How has the 'American Ideology' changed since 1980 Answer with Essay

How has the 'American Ideology' changed since 1980 Answer with reference to notions of self reliance, equality of opportunity - Essay Example Self reliance is the conception that free and independent individuals should take responsibility of their social well being (Weir 2007, p. 746). Weir continues to argue that individualism closely relates to self reliance in the United States. However, this issue raises numerous controversies to various people. Since the eras of George Washington after the founding of America to the era of Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, Americans had been embracing self reliance. Weir states that one of the founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin is known for his statement â€Å"God helps them that help themselves,† which many Americans misunderstood as a quotation from the bible (2007, p. 746). The government of Ronald Reagan since he assumed power as president in January 20, 1981 to 1989 greatly supported the ideology of self reliance. The former president is quoted saying â€Å"Every time the government acts, we lose self-reliance, character, and initiative (About.com n.d.). The current government of the United States in the leadership of President Barack Obama does not support self reliance. At a fundraiser in San Francisco in the last week of October 2011, the President warned the audience that if they do not re-elect him, they stand to face a new era of self reliance in America (Fleming 2011). Self-reliance implies that Americans do not stand a chance to rely on the government for provisions such as health care, education or anything they consider as a requirement. Fleming (2011) argues that most Americans would consider it unthinkable to do away with entitlements, they would worry if let to use their own resources. The American federal government takes the active role of including entitlements and safety nets such as retirement saving for its citizens in its budget. However, some Americans support the aspect self reliance because it comes with a sense of freedom. For example, most of the funds used for entitlements come from the taxpayers. The government takes a large sh are of the taxpayer’s income in the form of tax by using regulations which ensure Americans’ minimal requirements are taken care of. There is a lack of freedom in such situations because taxpayers have no control over what to do with their money. In fact, the government takes its portion before taxpayers can access their share. The main problem arises when needs keep increasing and changing with time. For example, health insurance is a right to the Americans while electricity and water are basic needs. The use of resources to provide the society with basic necessities is the key reason why Americans continue to wallow in dependency. As a nation, America opts not to risk gaining freedom by accepting self reliance. Equal opportunity is the provision that all people should receive similar treatment with the absence of obstacles such as preferences or prejudices and artificial hurdles except in cases where they are justifiable. The provision of equal opportunity supports s ituations such as offering job prospects to candidates with proper qualifications with the certainty that they can perform ably in the task. It disregards use of connections such as friendships, race, ethnicity, religion, birth relations and involuntary attributes such as sexual orientations, disability and age to whoever has control of offering the job. Equal opportunity provides advancement chances to all parties with interest, and allows them to compete on equal

Analyze a major social, economic, military, and technological issue Essay

Analyze a major social, economic, military, and technological issue since the Civil War, trace its significance over time - Essay Example American diplomacy in the 1920s may be termed as subtle and a bit passive, but it was equally ambitious and effective in reality. American strategy in the years leading up to the annihilation of Pearl Harbor was in fact quite reactive to events which were happening on the European continent. In short, American isolationism was somewhat of a myth, though it remains a fact that American foreign policy during the 1920s and 1930s was hugely different from the aggressive US foreign policy what the contemporary global order witnesses (Braumoeller, p.1). The changes have occurred eventually and over time the role of African Americans in ending the segregation, discrimination and hence the isolation in order to reach the goals of civil rights and equality have been significant. The reality of American isolationism The actual notion of ‘American isolationism’ developed because the US authorities concentrated on building cottage industries to strengthen their domestic economic inf rastructure. This act sent a global message that the US authorities were trying to create a neo-socialist order. The reality was far from this. Cottage industry grew around the topic of American isolationism in the interwar era – so much so to facilitate that â€Å"isolationism† had become the average categorization of America’s foreign policy amid the two World Wars. ... Such assertions, both in textbooks and in the articles of some of the finest scholars, can be multiplied for an indefinite period (Braumoeller, pp.2-3). African Americans and the tale of struggle African Americans were the indomitable human beings who were brutally treaded by the whites into the American territory in 1619. Thus began their apathetic journey of struggle against intolerance, violence, and racial discrimination. The tradition of importing slaves came to halt in 1808. But that did not change the dire circumstances of the African people residing in nation that looked upon them as beasts embraced in a black nutcase. In 1857, the US Supreme Court decided to bar African slaves from entering or bringing a case into the court premises. The devastating situation of the African Americans took a turn with the introduction of the US Civil War which started in 1861. Abraham Lincoln took some revolutionary steps as the newly elected president of the United States. For most of the bl acks, liberation and the conclusion of the Civil War meant a revitalization of hope. A hope filled with economic prospect, social mobility, and political potential. Great white centric institutions like Tuskegee, Hampton, and Howard University were at the midpoint of a debate over what kind of training, education, and preparation African Americans required for paving their way into the world. Booker T. Washington became the orator on behalf of those who believed that industrial education skills training and vocational education were the greatest means for blacks to achieve economic progress and equality. Each and every women student at Tuskegee, for an instance, was

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Causes

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Causes Herla Dorvil Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is one of many public health issues America faces. It is among the leading causes of death in the United States. It is affects more Americans just as any other disease. People with COPD are impacted where it can affect daily living. Due to the destruction of the alveoli in lungs, more individuals are requiring hospitalization frequently. Many people are diagnosed with COPD each year. COPD is a group of chronic pulmonary diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema that impair air flow to the lungs causing difficulty in breathing. According to (Chen et al., 2013), the World Health Organization has reported approximately 5/100 deaths worldwide due to COPD. Although COPD is a huge issue in public health, still many are unaware of the risk factors, target population it affects and the impact this creates in someones life. There are many ways that people can develop COPD. COPD occurs mostly in current or former smokers. Cigarette smoking and long-term exposures irritates and damage the lungs. â€Å"Cigarette smoke causes progressive destruction of the lung tissue, resulting in irreversible narrowing and scarring of the airways and loss of the alveolar interface where gas exchange takes place.† (Barnes et al., 2011, p. 612) Environmental factors such as air pollution, dust particles, and chemicals are also detrimental to one getting COPD. People who work around chemicals for a long time are at risk to damaging their lungs. The chemicals that are inhaled from the work environment and air pollution causes serious affects to the lungs. Breathing in secondhand smoke also poses a risk because they are around it all the time. People are most likely to develop COPD after being around family members who smoke or have a history of smoking. Another factor is the heredity of alpha one antitrypsin deficiency . An absence of alpha one antitrypsin increases your risk for lung disease. The lungs are protected by this protein and it is produced in the liver. It protects the body from unwanted effects from other proteins that cause harm to different organs of the body (Cox, 2011). Some patients that have asthma are usually categorized under chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. It affects the lungs by narrowing the airways and making it hard for one to breathe and usually have to take maintenance drugs if necessary. Common symptoms that are seen with COPD are chronic cough, increase in sputum production, chest tightness, wheezing, and shortness of breath. People with COPD usually have exacerbations, which is when their condition becomes worst over time. COPD is more common in older age groups and is said to be prevalent in women. People who get COPD are usually 18 years and older. Sometimes individuals are unaware that they have COPD until later in life after it progresses and they start developing symptoms. Studies say that women are twice as likely as men to get COPD. Although COPD affects all ages and mostly older age, the prevalence is high among adults less than 65 years old (Barnes et al., 2011). Due to under diagnosis the amount of people who have COPD may be higher. Many people don’t go to get regular check-ups and don’t have the money to do so, therefore they go a long time without noticing symptoms and end up finding out when it exacerbates. COPD is a chronic progressive disease that affects the pulmonary system creating a huge burden on ones life depending on the severity. Some patients with COPD experience weight loss skeletal muscle dysfunction and it makes it difficult to perform daily living activities as well as physical activities. The disease can cause one to experience shortness of breath with any type of movement. Kulich, Molen, Polkey, Rabinovich, Troosters, Vogiatzis (2013) emphasizes that the lack of physical activity contributes to the progression of the disease and creating poor outcomes. It is marked as reasons for mortality in hospitalized stations for many individuals. When physical activity is increased, it produces better outcomes for the patient. As the disease progresses individuals are frequently hospitalized, thus creating increased debt and healthcare expenditures. According to Chen et al. (2013), the average amount of medical expenses for a COPD patient is estimated at $27,656 per year, which i s four times higher than the average cost for patients without the disease. The individual has to constantly buy medication and it also creates problems at home where it interferes with their economic stability. It causes one to become unstable and unable to pay their bills and incompetent to take care of their selves which then leads them into depression. â€Å"In individuals with COPD, depression is significantly associated with decreased functional status; impair quality of life and disease progression and mortality.† (Das, Negi, Pandey , Raval, Sarkar, 2014 p.403) Due to the clinical depression, patients may not be in compliance with their management programs such as taking their medications, attending smoking cessation programs and pulmonary rehabilitation. By not taking these measures it leads to poor clinical outcomes and patients tend to relapse. COPD Individuals with depression cause higher financial problems for themselves. Das et al (2014) also showed that the occ upational status of a person showed an association with the presence of depression which develop into mood disorders. Not only is there an economic burden and depression, it also triggers other illnesses that will generate further complications (Chen et al., 2013). Some people later get peripheral artery disease, stroke and lung cancer. The impact of COPD can causes people to completely stop working because of the severity and the complications it produces. An understanding of the chronic disease complexity can help improve the quality of life for those individuals living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Recognizing the impact of COPD may help the population to better identify, to get proper treatment and to reduce severity and exacerbations. The population of young, older men and women has to be educated and be made aware of the risk factors and importance of preventing the disease progress for a better and an improvement in life expectancy. References Chen, P., Livneh, H., Lu, M., Sung, F., Tsai, T. (2013). Increase risk and related factors of depression  among patients with COPD: A population-based cohort study. BMC Public Health, 13. doi: 10.11.1186/1471-2458-13-976 Coz, L.A. (2011). A casual model of obstruction pulmonary disease risk. Risk Analysis, 31(1), 38-62. doi:  10.1111/j.1539-6924.2010.01487 Barnes, N., Buist, S., Fishwick, J., Fletcher, M., Hutton, J., Jones, P., Walsh, J. (2011). COPD uncovered:  an international survey on the impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on a working population. BMC Public Health, 11(1). doi: 612.62410.1186/1471-2458-11-612 Das, P., Negi, H., Pandey, K., Raval, A., Sakar, M. (2014). Presence of depression and its risk factors in  patients with chronic obstruction pulmonary disease. The Indian Journal of Medical Research, 139(3), 402-408. Retrieved from http.www.ebcohost.com Kulich, K., Molen, T., Polkey, M., Rabinovich, R., Troosters, T., Vogiatzis, I. (2013). Improving physical  activity in COPD: Towards a new paradigm. Respiratory Research, 14(1),115. doi:10.1186/1465-9921-14-115

The Controversy Over Music Censorship Essay -- Media

The Controversy Over Music Censorship Censorship in music is a very controversial subject in today’s society. What is considered a form of artistic expression to some is also considered vulgar and inappropriate to others. But who ultimately gets to decide what is considered vulgar and what is not? Who decides who hears what in the music industry? The RIAA is responsible for applying the Parental Advisory stamp on every album that is released in the United States. The FCC is responsible for making sure that no vulgarities or controversial comments are aired on radio or television. But why is some content edited and other content not? I will try and explain these questions in our article. What decides whether or not the Parental Advisory stickers get placed on an album? The RIAA follows seven guidelines in applying this important notice. 1) Contemporary cultural morals can not be offended or mocked in any way, shape or form. 2) The context of words can not be used offensively. This includes curse words. 3) The context of the song itself must not be offen...

International Business: Volkswagen Essay

The foundation of Volkswagen dates back to the Third Reich. For the opening of the international automobile show in Berlin 1934, Adolf Hitler demanded the development of a car which should be priced at a maximum price of 1000 Reichsmark and thus remain affordable for the average citizen. This car should be named ‘Car of the people’ (Volkswagen) and offer space for a family of four members. The first model was designed by Ferdinand Porsche in 1934 and in May 1937, the â€Å"Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH† (a company for the preparation of the German Volkswagen Ltd.) was established in Berlin (Volkswagen AG 2013). One year later, the company changed its name into â€Å"Volkswagenwerk Gmbh†: The beginning of today’s popular German car manufacturer. Over the last decades, Volkswagen turned from being the owner of a single production plant in Wolfsburg into Europe’s largest automobile producer and the third largest of the world with a yearly turnover of about â‚ ¬ 192,676 million. The company sells, directs and produces twelve automobile brands all over world. 550,000 employees work together to produce 37,700 cars per day which can be purchased in 153 countries (Volkswagen Company 2013). The following report focuses on the automotive division, excluding the financial services division and other subsidiaries. 1a) The design of a multinational enterprise’s (MNE) strategy is primordially determined by the institutions and the prevailing culture of its home country. Volkswagen’s (VW) economic origin is found in central Germany, a town called Wolfsburg, where one of its largest production sites is still in place. Often described as Europe’s economic engine (Iwulska et. al 2013), Germany possesses a culture favoring individualism and refusing power distance (Hofstede 2013, appendix 1.1.). With a score of 67 on Hofstede’s individualism scale, Germany joins those Northern European countries prioritizing self-actualization, which often leads German workers to pioneer the motto of â€Å"live in order to work†. In this context, the work itself constitutes an important source of self-esteem in the German culture. This mentality strongly ties in with a pronounced masculinity, prioritizing career progression and material rewards as well as approving a sharp differentiation in gender roles (Peng & Meyer, p.75).At the same time, the exchange between the average worker and their supervisor is marked by mutual constructive feedback and participation (Peng & Mayer, p.75), as expressed in low power distance scores. However, one can observe the strong concern for structured situations which describes a core element of the German culture (Vector Study 2012). Typical for a country scoring high on the uncertainty avoidance scale, Germany favors a bank-based financial system where risk reduction portrays a priority (Tadesse et al. 2005, p.4). In contrast, Germany scores particularly low on the long-term orientation scale, as expressed in its great appreciation for respecting traditions as well as establishing the truth (Hofstede 2013, appendix 1.1.). Another determinant of designing a successful strategy displays the global connectedness of the country, namely the degree of information exchange, human resources and trade with other economies of the world. With the second highest overall connectedness index, Germany meets the expectations of one of the world’s largest exporting economies. Such strength in export is promoted by the achieved European Integration (EU) which remains the most globally connected region of the world (Ghemawat 2012). As opposed to the modest sustainable rally of the overall global connectedness index in those years following the financial crisis (Ghemawat 2013), Germany managed to further approach its peak value of 2007 whilst consolidating its economic position in Europe as seen by its presence in Europe’s top 10 countries in all four pillars of the index (Ghemawat et al. 2012, appendix 1.2.). Given Germany’s increased trade with other European countries, its merchandise trade score in the breadth dimension is more inward-oriented. Contrary to this, Germany shows a strong tendency for outward trade flows of both merchandise trade as well as services in the breadth dimension. In this context, Germany’s focus on manufacturing becomes evident with reference to higher scores obtained for both inward and outward merchandise trade than for its equivalents in services. Overall, Germany displays an example of rising depth in its global exchange with other economies whilst continuing to sharpen its global profile as expressed in an increasing score in the breadth dimension. b) Volkswagen can be described as a truly home-region oriented company, given that the largest proportion of sales revenues is created in Europe (table 1). However, it nearly achieved to attain 20% of its sales revenues in another region, namely South America, pointing towards Volkswagen’s objectives of further expanding globally (Volkswagen AG 2013). Region| Europe| North America| Asia-Pacific| South America| Total| Sales revenues(mio)| 28.191| 6.554| 4.392| 7.429| 46.565| Percentage sales(sales revenues/Total sales revenues)| 60.541%| 14.075 %| 9.431%| 15.954 %| 100%| Table 1: Sales revenues by region (Interim Report 2013) 2a) One of VW’s most important ownership advantages at the upstream end portrays its standardization in production practices, namely in terms of MQB and MLB (Taylor 2012). These production systems allow for building different models from using the same components whilst increasing the productive efficiency and reducing the throughput time across all its international business units (Buiga 2012). In this context, the transfer of its standardized production practices across its business units globally is supplemented by VW’s ability to do so â€Å"without the customer noticing† (Taylor 2012). This ability is, however, strongly promoted by its second remarkable ownership advantage at the downstream end, namely VW’s internationally recognized and maintained brand identity. Generally, Volkswagen is perceived by customers as a carmaker offering high both quality and longevity with cars such as the beetle succeeding over decades (Haig 2011). Consequently, its brand identity displays the source of its global competitive advantage, given that consumers associate it with the aforementioned advantages (Taylor 2012), contributing to its continuously increasing brand value (Interbrand 2012). Given its innovations in the light of fostering sustainability and the resulting recognition of being ranked fourth among Interbrand’s Best Global Green Brands, Volkswagen’s brand identity is destined to improve further; most likely to be presented through the continuation of its brand value growth (Interbrand 2012). b) The Uppsala model by Jan Johansen and Jan-Erik suggests â€Å"that internationalization is a dynamic process of learning in which firms take decisions over their next step based on what they know at that time†(Peng & Mayer 2011). Experiencing new markets and cultures reduces the liability of outsidership and influences the firm’s ability to perceive risks and to recognize opportunities. The stage model is similar to the Uppsala model because both models imply that a step-by-step process is necessary to reduce market uncertainty whereby the stage model does not focus on the experimental learning process, but on the increase in degree of commitments. If firms, for example, first make use of licensing, afterwards founding a joint venture and finally owning subsidiaries, then they are able to reduce cultural and institutional distance. After China started to open some of their trade borders to take part of the international trade, VW signed a contract in 1985 to establish a joint venture â€Å"Volkswagen Shanghai Automotive Company Ltd.† was the first joint venture in the Chinese automobile market. With an equal share of 50% for the German and Chinese shareholders, VW is and will not be able to fully own a subsidiary. To ensure the market leader position, VW founded a second joint venture in 1991 whereby the German shareholders only have 40% of the shares (Volkswagen AG 2013). However, in April 2002 the Shanghai-VW joint venture extended the contract until 2030 which shows that VW puts great value on effectively occupying the position of China’s largest foreign car marketer (Feng 2007). VW’s entrance into the Chinese market supports the stage model more than the Uppsala model because the incremental steps are recognizable; founding the first joint venture in Shanghai, then another one in Changc hun and finally extending the contracts. 3a) The automotive industry is known to be one of the most globalized industries due to companies organizing its production in a global value chain (Sturgeon et al. 2008). As Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest automotive companies, its thousands of suppliers are located across the globe. Even though VW’s headquarters are located in Germany, only 26% of their cars were produced in its home country. The company operates with more than 100 foreign affiliates in South America, Eastern and European countries, South Africa and Asia (Chiappini 2011). In most factories, different motor vehicle models are produced, whereas in others, automotive products and components are assembled. Considering the number of factories outside its home region, VW’s degree of offshoring is very high . As the suppliers make a substantial contribution to the company’s success, reliable partnerships need to be present. This leads VW to establish a cooperative relationship with a number of long-term oriented suppliers to increase its focus on the quality of each component. Furthermore, VW’s focus on quality, technology, and innovation, leads it to select its suppliers on cost to quality basis. Additionally, VW selects only the suppliers which implement production-related environmental and social standards according to global minimum standards (Volkswagen AG 2006). b) The advantages of VW’s international sourcing strategies are stable relationships with its suppliers which allow for a high integration in the production processes. By choosing reliable and trustworthy suppliers, VW gains a competitive advantage in ensuring the high quality of assembled components. As the focus lies on the product’s quality, sourced inputs cannot always be purchased at the lowest price. In order to provide all production facilities with the necessary supplies, VW is dependent on a large number of suppliers which increases the risk of deficient components. VW tries to counteract this risk by implementing a selective admission process for its suppliers. Its offshoring strategy enables the company to exploit lower production costs in emerging countries. At the same time, by setting up production facilities in different countries, import restrictions can also be avoided. In order to become the world’s leading car manufacturer by 2018, VW must enhance its collaboration and integration with its suppliers in the long term to strengthen its competitive advantage. 4a) Ghana is currently one of the most favorable emerging markets in West Africa with a GDP growth rate of 14.4 % and a FDI inflow of US$3 billion per year (World Bank 2013). It is one of the most secure countries in terms of corruption and furthermore, the supported change in institutional frameworks by the World Bank and the IMF simplifies business practices (Gyetuah 2009). Moreover, the geographical location offers many opportunities to serve the complete west coast by shipping and to reduce transaction costs. Volkswagen already has plants in South Africa, which recently gained a membership of the BRICs, but the company’s responsiveness to market changes in the northern countries is poor because of the distance. Besides, Ghana offers a unique opportunity set for businesses. It has many natural resources for example cocoa, gold, silver, industrial diamonds, manganese, bauxite, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, timber, salt, limestone and oil (The Central Intelligence Agency 2013). Ghana has become the magnet of many European and especially Chinese companies, particularly in the oil industry which shares ties to the automotive industry. Currently, only Toyota Ltd. has a plant in Ghana and consequently competition is relatively low which facilitates the gathering of a significant market share (List of companies 2013). However, Ghana is weakened by â€Å"the increasing flow of drugs through West African States [that] is beginning to undermine the state, through weakening its institutions, its local communities, and its social fabric† and since the production of oil and gas not only businesses but also terrorism is attracted which create a certain risk for many companies (Aning 2008). Figure 1: Emerging Markets (http://emergingmarkets.ey.com/worldmap/ghana/) b) Volkswagen should focus on the hub in Ghana by founding a majority joint venture with a local company. This strategy lowers the liability of outsidership while accelerating the comprehension of the culture and economy to prevent threats of piracy. Volkswagen can consequently share costs and risks with its local partner, thus limiting the financial risk of investment. Furthermore, a fusion with a local company creates a dynamic network which is vital for the distribution to other countries and is politically preferred. The strategy of a joint venture in an emerging economy is more profitable and secure than in a developed market where formal and informal institutions are important and an inherent part of the legal framework and culture. While entering developed markets is more profitable when taking direct actions, making use of the ownership advantages and critical success factors, entering an emerging mark et stresses cultural sensitivity and caution. 5a) Recently Volkswagen entered the Mexican emerging market by finishing a new plant in January 2013. This was primarily done due to aid their strategic objective to increase sales in the United States. The demand for passenger cars in the US is forecasted to be 7 million units. Moreover, in 2011 the automobile â€Å"production increased by 12.5% to 2.64 million units† and a growth of 8 – 9 % per year are expected until 2016 (Bouman 2012). With the favorable geographic location of Mexico and its 12 FTA with 43 countries, NAFTA Volkswagen has a great opportunity to expand sales (Grant Thornton 2012). Another strategic objective is to strengthen its market position in North America which is an essential component of the Volkswagen Group’s global growth strategy (Volkswagen AG 2013). Apparently, North America has 17,167,000 cars of which 4.9 % are vehicles of Volkswagen (Volkswagen AG 2013). To fulfill its strategic objective with a high cost reduction it was necess ary to enter the Mexican market. b) VW regards FDI as one of its preferred entry modes. With the intention of penetrating both local and neighboring markets, VW has set up manufacturing plants in India aiming at establishing an â€Å"export base to the around regions† (Wen 2007, p. 51) in addition to its recent announcements of increasing the density of its production facilities network in Mexico (FDITracker 2013). Aside from FDI, Volkswagen has entered foreign markets through those modes considered less risky: strategic alliances and joint ventures. Throughout the portfolio of countries in which VW operates, it has formed strategic alliances with firms such as Daewoo Motor Sales Co for marketing purposes in South Korea. Additionally, VW entered several joint ventures and thus achieved the penetration of markets in both developing (e.g. Angola) and developed (e.g. U.S.) economies (Wen 2007, p. 52-53). In this context, the formation of joint ventures displays VW’s prior mode of entry for the Chinese market and could not have been substituted by any other of the aforementioned entry modes. Given the legal obligation by Chinese authorities, VW entered two joint ventures in the 1990’s which have been extended ever since whilst continuously pursuing FDI by investing in both existing and new production facilities (Schrott 2012). In the case of China, these joint ventures displayed not only VW’s single -legally possible- entry mode for one of the world’s largest car markets, but also a source of production resources, as well as both knowledge and network relations for the Chinese automotive market (Schrott 2012). c) As far as VW’s multinational strategy is concerned, one can clearly identify its global approach, characterized by its standardization practices throughout the primary process and the bureaucratic operation that envelops its subsidiaries. Figure 2: VW’s multionational corporate structure (Pà ¶tsch 2011) In this context, VW has recently implemented the standardization of its IT infrastructure across unit and country boundaries, in addition to the cost-efficient MQB (see 2a) production system in place (Microsoft 2012). Such measures clearly indicate the identification of VW’s global standardization strategy given that it holds centers of excellence in each of its sales regions (see figure 2.). Nevertheless, VW still lacks the diffusion of knowledge and innovation across country boundaries and among subsidiaries in the same region, as a result of the centralization of R&D in its home country (Schmid et al.). Consequently, VW does not follow a transnational strategy which would include this aforementioned diffusion, but remains strategically centralized (Mà ¶ller 2005), particularly in considering itself as â€Å"the innovative car maker from Wolfsburg [..]where [its] home lies† (Volkswagen 2013). 6a) As one of the world’s leading automobile manufacturers, VW sets high standards in both, social and environmental concerns and it was therefore not easy to find significant dilemma situations. Nevertheless, in many emerging countries, VW was confronted by the social issue of rising pressure to engage in behavior, which is considered strongly unethical in the Western World (Deutsche Presse Agentur 2005). Figure 3: Worldwide Governance Indicators (http://info.worldbank.org/governance/wgi/mc_chart.asp#) Engaging in corruption and bribery is common in countries with weak control systems and can give firms large advantages. With the high degree of power that comes along with the size of an influential company like VW, it is also harder to keep control over all business entities. Over the last decades, VW had to face several allegations of bribery and corruption. In 2005, information about a bribery scandal in India involving the former HR chief at VW’s Czech unit, Skoda, became public. The firm reacted immediately by submitting the case to court (NDR 2013). Besides, VW also faces the environmental dilemma of increasing sustainability while keeping costs to a minimum. Furthermore, VW is pressured by several environmental organizations, particularly Greenpeace, who accused VW of not making sufficient progress on fuel efficiency. Over the past five years, VW reduced the carbon emissions of its latest models by 13% and introduced a range of new car models with cleaner engine technologies, thereby acting in accordance to the latest criteria (Handelsblatt 2012). In 2013, VW also agreed to reduce the CO2 emission standards of its newly produced cars to an average of 95g/km by 2020 and subsequently finally reached an agreement with Greenpeace. * b) As a large MNE, VW has a number of stakeholders that need to be satisfied. Since its stakeholders are highly interrelated, the firm has to focus on strategic actions that are in accordance with all its stakeholders. * * * Figure 4: Stakeholder Dialogue (Volkswagen 2013) * * Even though the social dilemma of corruption can occur all over the world, it is prevalently perceived in emerging countries. The issue is therefore of global relevance and especially harmful to the company and its employees. Uncovering corruption is of utter importance for VW and in order to satisfy all stakeholders, the firm has implemented a specific system which enables employees and business partners to fight corruption (Volkswagen AG 2013). A globally standardized strategy in this issue is explicitly important since any form of fraud is unacceptable in VW’s home country. Volkswagen is therefore trying to counteract any mode of corruption, as the publication of such affairs involves highly undesirable consequences for the future. * The increased need of sustainable processes and environmental awareness is also a global issue. Even though sustainability does not have the same significance in every culture, VW sets high standards for all the production facilities as well as its suppliers worldwide. By implementing the same norms for all employees, suppliers and other parties involved, VW wants to ensure the same quality and standards that it is known for in its home region. In order to maintain the credibility concerning sustainability and CSR, a globally standardized strategy is highly appropriate. c) Both, VW and Unilever have remarkable similarity in allocating considerable value to social responsibility and sustainability. Unilever’s approach is very similar to that of VW as both companies have similar corporate governance manuals and strongly encourage ethical behavior. While Unilever actively tries to reduce its impact on the environment by trying to halve its carbon footprint by 2020, VW set the goal of reducing the CO2 emission of its new-car fleet by 30% until 2015. Furthermore, both companies sacrifice retained earnings to invest in the improvement of sustainability and social responsibility in order to maintain a good public image. Moral philosophies and environmentally sound behavior are highly prioritized and both firms refrain from behavior that can be considered unethical in the host countries, for instance by implementing strict regulations for their suppliers. Improving corporate social responsibility policies, as well as developing more efficient processes, is favored from the viewpoint of the corporation and the society at large, so both firms’ approaches can be supported. Aning, K 2008, ‘From ‘voluntary’ to a ‘binding’ process: towards the securitisation of small arms’, Journal of Contemporary African Studies, vol. 26, no. 2, pp.169-181 viewed 12 May 2013, . Bouman, S 2012, Mexico: Business opportunities in the automotive industry, draft, 14 August, Agentschap NL, viewed 12 May 2013, . Buiga, Dr A 2012, â€Å"Investigating the Role of MQB Platform in Volkswagen Group’s Strategy and Automobile industryâ€Å", International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences September 2012, vol. 2 no.9, pp.391-398, viewed 2 May 2013, retrieved from . Chiappini, R 2011,

Antigone †Justice Essay

â€Å"Justice is like the kingdom of God; it is not without us as a fact, it is within us as a great yearning. † The notion of justice strongly resonates to what was mentioned in this quote by George Eliot. We all desire to live in a world that is fair and just but it is just beyond human’s aptitude because there are always two sides to every event and there is never complete justice for both. Every individual strive to have justice for various intentions and those in power often exploit the system of justice to mask their wickedness. In this prevailing civilization, there is no doubt that laws are enforced by people at the top of the social hierarchy. People of authority will establish laws that seem to be unbiased and fair in their eyes, believing that this is in the best interest of the country, but in actual fact it is far from that. An example of such a situation is present in the Ancient Greek tragedy, written by Sophocles, â€Å"Antigone†. In the play the decree given out by the new king Creon only served himself as it makes it illegal for Ismene and Antigone to burry and honor the brother, Polynices for the very last time. Creon wanted to have the sense of control over the city of Thebes,thus enforcing the law without contemplating the views of the family members as well as the citizens as it was stated by the chorus saying â€Å"But he that, too rashly daring, walks in sin†. â€Å"I do not defy them; but I cannot act Against the State. I am not strong enough†. Ismene, as much as she wanted to honor the brother, she could not. Creon despite knowing the importance of a formal burial for the Greeks, he chastised Antigone and Ismene for breaking the law. It is hard for leaders to genuinely apprehend the privation of the people them. Thus, laws that are introduced are predominantly to the benefit of those in power. The system of justice allows the majority to create the terms of justice and the ethics of the minorities will usually be treated as less significant, or completely disregarded. This can be seen in many societies with controversial issues. Euthanasia is a good example. The majority in Rusia,United Kingdom and Australia agrees that euthanasia is wrong and laws to punish those who assist others in suicide were instigated . In the case of Terri Schiavo who was a 41-year-old disabled woman in Florida was severely disabled for over 15 years, and been diagnosed as being in a persistent vegetative . Due to the money and status this family had, they were able to carry out euthanasia but there were many cases where people were left to suffer and die naturally because they were underprivileged. Power and money governs the system of the world. Therefore, justice, being a fragment of the system, attends those of influence. In the political realm, authorized professional who are part of the formation of legislations are also those who have the power over the final verdict. The ultimate judgement in a court should be carried out by professionals who are chaste and neutral and not those who are a part of the making of the laws because their mind sets will bound to be influenced and skewed to their own likeness. This was shown in â€Å"Antigone† where the law was essentially created by Creon but he too had the highest power to decide whether Antigone and Ismene was going to punished or to be exonerated. And because Creon was so obsessed with the law that he created he made a very bias move by not looking at this situation from other perspectives but instead said â€Å" Take them, and keep them within- The proper place for women†. If the power of making the final decision was given to other people instead of Creon, Antigone and Ismene’s fate could have been altered. Indeed justice will place those in power as the priority if the people who judge had only one outlook. â€Å"Justice is sweet and musical; but injustice is harsh and discordant†. However, as much as human beings, especially the government aspire to be just and nondiscriminatory, it is impossible, because, justice is never an end to itself. Impartiality and justice is what we hope for but the truth is, nothing can gratify two parties and in most instances, the ones in supremacy will be at the winning end. This is an irrefutable, sad reality that we have no choice but to endure it.

Social Media Essays - Mass Media, Social Media, Facebook, Internet

Social Media Essays - Mass Media, Social Media, Facebook, Internet Social Media Advantages and Disadvantages 6/1/2015 Social media seems to be the main source of every Americans day. A simple run to the local coffee shop can be known by many with a quick update to Facebook. A random thought that may have popped into ones head can be shared in a short 140 characters on twitter, and a picture of a civilian or even a city official doing something not so ethically correct can be posted and liked with two taps of the thumb. Social media is used to stay connected to the community and stay involved with whats going on in the world today. Social media is not just used in the United States, but all over the world. The internet take over can be used for a lot of good, but can also be used for a lot of bad. Although social media is enormously popular and is a good way to keep in touch, it also has a negative side. The advantages of information being easily obtained on social media are someone who is trying to find someone they lost contact with or a parent or child that went through adoption can find their loved one , and jobs can easily check a persons background to make sure they are who they say they are. Some disadvantages of social media are people provide too much of their personal information for everyone to see. Predators can easily find their next victim just by browsing one of the newest social media sites. Freedom of speech will be limited because an employer can see the things their employee likes on Facebook or who they follow on twitter and Instagram, an employee will not be able to maybe voice every like or dislike, or an opinion they may have due to their employer having access to their personal life. The advantages and disadvantages of social media is a bit of a tug-of-war battle. The advantages are people can stay connected to each other from thousands of miles away with just the click of a button or a swipe of the finger. Businesses can keep their customers informed of the things that are new and going on in their company. Entrepreneurs can advertise their businesses as well as well-established businesses can. People can share memories, share videos, and even plan a party and invite everyone on their friends list. The disadvantages are that if not used safely, social media can put people in danger. It can be used to slander someones name and tarnish their figure. Some people hide behind their true identities to meet people online, also called Catfish, and it could end up being extremely dangerous. The internet holds a lot of truth, but gives people a wide platform to hide behind a lot of lies and if one is not too careful, harm can come their way. There are many different ways people use social media. Knowing that the internet can be dangerous will not necessarily stop people from using it in a dangerous way or ignoring obvious signs. Some people will use the information and be cautious when sharing their information on social media and others will not. When parents are informed about how social media works (if they are not using it themselves) they would hopefully start monitoring their childrens social media intake and what they are sharing online. A person may also use the knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of social media to explore the disadvantages. Someones complete identity could be stolen with just one picture and an email. With that being said, knowing the advantages and disadvantages of social media can definitely alter the way a person would use social media. Not everything on social media is true and not everything is false. These social media sites provide people with a large platform to be deceitful and also become someone they arent. Social media is use worldwide and can allow someone to connect with someone else on the their side of the world, for free! But social media, like every other technology, has its negatives that can put someone in harms way in a blink if an eye. References Facebook.com Instagram.com Twitter.com

Paradise Lost †Satan VS God

Paradise Lost – Satan VS God Free Online Research Papers â€Å"The mind itself can make a heaven out of hell, a hell of heaven† (Milton, line? Vs?) In the poem, â€Å"Paradise Lost† Satan was thrown out of heaven for rebelling against God and all that is good. He was the archangel and is the most beautiful and perfect angel, but he was not so perfect because he had flaws. Some of the flaws he had were pride that led to ambition and jealousy that led deception. The flaw that led him to destruction was pride, because since he was the most beautiful angel, he believed he was the greatest in heaven. He questioned why should he serve God, and evidently led a rebellion against God in a chance to overthrow Him. This was a very pathetic thing to do, because God created him and gave him all his beauty. Lucifer fought God in a holy war, lost, and was cast out of heaven and into hell. Since then Lucifer has sworn to do the opposite of God. â€Å"And out of good still to find means of evil† (line 165) this sentence shows how much hatred Lucifer had, towards God after being thrown out of heaven. His first offense towards God wa s to overthrow Him. Since that plan failed, his next plan is to disrupt whatever good God does. This is Satan’s plan opposed to God’s plan to turn everything that Satan does badly into good. Pride is the sin, which drove Satan’s adrenaline. It was his energy drink, and it drove him to Hell; and even while in Hell it took him as far as to accept Hell as his domain, all because he was too proud to say that he was in a bad situation. Satan’s pride was leading him to his destruction, the key letter in pride is I and that is what he was thinking about the whole time. Pride led to Satan’s very poor choices. Satan was just thinking about â€Å"how could I become in charge. How can I overthrow God and rule everything? God does not want to force us to serve him and to love him. He created us and gave us life but left the decision to love and follow Him ultimately up to us. The human flaw as to every creation of God is freedom of will. Since we have free will, we make stupid mistakes in life and because of free will many things are bad in life. God is giving us a choice; it is up to use to make that choice, whether you decide to serve him or not is up each person. When you serve the Lord, you know that you will always be safe. It does not mean that nothing bad will ever happen to you, but you would know that you are safe from going to hell. Life is always full of surprises, and no one can know what is going to happen. One’s mind is the most important part of one’s body. The mind is what makes decisions and choices. In the poem, Satan says, â€Å"the mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.† This states that Satan is so determined to go ag ainst God that he would train his mind and thoughts to think a particular way and see the Hell as a beautiful place. â€Å"Better to rein in Hell than to serve in Heaven† (line 263) this sentence gives us insight on how Satan’s mind is thinking. He is not willing to bow his head to anyone over him. He thinks he knows more than God, and he will not give in, no matter how dire the circumstances. In his mind, he believes that he will be the ruler of hell when in fact he will be suffering just like the other souls there. There will be no ruler and everyone will suffer for eternity. As Satan was in hell, he looks and sees that God was occupied with his latest creation, man. He saw that God had forgotten about him and that he had moved on. He then got the idea that he would infect what God loved most. He came into the Garden of Eden and tempted Eve to sin â€Å"And the serpent said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.† (Genesis 3:4-3:5) By doing so, Eve was going against God; as she did, she brought Adam into sin as well. If God wanted his creation, Satan would give it to him, but in a less than perfect state, and not by lying-just twisting the truth, or â€Å"putting a spin on it† in today’s vernacular. Because Satan tempted Eve to sin, humans must suffer for those sins and only through In the deception of Eve and ultimately the human race, only a perfect sacrifice would make up for man’s flaw, that of Jesus Christ, a perfect human sacrifice, who can free man from his sin God’s creations have freedom of will. We cannot blame others for our mistakes and must take responsibility for our actions. Adam and Eve had the free will not to eat the forbidden fruit and not to listen to Satan, but they let their curiosity get the best of them and committed the sin. Do I have the sin of pride in my own life-sure? Is pride bad? Not in itself. It’s what is done with pride. If it destroys another human being, then I have allowed Satan a foothold into my heart. If that pride leads to ambition which leads to deception, then I have allowed Satan a foothold. According to Milton and the Bible, Satan is the father of all lies which begins with his pride and ambition. If I analyze decisions when I go wrong, usually I don’t want to admit my flaw (pride), or I want to get to the top the easy way even at someone else’s expense (ambition), and I might tell a half truth to get me to that point (deception). Sometimes bad things just happen to good people through poor choices; according to Milton, Satan is at the heart of man’s fall, all of us, and seeing it depicted through the blind poet’s eyes, has opened my own to myself. The way I see things, when something bad happens to me, I think about the situation and try an d see where I did wrong, because if something happens to me, right away I assume that I did something wrong and am paying for that wrong doing. Sometimes it is not that, sometimes bad things just happen because someone else’s sins intervene with your life and mess up your life at the same time fixing theirs. Thus, or so, Satan’s pride was his main character flaw. Pride as an angel thinking he could overthrow God; and pride in himself causing ambition that he could actually take on God and win in this battle for God’s creation. Proverbs 16:18-16:19 â€Å"Pride [goeth] before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better [it is to be] of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.† Satan should have heeded this warning. Resources: genesis.net.au/~bible/kjv/genesis/ divineplan.org/htdbv5/htdb0020.htm Research Papers on Paradise Lost - â€Å"Satan VS God†Mind TravelAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionQuebec and CanadaThe Hockey GameWhere Wild and West MeetPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Hip-Hop is Art

Britains Health Care Service Standards Management Essay

Britains Health Care Service Standards Management Essay According to Baggot Britains health care service standards are believed to be comparatively high in relation to other health care systems. This could be attributed to the recent critiques of healthcare management which has shifted focus onto the efficiency and effectiveness of operating systems (Baggot, 2004). With emphasis on public interest, health care provides a direct link with my proposed project. However, due to the broad nature and vast scope of sub units outside of the body image research area, analysis of the health sector as a whole would be unfeasible. Divulging further into the health industry, strategic focus has shifted onto support networks offered by the health profession. By tapering down areas of possible investigation, Beat, the UKs leading eating disorder charity has stood out as a specific organisation worth exploring. As with the public sector, strategy within the not-for-profit sector of business is complex as objectives tend to be a lot vaguer than ultimatel y adding shareholder value (Lynch, 2012). Funds are primarily derived from a selection of public contributions and commercial business backing so competition to obtain capital within this sector is fierce (Lynch, 2012). Differing from public and private sectors, fund raising expertise and human resourced based strategies are core resources for not-for-profit organizations and require vigilant analysis in order to identify the organisations strongest competencies (Lynch, 2012). Beat, formally known as the Eating Disorder Association, provides a network of support within the UK to assist people in ‘beating’ their eating disorder (Beat, 2010). The 2011- 2012 annual review reported that Beat directly helped over 10,000 individuals across the UK in that single year and they logged 1,871,423 visits to their website (Outram and Ringwood, 2012). Strategy Theorists have produced an array of varying strategy definitions; Johnson, Scholes and Whittington (2010) state that, strateg y encompasses â€Å"the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term, which achieves advantage in a changing environment†. Strategy is concerned primarily with two factors; organisations internal resources and its external environment and ultimately the linkage of these to optimise positioning. Largely, strategy utilises the future vision of the organisation, its sustainability and its growth opportunities (Carter, 2012). A key challenge in strategic implementation is how to create value and continue to do so in an incessantly developing industry states Carter (2012). He adds that for survival, as a necessity, a firm must add value to its inputs, whether through marketing processes or operational processes. This holistic view of the organisation assists in the development of distinctiveness through the establishment of a competitive advantage (Carter, 2012). This report will execute both an internal and external analysis of the charity, Beat; in terms of its posi tioning to provide reinforcement for possible strategic growth opportunities. Internal analysis Beat challenge â€Å"the stereotypes and stigma that people with eating disorders face† (Beat, 2010). The charity plays a vital role in media proceedings with the belief that the media is at risk of harming vulnerable people (Beat, 2010). Predictably, this shows that my research topic, of whether the media does influence perceptions on body image will be beneficial to Beat in providing possible clarity (Beat, 2010).

Pre- and post- operative assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Pre- and post- operative assessment - Essay Example Health care needs in US communities are increasing, as is the demand for quality, cost-effective health care. (Barnett, 2005). Nursing personnel are more and more associated with helping the patients and medical practitioners now, and they have a crucial role to play in disease management and intervention. Laparotomy is a diagnostic procedure used to assess disease in the abdomen. One of the more frequent reasons for a laparotomy is to determine the extent cancer has spread. It is also used for acute situations in which the cause of the problem is unknown but the location is within the abdomen. Examples include perforated bowel, ectopic (outside the womb) pregnancy , endometriosis , appendicitis , bleeding, and inflammation of the pancreas. If the diagnosis made that laparotomy is amenable to further surgery, it is often done immediately. (Brigham and Women's Hospital 2006). Pre-operative assessment aims to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with surgery, prevent unnecessary cancellations, and minimize hospital stay. It benefits the nursing personnel as well as health practitioners to identify potential problems and develop a plan to prepare patients to a pre-surgical level of functioning to eliminate further surgical complications. It is a "very effective method for eliminating costly and unnecessary 'screening' investigations (Thomas, 2006). In the instant case, the i... (Brigham and Women's Hospital 2006). Pre-operative assessment aims to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with surgery, prevent unnecessary cancellations, and minimize hospital stay. It benefits the nursing personnel as well as health practitioners to identify potential problems and develop a plan to prepare patients to a pre-surgical level of functioning to eliminate further surgical complications. It is a "very effective method for eliminating costly and unnecessary 'screening' investigations (Thomas, 2006). In the instant case, the issues that need to be discussed at the pre-operative stage would be with regard to any special pre-operative program needed for Mrs. Maxshall and the estimated time for surgery, and time for recovery and convalescence. Since the patient is suffering from Osteoarthritis and remained a continuous smoker, performance of the lungs and heart needs to be monitored very closely. The aspect of anemia also requires to be taken into consideration. The advantages of utilizing the pre-admission clinic should be in terms of lower hospital stay and a better preparation, planning, and management of the surgery. The pre-admission also takes care of necessary tests and investigations for management of the operation. This also ensures that there is no delay for surgery upon admission, since it often happens that disadvantaged patients my get long date for surgery. Disadvantages of pre-admission clinic would be attributed to delay in diagnosis and initiating clinical/surgical procedures. If the patient develops abnormal symptoms after the investigations are carried out, but before being sent to the operating theater, the hospital stay also will be prolonged. In this case history the patient

Strategic Marketing Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

Strategic Marketing Management - Essay Example marketing plan for the year 2008-09. â€Å"Strategic marketing management refers to the method of selling the products directly to the customers bypassing the retailers and distributors.† (Retrieved in http://dictionary.bnet.com/definition/strategic+marketing.html) In simple words, the main objective of the strategic management is to develop such marketing plans that could win the applause from the genuine buyers, customers, consumers and end users. Red Hat Inc. has recently launched the innovative software including iPhone 3 G, iPode and Apple TV as its new products. Its marketing management departments aims to present these products at international level by developing the comprehensive strategic scheme in order to make the product as an unconditional success. Though, almost all the software introduced by the Red Hat Inc. immediately captured the attention of the global markets, yet it also had to bear the brunt of failures because of launching some products without making strategic analysis. In addition, inclusion of thousands of companies with their computer merchandise and mobile phone accessories has created a situation of perfect competition everywhere; it is therefore, the Apple Inc. looks for designing a master plan of marketing the newly designed products. The Chief Information Officer (CIO) is ambitious to run the affairs of the company in the same lines, as it has been being conducted by the most elevated organizati ons like Microsoft Corporation, Virgin Atlantic, Honda Car and other corporations of highest ranking. Even being a grand brand, the Apple products are not welcomed like hot cakes still in many parts of Asia, Australia and Africa, which is a sign of failure for the CIO. â€Å"The analyst firm is predicting global IT market growth for 2008 at 5.5% to 6%, down from 6.9% this year. The market intelligence group released â€Å"IDC Predictions 2008: The

The managerment of breathlessness in patients with COPD Essay

The managerment of breathlessness in patients with COPD - Essay Example The crux of treatment of COPD is management of breathlessness which will be elaborated in this assignment. COPD is defined as "a disease state characterized by the presence of airflow obstruction due to chronic bronchitis or emphysema" (Sharma, 2006). Clinically, chronic bronchitis is defined as the presence of chronic cough with no other etiology and which is productive for at least 3 months during each of the two consecutive years. Emphysema is damage of the air spaces distal to the terminal bronchioles, the damage being irreversible, abnormal and associated with destruction of the air space walls with no obvious fibrosis (Fromer and Cooper, 2008). The global prevalence of COPD is about 7.5% of which 6.4% is due to chronic bronchitis and only 1.8% due to emphysema (Sharma, 2006). In adults above 40 years of age, the prevalence is estimated to be about 9-10% (Sharma, 2006). Men are most commonly affected by this disease. However, the incidence in women is increasing due to increased smoking (Sharma, 2006). COPD is associated with certain mortality and morbidity. The mortality rates in the world vary quite a lot and can be anywhere between 100- 400 deaths per 100,000 males (Sharma, 2006). The most common cause of COPD is cigarette smoking (Silvermann and Speizer, 1996). This condition affects about 15% of cigarette smokers (NICE, 2004). Other risk factors for the development of COPD are air pollution especially due to solid cooking fuels, presence of airway hyperresponsiveness (Sharma, 2006). The characteristic pathophysiological changes in COPD are seen in the central airways, the peripheral airways and also the lung parenchyma. Diverse mechanisms are implicated in the pathophysiology of COPD (Thurlbeck, 1990). Primary offenders like oxidative stress due to free radicals from cigarette smoke and oxidants from phagocytes and polymorphonuclear leukocytes trigger the release of

Make Good CV Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Make Good CV - Essay Example To work in an organization where I will be more of an asset, while developing my career in management, and utilizing my experience in organizing people and coordinating organizational processes to completion The main activity included coordinating various departments in order to ensure that all worked in line with the strategic plan. It also included scheduling of hot tapping/ cold tapping activities between Aramco and contractor as well as management of all piping related activities from piping fabrication, installation and pipe stringing and hydro testing. Planning and coordinating the installation and erection of pipe racks, scraper launchers and receiver including all, associated piping works. It also involved coordinating the Installation of the scrapers for both launcher and receiver including its accessories and appurtenances Overseeing the installation of the flow lines coming from well head to headers lines (drain line header, test line header and production line headers for both Arab C oil and Arab D oil) including MOV’S

Company law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Company law - Essay Example ision in good faith and for meaningful purpose Transaction with other company should not reflect personal gains To inform other members of the board concerning the transaction to seek their confidence. Decision should be rational and in the best interest of the company. The above requirements are to be fulfilled by the directors in order to satisfy the statutory duty of care and due diligence6. Business judgment In accordance with the section 134 of the Corporations Act, the upper and the bottom layers of the management should respect the provisions of the Corporations Act and the constitution of the company. The company in its own discretion can have one or more replaceable rules contained in the Corporations Act in place of Constitution. In accordance with Section 140(1) (b) of the constitution and replaceable rules have the direct bearing on a Contract that executes between the company, each director and secretary. Under the mentioned scenario each one agrees to abide by the const itution and the rules in vogue7. Here we can take example of Turquand’s case, according to which, an agent belonging to the company can make a contract without any authority, which is not in knowledge of the outsider. A rule is settled that ensures the protection of outsiders until and unless the security of company is not at stake8. Another case Crabtree-Vickers Pty Ltd v Australian Direct Mail Advertising Co Pty Ltd can be taken as an example to show that a person who lacks actual authority cannot be entered into a contract on behalf of the company and prior approval is required for entering into a contract by some person having actual authority not apparent one9. Sixty-Fourth Throne Pty Ltd v Macquarie Bank Limited [1998] 3 VR 133 is another example where Kandy used authority of... The Corporations Act is an important legislation passed by the legislators that governs the companies in Australia. It deals with the issues of formation and operation of companies in line with the constitution of the company; determine responsibilities of officers, process of acquisitions, mergers and fundraising.Directors should not deploy themselves in a critical position where they are unable to serve in the best interest of the organization. This inclusive of entering into commercial transactions with other entities where one cannot take decisive part in making a decision for the company. With regard to protect the rights of shareholders in case of oppressive changes in the Constitution by the Board of Directors, we may invoke the provision of section 994 of the Companies Act. According to which â€Å"A member of a company may apply to the court for an order on the ground that the company's affairs are being run or have been conducted in a manner that is unfairly prejudicial to the interests of its members generally or of some part of its members† .The mentioned section in fact protects the interest of the minority shareholders in circumstances where the majority shareholders act in a way which is detrimental to the interests of minority shareholders. Moreover, in view the effective role of the Central Bank of Malaysia and the Security Commission of Malaysia, the chances of jeopardizing the interest of shareholders are diminished.

A Marketing Plan for Successful Market Entry Essay - 2

A Marketing Plan for Successful Market Entry - Essay Example Since demand for beauty soaps has augmented in the global context and LUX enjoys high reputation in producing beauty soaps, the essay will give evidences to stress on the fact that most competitive strategy of the firm is to launch a new anti-acne whitening soap in the existing markets. LUX is a company that has primarily engaged in production of beauty soaps since its inception in 1899. Though the company operates in almost all nations of the world, yet from its marketing audit, it is found that products of the company are at the declining stage of product life cycle. So, if the company desires to succeed in the long run, it must introduce appropriate marketing strategies in business. With the help of an appropriate marketing plan, the company would gain a clear idea about key marketing elements to be considered in its business and hence, be able to focus on desired business progressive objectives. The current report focuses on a marketing plan for the company. This plan would allow the company to frame productive strategies by virtue of which it would be able to successfully launch products in new markets and also improve quality of products in the existing markets. The marketing plan of the company would be a broader perspective than it simple business plan. Mor eover, this will also help the firm to comprehend problems associated with its existing marketing mix strategies. At this juncture, where giant multinational companies like, ITC and Palmolive, are competing with LUX on the global forum, role of a marketing plan for the company is indispensable. With the help of a marketing plan, LUX in the long run would become a profitable member in the business world. The aggregate revenues and brand awareness of the company would eventually increase. With the help of the plan, LUX would be able to effectively achieve its business

Company law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Company law - Essay Example ision in good faith and for meaningful purpose Transaction with other company should not reflect personal gains To inform other members of the board concerning the transaction to seek their confidence. Decision should be rational and in the best interest of the company. The above requirements are to be fulfilled by the directors in order to satisfy the statutory duty of care and due diligence6. Business judgment In accordance with the section 134 of the Corporations Act, the upper and the bottom layers of the management should respect the provisions of the Corporations Act and the constitution of the company. The company in its own discretion can have one or more replaceable rules contained in the Corporations Act in place of Constitution. In accordance with Section 140(1) (b) of the constitution and replaceable rules have the direct bearing on a Contract that executes between the company, each director and secretary. Under the mentioned scenario each one agrees to abide by the const itution and the rules in vogue7. Here we can take example of Turquand’s case, according to which, an agent belonging to the company can make a contract without any authority, which is not in knowledge of the outsider. A rule is settled that ensures the protection of outsiders until and unless the security of company is not at stake8. Another case Crabtree-Vickers Pty Ltd v Australian Direct Mail Advertising Co Pty Ltd can be taken as an example to show that a person who lacks actual authority cannot be entered into a contract on behalf of the company and prior approval is required for entering into a contract by some person having actual authority not apparent one9. Sixty-Fourth Throne Pty Ltd v Macquarie Bank Limited [1998] 3 VR 133 is another example where Kandy used authority of... The Corporations Act is an important legislation passed by the legislators that governs the companies in Australia. It deals with the issues of formation and operation of companies in line with the constitution of the company; determine responsibilities of officers, process of acquisitions, mergers and fundraising.Directors should not deploy themselves in a critical position where they are unable to serve in the best interest of the organization. This inclusive of entering into commercial transactions with other entities where one cannot take decisive part in making a decision for the company. With regard to protect the rights of shareholders in case of oppressive changes in the Constitution by the Board of Directors, we may invoke the provision of section 994 of the Companies Act. According to which â€Å"A member of a company may apply to the court for an order on the ground that the company's affairs are being run or have been conducted in a manner that is unfairly prejudicial to the interests of its members generally or of some part of its members† .The mentioned section in fact protects the interest of the minority shareholders in circumstances where the majority shareholders act in a way which is detrimental to the interests of minority shareholders. Moreover, in view the effective role of the Central Bank of Malaysia and the Security Commission of Malaysia, the chances of jeopardizing the interest of shareholders are diminished.

General Description of the Community Essay Example for Free

General Description of the Community Essay Target area being assessed by the author is hospice service in Sioux Falls and surrounding areas provided by Avera Mckennan. Hospice care is end-of-life care provided by health professionals and volunteers Hospice care provides medical services, emotional support, and spiritual resources for people who are in the last stages of terminal illness. Although most hospice patients are cancer patients, hospice accepts anyone regardless of age and type of disease. The goal of hospice treatment is to keep patient comfortable and improve quality of life. Hospice care tries to manage symptoms so that patients last days may be spent with dignity, surrounded by his/her loved ones. Hospice care is family-centered: the patient and family are both included in the care plan and emotional, spiritual and practical support is provided depending on the patients wishes and families needs. Hospice is not so much a place, as it is a philosophy of care with a family-centered approach that considers the patient and family to be the unit of care (Lattanzi-Licht et al. , 1998). Avera Mckennan Hospice Services are the main focus of author. Avera McKennans Home Hospice and Palliative Care program office is located in the Dougherty Hospice House. Through this program, they provide hospice services in a variety environments: hospice care in the home setting, hospice care in an assisted living facility, hospice care in a skilled nursing facility and also, in Dougherty Hospice House. The Dougherty Hospice House is a unique sixteen bed hospice facility located on the Prince of Peace campus. This place provides a home like setting with specious rooms for patient and sleeping accommodations for family members. It also has a meditation room, wireless internet, beautiful meditative garden, large dining and family room for families to gather, and library. Dougherty Hospice House and its surrounding property are tobacco free environments. About 80% of all hospice care is provided in private homes, nursing homes, independent and assisted living facilities (Caffrey, C. et al. , 2011). If hospice care provided in patients home, a family member will look after their loved one much of the time. Someone form hospice team will usually visit patient once or twice a week assessing a patient and addressing current health issues. Avera McKennan Hospice team consist of 25 people including nurses, social workers, spiritual advisors/chaplains, nursing assistants, trained volunteers, pharmacist and medical director. In case of emergency home hospice patient can call the 24-hour hospice number for advice. A nurse usually can come to patients house at any time of the day or night or give an advise over the phone. Based on the patients circumstances and stage of care, a hospice interdisciplinary team (IDT) may provide variety of services. Registered nurses assist patient with management of discomfort, pain and side effects of previous treatment ( nausea from chemotherapy). Also nurses help educate both patient and family about what is happening. The nurse is a link connecting patient, family and physician. Home health aids provide extra support for personal care such as bathing, shaving, dressing and eating. Trained hospice volunteers offer assistance with everyday tasks such as shopping, babysitting, and carpooling. They are being available to listen to the patients and families and offer compassionate support. Primary doctor approves plan of care for hospice patient and works with hospice team. A hospice medical director who has expertise in symptom management and end-of-life care is available to the attending physician, patient and family, and hospice team as a great resource and consultant. Chaplains, priests, or other spiritual counselors help patient and family explore the meaning of the death, and perform religious ceremony specific to the patient. Respite care can be provided by inpatient hospice to give family a break from stress of care giving in up to 5-day periods. This service recognizes the need for caregivers to have time away from caretaking roles (Ingleton, Payne, Nolan, Carey, 2003;Lattanzi-Licht e. l. , 1998). Terms such as caregiver burden (Chwalisz Kisler, 1995), caretaker role fatigue, spousal burnout, and role engulfment refer to an imbalance between the physical and mental resources needed to give care and those available within the family unit (Reese Sontag, 2001). Regularly scheduled family conferences most often led by the hospice nurse or social worker allow patient and family members share feelings, talk about what to expect, what is needed, and learn about process of dying. The interdisciplinary team coordinates Avera McKennan Hospice services and supervises al care 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. The team is making sure that current information is shared among all the services involved in patients care. Official Community Government (form of government). For-profit and nonprofit hospices have the same regulations. They must comply with State low and Code of Federal Regulations governing hospice care. For-profit hospices grow more than six times faster than nonprofit hospices. Profit sometimes risks compromising the quality of care patients receive. Nonprofit hospices provide hospice services to anyone including persons who do not have health insurance coverage and cannot afford to pay for care. In this case, nonprofit hospice can provide services to person free of charge as part of its charitable mission because nonprofit status of the hospice requires it to offer charitable services and they are dedicated to the mission of caring those in need. Main purpose of for-profit hospices is to make money and pay dividends to their stockholders. They have no obligation to provide services to anyone who does not have Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance coverage. However, both type of hospices are trying to make money, but when they compete for patients, they must provide better care. Averas Home hospice services are covered 100% under Medicare and some Medicaid plans, but inpatient care at the Dougherty Hospice House involve some financial expense. Social workers offer patients and their families help with payment options and never turn away a patient for inability to pay for the service. Medicare is the primary payer for hospice services covering 77% of all hospice expenses. The rest is paid for by Medicaid (4%), private insurance (12%) or other sources (7%). Compare to hospital and skilled nursing facilities, hospice is considered a cost-effective service. Hospice charges per day are much lower than hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. Hospice care is covered in full by most insurance. Medicare and Medicaid provide a special Hospice Benefit. This benefit provides 100% coverage for visit by staff, medications related to the hospice illness, durable medical equipment in the home, and supplies for skin care, incontinence management, dressings, etc. Hospice care covered under Medicare includes both inpatient care when needed, and home care services. The focus of hospice is on care, emphasizing help the person to make the most of each day by providing comfort and pain relief. Most private insurance companies include hospice care as a benefit. Patient and family can hire hospice providers and pay for their services out of pocket. If patient has a limited financial resources, non-profit hospices provide services without charge as part of charitable mission. Any patient who enters hospice must be evaluated at the time of admission to the hospice program. Hospice dietitians assist the patient in reaching the best nutritional goals, depending on the current state of the patient’s condition. Common problems for hospice patients are nausea and vomiting. These can be controlled with anti-emetics in some cases, while for some patient s change of diet is sufficient. Educating patient and family about the changes occurring in the patient’s body is imperative. During the course of illness, patient experience changes to some extend in their food intake. It is common for the hospital patient to reduce oral intake of food and fluids as the disease progresses. In general, there is metabolism alterations occur in patient’s body with a terminal illness. Furthermore, there comes a time when the body begins to break cells down instead of building them up. At this point, the body is no longer takes nutrients in. Sometimes patients are forced to take food by family members; in this case the body may refuse through vomiting or diarrhea. A hospice dietitian will explain when this point is reached. However, addressing to stop oral intake before this point is reached is not appropriate. Ongoing assessment of hospice patient nutritional needs will help to determine if there is any appetite change or ability to take the food in and keep it. Based on a study of the non-hospice end-of-life experience of 3,357 seriously ill patients who died reported 40% were in severe pain prior to their death, and 25% experienced moderate to great anxiety of depression before they died (Lynn, 1997). However, hospice is a compassionate way to deliver health care and supportive services. Despite the low South Dakota’s death rate compare the national death rate, the two leading causes of death are heart disease and cancer, accounted for half of South Dakota deaths. Healthy lifestyle changes are critical in reducing deaths due to cancer and heart disease. These modifications can be accomplished by reducing tobacco use, increasing physical activity, and developing healthy eating habits. Minorities in South Dakota include African American, Asian, and Hispanic populations. In general, language barriers, transportation, finances, and lack of insurance were found to be the issues encountered by minorities in seeking adequate health care. Furthermore, end of life care is not reach minority population and remains as a national issue. The majority of hospice patient care is provided in the place patient calls â€Å"home†. In addition to private residences, this includes nursing homes and assisted living facilities. As the health care becomes better, the population lives longer. Nursing home patients benefit from hospice services as much as people living in their homes. According to studies, nursing home residents enrolled in hospice were less likely to be hospitalized in the final 30 days of their life (24% vs. 44%) (Miller, 2001). They were more likely to be assessed for pain, were twice as likely to receive pain management within clinical guidelines (Miller, 2004). Large percentage of elderly people receives home hospice service. Many homes need some modifications for the hospice services to be provided. For example, a bedroom may need to be relocated to a main level of the house for those who have difficulties claiming stairs. There is widening of the hallways may be required to accommodate a wheelchair access. Because of the growing number of people who wish to stay and receive care at home, general contractors are available to assess remodeling needs. A number of programs and sources provide reduced rates, loans, or free services with home modifications.

An Environmental Analysis Of Yongin Farmland In Korea Tourism Essay

An Environmental Analysis Of Yongin Farmland In Korea Tourism Essay Yongin Farmland, opened in 1976, was the first amusement park in Korea, managed by Joong-Ang Company, subsidiaries of Samsung. The 3700-acre attraction began as an agricultural center to demonstrate how mountainous land could be used productively for growing food product. Yongin Farmland opened a Motor-Park in late 1993 but loss in the first year. Samsung want to improve the customer satisfaction level at Farmland, and develop the plans for Farmlands expansion. Question: Should Samsung invest in such an aggressive expansion plan for Farmland? Is the theme park industry was an attractive industry for investment? We will start this discussion to analyze the theme park industry using Porters 5 Forces : Internal Rivalry: Since globalization, and also theme park visitors also come from other country, foreign Theme Park has also be the competitor for Farmland. There are so many big player in the world, North America with Walt Disney company is the largest (revenue in 1988 grew from $2.042 B to $3.4 B. There are also Time Warners Six Flags, Paramount. Europe has Alton Towers UK, Walt Disney, Parc Asterix and Big Bang Schtroumpf in Franc. Walt Disney segment: there signs of declining profitability in the U.S. operations, since the market was maturing and the competition was getting more intense. But Tokyo Disneyland, the Japanese operation, was growing and profitable. Asia: Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea, Ocean Park in Hongkong, Jaya Ancol Dreamland with Dunia Fantasi in Jakarta. China has Beijing Amusement park, with 2,000 per cent increasing revebue between 1990 and 1993. Korea: Lotte World, started in 1989, the worlds largest indoor theme park with adjoining hotel, dept store, shopping mall, folk village and sport centre. Seoul Land, located near Seoul at Kyungkido, ranked 23rd in the Top 50 theme parks worldwide A number of theme park were investing heavily in upgrading facilities and extending theme parks services. Periodically added new attractions or renovated existing ones to draw repeat customers. Leading theme park companies, such as Walt Disney Company, charged huge licensing fees. They were very selective in choosing joint ventures in other country. In this industry, its difficult to differentiation, other can copy. The competition is high intense. Threat from internal rivalry is HIGH. Entry: Theme park industry required a large-scale investment; usually required over 50 acres of land and cost could be very high, $50 M up to $3 B (this take 50 % of investment). Its also need amusement machinery (20-30 per cent of investment) and working capital requirements took the rest. Periodically need addition new attractions or renovated existing ones to draw repeat customers Æ’Â   more investment. This industry need economic of scale of higher profit. This industry has a high exit cost since high investment. Need high level of special knowledge. Government regulations were quite strict because of the extensive land use, and the potential for serious accident. A typical period required for arranging government for a theme park could be as high as two to five years (depending on the country) We can say, the entry barrier is quite high, so the threat from new entrance is quite low. Buyer The buyers are families, young adults, corporate groups and tourists. Tour operators and government tourist promotion boards also a buyer. Most of them only come to theme park in the particular season. Customer satisfaction is their need to attract a repetition, but there are so many players, and the buyer is very easy to switch. No need cost to switch to other theme park, the customer always need a new experience. Threat from buyer is HIGH. Supplier Power There were fewer than 10 suppliers who were capable of developing quality machinery, such as DOGO of Japan, HUSS of Germany, and ARROW of the US. They are worked globally; the industry can ask a custom designed. There were a large number of suppliers for the smaller machines, could be manufactured domestically. Sega Japan and Simex Canada is for special stimulators for amusement. Those suppliers are competing each other, can manufactured domestically and its a advantage for industry, so threat from Supplier is LOW. There is exception for software; sometimes, software in the industry was not easily available. In this case, Farmland will go it alone. Substitutes and Complements Consumer can substitute a visit to theme park with other modes of entertainment, something new, different, cheaper, or more convenient such as free admission parks and beaches, camping trips, video movies at home. No switching cost. Threat from substitute is medium to high, since actually the substitute is not in the same comparative with theme park industry. P.E.S.T.E.D Politic Government regulations were quite strict because of the extensive land use, and the potential for serious accident. Economic Booming Korean economy Social: Increasing demands for leisure attractions. Customer satisfaction was a critical issue Æ’Â   to draw repeat customers Technology Special stimulators for amusement purpose using proprietary technology. Software, need a high licensing fees. Virtual Reality (VR) was increasingly becoming a highly lucrative mas-market entertainment phenomenon. Environment Demography The traditional appeals are preteens, teens, and young adults. But changing demographics push to think in term of broader market, particularly families, corporate groups and senior citizens. There 5 major markets: Local family, mostly on weekend Childrens group (school, churches, scout), summer weekdays The evening market, teens and young adults, comes from concert and romancing at night Corporate Group Tourists SWOT Analysis + Internal Strength Farmland had the highest growth rate within Korean industry SAMSUNG image is a big company. Master plan includes some new park and new facilities, will continue with luxury hotels, golf courses, will give a high class resort. Mountain resort gives a fresh connotation. Weaknesses Farmland is 60 km from Seoul, during peak hours, it took as long as 2 hours to drive Farmland have more or less enough parking for the time being, but if we are going to expand, this will be a major bottleneck our customer satisfaction levels were lagging behind the key competitor, Lotte World External Opportunities The government has plans to bring the subway up to Yongin, Farmland would have a subway terminal Æ’Â   a lot of convenience to our customer Since we will build some new infrastructure, like a water park, we can invest on the newest amusement technology that can be a new challenge to the customer. Threats Walt Disney Corp. were not interested for joint venture with in Korea. Farmland had to go it alone to provide software for theme park Korean nature, work 5 Â ½ days a week, working days the travel time is long. They will not be so keen to travel on a Sunday or on holiday if the traffic is heavy. Expanding Farmland will take over more of the land mass available in the Yongin valley. Potential flooding. STRATEGY YES, Samsung invest in such an aggressive expansion plan for Farmland. We need to do many things in our strategy in order to make this as a profitable industry. According to expanding Farmland, we have to consider how we compensate the people around there since potential flooding in the surrounding region. If there is not compensation, there will be a potential threat to our company. Accessibility of the park location is a key success factor in theme park industry, so we need to make a good relationship with government according to government plan to bring the subway up to Yongin. About pricing, we will switch to Pay-one-price scheme. We have to increase our customer satisfaction levels. We also need to change the Farmland name with other name to provide a better image of the company that can attract people with something different experience. Once they come to theme park, we will provide a high quality experience to draw repeat customers. Repeat business is very important to our survival. If we dont satisfy our customers, they will not come back and we will not have any business left. We have to create something that can be our distinctive. With our master plan, Farmland will be the South Koreas largest theme park. With new investment, we can invest on the newest amusement machinery technology that can be a new challenge to the customer. We need to build a corporate image, to make Farmland as a world class resort complex. We will build our head office located where our products are, not manage Farmland by remote control. About recruitment, we need more service oriented people, more female workers, even we will face a high turnover, it will good since fresh blood always brings in fresh ideas so we would able to preserve some dynamism in our organization. What we want to build is a destination resort town and residential community where people can come, relax and enjoy themselves in a low-stress environment. For 180,00 Samsung employee, this will give a place to come and be proud of. This can bring a good spirit to all Samsung employee.

Huanting Of Hill House Essay example -- essays research papers

THE HAUNTING ON HILL HOUSE Eleanor Vance has always been a loner shy, defenseless, and angrily resentful of the 11 years she lost while nursing her dying mother. She had spent so long alone, with no one to love, never had a real home and without any happiness in her life. Eleanor has always sensed that one day something big would happen, and one day it does. She receives an unusual invitation from Dr. John Montague, a man fascinated by "supernatural manifestations." He had been looking for a haunted house all his life. Then He heard about Hill House and he knows that he couldn’t let it go. His intentions with Hill House, was to go there, live there for a while and take notes of everything that occurs within the house, kind of like ghost hunting. So he rents Hill House for three months, organizes a ghost watch, inviting three people who have been touched by unearthly events. A psychic event from Eleanor's childhood makes her qualify to be a part of Montague's unusual study, along with stub born Theodora who was the not thing like Eleanor, and Luke who is the nephew of the owner of Hill House. The reason for him being there is because the family lawyer told Dr. Montague that he couldn’t rent the house without the confining presence of a member of the family during his stay. They all meet at Hill House an estate in New England. This is where i...

Essay on Kinship in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Search for Kinship in Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At the heart of James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man lies Stephen Dedalus, a sensitive young man concerned with discovering his purpose in life. Convinced that his lack of kinship or community with others is a shortcoming that he must correct, Stephen, who is modeled after Joyce, endeavors to fully realize himself by attempting to create a forced kinship with others. He tries many methods in hopes of achieving this sense of belonging, including the visiting of prostitutes and nearly joining the clergy. However, it is not until Stephen realizes, as Joyce did, that his true calling is that of the artist that he becomes free of his unrelenting, self-imposed pressure to force connections with others and embraces the fact that he, as an artist, is fully realized only when he is alone. Stephen is painfully aware of his difficulty relating to others early on— the other boys at his first school mock him about his name and his family; his body feels "small and weak" amongst the other boys’ on the football field; he is pushed into a ditch. (Joyce, 246) Frequently, Stephen appears to mentally separate from himself and observe himself from outside Earth’s confines; he writes a progression of "himself and where he was" that reads "Stephen Dedalus†¦Class of Elements†¦Clongowes Wood College†¦Sallins†¦County Kildare†¦Ireland†¦Europe†¦The World†¦The Universe". (Joyce, 255) Though Stephen demonstrates by this list that he is all too aware of his own self and his technical place in the universe, his need to solidify this awareness to himself reveals his uncertainties about how he relates to his surroundings. "With a sudden movement she bowed his head... ...dom and power of his soul, as the great artificer whose name he bore, a living thing, new and soaring and beautiful, impalpable, imperishable". (Joyce, 433) Stephen is now fully able to create from within himself, without being dependent on others to feel whole. This is accentuated by Joyce’s description of the beach scene— "He was alone. He was unheeded, happy and near to the wild heart of life". (Joyce, 433) Stephen the artist is alone and needs to be alone, not to search in vein for companionship that, even if attained, could only drag him from his newfound freedom. This realization of self-fulfillment and self-control is the single defining point in Stephen’s education; it is the brushstroke that completes the "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man." Works Cited: Joyce, James. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. New York: New American Library, 1991.

Josephine Baker: Racial Refugee Comes Home

One hundred years ago a star was born, but its light, like that of real stars, took many years to reach us. Josephine Baker, dancer, actress and singer, shone on the stages of France long before she was accepted here in her native country. Having escaped from the poverty of her early childhood, Baker became a legendary performer in France only to be dismissed by American audiences of the 30s. Her story, fortunately, does not end there, as the changing social climate led to Baker’s eventual return and her efforts in the civil rights movement.Though it took decades, the â€Å"Black Venus† finally claimed her place in the history of American entertainers. Baker’s early family life was a world away from the life of glamour she was to later lead in France. Born Freda Josephine McDonald in St. Louis, Missouri in 1906, Baker was subjected to the racial prejudices of the times as a result of her mixed Native American and African-American origin. Sources vary on the ident ity of Baker’s father, but the official version lists Eddie Carson, a vaudeville drummer, and Carrie McDonald, a â€Å"washerwoman,† as Baker’s parents.As an infant, Josephine was taken by her mother to winerooms and vaudeville houses where her father performed (Haney 1981, p. 6). St. Louis had an important music scene at the time, and this certainly had quite an impact on the young Freda. Carson soon abandoned mother and child, and Baker’s mother married another man, Arthur Martin, with whom she bore a son and two more daughters. Martin, often unemployed, could not support the household, and so Baker’s childhood was spent cleaning, babysitting and waitressing.Baker describes working for the â€Å"Mistress,† a wealthy white woman, in her autobiography, where she was required to get up at five in the morning (Baker and Bouillon 1977, p. 3): â€Å"There was coal to fetch, the stove to stoke, chamber pots and spittoons to empty, bed to make wo od to cut, the kitchen clean. † She did manage to go to school, but then worked after school as well, sleeping in the Mistress’s cellar at night. Baker was only seven years old. Haney (1981, p.10) suggests that Josephine’s mother harbored resentment against her daughter, blaming her for the loss of Carson; perhaps this, along with the family’s poverty, explains why Carrie McDonald sent her daughter to the Mistress. Josephine finally returned home after the Mistress was arrested for physically abusing her, but Josephine wound up living much of the time with her grandmother and aunt as her relationship with her mother deteriorated even further. Baker’s feelings for the country of her birth were always to be influenced by the experiences of her youth in Missouri.In her autobiography, she recounts the story of seeing her neighborhood go up in flames and seeing a black man beaten when whites decided to avenge the alleged rape of a white woman in July of 1917. Upon leaving her house to find the conflagration, Baker said she thought she was looking at the Apocalypse (1977, p. 2). Jean-Claude Baker and Chase (1993, p. 30) reject Baker’s claim to have witnessed the St. Louis race riots, arguing that she only learned the story later from others. In any case, such an event was to leave a lasting impression on Josephine.Not surprisingly, she was to leave St. Louis at a young age in search of a more promising future. In Josephine’s youth, a brighter future was not available to her through education – she could only escape through marriage. At the age of only 13, Josephine married Willie Wells, a man more than twice her age (Baker and Chase 1993, p. 36). The marriage was illegal and short-lived (to be followed by five more marriages over the years), and Josephine was destined to return to her mother’s house. Her true escape came when she joined the St. Louis Chorus line, where she was an instant hit.Baker was soo n touring with vaudeville troops, performing skits. Though audiences loved Josephine, she faced racism in town after town, where she faced the Ku Klux Klan and segregation (Haney 1981, p. 29). Baker continued her rise to stardom, though, when in 1921 she landed a role in the Broadway production of Shuffle Along, despite original concerns that she was too dark for the part. As the show became a hit, Josephine made an enormous salary for the time. When the production came to St. Louis, Josephine performed before a mixed audience, but the blacks were restricted to the balcony seating.Josephine’s biological father, Eddie Carson, reportedly showed up to ask to be hired for the show, only to be rejected (Haney (1981, p. 39). Baker followed up her success with a role in The Chocolate Dandies in 1924 and became a legend in connection with the Harlem Renaissance in 1925 at The Plantation Club. The real turning point came later in 1925, though, when Baker made her debut in Paris with J oe Alex and the Danse Sauvage in La Revue Negre at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees. The audience loved Baker, who danced wearing only a feather skirt.From there, she went on to tour Europe and eventually star in La Follie du Jour at the Follies-Begere, often appearing with her pet leopard and dancing in a skirt made of bananas. She was to star in two movies, ZouZou and Princess Tam-Tam in the mid-thirties, by which time she was one of the highest paid entertainers in Europe (Official Site). In 1936, though, Baker was to be forcefully reminded of the barriers African-Americans were facing in her native country when she returned to the United States to star in the Ziegfield Follies.Unpopular with American audiences and critics, Baker was eventually replaced by Gypsy Rose Lee. In fact, Josephine met the realities of American racism as soon as she got off the boat from France, as she was refused a room in several New York hotels because of her color. Miki Sawada, Baker’s maid at t he time, was with her and described what happened (Baker and Chase 1993, p. 191): â€Å"I could not believe this could be the same woman I had seen in Europe, standing triumphant on the stage, showered with flowers.Here she was huddled before me on the floor, weeping. † In publicity photos for the production, Baker was lit so that she would appear lighter. She wrote to a friend, â€Å"†¦be assured, if I want to make a telephone call in the street, I’m still a negresse† (Baker and Chase 1993, p. 196). After the newspaper critics panned her performances, the show closed and Baker returned to France. Despite her experience in the thirties, Baker returned to America in the fifties and sixties to work to advance civil rights for people of color.The most famous instance occurred when Baker worked with the NAACP to protest segregation at The Stork Club. Animosity brewed as a result between Baker and gossip columnist Walter Winchell, which led to Baker’s nam e being tainted in the Red Scare of the McCarthy era. Baker found other ways to combat racism as well, adopting twelve multiethnic children who came to be known as the â€Å"Rainbow Tribe. † The first of her children, a son, was an â€Å"occupation† baby, a baby of mixed Japanese and Western race from Tokyo.Other adoptees hailed from Finland, Columbia, Canada and Israel (Baker and Bouillon 1977, p. 192-196). By the time of her death in 1975, Josephine Baker had accomplished more in her lifetime than anyone could possibly have imagined was possible for an African-American woman born at the beginning of the century. Not only did Baker manage to overcome the poverty and social limitations of her youth, she emerged as legendary entertainer, a champion of civil rights and a mother to so many who came from homes and situations as bleak as her own had been.Despite the many occasions on which her fellow Americans rejected her, Baker never gave up on her homeland and used her e xperiences as motivation to work toward a better society. The spate of biographies and the documentary of her life that have sprung up in the last two decades are a sign of the changing social climate and racial relations in America, as well as a sign of the longevity of Baker’s legacy. Bibliography Baker, J.and Bouillon, J. (1977) Jospehine. New York, Harper & Row Publishers. Baker, J. C. and Chase, C. (1993) Josephine: The Hungry Heart New York. Random House. Biography. Available from: The Official Site of Josephine Baker, Josephine Baker Estate c/o CMG Worldwide [Accessed 19 October 2006]. Haney, L. (1981) Naked at the Feast: A Biography of Josephine Baker. New York, Dodd, Mead & Company.