Cultural Issues in International Organizations Essay

Cultural Issues in International Organizations - Essay Example The paper tells that globalization is taken to mean internationalization. It has led to instantaneity, where things happening in a given location, in the world, can be experienced all over at the same time. This has been made possible through breakthrough in technology and the removal of restrictions that bar associations between different countries. Globalization led to easy exchange of ideas, knowledge, goods and services. It has made investments, exchange of money and merchandise possible across borders. This process has led into an open world economy. According to Ray, globalization is that which increase the extent of economic activity, international firm cooperation and easy and quick information flow. The current business organization have certain characteristics in common, to start with, there is diversity in international organizations. This diversity is both inside and outside the organizations. Internally managers must respond to diversity in the HR pool, much difference i n management system, diversity in means and ends including financial objectives to, advanced broad view, and adoption of a variety of models for a variety of business units. Externally the organization, there are diverse customer needs; myriads cultural values; an excess of stakeholders; different political, economic and legal provisions; and different competitors schemes. Another nature of the current global organization is interdependence. There is a web of interdependence in finance, governance, management, supply of goods and services, security, communication and transportation. Interdependence accelerates globalization, but it has many challenges associated with it, a break in the chain of flow can be devastating (Amann et al. 2007, p.5). There is the element of ambiguity in the business world today. There is a large amount of information with little clarification, making digestion and execution of appropriate action a challenge. For example, there is a range of accounting stan dards making monetary figure vague. Research is becoming unreliable due to the uprising of uncertainty. In addition, there is the issue of flux. The global companies are faced with unexpected changes. The more international the organization is the more prone it is to change. Managers should take precautions in order to avoid negative effects of change. Some cultural practices have an impact on communication; this has made international collaboration difficult. Exchange of knowledge, skills, goods and services between organizations across borders is possible if, they are simple, to the point, independent and involve similar cultural contexts. In contrast, it is difficult to share such knowledge

The Caribbean Mosaic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Caribbean Mosaic - Essay Example Before the Cuban Revolution took place, thousands and millions of women and Cuban citizens who had an African descent suffered a lot from social and racial discrimination (Prevost, 2009, p. 138). Due to the unequal educational opportunity between men and women, majority of the women were allowed to work only as a domestic helper and prostitutes. Because of the Cuban people’s desire not only to gain national independence from other countries like the United States and the Soviet Union but also to construct a society that is capable of improving its health and educational program without having the people undergo social problems related to racism and sexism, the Cuban Revolution which applies â€Å"the concept of military organization as a basis for communist revolution† took place (Horowitz, 1998, p. 566). Given that the United States is pro-democratic type of government, the United States has maintained a trade embargo status with Cuba making it illegal for any U.S. cor poration to conduct business transactions in Cuba. As stated in the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992, the United States will continue to maintain trade status until such time that the Cuban regime decided to move towards democratization and high respect for human rights (Department of State - United States of America, 2009). For the past 36 years, the United States has no formal diplomatic changes towards Cuba. For this reason, this study aims to discuss the best US foreign policy applicable with Cuba. Should the US foreign policy towards Cuba remain as the current trade embargo status? Have we reached the point whereby the US foreign policy for Cuba should start lifting up the trade embargo status? As part of going through the main discussion, whether or not the foreign relationship between the United States and Vietnam – which is also a communist state should be considered as a precedent for normalising relations between the United States and

Psychological Perspectives on Children’s Behaviour

Psychological Perspectives on Children’s Behaviour THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES AS APPLIED TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF CHILDREN’S BEHAVIOUR The main psychological perspectives as applied to the understanding of the development of children’s behaviour are; behaviourist, cognitive, social, psychodynamic, humanistic, cognitive and the developmental perspective. The behaviourist perspective is the influence of the outer environment on children’s behaviour. It discards the idea that children pass through set developmental stages or milestones. But are affected by the environment to which they are exposed to. The behaviour perspective focuses on how the outer environment influences how a child behaviour. It also focuses on how the environment affects their behaviour. â€Å"The behaviourist perspective looks at learning as the result of conditioning and that behaviour is learnt by positive and negative reinforcement† (Foster, S., Green, S and Kellas, S. (2008) BTEC National Children’s Care, Learning and Development , Nelson Thornes) A key theorist linking to the behaviourist theory is Albert Bandura. His theory was the Social Learning Theory (Observational Learning). It was most recently called ‘Social Cognitive Theory’. This theory looks at the moral and social behaviour in humans. He believes we learn through conditioning and by observing others. Bandura’s experiment was called the ‘Bobo Doll experiment’. The responses were all convoyed with verbal responses. I.e. one of the types of behaviour the adult showed was aggressive behaviour. The clip showed the adult punching the Bobo doll on it’s side, placing it on the floor and sitting on it and punching it on the nose. Whilst the adult was punching the Bobo doll on it’s nose. The adult continued to kick the Bobo doll around the room. The television clip also showed the adult using a mallet and whacking the doll with it. After the television clip had finished the children were left in a playroom with the Bobo doll for ten minutes. The children were then let into a room to play with the Bobo doll. The children showed hostile and aggressive behaviour toward the Bobo doll. Some of the objects used were mallets, like the adult had. However other objects were used such as guns. The experiment revealed that beha viour can be copied through observing and imitating others. An example of this in placement would be when I was sitting at the table with the children during dinner time. During this time two children were playing around with their food and they throwing it. I showed them that we eat this type of food with our hands. I then then ate some to show them that it tastes nice and they shouldn’t be afraid to eat with their hands. This then resulted in two children copying me and eating their dinner with their hands. The second psychological perspective is the cognitive perspective. The cognitive perspective or approach is the â€Å"psychological perspective emphasising active and interpretive nature of human information of human information processing† (Coolican, H., Cherchar, A., Walley, M, Cassidy, T,. Penny, G and Harrower J Page 367). The cognitive perspective is about how children make their own choices. This perspective focuses on how what a child learns affects their actions. This means this what a child learns influences their actions. This is done by a child’s thoughts and how a child processes and stores information. The third psychological perspective is the social perspective biological perspective. This perspective looks at how a child’s behaviour is done to their genetics. This means this perspective looks at a child and how they develop an understanding of the world and their surroundings around them. A theorist that believes this is Vygotsky. Vygotsky believed children learn best through social interaction with other peers and through adult intervention and through this is, is how they develop other skills. Vygotsky felt that children were capable of achieving past their potential and their stages of development however only with support and assistance from adults. â€Å"The difference between these two levels was known as the ‘zone of proximal development’, and this has huge implications for the adult who would help extend the child’s learning and reinforce it†. (Hill., K., Tassoni P., Page 256)An example of this would be if a child who suffers from OCD. O CD is a biological condition. If something is not in the correct place, or doing certain actions. A child at one of my placements suffered from Autism and OCD, if that child didn’t have snack at a certain time, the child would get very upset. As I worked with him during reception, snack time was available throughout the whole day and was not at a specific time, he found this difficult time. To help this child, me or another teacher would go through what activities were available to him that day and what he would like to in order. This was very effective and beneficial as he knew what was happening during the day. An example of this in placement would be through free play, the children have a chance to interact and integrate with other children. Adult intervention is very important in my setting. We welcome each child into the setting and talk to them about how they feel and what they would like to do. Communication goes hand in hand with adult interaction with adult intervent ion. I and the other staff at my placement scaffold the children’s learning when needed with certain tasks and activities. An example of this would be me helping a child to build a tower with wooden blocks. I helped the child to build a tower, thus helping them reach their goal. The next time they were able to build a tower on their own. The fourth psychological perspective is the psychodynamic perspective. This perspective focuses on the subconscious and the part in plays in us making the decisions we do. Freud is a key theorist that links into this perspective. Freud’s theory is the ‘Psychosexual stages of development’. Freud’s theory is based on the early childhood experiences form the behaviour we acquire as adults. Early attachment relationships with parents form a great impact on this. The fifth psychological perspective is the humanistic perspective. Freud believed that â€Å"the unconscious mind has a large part to play in how we feel and that the influences of the unconscious mind come from past experiences and form our instincts.† (Foster, S., Green, S. Kellas S., Page 112) Freud’s developed five stages and these were ; the oral stage, the anal stage, phallic stage, laterncy stage and the genital stage. The oral stage is the first stage is about how a child finds pleasure in putting objects in their mouth. The child is intent on satisfying their libido, by placing all sort of objects in their mouth. This can however be replicated at a child’s later life by thumb sucking or nail biting. The oral stage is when a child is first born to the age of one. The anal stage takes place between the first, two years of age. The pleasure zone in this period is the anus. This stage focuses on a child controlling their bowels and bladder. This when the eg o starts to develop and starts to control the id, this is done by the child asking to achieve potty training and toilet training. The next stage is the phallic stage, this takes place between the ages of two and six. The pleasure zone during this period is the phallus. This stage focuses on how a child has developed an awareness of their genitals and how a child plays with their genitals and gain pleasure from it. At this stage the superego develops. The laercy stage follows and takes place between the ages of six and eleven years. This stages’ pleasure zone doesn’t have one. This perspective focuses on what makes a child an individual by focusing on what makes a child an individual, and that is their characteristics. The Odeipus (boy) and Electra (girl) issues are resolved. A child can now build on a relationship with a same sex parent without feeling jealousy. The last stage is the genital stage. This is between the ages of 11 years into adulthood. The pleasure zone for this is the genitals. Its main characteristics is how a child can develop having sexual feelings (puberty) to then in adulthood settling down into a relationship. Freud believed though that if an adult is fixed at a certain stage such as the oral stage, their only pleasure of the relationship would be from kissing and not from sexual intercourse. This theory may be linked into practice by if a child is fixed at a certain stage such as the oral stage (this may be nail biting or thumb sucking) may be experiencing anxiety at home, thus not being able to move on to the next stage. Freud believed that if a child didn’t progress through these set stages, then it would cause problems later on in life. He also believed that a child could stay fixed at a stage and this again would cause problems. This links into children’s development because this perspective believes that children are influenced by the world and what they see and what they do. The last psychological perspective is the developmental perspective. This perspective looks at the behaviour of a child and sees if they are meeting the requirements for their age and stage of development. A key theorist that links into this is Piaget and his four stages of cognitive development. This links into child development by seeing if children are meeting the development requirements for their age. An example of this at my placement is a behaviour specialist works closely with the school. She takes account of each child’s needs and see if they are meeting the requirements for their age and stage of development and if there is any issues. And if there are any issues, what can then be done to help the child to meet their targets. Theories have informed practice in early years settings majorly. A lot of theories are using the theories in practice every day. Each theory can be placed into a different category of development. B.F Skinner’s theory is that children use cognitive behaviour when given verbal communication. A key element in his theory is through trial and error. They will keep on trying until they succeed. A way a child learns this is through observing other adults and copy and repeats what they have heard or see. An example of this in placement would be was when I was sitting at the table with the children during dinner time. During this time two children were playing around with their food and they throwing it. I showed them that we eat this type of food with our hands. I then then ate some to show them that it tastes nice and they shouldn’t be afraid to eat with their hands. This then resulted in two children copying me and eating their dinner with their hands. One way to achieve this is by speaking clearly and getting down to their level and using eye contact. Another example of this in placement would be when a child was hitting another child. I got to the child’s lev el/ and used eye contact. I also used their name and said what that their behaviour was wrong and that we use ‘kind hands’ here and that their behaviour had made the child sad. I also said that you need to give the child a cuddle and say sorry. B.F Skinner also links into another theory of behavioural management. His This theory is that child should have a consistent behavioural management system. At my placement we respect that parents may have a different technique to the ones we use at placement, we take on board their wishes and use their technique to remain consistency so the child does not get confused about the consequences of their behaviour. There are many behavioural techniques to help manage behaviour, these are reward charts, child empowerment, inclusion games and assertive discipline. Vygotsky’s theory is linked to intellectual development. His theory is that children learn new skills with the help of adult intervention. His theory also supports that a child should be supported doing a new activity or during a new learning experience. I and the staff support this theory by assisting the children with new tasks and scaffolding their learning. This means giving them the resources they need to fulfil or complete the task and letting them find a way of completing the task, without showing them. We also give verbal praise when a child shows good social interaction skills with other children. John Bowbly is the theorist that is linked to emotional development. He links into the biological perspective. His theory focuses on that importance of early relationships a child has with their main caregiver. Bowbly believed children who had a positive attachment with their caregiver have more of higher self-esteem and children who have negative attachment their caregiver have a lower self-esteem. At my placement we support this by slowly introducing and easing a child into a setting. We had a new child recently who started. We believed it would be for the best if we slowly eased the child into the setting. This helps the child to ease into the setting, make themselves feel comfortable and familiar with the setting. This also helps prevent separation anxiety with the child and their main caregiver. References Foster, S., Green, S and Kellas, S. (2008) BTEC National Children’s Care, Learning and Development , Nelson Thornes, Nelson Thornes – 15/11/14 Squire, G., 2007. BTEC National Children’s Care, Learning and Development Student Book, United Kingdom: Heinemann 15/11/14 Image http://fateslayer99.hubpages.com/hub/Understanding-Psychological-Perspectives-and-the-Motives-Behind-Our-Actions Last Accessed on 15/11/14 at 18:12 1 Tejal Thanki

The Variety of Characters in Shakespeares Othello :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

The Variety of Characters in Othello  Ã‚   William Shakespeare has many ways of illustrating his characters through way of dialogue and language patterns. This is his trademark and it is his ultimate strategy for drawing his reader closer, until they are completely immersed in his play. In Othello we see that a character like Iago has been given a very rough and coldhearted aura about him, which in time shows us as readers how cruel he really is. On the contrary Othello himself is rather noble in his speech, but overall just as clever. These characters are clever in their own separate ways: Othello in living a double life of both war and love (which seems to keep him tied to the battlefield, a danger zone) and Iago is clever in his ways of manipulating an entire lot of people to get what he wants. Any excerpt from the play Othello shows how clever Shakespeare is in his own ways, writing traits that cannot be ignored.    A good example of witty Shakespearean playwriting is in the opening Act of Othello- Act I, Scene i., pg. 78-92. The use of language in this Scene is so classic- for example the way Iago and Roderigo play off of each other in speech. Their goal in the middle of the night is to wake Brabantio (Desdemona's father) and tell him of the extravagant affair between Othello and her daughter. In the streets of Venice these men holler their way up to his chambers, arising him to the balcony. Shakespeare's choice of speech is so affective, and so perfect.    Roderigo: Signor (a question of his authority), is all your Family within? Iago: Are your Doors locked? (Instigating panic) [Roderigo/Iago:I.i.87-89]    Shakespeare's choice of words here is beautiful in its shrewdness, and in so many ways affective. Iago in particular seems to push the situation, and operate the conversation as he always does. He goes on to tell Brabantio his state of confusion and in many ways hypnotize the poor man.    Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul†¦an old black Ram is tupping your white Ewe. [Iago:I.i.89-91]    Shakespeare gives Iago's character such filth, such a stench in the air about him that you can smell it while reading. Here is a character in Othello that is hard to understand, and there have been many views taken on his role.

Aggressive Driving Should Be Avoided

The main thesis statement of my speech is on why cell phone use should be prohibited by driving. The primary objective here is to persuade you not to engage in cell phone conversations when behind the wheel, based on the premises that I will present before you. The methodology of this study is compilation of established facts from published internet resources and newspaper or magazine articles.While cellular phones have been considered rare luxuries a decade ago, today it is already a commonplace possession for many individuals. The advances in wireless technology coupled with high public demand have made cell phones affordable and accessible to many.A 2004 MIT survey even revealed that the â€Å"cell phone is the invention that people hate the most but can’t live without, beating out the alarm clock and television. Furthermore, in a 2005 University of Michigan study, 83 percent of respondents said cell phones have made life easier, choosing it over the internet (Leo pars. 1- 2).†The Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. released a January 2007 estimate that out of the 231 million Americans who owned cellular phones, an astonishing 73 percent of 1, 200 drivers with cell phones used them while driving. Moreover, the use of cell phones while driving was highest among young drivers (Insurance Information Institute, Inc. par. 3).Another study made by the Insurance Institute claimed that those who used cell phones while driving were four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to cause injury. This was backed up by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute who put distraction as the second most frequent cause of accidents next to fatigue (Leo par. 5).Studies about cell-phone use while driving have focused on several different aspects of the problem. Some have looked at its prevalence as the leading cause of driver distraction. Others have looked at the different risks associated with hand-held and hands-free devices. Still others have focused on the seriousness of injuries in crashes involving cell-phone users and the demographics of drivers who use cell phones.I fully support public safety advocates who are one in saying that while no data directly correlates road accidents to cell phone use, cellular phones are a major distraction while driving. And the longer you are distracted, the higher the chance of a collision.Let me point out some principal findings in a study which are relevant in convincing you that using cell phones can impair driving. Did you know that those who engage in cell phone conversations while driving: ·missed twice as many simulated traffic signals as when they were not talking on the phone; · took longer to react to those signals that they did detect; and ·that these deficits were the same for those who used hand-held and hands-free phone users (Strayer et. al. par. 9).The findings that motorists who use cell phones while driving are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to i njure themselves, are also backed up by another study of drivers in Perth, Australia, conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.â€Å"The results, published in July 2005, suggest that banning hand-held phone use won't necessarily improve safety if drivers simply switch to hand-free phones. The study found that injury crash risk didn't vary with type of phone (Insurance Information Institute, Inc. par. 9).†Abovementioned data were concluded from findings in an in-depth study of driver safety and cell phone usage which summarized that â€Å"conversing on either a hand-held or hands-free cell phone led to significant decrements in simulated driving performance. Moreover, the study suggests that the cellular phone use disrupts performance by diverting attention to an engaging cognitive context other than the one immediately associated with driving (Strayer et.al. pars. 10-11).†In effect, this data contradicts the laws that permit only hands-free cell phone co nversations while driving because their data suggests that it is not the phone conversation itself that is the interference but rather the central attentional processes.Although inattentive driving may include talking to a passenger, eating or reaching for something, supporters of restrictions on driving while using a cell phone say that the distractions associated with cell phone use while driving are far greater than other distractions. Conversations using a cell phone demand greater continuous concentration, which diverts the driver’s eyes from the road and his mind from driving.Most epidemiological studies to date have found indications of a link between cell phone use and auto accidents, but there is few research devoted to establishing a causal connection between the two.Despite this deficiency, there is much to be concerned about regarding this issue following the release of an April 2006 study claiming that some form of driver inattention within three seconds of the c rash attributes to 80 per of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes.This is supported by the 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study, conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which revealed that the most common distraction is the use of cell phones, followed by drowsiness.  There are two dangers posed by conversing on cell phones while driving: first is that drivers would take their eyes off the road while dialing and second, the possibility of being absorbed in the conversation may impair the driving ability of the individual and increase the likelihood of endangering the vehicle occupants as well as pedestrians.â€Å"The latest research shows that while using a cell phone when driving may not be the most dangerous distraction, because it is so prevalent it is by far the most common cause of this type of crash and near crash (Insurance Information Institute par. 2).†A summer 2006 research spearheaded by the University of Utah even concludes that talking on a cell phone while driving is as dangerous as drunk driving, even if the phone is a hands-free model.An even earlier study by the university found that â€Å"motorists who talked on hands-free cell phones were 18 percent slower in braking and took 17 percent longer to regain the speed they lost when they braked. Also, drivers using hand-free phones had to redial calls 40 percent of the time, compared with 18 percent for drivers using hand-held sets, suggesting that hands-free sets may provide drivers with a false sense of ease (Insurance Information Institute, Inc. pars. 10-11).†

Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 Essay

Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Affordable Care Act) Passage of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 by Congress, followed by it’s signing by President Obama on March 30, 2010, completes a massive overhaul of the nation’s health insurance and health delivery systems. The Reconciliation Act amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, which President Obama signed on March 23. Combined, the two new laws include more than $400 billion in revenue raisers and new taxes on employers and individuals. The social and political struggles of the American population served as a key contributor to the push for the Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 to be formed and written into law. These struggles include but are not limited to an increasing unemployment rate of the nation which essentially meant that the average American was becoming less and less able to provide for himself and his family, therefore making the prospect of getting health insurance or paying for higher education a weightier endeavor. Also the number of Americans without healthcare was on an exponential rise and more and more people were unable to get healthcare, and take care of themselves, a condition that is detrimental to the GDP of the nation. The Affordable Care Act has shaped social, economic and political consciousness since its inception in 2010. More companies are open to providing their employees with health insurance options as the Affordable Care Act has increased subsidies to companies that provide their workers with healthcare options. The Act has also significantly increased the number of young adults with healthcare as children up to the age of 26 are able to stay under their parent’s health coverage plans. Also the $250 million the government provides in grants to the health insurance companies has assisted in cracking down on the premium hikes that were common in the pre-Affordable Care Act era. Now Americans can peacefully sign up for healthcare with the guarantee of fairly constant premiums that they know they can afford and keep up with. Numerous groups are opponents of the Affordable Care Act. Notable opponents of the Act are the Republicans and the more conservative and capitalist population of the nation. They believe that the reform would lead to government take over of healthcare and in the long run a socialist nation. They also believe that the implementation of the law would force tax payers to contribute tax dollars towards the funding of abortion; an issue that steal remains controversial in political gatherings and legislation. Lastly these opponents feel that the implementation of the Affordable Care Act into law in 2014 will ultimately drive companies to stop providing health coverage to their employees as they believe the bill does nothing to bring down the cost of healthcare as the government is transferring all the burden to the companies, strengthening their argument that the Act only strengthens a socialist system in America.

How to Determine the Intensity of a Tsunami

How to Determine the Intensity of a Tsunami This 12-point scale of tsunami intensity was proposed in 2001 by Gerassimos Papadopoulos and Fumihiko Imamura. It is meant to correspond to current earthquake intensity scales like the EMS or Mercalli  scales. The tsunami scale is arranged according to a tsunamis effects on humans (a), effects on objects including boats (b), and damage to buildings (c). Note that intensity-I events on the tsunami scale, like their earthquake counterparts, would still be detected, in this case by tide gauges. The authors of the tsunami scale proposed a tentative, rough correlation with tsunami wave heights, which are also noted below. Damage grades are 1, slight damage; 2, moderate damage; 3, heavy damage; 4, destruction; 5, total collapse. Tsunami Scale I. Not felt. II. Scarcely felt.a. Felt by few people onboard small vessels. Not observed on the coast.b. No effect.c. No damage. III. Weak.a. Felt by most people onboard small vessels. Observed by a few people on the coast.b. No effect.c. No damage. IV. Largely observed.a. Felt by all onboard small vessels and by few people onboard large vessels. Observed by most people on the coast.b. Few small vessels move slightly onshore.c. No damage. V. Strong. (wave height 1 meter)a. Felt by all onboard large vessels and observed by all on the coast. Few people are frightened and run to higher ground.b. Many small vessels move strongly onshore, few of them crash into each other or overturn. Traces of sand layer are left behind on ground with favorable circumstances. Limited flooding of cultivated land.c. Limited flooding of outdoor facilities (such as gardens) of near-shore structures. VI. Slightly damaging. (2 m)a. Many people are frightened and run to higher ground.b. Most small vessels move violently onshore, crash strongly into each other, or overturn.c. Damage and flooding in a few wooden structures. Most masonry buildings withstand. VII. Damaging. (4 m)a. Many people are frightened and try to run to higher ground.b. Many small vessels damaged. Few large vessels oscillate violently. Objects of variable size and stability overturn and drift. Sand layer and accumulations of pebbles are left behind. Few aquaculture rafts washed away.c. Many wooden structures damaged, few are demolished or washed away. Damage of grade 1 and flooding in a few masonry buildings. VIII. Heavily damaging. (4 m)a. All people escape to higher ground, a few are washed away.b. Most of the small vessels are damaged, many are washed away. Few large vessels are moved ashore or crash into each other. Big objects are drifted away. Erosion and littering of the beach. Extensive flooding. Slight damage in tsunami-control forests and stop drifts. Many aquaculture rafts washed away, few partially damaged.c. Most wooden structures are washed away or demolished. Damage of grade 2 in a few masonry buildings. Most reinforced-concrete buildings sustain damage, in a few, damage of grade 1 and flooding is observed. IX. Destructive. (8 m)a. Many people are washed away.b. Most small vessels are destroyed or washed away. Many large vessels are moved violently ashore, few are destroyed. Extensive erosion and littering of the beach. Local ground subsidence. Partial destruction in tsunami-control forests and stop drifts. Most aquaculture rafts washed away, many partially damaged.c. Damage of grade 3 in many masonry buildings, few reinforced-concrete buildings suffer from damage grade 2. X. Very destructive. (8 m)a. General panic. Most people are washed away.b. Most large vessels are moved violently ashore, many are destroyed or collide with buildings. Small boulders from the sea bottom are moved inland. Cars overturned and drifted. Oil spills, fires start. Extensive ground subsidence.c. Damage of grade 4 in many masonry buildings, few reinforced-concrete buildings suffer from damage grade 3. Artificial embankments collapse, port breakwaters damaged. XI. Devastating. (16 m)b. Lifelines interrupted. Extensive fires. Water backwash drifts cars and other objects into the sea. Big boulders from sea bottom are moved inland.c. Damage of grade 5 in many masonry buildings. Few reinforced-concrete buildings suffer from damage grade 4, many suffer from damage grade 3. XII. Completely devastating. (32 m)c. Practically all masonry buildings demolished. Most reinforced-concrete buildings suffer from at least damage grade 3. Presented at the 2001 International Tsunami Symposium, Seattle, 8-9 August 2001.

Biography of Fe del Mundo, Noted Filipino Pediatrician

Biography of Fe del Mundo, Noted Filipino Pediatrician Fe Del Mundo (Nov. 27, 1911–Aug. 6, 2011) is credited with studies that led to the invention of an improved incubator and a device to treat jaundice.  Along with pioneering work in  pediatrics, she had an active medical practice  in the Philippines that spanned eight decades and founded a major childrens hospital in that country. Fast Facts: Fe Del Mundo Known For: Conducted studies that led to the invention of an improved incubator and a device to treat jaundice. She also founded a major childrens hospital in the Philippines and created the BRAT diet.Also Known As: Fe Villanueva del Mundo, Fà © Primitiva del Mundo y VillanuevaBorn: Nov. 27, 1911 in Manila, PhilippinesParents: Paz (nà ©e Villanueva) and Bernardo del MundoDied: Aug. 6, 2011  in Quezon City, PhilippinesEducation: UP College of Medicine (original campus of the  University of the Philippines)  in  Manila (1926–1933, medical degree),  Boston University School of Medicine (Master of Science in Bacteriology, 1940), Harvard Medical Schools Childrens Hospital (1939–1941, two-year research fellowship)Published Works: Textbook of Pediatrics and Child Health (1982), she also authored more than 100 articles, reviews, and reports published in  medical journalsAwards and Honors: National Scientist of the Philippines, Elizabeth Blackwell Award for Outstan ding Service to Mankind (1966), Ramon Magsaysay Award for Outstanding Public Service (1977), named Outstanding Pediatrician and Humanitarian by the International Pediatric Association (1977)Notable Quote: â€Å"I told the Americans who wanted me to stay that I prefer to go home and help the children. I know that with my training for five years at Harvard and different medical institutions in America, I can do much.† Early Years and Education Del Mundo was born in Manila on Nov. 27, 1911. She was the sixth of eight children.  Her father Bernardo served one term in the Philippine Assembly, representing the province of  Tayabas. Three of her eight siblings died in infancy,  while an older sister died from  appendicitis  at age 11.  It was the death of her older sister, who had made known her desire to become a doctor for the poor, that pushed the young Del Mundo toward the medical profession. At age 15, Del Mundo entered the University of the Philippines and earned a medical degree with highest honors in 1933. In 1940, she received a masters degree in bacteriology from the Boston University School of Medicine. Some sources say that Del Mundo was Harvard Medical Schools first female medical student. The university itself says that is inaccurate, as Harvard did not admit female medical students at the time and there are no records of Del Mundo attending or graduating. However, Del Mundo did complete a two-year research fellowship at Harvard Medical Schools Childrens Hospital in 1941. The Angel of Santo Tomas Del Mundo returned to the Philippines in 1941. She joined the  International Red Cross  and volunteered to care for children-internees at the  University of Santo Tomas  internment camp for foreign nationals.  She established a makeshift hospice within the internment camp and became known as The Angel of Santo Tomas. After the Japanese authorities shut down the hospice in 1943, Del Mundo was asked by Manilas mayor to head a childrens hospital under the auspices of the city government. The hospital was later converted into a full-care medical center to cope with the increasing casualties during the  Battle of Manila and would be renamed the North General Hospital. Del Mundo would remain the hospitals director until 1948. Del Mundo later became the director of the Department of Pediatrics at Far Eastern University and her breakthroughs in research surrounding infant care led to commonly  practiced  methods worldwide- including the BRAT diet, which cures diarrhea. Del Mundo Opens Hospital Frustrated by the bureaucratic constraints in working for a government hospital, Del Mundo wanted to establish her own pediatric hospital. She sold her home and got a loan to finance the construction of her own hospital. The Childrens Medical Center, a 100-bed hospital located in  Quezon City, was inaugurated in 1957 as the first pediatric hospital in the Philippines. The hospital was expanded in 1966 through the establishment of an Institute of Maternal and Child Health, the first institution of its kind in  Asia. Later Years and Death Having sold her home to finance the medical center, del Mundo chose to reside on the second floor of the hospital itself. She retained her living quarters at the hospital, rising daily and continuing to make her daily rounds, even though she was wheelchair-bound in her later years. Del Mundo died at age 99 on Aug. 6, 2011,  in Quezon City, Philippines. Legacy Del Mundos accomplishments are still remembered years after her death. The hospital she founded is still open and now bears her name, the Fe Del Mundo Medical Center. In November 2018, Del Mundo was honored with a Google doodle. Under the doodle, which the search engine site displays occasionally on its home page to honor various notable individuals, Google added the caption: Del Mundos choice to specialize in pediatrics may have been shaped by the loss of 3 siblings, who died as infants during her childhood in Manila. Sources Betuel, Emma. â€Å"Fe Del Mundo, Fearless Female Doctor, Describes Her Life in Her Own Words.†Ã‚  Inverse.Chris Riotta New York chrisriotta. â€Å"Inside the Life of Fe Del Mundo, Harvard Medical Schools First Female Student.†Ã‚  The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 27 Nov. 2018.â€Å"Home.† Fe Del Mundo Medical Center | Hospital Quezon City, 19 Mar. 2019.â€Å"HWS: Fe Del Mundo.†Ã‚  Hobart and William Smith Collegesï » ¿Smith, Kiona N. â€Å"Tuesdays Google Doodle Honors Pediatrician Fe Del Mundo.†Ã‚  Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 27 Nov. 2018.

Accompanying Report for Oxfam Marketing Plan

I can capture a wider market and reach out to more people, which is important to increase awareness of people about the poverty and injustice levels existing in the society today. The new product would give people an idea about how the organization is attempting to connect every human being on this planet and their cultures too. Oxfam has significantly contributed in a diverse range of social and environmental issues, having people’s wellbeing at their heart. The arrival or benefit is sent back to people without taking even one penny from it (Winston and Weinstein 2016). The whole launching procedure would take place over a time period, after which measurable results would be accomplished. The holes in the organization’s previous marketing activities would be covered with the help of this marketing plan, which would also assist in increasing the company’s competitive edge in the market and reach out to a wider audience and open new doors. An understanding of the product is the first thing that is required to decide upon the course. Objectives would be set accordingly, after which understanding the industry environment would be carried out with the help of the environmental analysis. After understanding the entire situation a proper strategy would be formed for marketing the new product (Finch 2016). Oxfam Shop, subsidiary of Oxfam Australia, is a multi-channel retail organization that has its own e-commerce website, direct mailing program and retail stores (Oxfam Australia 2017). Oxfam shop mainly retails in food and handicrafts that they have sourced from individual workers, crafts agencies and fair-trade organizations. The idea behind doing so is to help these communities as much as possible in their struggle towards ensuring a better life for themselves and their labor force(Oxfam Shop 2017). Oxfam Shop, Australia has planned to launch a new product from one of their producer Wakami. Kiejde losBosques, a social projectwho are known for marketing their produce from the rural communities of Guatemala, developed this Wakami brand.The literal meaning of Wakami is â€Å"it already is† in Mayan. Wakami believes that the world we live in is already an ideal place and it only needs connection with humans to make it alive. Wakami artisans aim to link people with products in a way that the people who buy and produce these products experience an enrichedand improved life respectively.Wakami employs rural Guatemalan women to help them live their common dream and have sources of income for improving their community lives. One of their very current products is the beads bracelets. These poly threaded, silver plated brass beaded bracelets have Zamac (zinc, aluminium, magnesium and copper) metal charms included in them. The bright and bold neon threaded bracelets stand for peace, within oneself and in others. The bracelets are hand made using ancestral Guatemala artisan techniques(Wakami 2017). Oxfam has come into establishment with the belief that poverty is inexcusable and preventable and it must be challenged so that the poor people get access to the right help and lead a better life. Along with that, Oxfam’s mission has been to present customers with the handcrafted artwork they are known for and provide the deprived with a helping hand to move ahead in life. Oxfam aims to exist to appeal to and maintain the customer base. They have made it a point to always adhere to this maxim and they believe the rest would fall into place. They have made it their objective to keep on exceeding the expectations of their customers with continued service(Oxfam Shop 2017).To bring the major objectives in point, the major ones are: For the last five years, the retail industry conditions of Australia suffered and struggled a lot. The major factors that led to the weak economic growth and volatile consumer sentiment are the unstable financial markets, which in turn resulted in a struggle for the retail subdivision operators.From 2012 to 2016, the annual growth rate has been just 0.2%. Study estimates say that the industry is expected to increase the contributionby a compound annual rate of 1.0%, a slow growth if compared to the overall economy (IBISWorld2016). In terms of the current prices in 2016, the clothing and accessories industry of Australia experienced a trend estimate growth of 0.2% in the month of November(Australian Bureau of Statistics 2017).The industry is inclining towards small and medium enterprises, leaving the giants to compete for survival. Oxfam Shop would use this market data to properly understand the requirements of the market and how to serve the customers(Philips 2014). Competitor analysis is a crucial part of the formation of business strategies or new product launching. It plays a crucial role in educating organizations about how intense the competition they would be encountering, what are the competition strategies to help marketers predict possible consequences (Hollensen 2015). In the retail market of Australia Oxfam Shop’s would face competition from Myer Fashion Store and David Jones who are giants in the fashion and accessories department. Along with that,there are specialty stores like Just Group, Country Road, Retail Holdings and Noni B (Lewricket al. 2015). In the lines of e-commerce competitors, Amazon, Hive and eBay give tough competition to Oxfam. Oxfam shop’s target market includes people who are highly interested in using handcrafted things. The organization would be targeting people from all over the world, from all regions and religions.The art collectors and enthusiasts would be the primary targets, as they are the people who have the most interest in such products, and most of the time they have the capacity to spend also. Other than that, there are people who want to do something genuinely to stop all the injustices and reduce poverty in the society (Kusnanto and Utami 2016). Oxfam is for them too. Oxfam shop has always aimed to tackle poverty by taking a hands-on approach in their strategies. Oxfam has repeatedly combined their experience of helping people in situations of emergencies and innovative campaigning so that a bold approach can be put towards reduction of poverty, hunger and inequality (Seret, Verbraken and Baesens 2014). 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An organization with plainly characterized objectives and qualities that can be the purchaser inspiration towards the brand 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Worldwide system of members and supporters giving excellent brand believability 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Enhanced portfolio taking into account key essential needs of customers 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Great online position with sensible costs contrasted with contenders 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Built as a brand from retail shop standpoint 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Influence upon its center values and discuss the same with extended audience Table 1. Strengths and Opportunities of Oxfam Shop As a marketing strategy, segmentation comprises of segregating the organization’s extended target market into industries, nations and client segments that share common interests, priorities and requirements (Baker 2014). Oxfam marketing strategies have always been organized in groups that have separate KPIs and goals. Oxfam has done segmentation in accordance with its supporters. The supporter's sorts incorporate single supplier, shop present aider, customary provider, campaigner, and shop buys. Furthermore, full scale segmentation in Oxfam is the association's bespoke way of life alongside socioeconomics, that is, including color and profundity, one segment one supporter, in view of the supporter and not Oxfam produce and connected to the whole supporter database (Armstrong et al. 2014). Targeting implies making a social affair or things an objective to be followed up on (Cameron 2014). Right when a firm fathoms its objective promote, correspondence gets the opportunity to be unmistakably easier among the firm and the target crowd. Oxfam altruistic association target showcase incorporates the people living in poor conditions and requires help from each religions, locales, range, and so on around the globe. The association's target showcase likewise targets on people living foul play particularly young ladies and ladies.  Ã‚   Positioning alludes to a showcasing procedure that spotlights on making a brand have the unmistakable position about the fighting brands and customers mind (Grant 2016). The properties that get credited by the customers fuse its standing quality, the kind of people using the things, the quality and weakness close by any fundamental or unprecedented characteristics spoke to, the cost and addressed regard (Urde and Koch 2014). Oxfam key positioning depends on what the firm do, offer and what characterizes Oxfam. The firm fundamental goal is to help the needy individuals, and that treated with shameful acts. The firm offers foundations to the needy individuals and helps the individuals who are dealt with bad form to battle for their rights. Since Oxfam alludes to a brand that speaks to philanthropy administrations, it is imperative for the organization to keep up and enhance its esteem. Oxfam offers philanthropy to the destitute individuals and answers for individuals who are treated with unfairness. The firm likewise offers distinctive products that additionally add to the gifts. As an altruistic association, the administrations and products are allowed to the objective market. It is a reasonable methodology for the casualties; notwithstanding, it doesn't manage quality-driven clients and does not rival neither high nor low price base in their products of gift. Subsequently, Oxfam can utilize value pricing methodology that contains setting prices on the products as per the client impression of the product esteem. Oxfam is among the main beneficent association promoters in the philanthropist NGO industry. It promotes its exercises and products utilizing daily papers, TV and magazines. The association has an awesome gathering of people in the social stages, yet there is less marketing effort on their online networking stages. Thusly, Oxfam ought to upgrade its marketing effort in the online networking, and Oxfam ought to post their products pictures on the web-based social networking system, for example, in Facebook as coordinated by Kaufmann (2012). Oxfam conveys its services and products all through the world. The firm finds the destitution and unfairness people and helps them in their area. The members get situated in the groups regularly with neediness issues so they can undoubtedly get to the influenced people. It is fundamental that the organization ought to consider expanding their office in different nations to enhance their entrance to the destitute individuals (Kaufmann 2012). Oxfam is a magnanimous association that spotlights on enhancing the lives of individuals and helps the individuals who are treated with unfairness. This marketing arrangement has basically helped in comprehending Oxfam's present circumstance where the firm appreciates worldwide supporters and offshoots however it confronts volunteers and workers. Marketing arranging helps create products and administrations in the business that address the issues of the objective market. Great marketing helps the clients comprehend why the item or administration is superior to, or not the same as, the opposition. Subsequently, this marketing arrangement target is to amplify global foundations and increment tickets deals. As per the prerequisite of Oxfam Shop which requests an imaginative, functional and fun item for their outlets; in this way,a quirky and bright range of accessories have been suggested which is very popular among the art enthusiasts. A decent marketing plan would help Oxfam achieve t heir intended interest group, support their client base, and eventually, increment their main concern. Armstrong, G., Adam, S., Denize, S. and Kotler, P., 2014.  Principles of marketing. Pearson Australia. Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2017. 8501.0 - Retail Trade, Australia, Nov 2016. [online] Abs.gov.au. Available at: Baker, M.J., 2014.  Marketing strategy and management. Palgrave Macmillan. Cameron, B.T., 2014. Using Responsive Evaluation in Strategic Management.  Strategic Leadership Review,  4(2), pp.22-27. Finch, B., 2016.  How to write a business plan. Kogan Page Publishers. Grant, R.M., 2016.  Contemporary strategy analysis: Text and cases edition. John Wiley & Sons. Hollensen, S., 2015.  Marketing management: A relationship approach. Pearson Education. IBISWorld. 2016. Consumer Goods Retail in Australia Market Research | IBISWorld. [online] Available at: https://www.ibisworld.com.au/industry/consumer-goods-retail.html Kaufmann, H.R. ed., 2012.  Customer-Centric Marketing Strategies: Tools for Building Organizational Performance: Tools for Building Organizational Performance. IGI Global. Kusnanto, N.A. and Utami, C.W., 2016. Innovation Strategy Design for CV. X's Handicraft Business at the Local Market. Lewrick, M., Williams, R., Maktoba, O., Tjandra, N. and Lee, Z.C., 2015. Radical and incremental innovation effectiveness in relation to market orientation in the retail industry: triggers, drivers, and supporters.  Successful Technological Integration for Competitve Advantage in Retail Settings, IGI Global, pp.239-268. Oxfam Australia, 2017. The Power of People Against Poverty. [online] Oxfam Australia. Available at: Philips, C., 2014. A Silver Lining to Australia's Fashion Crisis?. [online] The Business of Fashion. Available at: Seret, A., Verbraken, T. and Baesens, B., 2014. A new knowledge-based constrained clustering approach: Theory and application in direct marketing.  Applied Soft Computing,  24, pp.316-327. Urde, M. and Koch, C., 2014. Market and brand-oriented schools of positioning.  Journal of Product & Brand Management,  23(7), pp.478-490. Wakami, 2017. Wakami. [online] Shop.oxfam.org.au. Available at: Winston, W. and Weinstein, A., 2016.  Defining your market: winning strategies for high-tech, industrial, and service firms. Routledge.

Apple SWOT analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Apple SWOT analysis - Essay Example Apple statement further elaborates that currently, the company still leads the industry though innovative technologies that have resulted in ward winning computers, operating systems, iLife, and other professional applications. Furthermore, the statement narrates that Apple is setting benchmarks in the global market though launching of IPod portable music, iTunes online store, video players, and has even managed a groundbreaking entrance in the phone market through iPhone. Besanko et al (2009) further elaborates that a mission statement should tell more about what an organization believes in and not what it makes. Telling prospective customers about what a one believes in touches a nerve in the target market, leading to customer loyalty. After development of an inspiring mission statement in the mind, it is essential to consider what makes the brand tick. Precisely, it is essential to come up with something that taps into the emotions of the target customers, something that comes fro m culture rather than from products. In other words, the mission statement should focus on the targeted market or markets and not the products offered. It should mention the long-term benefits that the buyers are going to enjoy (Besanko et al, 2009). For companies such as Apple, the internet, among other media, can be used to send this message to millions of potential customers after devising such a mission statement. It can be posted in the company’s website or on social sites such as FaceBook and Twitter. Evidently, Apple’s current mission statement focuses more on what this company makes rather than what it believes in. It focuses on the products it produces rather than the way buyers will benefit in the long-term. Though such an approach it the company is committed to developing quality products, it hardly touches the emotions of customers. Thus, it rarely contributes to the development of brand loyalty among prospective customers the company. An alternative missio n statement for Apple could detail that Apple Inc. is committed to engaging in sustainable practices in order to protect health of surrounding environment and of customers, workers, surrounding community and other stakeholders. Through the mission, the company has to show commitment in offering innovative technological products and services while protecting the health of all stakeholders and conserving resources for future generations. Moreover, Apple through the mission statement has to portray that it has to detail that it undertakes to continuously strive to improve our products to meet the ultimate needs and desires of our customers. This mission statement is better since it resonates with the long-term needs of the customers and hence, contributes to development of consumer loyalty (Besanko et al, 2009). Strengths To start with, Apple has gained market leadership in its industry through ability to come up with innovative and high quality products such as iPhone, iPod, iPad and Mac. IPod, for instance, holds the largest market share (66%) of digital music globally due to first mover advantages in the industry (Yoffie, 2012). Yoffie further explains that the nearest competitor accounts for only 9.9% of the global market share. Generally, Apple uses its innovativeness to

The position of non-executive director Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The position of non-executive director - Essay Example The researcher of the current paper states that there is no distinction made between the responsibilities of a non-executive director and an affiliated director. According the United Kingdom company law, however, both have distinct roles while fulfilling their responsibilities. The affiliated director is an employee of a company and is given an executive position and authority to involve in the day to day business operations of the company; on the other hand, the non-executive director is not an employee of the company; consequently, he or she does not possess an executive position or executive authority similar to the executive position or executive authority extended to the affiliated director. In addition to that, the affiliated director receives salary or remuneration for his or her services performed for the company; on the other hand, the non-executive director charges fees for providing his services for the board. Fundamentally, the functions of the non-executive directors are to provide a creative contribution to the board with the provision of objective criticism. Also, the non-executive directors are required to ponder over the board matters and avoid straying into the executive direction, which is the role of the affiliated directors. And, at the same time, the affiliated directors involve and carry out the executive decisions for the company on day to day basis in contrast to the function of the non-executive director. ... Consequently, the Sarbanes-Oxley 2002, in the United States, and Higgs Review of Non-Executive Directors in 2003, in the United Kingdom, revitalized the role of the non-executive director and gave more clarity to the participation and contribution of the non-executive director. Dispersed and concentrated ownership Particularly, in the United States and the United Kingdom, the dispersed ownership, which is also identified with the term â€Å"outsider systems† (Maher and Andersson, 1999), is featured with relatively high turnover along with widely dispersed share ownership; in the dispersed ownership, a more equitable distribution of information and a considerable emphasis is given to the protection of the shareholders rights and, especially, those of minority investors. On the other hand, concentrated ownership, also known as insider systems, have features such as the presence of ownership concentration or concentration of voting power in a few hands along with a multiplicity o f corporate holdings and inter-firm relationships. The specific examples, denoting the concept of concentrated ownership, include familial control, banks, holding companies and other non-financial institutions. Both types of ownerships offer different sorts of advantages. The dispersed ownership provides the benefits such as extended liquidity of stock; as a result, the investors can easily avail the better risk diversification possibilities; and, at the same time, the corporate governance framework in the dispersed ownership encourages the use of public capital markets (OECD, 1999); on the other hand, the problems such as supervision and monitoring of management, which remains to be a point of high tension in

Descriptive Statistics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Descriptive Statistics - Assignment Example For the data presented; the descriptive statistics help in understanding the extent of spread of scores, the aggregate score s of groups of participants, and the most representative scores in different groups(Frankfort-Nachmias & Nachmias, 2008). For the control group, it is evident that the scores on both variables – Depression and the number of candy bars eaten – are higher than the group receiving CBT. The control group had a Mean score of 5.3 and a Median and Modal score of 5 for candy bars eaten. The range of the scores was 4 and variance was 1.79 while Standard Deviation was 1.34. The CBT group had a Mean and Median score of 1.5 and Modal scores of 1 and 2. The range of the scores was 3, with a variance of 1.17 and a Standard deviation of 1.08. For the whole sample, the Mean was 3.40 and mode was 5 while median was 3.50 while range was 8, variance was 5.2 and Standard deviation was 2.28. For both the groups; the Mean, Median and Mode are quite close and this may b e interpreted to mean that these groups are somewhat normally distributed, though the CBT group is a bimodal group with two adjacent modes. For all three measures of central tendency, the Control group had higher scores as compared to the CBT group. The control group also had higher scores on all measures of dispersion, showing that there was more variability in the control group’s scores than the CBT groups. The measures of variability were highest for the whole sample showing that all participants together had more variance in their scores. The same trend was noticed for depression scores with CBT group scoring lower than the control group. The control group had a mean score of 72.2, a median of 74.5 and a mode of 72. The range of scores was 32 with a variance of 87.57 and a Standard deviation of 9.36. The mean score for the CBT group was 40.8, the median was 40 and the mode was 35. Although the control group had similar mean, mode and median showing a relatively normal

Compare movie to articles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Compare movie to articles - Essay Example However, his art became a treat of his legacy when he was called as a friend witness in the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC). He released a list of eight members who were in the communist party to the anti-communist. He went against his own principle by testifying in about the influence of communist in the film industry. The backlist of communist had invaded the film industry for about ten years. It had created a big division in the film industry. The division increased as time moved and thus the blacklist destroyed many lives during its operation. According to Kazan, the blacklist communists aimed at manipulating the culture of US institutions by maneuvering to advance a belligerent foreign policy. Kazan wanted to counter the situation which led him to testify in the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC). His actions made him to be awarded in the Oscar awards. Half of the audience who attended the Oscar awards ceremony got angry about the award given to Ka zan and thus decided to protest against the decision of giving Kazan the award (Barzman 32). They argued that Kazan was morally compromised since he was also a communist. His artistic form of film directing gave him the chance to expose illegal activities in the government through films and also helped in the depiction of the civil society. A lot of people could not understand why he decided to expose the eight communist. However he clearly stated in his defense that the communist named in the blacklist were in the verge of manipulating the US culture thus he acted in order to conserve it. Distorting the US culture would greatly affect the production of film in the United States. Kazan used the film ‘On the Waterfront’ to justify his testimony before HUAC as he focuses on a temporary hero who turns out to be a focal summit of collective action. This directly pointed to his case where he tried to save the cultural value of the state and ended up being the victim of his o wn contribution as people turned to criticize his actions. This is the same way many readers disagree with the readings and ideas in the film ‘On the Waterfront’. Kazan does not focus fully on politics as he also introduces the art of love story in his film (Horne 25). This was to show that he was not only advocating for communism but also considered the moral culture of the society. The story of job in the bible can be compared to the moral approach in the case of Kazan. God gave the devil permission to test the faith of Job. Job always thought that his sons had in a way sinned against God. This made his offer burnt sacrifices on several occasions to pardon their sins. This notion shows that Job was greatly concerned about the conservation of morals that were pleasing to God. Therefore, he made sure that his sons kept good morals and were not swayed away by the devil. This can be related to Kazan’s case as he advocated for the conservation of the American cultur e and would go to the extent of unlashing the names of his colleagues whom he felt were going against his beliefs. The release of the blacklist portrays this aspect as it contains Kazan’s fellow directors. Job was tested by the devil in several occasions but he stood farm to his belief in God. His family abandoned him since they say that his beliefs would not heal him. Job faced rebellion from his own people in the same way Kazan experienced a period of

Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving - Essay Example The love, affection, and warmth for Rip Van Winkle would not be limited to humans. Even the dogs recognized him and would not bark to see him. Rip Van Winkle is known to others as an extremely useful man who can extend his hand of help in any kind of work needed. This is understandably, the main reason why so many people love him since Rip keeps proving his friendship again and again with different people; â€Å"a friend in need is a friend indeed† (â€Å"Cultural Dictionary†). Indeed, the same friendship becomes the cause of the twist in the story, when one day, while helping the Dutch strangers carry the keg up the mountain, Rip happens to drink a bit and then goes on to sleep for almost two decades. When he wakes up, he finds that his wife is dead. In a way, Rip’s habit of being â€Å"the friend in need† (â€Å"Cultural Dictionary†) rids him from all sorts of tensions and depressions in life so that he can have a wonderful and peaceful time sleeping, where he does not have to get berated by his wife everyday, or think, â€Å"what excuse shall I make to Dame Van Winkle?† (Irving

Descriptive Statistics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Descriptive Statistics - Assignment Example For the data presented; the descriptive statistics help in understanding the extent of spread of scores, the aggregate score s of groups of participants, and the most representative scores in different groups(Frankfort-Nachmias & Nachmias, 2008). For the control group, it is evident that the scores on both variables – Depression and the number of candy bars eaten – are higher than the group receiving CBT. The control group had a Mean score of 5.3 and a Median and Modal score of 5 for candy bars eaten. The range of the scores was 4 and variance was 1.79 while Standard Deviation was 1.34. The CBT group had a Mean and Median score of 1.5 and Modal scores of 1 and 2. The range of the scores was 3, with a variance of 1.17 and a Standard deviation of 1.08. For the whole sample, the Mean was 3.40 and mode was 5 while median was 3.50 while range was 8, variance was 5.2 and Standard deviation was 2.28. For both the groups; the Mean, Median and Mode are quite close and this may b e interpreted to mean that these groups are somewhat normally distributed, though the CBT group is a bimodal group with two adjacent modes. For all three measures of central tendency, the Control group had higher scores as compared to the CBT group. The control group also had higher scores on all measures of dispersion, showing that there was more variability in the control group’s scores than the CBT groups. The measures of variability were highest for the whole sample showing that all participants together had more variance in their scores. The same trend was noticed for depression scores with CBT group scoring lower than the control group. The control group had a mean score of 72.2, a median of 74.5 and a mode of 72. The range of scores was 32 with a variance of 87.57 and a Standard deviation of 9.36. The mean score for the CBT group was 40.8, the median was 40 and the mode was 35. Although the control group had similar mean, mode and median showing a relatively normal

Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving - Essay Example The love, affection, and warmth for Rip Van Winkle would not be limited to humans. Even the dogs recognized him and would not bark to see him. Rip Van Winkle is known to others as an extremely useful man who can extend his hand of help in any kind of work needed. This is understandably, the main reason why so many people love him since Rip keeps proving his friendship again and again with different people; â€Å"a friend in need is a friend indeed† (â€Å"Cultural Dictionary†). Indeed, the same friendship becomes the cause of the twist in the story, when one day, while helping the Dutch strangers carry the keg up the mountain, Rip happens to drink a bit and then goes on to sleep for almost two decades. When he wakes up, he finds that his wife is dead. In a way, Rip’s habit of being â€Å"the friend in need† (â€Å"Cultural Dictionary†) rids him from all sorts of tensions and depressions in life so that he can have a wonderful and peaceful time sleeping, where he does not have to get berated by his wife everyday, or think, â€Å"what excuse shall I make to Dame Van Winkle?† (Irving

The US and Thailand Free

The US and Thailand Free Essay The US and Thailand Free commenced negotiations in respect of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on June 28, 2004. Approximately six rounds of talks between the two countries have been conducted pursuant to the FTA negotiations as of 2006. US Chamber of Commerce: Trade Policy) The overall intent is to liberalize â€Å"trade in goods, agriculture, and investment† and harmonization of intellectual property rights (Ahearn and Morrison, 2004) Ever since the founding of the World Trade Organization (WTO and its General Agreement on Trade and Services (GATT) developed nation member states, such as the US have adhered to the WTO’s policy to help developing and less developed member states such as Thailand improve their economic growth by entering into bilateral trade agreements with them. (Fbiosa et ales, 2005) Thailand has over the years demonstrated a keener willingness to open its markets to liberalized trade than many of the other Asian nations. This particularly so in the area of agriculture. Relations between Thailand and the US commenced as early as 1833 with the Trade and Amity and Commerce Agreement. (US Chamber of Commerce: Trade Policy) By 1966 the Treaty of Amity and Economic Relations was successfully negotiated between the two countries with each country granting the other equal trade treatment. (US Chamber of Commerce: Trade Policy) The 1966 Treaty came to an end in 2004, although extended by mutual agreement to December 2006, the FTA is intended to take its place. (US Chamber of Commerce: Trade Policy) Aside from the economic benefits to both countries, the US hoped to strengthen US-Thailand relations for the purpose of combating terrorism. This fact together with cultural differences, a political crisis in 2006, health concerns and Thailand’s relationship with other Asian nations have proven problematic for both countries in reaching a mutual agreement. (US Chamber of Commerce: Trade Policy) This paper examines the US-Thailand FTA Agreement, its history and its future track with reference to the difficulties that impede bringing the negotiations to a final conclusion. History and Background Thailand has long since been regarded as an ally of the US, a position that was only fortified during the Cold War period and strengthened even further following the terror attacks on the US on September 11, 2001. (Chanlett-Avery, 2006) The relationship between the US and Thailand has always been characterized by mutual trade and economic interests. (Chanlett-Avery, 2006) Following the 2001 terrorist attacks in the US the relationship took on a new dimension when it became obvious that Thailand shared, at least in part the US desire to fight terrorism in the Southeast Asian region. (Chanlett-Avery, 2006) These facts and circumstances together with Thailand’s strong economic and political ties to China puts Thailand in a position to have some influence in the Far East. (Chanlett-Avery, 2006) Recognizing the strategic economic and political position of Thailand in the Asia-Pacific area and its close ties with the US, President George Bush â€Å"designated† Thailand â€Å"as a major non-NATO ally in 2003. † (Chanlett-Avery, 2006) This designation is partly due to Thailand’s history of support to the US during the Cold War and partly due to its position with respect to the US counter terrorism initiatives. (Chanlett-Avery, 2006) Aside from sending troops to aide the US in its wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Thailand authorities arrested a â€Å"high-profile† Islamic rebel in a â€Å"joint Thai-US operation† in 2003. (Chanlett-Avery, 2006) Co-existing with these diplomatic and amicable relations was the Treaty of Amity and Economic Relations between the US and Thailand which was signed in Bangkok on May 29th 1966. (US-Thai Treaty of Amity, 1966) The 1966 Treaty permits US citizens and companies incorporated in Thailand or in the US to hold all the shares in a business situated in Thailand and to conduct business in Thailand in the same manner as Thai citizens. There were certain restrictions on American investments including land holding, fiduciary services, communications, transportation, domestic agricultural trade and damaging natural resources. (US-Thai Treaty of Amity, 1966) The Treaty also provided favourable treatment to Thai businessmen upon application for entry visas into the US for business purposes. Moreover, there were no restrictions on repatriating funds to Thai by Thai business concerns in the US. (US-Thai Treaty of Amity, 1966) The Treaty of Amity and Economic Relations should have expired in September 2006 but was extended to a further period of 90 days bringing it to an end in December of 2006 instead. (US Chamber of Commerce: Trade Policy) In anticipation of the expiration of the Treaty of Amity and Economic Relations and the economic success of trade relations between the US and Thai, President Bush and Thai Prime Minister Thaskin announced on 19 October, 2003 plans to negotiate a bilateral trade agreement between the two countries. (Ahearn et ales, 2004) In March 2004, both countries announced that negotiations would commence in June of 2004. (Ahearn et ales, 2004) The first two rounds of negotiations took place in Thailand in 2004 with a third round taking place there in 2005. (Ahearn and Morrison, 2006) Fourth and Fifth rounds of negotiations were conducted in Montano on September 26-30, 2005 in Hawaii and earlier in the year at Montana on July 15. (Ahearn and Morrison, 2006) A sixth round was conducted in Thailand which ended all talks as a result of political unrests in Thailand. (Ahearn and Morrison, 2006) While some progress was made at the fifth round of talks in Hawaii, the remaining talks were for the most part unsuccessful. Essentially what was agreed to at the fifth round of talks was the removal of barriers to trade with the emphasis on tariffs with respect to goods crossing US borders to Thailand and vice versa. (Thailand’s Legal News Update, October, 2005) Both the United States and Thailand also agreed that Internet Service Providers should be included in all talks relative to intellectual property rights protection. (Thailand’s Legal News Update, October, 2005) Further agreement was made by the US to permit Thailand patent protection with respect to its rice and silk products. (Allison, 2006) The details of these agreements are discussed in much greater detail later on. The World Trade Review reported that the fourth round of negotiations held in Montana did not yield particulars of any specific agreements. However, the talks went well enough to ensure that both parties were likely to come to an arrangement at the fifth round of talks in Hawaii, (World Trade Review, 2005) which as previously noted did yield a consensus on tariffs and patent protection on rice and silk. In Montana, both US and Thai negotiating teams met with business representatives of Montana and were equally impressed with the importance of agricultural trade in the US. The negotiators also met with business officials within the telecommunications, financial, automobile, energy and additional service factions of the community. (World Trade Review, 2005) The World Trade Review believes that the results of this meeting and round of talks helped to pave the way for some agreement in the next round of talks. (World Trade Review, 2005) Be that as it may, relations between the US and Thailand were not without some difficulties. James A. Kelly, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs touched on a number of issues that were problematic for the US in his address to the Asia Foundation in Washington, D. C. on March 13, 2002. Noting that both countries shared a mutual interest in the concepts and benefits of security, liberty democracy and maintaining free and open trade markets Kelly also noted that there was a growing perception in Thailand that the US was either acting in bad faith or trying to take advantage of Thailand. (Kelly, 2002) Other problems were highlighted at the Bilateral Conference on United States-Thailand Relations in the 21st Century. (Bilateral Conference on United States-Thailand Relations in the 21st Century, 2002) The Bilateral Conference took place in Washington D. C. on March 11-13 under the auspices of 10 senior Thai government officials who met with American trade and government officials for the express purpose of debating the important isses within the context of a bilateral trade agreement. (Bilateral Conference on United States-Thailand Relations in the 21st Century, 2002) There was evidence of a strain in US-Thai relations following the US war with Vietnam from a Thai perspective. Many Thais felt that the US had neglected Thailand and felt even more disenchanted with the US following the Asian financial crisis of 1997 especially with respect tot he US’s the unduly strenuous conditions placed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with respect to Thailand’s aid relief. (Bilateral Conference on United States-Thailand Relations in the 21st Century, 2002) By the end of the 90s both political and economic relations between the two countries was quite often tense. (Bilateral Conference on United States-Thailand Relations in the 21st Century, 2002) The waning relationship was complicated by a failure on the US’s part to offer a viable loans system by way of financial relief via the IMF. Further complications arose out of the US’s failure to back-up the Thai Minister of Commerce and the Thai Deputy Prime Minister’s nominations to hold the post of World Trade Organization Secretary General in 1999. (Bilateral Conference on United States-Thailand Relations in the 21st Century, 2002) From the US’s perspective the Thai support of the US at the United Nations was weak if at all. (Bilateral Conference on United States-Thailand Relations in the 21st Century, 2002) Moreover, Thailand was reluctant to support the US position with respect to its EP-3 reconnaissance plane episode which involved China. (Bilateral Conference on United States-Thailand Relations in the 21st Century, 2002) The US also had concerns about Thailand’s position with respect to censorship in the media. Although following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US Thailand once again closed the gap between US and Thailand with its support. (Bilateral Conference on United States-Thailand Relations in the 21st Century, 2002) In the global context, Thailand’s difficulty arises out of a desire to balance its relationship with China with that of the US. The problem for the US is in diminishing China’s stronghold on the Asian region and Thailand found itself having to balance its priorities with respect to negotiating its relationships with both China and the United States. The difficulty for Thailand was maintaining some sort of neutrality in its relationships with both super powers. (Bilateral Conference on United States-Thailand Relations in the 21st Century, 2002) Thailand’s political and economical policies reflect a desire to regularize relations within its immediate region. Of particular interest to Thailand is the strengthening of its commercial ties to regions close to its borders. Its relationship with Burma which is characterized by a trend toward conciliatory approaches is largely problematic for the US. (Bilateral Conference on United States-Thailand Relations in the 21st Century, 2002) The US would prefer it if Thailand took an isolationist approach to Burma. The problem was summarized at the Bilateral Conference. Thailand maintained what it referred to as a â€Å"constructive interaction† with its neighbour Burma and this caused some tension with the United States who would have preferred that Thailand adapted an isolationist stance with Burma. (Bilateral Conference on United States-Thailand Relations in the 21st Century, 2002) The US was also suspicious that the Thai government was lending support to regions like Malaysia and Indonesia which the US regarded as unstable and supportive of terrorist factions. (Bilateral Conference on United States-Thailand Relations in the 21st Century, 2002) The US felt that the anti-American sentiments in Indonesia and Malaysia were at risk of spilling over into Thailand. Notably Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin had been elected into office after running an â€Å"anti-American platform† and there was a concern that Thailand was faltering in its support of the United States on its anti-terrorism policies. (Bilateral Conference on United States-Thailand Relations in the 21st Century, 2002) Be that as it may, the US and Thailand had similar economic and political goals. The best approach was therefore thought to be a bilateral trade agreement. (Bilateral Conference on United States-Thailand Relations in the 21st Century, 2002)

Causes and Effects of Mental Illness

Causes and Effects of Mental Illness Depression (major depression) is a common mental disorder characterized by a period of intense and negative emotions, lack of interest, anhedonia (lack of pleasure), guilt and low self-esteem feelings, sleep disorders and normal appetite, loss of energy and difficulty in concentration. People who suffer from depression usually they have not presented the same symptoms and even if they have the same symptoms, their intensity varies. Depression can transform from a transient to a chronic condition, preventing the steady mental functioning of people and -in extreme cases even lead to suicide. The social and economic impact of depression usually is difficulty in maintaining close relationships, alcoholism, accidents, misuse of health services, reverberations the whole family and more on children, early retirement, and substance abuse. The depressed person suffering from the disease thus transformed and expressed in many ways such as hypochondriacal symptoms, impotence, insomnia or hypersomnia, poor appetite or overeating, and offending behavior. Moreover, depression can occur in various forms such as with most physical illnesses. However, in these types, there are several variations in the number and severity of symptoms. The following three types of depression frequently arise in people who suffer from this disease. The major depressive episode is manifested by a combination of symptoms and affected significantly the functionality of the individual. An incident such as this episode may occur once, or more frequently, several times during the life of the individual and ordinarily lasts around 6-8 months. A less severe form of depression, dysthymia, is a milder side of symptoms, but more chronic disorder. In this form, individual generally retains much of the functionality but however, there is a danger to drop back into a major depressive episode. Bipolar disorder or manic depression is otherwise a severe mental disorder characterized by cyclical swings of emotion, where in that period of intense elation (mania) alternate with periods of depressive episodes. The person in the manic episode shows hyperactivity, socially inappropriate, shows cheerful, with large energy reserves, but has impaired judgment and impaired social behavior which can be fatal for the person himself but also for those around him. Various theories have been developed by several scientists are unable to determine the exact etiology of depression. There are some factors that contribute to either the start or the most intense manifestation of the disease. Many scientists have studied the depression generating mechanism based on an individuals behavior. Ferster (1973) indicates that the depressed person may have the disease at intervals, during which accepts negative stimuli and isolation from the social environment without corresponding positive stimuli which could maintain his mental balance. Additionally, starting from childhood where negative stimuli are unable to meet the individual needs (such as the mothers indifference towards the child) cultivate the belief that the environment has grown not to offer anything on the person who is pessimistic. Also, Ferster, comments on the role of anger in depression, as psychoanalysts recognizing that anger is a component of the emotional disorder but explains that the angering event often avoided by the sufferer due to the negative reaction of the environment to anger. Therefore held that feeling and the result is the further isolation of the patient from the community and lack thereof supporters. The Rado (1964), Bibring (1953) and Jacobson (1964), completing the classic analytic interpretation pointed out that it is not necessary to have an objective loss to occur depression. They outline that, something negative relative to narcissism, the love and appreciation that nourishes everyone about him, a frustration or failure would seriously undermine the feeling of self-esteem, can paralyze a persons ability to act, resulting in a recall depression. Mendelson (1967) believed that depression is due to the collapse of ego and self-confidence because of a loss or disappointment. O Schneider (1958) described the people suffering from depressive psychopathy as follows: quietly, constantly gloomy, serious, without the ability to have fun. The peace and calm seen as something meaningless and pain and suffering as a virtue. They give great importance to the operation and are oppressive but also sensitive individuals. Schneider made a distinction between depressive personality and endogenous depression which more correlated with phases of mania and depression thus rejecting the idea that a depressive personality is an extreme form of depression expression. This personality is due in early irritation predisposing the individual to become negative and pessimistic On the other side, the forms and effects of depression differ by gender. Women are 2 to 3 times more susceptible to this disease than men. Some researchers such as Hauenstein (1991) have suggested that this is due to the fact that women express more easily and more intensely their feelings, from the opposite gender, is more large percentage of the female population that will seek medical care in relation to the male gender, women affected, think and imagine different scenarios and versions if concern for a problem, leading to cause the beginning of an emotional disease while men distract their attention from the problem and focus on their goals. However, the difference is quite large, so it is believed that a combination of biological and psychosocial factors contribute to a higher frequency. The causes that can lead an individual to depression vary depending on the evolution of his life. More specifically, it is clear that there is no single reason to explain this disorder (as usually happens with many other illnesses in general). Surveys have identified several factors that appear to contribute in varying degrees to the illness of depression. We can consider the depressive disorder as the final common result of a variety of factors which act on the constitution of each individual and the specific social context. If we look at depression in this way then the various interpretations of the ground, either purely biological or purely psychosocial cease to seem to contradict each other, but rather that they complement each other.

Development of the Artificial Heart :: Medical Science Technology Health Essays

Development of the Artificial Heart Actual belief in the possibility of technology being used to create an artificial heart began in the 1950’s, soon after the successful implementation of a dialysis machine. With the ability to put a man on the moon, there was an general feeling that anything was possible. Thus, in 1964 the United States Government put $581,000 towards the establishment of a research program to develop a total artificial heart (TAH). (Caplan pg.30). The first viable mechanical heart was the Jarvik-7, which could keep animals alive for eight months. (Caplan pg.34). After much persuasion the FDA approved the implantation of the Jarvik-7 into human test subjects suffering from terminal heart disease. The first recipient of the Jarvik-7 was Barney Clark, on December 1, 1982. He survived on the mechanical heart for 112 days. However, during that time he suffered severe medical complications. He underwent three additional surgeries, on several occasions asked that the heart be deactivated, and went into a coma before finally dying. (Caplan pg.35). The second patient, William Schroeder, who received a Jarvik-7 on November 25, 1984, survived for 620 days before dying. He too was plagued by medical complications throughout those 620 days. On the nineteenth day he suffered a stroke and again, on the 94th day. From the 150th day onward he had subacute bacterial endocarditis. He suffered two more strokes, on day 163 and 352. A liver biopsy on the 444th day showed microabscesses. On the 590th day he was given a feeding gastrostomy, and a tracheostomy followed on day 612. Finally he died of respiratory failure, and sepsis. (Fox pg.126). After a few more trial implantations, which all followed same downhill course, the FDA withdrew the permission to implant any more TAH’s. From this point onward the research focused more on devices to assist the heart, rather than replace it. These devices were designed to take some of the stress off of the left ventricle of the heart, and were termed left ventricular assist devices or LVAD’s. The use of LVAD’s became more common throughout the 1990’s as a method of either resting the heart so that it could recuperate and continue on its own or prolonging the heart’s life until a donor heart became available.

1920-1930 Essay -- Essays Papers

1920-1930 The 1920’s are also known as the "Roaring 20’s". It was the first modern decade experienced by this country, as America flourished after WW I. The average number of hours worked per week dropped from 60 hours to 48 hours (Rayburn). For the first time, people felt that it was just as important to play as it was to work; family outings and weekend trips had become things that workers expected (Rayburn). Women became more open by appearing in public smoking and drinking. Trojan condoms first appeared and sex became an open issue for discussion. During these years, Prohibition caused the rich and the common folk to come together in the name of alcohol. The business of America had become business (Rayburn). Calvin Coolidge was president for most of the decade. He won his first election with the slogan, "Keep Cool With Coolidge" (Library of Congress). At this time, credit first appeared, and people took advantage by buying all the things they wanted like cars and radios. This mindset eventually led to the Great Stock Market crash, October 24, 1929. Women were becoming more open with their bodies and showed them with the clothes they wore. Fashion trends showed that skirts were getting shorter, but many expected them to return to the full-length style of the past after a year. Instead skirts and dresses continued to get shorter from that point. Many people also accepted the fact that women were now drinking and smoking. In the World there was an uncertain peace. World War I had just ended and some peoples had felt that peace negotiations were unfair. In 1922 Joseph Stalin was voted to be the general secretary of the Communist Party. He eventually became head of the Communist Party and issued his first five year plan in... ...s, 1931. Betts, John Rickards. America’s Sporting Heritage: 1850-1950. Reading, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1974. Hamilton, George Heard. 19th and 20th Century Art. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Lucas, John. The Radical Twenties. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1997. Rayburn, Kevin. The Roaring 20’s. March 1997. "Calvin Coolidge and History in the 1920’s." The Online Library of Congress." http://www.memory.loc.gov Spielvogel, Jackson J. Western Civilization A Brief History. London: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1999 Buildings on Campus. Dayton: 1937. Archives Collection, Albert Emanuel Hall, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio. Wehrle, William O. History of the University of Dayton. Dayton: 1981. Archives Collection, Albert Emanuel Hall, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio.

Mass Crime Lab Case

Former Massachusetts State Crime Lab chemist, Annie Dookhan, has been indicted on twenty-seven counts of tampering with evidence, perjury, and obstruction of justice after a legal fallout that has jeopardized thousands of drug cases (Smith). Dookhan admitted to â€Å"dry-labbing† (distinguishing a sample is a narcotic based on appearance instead of actually testing), altering test results, and â€Å"deliberately turned a negative sample into a positive for narcotics a few times†. Another way in which she tampered with the testing samples was by exaggerating the weight of seized drugs in order to cause the accused party to receive harsher penalties. As a result of the chemist’s actions, many innocent people have served jail time, while deserving criminals were let off the hook. Even though her coworkers and supervisors were suspicious on several occasions throughout the course of several years, she was not caught until 2011 when she admitted to forging a colleague’s signature on paperwork. It was not until this action, that she was finally suspended from her duties (The Living Case). The next thought that occurs to someone reading this story is â€Å"Why†. What would possess someone to risk his or her job and credentials? It is hard to understand what exactly would motivate Annie Dookhan to commit this type of crime considering that her life was not directly impacted by the fates of the defendants her samples belonged to. Frederick Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory, also known as the two-factor theory, could be applied in this case. Lab executives leadership style Crime labs would be better served if they were operated privately and contracted by states rather than run by a police department. There is cause for concern when a state prosecutor has intrinsic ties to the people testing the evidence he or she needs to convict a felon. It is an absolute conflict of interest to have a crime lab under the control of the police. Northeastern University law professor Daniel Medwed said, â€Å"There are often implicit pressures [on crime lab technicians] to help out prosecutors – to testify in cases in a way that supports their perceived colleagues in law enforcement† (The Living Case). As a result of the outcome of the Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts case, chemists are now required to be present at the trial of the substance they tested in order to be cross-examined on their testimony (Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts). Bearing in mind that their testimony carries a lot of weight in a trial, chemists should remain separate so that issues of prejudice or bias arise. Aside from that issue, being run be the state police produces problems in relation to the management of the crime lab reporting any errors in testing that may occur. The leaders may feel that exposing problems would only increase a backlog of paperwork and further testing as a result of an internal investigation. In this case, it does not seem that the leadership was affected by police involvement as the lab was run by the Department of Public Health during the period of the incidents. Sources: * I was unsure how to cite the case given to us as most of my information is derived from there, and I did not see where Kirkman provided source information. * http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/08pdf/07-591.pdf * http://www.npr.org/2013/03/14/174269211/mass-crime-lab-scandal-reverberates-across-state