The Great Game Of Baseball Essay - 1774 Words

There are many question about how the great game of baseball originally started and how it has grown to become Americas game that so many of us enjoy so much as little kids until till we die. Baseball is one of the only games today where the rules of the game have stayed the same since a guy named Abner Doubleday first evolved the game in 1845. Then he went on to be a Civil War hero shortly after as the game of Baseball became Americas beloved national pastime. Every father loves getting to share his child’s first experience with baseball and playing catch with him for their first time. The history behind the game has such a humbling expression towards the game of baseball, which was first known as â€Å"rounder† earlier in the 1840’s in England until it was brought over in the US. In 1871 the Major League was born and by the 20th century most large cities in the US had professional baseball teams. The teams where divided into two leagues, American and National. During the season those teams would only play the teams in their leagues. Teams that succeeded the best during their season win what are called the â€Å"pennant† and those teams would meet in what is still to this day called the â€Å"World Series†. Baseball became of age in the early 1920’s; When Babe Ruth became a phenomenon at the game of baseball. Many wanted to fallow his footstep and become a great hero; such as the great Jackie Robinson did who was the first African American to play major league baseball. Prior toShow MoreRelatedBaseball during The Great Depression Essays913 Words   |  4 PagesBaseball remains today one of America’s most popular sports, and furthermore, baseball is one of America’s most successful forms of entertainment. As a result, Baseball is an economic being of its own. However, the sustainability of any professional sport organization depends directly on its economic capabilities. 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A baseball field is veryRead MoreThe Sport Of Baseball : America s Favorite Pastime1093 Words   |  5 PagesThe sport of baseball, otherwise known as â€Å"America’s favorite pastime†, has reportedly been around since the 17th century. It has had its ups and downs like every other sport, but the crazy history of how it came about is quite extensive. Having to find new players that no one would think of to play and eventually having the first ever World Series; the sport has changed throughout time. The beginning of baseball can be accredited to Thomas Wilson who was a conformist leader in England. WilsonRead More steroids in Baseball Essay1151 Words   |  5 PagesSteroids in Baseball: The Future of Baseball nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;It was a warm, sultry night in September. The fans were crazed in anticipation as Mark McGwire stepped to the plate. With a gentle stretch, he paused, patiently poised, waiting for what would eventually be the greatest hit baseball had ever seen. The pitcher, Steve Trachsel, came set. He shot a determined look to the dirt. In a rivalry such as this (Cubs, Cardinals) he did not want to be the one to give up the great number 62Read MoreBaseball : The Origin Of Baseball Essay1336 Words   |  6 PagesThe Origin Of Baseball With upwards of ten million people participating in the sport of baseball in the United States alone, it is apparent that baseball is one of the world’s most popular sports. Throughout the years, the sport of baseball has evolved from a humble game played on empty sandlots to â€Å"America’s national pastime.† The game has come a long way, but how did this game come to be? Everything has its humble beginnings, and baseball is no different. Games that resemble baseball have been around

Advancements in Medical Research Due to Hela Cells Free Essays

Katrina Samborski Honors English 1100 Dr. Nicole Caswell November 10, 2012 Advancement of Medical Research from HeLa Cells HeLa simply stands for Henrietta Lacks, a young mother in the 1951 who went to the doctor complaining of vaginal bleeding and discovered she had cervical cancer. Henrietta’s cells were taken for a biopsy and were found to be like nothing ever seen before; her cells were immortal. We will write a custom essay sample on Advancements in Medical Research Due to Hela Cells or any similar topic only for you Order Now Her cancer cells double every 20 to 24 hours and have lived on for the past 60 years. Since HeLa cells were created, our world of modern medicine has been completely changed. We now vaccines for once incurable diseases and have used the cells for cloning and other biomedical research. Although the cells have done a great deal of good, they have also caused substantial harm to Henrietta Lacks, her family, and potential trial research participants. Therefore, though some may think it was ethically wrong of Henrietta Lacks’ doctors to not inform her that they were using her cells, she is the reason we have been able to save thousands of lives. It was at Johns Hopkins Hospital when Dr. Gey, a prominent cancer and virus researcher, discovered Henrietta’s cells were immortal. Since cancer cells will die outside the body without the right mix of chemicals, Dr. Gey created the roller tube. This contraption held glass tubes containing samples in nutrient-rich fluids, turned slowly – sometimes just two revolutions an hour, exposing the cells to just the right mix of air and nutrients. When Henrietta’s cells were placed in this device, they never stopped dividing. While their research value is unquestioned, the tumor cells had created havoc in Henrietta Lacks’ body. Skloot recounts the lab technician Mary Kubicek who was present at the autopsy. â€Å"The tumors had completely blocked her urethra, leaving doctors unable to pass a catheter into her bladder to empty it. Tumors the size of baseballs had nearly replaced her kidneys, bladder, ovaries and uterus. And her other organs were so covered in small white tumors it looked as if someone had filled her with pearls† (Williams). Although her cells are cancerous, HeLa cells share many traits with normal cells, making them useful in studying protein synthesis, the human genome and how viruses work. Dr. Gey sold the cells to researchers around the world, who used them to develop a variety of medicines. HeLa cells were the first to travel into space in an unmanned satellite to see if humans could survive zero gravity. â€Å"This cell line is used all around the world and revolutionized cell biology because they grew so well in culture, said William Earnshaw, principal research fellow at the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Cell Biology. â€Å"They yielded a huge amount of information,† Earnshaw said (Sharp). In the early 1950s, the world experienced the biggest polio pandemic in history. Jonas Salk devised the world’s first polio vaccine, but testing it would require huge supplies of live cells that, at the time, would have involved the sacrifice of thousands of monkeys. HeLa cells proved to be technically more suitable for testing, and much less expensive and messy, than using monkeys. Moreover, HeLa cells grew virtually anywhere and on any surface, including while floating on liquid. A HeLa mass production and distribution center was therefore established at the Tuskegee Institute, ironically at exactly the same time that the infamous Tuskegee syphilis study on black subjects was being carried out. Soon HeLa cells were to enable the first disaggregation of chromosomes, numerous discoveries from genetic and viral studies, and the first-ever cloning of a cell, gene mapping, in vitro fertilization and much, much more. (Ncayiyana) HeLa cells have had a positive influence on medicine in many ways including with giving us knowledge about the human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA and HPV18-positive. HeLa cells have been linked to changes in microRNA expression. Since HPV18 has been associated with very aggressive adenocarcinomas, this finding may explain why Dr. Gey was surprised by the prolific growth of HeLa cells in culture. Routine Papanicolaou smear screening may not detect rapidly progressive cervical carcinomas; the new HPV vaccine holds the promise of preventing these tumors. (Hutchins). The problem of possible contamination of other long-term cultured tumor cell lines with HeLa cells not only caused an international embarrassment, but also raised the concern of misattributing a specific property so another cell line, for example, a virus or a tumor-specific marker, which actually belongs to HeLa. With the continued and growing use of tissue culture in biochemist research, intra- and interspecific contamination becomes a significant risk. The determination of stable genetic markers on cultured cells is a powerful tool for monitoring such contamination. Recent experiments in which cultured cells and innumerable clones of somatic cell hybrids have been used for genetic analysis have shown that, with the proper use of polymorphic markers to characterize the cells, the possibility of undetected cross contamination of cultures is no longer the problem it once may have been. Therefore, in an effort to clarify the characteristics of the HeLa cell and establish its probable genotype for better-known polymorphisms, we studied HLA and other markers, in the surviving husband and children of Henrietta Lacks. (Hsu) Not only were there several negative effects for Henrietta Lacks, but the general public has found flaws with HeLa cells as well. The Drug Information Association sponsored a workshop that brought together people who deal with facilitating or regulating the collection of clinical specimens for genetic analyses to complement drug trials. Genetic studies of clinical samples have for years had to negotiate a tricky path through informed consent, confidentiality, and regulatory-oversight, but according to a couple of speakers who noted the Henrietta Lacks story, the 19 months since the book’s publication have made some people even more wary of this research. â€Å"I think it was disconcerting to people who are not used to thinking about how specimens are handled, that their specimens could outlive them,† said the meeting’s main organizer and chair, Amelia Wall Warner, Ph. D. who heads clinical pharmacogenomics and clinical specimen management for the drug company Merck. The Skloot book seems to be creating a lot of conversation, with patients often asking for a menu of consent that large-scale trials with many thousands of patients can’t accommodate, she noted. (Zoler) Although there are accusations against doctors and corporations that bought these cells stating they did so without Henrietta Lacks’ consent, we owe our world of modern medicine to her. Her cells allowed us to research and experiment countless diseases and opened the door to learn about the human enome and cancer cells. Dr. Gey said, â€Å"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. † It was the best of times for science in that this very peculiar tumor gave rise to the HeLa cell line, which has been available for the various studies referred to by others. For Mrs. Lacks and the family she left behind, it was the worst of times. Scientific progress and indeed progress of all kinds is often made at great cost, such as the sacrifice made by Henrietta Lacks† (Jones). While her family has yet to be compensated, HeLa cells continue to be used everyday in the medical field. Works Cited: Ncayiyana, Daniel J. â€Å"The extraordinary story of the life after death of Henrietta Lacks. †Ã‚  South African Medical Journal  101. 3 (2011): 141. Health Reference Center Academic. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. Grover M. Hutchins, Brendan P. Lucey, and Walter A. Nelson-Rees. Archives of Pathology Laboratory Medicine. 133. 9  (Sept. 2009)  p1463. Word Count: 4083. Jones HW Jr –  Am J Obstet Gynecol  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 01-JUN-1997; 176(6): S227-8 MEDLINE ® is the source for the citation and abstract of this record   Susan H. Hsu, Bernice Z. Schacter, Nancy L. Delaney, Thomas B. Miller, Victor A. McKusick, R. H. Kennett, J. G. Bodmer, D. Young and W. F. Bodmer Science  , New Series, Vol. 191, No. 4225 (Jan. 30, 1976), pp. 392-394 Published by:  American Association for the Advancement of Science Article Stable URL: http://www. jstor. org/stable/1741942 Mitchel Zoler. Internal Medicine News. 44. 17  (Oct. 15, 2011)  p63. Word Count: 433. Williams, Nigel. â€Å"Prize For the HeLa Cell Story. †Ã‚  Current Biology  20. 23 (2010): n. ag. Sciverse. com. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. Manfuso, Jamie, and Stephanie Desmon. â€Å"Honoring the Henrietta Lacks Legacy at Hopkins. †Ã‚  Hopkins Medicine Magazine. Johns Hopkins, 20 May 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. Hepworth, Jeri, PhD. â€Å"Advocacy for Henrietta Lacks and Family Medicine. † Editorial. Family Medicine  Sept. 2011: 595-96. Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. Sharp, Rob. Life and afterlife of a women who will live f or ever. The Independent. November 10 2010. Web. Nov 12 2012. How to cite Advancements in Medical Research Due to Hela Cells, Essays

Knowledge Management of QBE Insurance Company †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Knowledge Management of QBE Insurance Company . Answer: Introduction Knowledge management is an Information Technology based system that provides a business environment for themanagement of knowledge, like; storage of data, collection of data and assistance for the development in future. In a workplace, knowledgemanagement system enables the employees to use the resources, business facts and implement the appropriate solutions. It is the most important process for developing core competencies of the firm. It is the process of gathering, sharing, utilizing and managing the knowledge and other material information, so that goals and objectives of the company can be attained with the proper utilization of knowledge. This process allows the organization to identify the issues and create appropriate solutions. In order to prepare this report, the organization, which is taken into consideration, is QBE Insurance Company in Australia. It is operating its business operations from over 125 years in the country and offers the peace of mind to the Australian people. The organization is well-established in the Australian insurance industry and covering one place in the top 20 insurance companies in the world (QBE, 2017). This report includes the knowledgemanagement system that is used at QBE Insurance Company and it includes its knowledge infrastructure. The company is using some technological solutions to deal with the knowledge management systems. Furthermore, it includes the impact of this system on people, processes and products of company. The company has implemented this technique successfully in order to generate positive results. Organizational Description QBE Insurance Company is one of the top insurance companies in Australia, which was founded in the year 1886 by James Burns and Robert Phillips. As of 1890, it has established more than 36 insurance agencies in different locations, like; Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Pacific Iceland. Furthermore, in 1904, it has opened its new stores in London near Fenchurch Street. Firstly, it has started its business with the name of North Queensland Insurance Company. In Australia, this organization is working to help in safeguarding the people in their occupations. It provides assistance to Australian people from their home to office and any other area of their life. With the passage of time, the company has grown up its business into refined insurance service providers (QBE, 2017). Generally, this firm offers the insurance services, like; general insurance. QBE offers nine types of general insurance to the people worldwide. It provides protection to them in many parts, like; workpla ce, homes, tourist places etc. In addition to this, the company is emphasized on enhancing the customer service via using advanced technology and new and innovative ideas and services. In the end of 2014, the gross premium of the company was increased to $17 billion. Under insurance industry, the major vision of QBE Insurance Company is to be the most successful insurance service providers in both domestic and global market as well. For increasing their insurance policies, the company is always focused on enhancing the services to shareholders, customers and community as well. Knowledge Management Infrastructure Knowledge Management Infrastructure refers to all the things, which combine to simplify the flow of knowledge and information to assist the actions and decisions, which include the organizational processes and activities. Therefore, this infrastructure does not just include the IT infrastructure. It also includes human, organizational and social components of an organization (Becerra-Fernandez, Sabherwal, 2014). QBE Insurance has created an effective knowledge management infrastructure to deal with the issues. Knowledge Management Infrastructure of QBE Insurance Company is stated below; Culture Organizational culture of an organization shows its beliefs and norms, which guide the behaviors of its employees. It is a significant component of knowledge management in companies. It includes the knowing about the knowledge management processes and managing assistance for knowledge management at all the level. For improving the business growth and attain more customers, QBE Insurance used different knowledge sharing techniques in its workplace. It enables the management of QBE in sharing the new and creative ideas from one service to other. Implicit knowledge sharing techniques assists the management in knowing about the appropriate resources and ideas and transfers them to the staff and employees to develop an effective culture (Carroll Buchholtz, 2014). Organizational Structure Furthermore, knowledge management relies to a significant extent on the organizational structure. There are many aspects, which are related to this concept. At QBE, hierarchical organization structure is practiced, under which all the levels are maintained effectively. In the Information Technology system at QBE Insurance Company, embedded knowledge has an importance role. This system enables the Chief Executive Officer to access the information of their workplace and about its organizational culture. Moreover, it also assists in understanding the working processes of employees. For example, at QBE, embedded knowledge offers the rules and regulations, which have to be followed by all the employees. Furthermore, this provides the working schedule to other levels of management, i.e. middle and lower level people (Eckles, Hoyt Miller, 2014). By this, they can know about the schedule to communicate with their shareholders and customers. The structural knowledge makes the management and CEO able to access the past data and information from the place, where it is stored. IT Infrastructure Knowledge management is enabled by the Information Technology infrastructure of the company. The companies develop some systems and technologies to process the knowledge management. These systems may include the data processing, communication systems and technologies. At QBE Insurance company, it is using E-learning IT tool that assists the organization in web conferencing with the customers and shareholders all over the world. Under its IT infrastructure, the company has used this tool that enables the management and staff to provide new and appropriate solutions of the problems, training policies and processes. Furthermore, this system assists the management in the formal entertainment. Using this tool, the company is able to cover huge target customers not only from Australian states but also all over the world (Ghandvar, Sehhat, 2015). The senior management at QBE tracks the consistency and progress report of staff by this e-learning tool. This technique of blended learning assi sts in generating higher retention knowledge. In addition to this, the company has installed different techniques under its IT infrastructure for communication in the organization. This system fulfills all the aspects of this system at QBE, i.e. reach, depth, richness and aggregation. Physical Environment Physical Environment is also an important foundation, on which the knowledge management system depends, but organizations take this element for granted. It includes different physical aspects of a company, like; buildings, type of offices, number of meeting rooms etc. QBE has designed a meeting room, where the management conducts the meeting with its employees to share the required information. In these meetings, it takes the ideas and opinions on any business problem (Hau, et al, 2013). The environment at workplace is very attractive and it has a venue where the staff can learn from and share their ideas and opinions with each other. For effective learning, it is very important to provide a better physical environment. At QBE, this component of knowledge infrastructure encourages the knowledge management by giving different opportunities to the employees to meet and give their ideas. Technologies used by Organization For managing the knowledge effectively, the organizations generally use different IT tools, which provide them effective solutions for business problems. At QBE, there are different tools of Information Technology, which are used for knowledge management. These techniques are used for facilitating their knowledge management solutions. For maintaining daily report and provide updated the information and supervising the working performance of QBE Insurance Company, the management is using Oracle Learning Management System for their employees. Learning management system is the process of recording, tracking, transferring and reporting the training programs via different software applications (Hislop, 2013). The senior management of QBE Insurance Company recognizes that Oracle Learning Management system is one of the best and appropriate ways for enhancing the performance of employees. However, this ensures the sales and service of the organization and enhances the readiness. In order to enhance the knowledge and skills for satisfying the customers, Oracle Learning Management assists in training and development. Oracle Learning Management is an effective system for learning and management, which assists in giving, tracking and organizing the overall process of management (Ben-Tal, et al, 2015). In the staff of QBE Insurance Company, the employees are able to recognize the needed learning methods via joining online classes. In addition to this, QBE Insurance Company is using E-learning social based tool, which assists the organization in sharing the knowledge among employees of the organization. It assists in interacting with the shareholders, customers and community via messages. This IT tool provides the updated information to the customers about the insurance policies and terms. This technology offers the online communication that facilitates the communication with the internal and external stakeholders of the company. In this way, this system reduces the costs and time for travelling to their place. By the use of e-learning, QBE gives the training session to the employees and enhances their abilities and skills. Furthermore, management itself is getting various advantages from e-learning social based tool. From a location, the managers at QBE access the information remotely about the performance of their employees and get the whole process of business operations of QBE (Galliers Leidner, 2014). Knowledge Management Systems Knowledge Management systems are the systems, which are developed by integrating different tools and technologies that support the processes of knowledge management. These systems are the solutions to the knowledge management requirements and use various techniques of knowledge management (Holsapple, 2013). In an organization, the knowledge management system is divided in four categories; Knowledge Discovery System Knowledge Capture System Knowledge Sharing System Knowledge Application System For QBE Insurance Company, two of the processes are stated below; Knowledge Sharing Systems Knowledge sharing is the process, by which tacit knowledge is delivered to other individuals. This is an effective type of information transfer that can be taken place across the departments, employees, groups and individuals. QBE Insurance Company is using an effective mode for sharing the knowledge among its employees (Wang Wang, 2016). For sharing the knowledge across the organization, QBE is using embedded knowledge system that assists the organization in situation planning and assuming its workforce. After doing the situation planning, it enables the management in creating a structure that offers them a process for operating the system effectively. By using this system, the organization is able to share all the guidelines and procedures of organization among its entire people. Furthermore, the company uses tacit knowledge sharing tools, which allows the management team to share existing and new ideas from one person to another (Holtshouse, 2013). These systems help in transferr ing the ideas to employees to develop a better system. Knowledge Application System Knowledge Application system is another system that can be used in managing the knowledge and material information in the organization. This is the system that assists the process via which some people use the knowledge possessed by other people without actually getting, teaching or learning that knowledge. This system does not include any exchange or transfer of knowledge. There are two ways of this system, such as; direction and routines. At QBE Insurance Company, the management team has used the routine as its knowledge application system. They are using embedded knowledge system and they have includes the knowledge in their routine processes norms and rules, which guide the behavior of employees in the future (Huang Lai, 2014). QBE believes that knowledge application system should be very effective at the organization as it is most important component of overall knowledge management process. Under this, the company uses different software and applications, like; enterprise resou rce planning, Customer relationship management system, expert system, knowledge system etc. Impact of knowledge management solutions on: people, processes, products and organization performance As discussed above, knowledge management is an important process for an organization and its people. Generally, knowledge is created by integrating four factors, people, practice, processes and technology. At QBE, the knowledge management system has a huge impact on different components of an organization, such as; people, processes, products and organizational performance. The impact of this system on different components at QBE is stated below; People In the process of knowledge management, people are the major sources of knowledge and information. These people create and get the knowledge, use it and learn from it. After that, they teach the other people in order for the company to become very innovative and develop new ideas and opinions (Jones George, 2015). At QBE, people have the largest impact of the knowledge management system. The company has implemented the Oracle Learning Management system that assisted in defining the learning objective in a specific framework. In addition to this, employees were able to understand required skills and competencies. This system always provides the updates about competency profile and assists in planning. Through this system, the company has provided training to its people for enhancing their skills and abilities towards their work and responsibilities (Liebowitz Frank, 2016). Processes Processes are the logical and structured systems, which lead and guide the organization and its people. The system, implemented by QBE, i.e. Oracle Learning Management simplified the training and development process for the organization. Through this system, it is very easy to provide offline and online training to the staff of organization all over the world. It can help in attaining their organizational goals and objectives (King, Marks, 2008). Moreover, above knowledge management solutions provides the knowledge in learning and assembling the related content by the use of multiple and mixed media sources. Thus, it increases the efficiency of organizational processes and practices. Products Products are the core offering, which are provided by the organization to its potential customers. By managing the knowledge effectively, the products and services of an organization will definitely have large impact. QBE is offering insurance services to the Australian people for securing different parts of their life, like; workplace, home etc. By knowledge management, the people at QBE are more able convince the customers to buy their policies and acquire their services (Lin, Huang, 2008). Through the process of training, they are able to understand and satisfy the needs and expectations of customers and deliver the service effectively. Thus, this knowledge management system will be able to improve service excellence at QBE Insurance Company. Organizational Performance As all of the above components of organizations are affected positively that indicates that performance of the organization is also enhanced by knowledge management solution. It enhanced the administration system in the company (Matayong Kamil Mahmood, 2013). It assisted in reducing the different organizational costs, like; Oracle system assists in contacting with the people via online system. It allows the employees of QBE to communicate via e-mails, web conferencing and chats. It reduced the costs of travelling to different places. By implementing this effective knowledge management system, the company will be able to attain its goals and objectives. Thus, implementation of knowledge management solution impacted all its components, such as; people, processes, products and performance of organization, i.e. QBE Insurance Company (Stefik, 2014). Analysis From the above report, it can be said that QBE Insurance Company has implemented two knowledge management initiatives, which have impacted different areas of organization. From them, one solution, i.e. Oracle Learning Management system went very well at the organization. This system assisted the company in resolving its business issues effectively. They were able to share and implement the knowledge in an effective manner (Porwol, et al, 2015). It encouraged the employees for understanding the requirements of their customer and providing quick solutions to their issues. As they are offering insurance services, so it is very important to convince the customers for taking their insurance policies. Through Oracle Learning Management System, the employees are able to learn this and it has enhanced the performance of organization in Australian Insurance industry (Ternai, Torok Varga, 2014). Apart from this, E-learning tool is failed in the organization, as it is not more effective for the operations of company. This system is very costly for the organization and it does not fulfill all the objectives of the company. In the place of this system, the company should implement another system, i.e. Decision Support System (DSS). This system will be able to give best and appropriate decision for the future development of organization. Decision Support System is one of the primary tools, which are used for managing the knowledge in business. At QBE, this system will enable the management in maintaining the report and giving the required information to the employees (Accorsi, Manzini, Maranesi, 2014). Using this system in knowledge management, managers of QBE will be able to share the information easily and organize online training program from a single location for all the employees worldwide. It will allow the organization in making better decisions by taking the creative ideas and opinions from their employees. Data-driven from the Decision Support System will enhance the accessibility to the information, which develops the skills and abilities of the employees (Schwalbe, 2015). Thus, QBE Insurance Company can improve its knowledge management system by incorporating Decision Support System in its Information Technology infrastructure. It will assist the organization to overcome the deficiencies of e-learning socialization tool. DSS will develop the perception for effective decision making relevant to the business operations of QBE Insurance Company. Conclusion It is hereby concluded that knowledge management is an integral part of a growth oriented firm. The major objective of this process is to enhance the knowledge base of organization for improving the practices and processes in the workplace. This system may assist the organization in enhancing the organizational behavior and creating better decisions for improving organizational performance. From the above analysis, it can be stated that QBE Insurance Company is making several efforts for managing the knowledge within the organization. It is using different IT tools, like; Oracle Learning Management and E-learning socialization tool. At QBE, Oracle system is more successful than e-learning system, so it is recommended that the organization should implement Decision Support system for improving the process of knowledge management. By doing this, the company will be able to manage the knowledge and organizational behaviors effectively. References Accorsi, R., Manzini, R., Maranesi, F. (2014). A decision-support system for the design and management of warehousing systems.Computers in Industry,65(1), 175-186. Becerra-Fernandez, I., Sabherwal, R. (2014).Knowledge management: Systems and processes. Routledge. Ben-Tal, A., Hazan, E., Koren, T., Mannor, S. (2015). Oracle-based robust optimization via online learning.Operations Research,63(3), 628-638. Carroll, A., Buchholtz, A. (2014).Business and society: Ethics, sustainability, and stakeholder management. Nelson Education. Eckles, D. L., Hoyt, R. E., Miller, S. M. (2014). Reprint of: The impact of enterprise risk management on the marginal cost of reducing risk: Evidence from the insurance industry.Journal of Banking Finance,49, 409-423. Galliers, R. D., Leidner, D. E. (Eds.). (2014).Strategic information management: challenges and strategies in managing information systems. Routledge. Ghandvar, P., Sehhat, S. (2015). Relationship Between Knowledge Management And Quality Management In Insurance Companies.International journal of academic research,7(1). Hau, Y. S., Kim, B., Lee, H., Kim, Y. G. (2013). The effects of individual motivations and social capital on employees tacit and explicit knowledge sharing intentions.International Journal of Information Management,33(2), 356-366. Hislop, D. (2013).Knowledge management in organizations: A critical introduction. Oxford University Press. Holsapple, C. (Ed.). (2013).Handbook on knowledge management 1: Knowledge matters(Vol. 1). Springer Science Business Media. Holtshouse, D. K. (2013).Information technology for knowledge management. Springer Science Business Media. Huang, L. S., Lai, C. P. (2014). Critical success factors for knowledge management implementation in life insurance enterprises. Jones, G., George, J. (2015).Contemporary management. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. King, W. R., Marks, P. V. (2008). Motivating knowledge sharing through a knowledge management system.Omega,36(1), 131-146. Liebowitz, J., Frank, M. (Eds.). (2016).Knowledge management and e-learning. CRC press. Lin, T. C., Huang, C. C. (2008). Understanding knowledge management system usage antecedents: An integration of social cognitive theory and task technology fit.Information Management,45(6), 410-417. Matayong, S., Kamil Mahmood, A. (2013). The review of approaches to knowledge management system studies.Journal of Knowledge Management,17(3), 472-490. Porwol, L., Hassan, A., Ojo, A., Breslin, J. (2015). Knowledge Extraction and Management Component to Support Spontaneous Participation. International Conference on Electronic Participation, 68-80. QBE. (2017). QBE Insurance Company. Retrieved from https://www.group.qbe.com/. Schwalbe, K. (2015).Information technology project management. Cengage Learning. Stefik, M. (2014).Introduction to knowledge systems. Morgan Kaufmann. Ternai, K., Torok, M., Varga, K. (2014). Combining Knowledge Management and Business Process Management A Solution for Information Extraction from Business Process Models Focusing on BPM Challenges. International Conference on Electronic Government and the Information Systems Perspective 104-117. Wang, Y. M., Wang, Y. C. (2016). Determinants of firms' knowledge management system implementation: An empirical study.Computers in Human Behavior,64, 829-842.

Slow Dance Essays - Yin Xiaoyuan, Thiruppavai,

Slow Dance S L O W D A N C E: *BR* *br* Have you ever watched kids*br* on a merry-go-round*br* Or listened to the rain*br* slapping on the ground?*br**br* Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight*br* Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?*br**br* You better slow down*br* Don't dance so fast*br* Time is short*br* The music won't last*br* Do you run through each day on the fly*br* When you ask How are you?*br* do you hear the reply?*br**br* When the day is done,*br* do you lie in your bed*br* With the next hundred chores*br* running through your head?*br**br* You'd better slow down*br* Don't dance so fast*br* Time is short*br* The music won't last*br**br* Ever told your child,*br* We'll do it tomorrow*br* And in your haste, not see his sorrow?*br**br* Ever lost touch,*br* Let a good friendship die*br* 'Cause you never had time*br* to call and say Hi?*br**br* You'd better slow down*br* Don't dance so fast*br* Time is short*br* The music won't last*br**br* When you run so fast to get somewhere*br* You miss half the fun of getting there.*br* When you worry and hurry through your day,*br* It is like an unopened gift....*br* Thrown away...*br**br* Life is not a race.*br* Do take it slower*br* Hear the music*br* Before the song is over. Poetry

5 Soft Skills For Your Resume That Will Get You Hired

5 Soft Skills For Your Resume That Will Get You Hired A resume is a very tricky document to write. You have to include your concrete results and numbers, but also convey a lifetime’s worth of professional skills. The skills are considered â€Å"soft† (read: less quantifiable) data for employers, even though they’re highly important in hiring. So how do you finesse those to be more like the hard data? To help you to navigate this, here are 5 commonly used soft skills and how to turn them into hard facts on your resume.1. â€Å"I’m innovative.†This is a great word, and makes the writer sound oh-so ahead of the curve, right? Kudos to you for being forward-thinking, but the interviewer or hiring manager doesn’t know what you did to be groundbreaking. Make sure to provide examples of how you’ve innovated:â€Å"I implemented a brand-new program for employee social media.† â€Å"Developed a software program to convert site visits into sales leads.†Same goes for â€Å"visionary.â⠂¬  If you’re going to make that bold statement, you should absolutely be prepared to back it up with your visions.2. â€Å"I’m creative.†This is a case where showing is definitely the key. Do you have visual examples of something creative you’ve done and can attach to the document? An example of a time when you found a unique solution to a problem?3. â€Å"I’m an effective communicator.†This is one where you have to take a holistic approach†¦ because if your overall resume is a mess, that will send a red flag to the hiring manager about your communication skills. In addition to providing specific examples of your communication (client outreach, interoffice email blasts, etc.), you should definitely make sure that your entire resume has a clear and concise vibe.4. â€Å"I was responsible for†¦Ã¢â‚¬ The easiest way to convert soft skills into hard data is to go through your resume and take out all the passive language. Be asserti ve! Use action verbs! It makes for a cleaner read, and lets you present specific numbers or examples without extra baggage for the reader to parse.5. â€Å"I’m professional.†This one might be my favorite, and I’m pretty sure I’m guilty of abusing it back in my early job hunting days. One would hope that if you’re applying for a job, you’re professional. If you’re not professional, the hiring manager will likely figure that out pretty quickly; no amount of insistence on paper will change that.   I’d leave this one out, and find a more specific adjective to show your awesomeness.The attitude to keep in the back of your mind as you revise your resume should be â€Å"show me.† These skills can really put you over the top, so it’s important to be as specific as possible!Read More at Careerealism

Analysing Gender Inequality In Sports Sociology Essay

Analysing Gender Inequality In Sports Sociology Essay This essay will seek to describe the issue of women in sports, and discuss the reasons for this, with relevance to some of the concepts covered in this course. It will also go on to discuss the improvements and positives observed in recent years, and explore some other possible measures to improve the situation in the future. 2. Background In Ancient Olympics, competitive sports were masculine affairs. While males compete to show their prowess, women were prohibited to even watch competitions, much less compete. Quite simply, even in this day and age of supposed equality and meritocracy, sport still remains a male domain, especially on the community level. Even with improved opportunities and treatment, there is still an invisible barrier between sport and the everyday woman. In the next section, this essay shall explore some of the reasons for this situation. 3. Reasons 3.1 Introduction to Gender Ideology in sports The concept of ideology is one that we take for granted, or rather, something we do not even think about. It refers to the ideas and explanations we have been given since young, to explain personal and social life. We have been using our ingrained ideologies to make decisions and judgments ever since we could, without ever questioning or knowing them. In addition, Taylor (1994) mentioned that our identities are formed based on dialogical relations with our significant others. In other words, the complexities of our identities are not formed through cultural identification alone (monologic model) but through the interactions with people who are important to us. Gender, even more so than race or class, is a pivotal organizing factor in social life. While a person’s sex is decided by physical characteristics such as genitalia, gender is a social construct formed and shaped by the society (James A. Banks).It is the fundamental way humans classify each other. Thus, we are especially reliant on gender ideology and it is extremely influential on ho w we organize our thoughts, actions and lives, and how parents bring up their offspring. The deep-rootedness of gender ideology means that everyone makes decisions based on it, from children, teenagers, parents to people in power. Gender ideology plays a big role in how sport has been carried out throughout the ages. The idea that men are supposed to be strong, aggressive, fast and competitive is reproduced in many sports. Conversely, women are not encouraged to play sports because the above traits are not associated with women (women’s athletics: coping with controversy). Thus, a woman exhibiting the above traits would be going against the gender ideology that most people submit to, and this would make her an anomaly. A woman would have to cope not only with her community seeing her as ‘not feminine’, she also has to deal with lack of resources and financial support because her politicians also have the same ideology and do not support women in sport. Fortunatel y, the situation has considerably improved from the past. 3.2 Gender Ideology: dominance and stereotypes The fact that males are the dominant group is also accepted by most as part of their understanding of gender ideologies. This is correspondent to John Clammer’s point that social inequalities are seen as ‘natural’ and hence not to be tampered with.

The World of Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The World of Management - Research Paper Example At present, the demand of the management professionals are increasing gradually as an efficient manager is able to fulfill the objective of the company and increase the profit. In the globalized economy, when the economies of different country are connected to one another, the demand of a certified professional from an international organization is high. The professionals, who are certified from a professional organization, are able to handle the issues that arise in an organization in a proper manner. The areas of management include human resources, accounting, marketing, operations etc. Every department has some specific works to manage the company well overall. The managers of the operations department need to manage the resources available for them, for instance, labor and raw materials, and increase the profit of the company. The human resources mangers are responsible to manage the employees and make sure that they are motivated enough to do the job. Marketing managers have to make sure that the company is providing goods and services as per the customer requirement and the accounts department managers have to make sure that there is nothing false in the revelation of the financial information, which are used by the stakeholders of the company. The researcher has selected the area of business administration identify the history, job prospects and needed professional licenses in the field. Historical Overview of Business Administration Business administration means to manage the sources available to an organization effectively and optimally use the sources so that the organization can fulfill the objectives. During the 18th century, a Scottish philosopher Adam Smith has argued that in order to efficiently manage an organization, it needs to have specialized labor resources. He has also stated that some changes in the process can improve the productivity of the organization. If the specialized employees can be used in related places, they will get motivated , as well as the company would be benefited. During the 19th century, the classical economists provided the theoretical background about the processes of allocation of the resources, pricing and the production issues. In the 20th century, the organizations started to understand the importance of administration of business. They felt that an efficient leader could manage the subordinates very well. They can take out the best from the employees by motivating them. The universities have started the business schools where they provide the degree Master of Business Administration, also there were many personalities like Peter Drucker, who provided the theories of management. In this century, various processes invented by the researchers which can improve the efficiencies of the processes and increase the profit of the organizations like six sigma process, reengineering, various software development. During the period, business administration was divided into six different branches, namel y management information systems, marketing management, strategic management, financial management, operations management and human resource management. During the current 21st century, the administration process became more effective; for

Saudi woman's right to drive Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Saudi woman's right to drive - Research Paper Example In Saudi Arabia, women are seen as minors, legally. They must seek permission from men on matters concerning education, healthcare, and employment. Women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to drive or be seen driving in public. Saudi Arabia ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (C.E.D.W.A), but still women face discrimination. The government ratified the convention saying that in case of contradiction between the Islamic law and the convention, then the Islamic law would overrule the convention. It is crucial, while addressing these issues to understand the religious and cultural complexities that exist in Saudi Arabia (Abbass, p. 20). In Saudi Arabia, religious and cultural claims function as justifications for the oppression of women. As the Saudi Arabian women went out to protest the oppression, various philosophical theories could be observed; functionalism, conflict and symbolic interaction. In Saudi Arabia, women rights exist under religion and customs. In this region, the separation of women and honor is central to life. All women in Saudi Arabia have male guardians. This country prohibits women driving. Manal al-Sharif started a Women’s Right to Drive movement in 2011. She is a women’s right activist who filmed herself drive and posted the footage on popular media. Because of this, she was detained but later released and rearrested for deviance.

Essay Dramatistic Analysis on Breaking Bad Essay Example for Free

Essay Dramatistic Analysis on Breaking Bad Essay Cady is going to encounter psychological struggle and unwritten social rules that teenage girls face today. Through the Marxist perspective, the movie will be analyzed in order to show how sometimes the pull to conform to hegemony is so important that we have no choice that letting us be dragged to respect the established hierarchy. Mean Girls is an excellent artifact, worthy of investigation in the way that it shows how we expect teenage girls to act, but also how difficult it is for them to refrain from acting that way. When using the Marxist perspective, we begin by identifying the subject positions, as models or anti-models. Mean Girls provides clear subject positions about the models – characters that viewers are encouraged to want to be like, and the anti-models – characters that viewers are encouraged to no want to be like. Thus, the models appear to be â€Å"The Plastics†, a group composed of the three teenage girls Regina George, Gretchen Wieners and Karen Smith. By analyzing â€Å"The Plastics†, it seems like teenage girls need to follow a specific pattern in order to be popular. That is to say, on a physical standpoint, teenage girls need to be thin, pretty, and wear tight and revealing clothes, while on a behavioral standpoint, they spend their time gossiping, partying, dating, and talking about boys, rather than focusing on their academic success. On top of the hierarchy is Regina George, and the two other â€Å"Plastics† are her subordinate. On the contrary, the anti-models, challenging the status quo and considered as abnormal or undesirable are represented by Janice and Damien. Both of them are belonging to the oppressed group, or the group that is considered as â€Å"inferior† and â€Å"subordinate† to the dominant group. Mean Girls depicts how easy it is for a dominant group (â€Å"The Plastics†) to impose its ideology on other groups. The interests of the empowered group are then promoting as being natural. Indeed, in Mean Girls, the dominant social group keeps the control over the other groups because nobody dares challenging the authority claimed by â€Å"The Plastic†. â€Å"The Plastics† keep their status quo by oppressing and manipulating the other subordinate groups. They dictate how things should be. The positive power of popularity combined with the negative disempowerment of being unpopular and rejected ultimately reinforces hegemony. That is to say, those who are popular are empowered even if popularity is just a facade for these teenage girls, and those who are not popular are disempowered. By focusing on Cady Heron, and observing how from an innocent teenage girl, she becomes a terrible â€Å"Plastic†, we can deduce that once accepted by the dominant group, people have trouble in seeing the flaws and drawbacks of the hegemony they are in. In order for them to be aware of it, they have to become a member of the subordinate group. Only the anti-models characters are able to see how wrong is the hierarchy they live in, and are willing to change it in order to create a more equal system. Mean Girls proposed both a preferred and an oppositional view on the hegemony. Indeed, from the beginning to the middle of the movie, Mean Girls brings a preferred reading with Cady altering her original beliefs, joining the dominant group and becoming a â€Å"Plastic†. Cady’s desire to respect conformity can be explained by a need to fit in and avoid ridicule. As a consequence, the viewers, siding with her, support the status quo. On the other hand, from the middle to the end of the movie, Mean Girls gives an oppositional reading by considering that â€Å"The Plastics† ought not to be empowered, in order to have a more equal system. Indeed, by the middle of the movie, Cady understands that her destructive behavior made her loose her two closest friends (Janice and Damien). She also realizes she needs to stop acting like a â€Å"Plastic† and to categorize people according to superficial traits, and that she should start considering people according to different characteristics (intelligence over beauty for example). As a consequence, Cady, desirous of putting things right, starts to think how she could readjust the hegemony around her. Thus, she considers destroying the hegemony reigning at school in order to challenge the status quo. At that time, the movie gives the viewers an oppositional reading rejecting the hegemony. In spite of the casualty and frivolity of the topic addressed (teenage girls movie), Mean Girls is still interesting to study because it gives us some interesting and engaging acumen into Marxist perspective and hegemony. Mean Girls shows us how hard it is to resist hegemony when everyone else is subjected to it. Mean Girls also makes viewers being more critical about how hegemony is reproduced in regular patterns of life, like the passage in high school for example.

line dancing :: essays research papers fc

â€Å"Reflections on Country Line Dancing† â€Å"Don’t tell my heart, my achy breaky heart; I just don’t think you’d understand.† Who knew that the 1993 smash hit, â€Å"Achy Breaky Heart,† by Billy Ray Cyrus would be the turning point that would cause country line dancing to become a worldwide phenomenon. Despite differing opinions on the exact history, it is evident that country line dancing is an extension of past social dance forms and is representative of the social, economic, and political state of the United States. However, one thing is for sure. Country line dancing is not just a fad, but rather seems to be a mainstay in the culture of the United States, as seen by the thousands of clubs like the Boot Scootin’ Saloon throughout the country. First, while line dancing at the Boot Scootin’ Saloon on Saturday, November 7, 1998, I had the opportunity to interview two interesting women, Jill Babinec and Lesley Rafferty. First, Jill Babinec, a resident of Cleveland, Ohio, became interested in line dancing a few years ago after she began listening to country music by such artists as Billy Ray Cyrus, Garth Brooks, and Shania Twain. Ms. Babinec likes to line dance not only because she loves to dance and finds it fun, but also because she believes it is a good form of cardiovascular exercise. Jill has taught line dancing several times at Broncos and on Thursday nights at the Lockwood United Methodist Church. However, in addition to line dance, Ms. Babinec also participates in other social dances such as clogging, the two-step, and square dance. Jill’s favorite form of social dance is clogging because of the fast foot tapping that is involved. Ms. Babinec’s favorite form of country western dance is line dancing because as she states, â€Å"Being single, it is nice to know that I can just go out with my friends for an evening of dancing, without worrying about needing a male partner for each dance. I can just have fun.† Lastly, Jill Babinec is a dentist who owns her own practice. According to Jill, most of her friends that line dance are professionals in such occupations as medicine, business, and education. Next, Lesley Rafferty, a resident of Boardman, Ohio, became interested in line dancing simply by watching others line dance at such establishments as Broncos, Mustangs, and the Boot Scootin’ Saloon. Mrs. Rafferty loves to line dance because she not only finds it good exercise, but also loves country music.

Marriage and the Chinese Revolution

Before the 1949 revolution, Chinese women were regarded as lower in social rank than men, notwithstanding the general disempowerment of women due to the lower social class that they belonged to. Women were considered chattels, especially by the noble classes, in which families arranged marriages for their daughters in order to secure favors from government officials, warlords and even from the imperial household. Moreover, men could have as many wives as they wanted, notwithstanding the utter lack of power of women to secure a divorce from their husbands, in the event that they were abused and badly treated. Mao Zedong said this about the Marriage Law, â€Å"The Marriage Law affects all people's interests and is one of the basic laws of China, next only to the constitution†¦It is the legal means through which to carry out reform of the marriage and family system in China, the weapon with which to fight the feudal family system, and the tool necessary to establish and develop a new marriage and family system.† For all the faults of Mao’s China, the marriage law which the communists implemented liberated the women from the bondage of a patriarchal society which dictated the terms of their existence, including their choice of a life partner. By decreeing the dismantling of a feudal system of relations between men and women, women were now able to truly choose to marry only those that they truly love. While such a state policy exists, it took more than the marriage law to truly ensure that the social inequality in a Chinese marriage was implemented politically and culturally, to ensure that women indeed held half the sky. On the other hand, such liberation of Chinese women in marriage then did not amount to utter sexual promiscuity as in Western countries, except at present, where changing partners and spouses seem to be as fast as changing mobile phones and cars in Chinese contemporary society. As divorce is China is as easy as selling the newest Ipod, it is now steadily undermining once more the value of marriage and the commitment that is intertwined in its concept. If the women were treated as chattels in feudal China that no mutual consent in marriage ever really existed, the present increasing number of divorces seems to manifest that with the increase in personal income and spending of the Chinese is rendering as a commodity the institution of marriage. These things, treating women as chattel and the commodification of marriage, are both social evils which destroy the basic sanctity of marriage, in view of the family as the basic institution in any society. As the Chinese economy grows by leaps and bounds, it has also led to the creation and reproduction of a new inequality in the institution of marriage, where mutual love and commitment are not at the center of the institution but property relations to outpace all other families in a cutthroat competition for financial security and success. It is no different from feudal China where families arranged marriages for their daughters because it destroys the long-held idea, even by Mao Tsetung, that marriage should only be based on mutual respect and love by partners with a deep perspective on their relationship and a long-term goal for the development of both partners’ lives in all aspects – physical, economic, social, and even spiritual. Is divorce China's new fad? By Leon D'souza ZIBO, People's Republic of China– That China's revolutionary leader, Mao Zedong, was an incessant womanizer is no secret. For 22 years, beginning in 1954, Dr. Li Zhisui, his personal physician, chronicled the former dictator's dark private world. In his critically acclaimed book, â€Å"The Private Life of Chairman Mao,† Dr. Zhisui writes candidly about the erstwhile chairman's voracious appetite for carnal pleasure. Mao was constantly hosting dances and card-playing parties to find new young women to indulge his fantasies. He was â€Å"married† at least four times and had ten children with whom he had rather distant relationships. However, for all his shortcomings, Mao was a firm believer in the power of womanhood. He was fond of quoting an old Chinese proverb, â€Å"women hold up half the heavens,† and in his â€Å"Little Red Book,† which attained Biblical importance during the Cultural Revolution of the late 1960s, he spoke audaciously of the need for equality of the sexes. â€Å"In order to build a great socialist society, it is of the utmost importance to arouse the broad masses of women to join in productive activity. Men and women must receive equal pay for equal work in production,† Mao declared. The former chairman began a transformation of the submissive role that Chinese women were historically relegated to over centuries of dynastic rule. One of his earliest reforms involved sweeping changes to China's harsh marriage norms. Before the advent of Communist Power, marriage was somewhat of an unholy institution in China, a form of socially sanctioned bondage. Chinese director Zhang Yimou's brilliant film, â€Å"Raise the Red Lantern,† tells of the sordid state of affairs in imperial times. Arranged and mercenary marriages were considered normal practice then. A wealthy man could have as many wives as he pleased. Widows were not allowed to remarry and no woman could ever ask for a divorce. Mao changed all that. His first â€Å"Marriage Law† abolished the system of arranged or forced marriage and extended equal protection to women and children. The new legislation forbade bigamy, child marriage and public interference in the freedom for widows to remarry. Mao took personal interest in the implementation of the measure. â€Å"The Marriage Law affects all people's interests and is one of the basic laws of China, next only to the constitution,† he emphasized. â€Å"It is the legal means through which to carry out reform of the marriage and family system in China, the weapon with which to fight the feudal family system, and the tool necessary to establish and develop a new marriage and family system.† Noble goals notwithstanding, Mao's reforms weren't greeted well in a country steeped in a long tradition of patriarchy. Some derided the edict as a formula for societal instability that was sure to trigger an epidemic of divorces. â€Å"It is a law for divorce,† these naysayers argued. In some ways, they were right. Divorce is fast becoming something of an emerging trend in modern China, where successive marriage laws have empowered women who now initiate more than 70 percent of break ups. In fact, so pervasive is this trend that in a story some years ago, The New York Times Seth Faison pointed out that it was even beginning to affect the way ordinary Chinese greet each other in the street. â€Å"For years,† Faison wrote, â€Å"people have greeted each other with a question that reflected the nation's primary concern: â€Å"Chi le ma?† or â€Å"Have you eaten?† Now according to a popular joke in Beijing, people who see a friend on the street voice a new concern: â€Å"Li le ma?† â€Å"Have you divorced?† But unlike other countries, where divorce is seen as a social problem, the Chinese seem to view this trend as a sign of the changing tide for women in a country where they were once mere objects of desire. As the Beijing Youth Daily explained in a story a while back: â€Å"The high rate of divorce reflects a kind of ‘master of my own fate' notion among urban residents. From an overall perspective, it represents a kind of social advancement.† Financial independence resulting from a surge of women in the workforce seems to be driving the divorce rate. Chinese women now actually do hold up half the sky. They account for more than 46 percent of the total working population according to statistics. Women experts and entrepreneurs have come to the forefront in large numbers, playing key roles in hi-tech industries as well as large and medium state-owned enterprises. This has helped level the balance. â€Å"In the past, women were very dependent on men for survival. They were not allowed to work. Today in China, women earn their own money. They are becoming more and more independent, and so they need not remain married to men that aren't loyal to them,† said Huang Yan Ling, an English teacher at the Zibo Foreign Language School. Huang was raised in Zibo, the rural northeastern city in Shandong Province where she now teaches middle school. As a mother herself, and someone who grew up away from the relatively liberal atmosphere of the rapidly westernizing cities along China's eastern coast, she isn't a loud supporter of the spate of divorces. â€Å"I think it is very bad for the children,† she emphasized, when asked why she balked at the trend. Nevertheless, she is delighted that increasing numbers of Chinese women are standing up for themselves, and places the blame for failed marriages squarely on the infidelity of the men involved. â€Å"When most men approach middle age, they have a lot of money. When they have money, they look for younger girls because they just want to have fun. They don't really love their wives,† she suggested matter-of-factly. â€Å"So it is good for some women to file for divorce.† Nevertheless, there is room for tightening up the law to facilitate separations while preventing the situation from spiraling out of hand. One of the ways Huang points to is increasing the amount of alimony payable as child support. â€Å"In China, if a couple files for divorce, the woman usually gets custody of the child. This places her in a difficult position. The man can get away with making payments as low as 300 Reminbi Yuan (approximately $38) per month,† she explained. â€Å"I think this is not right. Men should be made to pay more. That way, maybe they will think twice about cheating on their wives.† At the end of the day, whether bane or boon, China's climbing divorce rate is an indicator of significant social change. Mao's China has opened up for women doors they could never previously have hoped to unlock. Today, women wear the pants in many families here. And although you won't get their husbands to admit it, most married men live in peril of their wives ire. Take Yu Ke Hong for example, one of my colleagues at the Zibo Foreign Language School. A month ago, my brother-in-law, Brian, and I, tried to coax him into buying a dog for his family while we were out pet shopping at the weekend â€Å"dog market.† Yu laughed when we presented the suggestion, then added candidly that his wife would â€Å"throw him out of the house† if he showed up on his doorstep with the cute Chinese Shar-Pie we had picked out for him since she didn't care much for dogs. Enough said. You know who calls the shots in his household. Leon D'souza is a frequent contributor to the Hard News Cafe Marriage and the Chinese Revolution Before the 1949 revolution, Chinese women were regarded as lower in social rank than men, notwithstanding the general disempowerment of women due to the lower social class that they belonged to. Women were considered chattels, especially by the noble classes, in which families arranged marriages for their daughters in order to secure favors from government officials, warlords and even from the imperial household. Moreover, men could have as many wives as they wanted, notwithstanding the utter lack of power of women to secure a divorce from their husbands, in the event that they were abused and badly treated. Mao Zedong said this about the Marriage Law, â€Å"The Marriage Law affects all people's interests and is one of the basic laws of China, next only to the constitution†¦It is the legal means through which to carry out reform of the marriage and family system in China, the weapon with which to fight the feudal family system, and the tool necessary to establish and develop a new marriage and family system.† For all the faults of Mao’s China, the marriage law which the communists implemented liberated the women from the bondage of a patriarchal society which dictated the terms of their existence, including their choice of a life partner. By decreeing the dismantling of a feudal system of relations between men and women, women were now able to truly choose to marry only those that they truly love. While such a state policy exists, it took more than the marriage law to truly ensure that the social inequality in a Chinese marriage was implemented politically and culturally, to ensure that women indeed held half the sky. On the other hand, such liberation of Chinese women in marriage then did not amount to utter sexual promiscuity as in Western countries, except at present, where changing partners and spouses seem to be as fast as changing mobile phones and cars in Chinese contemporary society. As divorce is China is as easy as selling the newest Ipod, it is now steadily undermining once more the value of marriage and the commitment that is intertwined in its concept. If the women were treated as chattels in feudal China that no mutual consent in marriage ever really existed, the present increasing number of divorces seems to manifest that with the increase in personal income and spending of the Chinese is rendering as a commodity the institution of marriage. These things, treating women as chattel and the commodification of marriage, are both social evils which destroy the basic sanctity of marriage, in view of the family as the basic institution in any society. As the Chinese economy grows by leaps and bounds, it has also led to the creation and reproduction of a new inequality in the institution of marriage, where mutual love and commitment are not at the center of the institution but property relations to outpace all other families in a cutthroat competition for financial security and success. It is no different from feudal China where families arranged marriages for their daughters because it destroys the long-held idea, even by Mao Tsetung, that marriage should only be based on mutual respect and love by partners with a deep perspective on their relationship and a long-term goal for the development of both partners’ lives in all aspects – physical, economic, social, and even spiritual. Is divorce China's new fad? By Leon D'souza ZIBO, People's Republic of China– That China's revolutionary leader, Mao Zedong, was an incessant womanizer is no secret. For 22 years, beginning in 1954, Dr. Li Zhisui, his personal physician, chronicled the former dictator's dark private world. In his critically acclaimed book, â€Å"The Private Life of Chairman Mao,† Dr. Zhisui writes candidly about the erstwhile chairman's voracious appetite for carnal pleasure. Mao was constantly hosting dances and card-playing parties to find new young women to indulge his fantasies. He was â€Å"married† at least four times and had ten children with whom he had rather distant relationships. However, for all his shortcomings, Mao was a firm believer in the power of womanhood. He was fond of quoting an old Chinese proverb, â€Å"women hold up half the heavens,† and in his â€Å"Little Red Book,† which attained Biblical importance during the Cultural Revolution of the late 1960s, he spoke audaciously of the need for equality of the sexes. â€Å"In order to build a great socialist society, it is of the utmost importance to arouse the broad masses of women to join in productive activity. Men and women must receive equal pay for equal work in production,† Mao declared. The former chairman began a transformation of the submissive role that Chinese women were historically relegated to over centuries of dynastic rule. One of his earliest reforms involved sweeping changes to China's harsh marriage norms. Before the advent of Communist Power, marriage was somewhat of an unholy institution in China, a form of socially sanctioned bondage. Chinese director Zhang Yimou's brilliant film, â€Å"Raise the Red Lantern,† tells of the sordid state of affairs in imperial times. Arranged and mercenary marriages were considered normal practice then. A wealthy man could have as many wives as he pleased. Widows were not allowed to remarry and no woman could ever ask for a divorce. Mao changed all that. His first â€Å"Marriage Law† abolished the system of arranged or forced marriage and extended equal protection to women and children. The new legislation forbade bigamy, child marriage and public interference in the freedom for widows to remarry. Mao took personal interest in the implementation of the measure. â€Å"The Marriage Law affects all people's interests and is one of the basic laws of China, next only to the constitution,† he emphasized. â€Å"It is the legal means through which to carry out reform of the marriage and family system in China, the weapon with which to fight the feudal family system, and the tool necessary to establish and develop a new marriage and family system.† Noble goals notwithstanding, Mao's reforms weren't greeted well in a country steeped in a long tradition of patriarchy. Some derided the edict as a formula for societal instability that was sure to trigger an epidemic of divorces. â€Å"It is a law for divorce,† these naysayers argued. In some ways, they were right. Divorce is fast becoming something of an emerging trend in modern China, where successive marriage laws have empowered women who now initiate more than 70 percent of break ups. In fact, so pervasive is this trend that in a story some years ago, The New York Times Seth Faison pointed out that it was even beginning to affect the way ordinary Chinese greet each other in the street. â€Å"For years,† Faison wrote, â€Å"people have greeted each other with a question that reflected the nation's primary concern: â€Å"Chi le ma?† or â€Å"Have you eaten?† Now according to a popular joke in Beijing, people who see a friend on the street voice a new concern: â€Å"Li le ma?† â€Å"Have you divorced?† But unlike other countries, where divorce is seen as a social problem, the Chinese seem to view this trend as a sign of the changing tide for women in a country where they were once mere objects of desire. As the Beijing Youth Daily explained in a story a while back: â€Å"The high rate of divorce reflects a kind of ‘master of my own fate' notion among urban residents. From an overall perspective, it represents a kind of social advancement.† Financial independence resulting from a surge of women in the workforce seems to be driving the divorce rate. Chinese women now actually do hold up half the sky. They account for more than 46 percent of the total working population according to statistics. Women experts and entrepreneurs have come to the forefront in large numbers, playing key roles in hi-tech industries as well as large and medium state-owned enterprises. This has helped level the balance. â€Å"In the past, women were very dependent on men for survival. They were not allowed to work. Today in China, women earn their own money. They are becoming more and more independent, and so they need not remain married to men that aren't loyal to them,† said Huang Yan Ling, an English teacher at the Zibo Foreign Language School. Huang was raised in Zibo, the rural northeastern city in Shandong Province where she now teaches middle school. As a mother herself, and someone who grew up away from the relatively liberal atmosphere of the rapidly westernizing cities along China's eastern coast, she isn't a loud supporter of the spate of divorces. â€Å"I think it is very bad for the children,† she emphasized, when asked why she balked at the trend. Nevertheless, she is delighted that increasing numbers of Chinese women are standing up for themselves, and places the blame for failed marriages squarely on the infidelity of the men involved. â€Å"When most men approach middle age, they have a lot of money. When they have money, they look for younger girls because they just want to have fun. They don't really love their wives,† she suggested matter-of-factly. â€Å"So it is good for some women to file for divorce.† Nevertheless, there is room for tightening up the law to facilitate separations while preventing the situation from spiraling out of hand. One of the ways Huang points to is increasing the amount of alimony payable as child support. â€Å"In China, if a couple files for divorce, the woman usually gets custody of the child. This places her in a difficult position. The man can get away with making payments as low as 300 Reminbi Yuan (approximately $38) per month,† she explained. â€Å"I think this is not right. Men should be made to pay more. That way, maybe they will think twice about cheating on their wives.† At the end of the day, whether bane or boon, China's climbing divorce rate is an indicator of significant social change. Mao's China has opened up for women doors they could never previously have hoped to unlock. Today, women wear the pants in many families here. And although you won't get their husbands to admit it, most married men live in peril of their wives ire. Take Yu Ke Hong for example, one of my colleagues at the Zibo Foreign Language School. A month ago, my brother-in-law, Brian, and I, tried to coax him into buying a dog for his family while we were out pet shopping at the weekend â€Å"dog market.† Yu laughed when we presented the suggestion, then added candidly that his wife would â€Å"throw him out of the house† if he showed up on his doorstep with the cute Chinese Shar-Pie we had picked out for him since she didn't care much for dogs. Enough said. You know who calls the shots in his household. Leon D'souza is a frequent contributor to the Hard News Cafe

You Are Never Too Old to Do Anything

You are never too old to do anything People that think that elderly people are too old to do the things which the younger generation are quite capable to do are guilty of both; lack of conviction and uncertainty. Long-standing people are just as capable as we are of fulfilling their dreams and living the way that they want to live due to them being more experienced than us in life for which they know more than the younger generation. Undoubtedly, there will be differing opinions from their family members and from the people that care about them about this issue.However, taking the movie Rocky as an example, it was is clearly obvious how outstandingly well talented boxer he was for which he returned in the ring and became a role model for the younger generation looking up to him. Do you think that elderly people are too old to do anything? Furthermore, aged people are not to be doubted on as they have worked harder than us at our age to achieve what they have achieved. This portrays t he determination that elderly people have to achieve their targets and that if they are given a chance they can do unexpected things with their will power.Conversely, it could be bad for their health as well due to their age, as they are getting older their health is becoming a very essential factor because old people’s bones and functions in the body are becoming weaker day by day. As well as that, as you get older your body takes time to respond to new things differently and takes time to adapt. Therefore, there are positive and negative sides to old people doing things that people think that is harmful for them.Moreover, Fauja Singh for example is known as a veteran because he is 101 years old and is continuously participating in marathons and getting past the finish line in 6 hours which he wants to beat to break the record. This portrays the commitment and determination old aged people have when they set themselves a target, in addition, it also demonstrates that when ol d aged men keep fit they can achieve anything they want. In July 2012, Fauja Singh carried the Olympic torch which is a great achievement for a very old man; aged people need a sense of accomplishment to keep them going and also to keep them occupied rather than sitting at home.Obviously, there would have been downfalls to earn this achievement but the accomplishment in the end outweighs the downfalls. On the other hand, other people may be against old people trying to achieve unthinkable goals because they want to give the younger generation a chance. When old people do unthinkable things they are all over the news for doing it due to which the younger generations will get less popularity, they are then compared to veterans. However, when old people return from retirement to do what they want to do, they enjoy doing it for which they maintain a good health and sound mind to improve furthermore.A living example right now for this is a famous football player called Paul Scholes. Neve rtheless, there are some others who might be against this because they think that elderly people are not capable of doing what they want to do anymore therefore they try keep them away from it so that they don’t get harmed or get a critical illness which is very likely as you get old. Caring for your elders is a very superior thing to do and it is understandable but if you really worry about your elders then you should encourage them to do what they want to do.Then again, if older people get a long term injury in doing what they want to do then it will cause a lot of pain not only for the aged person but also to his/her family. After all he/she has responsibilities to fulfil as well, therefore, it is really hard for the old aged people to return doing what they love doing because of their everyday jobs and their family which they now have to look after whether it’s a male or a female they both share equal responsibilities. As a result, if a long term injury occurs then all of these factors can’t be put aside.Alternatively, injuries happen to everyone whether the person is young or old so you can’t stop doing something just because of the risks it has for the reason that everything has risks. To conclude, old people need to motivated and encouraged to do what they want to do because an elder doing something, even just participating, gives them a sense of accomplishment which is better than sitting at home depressed. I am aware of the risks of physical injuries and internal damages that may occur but no one should give up on doing something before trying.These elders can inspire the younger generation at the end of the day, therfore; I think elderly people should be motivated in doing what they want to do. 6 5 4 3 2 1 To conclude, old people need to motivated and encouraged to do what they want to do because an elder doing something, even just participating, gives them a sense of accomplishment which is better than sitting at home dep ressed. I am aware of the risks of physical injuries and internal damages that may occur but no one should give up on doing something before trying.These elders can inspire the younger generation at the end of the day, therefore; I think elderly people should be motivated in doing what they want to do. Then again, if older people get a long term injury in doing what they want to do then it will cause a lot of pain not only for the aged person but also to his/her family. After all he/she has responsibilities to fulfil as well, therefore, it is really hard for the old aged people to return doing what they love doing because of their everyday jobs and their family which they now have to look after whether it’s a male or a female they both share equal responsibilities.As a result, if a long term injury occurs then all of these factors can’t be put aside. Alternatively, injuries happen to everyone whether the person is young or old so you can’t stop doing something j ust because of the risks it has for the reason that everything has risks. On the other hand, other people may be against old people trying to achieve unthinkable goals because they want to give the younger generation a chance. When old people do unthinkable things they are all over the news for doing it due to which the younger generations will get less popularity, they are then compared to veterans.However, when old people return from retirement to do what they want to do, they enjoy doing it for which they maintain a good health and sound mind to improve furthermore. A living example right now for this is a famous football player called Paul Scholes. Nevertheless, there are some others who might be against this because they think that elderly people are not capable of doing what they want to do anymore therefore they try keep them away from it so that they don’t get harmed or get a critical illness which is very likely as you get old.Caring for your elders is a very superio r thing to do and it is understandable but if you really worry about your elders then you should encourage them to do what they want to do. Furthermore, aged people are not to be doubted on as they have worked harder than us at our age to achieve what they have achieved. This portrays the determination that elderly people have to achieve their targets and that if they are given a chance they can do unexpected things with their will power.Conversely, it could be bad for their health as well due to their age, as they are getting older their health is becoming a very essential factor because old people’s bones and functions in the body are becoming weaker day by day. As well as that, as you get older your body takes time to respond to new things differently and takes time to adapt. Therefore, there are positive and negative sides to old people doing things that people think that is harmful for them.People that think that elderly people are too old to do the things which the youn ger generation are quite capable to do are guilty of both; lack of conviction and uncertainty. Long-standing people are just as capable as we are of fulfilling their dreams and living the way that they want to live due to them being more experienced than us in life for which they know more than the younger generation. Undoubtedly, there will be differing opinions from their family members and from the people that care about them about this issue.However, taking the movie Rocky as an example, it was is clearly obvious how outstandingly well talented boxer he was for which he returned in the ring and became a role model for the younger generation looking up to him. Do you think that elderly people are too old to do anything? Moreover, Fauja Singh for example is known as a veteran because he is 101 years old and is continuously participating in marathons and getting past the finish line in 6 hours which he wants to beat to break the record.This portrays the commitment and determination old aged people have when they set themselves a target, in addition, it also demonstrates that when old aged men keep fit they can achieve anything they want. In July 2012, Fauja Singh carried the Olympic torch which is a great achievement for a very old man, aged people need a sense of accomplishment to keep them going and also to keep them occupied rather than sitting at home. Obviously, there would have been downfalls to earn this achievement but the accomplishment in the end outweighs the downfalls.

Parental Substance Abuse essays

Parental Substance Abuse essays The Social influence that is most significant was when growing up as a child; I was exposed to parental substance abuse. By the time I turned ten, my mother was addicted to crack. Before I turned twelve, my mother had a little brother that I had to take care of. As a result, I had to grow up at an early age. I was deprived of my childhood because I had to raise myself as well as my brother. For example, instead of playing hop scotch and double-dutch, I became the responsible child for the environment that I was in. I would direct my brother in the room and close the door because my mother was under the influence, and I did not want my brother to have to endure that. I would ensure that my brother completed his homework. I fed him, instructed him to take a bath, put his night clothes on and then go to bed. This routine became the norms (Myers 2013) for this twelve year old little girl who had a flow chart across her bed room wall marking down what she needed to do. I assumed a lot of responsibility because I needed some type of structure. In addition, I was very frightened for me and my brothers well being, because of the concern that I had pertaining to my mother dying as a result of her addiction to crack. In my eyes, my mother wanted to be drug addict and not a mother to her children. As a result, I adopted dual attitude system.(Myers 2013) The conflict of my attitudes was I disliked my mother because of her addiction, but because she is my mother, I had to respected her enough not to tell her how I really felt. As a result, my social life was limited because I conjured up a low self esteem. (Myers 2013) I avoided bringing home friends or going out in public with my mother. I avoided making friends out of the profound fear of what other parents would say about troubled families. Consequently, learned helplessness (Myers 2013) kicked in because I did not understand my mothers mood and behavior was determined by th...

Macro-Economic Policies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Macro-Economic Policies - Essay Example At the heart of this conflict is not only the politics of Royal and Sarkozky, or the pitting of ideals of the Socialists against the Rightists, but also the more crucial macroeconomic issues the country face, the extent of the government's efforts to provide solutions to these quandaries and the future political and economic stability of the country. It is therefore, crucial to understand the major macroeconomic issues which plague France as a nation and evaluate the actions and the success the government has taken in order to achieve economic stability. One of the key issues, which challenge the nation in recent decades, is the high rate of unemployment. The French government in the past has taken diverse approach and initiatives to spur growth and employment. However, the approach was not feasible to provide solutions to the problem of rising unemployment rate (OECD, 2007). The OECD has encouraged the French government to bring forward measures that could advance structural changes in the economy. The organisation has identified three main problems the government need to recognise: a) guarantee medium-term financial viability and develop the tax system structure to augment benefits and minimize expenditure, b) raise employment rate among low-skilled workers and focus on particular groups through the restructuring of the labour market institution, c) improve the possibility of growth and jobs creation through further economic reforms which in turn encourage competition (OECD 2007). In addition, the current French policy and procedu res for the firing of workers especially permanent labourers are more intricate compared to the dismissal of temporary workers. If a firm wants to dismiss a permanent worker, it has to provide legal justifications which are too rigorous to follow. Thus, redundant workers become a burden and liability of the company as the firms themselves are obliged to help dismissed workers find employment (OECD 2007). This hinders the majority of companies in France to provide permanent contracts to their employees, adversely affecting the job prospects of the youth and the unskilled. In the recent years, the government has come up with a solution by introducing a special contract called the "Contrats Nouvelles Embauches" which gives companies - those which do not have more than 20 workers - the flexibility to terminate the contract in the span of two years. However, the contract requires firms to disburse high severance payments (OECD 2007). Another economic dilemma France struggle to hurdle is the public sector deficit. Although the government has been successful in curbing deficit in the past couple of years, France is not ready for the long-term effects of indiscreet expenditures on health and pension resulting from the ageing of the population. Hence, despite the significant reforms the government has already achieved, OECD recommends that the ratio of public debt to GDP be reduced. GDP or Gross Domestic Products refers to the value of all the goods and services produced within a state or a country in a particular period of time. This is also the sum of consumption, investments as well as other various elements such as government's expenditure and export/output. France's GDP gap widened over the year as compared to government expenditure but GDP growth has becoming stronger over the years moving from 1 percent a year from the year 2000 to about 2 percent

Is genetic engineering ethical right Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Is genetic engineering ethical right - Essay Example Ethics is concerned with what is right or what is wrong. Defining ethics for stem cell research is quite challenging. Researchers and scientists have been focusing on the risks of the stem cell research and any issues and concerns that are raised by the general society. Some researchers claimed that they do not know exactly where to draw the line regarding ethics in stem cell research when scientists organized a panel to discuss the ethical issues that may arise in this field (Nathan, 2006). Situational ethics depend on the situation of something at a given time and applying the moral principles to what has been done to determine whether it is right or wrong. Situational ethics do not have adherence to specific rules and is based on the greater good. The person has to do what is right morally to achieve the goals of situational ethics. However, there are some things which are deemed good but they are wrong in some ways. This makes such things to be rejected by some people despite agr eement that they have sustainable solutions. For example, the stem cell research is widely accepted by all people. However, the source of the stem cells is considered wrong as it increased immorality (Oxford Dictionaries, 2013). On the other hand, Utilitarianism ethics which are also known as consequential ethics are based results of an action. If the consequences are good, then the consequences are morally right but when the consequences are bad, then the act is termed as morally wrong. In the stem cell research, the use of blastocysts as source of stem cells leads to death of the expected child. As it is widely believed, the life of a person starts immediately the sperm fuses with an ovum. As such, when a blastocyct is used, the embryo that would have grown to be fetus and a child is killed (Sinnott-Armstrong, 2012). Stem cell research can change the medical field dramatically, by providing cure for genetic diseases but has been faced with a number of situational and consequential ethical issues which have to be addressed to maximize on the benefits of this field. Embryonic stem cell research is based on undifferentiated cells in the blastocysts. This is a round ball like structure which is formed immediately after fertilization of the egg by the sperm. Its formation starts in the fifth day after fertilization when the zygote has settled on the wall of the uterus. Blastocysts are made up of cells which are to form all the parts of the body during the pregnancy. As such, the cells are differentiating at a very high rate. Since most of the cells are not differentiated, they can be used by scientists and researchers to form any part of the body. The fact that there are many undifferentiated cells that can be obtained from a single blastocyct makes the scientists and researchers to prefer them for stem cell research. Blastocysts for obtaining stem cell research are obtained in several ways. One, scientists and researchers are said to have agreements with abortio n clinics. The agreement is for the clinics to surrender viable blastocysts to the scientists and researchers within a given period of time. In this case, when the clinics come across aborted embryos that would be good candidates for obtaining stem cells, they store them and pass them to the stem cell research laboratories for obtaining the cells. The situational ethical question here is whether it is morally right to take