Improving Productivity Essay

To talk about improvement we need to know first what productivity is in a technical view as a work application. As Montano said, productivity is the proportion that is achieved between the made product or proportionate service and the inputs that have intervened in the accomplishment of this product or service[1]; a measure of how efficiently an organization converts inputs into outputs. Taking into account its definition, it is important to know how to improve the productivity in companies. The specialization and division of the work are some of them. These allow major knowledge of the work, increase of the quality and therefore major performance of the workman; in addition there is a better control of the work, a decrease of mistakes and wastes and enables delegation. Mechanization saves time of manufacture, increases number of working hours, eliminates costs of training compensations and rewards, etc. Standardization allows a decrease of costs of maintenance, the scale and scope production. As scientific management (developed by Taylor) arguments, nonstandard labor practices are too expensive and wasteful; their approach was to homogenize the labor element of operation: standard methods and standard time. Productivity improvement involves methods study, with flowcharting as operator-machine time chart. Methods study, aimed at improving as well safety and ease of performing the work; ergonomics and the well design of distribution of plant are important issues in productivity. Effective communication clarifies the objectives of the whole organization and therefore allows saving time. Training, education, planning and coordinating activities form effective work. What is very important is to integrate as many employees as possible into this process. As Leon Ho express â€Å"Procrastination is the biggest time thief of all! † By identifying the reasoning behind procrastination issues, solutions can be found, such as breaking larger projects down into smaller pieces, scheduling some tasks for first thing in the morning so they are done, and delegating any tasks that are so routine they feel like a waste of your time[2]. Without a deadline, people tend to put things off. A time standard acts like a deadline, helping to keep people motivated. In overall reducing cost and waste, analysis methods that are made especially for areas of the organization, quality control and technology are the most known ways to improve productivity in any firm. No matter what type organization is, all search improvement in productivity that obliges better methods and equipments. However, improving productivity should be permanent, alive and part of the organization at all levels[3]. Now, new productivity needs to be broad and integrated. Bibliography MONTANO,Agustin. Administracion de la produccion.

The Risk Factor of Diageo

RISK FACTORS Investing in the securities offered using this prospectus involves risk. You should consider carefully the risks described below, together with the risks described in the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus and any risk factors included in the prospectus supplement, before you decide to buy our securities. If any of these risks actually occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could suffer, and the trading price and liquidity of the securities offered using this prospectus could decline, in which case you may lose all or part of your investment. Risks Relating to Diageo's Business You should read â€Å"Risk Factors† in Diageo's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2008, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus, or similar sections in subsequent filings incorporated by reference in this prospectus, for information on risks relating to Diageo's business. Risks Relating to Diageo's Shares Diageo's shares and American depositary shares may experience volatility which will negatively affect your investment. In recent years most major stock markets have experienced significant price and trading volume fluctuations. These fluctuations have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of the underlying companies. Accordingly, there could be significant fluctuations in the price of Diageo's shares and American depositary shares, or ADSs, each representing four ordinary shares, even if Diageo's operating results meet the expectations of the investment community. In addition, †¢ announcements by Diageo or its competitors relating to operating results, earnings, volume, acquisitions or joint ventures, capital commitments or spending, †¢ changes in financial estimates or investment recommendations by securities analysts, changes in market valuations of other food or beverage companies, †¢ adverse economic performance or recession in the United States or Europe, or †¢ disruptions in trading on major stock markets, could cause the market price of Diageo's shares and ADSs to fluctuate significantly. Risks Relating to the Debt Securities, Warrants, Purchase Con tracts and Units Because Diageo is a holding company and currently conducts its operations through subsidiaries, your right to receive payments on debt securities issued by Diageo or on the guarantees is subordinated to the other liabilities of its subsidiaries. Diageo is organized as a holding company, and substantially all of its operations are carried on through subsidiaries. Diageo plc had guaranteed a total of ? 6,970 million of debt as of June 30, 2008. Diageo's ability to meet its financial obligations is dependent upon the availability of cash flows from its domestic and foreign subsidiaries and affiliated companies through dividends, intercompany advances, management fees and other payments. Diageo's subsidiaries are not guarantors of the debt securities we may offer. Moreover, these subsidiaries and affiliated ompanies are not required and may not be able to pay dividends to Diageo. Claims of the creditors of Diageo's subsidiaries have priority as to the assets of such subsidiaries over the claims of Diageo. Consequently, in the event of insolvency of Diageo, the claims of holders of notes guaranteed or issued by Diageo would be structurally subordinated to the prior claims of the creditors of subsidiaries of Diageo. 2 Table of Con tents In addition, some of Diageo's subsidiaries are subject to laws restricting the amount of dividends they may pay. For example, subsidiaries of Diageo incorporated under the laws of England and Wales may be restricted by law in their ability to declare dividends due to failure to meet requirements tied to net asset levels or distributable profits. Because the debt securities are unsecured, your right to receive payments may be adversely affected. The debt securities that we are offering will be unsecured. The debt securities are not subordinated to any of our other debt obligations and therefore they will rank equally with all our other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness. As of June 30, 2008, Diageo group had ? 5 million aggregate principal amount of secured indebtedness outstanding. If Diageo Investment, Diageo Capital, Diageo Finance or Diageo default on the debt securities or Diageo defaults on the guarantees, or in the event of bankruptcy, liquidation or reorganization, then, to the extent that Diageo Investment, Diageo Capital, Diageo Finance or Diageo have granted security over their assets, the assets that secure these debts will be used to satisfy the obligations under that secured debt before Diageo Investment, Diageo Capital, Diageo Finance or Diageo could make payment on the debt securities or the guarantees, respectively. If there is not enough collateral to satisfy the obligations of the secured debt, then the remaining amounts on the secured debt would share equally with all unsubordinated unsecured indebtedness. Your rights as a holder of debt securities may be inferior to the rights of holders of debt securities issued under a different series pursuant to the indenture. The debt securities are governed by documents called indentures, which are described later under â€Å"Description of Debt Securities and Guarantees†. We may issue as many distinct series of debt securities under the indentures as we wish. We may also issue a series of debt securities under the indentures that provides holders with rights superior to the rights already granted or that may be granted in the future to holders of another series. You should read carefully the specific terms of any particular series of debt securities which will be contained in the prospectus supplement relating to such debt securities. Should Diageo, Diageo Capital or Diageo Finance default on its debt securities, or should Diageo default on the guarantees, your right to receive payments on such debt securities or guarantees may be adversely affected by applicable insolvency laws. Diageo plc is incorporated under the laws of England and Wales, Diageo Capital is incorporated under the laws of Scotland and Diageo Finance is incorporated under the laws of The Netherlands. Accordingly, insolvency proceedings with respect to Diageo or Diageo Capital are likely to proceed under, and be governed by, UK insolvency law and insolvency proceedings with respect to Diageo Finance are likely to proceed under, and be governed by, Dutch insolvency law. The procedural and substantive provisions of such insolvency laws are generally more favorable to secured creditors than comparable provisions of United States law. These provisions afford debtors and unsecured creditors only limited protection from the claims of secured creditors and it will generally not be possible for Diageo, Diageo Capital or Diageo Finance or other unsecured creditors to prevent or delay the secured creditors from enforcing their security to repay the debts due to them under the terms that such security was granted. The debt securities, warrants, purchase contracts and units lack a developed trading market, and such a market may never develop. Each of Diageo, Diageo Investment, Diageo Capital and Diageo Finance may issue debt securities in different series with different terms in amounts that are to be determined. Debt securities issued by Diageo, Diageo Capital or Diageo Finance may be listed on the New York Stock Exchange or another 3 Table of Contents recognized stock exchange and we expect that debt securities issued by Diageo Investment will not be listed on any stock exchange. However, there can be no assurance that an active trading market will develop for any series of debt securities of Diageo, Diageo Capital or Diageo Finance even if we list the series on a securities exchange. Similarly, there can be no assurance that an active trading market will develop for any warrants issued by Diageo. There can also be no assurance regarding the ability of holders of our debt securities, warrants, purchase contracts and units to sell their debt securities, warrants, purchase contracts or units or the price at which such holders may be able to sell their debt securities, warrants, purchase contracts or units. If a trading market were to develop, the debt securities, warrants, purchase contracts and units could trade at prices that may be higher or lower than the initial offering price and, in the case of debt securities, this may result in a return that is greater or less than the interest rate on the debt security, in each case depending on many factors, including, among other things, prevailing interest rates, Diageo's financial results, any decline in Diageo's credit-worthiness and the market for similar securities. Any underwriters, broker-dealers or agents that participate in the distribution of the debt securities, warrants, purchase contracts or units may make a market in the debt securities, warrants, purchase contracts or units as permitted by applicable laws and regulations but will have no obligation to do so, and any such market-making activities may be discontinued at any time. Therefore, there can be no assurance as to the liquidity of any trading market for the debt securities, warrants, purchase contracts and units or that an active public market for the debt securities, warrants, purchase contracts or units will develop. General Information regarding Foreign Currency Risks This prospectus does not describe all the risks of an investment in debt securities denominated in a currency other than U. S. dollars. You should consult your financial and legal advisors as to any specific risks entailed by an investment in debt securities that are denominated or payable in, or the payment of which is linked to the value of, foreign currency. These debt securities are not appropriate investments for investors who are not sophisticated in foreign currency transactions. The information set forth in this prospectus is directed to prospective purchasers who are United States residents. We disclaim any responsibility to advise prospective purchasers who are residents of countries other than the United States of any matters arising under foreign law that may affect the purchase of or holding of, or receipt of payments on, the debt securities. These persons should consult their own legal and financial advisors concerning these matters. Exchange Rates and Exchange Controls May Affect the Debt Securities' Value or Return Debt securities Involving Foreign Currencies Are Subject to General Exchange Rate and Exchange Control Risks . An investment in a debt security that is denominated or payable in, or the payment of which is linked to the value of, currencies other than U. S. dollars entails significant risks. These risks include the possibility of significant changes in rates of exchange between the U. S. dollar and the relevant foreign currencies and the possibility of the imposition or modification of exchange controls by either the U. S. or foreign governments. These risks generally depend on economic and political events over which we have no control. Exchange Rates Will Affect Your Investment. In recent years, rates of exchange between U. S. dollars and some foreign currencies have been highly volatile and this volatility may continue in the future. Fluctuations in any particular exchange rate that have occurred in the past are not necessarily indicative, however, of fluctuations that may occur during the term of any debt security. Depreciation against the U. S. dollar of the currency in which a debt security is payable would result in a decrease in the effective yield of the debt security below its coupon rate and could result in an overall loss to you on a U. S. dollar basis. In addition, depending on the specific terms of a currency-linked debt security, 4 Table of Contents changes in exchange rates relating to any of the relevant currencies could result in a decrease in its effective yield and in your loss of all or a substantial portion of the value of that debt security. We Have No Control Over Exchange Rates. Foreign exchange rates can either float or be fixed by sovereign governments. Exchange rates of most economically developed nations are permitted to fluctuate in value relative to the U. S. dollar and to each other. However, from time to time governments may use a variety of techniques, such as intervention by a country's central bank or the imposition of regulatory controls or taxes, to influence the exchange rates of their currencies. Governments may also issue a new currency to replace an existing currency or alter the exchange rate or relative exchange characteristics by a devaluation or revaluation of a currency. These governmental actions could change or interfere with currency valuations and currency fluctuations that would otherwise occur in response o economic forces, as well as in response to the movement of currencies across borders. As a consequence, these government actions could adversely affect the U. S. dollar-equivalent yields or payouts for (a) debt securities denominated or payable in currencies other than U. S. dollars and (b) currency-linked debt securities. We will not make any adjustment or change in the terms of the debt securities in the event that exchange rates should become fixed, or in the event of any devaluation or revaluation or imposition of exchange or other regulatory controls or taxes, or in the event of other developments affecting the U. S. dollar or any applicable foreign currency. You will bear those risks. Some Foreign Currencies May Become Unavailable. Governments have imposed from time to time, and may in the future impose, exchange controls that could also affect the availability of a specified foreign currency. Even if there are no actual exchange controls, it is possible that the applicable currency for any debt security not denominated in U. S. dollars would not be available when payments on that debt security are due. Alternative Payment Method Used if Payment Currency Becomes Unavailable. If a payment currency is unavailable, we would make required payments in U. S. dollars on the basis of the market exchange rate. However, if the applicable currency for any debt security is not available because the euro has been substituted for that currency, we would make the payments in euro. The mechanisms for making payments in these alternative currencies are explained in â€Å"Description of Debt Securities and Guarantees—Additional Mechanics—Unavailability of Foreign Currency† below. We Will Provide Currency Exchange Information in Prospectus Supplements. The applicable prospectus supplement will include information regarding current applicable exchange controls, if any, and historic exchange rate information for any debt security denominated or payable in a foreign currency or requiring payments that are related to the value of a foreign currency. That information will be furnished only for information purposes. You should not assume that any historic information concerning currency exchange rates will be representative of the range of or trends in fluctuations in currency exchange rates that may occur in the future. Currency Conversions May Affect Payments on Some Debt securities The applicable prospectus supplement may provide for (1) payments on a non-U. S. dollar denominated debt security to be made in U. S. dollars or (2) payments on a U. S. dollar denominated debt security to be made in a currency other than U. S. dollars. In these cases, The Bank of New York Mellon, in its capacity as exchange rate agent, or a different exchange rate agent identified in the prospectus supplement, will convert the currencies. You will bear the costs of conversion through deductions from those payments. 5

Middle Range Theory Essay

Bank of America is the largest US bank founded in 1904, it has expanded through several acquisitions. By the end of 2009, Bank of America was the market leader serving 82% of the US population and over 53 million customers. They are positioned as number one in online and mobile banking. Their mobile banking services were launched in 2007 and have gained 4 million customers in less than three years. Acquisitions made by Bank of America prior to the financial crisis caused a very strong drop in their stock price. Customers: In 2009, 10 million customers used mobile banking and this is expected to grow to 37 million by 2014. Customers that use mobile banking are not the same as online customers. Customers that use mobile banking represent a different segment of the market that other banking customers. Security issues, a perceived low value and expense, were the primary reasons that customers did not switch to mobile banking. Potential customers were reluctant to try a new banking service that are represented an extra cost and they were also afraid of losing control of their finances. Debit cardholders were the most active users. It was convenient for them because they could check their account at any time. Customers that used this service changed their usual banking channels and as a result -the bank had a higher retention for these users of online services. Competition/Competitors: Bank of America’s main competitors were: Bank of New York Mellon, JP Morgan Chase ; Co. , Wells Fargo ; Co. , Citigroup, and PNC Financial Services. These competitors also used mobile banking to ensure good service for their customers. They used SMS, customized web browsers and apps, depending on the bank and the customers they served. Citibank and Wells Fargo had different applications customized for their target groups. General Context Considering that the banking industry is fragmented, with thousands of banks offering retail and wholesale banking services; ten of the largest banks hold 46. 4% of total deposits, Bank of America being the largest one. The mortgage crisis of 2009 led to a deep recession and spilled over into a financial crisis that affected the retail banking business. Banks started waving fees and offering additional benefits in order to capture and retain customers. Mobile banking was introduced in the US in 2007 which added costs to each transaction. However, these costs were lower than call centers and interactive voice response costs. Bank of America had three options: mobile messaging (mobile stream modification without any software installation), mobile Internet (wireless application protocol), and mobile applications. Mobile applications in particular were more sophisticated and costly. Smartphone use was estimated to grow to 46% by 2014. Development Dilemma: Bank of America has two options to handle the future of mobile banking: 1) Build new and various applications to target different customers a) Pros: i) Customers want customization in the products; this will increase retention and satisfaction. ii) Marketing strategies can be segmented into different types of clients. This increases efficiency and reduces costs. iii) Superior brand and innovation perception. a) Cons i) Cost of application creation will increase due to the different areas and type of customers at Bank of America ii) Any changes in the bank services will have to be applied to all apps. Some customers will have to download and use various apps at the same time 2) Refuse to add complexity to the current application a) Pros: i) No extra costs on building a new application ii) Customers that don? t like technology or doubt about security issues won’t be affected b) Cons: i) Other banks offer better mobile apps and this will increase their competitive advantage ii) Customer satisfaction will suffer if the app is not updated and does not fulfill their needs. iii) Transactions will still be done through ATMs, Call centers and IVR, which are 4 to 11 times more costly. Opportunities: Since Bank of America is one of the largest financial institutions in United States that has millions of customers; online banking is an important feature that offers to ease transactions and provides access to billing statements. However, because of the multitude of services banks offer it is overly-complicated to provide all items in one bundle. Because of this complexity (to add all the banking features in one app for mobile banking) Bank of America should target tablet-users to provide all the banking features with different applications. For example Bank of America can provide tools like market reports for savvy investors or savings programs for households (where it is easier to keep track of expenses. ) Tablets are relatively easier to use than mobile phones. Targeting such a market at an early stage can broaden the spectrum in which Bank of America operates its mobile banking. This opportunity which targets future markets as computers are being replaced by tablets should not be forgone. Ease of access and use for customers with multiple Bank of America services, easier tracking of frauds or errors. ) Bank of America customers will be able to access a large array of services online. c) For some high-end apps a nominal fee may be charged to cover some of the technology budget. 2) Cons a) Customer information may be at risk as it is insecure to access sensitive information online for which Bank of America will have to maintain high privacy, increasing cost. b) Some of the features may still be complex and require customer support hotline. c) Customers may act on unintended transactions involving significant funds. Recommendations: Bank of America needs to improve the complexity to the current application. After analyzing the options and the opportunity, we think that Bank of America has to differentiate themselves from their competitors while offering a great service to their clients, we would recommend to increase the functionality of the mobile app. This change will bring extra benefits to the different type of clients in a single download. The company will also cut costs in the type of transactions made by the clients. The continuous growth of the mobile market especially the Smartphone use is another aspect of the recommendation. Having a mobile has become a commodity for the population. The new generation will get so accustomed to this technology that they will be able to deal with any app complexity without any problem. Bank of America has to think of its future customers, not only the current mobile technology adaptors. 1) Pros: a) Having a better application will differentiate the bank compared to their competitors b) Customers will have overall services in a single application. Mobile payment services would be added to the app and will attract and benefit many customers. d) Transaction costs will become lower as the % of Smartphone users grows (46% for year 2014). 2) Cons: a) Added complexity will discourage some customers to use the application b) Speed of the application may suffer if the customer has a bad connection or has too many applications downloaded in their mobile. c) The cost of developing a more complex application is larger and may require more expertise and training for employees and customers as well.

Week 1 Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 1 Discussion - Assignment Example The study of organisational behaviour therefore becomes very important in this respect. Leaders and managers are expected to be in a position to understand and predict the behaviour of the employees in the organisation. This calls for wide knowledge in the relevant aspects relating to organisation behaviour. It is a matter of emotional intelligence, job design, organisational culture and such other aspects that make the bulk of organisational behaviour. These factors are very critical in the determination of the individual behaviour and character within the organisation. It creates the essence of having a proper organisation culture which normally does a lot in reshaping the behaviour of individuals within the organisation. Managers should be capable of instilling a sense of motivation and team spirit within the employees so that organisation objectives are better addressed. The scope of organisation behaviour transcends employee motivation, leadership, impact of personality traits on performance and other psychological factors that define human character. In any case, organisation behaviour deals with the impact of individuals, groups, and organisational structure on human character and behaviour within the organisation (Ivancevich, Kanopaske and Matteson). The ultimate concern is normally to utilize these aspects so as to create value for the organization considering that good organisational performance mostly relies on good behaviour from the

Criminology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Criminology - Essay Example The critical criminologists believe that the marginalization and criminalization are highly integrated with each other. This may affect the mental state of the individuals under marginalization and some of them may indulge in any criminal activities. The marginalization may occur at individual level or at group or community level. The people with physical or mental disabilities are subjected to marginalization at individual level. This is against the basic principles of human rights and several nations have made their legislature to reduce or avoid this practice. The employers or organizations may consider the inclusion of disabled people as a stumbling block to the productivity. In this process, they indulge in marginalization which is unfair. Moreover, the companies must work with principle of equality and corporate social responsibility. Therefore, marginalization must be eradicated by the employers. The marginalization may also be found in community or group level in the form of women and aboriginal groups. When the people are subjected to colonialism, they will have to leave their place of residence and will be settling in new areas and during this process, they are marginalized to participate in any social functioning. Similarly, the women are subjected to marginalization as far as the employment in some organizations is concerned. Criminalization means a process of imposing a criminal penalty for the illegal act committed by any person. According to critical criminologists, it is a social process in which individual may undergo a transformation of their behavior to crime or violent act (Mc Laughlin et al., 2002). The origin of criminal behavior may be in the form of discrimination or victimization (Walklate, 1989). Criminalization may disrupt the social order, and hence the society requires legal order that controls the crime rate. Some times, the criminalization may be originated from lack of health safety measures due to which other persons in the soci ety get potential harm. For example, the defendant was sentenced to two year imprisonment under criminal law for being responsible for the transmission of Hepatitis B in UK (Mohanty, 2009). As mentioned earlier, critical criminologists argue that the criminalization may be originated due to distorted mental behavior when a person is subjected to marginalization in the society and having historical link with criminalization may be considered as a cause for marginalization (Walklate, 2003). Hence the criminalization and marginalization are correlated with each other. For example, the criminal history of the Black youth, the black cultural spaces were excluded from new playgrounds of the night time economy in UK (Talbot and Bose, 2007). Hence, in the control of crime rate in the society, the steps for reducing the marginalization would be of immense help. The thorough analysis of causes or factors of victimology would certainly help in reducing the menace of criminalization in the soci ety (Fattah, 1992). References Fattah, EA. 1992, The Need for a Critical Victimology, In Towards A Critical Victimology. Ezzat A. Fattah (ed.). New York: Palgrave Macmillan Publication, pp.  14–23. ISBN : 0-312-07551-0. Mc Laughlin, E., Muncie, J & Hughes, G. 2002, Criminological Perspectives: Essential Readings (Published in association with The Open University), Sage Publication, pp: 612, ISBN-10: 0761941444. Mohanty, K. 2009, â€Å"

Japanese Immigration to Hawaii Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Japanese Immigration to Hawaii - Essay Example He initially called the group of islands as Sandwich Islands. Hawaii has abundant tropical vegetation, beautiful beaches and volcanic mountains. The main agriculture in Hawaii includes Sugar cane, pineapples, orchids, and flowers. The main plantation work in early Hawaii was in the sugar cane field. Hawaii is located 2,397 miles west-southwest of San Francisco. It is a chain of islands of about 1,523 miles. Due to their increase in political affairs and in the sugar production sector, Hawaii became a native kingdom in the nineteenth century. â€Å"The main islands of Hawaii ruled by independent chieftains were conquered and/or united by Kamehameha, the Great as a kingdom†. They began trading through the pacific having Hawaii as a center point for carrying provisions and other supplies. During this time, a new industry which came into existence was the sale of sandalwood in overseas markets, mainly in China. The sandalwood was cut from the flourishing Hawaiian forests. The Japa nese Entry Initially, the Japanese neither came to Hawaii islands as immigrants nor as settlers. They came as drifters on boats. They were either driven ashore in the Pacific Ocean or they were taken by sailing vessels on the seas. Hawaii is said to be the first kingdom which had maximum immigrants from Japan, there was a great transformation seen due to this prevalence of Japanese immigration. Hawaii was way behind transforming into an independent state when business men in Hawaii vigorously fixed Japanese as laborers to work in sugar cane fields (â€Å"Hawaii: Life in a Plantation Society,† n.d.). This was mainly because the Hawaiian people did not have an inclination toward working. They had the practice of working only when... One key concept that can be understood from the history of the Japanese immigration in Hawaii is the intensity of the role played by the working community in improving the political economy in Hawaii. The Japanese labor society in Hawaii proves the potential of the working class. This also gives an opportunity to the organizations to understand and be aware of the potential and importance that is given by the labor community. The nineteenth and twentieth centuries visualized the growth and awareness that the Japanese immigrant workers had. At each stage of their struggle they learnt to respond rightly to the owner community. It was between 1826 and 1850 that there were more thoughts which cropped up in the minds of political authorities in Hawaii to convert commoners into labor force to improve the economy of Hawaii. For the Japanese the entry into Hawaii and the problems that they faced in the inter relationships between the Japanese and the Americans proved to be an ultimate event. This gave birth to a new era in Hawaii. In Hawaii, the Japanese immigration and their settlement marked a time of compulsion in terms of both politics and social backgrounds. The Japanese were forced to live with a certain compulsion in Hawaii whether they were happy with it or not. The Hawaii was an American society where the Japanese could not expect any rewards or support for improving their Japanese culture. Annexation was one way which put forth limits on how the Japanese were treated by the Hawaii’s Americans in Hawaii. The end of the labor contract was seen as a trouble by many plantation owners in Hawaii.

To what extent is it fair to characterise delegated legislation as a Essay

To what extent is it fair to characterise delegated legislation as a practical necessity that undermines important constitutional principles - Essay Example This paper first gives a quick rundown on the constitution of the United Kingdom and the place of delegated legislation in it vis-à  -vis the concepts of separation of powers and parliamentary sovereignty. Only then will it start exploring delegated legislation beginning with its definition, its rationale, its types and controls, when it is considered invalid, and finally its advantages. Next would be the problems associated with delegated legislation, particularly its relevance to Montesquieu’s theory; and its disadvantages as legislation. Another section on its being a practical necessity would follow, and then a conclusion. Towards the end, the paper will make a stand and show that while delegated legislation may be a practical necessity that may undermine important constitutional principles, the extent will only be when proper checks and balances are provided. The constitution of the United Kingdom is an amalgam of statute law, precedent, and tradition dating as far back to the time of King Henry I in the 1100s.1 Uncodified, UK’s constitution is said to have been historically guided by certain conventions like a system of checks and balances which protect citizens against the abuse of executive power, respect for the liberties of the individual, and trust in the political process.2 Over the years, constitutional conventions have been considered more important than written constitutional provisions in interpreting one’s task with the uncodified constitution 3 The informal nature of the UK constitution may be said to inherently welcome the lack of constitutionalism concept. The executive is drawn from the legislature, Parliament, since the UK has a Parliamentary system of government.4 Because the government is â€Å"fused" with Parliament, governments have no formal control on their legislative power. In 1976, in fact, the phrase

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Human Resource Management - Essay Example Analysis of the journey to understand the importance of the HRM is long, but worthwhile as it presents some very interesting facts about organizations. This paper covers my reflections of the functions of the HRM department in any organizational set up. The roles of the HRM department are the most vital in an organization, ranging from planning, staffing, and leading, organizing, and controlling the organization’s work force (Mathis & Jackson, 2010). The process of HRM includes testing, training, planning, compensating, and appraising employees. The employees’ safety and health, and equality are also major concerns of the department. Given the facts above, one would be quick to question the bad image painted on the department. Why do some people consider the department as a psychotherapist clinic of a company or as a mere recruiting office? I think the performance of those HRM departments under criticism did not meet the employees’ expectations and thus the lamen tation. HRM departments are supposed to carry their duties indiscriminately. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Affirmative actions should be the core of the department’s moral principles. These two guiding principles are the stepping-stones to enhancing positive diversity in an organization. The identification of differences enhances development of an environment that promotes respect. The HRM department should nurtures these differences and use them for the benefits of both the organization and the individual. The government, through reports requirement, has enforced the two policies in both federal and public organizations (Mathis & Jackson, 2010). Federal organizations are required to submit their reports to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Nevertheless, these requirements are fragmented and irregularities with the records often emerge. It is imperative that HRM professionals observe the EEO and Affirmati ve actions policies, from their lifestyles to places of work. A diverse work force will provide creative and innovative workers to drive an organization towards achievement of its strategic goals. In the planning, recruitment and selection, enforcement of EEO and affirmative actions should remain on focus. Potential employees have the right to equal opportunities of employment without prejudice of race, color or religion (Ivancevich, 2006). The recruitment of the employees should be clear of discrimination, and the vacancies assigned to qualified applicants with occasional reference to the diversity ratio. The issue that arises during the planning is the decision to determine candidacy of employees based on qualification or equality. In some situations, the best-qualified candidates are qualified, but represent only a margin of the population. The conflict of equal employment opportunity and affirmative, and the desired employee characteristics arises here. The case scenario is evid ent, as it has occurred in one of my classes. Majority of the students who passed on the course subjects were male. Now, presenting awards to only male students would portray the idea of male chauvinism.

Sex Education Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sex Education Paper - Essay Example I have personally felt the need to re-evaluate our cultural and traditional understandings of these issues and how they affect our understanding as we continue to grow up. I got a lot of information about sex and sexuality from very different sources. My family, both my parents and aunts, were at hand to provide me with a wide range of information about myself and my body and how to act and keep myself amidst all the changes that were taking place in my body during my teenage years. The media were also very instrumental in giving me information through various TV shows, music and movies. I also got to read magazines and journals about sexual health, some of which were very erotic. School was also a very important environment for me to learn more about sex, both informally through my friends and formally through the school curriculum. In the later stages of my teenage years, I mostly relied on my peers and the internet for information since we had a common consensus that our parents d id not provide us with helpful information and that they did not want us to participate in sexual activities for unknown or unqualified reasons at the time. A recent study about reproductive health among youths and adolescents conducted by Stanford University, however, points out that the sources that I relied upon such as the internet are to a large extent erratic. The study found out that some of the information contained on various websites across the internet contain outdated advice, omissions and are riddled with errors, therefore, making them possible channels of misinformation and myths associated with sex and sexuality (Knox and Schacht 58). Given this wide range of informational sources regarding this subject, I must admit that my sexual life as a teenager was based on a lot of misinformation and myths which at the time, I believed to be the absolute truth. Some of them, especially the ones I got from school my parents, were in fact true although I did not regard them as su ch during the that time. My parents and close family relatives told me a lot of lies about sex in a bid to protect me from knowing the truth at such a tender age for fear that I would be interested in trying out. They, therefore, sought to present sex as a negative and an unpleasant thing, most especially if done outside marriage. One of the biggest myths that I gathered at from this is that marital sex is the only safe, desired and enjoyable sexual activity. Over the year, however, as I have grown up and gathered more information, both from experience and from reliable research studies, I have come to the conclusion that it is not true. Marital sex, despite being legitimate, is coupled up with so many issues involving consensus. I was stunned to discover that rape can also occur in a marriage set up in cases where one of the partners does not consent to the sexual activity (Knox and Schacht 67). This proved to me that marital sex is not that much enjoyable as it was portrayed to me by my family. It was only a myth to help me avoid being involved in sexual activities at a young age and before marriage. Among my peers, we believed that having multiple sexual partners before would help one to be more experienced

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ( PLANNING A MEETING ) Assignment

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT ( PLANNING A MEETING ) - Assignment Example These people have been invited as the lack of safety norms are near the factory floor and hence the Manufacturing manager needs to be present. Similarly, my deputy and the admin assistant are invited. Further, the HR manager has to represent the employees and air their grievances. The chief compliance officer is to be invited so that the relevant laws and regulations are explained. The objectives of the meeting would be to ensure that the safety standards are being followed and that the company is not violating any laws that deal with the same. Further, an action plan to address the lack of safety standards and how to redress the same has to be part of the objectives. Assigning responsibilities to the relevant members is a priority item as well. Hence, the agenda would mainly consist of identifying potential areas where the company is found wanting and take steps to address the same. The employee side of the story would have to be discussed with the HR manager and the Manufacturing manager has to install the disabled friendly workspaces on the factory floor. The compliance officer has to report to the regulators on the progress of the action

A report on Agile and OOAD Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

A report on Agile and OOAD - Research Paper Example Guidelines for Combining Agile with other approaches 9 VIII. Case Study 10 IX. Recommendations and Challenges 10 X. Bibliography 11 I. Introduction In the past few years, there have emerged a large number of software development practices and processes. In this scenario, agile software development methodologies have become a trend in quickly changing software industry. In the past, only the traditional software development methodology was the only method to develop software products. However, it was not supportive for late changes and iterations. In order to deal with the issues presented in traditional software development approaches there emerged a very attractive software development approach, known as agile software development. Soon it became a standard software development approach which received a great deal of support of all kinds of experts from the software industry. At the present, the majority of software development firms and software developers are aware of agile softwa re development methodologies. They use it all the way through the software development lifecycle. Basically, agile software development approach is based on some principles which can be tailored according to varying requirements of software projects. This report will present a detailed analysis of agile software development. ... In this scenario, the term â€Å"agile† is used to reveal number of meanings like that implement changes rapidly, deliver the completed product rapidly and accommodate change frequently. In view of the fact that there are a large number of software development approaches (for instance Scrum, XP and many more) which come under the umbrella of agile software development paradigm and they differ in emphasis and practices, however they all follow the same principles which come under agile agenda. In this scenario, many researchers present the common description of the agile manifesto. According to researchers agile methodology and its family members are based on the following principles (Kavitha & Thomas, 2011; Lucia & Qusef, 2010; Paetsch, 2003): Working software application or a product should be delivered as rapidly and regularly as possible (it should be delivered in days in place of weeks and in weeks in place of months) Working software application should give an insight int o the progress of the overall project Improving the customer satisfaction by providing them rapid and regular release of implemented software application. Agile software development methodologies are aimed at supporting and accommodating late changes all the way through the software development lifecycle. In fact, late changes in requirements are effectively accommodated without having serious effects on the overall development or project. Agile software methodologies are designed to support effective collaboration, communication and close on a daily basis cooperation between business people and developers in fact among all the stakeholders Agile software development methodologies are highly based on

Demographic Transition Models Essay Example for Free

Demographic Transition Models Essay The Demographic Transition is a model that describes population change over time. As with all models, the demographic transition model has its applications and limitations. Applications The model describes population change over time and can be applied to many countries (based on the change in crude birth rate (CBR) and crude death rate (CDR) over time) Can be used for comparison and also prediction from stages 1 to 4 Outline the population characteristics of societies at various stages of the development Population structures can be related to the model The model is often applied to lesser developed countries to allay concerns regarding overpopulation, without proof that the underlying dynamics will allow these countries to trace similar evolution paths as the European and other Western countries. Limitations Birth rates in several MEDCs have fallen below death rates (Germany, Sweden). This has caused, for the first time, a population decline which suggests that perhaps the model should have a fifth stage added to it. However the model does not go beyond Stage 4. The model assumes that in time all countries pass through the same four stages. It now seems unlikely, however, that many LEDCs, especially in Africa, will become industrialized External influences are not considered. The model assumes that the fall in the death rate in Stage 2 was the consequence of industrialisation.  Initially, the death rate in many British cities rose, due to the unsanitary conditions which resulted from rapid urban growth, and it only began to fall after advances were made in medicine. The delayed fall in the death rate in many developing countries has been due mainly to their inability to afford medical facilities. In many countries, the fall in the birth rate in Stage 3 has been less rapid than the model suggests due to religious and/or political opposition to birth control (Brazil), whereas the fall was much more rapid, and came earlier, in China where the government introduced the one child policy. The timescale of the model, especially in several south-east Asian countries such as Hong Kong and Malaysia, is being squashed as they develop at a much faster rate than did the early industrialised countries. The model assumes that all countries will go through the stages 1 to 4 in that exact order. There are variables and exceptions such as war and turmoil that may lead to different results. Some countries may even skip stages Eg. Countries that grew as a consequence of emigration from Europe (USA, Canada, Australia) did not pass through the early stages of the model. The model only reflects natural increase. Eg. There was a major migration overseas during a time period in the UK, where millions were unemployed had an effect on the population on its age structure and as a whole. The model does not forecast changes or provide explanations as to why one stage might lead to the next. The DTM is also limited in the sense that it gives a generalized picture of population change over time based on European studies, assuming that all countries would follow suit.

Normal And Inferior Goods And Examples Economics Essay

Normal And Inferior Goods And Examples Economics Essay A microeconomic law that states that, all other factors being equal, as the price of a good or service increases, consumer demand for the good or service will decrease and vice versa.   Law Of Demand This law summarizes the effect price changes have on consumer behavior. For example, a consumer will purchase more pizzas if the price of pizza falls. The opposite is true if the price of pizza increases.   people generally buy more of a good when the price is low and less of it when the price is high. This is a general rule that applies to most goods called normal goods. As the price of a normal good increases, people buy less of it because they are usually able to switch to cheaper goods. Normal and Inferior Goods and Its Examples Normal goods can be defined as those goods for which demand increases when the income of the consumer increases and falls when income of the consumer decreases, price of the goods remaining constant. Examples of normal goods are demand of LCD and plasma television, demand for more expensive cars, branded clothes, expensive houses, diamonds etc†¦ increases when the income of the consumers increases. To the opposite side of normal goods are the inferior goods. It is defined as those goods the demand for which decreases when the income of the consumer increases. Examples of inferior goods are consumption of breads or cereals and since the income of the consumer increases he moved towards consumption of more nutritious foods and hence demand for low priced product like bread or cereal decreases. Another example can be of use of public transportation, when income is low people use more of public transportation which is not the case when their income increases. Hence from the above one can see that other things remaining constant as the income of consumer increases demand for normal goods will increase and demand for inferior goods decrease and vice versa. GIFFEN GOODS In economics, a giffen good is an inferior good with the unique characteristic that an increase in price actually increases the quantity of the good that is demanded.   This provides the unusual result of an upward sloping demand curve. This phenomenon is notable because it violates the law of demand, whereby demand should increase as price falls and decrease as price rises. For example-consumption of bread increased as its price increased.as bread is a staple food for low income consumers.A rise in its price would not stop people from buying as much as before.But poor people would now have so little extra money to spend on meat or other luxury foods that they would abandon on their demand for these and instead buy more bread to fill up their stomachs.the result was that a rise in the price of bread led to a rise in the demand for bread. This happens because of the interactions of the income and substitution effects.   SUBSTITUTION EFFECT : if the price of a good rises, consumers will buy less of that good and more of others because it is now relatively more expensive than other goods. If the price of good falls, consumers will buy more of that good and less of others. These changes in quantity demanded due to the relative change in prices are known as substitution effectof a price change. INCOME EFFECT : If the price of a good rise, the real income of consumers will fall. They will not be able to buy the same basket of goods and services as before.Consumers can react to this fall in real income in one of the two ways.if the good is a normal good,they will buy less of the good. If the good is an inferior good, they will buy more good.these changes in quantity demanded caused by a change in real income is known as income effect. For an inferior good, the substitution effect and income effect work in opposite directions.A rise in price leads to a fall in quantity demanded because the relative price of the good has risen.but it leads to a rise in quantity demanded because consumers real income have fallen. However, the substitution effect outweighs the income effect because overall it is still true for an inferior good that a rise in price leads to an overall fall in quantity demanded. A Giffen Good is a special type of inferior good. A rise in price leads to a fall in quantity demanded because of the substitution effect but a rise in quantity demanded because of the income effect.However, the income effect outweighs the substitution effect, leading to rises in quantity demanded. Depending on whether the good is inferior or normal, the income effect can be positive or negative as the price of a good increases. .The interesting thing about a giffen good, is that when the price of a giffen good rises, the income effect is greater than the substitution effect.   So if a good is inferior, the income effect will be positive and larger than the negative value from the substitution effect.   A giffen good faces an upward sloping demand curve because the income effect dominates the substitution effect, meaning that quantity demanded increases as price rises C:UsersadminDesktopassignmentWhat is a giffen good, an example with graphs_filesgiffen+good.png Type Of Good Substitution Effect Income Effect Total Effect Normal good Fall Fall Fall Inferior Good Fall Rise Fall because substitution effect > income effect Giffen Good Fall Rise Rise because substitution effect MR, then P > MC is also true.  Ã‚  A monopolist charges a higher price than would competitive producers selling in the same market.   Profit Maximization Under Monopoly Q MC ATC MR P Profit Clearly, the price elasticity of demand plays a crucial role in monopoly price setting. As long as demand is elastic, total revenue will rise when the monopoly lowers its price, but this will not be true when demand becomes inelastic. Therefore, the monopolist will expand output only in the elastic portion of its demand curve. As monopoly is a form of imperfect market organization, there is no difference between firm and industry. A monopoly firm is said to be an industry. Thus monopoly means the absence of competition. There are strong barriers to entry into the industry. As a result, seller has full control over the supply of the commodity. Features of Monopoly: 1. One seller and large number of buyers: Monopoly is a form of imperfect market structure where there is only one seller of a product. A monopoly firm may be owned by a person, a few numbers of partners or a joint stock company. The characteristic feature of single seller eliminates the distinction between the firm and the industry. A monopolist firm is itself the industry. Under monopoly there are large numbers of buyers although the seller is one. No buyers reaction can influence the price. 2. No close substitute: Under monopoly a single producer produces single commodities which have no close substitute. As the commodity in question has no close substitute, the monopolist is at liberty to change a price according to his own whimsy. Monopoly can not exist when there is competition. A firm is said, to be monopolist only when it is the single producer and supplier of the product which have no close substitute. Under monopoly the cross elasticity of demand is zero. Cross elasticity of demand shows a change in the demand for a good as a result of change in the price of another good. 3. Strong barriers to the entry into the industry exist: In a monopoly market there is strong barrier on the entry of new firms. Monopolist faces no competition. As there is one firm no other rival producers can enter the market of the same product. Since the monopolist has absolute control over the production and sale of the commodity certain economic barriers are imposed on the entry of potential rivals. 4. Nature of demand curve: In case of monopoly one firm constitutes the whole industry. The entire demand of the consumers for a product goes to the monopolist. Since the demand curve of the individual consumers lopes downward, the monopolist faces a downward sloping demand curve. A monopolist can sell more of his output only at a lower price and can reduce the sale at a high price. The downward sloping demand curve expresses that the price (AR) goes on falling ns sales are increased. In monopoly AR curve slopes downward mid MR curve lies below AR curve. Demand curve under monopoly la otherwise known as average revenue curve. 5. Homogeneous Product A monopoly firm manufactures a commodity that has no close substitute and is a homogeneous product. With the absence of availability of a substitute, the buyer is bound to purchase what is available at the tagged price. For instance: there is no substitute for railways as the bulk carrier. Thus, to be the sole seller, in the monopolistic setup, a unique product must be produced 6. Price Discrimination Price discrimination can be defined as the practice by a seller of charging different prices from different buyers for the same good or service. A monopolist has the leverage to carry out price discrimination as he is the market and acts as per his suitability. 7. Price Elasticity With regards to the demand of the product or service offered by the monopolizing company or individual, the price elasticity to absolute value ratio is dictated by price increase and market demand. It is not uncommon to see surplus and/or a loss categorized as deadweight within a monopoly. The latter refers to gain that evades both, the consumer and the monopolist. Advantages of monopoly Monopoly avoids duplication and hence wastage of resources. A monopoly enjoys economics of scale as it is the only supplier of product or service in the market. The benefits can be passed on to the consumers. Due to the fact that monopolies make lot of profits, it can be used for research and development and to maintain their status as a monopoly. Monopolies may use price discrimination which benefits the economically weaker sections of the society. For example, Indian railways provide discounts to students travelling through its network. Monopolies can afford to invest in latest technology and machinery in order to be efficient and to avoid competition. Disadvantages of monopoly   Poor level of service. No consumer sovereignty. Consumers may be charged high prices for low quality of goods and services. Lack of competition may lead to low quality and out dated goods and services. MONOPOLIST EQUILIBRIUM WITH ZERO MARGINAL COST   Under certain exceptional cases, the cost of additional units of output, i.e., marginal cost (MC) may be equal to zero. With constant value zero of marginal cost, the value of average cost is also constant and is equal to zero. With zero cost of production, the monopolist has only to decide at which output, the total revenue will be maximum. And total revenue is maximum, at the output level at which marginal revenue is equal to zero. Further, with zero marginal cost, the condition of profit maximization, i.e., the equality of marginal cost (MC) and marginal revenue (MR) can be achieved, where the latter is also equal to zero.   Fig.   shows the equilibrium of the monopolist, where marginal cost is equal to zero. E is the point of monopolist equilibrium, where MC cuts MR from below. The equilibrium price and the equilibrium quantity at this equilibrium are OP and OQ respectively. Here, total revenue and hence total profits (area OPBE in   fig. ) of the monopolist are maximum. Beyond OQ level of output, MR becomes negative and total revenue starts declining. As explained in Chapter 16 on Market Structure, under heading Relation among AR, MR and Price Elasticity of Demand, Page 485 elasticity of demand on the AR curve corresponding to zero marginal revenue is equal to one. Therefore, with zero cost of production, monopolist equilibrium will be established at a level, where elasticity of demand is unitary. Description: Zero Cost of Production.JPG  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fig. : Monopolist Equilibrium with Zero Cost of Production It is important to note that the monopolist will never produce the output at any level, where MR is negative. If he does so, his total revenue will fall as output increases. He can increase total revenue by reducing the output. In other words, the monopolist can earn larger profits by restricting the output. Further, since MC cannot be negative, equality of MC and MR (equilibrium condition) cannot be achieved, where MR is negative. We know from the relationship among average revenue (AR), marginal revenue (MR) and elasticity of demand7 that when marginal revenue is negative, elasticity of demand is less than one. Therefore, no rational monopolist will produce on that portion of the demand curve, where MR is negative, i.e., the elasticity of demand is less than one? That is why; no monopolist ever operates on the inelastic portion of the average revenue curve or the demand curve. With the positive marginal costs (which is most usually the case), the monopolist fixes his level of output for which MR is also positive, i.e., total revenue rises with increase in the level of output. In other words, the equilibrium will always lie, where elasticity of demand is greater than one. In   fig. , if the price is fixed at point B (middle point of the demand curve), where the elasticity of demand is equal to one, the MC (whether straight line or U-shaped) curve will pass through the MR curve at zero point. Here, both the MC and the MR are zero. It is a rare possibility. Further, below the middle point B of the demand curve, elasticity of demand is less than one. If the price is fixed in this inelastic portion of the demand curve, both the MC and the MR assume negative values, as the point of intersection between them is below point E on the MR curve in   fig. . However, MC can never be negative. Given positive costs, MC curve must cut the MR curve from below at a point, where both the MC and the MR are positive. The equilibrium in this case will be established at a point above E on the MR curve in the figure and the price will be fixed in the elastic portion of the demand curve, i.e., above the middle point of the AR curve in   fig. (source: transtutors.com) Q3)World Economic Outlook The global recovery is threatened by intensifying strains in the euro area and fragilities elsewhere. Financial conditions have deteriorated, growth prospects have dimmed, and downside risks have escalated. Global output is projected to expand by 3 ¼ percent in 2012 (Table 1  and  Figure 1)-a downward revision of about  ¾ percentage point relative to the  September 2011 World Economic Outlook (WEO). This is largely because the euro area economy is now expected to go into a mild recession in 2012 as a result of the rise in sovereign yields, the effects of bank deleveraging on the real economy, and the impact of additional fiscal consolidation. Growth in emerging and developing economies is also expected to slow because of the worsening external environment and a weakening of internal demand. The most immediate policy challenge is to restore confidence and put an end to the crisis in the euro area by supporting growth, while sustaining adjustment, containing deleveraging, and providing more liquidity and monetary accommodation. In other major advanced economies, the key policy requirements are to address medium-term fiscal imbalances and to repair and reform financial systems, while sustaining the recovery. In emerging and developing economies, near-term policy should focus on responding to moderating domestic growth and to slowing external demand from advanced economies. Financial risks escalate, global growth decelerates Global growth prospects dimmed and risks sharply escalated during the fourth quarter of 2011, as the euro area crisis entered a perilous new phase. Activity remained relatively robust throughout the third quarter, with global GDP expanding at an annualized rate of 3 ½ percent-only slightly worse than forecast in the  September 2011 WEO. Growth in the advanced economies surprised on the upside, as consumers in the United States unexpectedly lowered their saving rates and business fixed investment stayed strong. The bounce back from the supply-chain disruptions caused by the March 2011 Japanese earthquake was also stronger than anticipated. Additionally, stabilizing oil prices helped support consumption. These developments, however, are not expected to sustain significant momentum going forward. By contrast, growth in emerging and developing economies slowed more than forecast, possibly due to a greater-than-expected effect of macroeconomic policy tightening or weaker underlying growth. Description: Figure 1 Table 1. Overview of the  World Economic Outlook  Projections (Percent change unless noted otherwise) Year over Year Projections Difference fromSeptember 2011 WEOProjections Q4 over Q4 Estimates Projections 2010 2011 2012 2013 2012 2013 2011 2012 2013 World Output  1 5.2 3.8 3.3 3.9 -0.7 -0.6 3.3 3.4 4.0 Advanced Economies 3.2 1.6 1.2 1.9 -0.7 -0.5 1.3 1.3 2.1 United States 3.0 1.8 1.8 2.2 0.0 -0.3 1.8 1.5 2.4 Euro Area 1.9 1.6 -0.5 0.8 -1.6 -0.7 0.8 -0.2 1.2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Germany 3.6 3.0 0.3 1.5 -1.0 0.0 1.8 0.7 1.6   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  France 1.4 1.6 0.2 1.0 -1.2 -0.9 0.9 0.5 1.3   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Italy 1.5 0.4 -2.2 -0.6 -2.5 -1.1 -0.1 -2.7 0.9   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Spain -0.1 0.7 -1.7 -0.3 -2.8 -2.1 0.2 -2.1 0.6 Japan 4.4 -0.9 1.7 1.6 -0.6 -0.4 -0.9 1.9 1.5 United Kingdom 2.1 0.9 0.6 2.0 -1.0 -0.4 0.8 1.0 2.4 Canada 3.2 2.3 1.7 2.0 -0.2 -0.5 2.1 1.7 2.0 Other Advanced Economies  2 5.8 3.3 2.6 3.4 -1.1 -0.3 2.9 3.2 3.5   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Newly Industrialized Asian Economies 8.4 4.2 3.3 4.1 -1.2 -0.3 3.8 4.3 3.8 Emerging and Developing Economies  3 7.3 6.2 5.4 5.9 -0.7 -0.6 5.9 6.0 6.3 Central and Eastern Europe 4.5 5.1 1.1 2.4 -1.6 -1.1 3.4 1.4 3.0 Commonwealth of Independent States 4.6 4.5 3.7 3.8 -0.7 -0.6 3.2 3.5 3.7   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Russia 4.0 4.1 3.3 3.5 -0.8 -0.5 3.5 2.8 4.0   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Excluding Russia 6.0 5.5 4.4 4.7 -0.7 -0.4 . . . . . . . . . Developing Asia 9.5 7.9 7.3 7.8 -0.7 -0.6 7.4 7.9 7.6   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  China 10.4 9.2 8.2 8.8 -0.8 -0.7 8.7 8.5 8.4   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  India 9.9 7.4 7.0 7.3 -0.5 -0.8 6.7 6.9 7.2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ASEAN-5  4 6.9 4.8 5.2 5.6 -0.4 -0.2 3.7 7.4 5.0 Latin America and the Caribbean 6.1 4.6 3.6 3.9 -0.4 -0.2 3.9 3.3 5.0   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Brazil 7.5 2.9 3.0 4.0 -0.6 -0.2 2.1 3.8 4.1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mexico 5.4 4.1 3.5 3.5 -0.1 -0.2 4.1 3.1 3.6 Middle East and North Africa (MENA)  5 4.3 3.1 3.2 3.6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sub-Saharan Africa 5.3 4.9 5.5 5.3 -0.3 -0.2 . . . . . . . . .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  South Africa 2.9 3.1 2.5 3.4 -1.1 -0.6 2.4 3.0 3.7 Memorandum European Union 2.0 1.6 -0.1 1.2 -1.5 -0.7 0.8 0.3 1.7 World Growth Based on Market Exchange Rates 4.1 2.8 2.5 3.2 -0.7 -0.4 . . . . . . . . . World Trade Volume (goods and services) 12.7 6.9 3.8 5.4 -2.0 -1.0 . . . . . . . . . Imports   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Advanced Economies 11.5 4.8 2.0 3.9 -2.0 -0.8 . . . . . . . . .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Emerging and Developing Economies 15.0 11.3 7.1 7.7 -1.0 -1.0 . . . . . . . . . Exports   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Advanced Economies 12.2 5.5 2.4 4.7 -2.8 -0.8 . . . . . . . . .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Emerging and Developing Economies 13.8 9.0 6.1 7.0 -1.7 -1.6 . . . . . . . . . Commodity Prices (U.S. dollars) Oil  6 27.9 31.9 -4.9 -3.6 -1.8 -3.1 . . . . . . . . . Nonfuel (average based on world commodity export weights) 26.3 17.7 -14.0 -1.7 -9.3 2.2 . . . . . . . . . Consumer Prices Advanced Economies 1.6 2.7 1.6 1.3 0.2 -0.1 2.9 1.2 1.3 Emerging and Developing Economies  3 6.1 7.2 6.2 5.5 0.3 0.4 6.5 5.6 4.8 London Interbank Offered Rate (percent)  7 On U.S. Dollar Deposits 0.5 0.5 0.9 0.9 0.4 0.3 . . . . . . . . . On Euro Deposits 0.8 1.4 1.1 1.2 -0.1 -0.4 . . . . . . . . . On Japanese Yen Deposits 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.2 0.2 0.0 . . . . . . . .   (Source www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2012/update/01/

Person-centred Care Essay

Person-centred Care Essay Introduction: Reflective essay on person centred care Modern day Healthcare has increasingly embraced concepts of client-centred practice and empowerment. However, Taylor (2003) posits that existing literature on the subject does not give clear and unambiguous descriptions of the ways by which nurses can empower clients. Nonetheless, nursing practice is inclusive of people from very different backgrounds. In my ward for example, a high proportion of the nurses did not get their initial qualifications and experience in the UK, and my mentor too did not start of as a nurse from the UK. As a result of this, in the absence of well defined guidance for patient empowerment as a practice concept (by regulatory authorities), nurses and other healthcare practitioners will always encounter difficulties in the performance of their duties in recognition of patient empowerment as a concept. The way patient care is manifest in hospitals has evolved over time and now centres around collaborative working with different teams coming together to ensure that client care and outcomes are improved (Hansson et al 2008), (Hewison and Stanton 2003). Working in this way requires that the patient is an inclusive and active partner in his care planning and care delivery. This new way of working has also been emphasised by the government introducing the agenda for patient-centred care and patient empowerment. The Department of Health stipulates that the NHS needs to empower patients more and give them control over their healthcare (DoH 2008) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) also requires that patients are always consulted before any procedure is carried out on them (WHO website). The whole concept of empowering patients may not be new to healthcare practitioners because some healthcare practitioners are known to have spoken about making efforts to carry the clients along in the process of their care delivery (Stewart et al. 2002), but Paterson (2001) claims that some healthcare professionals have also been known to use subtle and covert ways to avoid fully implementing the patient empowerment requirement even at the risk of going against regulation to empower patients. Empowerment has been (in essence) practitioner defined to suit the practitioners. As an example, at the MDT meetings I attended, the patients views were not adequately promoted, and considering the requirements of the patient empowerment agenda, the patient is supposed be in charge of his healthcare. I raised this with my mentor and the ward manager, and recommended that the patient be consulted before, and updated after every meeting that has to do with his care delivery. Acknowledging client empowerment as a way forward and in emphasising the need for this modern way of working, the Prime Minister in a key message in January 2008 said that patients are to be treated as active partners in their care. Brown et al (2006) consider that for care to be client-centred, care delivery must be focused on the client and empower and engage the client to his/her full potential as a partner in his/her care delivery. Whereas the client-centred concept requires that what is best for the patient is done, patient empowerment requires providing clients with adequate information and the knowledge required to make informed decisions and take control of their lives (Kielhofner 2002). The issue of patient empowerment raises an issue about empowering intellectually disabled persons who cannot make suc h decisions on their own. If an adult with intellectual disability does not have complete ability to communicate, their choices can be diminished which in turn can make it particularly difficult to ensure that their opinions are heard (Cameron and Murphy 2002); and even in instances where a nurse is designated the health facilitator for the client, there is no guidance as to how much decision making can be undertaken on his behalf (Martin and Carey 2009). These further complicate issues in nursing management for a qualified nurse and will call on good managerial skills. Modern healthcare practice environment is a highly regulated one with stringent requirements of the healthcare practitioners. The continued drive for improvement in both healthcare delivery service and the patients experience and quality of life (DoH 2005) have led to the promotion of improved integration between healthcare disciplines and agencies, and regulatory requirements to promote the concept of patient empowe rment (DoH 2008), (Corsello and Tinkelman 2008), (Glasby and Parker 2008). Empowerment is a natural phenomenon and is essential to humans. Patient empowerment may be resisted by nurses because of existing nurse-patient relationships (Nyatanga and Dann 2002) and so a deliberate cultural shift needs to be pursued to inculcate nurses with the shift in paradigm. To achieve, the nurse will need additional training, and the clients ought to be carried along in drawing up treatment plans. The more the client is involved in the treatment planning, the more the client appreciates his/her part in the patient empowerment agenda, and the more the satisfaction with the care delivery service. I have used simple courtesies like saying thank you to the client, and realised it brightens their day very much and also makes them much happier and willing to discuss their feelings and opinions with me. The convergence of management and nursing has evolved over the past few decades and management is often cited as the reason for failings, and also as the likely solution (Pollitt 1993) to many of the problems in the NHS. Management was first f ormally defined by Henry Fayol (1949) as the composite function of planning, organizing, coordinating, commanding and controlling activities or events. More recent definitions in management theory look at management from the perspective of empowerment, total quality management, organizational culture etc. (Hewison and Stanton 2003). Leadership and management skills in nursing overlap to a very large extent but whereas leadership skills are needed in the more personal aspects like mentoring and motivation, management skills are needed to meet organizational targets and the management of available resources. Summary With the problems associated with recruitment and retention of nurses in the health sector, and the attendant high turnover of nurses came an additional expectation of nurse-managers to help reverse the trend (even though several of the pioneering nurse-managers had not had formal managerial training) (Contino 2004). Contino (2004) described the managerial skills required of a good nurse manager to include change management, communicating plans, managing the flow of information, managing nursing ROTAs and managing finances (income and expenses). Courtney et al (2002) rate financial management knowledge as one of the top requirements for a nurse manager in order to understand financial forecasts, financial plans, financial ratios and financial performance ratios. A nurse manager needs to be very conversant with current practices and concepts. A good understanding of service improvement and knowledge (and use) of the available developmental resources for nurse improvement like the Lead ership at Point of Care programme (Janes and Mullan 2007) are essential for successful nurse-management. Carney (2009) reported that clients were more likely to be dissatisfied whenever they felt the nurse leader was incompetent. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) requires that the nurse is conversant with and aware of current developments in practice by way of continued professional development after qualifying as a trained nurse. To manage a team well, a nurse will need very good communication skills in addition to the authority to take decisions within the boundaries of his/her responsibility (Cross and Prusak 2002), (Carroll 2005) as and when necessary. A nurse manager should be a good team-player and able to multi-task (Jaynelle and Stichler 2006) and possess very good communication skills that go beyond language and/or grammar, to listening, being assertive and ensuring that the nurses decisions are enforced especially when the nurse speaks on behalf of a client (or helps to amplify the clients voice) (Harris 2003). The nurse manager should ensure that adequate communication links are established between the client and the MDT so that client views are always considered. The nurse manager should patiently try to clearly understand the patient (Lynden 2006) so as to be able to ensure clients views are accommodated in clients care delivery. In situations of acute ailments, clients can present with intellectual disability or a moderated ability to communicate verbally which can make it difficult to understand their opinions or wishes (Cameron and Murphy 2002) for their care process. To be a leader, todays nurse will need to be able to command the respect of other team members. To achieve acceptability nurse managers need to be people with high integrity and people management/motivation skills and be able to work in a collaborative setting (Carroll 2005). Integrity in this perspective is synonymous with honesty (Kouzes and Posner 2002) and several studies have highlighted the importance of honesty fo r nurse management or leadership because people (clients and nurses alike) will want to assure themselves that their leader is worthy of their trust (Kouzes and Posner 2003). During my placements in an adult care unit of a major hospital, from observation and interaction with patients and healthcare staff, my attention was drawn to a plight of some of the patients in my care: I realised that some of the patients were not being allowed to determine the course of their treatment as required by the patient empowerment agenda (DoH 2008) and this was more especial in patients with acute ailments. There was a lack of full management implementation of the Patient empowerment agenda, with particular emphasis on the relevance given to the patients choice (or voice) in the patients care delivery. The quality of care delivery is assessed by its ability to improve patient care through the collaborative team work of healthcare professionals and how patient-focused the care delivery is. For the purposes of this work, I shall refer to a renal patient in my care during my placement as Mr. B (not real name). All references to him or a hospital do not identify either. When Mr. B was †¦ and was refusing to be compliant, I approached him and had a talk with him. I discovered that his lack of compliance was in protest of the fact that he was not aware he was being put on †¦ reinforcing the position of Corsello and Tinkelman (2008) that clients will respond better to care that encourages their participation and is considerate of their specific needs. To ensure that this did not happ en again, I brought the patients complaint to the attention of my mentor and ensured that the multi-disciplinary team was made aware by adequately documenting my findings and observations. I regularly sought advice and guidance from my mentor because mentoring and role-modeling are active ways of knowledge transfer in large organizations (Carney 2009) and improves the care delivery service. Service improvement remains a core requirement for the Knowledge and Skills Framework for a registered nurse (DoH 2004) and requires an all-party embracing culture of seeking continuous improvement (Janes and Mullan 2007) where honest and periodic performance appraisals are evident. Service improvement in the NHS has been an issue of high importance and has necessitated the establishment of groups that are charged with charting out improvements within the NHS like the NHS Improvement (NHS Improvement Programme 2008). Practicing nurses are encouraged to keep abreast with developments from such groups. A new service improvement concept of patient-safety is gaining popularity in healthcare although regulatory definition is not yet specific (Feng et al 2008). Flin and Yule (2003) claim patients can be injured through the actions of healthcare staff, and Feng et al (2008) insist that a blame and shame culture inhibits learning from mistakes and can exacerbate incidences of mistakes. To this end (in the UK) an Expert group was established that recommended that the culture around error reporting shifted towards finding the cause of the error rather than the culprit (DoH 2000). Nurses are often under pressure from shortage of nursing staff, and a change in the nursing environment can improve patient safety and outcomes (Lin and Liang 2007). During my placements, I observed that Mr. B was often in bed for prolonged periods between nursing visits. I appraised the risk of the situation and ranked his needs by priority. He looked like he was beginning to get sore from immobility, so I delegated his need for exercise to the physiotherapist in the MDT, and having assessed the competency level of the HCA on the ward, I delegated the tasks of keeping Mr. Bs environment clean and regularly turning him to air his back to the HCA. The HCA had been previously supervised for this task and had been assessed as competent to perform it satisfactorily. Conclusion To achieve the required improvements which accompany patient empowerment that the NHS strives for, there must be a change from the current culture where the nurse sees the client as a patient (Nyatanga and Dann 2002) towards seeing clients as part and parcel of the decision making in their care delivery. Quality will be improved when patient empowerment/voice in patient care is active, client engagement is on a regular basis, and nurses are more patient in hearing patients out and in attending to patient calls. Patient safety issues including the security of the patient, proper risk assessment, maintaining cleanliness of his environment and regular visits should be the norm

New Classics of the Horror Film Genre Essay -- Pleasures of Horror Fil

Dracula. Frankenstein. Godzilla. These monsters no longer strike fear into the hearts of viewers as they once did. Formerly the villains of the classic "monster movie," these relics, who now represent all that is archaic in horror film history. The monster movie of the past makes way for the thriller or slasher movie of the present, while the monster villain gives its role to the deranged, psychotic serial killer. Friday the 13th series, Nightmare on Elm Street, Copycat and Seven have become the new classics in the genre of the horror film. With films like The People Under the Stairs, Nightmare on Elm Street, and New Nightmare, Wes Craven has proven himself to be a master of the creation of modern horror films. With recent masterpiece Scream, Craven shows his audience that he is not restricted by the typical conventions of the horror film. In most of these films, the background is set up before the killer does any actual slashing. However in Scream, Drew Barrymore's character is tormented by the killer from the film's very beginning and both she and her boyfriend are dead less than ten minutes after the opening credits. Craven manages to make Scream a film of less "fluff" and more substance than most thrillers. Recurring themes in the film, such as the lack of teens' seriousness, the callous nature of today's younger generation, the crossover and confusion between reality and movies, and the negative representation of television media not only add to the film's entertainment value, but also often portray a fairly accurate picture of twentieth century America. Despite all the film's blood and gore, Craven creates a comedic tone so successfully that at times the audience wonders whether Scream might be a comedy after all. Even though the safety of their small town has been shattered by a deranged serial killer, the characters do not seem to take the situation very seriously. The main characters are eating lunch at school the day after the first murders and, as might be expected, the killings make up the topic of their conversation. At one point, the character Randy turns to Tatem, and in a convincing imitation of Billy Crystal, he asks her, "Did they really find her liver in the mailbox? Because I heard they found her liver in the mailbox." Tatem and Sidney, the other female present and the movie's main character, cringe at this tasteless remark. Tatem'... ...ssuring that we remain productive m mbers of society (King 500). So, perhaps if you are in need of this type of therapy, or in search of an offbeat study in American popular culture, all that you need is a good horror film. Rent Scream or go to a movie theater to see the sequel. You will probably be surprised by what you see, and you might even be impressed. Works Cited Craven, Wes. Interview. Fresh Air. National Public Radio. KQED, San Francisco. 16 February 1998. King, Stephen. Ã £Why We Crave Horror Movies.? Common Culture. Petracca, Michael and Madeleine Sorapure, eds. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 1995. Pinedo, Isabel Cristina. Recreational Terror: Women and the Pleasures of Horror Film Viewing. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1997. Works Consulted Grant, Barry Keith, editor. Planks of Reason: Essays on the Horror Film. London: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1984. Newman, Kim. Nightmare Movies. New York: Harmony Books, 1988. Riptov, S.A. Kidnapped Corpus Whasamat Univ. Press, 1984 Scream. Dir. Wes Craven. With David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Skeet Ulrich, and Drew Barrymore. Dimension Films, 1997.

Menace II Society and Colonization :: essays research papers

â€Å"A crooked childhood it's what the way I am, It's got me in the state where I don't give a damn, Somebody helped me but now they don't hear me, I guess I be another victim of the ghetto So I guess I gotta do what so I ain't finished I grew up to be a streiht up menace, geah.† -â€Å"Streiht Up Menace† by MC Eiht   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The song lyrics above are from the soundtrack of the film Menace II Society and correspond directly to the hardships that people are given when growing up in the ghetto and when surrounded by a life of violence. Because they know nothing other than this aggressive and brutal way of life, they continue this violent cycle and rarely break away to begin a new way of life. Twin brothers Albert and Allen Hughes direct the film. The Hughes began making movies at age 12, but their formal film education began their freshman year of high school when Allen took a TV production class. They soon made a short film entitled How To Be A Burglar and people began to take notice. Their next work, Uncensored Videos, was broadcast on cable, introducing them to a wider audience. After high school, Albert began taking classes at the Los Angeles Community College Film School. Two short films established the twins’ reputation as innovative filmmakers and allowed them to direct Menace II Society (1993), which made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and grossed nearly 10 times as much as its $3 million budget. After following up with Dead Presidents (1995) they directed the feature-length documentary American Pimp (1999). From the very first scene, detailing Caine and O-Dog's fatal armed robbery of a Korean market, violence is cruelly graphic. â€Å"In this instance, the film succeeds in painting a disturbing picture of violence, one in which the characters' lack of remorse, rather than stylistic convention, shapes and colors the horror of the image.† Although most of the violence is filmed realistically and unfolds in real time, the Hughes can't seem to resist stylizing some of the more important narrative events. Thus, while the robbery introduces violence, O-Dog's shooting of the Korean market owner is shown directly only further into the story, when black and white images of the store's stolen surveillance video are played and replayed for the entertainment of Caine, O-Dog, and their friends. While an innovative means of conveying action, the video becomes nothing more than a diversion.

Mexican American Borderlands and The Caribbean

The negative side effects of tattoos Tattoos are permanent pictures or designs on the skin, pricked and stained with indelible dyes. They contain mainly industrial organic pigments with high microbiological impurities load. Tattoos are body arts. In our society today, tattoos have Increase In popularity among all ages but most prevalent among the adolescent and young adults.Reports have shown that the Increase in the adolescent involvement in tattooing is fuelled by peer pressure and their quests to belong to certain groups or to be accepted. (A. E Almsman Pl). This makes them not to consider the hazards that are associated with it. In this essay, I will be investigating the negative side effects that are associated with tattoos such as how society view people involved, common health risk and Flanagan hardships. According to Anne E.Almsman of Fingers School of Medicine and North Western University, tattooing has been associated with high-risk behaviors such as sexual intercourse, bin ge ringing, smoking, marijuana use, fighting, gang membership, and truancy and school failure. (A. E Almsman P 2). Many health professionals also, associate body arts with criminal activity or psychiatric disturbances. Tattoos are viewed in our society today as unprofessional and offensive. It can reduce an employment opportunities. For example, you cannot be a recruit of the military If you have offensive tattoo on your neck, above. r on any obvious part of your body that suggest gang membership. Furthermore, excessive tattoos may be a form of self-harm. There is usually ins during the procedures and while the tattoo and is healing. Tattoos from most commercial tattoo parlors are associated with infections, including potentially deadly infections like stash, tetanus, hepatitis B or C, and HIVE. Other side effects include; acute Inflammatory reactions caused by physical tissue injury and Injection of pigment dyes, excessive and unsightly scarring, nerve damage, allergic reactions an d sometimes uncontrolled bleeding. MEMBER reports) Furthermore, tattoos can cause misdiagnoses or interference with medical procedures like Mrs. (Robert Prepaid 2). Also because of the risk of infection, one will not be able to donate blood for at least a year after having tattoos for the risk of infections. It cost a lot of money to do tattoos and take care of it during the healing process. From a survey I conducted, an average tattoo studio cost about a $100. 00 per hour. Think about spending more than three hours. In addition, removing tattoos can be expensive and painful, and usually does not leave the area looking completely healed.In conclusion, getting tattoos poses a read health risk that can lead to infections or even attracting HIVE and those involved are mostly associated with negative criminal activities and high-risk behavior. . Anne E. Almsman Epidemiology of tattoos and piercing . Legislation in the United States Robert Prepaid; Publication on Medicine plus Health Day , American Academy of Dermatology, â€Å"Tattoos, Body Piercing, and Other Skin Adornments† www. Monoclinic. Com, Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MEMBER) â€Å"Tattoos: Understand risks and precautions† http://www. Tenement. Com/ teen-issues/piercing-and-tattoos. HTML

Minor characters in “To Kill a Mockingbird” Essay

Harper Lee uses minor characters in a variety of different ways to help explore and expose some of the main concerns brought up in the book, ranging from strict town morals, justice, all the way to racism and death due to racism. I have chosen to outline some of the ways in which Harper Lee uses three minor characters, Mayella Ewell, Heck Tate and Dolfus Raymond, to help emphasise and explore some of the major concerns in the book. Mayella Ewell is the first minor character I shall discuss; a beacon of racial prejudice and the injustice of the courthouses. She is considered to be trash along with the rest of the Ewell’s; despite the fact that she is one of the few Ewell’s who can read and write. As well as being literate she tries her best to make that most of what she’s got, â€Å"the quote about the flowers she keeps†. Despite her decency compared to the others in her family Mayella still only cares for her own wellbeing. When she forces herself upon Tom Robinson, in a last ditch attempt to feel some affection from a man, she is soon to realise the error of her ways. As Atticus says, â€Å"She has committed no crime, she has merely broken a rigid and time honoured code of our society† by going after a black man she has broken ‘the rules’ of Maycomb and thus she tries to hide the truth by abusing Maycomb’s harsh structure of injustice and racism. She is white and Tom is black meaning the court case, as she well knows, can only have one outcome. She would rather sentence a man to death for something she had done to him, â€Å"She reached up and kissed me ‘side of th’ face. She said she never kissed a grown man before an’s she might as well kiss a nigger.† than tell the court and the towns folk that she had come onto a black man. Harper Lee uses Mayella and her made up story to show the racism of the  justice system, she shows that simply by lying and having someone to lie with you when the case is white words against black the white will win. Despite Mayella’s story falling apart under cross-examination Tom’s version of what happened isn’t taken note of, as he is black. Also in this case, we have the testimonial of the local sheriff Heck Tate; he too is a tool of great injustice for the blacks. In his testimony we read that he was called by Bob Ewell and told that â€Å"some nigger’d raped his girl† upon arrival he found Mayella and asked who had done it – Tom Robinson. A black man accused by a white woman, Heck went and rounded him up instantly to be identified by Mayella. No questioning, no looking for evidence or any kind of service a white man could expect, Heck presumes that he is black and therefore must have committed some kind of crime. However, despite Heck’s injustice towards the black population of Maycomb he does fulfil his duties to the white. After Boo stabs Bob to save Atticus’ children Heck decides that for the greater good nothing should be said and the incident should be considered an accidental suicide. Heck shields the town from the truth and allows Boo to go back to his normal life – after all he had done the town a favour. Another man who shields the town from the truth, but about a very different subject is Dolphus Raymond, a presumed evil alcoholic who spends most of his time with the black townsfolk. â€Å"Come round here, son, I got something that’ll settle your stomach.† Is the invitation given by Dolphus to Dill outside the courthouse. He offers Dill his brown paper bag with straws in and tells the boy to take a good sip. Scout says † Dill, you watch out, now† as she, like the rest of the town believes that Dolphus is always sipping from a bottle of gin within his bag. He pretends to be drinking all day as â€Å"it’s mighty helpful to folks.† He is forced to pretend to be drinking all day and to be messed up in the head to help the prejudice people of Maycomb understand why he would want to spend most of his time with the black people. Only the uncorrupted children are trusted with Mr. Raymond’s deepest secret as he feels that because they  are children they can understand why he pretends to drink and why he has to give the people a reason as to why he spends his time with black people. This helps give an idea of the intolerance in the town. Intolerance towards black people and towards anyone who has contact with black people as a friend, rather than just a slave. Harper Lee uses minor characters traits and beliefs to show the reader some of the issues at hand in the book. Whether it be a girl pretending to have been raped to highlight the levels of injustice and the racial prejudice in the book, or whether its Heck Tait acting under the powerful words of a white person to do wrong to blacks, or his truth shielding to help a white man stay out of prison for a crime he really did commit.

Blended Families in Today’s Society Essay

Blended families, according to William P. Fuller the author of Preparing for Blended Families, are those comprising of at least one spouse who has a child or children from a prior relationship. These types of families â€Å"are becoming increasingly common and present a unique challenge when creating an estate plan† (Fuller 1). Similarly, according to Pauline Erera, â€Å"although traditionalists have held blood ties of consanguinity to be a defining characteristic of the family, others argue that we should define families according to the attachments and intimacy that individuals have toward significant people in their lives†, meaning even though they are a blended family, they should be considered a family none the less (Erera 352). A nuclear family, or the more commonly known traditional family, consists of a marriage by holy union and the promise to keep that marriage holy by staying with that one person â€Å"until death do us part. This includes the raising of any children within the family and the promise to provide them with food, shelter, clothing, water, and nourishment as well. Yet, there is still a need for a law which protects the marriage itself. This law states that it recognizes husbands of inseminated women as the real fathers and denies parental rights to donors or step-parents. Although, we still leave room in this law for things known as adoption, foster parenting, or informal care by other relatives. This is where blended families begin to show. Blended families seem to be considered the result of a previous divorce. Therefore, causing the need for the terms step-brother, step-sister, step-father, etc. Blended families then seem to become less of a family simply because of the creation of these terms, and their specific meanings. For example, it seems to be less meaningful to be step-brothers rather than actual biological, blood related, brothers. In the article, Toward Revels or a Requiem for Family Diversity? , Judith Stacey states that â€Å"the social scientists seem to have presumed that well into the twenty-first century dad and mom would remain singular and unproblematic concepts† (Stacey 390). Unfortunately, they were wrong. Although they predicted that the traditional family would remain unchanged, they seemed to have overlooked the fact that in time, marriage would not be as final as it used to be. There was no such thing as a proper divorce, once you were married, that was it. But in today’s world, â€Å"until death do us part† is not seen as often as divorce. Another overlooked remark of the social scientists is the fact that the family tree did not remain so â€Å"firmly rooted. On the contrary, the family tree has been split, blended, mixed, crossed, and spread throughout several generations of families. The word Family, in today’s American society, has so many different meanings that it is hard to distinguish one from another. Being able to categorize every single definition of the word is a task that no one has yet completed. Although, each and every meaning has one little difference, it all comes down to the same thing. A family is a family.