Macroeconomic Analysis: Russia

Since the financial crisis in 1998, Russia has been experiencing impressive economic growth due to the collaboration of monetary and fiscal policies that stabilized the performance of major economic indicators up to this day. Many economists regard the impressive performance of Russia as part increase of the volume of investment in the said country. On the other hand, some says that the notable growth of Russia should be attributed to the increase of oil prices in the international market (Traveldocs.com 2008: 1). Despite of the various claims on what really was the foundation of Russia’s economic stability for the past nine years, it would be better to examine first what are the performances of some major economic indicators like GDP Growth, Balance of Trade, Inflation Rate, Unemployment Rate and Interest Rate of the said country for the past four years. GDP Growth Rate In 2004, Russia experienced 7.76 percent growth on their GDP from 1.4 billion USD of 2003 to approximately 1.5 billion USD of 2004 (Alcarastore.com 2008: 1). This increase in the GDP growth rate was triggered by the improvement of consumer demand from 2003 to 2004. On the other hand, by the end of 2005, Russia experienced sluggish improvement on the growth of GDP from 7.76 to 6.93 percent primarily due to the instability happened on the investment component of the economy caused by unclear limit and conditions non foreign investment, obsolete infrastructure as well as delayed economic reforms of the government. But in general sense, the GDP of Russia still increased by around 150 million USD. By 2006, Russia once again performed robust increase on their GDP growth rate from 6.93 to 7.8 percent as the economy starts to recover from the adverse effects of unstable investment climate caused by delayed fiscal policies. Last 2007, the Russian GDP already reached its 2 billion USD level which caused their GDP growth rate to achieved 8.3 percent growth level as the investors and consumption continues to improve in the domestic market of Russia. Trade Balance Another major economic indicator of Russia’s economic performance would be the Trade Balance. For the past four years, the trade balance of Russia has been performing remarkable as this economic indicator continues to increase from 2004 to 2007 due to the strong consumer demand and fixed capital formation growth of the Russian economy. In 2004, the trade balance of Russia reached around 85.8 billion USD as the consequence of the increase of their non-oil exports by the end of 2003. The improvement of non-oil exports of Russia continued to positively influence the trade balance of the said country for the succeeding years like in 2005, the trade balance increased by 23 billion USD while it increased by 22 billion in 2006 (The Federal State Statistics Office Service 2007: 1). Though there was a slight growth in the trade balance of Russia during 2007 due to the significant excess of growth rates of import above the growth rates of exports. Nonetheless, the Russian economists is still optimistic regarding the performance of the trade balance of the Russian economy this year as their monetary and fiscal policies starts to combat the said issue on trade balance. Inflation Rate Prices of goods in Russia has been experiencing sluggish growth rate since 2003 as the result of the fiscal policies of the Russian government despite of the fact that they also have to lower down their unemployment rate. Theoretically, if unemployment rate decreases, inflation is being expected to increase based from the Philips Curve, but with the fiscal policies of the Russian government such as the bilateral market access agreement with the United States as a prelude to their possible entry to WTO, prices of domestic goods starts to decrease thereby creating a force for the inflation rate to decline since 2003 (Indexmundi.com 2007a: 1). In 2004, the inflation rate was equivalent to 13.7 percent while it reached 11.5 percent in 2005 (Indexmundi.com 2007c: 1). Though it increased again to 12.7 percent in 2006, inflation rate still managed to continue its good performance in 2007 by reaching 9.8 percent as the policies on regional monopolies and trade regulation of the Russian government starts to work on their economic system to stabilize the domestic prices of goods and services (Russiatoday.ru 2007: 1). Unemployment Rate As the number of job opportunities in Russia continues to increase for the past years plus the effort of the Russian government to attract more foreign investors to their economy, unemployment rate starts to decline since 2004 with 8.5 percent unemployment rate. By the start of 2005, the Russian government already felt the positive impact of their rigorous action to provide more job opportunities to the Russian labor pool which resulted to the further deterioration of unemployment rate from 8.5 percent of 2004 to 8.3 percent of 2005 and then from 7.6 percent in 2006 to 6.6 percent of 2007 (Indexmundi.com 2007b: 1). This only means that the Russian government has been successful for the past four years in combating the unemployment rate of their country which could further contribute to their impressive economic growth in the next coming years. Interest Rates One of the most concerns of foreign investors, interest rate on borrowing in Russia exhibits good investment condition as it continues to decreases annually due to the stable financial sector of Russia for the past years after the financial crisis in 1998. The loan rate or the interest rate on borrowing on Russia in 2004 was equal to 11.4 percent and decreased to 10.7 percent by 2005 as the Russian government started to implement economic reforms on their financial institutions in order to make their economy more attractive to foreign investors. As a result, with the stable financial sector and fiscal policies to attract more foreign investors, interest rate on borrowing continues to decline from 10.4 percent in 2006 to 10 percent in 2007 with accordance to Ordinance No. 1660 dated in February 17, 2006 (The Central Bank of the Russian Federation 2005: 1). Economic Strengths and Weaknesses Based from the given performance of Russia’s major economic indicators, it is clear that the business environment in Russia is very much attractive and provides a better outlook in the next couple of years. Like for instance, the impressive growth of their GDP, it only signifies how active is the domestic consumption and investment level in the Russian economy and gives the investors a bird’s eye view of the possible return to investment that the Russian economy could give to them. Moreover, despite of the fact that there were some periods wherein the Russian economy performs badly, but the point is, with the proper action of the Russian government, almost all of the economic problems was resolved and put the market back into its equilibrium condition. Another example of the strengths of the Russian economy would be the cheap borrowing in Russia as their interest rate on borrowing continues to declines for the past years in order to attract more foreign investors to their economy. This would provide further improvements on the investment sector of the Russian economy plus the possibility of increase in the number of job opportunities for the Russian labor pool. As a result, economic activity in Russia is expected to boost alongside with the improvement in the investment and labor sector of the economy. Most of the time, investors prefer countries that can offer cheaper loans in order to finance their business expansion especially those multinational companies that aggressively finds more countries which could give them competitive advantage either in a form of cheaper labor, loans, technologies, favorable government subsidies and other factors of production to name a few. Furthermore, the effort of the Russian government to become less dependent on their oil exports in order to attain impressive economic growth by increasing the volume of their non-oil exports goods and services. This would provide an avenue towards the attainment of sustainable growth on their trade balance. The fact that the Russian oil exports already provides large chunk on the total GDP of the country plus the improvement on the volume of their non-oil exports reflects the increasing trend of their trade balance for the past years. Maybe this is one of the results of attracting more foreign investors in Russia which establishes manufacturing plants in Russia and then export the finished products to the international markets. The last but not the least strength of the Russian economy would be the increase in the number of job opportunities for their labor sector. This provides enough room for the Russian consumers to have more disposable income which reflects to the increasing domestic consumption of their consumers in the recent years. As a result of the increase in disposable income of the consumers, domestic investment becomes more profitable thereby attracting domestic investors to establish or expand their business. At the end of the day, both the foreign and domestic investors in Russia works hand in hand in order to utilize the Russian labor sector; while on the other hand, it also provides an avenue towards the improvement per capita income of the Russians. One of the major weaknesses of the Russian economy would be the dependence on the foreign direct investments which could cause major damages on their economic stability once the financial sector in Russia becomes unsuitable to foreign investment. What the Russian government should do is to intensify their domestic investments in order to provide enough room for their domestic investors to utilize the improvement made the foreign investors on the economic environment in Russia through rapid expansion and regulation of regional monopolies in order for other domestic investors to enter various industries. Evaluation of the Government Policy The Ordinance No. 1660 which provides the further decrease of the interest rate on borrowing since 2006 serves to be one of the effective policies of the Russian government in order to make the Russian economy more attractive to foreign investors. Furthermore, this policy only provides an impression to the foreign market how stable the Russian financial sector is since they manage to offer lower interest rates on borrowing to foreign investors. The Russian government is very much confident that they can sustain such policy since they possesses large amount of foreign reserves that can easily be liquidated in case of money shortages in the economy (Ignatiev 2007: 1-2). The bilateral market access agreement with the United States as a prelude to their possible entry to WTO of Russia is also a good policy in further improving the stability of the Russian economy since this provides an avenue towards the attainment of lower inflation rate in the domestic market as cheaper goods from other country starts to enter Russia. At the end of the day, the domestic prices of goods and services in Russian domestic market, especially those from the regional monopolies, would be forced to lower down their prices in order to compete to imported products coming from other countries thereby creating enough room for the inflation rate of Russia to depreciate for the past year. Works Cited Alcarastore.com (2008). Russia GDP PPP and GDP Growth Rates 2003-2007 [online]. Available: http://www.alacrastore.com/country-snapshot/Russia. [Accessed 2 April 2008]. Ignatiev, Sergey (2007). The Macroeconomic Situation and Monetary Policy in Russia [online]. Available: http://www.bis.org/review/r070608d.pdf [Accessed 2 April 2008]. Indexmundi.com (2007a). Russian Economy Profile 2007 [online]. Available: http://www.indexmundi.com/russia/economy_profile.html [Accessed 2 April 2008]. Indexmundi.com (2007b). Russia Unemployment Rate [online]. Available: http://www.indexmundi.com/russia/unemployment_rate.html [Accessed 2 April 2008]. Indexmundi.com (2007c). Russia Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices) [online]. Available: http://www.indexmundi.com/russia/inflation_rate_(consumer_prices).html [Accessed 2 April 2008]. Russiatoday.ru (2007). Russia to miss 2007 inflation target: Economic Minister [online]. Available: http://www.russiatoday.ru/business/news/15319 [Accessed 2 April 2008]. The Central Bank of the Russian Federation (2005). Interest Rates in 2004 [online]. Available: http://www.cbr.ru/eng/statistics/credit_statistics/print.asp?file=interest_rates_04_e.htm [Accessed 2 April 2008]. The Federal State Statistics Office Service (2007). Foreign Trade of the Russian Federation [online]. Available: http://www.gks.ru/free_doc/2007/b07_12/25-02.htm [Accessed 2 April 2008]. Traveldocs.com (2008). Russian Federation: Economy [online]. Available: http://www.traveldocs.com/ru/economy.htm [Accessed 2 April 2008]. Â  

Ray Bradbury’s Predictions in Fahrenheit 451 Essay

As we all know, Ray Bradbury, Author of Fahrenheit 451, made many predictions as to what this day and age would be like. He was right in many cases including speed, entertainment, and the mindlessness of people. He predicted that nobody would speak more than a couple of words at a time to a certain person. That makes the people seem mindless because they don’t talk or ask questions. Ray also predicted that people would drive by places so fast that the y don’t even know what they passed. That has not quite happened in out tome yet, but I believe it is coming. One of the final things that Bradbury talks about in his book is entertainment, slowly but surely, people are starting to stay indoors and do such activities so they don’t have to go outside. Being obsessed with entertainment, which is probably the most obvious aspect of this book, is very important in our world and Montag’s made up society. The characters rarely have friends, and if they do, they just go over each other’s houses to watch television. Bradbury makes this clear when Mildred says to Montag, â€Å"I went to Helen’s last night† (50). He replies by saying, â€Å"Couldn’t you get the shows in your own parlor† (50). She says, â€Å"Sure, but it’s nice visiting† (50). In that statement she clarifies that the only reason she goes over friend’s houses is to watch television, not to talk, eat, or go outside and have a good time. An example of someone who is not obsessed with entertainment is Clarisse, the 17 year old girl who is â€Å"different† from everyone else because she enjoyed life. She enjoyed smelling flowers, walking in the rain, and getting into deep conversations with people. Clarisse thinks that all people ever do is watch the â€Å"Parlor Walls,† go to the races, and amusement parks. Our society is turning out to be like that, we have to stop it before it’s too late. A couple of years ago, family used to go to amusement parks as a treat every once in a while, now a days we have people that go almost every other day. Speed plays a very large role in the book Fahrenheit 451. People in their society were completely obsessed with speed; they increased the size of billboards to two hundred feet long so that the advertisement would last as the people rushed by it. Clarisse says, â€Å"My uncle drove slowly on a highway once; He drove forty miles an hour and they jailed him for two days† (9).  Clarisse also says that if you showed a truck driver a green blur, he will tell you that it’s grass. Second, if you show a truck driver and pink blur, he will tell you that it is a rose garden. Third, if you show a truck driver a white blur, he will say that it is a house. Finally, if you show a truck driver a brown blur, he will tell you that it is a cow. Towards the end of the book, Clarisse was suspected to have been hit by a speeding car and killed. That proves that people don’t slow down for anything and speed is a major part in Montag’s world. In our society, people are starting to get more and more speeding tickets. The police are really cracking down on people going over the speed limit. People are constantly on the move, going fast to get more done. People are now making microwavable dinners, eating on the run, and many are resorting to eating fast food. They know that it is not good for you but they eat it anyway because it is fast, and it keeps them going at the pace, they want to keep their lives going at. Cars these days are getting faster and faster, you pay a little bit more and get a BMW or a Porsche, just to keep up the speed that all of us think we have to stay at. People in both Montag’s society and our society today are very mindless. In Montag’s society, all people do is watching the â€Å"parlor walls.† You are considered odd or weird if you enjoy talking, asking questions, or enjoying things in nature. Clarisse if one of those people that Montag’s society considers to be odd. She loves to ask questions and get into deep conversations with people; in fact her whole family is like that. Even when Montag first meets her, he is very amazed by how â€Å"weird† she is. Guy looks at Clarisse and laughs when she tells him that fireman actually used to stop fires that started by accident. She asks him if he ever reads any of the books that he is told to burn. He turns to her and yells, â€Å"That’s against the law! (8)† That is the point at which Guy really starts to wonder about books and why they are burning them. Mildred is one of the people in the made up world that is very mindless. She  always watches her parlor walls and has friends over to just watch with her, they never talk or anything which proves to me that she is very mindless. In our world, technology is getting to the point where we don’t have to leave our houses very much. That is scary because I am afraid that we are going to turn out just like Bradbury predicted. This story is coming true and there is very few things that we can do about it. Speed, entertainment, and mindlessness of people are starting to come true in our world today. It is surprising that Bradbury could make so many predictions so many years ago and have them be so accurate. Overall Ray Bradbury is a very good author that catches the attention of his readers by telling them what things will be like in the future. I certainly hope that all of these negative things that Bradbury predicted will not become any truer as time progresses.

Adolescence Acting Out In Group Theraphy

Acting-out means performing an act that expresses emotional conflict in the individual. The emotional conflict may be subconscious. The actions done in acting out are usually antisocial and are meant for getting attention. Behaviors acted out include drug taking, or behaving promiscuously.Actions in this category are harmful to the individual and stand in the way of the individual developing constructive behavioral responses to feelings. Acting out is the opposite of response to feelings in ways like talking out, or psychodrama. (Blatner, 1996)This behavior happens within group processes and is studied in group dynamics which is the study of groups. The group dynamics study’s primary concern is small group behavior. A group is a number of individuals who are brought together by social relations. Groups develop peculiar dynamic behaviors among its members due to their close interaction.According to psychoanalysis findings by Sigmund Freud, human actions can be explained by look ing at the conscious and the subconscious part of the mind. The unconscious is a section of the mind that is not immediately connected to perceptions but is a store of a persons past experiences. The past experiences come out of the unconscious to the conscious and in a way affect our personalities.The imperative here is that the motivations for acting out are beyond conscious control. However the motivations can be accessible through inference on behavior as the actions are believed to be the expression of repressed material. (Jones, 1973)The term used to describe the relation of experiences from one interpersonal setting to another is called transference. It deals with revisiting past experiences in existing circumstances. The relation of past and present behaviors are established by other people who come into contact with the individual. The individual will be discovered to be trying to address the unresolved issues from his/her past.  In this paper, group therapy is tackled on the basis of psychotherapy, and psychoanalytic studies. Psychotherapy is the field that specializes in investigating the manifestations of relations of past actions on the present actions with aim of helping the persons overcomes the influence. Psychotherapists look into the unconscious projections of transference.In psychoanalytic study transference is seen as a source of conflict and as one of the influences of choices in life including occupations. They lead a person to be interested in certain things like settings, and people. It therefore unites the past and the present.A good understanding of transference helps psychotherapists understand the causes of some human behavior more clearly in order to be able to implement effective interventions. According to Sigmund Freud the formative experiences of a person are critical, and relationships of childhood years are reflected with other significant ones through life. The earlier events come out in repeated difficulties in relationsh ips and dreams.Lack of happiness and conflict can in this case be understood through knowledge of unconscious human motivations. (Nickel, 1987)The repressed materials are thus acted out. Interpretations of acting out of individuals vary with the contexts under which they act, and the audiences that witness the actions. In the context of parenting acting out is literally understood. It means acting those desires that are forbidden by the society.According to psychoanalysis study the laws in the society make the Superego and a person’s body of desires is called the Id. The Superego acts on the Id to make a person behave in socially acceptable manner. Freud used the theory of psychoanalysis to devise ways of treating patients with mental problems.  The initial desires of the individual are replaced with socially accepted behavior in a process called sublimation. However, in acting out the individual goes contrary to the authority of the superego on the Id. Acting out entails c oping with pressure by giving in to the desires of the Id. The person who acts out their desires do it with little or no regard to their conscience and with little thought.Hence the acts are either deliberately bad or unpremeditated wrongdoing. Even when the people are aware of their wrongdoing they try to protect themselves against the society’s censure by hiding their deeds. Other coping mechanisms that use are such as denial which is used to protect one from feelings of shame. (Freud, 1972)Acting out in essence is handling pressure by giving in to the desires. It is however not actually coping, for coping mechanisms try to handle pressure and not conforming to it.Acting out is the opposite of sublimation. Unlike in sublimation where the desired action is replaced by another socially acceptable activity, here the desire is acted out bluntly. Such things as temper tantrums are episodes of acting out. At the early age the children have not developed communication means for th eir distress feelings.Thus they use tantrums as an effective means of alerting parents of their needs and commanding attention. But then when the children pass through the society they learn to get attention through strategies that are socially acceptable and that are constructive.It is then interesting that the behavior of acting out shows again during the years of adolescence in many youths. It comes in the form of acts of rebellious nature such as smoking, and drug abuse that can be seen as a cry for recognition.The youth may be disruptive, a behavior that is caused by an inability to control emotions in other ways. During adolescence emergence of antisocial and criminal behavior occurs. This behavior goes on into adulthood with considerable loss that comes from the action to the individual, families and also the community. Attempts to identify risk factors of antisocial and criminal behavior have been done with aim of preventing the problems.Some of the risk factors are identifi ed in the years of beginning primary school. At this age there is identified difference of acting in that two groups are found. The groups are the antisocial and social. From this age there is difference of behavior between the two groups. In mid childhood the antisocial group manifested higher levels of acting out, and showed more trouble behaviors like hyper action and aggression. They were also found to act in manner craving for attention.Problematic behavior continues in late childhood. The children continue showing problematic behavior. They also become less cooperative; have lesser self control, as well as poor communication with their parents. At this age the children probably have acquired friends who practice antisocial behavior. During adolescence, the antisocial group gets more significantly different from the social group.The differences between the groups were centered on aspects of temperamence such as negativity, low persistence, volatility, involvement in risky activ ities, and acting out. Acting out is a manifestation of all the other aspects of the individual psyche at this time.A study on the prevalence of HIV and AIDS among Australian youths illuminates the study of acting out. Heckerman in the report of the study states that there has been an increase in infection rates of youths with the deadly HIV through engaging in promiscuous behaviors. The rate of levels of adolescents who are infected with the HIV has increased in the past ten years, in spite of the education on the disease being taught in the schools and family courses.With the teens receiving this information it becomes a matter of concern that the rate of infection continue to rise.  Ã‚   However, studies show that knowledge and behavioral changes are not directly correlated.   It has been established that despite the youths having adequate knowledge on HIV, the knowledge does not influence a change of risky sexual behavior.It is seen here that the youths who act out by resort ing to risky social behavior have influence that is manifested in the subconscious. (Heckerman, 2002)  In an essay on group analysis Rosenthal relates the issue of the persistent influence of subconscious on the actions of the individual on an aspect of psychoanalytic study called resistance. Resistance is understood to be an inadequate, wrongly adopted, and an indirect manner of self revelation.Using the media of resistance the psychoanalytic patient tips that he/she cannot engage in verbal communication with emotional significance. (Rosenthal, 1979).Analytic treatment exacts great demands for efforts on the part of the patient as it does on the physician. They are both demanded to overcome their inner resistances. By overcoming the resistances the patients’ mental, life is changed permanently.The patient is hence lifted into a higher level of development and remains above possibilities of regression. It takes effort to overcome the resistances as the analytic treatment is achieved. (Freud, 1916)In the essay above it has been seen that the phenomenon of acting out has got many sides to itself. A clear understanding of the concepts of transference, resistance, psychotherapy, leads one to a better understanding of the concept of acting out and helps in discerning the processes involved in the minds of those who act out and hence help in administering group therapy.References Blatner, A. (1996). Acting-in: Practical Applications of Psycho-dramatic Methods.Springer Publishing Company.Freud, Sigmund (1922) Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego. New York: Liveright Publishing.

(help me make the topic) Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

(help me make the topic) - Research Proposal Example Researchers have had varying opinions on this subject. The purpose of this research is to determine the impact of government expenditure of economic growth of USA in order to eliminate the confusion revolving around this phenomenon. USA has the largest national economy. Its nominal GDP was estimated to be $15.8 trillion in the third quarter of 2012. This represents a quarter of the global nominal GDP. The 2007 credit crunch in the world began in the US economy leading to serious economic problems such as increased levels of unemployment and high levels of public debt. This led to increased government intervention in the economy to fasten recovery from the recession. Government intervention came in the form of increased expenditure in stimulus programs and change of macroeconomic policies. The total expenditure in 2012 was $3.796 trillion and has been on the increase throughout the past decade (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 24). According to Keynesian economics, an increase in government expenditure causes an increase in GDP via the multiplier effect. According to Keynes, GDP is a function of consumption expenditure, investment expenditure, government expenditure and net exports. There is therefore a positive relationship between a government expenditure and economic growth (Stefan and Magnus 1510). However, researchers have had different views on this subject. According to by Richard Rahn, government spending lead to increased economic growth up to some optimal level above which the economy begins to contract. Proponents of the Rahn curve theory suggest that optimal government expenditure should be between 15% and 25% of GDP (Surhone, Tennoe, Henssonow 10). In a study comparing the Anglo-American Model and European Models, James, Robert and Randall (20) studies the impact of government structure and size on economic development. The paper concludes that the government is able

How can a BMW franchise create Customer Engagement through Social Research Paper

How can a BMW franchise create Customer Engagement through Social Media - Research Paper Example According to the research findings the reasons behind the utilisation of the social media sites depend upon multifarious factors. Its utilisation may depend upon components such as company profile, products and customers that the company is serving. Social media websites can be considered as a good way through which the dependability as well as the goodwill of a company can be enhanced. People make use of social media sites for certain reasons such as for the purpose of interacting, collaborating, looking for counsel from the experts, disseminating of the multimedia, looking for opinions, contributing reviews as well as entertainment. Most of the people argue the fact that social media tends to bring a new sense of community by permitting them to connect with those who are similar to themselves i.e. like-minded people and people with similar tastes and preferences. A number of people are making use of the social media while initiating purchase decisions. The figure below demonstrates the use of social media by BMW and others and the benefits obtained by it in order to gain higher return on investment. The figure makes it apparent that BMW scores high in terms of revenues earned by making use of the social media. It is a well known fact that the new media environment is featured by interactivity and multi-dimensional communication flows. With the pace of time, the marketing functions have also started incorporating social media in its campaigns. (Yamamichi, 2011). The increased utilisation of social networking sites such as Facebook as well as Twitter in order to market the products as well as the services is gaining huge attention in the recent times. The companies make use of the social media sites as one of the significant communication channels so that they can gain feedback of the consumers. It has been recognised that on-line communities are considered as a vital component of social media since they offer the companies with cross-selling opportunities to v arious user groups sharing the similar platform (Donath, 2004). Social media can offer BMW with immediate feedbacks and present the company with quick indications regarding what is required in order to resolve pertinent issues. In the present times, the companies make use of the social media so that they can improve their marketing schemes. The purpose of social media must be to improve branding of the business of BMW and to increase the popularity of the product. It can be mentioned that the social media must also be utilised for the purpose of tracking the presence of the business online in order to ensure that the clients are not deteriorating the value of the brand (Zwart, Lindsay, Henderson, & Phillips, 2011). Certain authors have stated the fact that one of the main benefits of social media is to identify precisely regarding what the customers are thinking. Businesses also make use of the social media sites in order to increase the sales of the products and the services and in turn to increase the market share (Ali, 2011). Social media makes it easier for the companies to create relationships, position the brand properly and share exciting experiences and information with their customers (National Association of Insurance Commissioners, 2011). Web Users Frequency It has been found that the rate of internet penetration in Europe in the year 2011 had been 61.3% while the world average was 32.7%. Internet penetration in rest of the world has been 28.9%. The figure presented below helps

Reason for Arabs immigration to the USA Term Paper

Reason for Arabs immigration to the USA - Term Paper Example mmigration to the US are quite diverse: they come in search of financial welfare, to escape from regional conflicts and suppression and finally to actualize their intellectual potential. The first and the most popular reason for immigration to the US is to find a job and to earn money. In terms of Arabs immigration it should be mentioned that there were 2 major waves of migration to America (Suleiman, 1999). The first wave took place between 1870 and World War II. Most Arabs came from Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Palestine. The economic hardships that people faced in these countries made thousands of Arabs leave their homelands and move to America. There was a major economic crisis in Lebanon due to appearance of the Suez Canal in 1880s. It made Japanese silk more easily available and Lebanese silk industry collapsed. In addition to this, population in Arabic countries increased dramatically, whereas standards of living became worse and worse (Suleiman, 1999). As a result, to avoid unemployment and poverty, people started looking for jobs and better life abroad. As the US was the country of opportunities, most Arabs decided to move there. Another reason why Arabs migrated to America is a need for safety. The second wave of migration of Arabs to the US took place after World War II and it continues till present times. During this wave people came to the States almost from the whole Arabic world, including North Africa. Apart from aforementioned economic reasons, second-wave immigrants had another significant ground to leave their countries and move to America, and that is armed conflicts. Iran-Iraq, Palestine-Israel, Lebanon, Yemen – these were extremely unstable and unsafe regions for living. These regional conflicts and civil wars became a catalyst of the desire to move to America, where there was no war and no suppression. There is one vivid difference between first-wave and second-wave immigrants. Those Arabs, who immigrated to the US before World War II, did

Issue of health & food Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Issue of health & food - Annotated Bibliography Example Akineymi intelligently shares insights on how one can regain their health by applying right eating patterns. In spite of the health complications facing human beings, the author provides a framework that a person can embrace when working towards regaining their health. Essentially, it is important to appreciate the fact that some of the complications that arise due to the food we eat occur because we do not have the right information regarding the foods we eat. As such, the author focuses on the foods as well as the aspect of choice and its overall impact on our overall health. The author captures the potency of words when it comes to the diets we eat. As such, the author reiterates the role and impact of our feeding patterns especially concerningour overall health. The author shares important factors such as self-esteem, the importance of emotional awareness, the value of morality and the general perspectives aligned to what we eat. The reader gets a clear understanding of the importance of investing in knowledge and information especially when it comes to the individual choice of food. In the end, Asamoah shares some valuable insights on how one can benefit from an array of foods depending on their psychological orientations. Barrows shares on how a diet works within a specified timeframe. However, it requires an individual to take deliberate and informed steps when it comes to the choice. The type and nature of effects that you will experience during this process depend on several factors. The author captures some of the factors that influence or determine whether you will be successful or not. In a compelling and captivating fashion, the author shares factors to consider when choosing the right diet. The main theme of this book is on the individual freedom when choosing a diet. Minich, Deanna M. Chakra Foods for Optimum Health: A Guide to the Foods That Can Improve Your Energy, Inspire Creative Changes, Open Your

Lincoln Electric Business Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Lincoln Electric Business Case - Essay Example In early 1990s, the period that is focused in the case study, sale of arc welding equipments accounted for around 87% of their $853 million in total sales. As they â€Å"sold high-value, high-quality products at competitive prices and with outstanding customer service†, they were able to make even the corporate giants like General Electric and Westinghouse withdraw from the arc welding business. With such optimum success in their domestic market due to their quality products and efficient work culture or processes, Lincoln electric started having global aspirations in the early 1990s. Factors that triggered the company to take on the foreign expansion Before the initiation of its global expansion plans, Lincoln Electric actually had operations in Canada, Australia, and France. However, all the three functioned independently away from the direct influence of the Lincoln Electric’s headquarters, and so Lincoln was primarily viewed as an U.S. company. Thus, to achieve the tag of a global company, Lincoln started looking for opportunities or situations to arise. It happened first in early 1980s, when the U.S. economy faced financial slowdown. In order to survive or even succeed in those tough situations, the management put forth the idea of foreign expansion. The main argument was, if Lincoln is totally dependent on the domestic market and if that market gets affected by problems like financial slowdown, it may not have other options to survive and proliferate. Although, this idea was rejected by then top management team particularly William Irrgang, who headed Lincoln from 1965 until 1986, Lincoln had to initiate its foreign expansion plans, when the major Swedish manufacturer of arc-welding products, ESAB started making inroads into U.S. ESAB was already operating in the countries of Latin America and Far East Asia, apart from its home operations in Europe. Then, it suddenly bought two midsize arc welding manufacturers in the United States. This sho wed that ESAB had global ambitions and importantly wanted to make incursions into the U.S. domestic market, thereby capturing a sizable market share from Lincoln. To check ESAB growing influence, Lincoln â€Å"decided to take the battle to ESAB's markets in Europe and Latin America.† (Hastings 1999). Thus, to avoid over dependence on the domestic market particularly during tough financial times, to avoid saturation effect in the market, to aggressively compete with its competitor and also to look for potential opportunities in the foreign market, Lincoln decide to launch its foreign expansion plans. Thus, in 1986, after Irrgang died, his successor George E. "Ted" Willis, â€Å"dreamed of Lincoln's becoming a global power.† (Hastings 1999). Competitive advantages on which the foreign investments were based As mentioned above, Lincoln was able garner sizable market share, and achieved the tag of a successful company, mainly because it delivered quality products. They are able to do that by having optimal organizational processes, which was fully complemented by effective work force. The work force was skilled and experienced to come up with innovative and quality products in quick turnaround times. Their efficiency was further optimized by motivation programs, particularly the Lincoln’s incentive system. That system combined a bonus with piecework – â€Å"the practice of paying each factory worker on the basis of how many units he or she produces instead of hourly wages or salaries.†

General Aviation - Marketing Role Models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

General Aviation - Marketing Role Models - Essay Example The onus of the growth and maturity of the aviation industry lies on four significant individuals – Clyde Cessna, Walter Beech, Lloyd Stearman and Russ Meyer. Clyde was the pioneer in designing and building monoplanes while Stearman concentrated and manufactured biplanes. Stearman is responsible for the Boring Aircraft manufacturing Company that still serves the nation and the world today. Cessna and Beech had only rudimentary education up to fifth grade while Stearman and Meyer received formal education. Meyer, apart from being a pilot, was a good administrator and leader and is responsible to revive the light aircraft industry. An inner urge and quest for designing led Cessna, Beech and Stearman to create, design and build airplanes. The fact that this was possible without formal education demonstrates the technical acumen that existed in all of them. Beech and Stearman have been enshrined in the Aviation Hall of Fame for their invaluable contribution to the aviation industr y. All of them had a very humble beginning and could rise in life due to their dedication and creative abilities with which they were endowed. In the last 50 years the airlines industry of US has experienced reasonably profitable to devastatingly depressed periods. The US was the first major market to deregulate the industry in 1978 and it has experienced more turbulence than any other airline or region (Wikipedia). Deregulation led to higher competition and drop in airfares. This can be a major constraint for established carriers which tend to have a higher cost base compared to the new entrants. The global aviation industry is expected to grow at Compound Annual Growth rate (CAGR) of 5.6% in the period between 2004 and 2024 (Zinnov LLC, 2007). Air travel is correlated to wealth and has increased over the years with the increase in the GNI. The markets in the US and Europe are growing at a slower pace that the rest of the world. This is demonstrated through a fall in their global share

Swot analysis Essay Example for Free

Swot analysis Essay SWOT Analysis Strength 1. Strong Financial position of P G 2. Brand Loyalty 3. High Quality Products 4. Well known brand 5. Availability of Products in Different Sizes 6. Large Network for Distribution 7. Consumer Trust Weakness 1.Strong competition with clinic all clear 2.Lagging behind Clinic all clear in terms of creative campaign 3. Less popularity in rural areas compare to urban areas in India 4.Higher price than other brands makes it less popular with lower income classes Opportunity 1. Have a Great Opportunity in New developing areas of India. 2. Consumer behavior towards brand loyalty 3. High Rates of Imported Shampoos 4. Increase in the Shampoo consumption due to awareness 5. Heavy investment in the research of Shampoo Threats 1. High Competition in Indian Market 2. Threats from new entrants 3. Threats from plenty other options available to consumers 1. Strong Financial position of P G 2. Brand Loyalty 3. High Quality Products 4. Well known brand 5. Availability of Products in Different Sizes 6. Large Network for Distribution 7. Consumer Trust 1. CLEAR has partnered with the world’s leading dermatologists from the International Academy of Dermatology (IACD) to bring the first ever patented scalp nutrient technology –New CLEAR with Nutrium 10 to its consumers 2. Available in 5 different variants for different types of hair needs 3. Clear brand available in over 14 countries worldwide 4. Clear is the only brand that offers specially formulated Anti dandruff shampoo for men 5. Celebrity brand ambassadors and good advertising Weakness 1. Dominance only in the anti-dandruff shampoo segment, no variants available for normal shampoo usage 2. Multiple re-brandings over the years – Clinic Special to Clinic All Clear to ‘Clear’ at present. Can create confusion about the brand name among consumers. 3. Low market share even in the anti-dandruff shampoo segment as compared to competitors like Head Shoulders Opportunity 1. To align itself to the international quality standards this year Clinic All Clear has been re-launched this year as Clear 2.Introduction of Anti Dandruff Hair Oil that fights dandruff and strengthens hair from scalp, as a brand extension Threats 1.Highly competitive market having many players with similar offerings and cheaper rates 2. PG wrote to the Advertising Standards Council of India, which sought a response from HUL regarding an advertisement of Clear starring Bipasha Basu which had a muted reference to Head Shoulders in the advertisement

Do Endogenic Processes Influence Global Climate Systems Environmental Sciences Essay

Do Endogenic Processes Influence Global Climate Systems Environmental Sciences Essay All processes that take place inside  Earth  (and other  planets) are considered endogenous. They make the  continents  migrate, push the  mountains  up, and trigger  earthquakes  and  volcanism. Endogenous processes are driven by the warmth that is produced in the core of Earth by  radioactivity  and  gravity. The geography and movement of tectonic plates is a key influence on global climate as it determines the form of the ocean basins, Patterns of heat ransfer in the oceans, large scale atmospheric circulation and the geometry of mountain chains. The movement and geometry of the lithospheric plates is a key long term influence on global climate and hea transfer and plae movements can be both vertical e.g the formation of the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau or horizontal e.g sea floor spreading or the closing of the panama seaway and the development of the north atlantic gulf stream. Internal energy drives endogenic processes such as plate tectonics, volcanic activity, seismicity. The geography of the tectonic plates is a key influence on a global climate, this influences: the form and size of the ocean basins and land masses, patterns of heat transfer in the oceans thermohaline circulation, large scale atmospheric circulation and vertical heat exchange, the location and elevation of mountain chains and plateaus, the amount of elevated crust. The formation of the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau that began 52 to 44ma key events that led to a step change in the climate system and long term global cooling. Horizontal crustal movement the closing of the panama seaway around 4 ma and the development of the north atlantic gulf stream taking warm water to higher latitudes a key factor in the formation of ice sheets in the northern hemisphere. The closing of the panama seaway around 4ma and the development of the north atlantic gulf stream taking warm water to higher latitudes. The movement and geometry of the lithospheric plates is a key longterm influence on global climate and heat transfer, vertical crustal movements are most rapid at plate boundaries and we will be exploring their potential impact on weathering rates and carbon cycle. Location and elevation of mountain chains and high plateau landscapes across the earths surface is a key influence on climate over a range of timescales. The essay is about the last 65 million years, so the Big Bang theory is not really relevant. You need a nice range of examples to show how endogenic processes can influence global climate (long and short term). We covered some in the lectures (i.e. vertical and horizonatal crustal movements). We did not really look at volcanic processes, but you need to mention them too (short and longterm impacts) we mentioned other controls too (not related to endogenic processes) so you can mention them briefly to round things off. When Mount Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines June 15, 1991, an estimated 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide and ash particles blasted more than 12 miles (20 km) high into the atmosphere. The eruption caused widespread destruction and loss of human life. Gases and solids injected into the stratosphere circled the globe for three weeks. Volcanic eruptions of this magnitude can impact global climate, reducing the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earths surface, lowering temperatures in the troposphere, and changing atmospheric circulation patterns. The extent to which this occurs is an ongoing debate.  Large-scale volcanic activity may last only a few days, but the massive outpouring of gases and ash can influence climate patterns for years. Sulfuric gases convert to sulfate aerosols, sub-micron droplets containing about 75 percent sulfuric acid. Following eruptions, these aerosol particles can linger as long as three to four years in the stratosphere. Major eruptions alter the Earths radiative balance because volcanic aerosol clouds absorb terrestrial radiation, and scatter a significant amount of the incoming solar radiation, an effect known as radiative forcing that can last from two to three years following a volcanic eruption. Volcanic eruptions cause short-term climate changes and contribute to natural climate variability, says Georgiy Stenchikov, a research professor with the Department of Environmental Sciences at Rutgers University. Exploring effects of volcanic eruption allows us to better understand important physical mechanisms in the climate system that are initiated by volcanic forcing. Stenchikov and Professor Alan Robock of Rutgers University with Hans Graf and Ingo Kirchner of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology performed a series of climate simulations that combined volcanic aerosol observations from the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II) available from the Langley DAAC, with Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) data from the Goddard Space Flight Center DAAC. The research team ran a general circulation model developed at the Max Planck Institute with and without Pinatubo aerosols for the two years following the Pinatubo eruption. To study the sensitivity of climate response to sea surface temperature, using data from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory DAAC, they conducted calculations with climatologically mean sea surface temperature, as well as with those observed during particular El Nià ±o and La Nià ±a periods. By comparing the climate simulations from the Pinatubo eruption, with and without aerosols, the researchers found that the climate model calculated a general cooling of the global troposphere, but yielded a clear winter warming pattern of surface air temperature over Northern Hemisphere continents. The temperature of the tropical lower stratosphere increased by 4 Kelvin (4 °C) because of aerosol absorption of terrestrial longwave and solar near-infrared radiation. The model demonstrated that the direct radiative effect of volcanic aerosols causes general stratospheric heating and tropospheric cooling, with a tropospheric warming pattern in the winter. The modeled temperature change is consistent with the temperature anomalies observed after the eruption, Stenchikov says. The pattern of winter warming following the volcanic eruption is practically identical to a pattern of winter surface temperature change caused by global warming. It shows that volcanic aerosols force fundamental climate mechanisms that play an important role in the global change process. This temperature pattern is consistent with the existence of a strong phase of the Arctic Oscillation, a natural pattern of circulation in which atmospheric pressure at polar and middle latitudes fluctuates, bringing higher-than-normal pressure over the polar region and lower-than-normal pressure at about 45 degrees north latitude. It is forced by the aerosol radiative effect, and circulation in winter is stronger than the aerosol radiative cooling that dominates in summer. Man-made, or anthropogenic emissions can make the consequences of volcanic eruptions on the global climate system more severe, Stenchikov says. For instance, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the atmosphere start a chain of chemical reactions on aerosol surfaces that destroy ozone molecules in the mid-latitude stratosphere, intensifying observed stratospheric ozone depletion. While we have no observations, the 1963 Agung eruption on the island of Bali probably did not deplete ozone as there was little atmospheric chlorine in the stratosphere. In 1991 after the Pinatubo eruption, when the amount of CFCs in the stratosphere increased, the ozone content in the mid-latitudes decreased by 5 percent to 8 percent, affecting highly populated regions, says Stenchikov. NASA and the National Science Foundation have funded Robock and Stenchikov to study the Pinatubo eruption in more detail, and to conduct another model comparison with the volcanic aerosol data set. They plan to combine SAGE II data with available lidar and satellite data from various DAACs to improve their existing data set. By understanding the impact of large volcanic eruptions on Earths climate system in more detail, perhaps scientists will be in a better position to suggest measures to lessen their effects on people and natural resources. Both technological change and economic growth are seen as major determinants of future global energy demand levels, the associated carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and global climate impacts Until recently, however, the modelling of energy-economy-climate interactions has largely regarded technological progress as an exogenous process, rather than as endogenous technological change. Energy Economics Volume 24, Issue 1, January 2002, Pages 1-19 a momentary glance at a map of the world today to realise that the disposition of the continents has a marked effect on both local and global climate. Not the least of these effects results from the difference in the thermal properties of land versus ocean a continental region will be colder in winter and warmer in summer than an oceanic region at any given latitude. Moreover mountain belts formed as a consequence of plate tectonic activity dramatically modify rainfall through the effects of  orography   the development of a rain shadow on the leeward side of mountain belts. Global climate is also strongly controlled by ocean currents. For example, northwestern Europe is significantly warmer than other regions at similar latitudes because of the warming effects of the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift. The reversal of oceanic currents in the equatorial Pacific a phenomenon known as El Nià ±o has a far-reaching effect on climate around the Pacific. Ocean currents depend on the geometry of the oceans and this is controlled by plate tectonics. Hence, over geological timescales the movement of plates and continents has a profound effect on the distribution of land masses, mountain ranges and the connectivity of the oceans. As a consequence, plate tectonics has a very direct and fundamental influence on global climate. http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/mod/resource/view.php?id=172207 The climate of modern Antarctica is extreme. Located over the South Pole and in total darkness for six months of the year, the continent is covered by glacial ice to depths in excess of 3 km in places. Yet this has not always been the case. 50 Ma ago, even though Antarctica was in more or less the same position over the pole, the climate was much more temperate there were no glaciers and the continent was covered with lush vegetation and forests. So how did this extreme change come about? The modern climate of Antarctica depends upon its complete isolation from the rest of the planet as a consequence of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current that completely encircles Antarctica and gives rise to the stormy region of the Southern Ocean known as the roaring forties. The onset of this current is related to the opening of seaways between obstructing continents. Antarctica and South America were once joined together as part of Gondwana and were the last parts of this original supercontinent to separate. By reconstructing continental positions from magnetic and other features of the sea floor in this region, geologists have shown that the Drake Passage opened in three phases between 50 Ma and 20 Ma, as illustrated in Figure 32. At 50 Ma there was possibly a shallow seaway between Antarctica and South America, but both continents were moving together. At 34 Ma the seaway was still narrow, but differential movement between the Antarctic and South American Plates created a deeper c hannel between the two continents that began to allow deep ocean water to circulate around the continent. Finally, at 20 Ma there was a major shift in local plate boundaries that allowed the rapid development of a deep-water channel between the two continental masses. The coincidence of the change in motion of the Pacific Plate with changes in plate motions between S. America and Antarctica shows how the motions of all the plates are interconnected a change in the true motion of one plate leads to changes in the true motions of many others. While these plate motions were taking place the effect on Antarctica was profound. By 34 Ma the climate cooled from the temperate conditions that previously existed. This was sufficient for glaciers to begin their advance, and was followed by a period of continued cooling until at about 20 Ma, glaciation was complete. Even though the Drake Passage first opened at 50 Ma it was not until it opened to deep water at 34 Ma that glaciation really took hold Today, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current is the strongest deep ocean current and its strength is responsible for the icehouse climate that grips the planet. The opening of the Drake Passage had both a local and a global effect, initially cooling the climate of Antarctica from temperate to cold and ultimately playing an important role in the change from global greenhouse conditions 50 Ma ago to the global icehouse of today. This example shows how plate tectonics, continental drift and the opening and closing of seaways can have a profound influence on both local and global climate. Throughout the Phanerozoic there were long periods when the Earth was much warmer than today often called a greenhouse climate and other times when it was cold called an icehouse climate. These cycles, like the Wilson cycle, occur over periods of 100 Ma, reflecting the timescale of plate movements and the growth and destruction of oceans. Given the clear link between ocean circulation and climate, and the similar timescales of global climate change and plate motions, it is inescapable that one of the chief controls on long-term changes in the global climate must be plate tectonics. Every two to seven years a climatic disturbance brings floods to California, droughts to Australia, and famine to Africa . Known as El Nino, it is essentially a warming of surface waters in the eastern Pacific near the equator. Although scientists understand the mechanics of El Nino, its origins have yet to be determined. Most believe that the interaction between the atmosphere and the sea somehow generates this climatic disturbance that wreaks havoc upon those regions of the world that lie in its path. But now a new theory on the origins of El Nino has been proposed and, surprisingly, it has very little to do with the atmosphere or the sea. The new theory suggests that the primary mover behind El Nino is hot magma welling up between tectonic plates on the Pacific sea-floor. The upwelling magma heats the overlying waters enough to affect the ocean surface, initiating the cascade of events that brings on the wrath of El Nino. Volcanic Ash Eruptions, like that pictured above, throw tons of ash into the atmosphere, and have short term affects of the climate. If the eruption is potent enough, the ash will stop some of the shortwave radiation coming in from the Sun. This, in turn, will lead to a decrease in the global temperature. The reason for this is that the shortwave radiation that comes in from the Sun and reaches the Earths surface, gets absorbed in the the Earth. About 4 to 6 hours later, the Earth reradiates that energy in the form of longwave radiation. This is where the temperature comes from. So if some of the sunlight is shut off, then this will lead to a decrease the global temperature. With the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in June 1991 (image above), about 22 million tons of ash was thrown into the atmosphere. This was enough to block a fraction of the sunlight from reaching the Earths surface, which cooled the global temperature on Earth by as much as 0.5 degrees C. The most powerful eruption in recorded his tory, the eruption of the Tambora Volcano in Indonesia in April of 1815, threw up so much ash that the global temperature on Earth fell by as much as 3 degrees C. Europe and North America know this time as the year without a summer. The volcanic ash does not keep the temperatures down for a very long period of time geologically speaking, so its impacts are on a short term basis. Rain-Shadow Effect The long term impacts of volcanoes come from a look at simple geography. Volcanoes are gigantic mountains, so their affect on climate is the same as a normal mountain. This leads to the rain-shadow effect (explained in the  Continental Movement  section), which comes into play with volcanoes just as it does with mountain building. Until that volcano can be eroded away, it will continue to have some sort of impact on climate. This can last for thousands of years. Volcanoes have quite a bit of affect on climate. And this affect can be rather short term (volcanic ash) or long term (rain-shadow effect) in nature. Again biology can be affected by this too. For example, a desert area may quickly develop on the leeward side of a new volcano. If life is not able to adjust, extinction will become a significant threat. http://www.djburnette.com/projects/volcanoes.html

Capital Punishment :: Argumentative Persuasive Death Penalty Essays

Capital Punishment Capital punishment is defined in the Encarta Encyclopedia as the legal infliction of the death penalty. The death penalty is currently used as punishment for crimes of murder. The State of Florida supports capital punishment and carries it out by electric chair execution. According to The Death Row Fact Sheet published by the Florida Department of Corrections, 44 people have been executed since 1976 and another 372 inmates are currently on death row in Florida. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Thesis†¦. Deterrence defined as†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. By the Encarta Encyclopedia. Under this concept, the individual committing the crime and society are prevented from committing this action again. In the case of the death penalty, an individual kills another human and he is "punished" for it by death. Punishment is supposed to be a temporary penalization for a wrongful action. Death is far from temporary. One is to learn from one’s mistakes. How can the person learn if they are paying for their mistake with their life? In George Anderson’s article, "Organizing Against the Death Penalty" he states, "The death penalty is our harshest punishment. It is irrevocable: it ends the existence of those punished, instead of temporarily imprisoning them." (13). By imposing the death penalty the individual does not learn from their mistakes and neither does society. Moreover, there are no reliable methods to measure the effectiveness of the death penalty as a deterrent of future crimes. Peo ple who commit capital murders generally do not engage in probability analysis concerning the likelihood of getting the death penalty in they are caught (Freedman 48). In Louisiana, for example, during the summer of 1978, eight people were executed. During that same period the murder rate in New Orleans rose 16.9%, the highest in years (Cohen 29). Most of the costs of the death penalty are incurred before and during the trial, not in the appeals process after convicted. A 1982 New York study estimated the death penalty cost conservatively at three times that of life imprisonment, the ratio that Texas (with a system that is on the brink of collapse due to under-funding) has experienced (Freedman 49). As Anderson points out, "†¦the monetary cost of appealing a capital sentence is excessive." (14). Further, "†¦actual monetary costs are trumped by the importance of doing justice." (Anderson 14). Additionally there are specific costs associated with keeping an inmate on death row, (i.

My Papa’s Waltz - Battered Knuckles Essays -- My Papas Waltz Essays

My Papa’s Waltz - Battered Knuckles  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many people look back on memories with a pleasant slant. A backpacker may love to go to the mountains, but every time that person ventures out he encounters a blizzard. The weather is not always conducive to the backpacker and can cause great discomfort. However, when the hiker returns to his normal routine he usually forgets about the bad experience so that he can continue loving the mountains and happily plan his next adventure. Similarly, Theodore Roethke's, "My Papa's Waltz" is a poem about a man who tries to make a horrible event into something much more pleasant to think about. The speaker seems to be remembering back to his childhood and finally uncovers dark memories about his father. The child in the poem finally realizes that childhood was full of scary nights in which he sometimes feared for his life. The speaker has tried for years to believe that he loved his father, but he finally understands what really happened in his boyhood home. The speaker in this poem begins by commenting on how much his father drinks. The father ...

Rhetorical Analysis of JFKs Inauguration Speech -- John Fitzgerald Ke

John Fitzgerald Kennedy delivered one of the most important American speeches after being sworn in as president on January 20, 1961. His inauguration speech was so influential that it seized the nation’s attention, and quotes from it are still clearly remembered by people today. It is considered one of the best speeches ever written and ever delivered. It presents a strong appeal to pathos, ethos, and logos and accomplishes what any speaker strives for – it speaks straight to the heart of the audience and inspires people. John F Kennedy was the 35th president of the United States and at 43 years old he was the youngest president to take office. Because of his youth, he stumbled upon much skepticism from his opposition and even a little from his supporters. Kennedy’s inauguration speech was so vital because he needed to make a quick and powerful first impression to America and to the entire world. The address was written to encourage American citizens to get involved with their country and with the issues of the time. This speech reassured the voters that they made the correct choice and informed the country that changes were on there way. The inaugural speech was arranged so that it flowed easily from start to finish. The first paragraph contains many uses of comparison and contrast. For example, â€Å"We observe today not a victory of a party but a celebration of freedom—symbolizing an end as well as a beginning—signifying a renewal as well as change†(Kennedy par 1). There are also examples of cause and effect in the speech. I believe that this is to be expected because of all the deliberations over war. Kennedy used these techniques to make it sound like it was our moral responsibility we should go to war. These are the two basic s... ...commitments and his plan. By reiterating common knowledge, Kennedy has his audience reflect on known fact in order to drive his message home. In conclusion, this speech was structured beautifully. Its use of figurative and expressive language makes it an unforgettable speech. Kennedy does a great job of using pathos, ethos, and logos to reiterate his commitment to the American public as well as discuss expected changes. Given the state of the world at the time of his inauguration, the decision to rely so heavily on pathos and ethos was a wise one which got the job done. His use of the rhetoric triangle effectively conveys Kennedy’s plan for America to not only her citizens, but to the world. Works Cited Kennedy, John F. â€Å"Inaugural Address.† Reading Literature And Writing Argument. Ed. Leah Jewell. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc, 2005. 622- 625.

Preferences for Boys and Girls in South Korea, China, India and Nepal

Preferences for boys and girls in South Korea, China, India and Nepal The studies of gender bias in several developing countries in Asia have received wide attention over the past two decades. Demographers have noted worrying trends in sex ratio at birth in some of the most populous countries in Asia; South Korea, China, India and Nepal are the most markedly countries. One of the measures of agreement that has been recognized in this phenomenon among these four countries is the traditionally-and-culturally-rooted of son preference. Son preference has several features that illustrate the inclination of the male sex in contrast to the female sex resulting numerous differences in preferences of boys and girls in the societies of these four countries. The features of son preference are based on socio-cultural, socio-economic and institutional factors in South Korea, China, India and Nepal, and consequently, have formed an imbalance in the countries’ sex ratios mainly due to female infants mortality. South Korea was one of the first countries to represent the trend of son preference. This is mainly due to Confucian influence that is acutely embedded in the populace, whereby the eldest son of the most recent male ancestor must lead family rituals. The family â€Å"dies† if there were no sons being born (Westley & Choe 2007). Since pre-industrial South Korea, a person’s access to power, social status and economic opportunities depended heavily on their gender, lineage and their position within that lineage. Chung & Gupta (2007) described that a number of the lineages in South Korea had formed into larger super ordinates lineage or in other words can be referred to as â€Å"clan†, where some joint properties are held and utilized to support ancestor worship rituals and to help lineage members in need. Therefore, it was a primary duty to bear sons to ensure the continuity of a family’s lineage. On another note, son preference played a role in terms of a socio-economic view when the South Korean governments had subsequently reinforced the Confucian traditions in a series of authoritarian policies in order to maintain social and political stability. For example, the Family Law stipulated that family headship must be held by men in the line of the eldest son, inheritance should be through male line, women should be transferred to their husband’s family register upon marriage and children are belonged to the father’s lineage even in the case of divorce (Chung & Gupta 2007). {draw:frame} _Figure 1. 0: Trends in sex ratio at birth and total fertility rate, South Korea, 1980-2003 (Westley & Choe 2007). _ In addition, ultrasound equipment was first mass-produced in the country in the mid-1980s. Therefore, the introduction in technologies to determine the sex of unborn fetuses combined with the widespread of abortion availability made it possible for couples that wanted a son to selectively abort female fetuses. In 1990, as seen in Figure 1. 0, the sex ratio indicated that nearly two boys were born at this birth order for every girl (Westley & Choe 2007) resulting in an increase of sex ratio at its highest peak in South Korea. Similarly as South Korea, son preference became visible in China since it is another Confucian-practiced country. The people held beliefs that a person’s empowerment relies on their lineage and the lineage is solely traced through the male. Therefore, failure to produce a son is considered tantamount to extinction of the family line (Almond et. al 2005). Furthermore, the influence of son preference has been historically and traditionally strong in the country where it can be reflected in this ancient Chinese song quoted; â€Å"When a son is born, Let him sleep on the bed, Clothe him with fine clothes, And give him jade to play†¦ When a daughter is born, Let her sleep on the ground, Wrap her in common wrappings, And give broken tiles to play†¦ â€Å"- Book of Songs (1000-700 B. C. ) (Baculinao 2004). {draw:frame} _Figure 2. 0: Sex ratio of population age 0-4 in China, 1953-2005 (Shuzhuo Li 2007)_ In rural areas of China and among the less educated societies, sons are basically preferred because they are needed to carry out farm work, offer financial support to aging parents, continue the family name and receive family inheritance, and also responsible for ancestor worships. Apart from that, as seen in Figure 3. 0, there has been a sharp rise in sex ratio of children age 0-4 since 1982. This is due to China’s government imposing the â€Å"one-child policy† as one of the forces to fast-track economic modernization. The policy’s main condition is that a family, reliant to their will, is allowed to have one child only. Subsequently, a son is more favoured among the societies due to putting Confucian values into practice (Muller n. d). The government had later on enforced the policy strictly over time where by the regulations included mandatory IUD insertion for all women who had one child and abortion for a woman who had an unauthorized pregnancy. Consequently, out of desperation for a boy, some parents may have killed newborn daughters or undergo an abortion (Graham et. al 1998) and thus, mothers suffer tremendous psychological pressure and health risks while undergoing sex-selected abortions, which affect both their physical and reproductive health (Shuzhuo Li 2007). {draw:frame} Figure 3. 0: Sex ratio of the child and overall population, India, 1951-2001 (Guilmoto 2007)_ In India, son preference is influenced by the strong religious Hindu belief in the country to a certain extent where by a family needs a son to perform last rites in order for salvation to be achieved. In other words, sons are considered as breadwinners as they will look after their parents and continue the family name. In addition, Almond et. al (2005) stated that only sons could light a man’s funeral pyre and perform the traditional ancestor cult. Moreover, some Indian societies practice a tradition whereby daughters have to be married off with a substation dowry and hence, daughters are more often considered as a financial burden resulting the killing of female newborn babies as the final solution to the dowry problem. What is more, it is enlarged and even becoming more accepted, particularly in the poorer areas of India (Almond et. al 2005). Since daughters will be married into another family, therefore only sons can guarantee for the care of the parents in old age, which then resulted a far more widespread practice of discrimination against daughters. Hence, in its most extreme manifestation, the influence of son preference in India can affect on how many girls survive into adulthood and even how girls are born (Westley & Choe 2007). As summarize in Figure 3. 0, from earlier years mortality conditions of female infants had increased from killing of the female infants and sex-discrimination regime started to experience a deep change during the 1970s, since pre-natal sex-determination tests became widely available and often led to selective abortion to female fetus (CHREHPA 2007). draw:frame} Figure 4. 0: Trends in sex ratio at birth under 1 year old in Nepal, 1952/54 – 2001 (CHREHPA 2007). Nepal has been classified as having considerable levels of son preference since the World Fertility Surveys first documented the phenomenon in the 1980s. As seen in Figure 4. 0, there was an inclining trend in sex ratio at birth in 1970s to 1980s. Son preference in Nepal is a little different compared to the other countries concerning the discrimination against daughters are at a distinctive level. Daughters are very much loved in the family, as they are valued for their responsibility in religious festivals as well as for their emotional and household contribution to the family. Hindus in Nepal assign great value to marrying a virgin daughter. Girls marry early and universally in Nepal because of the religious merit bestowed on those who give them in marriage (Karki 1988). Nevertheless, having sons are very highly prized among the Nepalese societies compared to daughters (Leone et. al 2003). Sons are preferred due for old age security, and lineage where by the Hindu code of conduct in Nepal reinforced the transfer of family name through male offspring. Other than that, sons are more desired for their roles in religious rituals, agricultural labor and companionship. However, many Nepalese couples are willing to surpass their ideal family sized to satisfy their desire for sons (Hollander 1997). As a consequence, the son preference has affected the contraceptive behavior in Nepal to the extent that Nepalese rarely begin contraception until the desired numbers of sons are born. However, they began to articulate their realization that large families are contributing to shortage of cultivable land and to the deteriorating fuel wood and water supplies in the hills of Nepal (Karki 1988). Hence, methods of pre-natal sex determination came to view during the 1970s, and according to research from CHREHPA (2007), 10 out of 25 women that had been told the fetus was a girl resorted to sex-selective abortions an increase in Nepal’s maternal mortality rates and sex-ratio imbalance as seen in Figure 4. . As a whole, it can be seen that the rationale behind son preference in South Korea, China, India and Nepal are based on these six features; discriminatory inheritance laws, economic value of sons, continuity of family line, family security and strength, socio-cultural norms and customs and dowry system (Gupta et. al 1998). Enhancement of new medical technologies and sex-selective abortions had somehow supported the idea of son preference in these four countries a nd seem to be a method of having the desired son. Next, it is then perceptibly has created several impacts in socioeconomic and demographic manifestation where by it resulted in higher fertility transition, promotes inequality in social and human development, associated with excess female deaths and poor health of women, lowers quality of life for women, wastes a valuable human resource and perpetuates cycle of poverty and increases income inequality in these four countries (Gupta et. al 1998). Fortunately, the imbalance in sex ratio has spurred some official efforts to shift public opinion in these four countries. Approaches have been made to reduce the sex-ratio imbalances in these countries by making daughters more wanted. Governments and non-governmental organizations work through advocacy, sensitization and awareness-raising programs. In South Korea, after a series of extensive campaigns and programs, sex ratios were once greatly imbalanced, are now returning to normal after women gained status in society through employment opportunities, increased education, and parents with enough money to be financially secure without dependence on their sons (Guilmoto n. . ). South Korea now is the first Asian country to reverse back the trend of rising ratio of sex at birth. China on the other hand, participated by the country’s ambitious â€Å"Care For Girls† program. The program encompasses many dimensions of the sex-ratio predicament. It offers cash and other incentives to families with daughters, scholarships for girls, better housing or loans for targeted families and others. It als o includes several awareness-raising campaigns, as well as repressive measures against illegal abortions and infanticide. In India, a program called Tamil Nadu is created in 2004 that gave monetary rewards to couples that had one or two girls and agreed to be sterilized. The state also created a Cradle babies in which empty cradles were placed in government centers across the states for couples to abandon unwanted female child without killing them. Furthermore, in 2007, the New Delhi municipal government sponsored a program that provide every girl born in a government hospital with a gift deposit of 5000 rupees that accumulated interest and could be cashed once the girls reached the age of 18 (Lederer 2008). Nepal has banned sex-selective abortions in 2002 when it liberalized its own law on abortions. These laws were then strengthened later on in various ways, in order to make them more effective (Guilmoto n. d. ). Although the strategies for reducing son preference and getting back female’s rights are many, these are all rather considered as a short-run implication despite the positive and optimistic outcomes. According to an American demographer who has been closely following China's population program stated that, â€Å"The country may be coming o grips with problem as they country is still in dilemma – emotional and policy dilemma – because the solution to the problem will conflict with other parts of their population strategy to reduce birth rate or some of the measures could perhaps make the problem even worse. The country still has a lot of work to do. There’s no road map yet on how to achieve the goal of normal sex ratio† (Baculinao 2004). There fore, the future trends of the son preference are impossible to predict in the long run. Patriarchal systems are still underneath the attitudes among the societies in these countries. Regardless of how many levels of development in lasting efforts to address sex-selective abortion and female infanticide, it will fully require fundamental changes in cultural norms that promote son preference. References Almond, D, Edlund, L & Milligan K (2005) ‘Son preference and the persistence of culture’. Downloaded from http://www. nber. org/papers/w15391 as at 25 November 2009. Baculinao, E (2004) ‘China grapples with legacy of its ‘missing girls’, MSNBC. Downloaded from http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/5953508 as at 20 November 2009. Chan, A & Yeoh, B. S. A (2002) ‘Gender, Family and Fertility in Asia: An Introdyuction’. Downloaded from http://www. unescap. org/esid/psis/population/journal/Articles/2002/V17N2A1. pdf . As at 25 November 2009. CHREHPA (2007) ‘ Sex Selection: Pervasiveness and Preparedness in Nepal’. Dowloaded from http://www. unfpa. org/gender/docs/studies/nepal. pdf as at 20 November 2009. Chung, W & Gupta, M. D. (2007)’Why is Son Preference Declining in South Korea? : The Role of Development and Public Policy and the Implications for China and India’, Policy Researh Working Paper, No. 373, The World Bank. Eberstadt, N (2004) ‘Power and Population in Asia: Demographics and the strategic balance’. Downloaded from http://www. aei. org/docLib/20040211_PowerandPopulationinAsia. pdf as at 25 November 2009. Edlund, L & Lee, C (2009) ‘Son pereference, sex selection and economic development: Theory and evidence from South Korea’. Downloaded from http://www. e con. columbia. edu/RePEc/pdf/DP0910-04. pdf as at 25 November 2009. Graham, M. J, Larsen, U (1998) ‘Son Preference in Anhui Province, China’, International Family Planning Perspectives, Vol. 24, No. 2.

Far from the Madding Crowd Essay

As they are speaking to the well-educated and proper Bathsheeba, this is effectively emphasised. When Bathsheeba’s eyes first fall upon the dying flock, Hardy describes the sheep as being ‘helpless’, ‘livid’ and ‘afflicted animals’. These strong words add to the gloom of the scene, and Hardy’s description of Bathsheeba’s ‘sad, bursting heart’ also creates despair. The ailments of the flock are described vividly which makes the whole situation seem much more real: â€Å"Many of them foamed at the mouth, their breathing quick and short, whilst the bodies of all were fearfully distended† In Bathsheeba’s moment of bewilderment, the rustics explain in their characteristic fashion that the only man in the area that could save them was Gabriel Oak. Immediately she protests: â€Å"How dare you name that man in my presence! † This shows that even a day after their argument, Oak is still very fresh on her mind. She rejects the rustics’ idea of Oak and turns to Boldwood for help. This act avoids confrontation and also yet again promotes her authority, this time over her workers. However, she quickly learns from the rustic people that Boldwood does not know the cure and that he sent for Oak when his sheep had the same disorder. Bathsheeba shouts at the workers and tells them to find somebody to cure the flock. This shows that she is too proud and stubborn to send for Oak, and does not want to, as it would show a weakness of her character. â€Å"Never will I send for him-never! ‘ she said firmly† As she witnesses an ewe dying in front of her, she repeats the above but this time wringing her hands. This signifies that she is frustrated; frustrated at herself for being so stubborn and frustrated that the only man who can save her prime flock is the same man she has just fallen out with. Hardy goes on to explain that with Bathsheeba the ‘No, I won’t’ virtually means ‘I think I must. ‘ We have seen this inconsistency in Bathsheeba’s personality in the previous chapter when she declined Oak’s opinion of her conduct at first and then went on to request it. It is a similar circumstance. Bathsheeba is far too stubborn and proud for her own good as it too often makes her life more difficult. However her inconsistency is the sure sign that her quest for power is really a show and that she is a lot weaker and sensitive really, for here she gives in again. â€Å"Laban – Jump on the Bay mare, and ride across, and say he (Oak) must return instantly-that I say so† Bathsheeba’s above statement shows how very conscious she is of looking weak. It is quite clear that she has had a change of heart and decides to do the right thing and get Oak, yet still she must speak in her authoritative manner, seemingly trying to cover up her sensitive, more weak decision. As Laban rides towards where Oak is staying, Hardy names the places and features he passes on the way and on the way back. This is how Hardy conveys more of the area, naming places adds to the reality of the situation, and the reader can feel more involved and stimulated by the events occurring. The list of places also adds length to the passage where Laban rides to get Oak, which in turn adds to the suspense of the situation. On Laban’s return Bathsheeba sees that Oak is not with him, and Laban’s face is described as tragic, a dramatic word, which makes the reader think the worst. Laban explains that Oak would not come unless Bathsheba asked in a civil and proper manner, which annoys Bathsheeba – Oak knows this. As much as Bathsheeba tries to control Oak, it is clear that Oak is in control this time. Her real sensitive and feminine personality is shown as another sheep falls dead and Bathsheeba bursts into tears – another indication that she is not really strong and infinitely stubborn. Bathsheeba admits to her need for control and cover-up stubborn attitude when she murmurs: â€Å"O, it is a wicked cruelty to me-it is-it is! And he drives me to do what I wouldn’t† This refers to her having to talk to Oak, whom she has only just sacked, as if she was politely asking a favour, and it is this sign of weakness that she hates so much. Bathsheeba decides to write Oak a short note, and Hardy conveys that it is heartfelt by describing her sobs and bursts of crying whilst she writes it. At the bottom of the note, driven by the drama of the time she conveys her first open passionate feelings toward Oak: â€Å"Do not desert me, Gabriel! † It is now clear that Bathsheeba does have close feelings towards Oak and is appealing to him right from her heart. The reader is not familiar with this highly feminine and sensitive side to Bathsheeba, which, again, adds to the whole drama of the scene. Oak responds this time, which conveys how strongly her emotional note appealed to the man who is in love with her, and cannot bear the thought of deserting her. Bathsheeba’s feminine charm had worked and she knew it for Hardy clearly states: â€Å"She knew from the look of his face which sentence of her note had brought him† After all of her powerful signs of affection, Bathsheeba still cannot face ceasing her commanding tone. Her first words to Oak: â€Å"O, Gabriel, how could you serve me so unkindly! † The flock is again described as Oak sees it: as turgid, prostrate forms. Hardy uses such striking words to fuel the reader’s suspense. Oak then gets to work, and the method he uses to cure the sheep is described in clear detail, which makes it more realistic. Oak manages to save the flock: â€Å"When the love-led man had ceased from his labours Bathsheeba came and looked him in the face† This line is important because it shows that all the effort Oak had just put in to save over fifty sheep was all driven by his love for Bathsheeba. It also contrasts from the end of the previous chapter because they look at each other, instead of avoiding eye contact, which conveys the romance conjured up by the heroic actions of Oak for the woman he loves, and her realisation of this. The chapter ends with Bathsheeba asking Oak to return to the farm, which he agrees to, and the last line, again contrasting with the previous chapter, conveying how Bathsheeba really feels: â€Å"And she smiled on him again. † Interestingly, the two chapters I have looked at above convey a cycle of the relationship between the two main characters. Everything starts off amicably before a crescendo of cutting comments result in an argument and the sacking of Oak. However, the occurrence of the flock’s disorder makes Bathsheeba realise that she regrets sacking him and that she did it out of anger. After Oak saves the flock Bathsheeba is very grateful and their relationship becomes friendly again. Bathsheeba, as you have seen, is a very strong character and throughout the extract tries hard to control Oak. However, the situation develops, she ends up sacking him and then depending on him. Having noticed this, I also realised that this happens again in the book. At the beginning she rejects him as a husband, but then it is the actions of Oak who put out a serious fire, which begins at her new farm. This can be linked to the above extract: Oak gets rejected and then depended on by Bathsheeba. Similarly – the night that Bathsheeba and her husband, sergeant Troy, celebrate their marriage is the same night that Oak saves the Harvest from a freak storm. Once again, Bathsheeba has denied Oak, but it is he who she depends upon in the end. In a way the whole book is based on the cycle conveyed in this extract. Bathsheeba continually rejects Oak, first for Boldwood, then for Troy. Oak’s continual work on the farm keep it going whilst Bathsheeba’s marriage fails, and she turns to Oak for comfort: depending on him. Oak’s devotion finally pays off in the end though, when eventually he does marry his true love, Bathsheeba Everdene.

Employment contract Essay

To raise a grievance at work the first step would be to talk to your line manager, explain the situation and see if the problem can be solved informally. If, however, the grievance cannot be resolved informally then the issue can be raised formally using the following procedure: Stage 1 Employees may request in writing a formal meeting with the line manager to state the grievance. Where the issue involves the line manager, this request should be made to the manager’s manager (area manager). Grievances should be made as soon as possible and in any event within 3 months of the issue complained about taking place. A hearing will be arranged, normally within 10 working days, for the employee to discuss the issue with the manager. A decision will be made once the matter has been fully investigated and the manager will communicate their response in writing within 5 working days. This should include details of the employee’s right to appeal. Stage 2 If the employee is dissatisfied with the decision then they have received in stage 1 then they can take their grievance further and request in writing a formal meeting under stage 2 of the grievance procedure. This will be conducted by a manager other than the manager that carried out the stage 1 meeting. The employee will receive the decision of this hearing in writing within 5 working days. Stage 3 If the employee is still dissatisfied with the decision then they may appeal in writing to the Chief Executive of the Trust within 10 working days of receipt of the stage 2 decision. A further meeting will take place and the decision will be confirmed in writing within 5 working days of the hearing. The decision at stage 3 of the procedure is final, in so far as the Trusts internal procedures are concerned. Bv 1. Data Protection All confidential information should be kept secure by employees in order to protect customers and their families. Confidential information (e.g. customer support plans, support notes and medication administration forms) must not be left in a place where non-authorised individuals may view it. Data should not be passed on to anyone without the consent of the customer or their next of kin. 2. Grievance Any grievances should be reported to the line manager to try to resolve the issue informally. If, however, it is not resolved at this level then there is a grievance procedure in place which enables employees to pursue the matter formally. 3. Conflict Management If employees have a problem with another member of staff and it cannot be resolved between themselves then they should contact their line manager for assistance with resolving the issue. If the conflict involves the line manager or if the employee feels that they are not receiving adequate support then they should report to the area manager. 4. Anti-discriminatory Practice All employees are expected to act with dignity and respect towards each person’s individual beliefs and identity. Customers, accessing Oaklea care and support services, should not be treated less favourably based on their; age, sex, disability, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, marital status or pregnancy/maternity or gender. 5. Health & Safety All employees have personal responsibility in ensuring their own and others health, safety, and welfare at work. We are required to read and apply organisational policies and procedures regarding health and safety, undertake necessary training, wear personal protective equipment (PPE) provided, use safety equipment and safety devices where required and report any hazardous conditions to the line manager or Health and Safety Officer. 6. Confidentiality All information concerning customers and/or their families must be treated  with the upmost respect and all employees have an obligation to protect this information. Confidential information must not be disclosed to a third party either formally or informally (gossip). The sharing of information may be necessary for continuation of good care and support of customers (e.g. between other employees or professions). If employees are asked to disclose information about a customer and are concerned that doing so may breach confidentiality then clarification should be sought via the line manager. 7. Whistle blowing If employees need to raise concern about a risk, malpractice or wrongdoing that affects others such as customers, other staff members, the company or the public then the company’s whistleblowing procedure should be followed. The first stage of this procedure would be to raise concerns with the employee’s line manager either in writing or through a meeting. If the issue involves the line manager or if the employee has already raised their ~@ ?U: concerns with the line manager and feel that they have not been adequately addressed then the second stage of the procedure should be followed. At this stage, issues may be raised either in writing or through a meeting with a Director. If stage 2 has been undertaken and the employees concerns are unresolved or if they feel that the matter is so serious that it should be investigated by the Chief Executive immediately then concerns should be raised either in writing or via a meeting. Any employee raising concerns under the whistleblowing procedure has the right to remain anonymous. Bvi As a Community Home Carer, my role is to provide individualized care and support to people with social care needs so that they may continue to live in their homes and in the community. A care plan is in place for each customer that explains their specific needs and what care they require from us. My duties/responsibilities may include: Assisting customers with washing, bathing, personal hygiene, dressing, toileting, continence and catheter care. Meal and drink preparation and help with feeding where necessary. Helping customers to comply with their prescribed medication and fill out Medication Administration Records (MAR). Supporting customers  with cleaning, laundry, shopping and other household duties as required. Helping customers with mobility skills, transferring them safely where required (e.g. from bed to chair) and helping them to use aids and personal equipment. Providing end of life care. Documenting the care given at each visit in the Daily Support Notes (DSN). Liaising with other carers and health care professionals to ensure continuity of care. By carrying out these duties to a high standard and conforming to all policies, procedures and guidelines, customers will receive a quality service that will help them to maintain as much independence as possible in a safe environment within their own homes. The safeguarding carried out by carers is essential in protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of vulnerable adults, and ensures that they live free from harm, abuse and neglect. It is our duty to report any safeguarding concerns to the appropriate person(s) so that action may be taken to protect the wellbeing of service users. Bvii a) Following best practice within my work role helps to safeguard vulnerable adults living in the community and ensures that they receive a quality service that promotes health and wellbeing. It is important that I stay within my job role, follow policies and procedures, keep up to date with changes in policies and legislation and keep up to date with training to develop my skills in the workplace. It is also important to work as part of a team, passing on skills where necessary (e.g. to new staff members) and gaining feedback from colleagues. Good communication skills are essential between team members and other professions involved in the care of the service user as this enables continuity of care. b) Failing to carry out the requirements of my role by not following policies, procedures and legislation and not complying with regulatory bodies endangers the health and wellbeing of service users and may put other team members at risk. Not following manual handling procedures, for example, would put me and the service user at risk of injury and not wearing personal protective equipment  when necessary may put me and others at risk of infection. Poor practice may also result in complaints from service users, disciplinary action and in severe cases it may lead to me losing my job, being prosecuted and/or prevented from working in the health and social care setting. Bviii As a Community Home Carer I must follow best practice within my work role and work to the company policies and procedures that mirror laws and legislation. There are also external factors which influence the standards that I must adhere to in my work such as the Care Quality Commission (CQC) essential standards, Skills for Care’s Common Induction Standards (CIS) which are the standards people working in health social care need to meet before they can safely work unsupervised (e.g. manual handling, first aid, health and safety training), the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) codes of practice and ADASS’ ‘Safeguarding Adults: A National Framework of Standards for good practice and outcomes in adult protection work’, which sets out a framework of best practice standards. Government initiatives also have an influence on the roles of carers such as ‘Our Care, Our Health Our Say’ which sets out policy goals to make health and social care ser vices that are designed around the patient rather than the needs of the patient being forced to fit around the service already provided. ‘Putting People First’ also aims for a personalised approach to the delivery of adult social care. Bix a) Two different representative bodies which influence my area of work are the care quality commission and the health and care professions council. b) The role of the care quality commission (CQC) is to regulate, inspect and review all adult health and social care services in the public, private and voluntary sectors in England and make sure that they are meeting national standards. These services include hospitals, care homes, GPs, dentists and services in the home (e.g. home carers). The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) are a regulatory body set up to protect the public by keeping a register of health and care professionals that meet their standards for training, professional skills, behaviour and health. If professionals fail  to meet these standards then they may be removed from the register and prevented from practicing. The HCPC replaced the General Social Care Council (GSCC) which was abolished in 2012.