Monday, November 25, 2019

Nonsmoking Laws essays

Nonsmoking Laws essays Currently in the United States, there is no national ban against smoking in public places. Each state is enforcing its own regulations on where cigarettes can be used. However, in the past couple of decades, the number of regulations against smoking has been increasing. Smoking was banned on domestic flights in 1989. In 1998, the state of California passed a law against smoking in bars and restaurants. Since then, other states such as Delaware, New York, Florida and Connecticut have also legislated against Are these laws constitutional' Should all smokers have to stow their cigarettes in public places because of those individuals who do not smoke' The issue of whether or not to have these anti-smoking laws is not an easy one. For nonsmokers, these regulations are gladly accepted. Such bans mean that anti-smokers will breathe in a lot less smoke at work and other public areas. It also means that they no longer have to worry about health problems associated with second-hand smoke. To the contrary, the reasons to allow cigarette smoking in bars and restaurants can be just as persuasive. In a country where personal freedom is so crucial, is it legal to make everyone give up smoking' What about the hypocrisy involved' Why should cigarette smoking be banned in public places, and the drinking of alcohol, which is just as unhealthy and addictive, be allowed' Also, many bar and restaurant owners are being negatively affected by these anti-smoking laws. The history of cigarettes and tobacco go hand-in-hand with the history of the United Statesactually, way before the states were even born. It is believed that tobacco started growing in the Americas around 6,000 BC. However, it was not until around 1,000 years BC, perhaps the Mayan civilization in Central America, that people started to use the leaves of the plant for medicinal purposes to care for wounds and reduc...

Friday, November 22, 2019

Article summary Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Article summary - Research Paper Example The study employed a venue-based sampling strategy for recruitment of respondents during randomly selected blocks of time. Research staff gathered the data on the basis of a master schedule of monthly activities that conducted throughout metropolitan Atlanta. The sampling frame included 25 locations including churches, bookstores, educational forums, community meetings, and special events such as family health fairs. Three hundred seventeen people were invited to participate, and 223 provided written informed consent (response rate: 70%). The research employed SPSS 17.0 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL) and SAS 9.2 (SAS Institute, Inc, Cary, NC) for analyses. Descriptive statistics and cross-tabulations were also generated for variables of interest. In addition, bivariate correlations were also generated to explore key relationships. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted, and resulting scale-reliability estimates were generated. We determined that a Cronbach’s ÃŽ ± reliability estimate of ≠¥ 0.70 would support reliability of each subscale. A multivariate logistic regression models were also used to analyze the independent contributions of variables. Quantitative result revealed that twenty two percent (n=50) of the parents had had their children vaccinated for seasonal inï ¬â€šuenza in the previous 3 months. The overall seasonal inï ¬â€šuenza vaccine-acceptance rate for children was 40.8% (n = 91). Also, the overall acceptance rate of obtaining H1N1 vaccine within 90 days for children was a low 35.9% at n = 80. The significant factors that were identified that could predict predicted H1N1 vaccine acceptance for children included lack of insurance (OR: 3.04 [95% CI: 1.26 –7.37]), higher perceived child susceptibility to H1N1 (OR: 1.66 [95% CI: 1.41–1.95]), prioritizing children over other family members for vaccination (OR:3.34 [95% CI: 1.33– 8.38]), and having the belief that H1N1 is a greater community

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Review of the Economic Development Theories in Africa Essay

Review of the Economic Development Theories in Africa - Essay Example This paper offers an analysis of practical implementation of the four models of development in African countries. These models includes Harrod-Domar Model, Exogenous Growth model, Surplus Labor Model, and Harris-Todaro Model. Economic development theories and models are built on three main blocks; the saving function, the production function and labor supply function. Growth rate and saving function are equal to s/AY (where s is the saving rate and AY is the output ratio). South Africa is one of the developing countries in Africa that has implemented the Exogenous Growth Model since it has acknowledged the inclusion of technology and innovation in its plans. This model explains the importance of technological change (and capital accumulation in an economic growth. In Ethiopia Harrod-Domar model applies where high population growth rate is constraint to the rate of technological change. Harrod-Domar model outlines an economic function relationship in which the â€Å"growth rate of gross domestic product (g) depend directly on the national saving ratio (s) and inversely on the national capital/output ration ratio (k) Libya is one of the developing countries in Africa with the highest income per capita GDP, however, most of its population still remain poor and unemployed because of the rural-urban migration in accordance to the Harris-Todaro Model. This is a theory of rural-urban migration and it is strives to address the high rates of unemployment problem issue in the developing countries (Ezeala-Harrison,p3). Rural to urban migration is mainly fueled by the creation of more employment opportunities in the urban areas than the rural areas. This is the reason why most of the Africa’s developing countries such as Kenya have introduced policy of rural industrialization and development to help deal with the problem of high population and unemployment rates in the urban areas. Creation of more industries and other employment opportunities in the rural areas has attracted more people to the rural areas and this is one of the policies required for a balanced development in any country. In developing countries such as Algeria and Tunisia most of the citizens move from their rural homes to urban areas in search of education, employment and high living standards. Some people are also driven away by the poor status of their lands which are unproductive. The current surveys show that about 53 per cent of the populations of Kenya, Tunis, Algeria and South Africa reside in the urban areas. Rapid urban growth rate in the current economic status of the developing countries is a strain to the level of national and local governments to provide basic necessities such as electricity, sewerage, water and adequate health facilities. In such situations, squatter settlements and over crowded slums begin sprawling up. In a country like Kenya over-crowded slums are the homes to millions of the citizens. In most developing countries, this growth rate reflects rural crisis other than urban-based development (Ezeala-Harrison, p5). Harrod-Domar Model Harrod-Domar model outlines an economic function relationship in which the â€Å"growth rate of gross domestic product (g) depend directly on the national saving ratio (s) and inversely on the national capital/output ration ratio (k) (Jurgen & Paul, p257). Mathematically it is expressed as g= s/k. This equation derived its name from two economists (E.V Domar of U.S and Sir Roy Harrod of Britain) who proposed it. This th eory has been majorly utilized by the developing countries in planning their economy in the early post wars. For a targeted growth rate to be realized, a required growth rate must be set. Countries which are unable to set this require savings can resort to a jurisdiction for borrowing from international agencies such as International Monetary Funds and World Bank. Most of the African countries are developing countries which are unable to set the required savings to meet the targeted growth rate. They therefore resort to borrowing from international agencies. Huge debts are disadvantages to developing countries because of the higher interest rates and poor credit (Jurgen & Paul, p257). Problems usually a rise when these countries make irregular loan payment and underestimate the project cost. Every country

Monday, November 18, 2019

William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night - Essay Example The role of Viola is a servant that perfectly demonstrates the willing service she will offer in her role being a wife. From Viola's position as wife of Orsino presumes an erotic demand that includes Viola's unselfish love and the contentment of gender-blurring making it noticeable the erotic possibility within the unequal power relationship inherent in condition of service itself. Whereas lots of critics have outlined fictitious plots of women concealed as boys to serve their male beloveds, the absolute range and power of these erotic relationships implies that Twelfth Night depicts an existing matter of social relations in the early contemporary family. The Malvolio plot is an intricate apparatus for the managing of affairs between upper servants and their employers. The Twelfth Night may have been making the most out of the scandal of an underground social practice. This is for because of the apparent signification of passionate meanings through certain kinds and colors of clothing and the circulation of indistinct verse with equally indistinct handwriting. Inside Olivia's household is the characterization of conspiracies and sexual liaisons. The Twelfth Night play tolerates a lot of lavishly erotic interactions that remains noticeably insensitive to Malvolio's desire. Malvolio is much more ridiculous for wanting to marry Olivia than is Olivia for wanting to marry Caesario. Moreover, Twelfth Night draws a line that connects acceptably arousing erotics of service and a social taboo. Malvolio's desire for power created a threat on both social and symbolic register. The character that Malvolio plays performs an ambitious individualism that will eventually be successful in clearing out an ideology of service at the heart of other employer-servant relationships in the early modern culture in his humorless desire for power over others along with his self-interest that lurk behind an submissive faade. Erotics of service have traversed the boundaries of social standards at a certain degree. Cultural anxieties do not essentially show a direct relationship with the degree of threat involved. Albeit a considerable number of women are essentially engaged in sexual acts with their male servants, the opportunity for erotic intrigues in households became part of a cultural fantasy. With their differences in position, Olivia and Malvolio's sexual connection is considered impossible within the society. From the confusing transition from feudal to capitalist economies, from the related decline in the status of servants, and from the fluidity of their status within individual households, all of these shaped the erotics of service in the early modern household. Furthermore, the Twelfth Night portrays a potent strategy of gaining dominance in a household and a depiction of the early modern culture's deepest fears as the ideology of service, so important to a neo-feudal hierarchy based on rank and class, showed signs of tension. As a servant, Malvolio pulled off a particular degree of glory and good affluence through his great effort of serving as a steward of great noble household accounting to his trustworthiness especially to his mistress. Despite the fact that his deeds designates a severe punishment, Malvolio's effort was really improper

Saturday, November 16, 2019

International Labour Standards

International Labour Standards Module -International Perspectives on Industrial Relations QUESTION: Some commentators have argued thatthe adoption of labour standards would threaten the trade prospects of developing countries. Critically evaluate this claim and discuss the policyimplications. In this essay, it is explained that ILO after its foundation following World War One aimed at protecting the fundamental rights at work, creating and securing decent work opportunities for men and women, providing social protection to all the parties concerned and encourage social dialogue. To achieve its aim, ILO works very hard to achieve core labour standards through its member states by giving funds and encouraging them to implement core labour standards and by punishing and discouraging the member states who violate core labour standards. It also, through its campaigns tries to link World Trade Organization with the core labour standards to put extra pressure on the states which are not complying with the set standards. ILO also encourages the member states that they should ratify the convention as after their ratification it becomes the law of the government. ILO has been very active in creating many conventions and they have been trying very hard to encourage countries to have declaration which constitute better policy implications to promote core labour standards in developed and developing countries. It is also explained that how growth of trade is affecting core labour standards and its effect on the particular economy and job sector by giving empirical analysis of developed countries and developing countries. In the case of developed nations Japan and United States were thought of. While doing bilateral trade agreement each country should respect their domestic labour standards and each country while having trade with each other should have high labour standards. In the end, it is explained that developing countries should pay special attention to implement core labour standards and at the same time should take great care while implementing them according to their current domestic or local situation. International Labour Standards and Trade Prospects International labour organization was founded in 1919 after the First World War. Its main aim is to promote working rights, social protection, decent employment opportunities and to deal with work related issues via negotiations and dialogues. In the year 1946, the International Labour Organization became the first specialized agency of the UN. Today, it has 178 members in six continents. It is the only tripartite agency which brings together government, workers and employers to formulate and shape up the policy and programmes. There are four main objectives which ILO is determined to achieve and these are as follows:  § To encourage standards and fundamental principles and rights at work  § To provide vast opportunities for men and women to earn living by securing decent employment  § To provide social protection for all parties concerned  § Strengthen tripartism and social dialogue Source: http://www.ilo.org/global/About_the_ILO/langen/index.htm The ILO is the global body responsible for drawing up and overseeing international labour standards. In todays globalized economy, international labour standards are very important tool in ensuring the growth of the global economy which provides benefits to all. â€Å"The rules of the global economy should be aimed at improving the rights, livelihoods, security, and opportunities of people, families and communities around the world.† (World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization, 2004) International labour standards are made with a view to promote opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work in an atmosphere of freedom, equity, security and dignity. The development of the labour standards occurred without international coordination before the First World War and these agreements only concerned with the migrant people from different countries, although they were actually made after the formation of International Labour Organization in 1919. ILO is working very hard to implement core labour standards throughout the world. Core labour standards are those standards which are so basic and universal and can be implemented in all member states irrespective of the economic development of member states. These core labour standards are those which are also described as ILOs four main objectives as mentioned earlier. To achieve these standards ILO held so many conventions since 2006. ILO conveyed 186 conventions and discussed various issues like women working after dark and holiday pay etc. Member states are not required to ratify all conventions but ILO emphasizes member states for ratification of the conventions. Because after the ratification, it becomes a law even for the government who approved of it and thats why they are reluctant to ratify the law although they agree in principle with the law. In order to achieve core labour standards ILO stresses on its publications and condemns those who violate these standards. It puts pressure on the countries which ratify the conventions but are not complying with the law. It has no official authority to punish the state which violates these core labour standards but a tripartite representative can make a complaint and ILO can only do investigation and report its findings. The failure on part of implementation of core labour standards universally led to a suggestion that Core labour standards should be linked with WTO so that it can be used as a tool to enforce core labour standards (Brown, 2001). According to the ILO Constitution (2006c), â€Å"the failure of any nation to adopt humane conditions of labour is an obstacle in the way of other nations which desire to improve the conditions in their own countries.† ILO is having major problems in the implementation of core labour standards mostly in the developing countries as they are prone to labour rights abuses, with minimum wages, open to child labour exploitation and where the core labour standards are not entirely protected. ILO is working very hard to encourage the developing countries to follow the footprints of developed nations in implementing the core labour standards. Although improvement of core labour standards is essential for the growth or prosperity of a particular country but it is also counterproductive if these core labour standards are introduced in trade agreements as the countries who have comparative advantage in labour intensive goods would not be able to export their goods and therefore its growth and social development will slow down in turn. If a country has low labour standards and by applying trade sanctions it would be inefficient as there would be no trade labour linkage as there is violation of core labour stan dards for example, child labour and forced labour occurs in small, domestic or family firms who have nothing to do with the trade as they are not exporting anything and trade labour linkage is a social clause only limited to trade-impacted products (Robert C. Shelburne, Wage Differentials, Monopsony Labor Markets, and the Trade-Labor Debate, 19 Journal of Economic Integration 1 (March 2004), pp. 131-161.) On the contrary, the trade labour linkage could also be used indirectly when small firms which have nothing to do with the exports subcontracting with the exporting firms which indirectly contribute to the competitiveness of the exposed firms (Peter Morici and Evan Shulz, Labor Standards in the Global Trading System) (Washington, D. C.: Economic Strategy Institute, 2001). Violation of core labour standards can affect trade flows in two ways firstly, by decreasing wages competitiveness is reduced and secondly, child and forced labour will lead to an increase in unskilled labour but it can give developing countries comparative advantage in labour intensive goods and thus increase or boost exports. In 1947, Havana charter was laid down as a link between international trade and labour standards. The purpose of this charter is that all member states should recognize the importance of core labour standards related to their productivity and enhance labour standards within its territory. Due to failure of its ratification from the member states the International trade organization had not been created instead General agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) was used as a substitute (GATT Article XX (e)). When World trade organization was only two years old, Singapore ministerial declaration was adopted on 13 December, 1996 and due to absence of consensus again labour trade linkage was denied. Hence, ILO was the only body or organization to tackle labour standards. The difference between Havana Charter and Singapore declaration is that in Havana Charter they recognize that trade disputes are caused due to labour standards in different member states whereas in Singapore Declaration trade related labour standards should be adopted but it should be counterproductive as it prevents trade and distorts comparative advantage for labour intensive developing countries. After the Singapore declaration, ILO set up a world commission on the social dimension of globalization (the final report: A fair globalization Creating opportunities for all) (Geneva: ILO, February 2004). Trade theorists have always argued that growth of trade between developed and developing nations will lead to job losses of unskilled labour in developed countries whereas job gains of unskilled labour in developing countries but the problem is that the job gains of unskilled labour in developing countries is quite high as compared to job losses of unskilled workers in developed nations [Collins, (1998) Machin and Van Reenan, (1998) and Learner, (1998)]. Many countries while doing their bilateral trade, respect the core labour standards. In the U.S Trade Act of 2002, the 6th objective is â€Å"to promote respect for workers right and the right of the children consistent with core labour standards of the ILO.† While engaging in the bilateral trade agreements, every nation should respect the domestic labour standards and must possess high labour standards. In case of any disputes, there is specific institution which has the power to impose sanctions in case of serious flaws in relating to labour standards (International Economics Policy Briefs PB-5; Washington D. C.: Institute of International Economics, April 2001). In December 1998, Mercosur countries (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay) adopted a social declaration about promotion and respect of ILO core labour standards. Similar provisions can be found in most of the new regional trade agreements. Developed countries also impose labour standards criteria within the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and the World Trade Organization, Enabling Clause, which allows nonreciprocal preferences in favour of developing countries. The European Union also proposes special incentive arrangements for the protection of labour rights, which may be granted to countries whose national legislation, incorporates the rules adopted in the ILO conventions. In order to understand the trade impact of labour standards, empirical analysis of trade manufacturers between developed countries and developing countries will be used. The developed countries in this analysis are Japan and U.S and Six developing countries from Asia. The methodology consists of main items of export and import of each of the countries concerned and classified as export-oriented, import-competing, food, beverage and tobacco, petroleum and related and others and comparative analysis of changes in employment and wages in different categories of industries. Japan and United States are the nations which mainly export skill intensive manufacturers to the developing nations and import labour intensive producers from those nations. Employment in import-competing industries reduces due to growth in trade with the developing countries whereas employment will increase in export orientated industries. As import competing industries are more labour intensive than export-orientated industries therefore the employment of skilled worker will rise and so there wages in developed nations and demand for unskilled labour will fall as a result. Therefore, the share of import competing industries will decline in Japan and U.S whereas the export-orientated industries will either incr ease or remain at stagnant level. Developing countries are expected to export labour intensive manufacturers to developed countries and import skill intensive manufacturers to them. Growth of trade with developed countries should increase the labour intensive industries in developing countries and decrease the skill intensive industries in total manufacturing sector (International Labour Review, Vol.139 (2000), No.3). Therefore, the demand for unskilled labour will increase and the demand for skilled labour will fall thus reducing the wage difference between the skilled and unskilled labour will fall {World Bank (1997)}. Growth of Trade affects employment in the import-competing developed countries and in contrast it stimulates employment in all sectors of manufacturing industries in developing countries. This is because the growth of trade will give foreign exchange to developing countries which obviously they need for their prosperity or economic growth and their income elasticity of demand for import competing is high in developing countries whereas it is low in case of developed countries (Chenery and Strout, 1966). It is presumed that rich and developed countries are more towards international labour standards than developing countries. The violation of core labour standards in developing countries will result in economic distortion and hence lower the national income of developing countries. These violations can be in respect of child labour, gender, racial or other discriminations which in turn risk physical integrity and health (Sandra Polanski, Trade and Labour Standards, A Strategy For Developing Countries (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2003), at ). If the developing countries want to invest in capital accumulation they need to raise their labour standards which in turn will eradicate child labour and other discriminations which can trigger growth of the economy (the pioneer work, Robert Lucas, On the mechanics of economic development, Journal of Monetary Economics 22 (1988), pp. 3-42). Many authors have argued that higher labour standards in developing countries will increas e the demand for unskilled labour as they are labour intensive and will increase the wages of formal employment, discourage foreign and domestic investment and it may become an obstacle for economic growth of a developing country (Singh. A and Zammit. A, The global labour standards controversy: Critical issues for developing countries) (Geneva: South Center, 2000). If the developing countries adopt higher labour standards for example, reduction of child labour then it might have a negative effect on the economy as some of developing countries people are living below the poverty line and if child labour is restricted then it might have a way to other social problems like starvation, prostitution, street labour etc. So, the developing countries must take great care while implementing policies as such sudden policies might have negative effect on the social life of people living in those countries so they must take into account the local or domestic condition into account. On the contr ary, the disappearance of child labour and compulsory education in developed countries like U.S and Britain have very significant effect on their economies as restriction on child labour would increase the employment opportunities for adults and with compulsory education they can specialize in some field or sector by which they can increase their income. So, labour standards can play an important role in promoting economic growth for example, with the improvement of labour standards in developing countries like Bangladeshi garments firms, Pakistani soccer ball manufacturing and West African cocoa production etc, all these industries are growing. In turn they are playing an important role in the growth of their economy respectively (Kimberly Elliott and Richard B. Freeman). Conclusion The absence of core labour standards in World Trade Organization official text other than Singapore Declaration has reinforced the ILO legitimacy. The ILO has given a new life to fundamental conventions which are now largely ratified by member states and became a law for the country who ratify them. It contributes to more efficient labour market and respect the comparative advantage of the developing countries. More cooperation between ILO and WTO is needed. Core labour standards are very helpful in increasing capital accumulation which in turn increase the economic growth of developing countries and decrease the distortions and make human capital accumulation easier. The developed countries should encourage developing countries in the form of incremental aid and other concessions in order to improve their labour standards and if fines or duties are imposed the money from fines and duties must be spent on the betterment of labour standards of a particular country. The developing countries are not in a position to benefit from globalization where trade is shifting from primary commodities to manufacturers. The population in developing countries is increasing at much higher rate than developed countries thus developing countries should give special attention towards restraining the inequality of growth between developed and developing countries and this can be achieved if they make their international policy towards the betterment of infrastructure development. The trade growth of manufacturers in developing countries has adverse effect on unskilled labour in developed countries. Skilled and unskilled labour in developing countries has increased their employment and wages due to growth of trade and in general growth of trade has positive and substantial effects. International labour Organization is playing an important part in strengthening labour standards in developing countries and argues that developed world which has high labour standards now had poor labour standards in the past and developing world can choose the same steps in making their standards high and ultimately boost up their economic growth .They should eradicate Child Labor, Forced labor, and all other discriminations. It might take some time as they have to act according to their domestic environment but slowly and surely they will reach at the point where they will have high labour standards thats why ILO proposed substantial relaxation labour standards for the developing world. References: * Clotilde GrangerJean-Marc Siroà «n.(2006), â€Å"Core Labor Standards in Trade Agreements: From Multilateralism to Bilateralism†.Journal of World Trade,40(5),813-836. Retrieved December 1, 2009 * GATT Article XX (e). * http://www.ilo.org/global * International Economics Policy Briefs PB-5 (Washington D. C.: Institute of International Economics, April 2001). * International Labour Review, Vol.139 (2000), No.3  · Joshua C. Hall Peter T. Leeson, â€Å" Good for the Goose, Bad for the Gander: International Labor Standards and Comparative Development† J Labor Res (2007) 28:658-676 * Peter Morici and Evan Shulz, â€Å"Labor Standards in the Global Trading System† (Washington, D. C.: Economic Strategy Institute, 2001) * Robert C. Shelburne, Wage Differentials, Monopsony Labor Markets, and the Trade-Labor Debate, 19 Journal of Economic Integration 1 {March 2004), pp. 131-161. * Sandra Polanski, â€Å"Trade and Labor Standards, A Strategy for Developing Countries† (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2003), at www.ceip.org/pubs * Singh. A and Zammit. A, â€Å"The global labor standards controversy: Critical issues for developing countries† (Geneva: South Center, 2000) * The final report: A fair globalization Creating opportunities for all, (Geneva: ILO, February 2004).

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Molding of Society in Saramagos Blindness Essay -- Jose Saramago

To an extent, fear can be used as a way to mold society. The fear of terrorism set out by the event of 9/11 made it a more fear-driven world with growing minds of over analytical, blind, ignorant and assumable citizens, finger-pointing at others. But Jose Saramago's Blindness shows the possibility of fear molding our society. An epidemic of a bright, white blindness affecting all people, such brightness that no one would see anything but the white brightness itself, the novel uses this metaphorically as that we choose to ignore so much of the misery that goes on around us, the awful things that are happening in front of us, the despicable aspects of life. Instead, we chose to see what we want to see.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  "Look here, blind man, let me tell you something, either the two of you get back to where you came from, or you'll be shot, Let's go, said the wife, there's nothing to be done, they're not to blame, they're terrified and are only obeying orders..." (Saramago 63) This scene involves the blind in the institution, specifically the doctor and his wife that came to ask a guard for any antibiotics for a wounded man. This and other scenes throughout the novel shows the panic and fear from society and the government of this epidemic of blindness rapidly spreading with no reason. And particularly found in this quote is the power and the ability to implant such threat and fear in the blind internees, who are not only afraid of their own life that's hanging by a string because of th... Molding of Society in Saramago's Blindness Essay -- Jose Saramago To an extent, fear can be used as a way to mold society. The fear of terrorism set out by the event of 9/11 made it a more fear-driven world with growing minds of over analytical, blind, ignorant and assumable citizens, finger-pointing at others. But Jose Saramago's Blindness shows the possibility of fear molding our society. An epidemic of a bright, white blindness affecting all people, such brightness that no one would see anything but the white brightness itself, the novel uses this metaphorically as that we choose to ignore so much of the misery that goes on around us, the awful things that are happening in front of us, the despicable aspects of life. Instead, we chose to see what we want to see.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  "Look here, blind man, let me tell you something, either the two of you get back to where you came from, or you'll be shot, Let's go, said the wife, there's nothing to be done, they're not to blame, they're terrified and are only obeying orders..." (Saramago 63) This scene involves the blind in the institution, specifically the doctor and his wife that came to ask a guard for any antibiotics for a wounded man. This and other scenes throughout the novel shows the panic and fear from society and the government of this epidemic of blindness rapidly spreading with no reason. And particularly found in this quote is the power and the ability to implant such threat and fear in the blind internees, who are not only afraid of their own life that's hanging by a string because of th...

Monday, November 11, 2019

The Uncommon Soldier

U. S. Women’s History 10/19/12 An Uncommon Soldier: Fighting for the â€Å"Home† Front Throughout the passage of time, in order to make sense of the world and justify established ideologies, man has put forth disproportionate effort into defining what is deemed by the masses as acceptable and appropriate. With the formation of these social life requirements, it goes without saying there will be outliers who do not fit this man-created construct, either by innate or self-realized characteristics. This social restraint is undoubtedly the source of much emotional turmoil and unrest.Here is where Sarah Rosetta Wakeman’s story begins. As a white, American woman born in the 1800’s, Wakeman’s scope of â€Å"acceptable† life directions was very limited, and much can be said about how she dealt with the obstacles created by the aforementioned social constraints. Wakeman’s decision to leave home, and assume the characteristics of a man, was more out of a sense of familial duty than an outward expression of suppressed sexual identity. In order to better understand Sarah’s motivation one must first analyze her childhood and the environmental factors which molded her.Born on January 16, 1843, in what would become Afton, New York, to Harvey and Emily Wakeman, Sarah Rosetta Wakeman was the eldest of 9 children, seven of whom were female. To Harvey and Emily’s dismay, Sarah and her two siblings that followed were all female, which was less than to be desired during the era. Sarah was nearly nine years old before Emily was able to give Harvey a son (Burgess, 101). At that time, children were expected to begin helping the parents by contributing as soon as there was work compatible and â€Å"appropriate† for their age and gender.This is how Sarah’s transformation was necessitated. To understand these driving forces in more depth, one must take a look at the role Sarah played in her home life. Sarah†™s dad, Harvey, found the easiest way to support his family, as many did during this time, was through agriculture. The amount of work required to be successful in that endeavor during that time period, far exceeded the capabilities of one man. Since they were in the north, the possibility of slave labor was nonexistent, so as was customary of most family farms from the period, Harvey attempted to create an army of his own metaphorical laves, his children. With her innate familial duty and lack of male siblings, Sarah had no choice but to step up. While the letters do not technically say that she played a large role in what would have been considered male gendered labor, Burgess as well as other historians, are left to speculate based upon her communications with her father, â€Å"†¦ Rosetta’s high level of interest in her father’s farming, her knowledge of the details of the family farm, and her desire to own her own farm after the war are evidence that she se rved as her father’s farmhand,† (Burgess, 9).This knowledge and desire were attributes associated with being male and not seen as traits a woman could or should possess. Working the farm alongside her father had more life-altering implications than can be determined without further dissection. While most professions today are not gendered, farm work is still connotated to be in the male domain, as the work is strenuous and more physically demanding than most. If 150 years later, even after the advent of modern technology, it is still considered to be a gendered role, one can only imagine the psychological toll this upbringing played on her identity (Chambers, 10/19/12).After years of transitioning between her societal gender role and the gender role made necessary by her family, the delineation became less distinct. The manual labor sculpted Sarah, instilling in her a â€Å"man’s† work ethic, as well as diminishing the strength of her more feminine qualiti es, while amplifying those characteristics associated with the male gender (Chambers, 10/19/12). Her transformation into a man was a process that began there as a child, doing what was necessary to help her family. This established precedent of doing what is necessary sets the stage for her future endeavors.One major benefit of having a female child, during this period, was that once the girl was of age and could be married off, usually around their early teens, they were no longer the financial burden of the family. â€Å"At 19 years of age, Rosetta appeared to have no prospects for marriage, which would have relieved the family of her care,† (Burgess, 9). As the eldest child, with the most responsibility, she understood better than her siblings how her not getting married off was detrimental to the advancement of her family.By the time she had reached this point in her life, her brother Robert was old enough to start working the land alongside Harvey, filling the void Sarah had been filling her entire life. Around the same time that Sarah began to lose her utility at home, Harvey brought the family into some financial turmoil with a hefty debt. After having filled the role as a major contributor and gaining the sense of fatherly duty in caring for the family, Sarah arrived at an impasse.In her mind, the family was still financially dependent upon her, yet â€Å"†¦ her farm work would have been of limited value in paying her father’s debt, and her work as a domestic could not have paid enough to substantially assist her family,† (Burgess, 9). The ways in which she had previously been aiding her family were no longer sufficient. It was at this point in Sarah’s life that she made the conscious decision to go against the confines of society, which would ultimately lead to both her demise as well as her post-mortem fame.Her decision to assume the gender role of a man was a thoroughly calculated one, â€Å"Rosetta realized that on e of the only ways open to finding an honorable position that paid enough for her to assist her indebted family was by dressing and acting the part of a man,† (Burgess, 9). This transition was not the leap it would have been for most women put into her situation, as she had been unknowingly preparing for this her entire life. With her newly realized gender, she would be able to remove her burden from the family, and further benefit them by providing a means to alleviate her father’s debt.Sarah took on a male role with the purpose of finding a job that paid a man’s salary, for it was only as a man that she would be able to make a significant difference. When she first left home in August of 1862, she began working at a coal barge doing manual labor. Similarly to the work she did with Harvey, the job was very physically taxing and further strengthened her work ethic. If Sarah had set out to become a man with any intention other than to support her family then she w ould have most likely stayed there where she was earning enough to be self-sufficient.However her goal was not to become a man, but to do her part for her family. As a result of that, when she was given the opportunity to make a significant difference, at sever personal risk, for her family, she took it. This opportunity presented itself when soldiers from the 153rd Regiment recruited her. â€Å"The $152. 00 bounty offered to enlistees in the 153rd was over a year’s wages to even the ‘male’ Rosetta,† (Burgess, 10). Had Sarah not decided to go out and find work as a man, there would have been no chance of her earning that kind of money, especially not all at once.In addition to the initial lump sum, as a soldier she could guarantee a steady flow of money to her family. In fact she even said, â€Å"I am getting 13 dollars per month, I will send part of it home to you,† which shows that she is doing all possible to keep money going to her family. Witho ut the motivation to earn for her family, there would have been no benefits to her enlisting. More proof that Sarah took on the male role to provide for her family appear in her letters.Many of the letter she sent to her family contained money intended for the family, â€Å"When I send you money I want you to lay it out for the family,† (6/5/1863, Burgess, 31). This clearly shows the money she sent back was for the purpose of supporting the family. It also indicates that she was not sending them money for any reason but benefitting the family. She strongly expresses that point by specifically allocating the funds in several of her letters. In modern times, most people who trade gender roles do it for reasons of sexual expression, whereas Sarah was not sexually confused.This is evidenced most strongly by her relationship with Alfonzo Stewart. Alfonzo Stewart was a ranch hand that worked with Harvey on the farm. Their relationship, if one did truly exist, would have been kept s ecret as he was 25 years older (Chambers, 10/19/12). This is another contrast, between 19th century and 21st century America, because of the fact that a 25 year age difference today is not unheard of, whereas Sarah and Alfonzo’s relationship would have been prohibited. More evidence suggesting Sarah’s heterosexual nature is presented in her letter home on the 19th of June, 1863.While this is not the first letter bringing up Alfonzo, it is the first one that emphasizes her emotional investment in him. It is in this letter than she refers to him by a nickname. She writes,â€Å" †¦ let me know all about farming and how long do you intend to keep Fony, (June 19, 1863, Burgess, 32). While this does not directly prove that there was a sexual relationship taking place, it does suggest that there was, at very least, a strong enough closeness to have special names for each other. The pet name is not the extent of the evidence supporting this claim.In a previous letter, Sa rah mentions Alfonzo in a flirting manner stating, â€Å"Tell me all about Alfonzo. Tell him that I can make the best soldier than he would,† (June 5, 1863, Burgess, 32). This is a prime example of primitive flirting as Sarah’s intent was to tease Alfonzo, and ensure that she was still in his thoughts. Sarah Rosetta Wakeman is the truest definition of a hero. She did whatever it took, and sacrificed everything to take care of her family. Having no brothers old enough to work the field, Sarah began playing the part of a man by working alongside her father on their farm.From that time on, her characteristics only developed more to fit the male role. When she turned 19 she was forced to make the biggest decision, her own identity. She chose to leave home, as a man, to find work to support her family. Contrary to the ideologies behind gender-crossing today, Sarah Rosetta Wakeman’s transformation was not to express suppressed sexual identity, but rather to ensure she would be able to provide for her family and continue her role as a parental figure.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Statistical Applications

The pie chart shows percentage among adults with diagnosed diabetes receiving treatment of insulin or oral medication. It is normally used to present the data. I believe that this was a proper graph used to present the data. The information is clear. The data was presented in a good visual that I could recognize the patterns and trends. The colors used to differentiate type of treatment are helpful. Was this the best way to display the data? What other types of graphs could have been used? This is the most appropriate chart for this type of data presentation. The Pie chart was the best way to present and display the data. Another type of graph or chart that could have been used is the bar graph. Both are graphs showing proportion. They produce the same information just in different forms Is the scope and scale of the graph appropriate? Why or why not? The scale of the chart was appropriate for the article and how it was presented. This article was part of a journal article and the chart had to be inserted into the article so the scale was appropriate. Does the chart or graph support the findings in the article? Why or why not? The pie chart was described clearly in the article with percentage and the type of treatment. The article also unclouded the source of data, it has the credential to the reader.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Defence Mechanism and Soldiers Essay

Defence Mechanism and Soldiers Essay Defence Mechanism and Soldiers Essay Alexis Roberson Ms. Dye AP Literature 3rd Block Coping Mechanisms in The Things They Carried The Things They Carried withstands one of the central themes of soldiers in the war carrying physical and unwanted emotional baggage. Consequently, it is questionable how the soldiers cope with the horrors of war. Throughout the novel it is shown that the soldiers use many mechanisms to manage this emotional baggage. This includes, but is not limited to, storytelling, humor and denial. Majority of the novel is a recollection of stories from the war. O’Brien states at the end of the novel that the stories are â€Å"Tim trying to save Tim’s life with a story.† (O’Brien 233). Yet, not all of the stories are entirely factual. The storyteller tends to exaggerate or obliterate parts of the stories. This is so that the soldiers can forget things that they do not want to remember, keep in mind things they do want to remember and focus on more positive aspects of the war. In doing so, this helps the soldiers cope with t he horrors of war by neglecting negative aspects. For example, in â€Å"The Man I Killed†, O’Brien goes into detail on the man’s physical characteristics and possible life story, and neglects his presence in the actual situation. By doing so, he isn’t focusing on the fact that he feels guilty for killing the man or the fact that he killed the man in general. Also, in â€Å"Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong†, it is unknown whether that story is true or not but it isn’t a horror war story or death war story. It is a story that took focus off the negative things in war, and put focus on a lighter subject. Another coping mechanism that is seen in The Things They Carried is humor. Whenever a tragic incident occurs, jokes are always made in order to make light of the circumstances. For example, when the soldiers go looking for Kiowa’s body, Azar makes jokes of the irony within the situation. He says â€Å"Man, talk about irony. I bet if Kio wa was here, I bet he’d just laugh. Eating shit- it’s your classic irony.† (158). Azar is focusing more on the irony of the situation rather than the fact that he lost yet another friend. If they didn’t find a way to cope with these frequent horrors they would go mad and most likely become suicidal. The soldiers have to make light of situations in order to prevent themselves from going insane. Humor essentially functions as the means of their emotional stability during their time in Vietnam. Instead of the soldiers grieving on the deaths of their fellow men, they find the humor in the situation and laugh it off so they can continue on their journey. Denial is another big coping mechanism when it comes to the horrors of war. Throughout the soldier’s journey in Vietnam all the coping mechanisms they use cause them to be in denial of reality. Using humor to cover up horrors, and

Monday, November 4, 2019

ZZZZ Best company Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ZZZZ Best company - Assignment Example ZZZZ Best company The industry attracts various kinds of people. They can be young old, poor or rich. The entry requirements such as the license are easily attained. Some of the challenges that most of the players face in this industry include client’s complaints, payment of vendors and delay of payment. In his tender years around age 12, he was introduced into the industry of carpet cleaning, by his mother. After working for sometime, he formed his company the ZZZZ Best and began operations, at the age of 16 years. He used his entrepreneurial skills and smart minds to expand the company’s capital base. Minkow had an outstanding personality, which he later applies in creating a series of network, which helps his business to thrive into a fictitious multimillionaire empire within a short period. Mr. Minkow operated his company with a lot of caution in his bid to hide the fictitious business. For instance, he hires an accountant for a year in order to subdue an audit trail. This incident is seen when Mr. Greenspan, is resigned from his work, without proper procedures. The young entrepreneur Mr. Barry Minkow as the chief executive officer formed this company in 1982. It operated privately until 1986, when it went public. The company carried out operations in carpet cleaning until such time when Mr. Minkow realized difficulties in raising capital for the business. Minkow used the Company to get loans from financial institutions, which believed the financial values presented to them.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Intro to Macroeconomics Assignment(7 Questions) Assignment

Intro to Macroeconomics (7 Questions) - Assignment Example In comparison, the investment curve determines how much money a consumer will invest at available interest charges. This is determined by the expected net profits from the available investments. One main determinant of this is the non-changing non-interest rate determinants, which are the same as the determinants of the consumption schedule. The investment schedule is considered less stable than the consumption schedule since it is determined by the interest rates as compared to the income of the individual. Built in stabilizers refer to government policies that cause budget deficits to grow during economic downtimes, or cause surpluses to increase due to increased economic recession. Two examples of built-in stabilizers are tax structures and government spending. In the computation of the Gross Domestic Product of a country, the gros private investment (Ig) is an important factor. This is because the gross private investment provides a measure of the future financial state of the country. The gross private investment is calculated as the sum of the replacement purchases of the population and the investments done to gain inventory. The net private investment is calculated as the above figure less depreciation experienced in the country. An increase in the gross private investment serves to increase net GDP since the factors of the sum are also included in the factors of the GDP. The bearing of the marginal propensity to consume and the marginal propensity to save (MPC and MPS), both have bearings on the spending multiplier since they are both factors of the formula for the multiplier. When the MPS is given, the multiplier is calculated as the reciprocal of the MPS. When the MPS is 0.6, the multiplier is 1.667, when the MPS is 0.75, the multiplier is 1.333, and when the MPS is 0.8, the multiplier is 1.25. The open economy multiplier is given by the equation, 1/(1-MPC + MPM), while the closed economy multiplier is given by 1/(1-MPC). Built in