therefore live together.The impact of racism will be assessed and possible solutions recommended. Introduction Discrimination is described as that act of people treating others based on their differences regardless of their individual merits. This is practised in religion, race, disability, gender, ethnicity, age, height and employment amongst others. This judgement could be positive or negative. Positive discrimination is the discr imination based on merit (also called differentiating) while the negative discrimination is based on factors like race and religion.Negative discrimination is however the common form of discrimination in spite of the fact that this is illegal in many Western societies just like many other societies. Despite being illegal, discrimination is still rampant in different forms in many parts of the world. The most common form of discrimination is racial discrimination, also referred to as racism. This is destructive. It is the act of basing treatment on the racial origin of an individual (Randal, 2008). Racism is influenced by social, political, historical and economic factors.It has so many definitions due to its various forms. It involves social values, institutional practices and individual attitudes. It changes with response to social change. The basis of racism is the belief that some individuals are superior due to their ethnicity, race or nationality. It is a social phenomenon and not scientific. Some of the racist behaviors include xenophobia, racial vilification, ridicule and physical assault. Racism could be practised intentionally (direct discrimination) or unintentionally making some groups to be disadvantaged (indirect racial discrimination).Racism is enhanced either individually or institutionally. Institutionally, it involves systems in life such as education, employment, housing and media aimed at perpetuating and maintaining power and the well being of a group at the expense of another. It is a more subtle form of discrimination since it involves respected forces in the society. Individual racism involves treating people differently on the basis of their race. It is the deliberate denial of power to a person or a group of persons. The above two forms of racism refer to race as the determining factor in human capacities and traits.There is no clear cut distinction between racial and ethnic discrimination and this is still a debate among anthropologis ts. Institutional racism is also referred to as structural, systemic or state discrimination. It is socially or politically structured. As indicated early, the perpetrators are corporations, governments, organizations and educational institutions which are influential in the lives of individuals. It is the systematic policies and the organizational practices that disadvantage certain races or ethnic groups.From the statistics given in 2005 on the US, it is evident that the Whites are highly regarded while the African Americans are looked down upon by the society. Their household incomes differ greatly ($50,984, $33,627, $35,967 and $30,858 for Whites, Native Americans, Latinos and African Americans respectively). Their poverty rates follow suit with that of the African Americans being thrice that of the Whites. Unlike the Whites, the other groups attend underfunded schools. Their living environments are below standards compounded by poorly paying jobs and high unemployment rates.The employment in the labor market is disproportional in favor of the Whites. Le Duff (2000) describes a situation in a slaughterhouse where a White boss just sits in his glass office only to come out when the day is almost over to double the workload for the workers. The Black workers are overworked if only to meet the company's target of pork production. It is important to note that this Smithfield Packing Company is the largest plant in the world in pork production. The workers, who are Blacks however do not feel any positive impact of the company as they are overworked and mistreated by their white boss.It is common for the boss to unleash his anger on the workers and they seem to have very little power to take any action against this. The immigrants are another category of those who are socially discriminated. They are the lowest in the society's stratification and are the ones to do the low forms of jobs considered ‘dirty work'. This is social racism. The wages they get fro m these jobs are very low and minimal or no benefits at all. Since the 1996 welfare reform was passed by the Congress, all the legal immigrants have had to do without federal programs like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income.Sonneman (1992) describes a community of immigrants who have to deal with racial discrimination from the natives. These immigrants have poor jobs as pickers. They do not have adequate food and have to work extra hard in their jobs to earn a living. The natives overcharge them for basic commodities. An example is that of the picker who was charged five dollars instead of three dollars for the groceries he bought at the store. A gallon of milk is also charged at 30 cents higher than in town. They are however so powerless that they can do nothing about it.These pickers flock in this remote area and not in the town which is only a mile and a half away because of the high cost of living in the town. Berube A. and Berube F. (1997), give an example of their famil y who lived in trailer coaches as dictated by their economical capability. In South Africa, racism was rampant just like in many other African countries under colonial rule. From 1948 to 1994, the apartheid system denied the non-whites their basic rights. The whites who were the minority were allowed to keep certain areas for themselves without permission thus locking out the blacks.Schools taught the subjects meant for Africans in Afrikaans. Other than the protests by many countries and the United Nations, the South Africans protested against these systems leading to many deaths as the police fought them back. However, in 1994, this was brought to an end with Nelson Mandela becoming the president, allowing equal rights for both the blacks and the whites. The racial stereotypes who propagate racism by the belief that other races are better than others are said to propagate individual racism (Hanshem, 2007). Stigma is closely related to discrimination.In the interview by Rodgers, it is revealed that those women who came from well-off families found it more difficult going to welfare unlike their counterparts from poorer backgrounds who had children to look after with no child support. According to sociology, stigma is the act of a society discrediting an individual. It is the disapproval of an individual's character or what they believe in that goes against cultural norms. Examples include illegitimacy, mental or physical disabilities, nationality affiliations, illnesses, religious affiliations and ethnicity.Stigma could be based on external deformations such as scars and other physical manifestations like leprosy and obesity. The other form is based on traits such as drug addiction. Lastly is tribal stigma that involve ethnicity, nationality or religion. There are some factors that indicate racism. Among them are refusing to work with a specific group of people. Others would spread racist propaganda or racist comments. People who physically assault or harass o thers are considered racists. Discriminatory policies or procedures are an indicator of racism. The effects of racism cannot be ignored.Healthcare among the racially discriminated is poor or non-existent. For instance, the 1999 Centre on Budget Priorities study showed that 46% of the non-citizen immigrant children could not access health insurance unlike the natives' children. Racism lowers an individual's self esteem. When someone disregards another because of the skin color or religion, their self-esteem is lowered. It could be ignored if it happens at once, but if it persists, it negatively influences the confidence of an individual. Children skip schools because of such effects. Learning thus becomes difficult.In an attempt to suppress the factors that make them discriminated against, they try to change their religion, skin colour, hair color and even stop trusting people. Others resort to learning foreign languages and their respective accents to cover up their ethnicities so a s to identify with the race that is considered superior. In some cases, surgery has been undertaken to conform to the societal demands. One problem that has been cited is lack of education on racism. An educated individual is aware that there is need for different people if learning is to take place.Then, if one is to experience the positive impact of education, appreciating other people around will be of importance. Otherwise, discriminating people could lead to lack of expertise knowledge in some specific areas. It is thus important to sensitize the community on the importance of each and every person. Education will go a long way to even help those who are being educated to appreciate who they are. On the same note, schools and other learning institutions should provide an all-inclusive environment which would accommodate people of different ethnic affiliations (Einfeld, 1997).Then, they should meet their specific needs based on their linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Religiou s solutions could be sought where necessary. In Islam for instance, Qua'ran teaches against racism. If these people with religious affiliations are allowed to practise their religion freely, then this could curb racism. Thus, all religions should be respected and given the chance to conduct their practices. The responsible authorities are endowed with the duty of coming up with laws that prohibits racism. There have been conventions and conferences where these laws are discussed and drafted.The United Nations has been on the forefront in implementing these rules. It is not adequate enough to only discuss these issues. They should come up with solutions that could be implemented. Conclusion No one can dare deny the effect that racism has had in various states. it is only wise to face the problem head on and find the right solutions. a solution must be found to curb this problem once and for all. it calls for the efforts by every member of the society to assume their respective roles and do what is expected of them.