Marxism theory of the State Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marxism theory of the State - Essay Example For instance, Marxism has different impacts compared to pluralism and elitism. However, Marxism is still the preferred theory for governance in countries like Russia and China. Supporters of Marxism in Russia argue that it creates balance in the society compared to pluralism and elitism1. Marxists advocate for the institution of political and legal structures that create a classless society. Karl Marx and Engels devised the theory after conducting several studies on the dynamics that shape the society. The two philosophers formulated the theory at a time when governments were struggling with political, social and economic structures in the society. The theory was an alternative to leadership that was failing in the society. Marx recommended the theory because it provided solutions to challenges that faced pluralism, elitism and feudalism. Based on initial literature review processes, it appears that Marxism is the most convincing theory for governance. Marxism political system Marxis m is a theory that puts the society into classes based on their economic capabilities. According to the theory, everyone in the society has a fundamental role to play in enhancing stability of the state2. The theory is opposed to totalitarian rule when the state has autonomy in controlling the social political and economic aspects of peoples’ life. Marx argues that discomfort of the masses has the possibility of destabilizing the society. Therefore, Marx suggests that measures should be enacted to enhance understanding amid different classes of the society. In Marxism, the classes are based on the individual’s access to the means of production. People who have the capacity to manipulate the factors of production are at the top of the class. The second group is the middle class identified as those who control the factors of production, but lack sufficient control as the upper class. The last group is the lower classes who partake in the production but they receive fewer benefits from the process. Authority serves at the behest of the class that owns wealth in a classified society. According to the theory, instability in the society results from class struggle. This means that there can never be peace as long as a particular group of people is dissatisfied with the administration. A need arises for people in authority to formulate measures for creating a balance in society to prevent conflicts from arising3. According to Marx, a shift in power is likely to happen whenever a particular class feels that the authorities do not represent their interests. Marxist approach allows individuals to take control of the factors of production in the society4. The theory enhances stability in the society because it encourages individuals to produce wealth that can be used by the community. According to Marx and Engels, the theory makes it easy for the ruling class to maintain stability in the society by quelling any form of discomfort among the classes in the so ciety. According to theory, a State is the authority that takes control over the other classes. The State is responsible for controlling the factors of production. Politics play a significant role in influencing economic activities of the classes. Interestingly, the ruling class constitutes the minority in the populace in several instances. However, the ruling class is influential based on their economic capability. The ruling class thrives at the ignorance of the middle class who comprise the bulk of the population yet they lack the capacity to control the State. Given their numerical strength, they can overthrow the government at will but they are unsuccessful because

Chapter 5 Reaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Chapter 5 Reaction - Essay Example I am now more aware that precautions should be observed when communicating with others, especially those people from diverse cultural orientations or those who do not belong to the same generation to prevent misunderstanding. The authors’ style of using diverse real life scenarios to explain points of contention provided clear illustration and support to the arguments. Examples in the form of stories, incidents, and funny communication scenarios reinforce meanings to the lessons that the author aimed to impart. The value of the information in the chapter is measured in terms of its applicability to one’s personal life. As I live in a Western culture where people are more open, frank, and honest in terms of verbal communication, I have accepted and adapted the practice of being direct but likewise vigilant in using frames and idioms depending on the situation and the person I am talking to. Likewise, not because I live in the United States, does it necessarily mean that I have to impose the American culture and way of live to other people from diverse racial and cultural background. The article assisted in guiding me towards using proper decorum and to be more vigilant in exerting appropriate efforts in learning and being aware of critical acceptable and unacceptable behavior in terms of communication patterns and expressions.

Management Situation In A Police Organisation Management Essay

Management Situation In A Police Organisation Management Essay This essay will analyse a change management situation in a Police organisation, comparing approaches to leadership, analysing the efficiency of interpersonal skills for a Leader and analysing the role of a Leader within the Police environment, taking cognisance of the principles, theories and approaches to Leadership. Leadership is a function of knowing yourself, having a vision that is well communicated, building trust among colleagues, and taking effective action to realise your own leadership potential. The Police service in Scotland has under gone many Change Management Situations over the years. In 1975 the Local Government reorganisation brought about the amalgamation of the Burgh and City police forces into the eight territorial forces that we recognise today. At the present Strathclyde Police are undergoing a significant change management situation, the result of which is the implementation of Variable Shift Agreement (VSA) across the force at operational level. EVALUATE APPROACHES TO LEADERSHIP The introduction of the VSA saw the force revise its traditional four group system for core uniform coverage into a five group system. The demands of the new arrangement meant that the leader (Chief Constable) was tasked with altering the resource management for each of Strathclydes territorial divisions considering factors such as: Length of Service and age Specialities i.e. Public Order , Firearms Gender These factors were all considered to provide an equal share of skills and experience across a Division as possible. This could prove the cause of friction between the management and subordinates, as well formed; productive shifts could be fragmented and divided up across a division. Kotter (1990, cited in Leadership 2009) observed that managers and leaders have three main tasks that they accomplish in different ways: Deciding what needs to be done Shift pattern must change to give better work life balance, better service to the public and more efficient use of resources. Creating networks of people and relationships that can accomplish the agenda Setting up of a review and implementation team, looking at best use of resources. Trying to ensure that people actually do the job monitoring the results of the newly formed shifts through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as cases submitted, stop searches undertaken and absence management. In the implementation of the VSA shift pattern the leader involved, more or less followed the three tasks as observed by Kotter, however depending on the leaders rank within the hierarchy, their approach to the same task will differ. Remembering that there is a difference between leaders and managers Kotters approach allows Leaders to concentrate on the creation of strategies and visions for the future, communicating and committing to achievement of these visions and motivating others despite obstacles to change. During this change management situation the Leader was more concerned with focusing on the implementation of the VSA rather than focusing on the needs of the employees. Lewin et al (1939, cited in Leadership 2009) identified a leadership approach, sometimes referred to as the behavioural approach: Autocratic (or authoritarian) style where the leader concentrates on getting the job done; the leader takes responsibility for everything that is done e.g. making decisions , allocating work, setting targets and ensures , through the use of rewards and punishments that team members obey. Democratic (or participation) style where the leader concentrates on the needs of the group or team; leadership is shared with team members who have a greater say in the decision making; how tasks are allocated and so on. Laissez Faire (or delegative) style as its name suggests this is where the leader deliberately allows the team to decide what has to be done and how to do it; the leader is available for help and advice if needed but does not interfere. According to Lewin et al the leader utilised an autocratic style of leadership when implementing the VSA, controlling decision making and task setting. Shown with the formation of the VSA implementation team. They had the set task of rolling out the shift plan to each division in turn, with target dates set for this roll out. Furthermore, the Chief Constable regularly chaired a strategic tasking and co-ordinating group, receiving feedback from the implementation team and Divisional Commanders, whilst making all the decisions regarding the implementation, without handing any of these decisions down to subordinates to undertake, showing that in this case he was taking responsibility for everything that was done. A different approach to leadership is that of Hersey and Blanchard (1988, cited in Leadership 2009) theory known as situational leadership, they make use of observing members willingness to perform a task and from this select a suitable leadership style. The four stages of readiness are described as: R1 unable and unwilling R2 unable and willing R3 able but unwilling R4 able and willing Most personnel which would be affected fell into: R2 New Probationers who do not yet have the necessary skills and had not experience any other shift pattern. And R3 More experienced officers who could foresee that the shift pattern was not as favourable as the current one, some possibly resistant to change. But others able to argue that there would be problems with child care, longer working days and frequent cancellation of rest days with the VSA. The leadership styles suggested are: S1 telling or directing requires state of readiness R1 S2 selling or coaching requires state of readiness R2 S3 participating or supporting requires state of readiness R3 S4 delegating requires state of readiness R4 From this theory the leader should have adopted a combination of S2 and S3 styles to communicate and sell the VSA and support those who require it. However in choosing to implement S1 (similar to the autocratic approach) with telling and directing the VSA implementation, does not follow Hersey and Blanchards theory and could create more friction by choosing the wrong leadership style. This is shown in the table below. This table shows that different readiness levels require differing styles of leadership, leaders should consider their relations with others, and the structure of the task before determining what style of leadership to adopt, evolving their leadership style as readiness levels change, as with many things one size does not fit all. ANALYSE THE EFFECT OF INTERPERSONAL SKILLS ON LEADERSHIP When a leader decides upon a particular leadership approach to their given task, they must then interact with others and consider their own interpersonal skills. A successful and effective leader requires a range of interpersonal skills such as listening, asking questions, giving feedback, being assertive and so on. This section will analyse two particular aspects of interpersonal skills: Influencing trying to get someone to do, or to think, something that they might not otherwise have done. Managing Conflict coping with disagreements between people(in broad terms) Using interpersonal skills is not just a matter of knowing what they are, but about being aware when they are suitable and knowing how to use them effectively. According to French and Raven (1959, cited in Leadership 2009) power comes from five sources: Reward Power Coercive Power Referent Power Legitimate Power Expert power Power is an abstract concept and is difficult to define; basically A has the ability to make B behave in a certain way. The types of power demonstrated by the leader, throughout the organisational change was a mixture of coercive and legitimate power. The leader had the authority to influence behaviour through their rank within a disciplined hierarchal organisation, the force were presented with the VSA or an alternative of an even older shift pattern without consultation. Influencing Leaders are likely to adopt a particular style or approach when trying to influence someone, the balance of power between both parties will possibly determine the strategy, these may include: Reason using reason and logical argument. Assertion making a direct request with no argument to support the request. Exchange negotiating to arrive at a mutually acceptable outcome. Courting Favors friendship and positive behavior to encourage others to behave in the required manner. Coercion using or threatening to use some form of sanction. Partnership gathering support from both sides to build a coalition. And also the style used, Manning and Robertson (2004, cited in Leadership 2009) suggest six possible influencing styles: Strategist this is where the influencer is clear in what they what to achieve and has considered it before hand .A strategist style tends to favour reason, assertion and partnership styles of influence. Opportunist this style involves responding opportunistically to the situation facing the influencer. An opportunist style tends to use courting favour and exchange strategies. An opportunist is unlikely to prepare much beforehand but will attempt to grasp chances that come their way. Collaborator this style as its name suggests, involves collaboration with others for the overall good. A collaborator style concentrates on partnership, reason, exchange and courting favour strategies. Leaders who favour consensus are an example of collaborator style. Battler this is where the influencer concentrates on what they want and the sanction that they will use if they do not achieve this. A battler style tends to make use of coercion and assertion styles. A battler style is associated with people who want to get their own way and are reluctant to take no for an answer. Shotgun this strategy involves attempting to influence on a frequent basis and by use of a number of different strategies. Bystander those who adopt this style tend to engage in relatively few influencing attempts and make use of a restricted use of strategies. For the VSA to be implemented the leader combined their influencing strategy and style, using assertion and coercion. By making a direct request to Divisional Commanders to introduce the VSA to their respective divisions, through the VSA implementation teams, underpinning this with their legitimate power by virtue of their position within the force. The leader wanted to get their own way, however reluctant to take no for an answer from their Divisional Commanders. This resulted in conflict, which may have been avoided had the leader utilised a partnership or reason approach, justifying the reason behind their requests. Managing Conflict On some occasions leaders can use the previously discussed influencing strategies and power levels to assist them in managing conflict. Robbins (1996, cited in Leadership 2009) describes conflict as a process that begins when one party perceives that another has negatively effected, or is about to negatively effect, something that the first party cares about . Buchanan and Huczynski (2004) argue that conflict is a state of mind . Some will argue that conflict is a necessary part of organisational growth and development, where some will claim that an absence of conflict could be seen as an indication of complacency. However conflict has functional or potential benefits such as: Enabling opposing parties to gain a better understanding of each others views. An essential part of the process by which a team becomes effective. Leads alternative suggestions being made. Helps to implement a change successfully. Leads to an agreement that establishes a framework for future working. It is not always straight forward to manage conflict; some measures can be used to contribute to reducing the conflict at an organisational level reminding those involved of the rules and procedures, but also of remits, targets and goals of the organisation, however sometimes it is these that are the root causes of the conflict. Leaders will all handle conflict differently depending on the type of conflict faced; Thomas (1976, cited in Leadership 2009) suggests five styles for managing conflict: Avoiding this means doing nothing to tackle the conflict, this can be used when the issues are trivial and there is no chance of resolving the conflict. Accommodating this means accepting the existence of the conflict, this can be used to maintain harmony and allow people to learn from their mistakes. Compromising this involves some form of bargaining or negotiation; this can be used when getting a solution is important and both parties have equal power. Competing the opposite of accommodating and pursuing the interests of one party at the expense of the other, this can be used in an emergency and a quick solution is necessary. Collaborating working out a solution that is acceptable to both parties and meets all their concerns, used when it is important to gain long term commitment and issues are to important to compromise. Successful influencing and conflict management was certainly required with the initial introduction of the VSA. Firstly the leaders had to influence the core shifts and federation into accepting that it would provide a better quality of service and greater work life balance. The conflict arose through others unwilling to accept the terms of the VSA; however the leaders in managing this conflict firstly adopted an avoiding strategy during the initial pilot stage of the VSA. At the conclusion of the pilot and in preparation for roll out the leader, still facing resistance changed into competing. The leader believed the shift plan would work force wide and therefore would be implemented, with no consultation and no argument to justify the reasons for implementation. Either that or resort backwards to an older shift pattern. In implementing the VSA the Chief Constable has made effective use of their interpersonal skills, in their own distinct approach to this particular change management situation. However a more beneficial approach may have been a mix of accommodation, accepting that there were flaws in the VSA, and the existence of conflict with its implementation, collaborating with subordinates to work out a better solution for the long term strategy of the VSA. ANALYSE THE ROLE OF LEADERS IN ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE Organisational change is about closing the gap between where the organisation is at the moment and where it wants to be. It is the leaders role to close this gap. Senior (2002, cited in Leadership 2009) has identified four levels of change in which some, if not all would be involved in, Fine tuning Incremental adjustment Modular transformation Corporate transformation According to Senior the level of change that the VSA posed to the force was that of a modular transformation, as a significant number of the force, but not all, would be affected by its implementation. Kurt Lewin (cited in Leadership 2009) suggests that there are three main stages of change, unfreezing, change and refreezing. For the change to happen, the Leader firstly recognized the need for change, with a new shift pattern, following this with proprietary planning with the implementation team before the unfreezing stage. At this point resistance to the change should have been addressed, but the leader chose to avoid the conflict. The change period was overseen by the leader through chairing tasking meetings and monitoring its progress. During the refreezing period the VSA became an everyday part of life, the change was institutionalized, to give no chance of reverting back to previous shift patterns. Within these three stages people will play different roles in this organisational change; Kanter (1992, cited in Leadership 2009) distinguishes between three different types of people; Change strategists or initiators who initiate change and set the direction for it. Change implementers who co-ordinate and carry out the change. Change recipients who are effected by the change e.g. officers on the street. Change strategists are normally leaders the Chief Constable, change implementers are normally managers Divisional Commanders and the VSA implementation team, and subordinates are the recipients of change Officers on the core shifts. Force field analysis is a technique for analysing the internal and external drivers that can influence any organisational change; some of these driving factors for this organisational change can be identified as PESTEL factors, such as: Political MPs and councilors demanding more police presence on the streets. Economic overtime cost, reduced budget and the new Chief Constables promise to cut costs. Social-cultural alcohol induced anti social behavior. Nearly all forms of change will be met with some resistance, the VSA being no different. Strebel (1996, cited in Leadership 2009) argues that employees resist change because it disrupts the personal contract between employees and the organisation. Resisters to this organisational change can fall into different categories, Parochial self interest those employees resistant to change, they think that their position will be threatened and will make them worse off, the same employees that fall into Hersey and Blanchards R3 state of readiness. Misunderstanding and lack of trust employees misinterpreting the reasons behind the change, due to a lack of communication, viewing this change as just one of many For this organisational change to be successful the leader had to reduce resistors and increase drivers for change in an attempt to reach equilibrium. To do this they communicated the benefits of change, through more days off and a better work life balance; however there was an element of manipulation used to show employees that they would have more weekends off. Under the current shift pattern officers received one weekend off in every four, the VSA would allow two weekends off in every five. Look back at the current shift pattern over five weeks, officers were already receiving two weekends off in every five. The leader used this information selectively thus attempting to paint a rosy picture of the benefits of the VSA. A better way may have included an element of participation helping to build commitment to the change and negotiation, which could avoid some resistance from the employees affected by the change. CONCLUSION Drawing a conclusion for this essay, firstly considering the approach to leadership undertaken by the Chief Constable during this, change management situation. In their autocratic (or authoritarian) approach they concentrated in getting the job done and took responsibility for all the decisions made. Had the Chief Constable approached the organisational change according to Hersey and Blanchards situational leadership, identified their officers level of readiness and adopted the suggested leadership style, they may have been faced with less friction or resistance by the officers that would be affected by the VSA implementation. Secondly, in analysing the interpersonal skills and its effect on the organisational change, the Chief constable utilised their legitimate power to achieve the implementation, in adopting an assertion style of influencing with no argument to their request, coupling this with the conflict management style, by firstly avoiding and then competing. Had they followed an alternative style suggested by Thomas (1976) such as accommodating and accepting the existence of conflict or resistance to the VSA, they may have been able to negotiate better with the federation and the officers affected by the change to find out the root causes of conflict and address them at an early stage. Thirdly, considering the Chief Constables role within this organisational change was that of a change strategist, they initiated the VSA and set its direction, posing, as Senior (2002) identifies as a modular transformation to the force. With some officers resisting due to a parochial self interest, whilst others through misunderstanding and lack of trust in this change, the Chief Constable had to reset the balance by education and manipulation, driving his vision forward. One thing certain from this is the Chief Constable requires managers with the skill, knowledge and experience of organisational change, enabling them to have the ability to change and adapt their leadership style to suit each given change management situation. These managers may not be able to ease all of the resistance to change, but should be able to reduce it considerably to implement future changes that are required.

Schizophrenia and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde :: Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Schizophrenia and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde The name schizophrenia is derived from "schizo", which means splitting of the mind (Tsuang 11), and "phrenia" which is derived from the phrenic area which is just above the kidneys where the diaphragm is located. It is a structure innervated by the phrenic nerve. The Greeks and others assumed that the phrenic area was the seat of thought or at least feelings (Berle 12). Up to the 1600s, people with psychotic disorders were sent off in "ships of fools", locked in cages, "flogged into reason", or killed. The care for the insane at this time was the responsibility of nuns and monks (Noll, xviii). In the 1700s, "mad doctors" or doctors specializing in the mentally ill. "They began to devise their own unique classification system for mental disorders. Many cases of what we would now call schizophrenia were probably classified under one or more of these early attempts to devise a more scientific method of understanding mental illness"(Noll, xix). Doctors at this time described the symptoms of schizophrenia somewhat differently (Berle, 14). In 1809, the first clinical descriptions of schizophrenia were written by J. Haslam, however, later it was found that he described a disease called hebephrenia. Some symptoms he included were: loss of memory, more prevalent in females, sensibility blunted, onset at puberty, unconnected with heredity, cyclic, no affection towards parents, inactivity, apathetic, inattention to cleanliness, etc. (Berle 4,5). There is still no unanimously accepted definition of schizophrenia, and appreciable differences exist between the narrowest and widest definition (Tsuang 13). It is a disease that includes a disturbance in cognition that renders the individual "out of touch with reality". Emotions are distorted in schizophrenia and they are typified by being socially withdrawn (Lahey 555). The characteristic symptoms start between the age of 18 and 30. Symptoms include hallucinations and/or delusions. Hallucinations can have various modes. Auditory hallucinations are the most common. These may involve hearing a voice or voices talking to each other and/or to the patient. Visual hallucinations are less common and involve the patient believing they see an object that is not present. Tactile hallucinations are the least common and involve the patient thinking that someone or something is touching them (Nienhuis). Delusions are false or irrational beliefs that are firmly held despite obvious evidence to the contrary. Most common are persecutory, grandiose, and religious delusions.

National Parks

Within National Parks the beauty of the landscape is preserved, the public is given access to much of the countryside; wildlife and important buildings are protected and traditional farming methods encouraged. A national parks authority (NPA) administers each National Park. National Parks contain beautiful upland scenery with hills, moors, lakes and forest, and in some, spectacular coasts. The growth of the leisure industry together with mass car ownership means that more people are visiting National Parks. These changes have brought both opportunities and problems for these areas. They are two named examples of such similarity with this, and those are Stickle Ghyll and Tarn Hows which are two areas based in the Lake District National Park. The Lake District is situated North West of England on the coast, it is East from the Isle of Man and Ireland and it is one of the most popular national parks visited by tourists every year. It has also experienced advantages but also disadvantages and that makes it a good example to use. Rural tourism, in National Parks, like the Lake District brings many opportunities such as money into the area from the growing number of visitors. The money is put forward to build more services to provide for the visitors needs and to get resources to handle the growing number of tourists. Also more visitors that come provide more jobs, which tend to be seasonal but popular. Roads and railways are well maintained within the Lake District and also access is made easier, which does increase the number of visitors. The National Park is located in an area where you can access it by motorway and it's within a good amount of travel time for everyone in the country. Communities remain alive as people stay to work locally in the area. And a rich cultural life survives as audiences are supplemented by visitors on holiday. There is a huge importance of tourism in the Lake District, as most jobs are linked with tourism. This includes retailing, catering, transport etc. Although they are many opportunities that rural tourism brings, there are also impacts brought to the area by this development. Being in a National Park, poor local roads get crowded at peak times causing traffic congestion. 90% of the 10 million visitors come by car. Car parks fill up and grass verges are damaged by illegal parking- parking demand exceeds supply. Footpaths are eroded by the large numbers of walkers- erosion on footpaths is a continuing problem. When they are too many visitors, weekend holiday traffic prevents some local activities to take place. Bridleways become muddy with the increased number of mountain bikers and horse riders. Some settlement and sites become over crowded to the point where their attractiveness is threatened- honeypot sites. House prices rise out of the reach of local young people as second home buyers move in from the large urban areas. Local people convert houses into holiday cottages and reduce the number available to local people. Farmers have their working land invaded by visitors causing damage to fences, crops and animals. There is a loss of privacy and considerable extra noise in the area and constant questions from fieldwork groups causing restlessness for residents. Litter dropped by the high number of tourists, can choke animals, walls are damaged and people park across field gates. Limestone pavements are worn down, animal and plant diversity suffers. Some efforts have been made to manage these challenges. The National Park Visitor Centre and Education Service try to educate people about conservation. Litter bins have been removed and visitors seem to be learning to take their litter home. Footpaths have been reinforced and it provides alternative routes. This is a similar situation at Stickle Ghyll, were specific paths, gravel and rock boulders have been the solution to avoid erosion. In this area, they have been many causes of erosion, like the rivers, the animals. Fencing has been put up to stop animals like sheep going into vegetation areas. In this area in England, a lot of rain falls causing major erosion in some areas, with around 2000 mm a year. Visitor pressure has been another cause of erosion. A rerouting bridge has been discovered, hard wearing boulders have been inserted and sign posting and information have been provided. An open access agreement was made by local farmers in the countryside stewardship scheme. Landowners have entered into wall maintenance agreements with English nature. Other solutions have been providing park and ride schemes on the edges of the sensitive areas. For example, the car parks at Tarn Hows are located outside the preserved area near the minor roads or nearby footpaths for easier disabling access. Ensuring that affordable new housing is built for local people, and not for them to feel abandoned from the high impact of tourism. Focusing demand on honeypot sites and accepting they will be sacrificed for the sake of other areas. Like Tarn Hows, in seasonal months a large number of people tend to come here by the lake for recreation and during good weather it's always tense (honeypot site). Another final solution is demanding that quarrying is landscaped during and after use.

Stillborn Babies

Still Born Babies What is stillbirth? The medical definition of a still birth is when a baby is born without any signs of life at or after 20 weeks or weighing more than 500g before labour. Death in the fetus may have occurred during pregnancy, which is intrauterine death, labour, or birth. Most still births are intrauterine. As rare as stillbirth is, it occurs once in every 160 pregnancies. What causes a stillbirth? There are a number of known causes of stillbirth. Sometimes more than one of these causes may contribute to the baby’s death essay writer reviews.Common causes include: * Birth defects: Such as Down syndrome. Others have other birth defects resulting from genetic, environmental or unknown causes. * Placental problems: Placental abruption. In this condition, the placenta peels away, partly to almost completely, from the uterine wall before delivery. It results in heavy bleeding that can threaten the life of mother and baby. Sometimes it can cause the fetus to die f rom lack of oxygen. * Poor fetal growth: Fetuses who are growing too slowly are at increased risk of stillbirth.About 40 percent of stillborn babies have poor growth. Increased risk by smoking or high blood pressure. * Infections: Infections involving the mother, fetus or placenta appear to cause about 10 to 25 percent of stillbirths. These include genital and urinary tract infections that may go undiagnosed until they cause serious complications * Chronic health conditions in the pregnant woman: About 10 percent of stillbirths are related to chronic health conditions in the mother, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney diseases, and blood clotting disorders. Umbilical cord accidents: These include a knot in the cord or abnormal placement of the cord into the placenta, causing there to be a shortage of oxygen to the fetus. Other causes of stillbirth include trauma (such as car accidents), postdate pregnancy (a pregnancy that lasts longer than 42 weeks), Rh disease (an incomp atibility between the blood of mother and baby), and lack of oxygen (asphyxia) during a difficult delivery. These causes are uncommon. What are some factors that increase a mother’s chance of a stillbirth? Women 35 years old or older: As age increases, there are more risks to pregnancy and all around health. * Malnutrition: Just like us, the fetus will only survive for so long with little to no nutrition. * Inadequate prenatal care: Women who are a high risk pregnancy have to be more careful with their daily activities. Even a regular pregnancy requires rest, low stress and being aware of your surroundings. * Smoking: Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including things like cyanide, lead, and at least 60 cancer-causing compounds.When you smoke during pregnancy, that toxic brew gets into your bloodstream, the fetus’ only source of oxygen and nutrients. * Alcohol and drug abuse: Alcohol and drugs, poison the bloodstream to the fetus, it’s only sou rce of oxygen and nutrients. * African-American ethnicity: It is not known why African American women are about twice as likely as other American women to have a stillborn baby. How is fetal death diagnosed? An ultrasound can tell if the fetus has died by showing the fetus’ heartbeat. It sometimes can help explain why the fetus died.The doctor also can do some blood tests on the woman to help confirm why the fetus died. What happens after the diagnosis? After finding out that the fetus has died in the womb, the mother must go through with the birth of her stillborn. Whether the parents want to wait until labour comes naturally or if they’d like labour to be induced is their choice. Testing for the cause of the stillbirth requires permission from both parents. A specialized doctor will perform an autopsy on the baby to reveal the cause.This is mostly done to prevent a repeated stillbirth. What are the chances of a repeat stillborn? The likelihood of a recurrent stillbir th depends upon the cause of your initial stillbirth. While repeated stillbirths do happen, they are very uncommon. Even in the case of genetic defects, recurrent stillbirths are very unlikely. Bibliography 1. Babycenter. â€Å"When a baby is stillborn – BabyCenter Canada. † Pregnancy, baby and toddler health information at BabyCenter Canada – BabyCenter Canada. Babycenter, n. d. Web. . 2. March of Dimes. â€Å"Stillbirth  |  Baby  |  Loss and grief  |  March of Dimes. † Pregnancy, Baby, Prematurity, Birth Defects  |  March of Dimes. http://www. marchofdimes. com/baby/loss_stillbirth 3. â€Å"Stillbirth: Trying to Understand – American Pregnancy Association. † American Pregnancy Association – Promoting Pregnancy Wellness. National Stillbirth society, n. d. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. . 4. March of Dimes. â€Å"StillbirthA  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Loss and grief. Pregnancy, Baby, Prematurity, Birth DefectsA  |A  March of Dimes. March Of Dimes, n. d. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. . 1. â€Å"Understanding stillbirth — diagnosis and treatment. † WebMD – Better information. Better health.. WebMD, 23 Apr. 2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2013. . 2. Epigee. org. â€Å"Pregnancy Help and Information: Stillbirth. † Epigee Pregnancy Resource. http://www. epigee. org/pregnancy/stillbirth. html (accessed April 11, 2013).

Free Essays on Drug Punishment

For years the U.S. drug policy has taken the approach of imprisoning anyone connected with illegal drugs. During these years the drug use has increased, and the majority of drug offenders released from jail return. Also because of mandatory jail time for drug offenders the nation’s jails are extremely overcrowded. The U.S. is now the operator of the worlds largest prison system, and spends nearly $9 billion dollars a year to keep drug offenders in jail (55% of which are classified as low level offenders, or not dangerous.) It is time to re-evaluate our nations drug policy, and try a new drug prevention program. The 8th amendment states that punishment should be fair according to the crime committed. In Washington, a 68 year old man was imprisoned and lost his 3 bedroom house and the land it was on after he was found growing a couple marijuana plants to help ease his cluster headaches. In Utah, a 80 year old man lost his 160 acre ranch after someone found a handful of marijuana plants growing on a remote corner of his land, which he did not even know about. Billy Munnerlyn lost his privately owned air charter business, after he transported a man carrying illegal drugs. Munnerlyn had no connection or knowledge of the drugs. Now ask yourself, Does this seem fair? What I’m proposing is a program that focuses on rehabilitation rather than punishment. We need to get rid of mandated prison sentences for minor drug offenders. The best alternative to this solution is an intensive , supervised, rehabilitation system. This program should include community service, job training, and mandatory participation in proven drug treatment programs. As stated in the preamble of the constitution, our government strives towards the general welfare of our society. This program will give drug offenders a chance to turn their lives around and become productive, tax paying, law abiding citizens. Studies have shown that forcing drug users in... Free Essays on Drug Punishment Free Essays on Drug Punishment For years the U.S. drug policy has taken the approach of imprisoning anyone connected with illegal drugs. During these years the drug use has increased, and the majority of drug offenders released from jail return. Also because of mandatory jail time for drug offenders the nation’s jails are extremely overcrowded. The U.S. is now the operator of the worlds largest prison system, and spends nearly $9 billion dollars a year to keep drug offenders in jail (55% of which are classified as low level offenders, or not dangerous.) It is time to re-evaluate our nations drug policy, and try a new drug prevention program. The 8th amendment states that punishment should be fair according to the crime committed. In Washington, a 68 year old man was imprisoned and lost his 3 bedroom house and the land it was on after he was found growing a couple marijuana plants to help ease his cluster headaches. In Utah, a 80 year old man lost his 160 acre ranch after someone found a handful of marijuana plants growing on a remote corner of his land, which he did not even know about. Billy Munnerlyn lost his privately owned air charter business, after he transported a man carrying illegal drugs. Munnerlyn had no connection or knowledge of the drugs. Now ask yourself, Does this seem fair? What I’m proposing is a program that focuses on rehabilitation rather than punishment. We need to get rid of mandated prison sentences for minor drug offenders. The best alternative to this solution is an intensive , supervised, rehabilitation system. This program should include community service, job training, and mandatory participation in proven drug treatment programs. As stated in the preamble of the constitution, our government strives towards the general welfare of our society. This program will give drug offenders a chance to turn their lives around and become productive, tax paying, law abiding citizens. Studies have shown that forcing drug users in...

OptionParser Command-Line Options the Ruby Way

OptionParser Command-Line Options the Ruby Way Ruby comes equipped with a powerful and flexible tool to parse command-line options, OptionParser. Once you learn how to use this, youll never go back to looking through ARGV manually. OptionParser has a number of features that make it quite appealing to Ruby programmers. If youve ever parsed options by hand in Ruby or C, or with the getoptlong C function, youll see how welcome some of these changes are. OptionParser is DRY. You only have to write the command-line switch, its arguments, the code to run when its encountered, and the command-line switch description once in your script. OptionParser will automatically generate help screens for you from this description, as well as infer everything about the argument from its description. For example, it will know the file [FILE] option is optional and takes a single argument. Also, it will know that [-no]-verbose is really two options and will accept both forms.OptionParser will automatically convert options to a specific class. If the option takes an integer, it can convert any string passed on the command-line to an integer. This cuts down on some of the tedium involved in parsing command-line options.Everything is very contained. All of the options are in the same place, and the effect of the option is right along-side the definition for the option. If options have to be added, changed or someone simply wants to see what they do, the re is only one place to look. Once the command-line is parsed, a single Hash or OpenStruct will hold the results. Enough Already, Show Me Some Code So heres a simple example of how to use OptionParser. It doesnt use any of the advanced features, just the basics. There are three options, and one of them takes a parameter. All of the options are mandatory. There are the -v/verbose and -q/quick options, as well as the -l/logfile FILE option. Additionally, the script takes a list of files independent of the options. #!/usr/bin/env ruby # A script that will pretend to resize a number of images require optparse # This hash will hold all of the options # parsed from the command-line by # OptionParser. options {} optparse OptionParser.new do|opts|   Ã‚  # Set a banner, displayed at the top   Ã‚  # of the help screen.   Ã‚  opts.banner Usage: optparse1.rb [options] file1 file2 ...   Ã‚  # Define the options, and what they do   Ã‚  options[:verbose] false   Ã‚  opts.on( -v, verbose, Output more information ) do   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  options[:verbose] true   Ã‚  end   Ã‚  options[:quick] false   Ã‚  opts.on( -q, quick, Perform the task quickly ) do   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  options[:quick] true   Ã‚  end   Ã‚  options[:logfile] nil   Ã‚  opts.on( -l, logfile FILE, Write log to FILE ) do|file|   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  options[:logfile] file   Ã‚  end   Ã‚  # This displays the help screen, all programs are   Ã‚  # assumed to have this option.   Ã‚  opts.on( -h, help, Display this s creen ) do   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  puts opts   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  exit   Ã‚  end end # Parse the command-line. Remember there are two forms # of the parse method. The parse method simply parses # ARGV, while the parse! method parses ARGV and removes # any options found there, as well as any parameters for # the options. Whats left is the list of files to resize. optparse.parse! puts Being verbose if options[:verbose] puts Being quick if options[:quick] puts Logging to file #{options[:logfile]} if options[:logfile] ARGV.each do|f|   Ã‚  puts Resizing image #{f}...   Ã‚  sleep 0.5 end Examining the Code To start off with, the optparse library is required. Remember, this isnt a gem. It comes with Ruby, so theres no need to install a gem or require rubygems before optparse. There are two interesting objects in this script. The first is options, declared at the top-most scope. Its a simple empty hash. When options are defined, they write their default values to this hash. For example, the default behavior is for this script to not be verbose, so options[:verbose] is set to false. When options are encountered on the command-line, theyll change the values in options to reflect their effect. For example, when -v/verbose is encountered, it will assign true to options[:verbose]. The second interesting object is optparse. This is the OptionParser object itself. When you construct this object, you pass it a block. This block is run during construction and will build a list of options in internal data structures, and get ready to parse everything. Its in this block that all the magic happens. You define all the options here. Defining Options Each option follows the same pattern. You first write the default value into the hash. This will happen as soon as the OptionParser is constructed. Next, you call the on method, which defines the option itself. There are several forms of this method, but only one is used here. The other forms allow you to define automatic type conversions and sets of values an option is restricted to. The three arguments used here are the short form, long form, and description of the option. The on method will infer a number of things from the long form. One thing is will infer is the presence of any parameters. If there are any parameters present on the option, it will pass them as parameters to the block. If the option is encountered on the command-line, the block passed to the on method is run. Here, the blocks dont do much, they just set values in the options hash. More could be done, such as checking that a file referred to exists, etc. If there are any errors, exceptions can be thrown from these blocks. Finally, the command-line is parsed. This happens by calling the parse! method on an OptionParser object. There are actually two forms of this method, parse and parse!. As the version with the exclamation point implies, it is destructive. Not only does it parse the command-line, but it will remove any options found from ARGV. This is an important thing, it will leave only the list of files supplied after the options in ARGV.

How to Be Imprecise or Use Vague Expressions for ESL

How to Be Imprecise or Use Vague Expressions for ESL There are a number of ways to give imprecise information in English. Here are some of the most common: There are about 600 people working in this company.There are approximately 600 people working in this company.There are a large number of students interested in taking his course.Its  almost  impossible to get tickets for the concert.Management predicts up to 50% growth for the coming year.Its kind of a bottle opener which can also be used to peel vegetables.Its the type of place you can go to relax for a week or so.Theyre the sort of people that like going bowling on Saturday evenings.Its difficult to say, but Id guess that its used for cleaning house.Im not really sure, but I think they enjoy hiking in the mountains. Construction Formula Form There are about 600 people working in this company.I have almost 200 friends in New York. Use about + a numbered expression.Use almost + a numbered expression There are approximately 600 people working in this company. Use approximately + a numbered expression. There are a large number of students interested in taking his course. Use a large number of + a noun. Management predicts up to 50% growth for the coming year. Use up to + a noun. Its kind of a bottle opener which can also be used to peel vegetables. Use kind of + a noun. Its the type of place you can go to relax for a week or so. Use type of + a noun. Use or so at the end of a sentence to express the meaning approximately. Theyre the sort of people that like going bowling on Saturday evenings. Use sort of + a noun. Its difficult to say, but Id guess that its used for cleaning house. Use the phrase + Its difficult to say, but Id guess an independent clause. Being Imprecise Dialogue Mark: Hi, Anna. Can I ask you a few questions for a survey Im doing in class?Anna: Sure, what would you like to know? Mark: Thanks, to begin with how many students are at your university?Anna: Well, I cant be exact. Id say there are about 5,000 students. Mark: Thats close enough for me. What about classes? How large is the average class?Anna: Thats really hard to say. Some courses have a large number of students, others not so many. Mark: Could you give me an estimate?Anna: Id there are approximately 60 students in most classes. Mark: Great. How would you describe your university?Anna: Once again, theres no clear cut answer. Its the kind of place students choose if they want to study non-traditional subjects.   Mark: So, youd say students are not what youd find at other schools.Anna: It has the sort of students that arent exactly sure what they want to do in the future.   Mark: Why did you choose to attend your university?Anna: Its difficult to say, but Id guess it was because I wanted to stay close to home.   Mark: Thanks for asking my questions!Anna: My pleasure. Im sorry I couldnt give you more exact answers.

Internship Plan Journal Entry Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Internship Plan Journal Entry - Assignment Example The first goal is to analyze sales and report the findings. Specifically, I was to understand the market trends. The two actions that I did are visiting other companies to collect data. I also did research on other companies sales. This goal was accomplished by the end of the week, 30th January 2015. The purpose of this goal was to understand how analysis of sales data is utilized to comprehend market trends. I measured my progress by first analyzing the sales data that has been collected. The second goal that I purposed to accomplish is to gather and interpret customer feedback.Specifically,I was to understand the customer trends. The two actions that I did were collection of the customer’s feedback on suggestion box and also did a research on the customers. The purpose of this goal is to contribute to consumer insight initiative within the organization. This goal will enable me to develop my skills in gathering and interpreting customer feedback. I look forward to taking this next step as I finish up with my training in sales data analysis. The set time frame for achieving this goal is the second week of February that is from 4/2/2015. My third goal entails conducting primary research for the organization’s products. Specifically, I did analyzed the effectiveness and usability of the company’s product. The two actions that I did involved researching on products sales and also questioning the customers. The purpose of accomplishing this goal is to enhance my comprehension and skills involving product research. I can easily measure this goal because I will be able to perform the specific task by the end of my training. This goal is attainable as I have already had exposure in conducting market research for the company. This is a realistic goal because I have the support and expertise of my co-workers coupled with the support of my supervisor. The timeframe of achieving

The war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The war - Essay Example The period between the first gulf war in 1990s and the second in early 2000 has witnessed many changes in the military. The changes include application of more advanced technology and overhaul of tactical approaches, transformations that have achieved mixed results. This paper discusses the benefits and drawbacks of applying United States’ advanced military technology in Iraq and Afghanistan. The war in Afghanistan is one of the major United States military offensives aimed at destroying the terrorists’ hideouts that had inflicted heavy damages on American interest around the globe. Iraq war was launched to overthrow the regime of Saddam Hussein accused by the government of possessing weapons of mass destruction with intention of using them to spread terror. Both wars were executed with highly sophisticated weapons that allowed the United States forces to demolish the enemy defenses with high precision aerial weaponry and at unprecedented rate. The quick demolition and annihilation of strategic enemy areas enabled subsequent entrance of the ground forces into the countries to finish off the remaining resistance (DOD, 2007). According to Anne(2004,p15), the execution of both wars heralded a new era of military tactics, which heavily relied on technologically enhanced devices in carrying out of both aerial and ground combat. This strategy was more precise, faster, and resulted to lower number of military and civilian casualties. DOD (2007) noted that the war strategy in both wars was culmination of coordination high technology military hardware with enhanced communication devices that enabled them to strike with pinpoint precision. The war in Afghanistan witnessed the first application of robots that were used to carry out surveillance, clearance of mines, identification of targets and rescuing soldiers. The robots included Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) that undertook the aforementioned tasks without carrying human operator in them (David, 2005, p2 7). These robots helped in protecting soldiers from enemy attacks. According to David (2005, p 28), advanced technology has produced better robots that are equipped with high precision equipment and artillery to strike detected target. The 2003 war in Iraq saw a combination of precision weapons, exemplary surveillance of the targeted enemy grounds, and swift ground combatants aided by highly advanced communication network that enabled monitoring of distant operations from a remote region (DOD, 2007). Though the application of advanced military technology enabled quicker executions of the mission, the war has dragged on for many years, resulting to heavy economic and human loss. According to DOD (2007), the number of United States troops killed in both Iraq and Afghanistan exceeds those killed in actual combat at the beginning of the war. Anne (2004, p31) notes that threat of improvised explosive devices or roadside bombs continue inflicting damage on American forces. According to DO D (2007), the explosive devices have killed over 2000 American soldiers in Iraq, while more than 21,000 have suffered debilitating injuries that have effectively compromised their physical and psychological performance for life. In Afghanistan, the improvised explosive devices have claimed lives of over 250 American soldiers, with over 1,700 suffering serious injuries (DOD, 2007). Anne (2004, p21) notes that the explosive devices are the highest killer of the Allied forces in both countries and they have greatly undermined the efforts achieved the application of the advanced military technology. However, continuous innovation in the American military has produced mine- resistant ambush –protected all terrain vehicle(M-ATV) that offers better protection from roadside bombs than the heavier mine- resistant- ambush-

Features Of The Ancient African Art Research Paper - 2

Features Of The Ancient African Art - Research Paper Example The book talks about the cultural belief behind the costume. The locals or indigenous members of the Kuba community believe that in order for life to be balanced you have to connect with the ancestors, therefore; the costume assists them in the connection. The book emphases that like in many African cultures death is a natural event and is characterized as a rite of passage, therefore, these costumes are designed for such events and rites of passage in the society. The Bwoom is a very iconic and symbolic artifact from the Kuba community. It represents a sign of royalty from the society. The mask assists the masquerade element to act out in its design and appearance. This aspect gives us an overview of the origin of the Kuba Kingdom, therefore; it will act as an archive for the history of this unique community in this globe1. This particular mask is named Bwoom because it is like a cornerstone of the community. This is a special mask in the community and it is different from any other mask ever used in the community. It is the only mask not used in funerals or any other sorrowful event in the community. During joyful occasions such as harvests and weddings, the males would be the mask on the forehead and see-through, the holes under the nose of the mask while dancing the. When people whore the mask in any occasion they would cover all parts of their bodies to give a real representation of the spirit. The picture below shows a Bwoom Helmet. The mask the will act as an exhibit dedicated to the tourist and researchers who are interested in the African culture. Including the artwork in the museum is also reflective of the shift of the ethnologists in western culture to view African cultures as diverse and complementary to other cultures.

Create an Organizational Assessment and Development Plan Assignment

Create an Organizational Assessment and Development Plan - Assignment Example ing unit that the organization is operating is on a medium scale and the entire workforce comprises of approximately 150 people, one third of who are full-time employees, one third working on contracts and the rest of the one third workforce is employed on a part time basis. The business has a shamrock model formation and it allows the organization to enjoy a greater fluidity of talent. (Clawson, 2001). The employees are mainly involved in the following three activities: either they work on the manufacturing plant, the planning, procurements & marketing departments or they are involved with the deliveries and logistics of the finished goods. Most of the full time employees and those working on contracts come under these three categories, and all of the office staff, the secretaries, office helpers and other staff are mostly hired on a part time basis. Currently, the business is running at a good profit margin and being in the industry for all these years has helped these manufacturers make a name for themselves in the market targeted mainly towards the consumers who want to buy freshly baked goods such as bread, breakfast rolls etc which are priced strategically so that they fall in between the mass manufactured baked goods offered by larger brands and the expensively exclusive products offered by specialty delis. These younger people have also been working in the same business for most of their lives and are very much familiar with the ropes of their organization. Their ultimate aim in trying to employ an organizational development plan is to increase the productivity of their operations. However, another big concern for the owners is the fact that there is a seeming lack of organizational values among the staff. Although the people who are working full-time and part-time have been with the organization for a long time, there is a lack of organizational affinity among the people working part time for the business. Another cause for concern is the fact that

Eating Habits of College Students Research Paper

Eating Habits of College Students - Research Paper Example Also, it demonstrates how adequate understanding of consequences of poor eating habits can improve the health of the students and the entire nation. 1. Research question(s), rationale and qualifications, This study aims to answer various issues relating to eating habit of the college students. For example, how does food quality of campus cafe affect eating habits of the college student? What factors influence the eating habit of the college students? Is there a relationship between campus life and eating students eating habit? Does poor eating habit among the college students have any effect on their health? What is the link between the level of health dietary awareness and students eating habit? 2. Outcomes and impact The rate of overweight and obesity in the United States has been rising at an alarming rate as well as the prevalence of lifestyle diseases such as cardiovascular, diabetes and so on. Various studies have shown that the most affected population are those between the age of 18 and 29 years, and an unfortunate majority of these are the college, students. Also, about 36% of the college students are either overweight or obese (Farrell, 2010). The menace of overweight or obesity among the college students has been contributed by unhealthy eating habits. The college environment has also made a significant influence on the eating habits of the students because of the availability of large portions of high calorie and fat foods as well as buffet style cafeteria (Deshpande et al., 2009).

CRITICAL APPROACHES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CRITICAL APPROACHES - Essay Example een from the scene that emphasizes on Emily’s status in being involved in teaching china painting which is considered to be done by the middle class and upper class people. With time we see Emily’s financial status deteriorate making her lose her respect with the high and mighty in her class. This led to an illusion by people of her class in the society because of the belief that everyone can make a success of themselves but their social status still remain no matter what happens. This is also seen from the fact that Emily still stayed at her parents’ home to maintain her class and feel as part of the class she was born in even though all was not well even though she was not getting any younger. When we analyze her relationship with Homer she accepted to go out dine and wine with him but refused to commit herself to him because of his low class status. She only became friends with Homer to make herself seem well behaved and not

Eating Habits of College Students Research Paper

Eating Habits of College Students - Research Paper Example Also, it demonstrates how adequate understanding of consequences of poor eating habits can improve the health of the students and the entire nation. 1. Research question(s), rationale and qualifications, This study aims to answer various issues relating to eating habit of the college students. For example, how does food quality of campus cafe affect eating habits of the college student? What factors influence the eating habit of the college students? Is there a relationship between campus life and eating students eating habit? Does poor eating habit among the college students have any effect on their health? What is the link between the level of health dietary awareness and students eating habit? 2. Outcomes and impact The rate of overweight and obesity in the United States has been rising at an alarming rate as well as the prevalence of lifestyle diseases such as cardiovascular, diabetes and so on. Various studies have shown that the most affected population are those between the age of 18 and 29 years, and an unfortunate majority of these are the college, students. Also, about 36% of the college students are either overweight or obese (Farrell, 2010). The menace of overweight or obesity among the college students has been contributed by unhealthy eating habits. The college environment has also made a significant influence on the eating habits of the students because of the availability of large portions of high calorie and fat foods as well as buffet style cafeteria (Deshpande et al., 2009).

PoP Culture Trend and Media Essay Example for Free

PoP Culture Trend and Media Essay When I was a child, all I wanted was to be a doctor. I obeyed my parents, studied hard, and played around every once in a while. I had my simple ambitions and simple outlooks. I lived a simple life. Today, however, you can ask any child about his ambition and he would most likely tell you that he would be a Dennis Rodman someday, or a Britney Spears if it was a she you’ve happened to ask. Another possible scenario could be that the child you’d like to ask wouldn’t even talk to you because he/she is too busy with his/her cellular phone, Gameboy Advance, i-pod nanno, or personal computer. Looking at this everyday situation, my father had always been asking me what is happening to this generation. This picture had also been a popular topic for homeroom or sociology classes, and online debates. Each of these discussions, however, boils down to a common phrase: pop culture. Pop Culture, or Popular Culture, is the set of customs, beliefs, values, arts, and entertainment common to massive sectors of the society.  (http://www.cobb.k12.ga.us/~smitha/PopIndex.htm).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Oftentimes, it results from the everyday interactions, needs and desires, and cultural moments of the mainstream. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_media). It is important that we examine the prevailing Pop Culture as it can shape peoples beliefs, values system, and attitudes since trendy music, movies, television programs, and fads often mirror the outlooks and behavior of the masses. James E. Combs recognized even in 1984 that Popular Culture is so much a part of our lives that we cannot deny its developmental powers.   Like formal education or family rearing, popular culture is part of our learning environment.   Though our pop culture education is informal-we usually do not attend to pop culture for its educational value. It nevertheless provides us with information and images upon which we develop our opinions and attitudes.   We would not be what we are, nor would our society be quite the same, without the impact of popular culture. (Combs 1984). Nowadays however, an additional factor to the power of popular culture and to the importance of evaluating its effects is technological advancement. Specifically, electronic media has become a tool to further elevate the influence of pop culture, in an ever faster and unstoppable way, to all corners of the world. â€Å"Electronic media are those communications mediums which are based on electronic or electromechanical means of production and most often distinguished from print media. The primary electronic media sources familiar to the general public worldwide include radio, sound recordings, television, video recording, and streaming internet content†. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic media). Personally, I have been most fond of surfing the internet, watching television programs and movies, listening to contemporary and pop music through radio, cd player, and i-pod, playing computer games, and messaging through cellular phones, either for educational or entertainment purposes. I am now aware that most of my viewpoints have been influenced by the things that I watch, read, and listen to that’s why I have been trying to balance out my views by patronizing different sources of information. My most poignant realization was that pop culture has affected my viewpoint on what is beautiful. Seeing models and actors who are almost perfect and worshipped everyday and everywhere has blinded me into considering beauty as skinny, 36-24-36 for females, and hunky, tall, and handsome for males. Everything else that did not replicate what pop culture has embedded on me seemed merely normal, or worse, ugly. I very much think that this has also been the case for majority of the people in this generation, what with the number of anorexics and bulimics, and steroid users rising up to an alarming level internationally. Social responsibility and morality had also been largely affected by today’s pop culture. The case of pornography that has been very widespread, moreover in the advent of the internet and camera phones, is just an example. The concept of privacy has also been oftentimes mutilated either consciously or unconsciously through electronic means propagated by pop culture. Relationships have also been builded and shattered in the blink of an eye as a result of the prevailing culture and technology. Gossips and defamation had also been most common and aggravated these days, usually spreading worldwide in a split-second. These, however, can either be conscious or unconscious. It can be conscious in the part of the companies who perpetrate these kinds of trend to gain profits in the employment of their technology. It can also be unconscious or subconscious in both sides especially now that these trends have already been inculcated in the society’s culture. It must be noted though that pop culture, aside from its commonly criticized negative influences, also has contributed positive effects to the society. In the negative matters, social responsibility and civility must draw the line. This can only be done by a more conscious meditation and evaluation of the popular culture that is being imposed upon us. As human beings, we were given the capability to analyze the things that are going on around us. And we should. As for the trend in pop culture that had greatly influenced me, I have already mentioned that it is the way that I viewed beauty. Upon analysis, I have come to a conclusion that it had been a result of both my personal desires as a consumer, and the media’s making. Popular culture, in general, does not only result from the corporation’s commercial pursuits. I believe that it is a mixture of the continuous interaction of the consumers and suppliers in every society. References: Combs, James E. Polpop:Politics and Popular Culture In America. University of Wisconsin Pr. 1984 http://www.cobb.k12.ga.us/~smitha/PopIndex.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_media http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic media

Issues of Equality in Jamaica

Issues of Equality in Jamaica Introduction The following discussion will look around on the subject of equality in Jamaica using the experiences of an interviewee who is a female 63 year old British citizen that was born in Hanover in Jamaica on the 14th of March 1951 to draw out conclusions. She lived with family guardians as her mum died when she was 5 and her dad lived in the UK, but she had many brothers and sisters. She was loosely home schooled in Jamaica until she was 12 when she finally went to a Jamaican senior school called Mount Hannah. She had very a restricted education as her guardians wanted her to carry out manual work at home rather than pursuing an education. This resulted in here not having a structured education regime as even when she started to go to school she was forced into taking days off to look after her younger siblings or carry out manual tasks at home. Her childhood was in the middle of the creation of the Ministry of Education in 1953 (Ennew Et Al , 1982) and Jamaica’s transition to inde pendence that was pushed by Caribbean nationalists from after the Second World War (Mawby, 2012) to come to pass finally in 1962 (Welsh, 2012) . During this period there was educational reform especially in the early 60s with a big push to increase the number of schools since in the 1950s secondary school education in Jamaica was very limited (Miller 1990). There were 25 children in her school year and their average school day was from 9-3. Her class had only one teacher that taught them all English and mathematics. She finished school when she was 15 years old without any major qualifications and then continued to carry out more rigorous labour work full time. Work ranged from doing house work and babysitting to working on their house farm where she done tasks like carrying the water and the food to their home across long distances. The interviewee was 16 in 1967 she came to live in Coventry in England with her step mum, dad and younger sisters and brothers. During this time she dreamed of becoming a nurse as she enjoyed looking after her younger siblings. She eventually got the opportunity to take a test to become a nurse but she unfortunately failed the test due to a lack of knowledge in the key areas that was essential to know. After this she decided to go straight to work to help her family as a machinist as it was one of the few options that she had with her education. After a year she decided to move out and change job, but again the easier job for her to find with her experiences was as a machinist. In 1970 she had a daughter so took time off work for one and a half years to look after her. Afterwards she then went back to work for the same company but as a cable former but she also started to work as a barmaid at a pub during the weekends. As she enjoyed bar work and with it being more flexible for her to look after her daughter she continued her career as a barmaid by moving to work full time at a bar in 1974. She however had an area of unemployment from 1976-1979 but she then began to work as a barmaid again for 4 years and then later worked in a wide range of bars and bingos and casino’s behind the bar. During the late 80s she done various training courses as they became much more available in computing and shorthand writing with the hopes of becoming a receptionist, but in 1991 she became pregnant again had a baby Boy. For the rest of her life she brought up her son as a single parent and done voluntary work at various charity shops and carried out a few cleaning part time jobs. Since 2013 she has become a pensioner and is no longer pursuing work. Gender Gender was an identify factor that effected the interviewee’s education. The interviewee said that apart from the â€Å"major subjects† they had two extracurricular activities that they could do. It was compulsory for girls to do sewing and for boys to do gardening for the school garden. The interviewee said that when telling the teacher that she â€Å"wanted to go and do the gardening with the boys† he said â€Å"no† and when she refused she â€Å"went into the school and hide† because she â€Å"didn’t want to do sewing†. Because of this a teacher found her and said that if she didn’t do the sewing she would be â€Å"expelled† so she went back in and do the sewing. However as a punishment she was hit by the headmaster as she says â€Å"he gave me the cane on my hand and told me to go and do sewing, he hit me twice, and then said sit down and do the sewing† goes on to say that she â€Å"hated him after that† . This would affect girls and boy’s life chances because it would lower the possibility for boys to get the chance to be interested in sewing and the chance for women to be interested in gardening and thus meaning that their future career aspirations would be influenced away from either career paths. This is also a sexist approach as it implies that women should do the sewing which is more of a house wife job, whereas men should do more hands on jobs such as gardening. This could potentially precondition how children think about themselves and then lead them into believing sexist stereotypes. However if the children had the choice of what activity they wanted to do it would have been fairer and would have gave everyone the same equal opportunities. However when asked if she felt like there was less opportunity for girls than boys in the core subjects she replied â€Å"no we all had the same classes and same subjects† meaning that at least for code subjects there wasn’t the same level of gender discrimination. Social class Social class has been a major factor to the participant’s educational background as she found that coming from a very poor background highly influenced her education into making an impact on some of her life chances. If the interviewee had a different social upbringing then her family could have afforded the money for her to go to school from a young age instead of giving her house jobs to do. This was not a unique case in Jamaica during this period though as high adult unemployment contributed into generating households without male breadwinners thus meaning that children were expected to fend for themselves and to contribute in the household from a young age (Ennew Et Al, 1982). This resulted in many children dropping out of school around the age of 10 or 12 years, to earn money by working (Ennew Et Al, 1982). Because of this it directly affected her life chances as with little education it gave her the minimal opportunities to fully fulfil her potential in school. Education was compulsory in Jamaica back in the 50s but it wasn’t enforced, if parents were punished for children not going to school then this would have meant that the interviewee would have been in education from beginning to end. This is partially due to the policies like the Education Act to define the functions, roles, rights, and powers of the Boards, the Minister, principals, teachers, and students to not being fully developed until 1965 (Ennew Et Al, 1982). One positive however was when the interviewee said â€Å"everyone wore uniform† which showed an effort was made to make everyone feel equal. However as The interviewee’s family was poor she didn’t have shoes to wear to school unlike other children. She did however say that people didn’t look down on others for not having much money and that â€Å"I go to school without any shoes, I didn’t have shoes, and they didn’t bully me. They didn’t laugh at me or anything†. This was a positive aspect of her schooling; as they didn’t judge her for it even though it would have identified that she was from a low class background. When asked if children that were richer at school, had better job opportunities when they left school, The interviewee replied â€Å"yes â€Å" as it directly affected her opportunity to get O levels. She said that when she was fourteen the headmaster asked her to â€Å"write to your dad† and â€Å"make him give you five pounds for books† so she could take her O levels but as â€Å"he didn’t send the money† for the books she couldn’t take her O levels. She goes on to say that â€Å"all the others took their O levels because they had the money to buy books†. Her life chances were affected by this as it could have helped her get a wider range of job and educational opportunities, but children with money would have had a better chance in life. Costs for books, uniforms, lunch, and transport deterred some families from sending their children to school altogether (1987, Meditz S) so for allot of parents any extras costs to school would be looked down upon. She goes on to say that she â€Å"needed† O levels to be able to go into college which could have been a place where she could have strongly expanded on her education and increased her chances in getting a job she desired. After the interviewee left school at fifteen she had a year of carrying out manual jobs for her family ,she said if id stayed in Jamaica maybe I would have ended up been a cleaner or something like that, because I didn’t have the qualifications to get a decent job. This shows that by her not being able to carry out her O Levels that social class and wealth affected what the interviewee was able to do as a job after she left school. Disability The interviewee said that in school â€Å"everybody was the same† when asked if there were any students with disabilities meaning that for our participant didn’t get much visibility of any inequality that people with disabilities faced. This shows that everyone was treated equally but this doesn’t mean that there weren’t any issues out there for people with special needs. Before the 1970s Jamaicas had very limited capabilities in being able to identify and manage learning disabilities in children. Because of this Jamaica’s educational system was unable to deal with the special education needs of physically and mentally exceptional children. It took until 1974 for the government to provide special education services, until then it was provided by voluntary organisations. This would have resulted in students with disability’s not getting the appropriate help and support that they would have needed to get the most out of the educational system. Even though this didn’t necessarily directly affect our participant it was clear that extra support wasn’t available to her if it was needed as In Jamaica the late 1960s only about 50 per cent of Grade 6 students reached the functional literacy standard.(Miller, E, 2011). With more additional help and support for those who needed it this could have been vastly improved and could have helped the likes of our interviewee to get more out of education. This would have had an impact on children’s life chances as by not having an education that is adapted to children’s needs Conclusion These topics all affected the interviewee in their own individual way during her life. Gender effected the interviewee because the extra-curricular activities that she could partake in was solely based on her gender and not her personal preference, this meant that for these circumstances her education was different dependant on her gender and not on her personal choices meaning that she was not getting everything out of education that she would have wanted .Social equality effected our participant as it meant that she didn’t have a good quality of education because of it due to not being able to be in school as much as others and not being able to get a qualification due to her dad not being able to afford books for her to take her exams. This resulted in her not being able to have an adequate degree of knowledge to pass her nursing exam that she could have gained through taking her O levels and going to college. Disability inequality affected her to a lesser extent but specia l support wasn’t there for her even though she didn’t go to school until she was 12 year old, and this would have strongly impacted on the potential achievements she could have obtained. These issues relate to each-other because they have all limited the scope of what was possible for the interviewee to achieve. Due to a substandard education with different elements of inequality she was not able to live up to her full potential. She instead for most of her life she carried out minimum wage jobs as she didn’t have many options with potential jobs that she could do with her skillset or even opportunities for her to go into education part time while earning a living. Sadly by being limited to only doing these kinds of jobs it made her not able to gain a diverse enough experience at work to be able to expand skills that could help her in other roles. This created cycles that lead her into carrying out minimum wage jobs for the rest of her life. Bibliography Ennew.J. (1982). Family structures, unemployment, and child labour in Jamaica. Ennew.J. (1989) Milne, Brian, The next generation: lives of their world children. Mawby S (2012) Ordering Independence: The End of Empire in the Anglophone Caribbean, 1947-69.PP 33 Miller, E (1990) Jamaican society and high schooling. Kingston, Jamaica: Institute of Social and economic research Miller, E. (July 7, 2011). The State of Jamaican Education and its Greatest Challenge. Available: http://www.jta.org.jm/article/state-jamaican-education-and-its-greatest-challenge. Last accessed 6th Dec 2014. Sandra W. Meditz and Dennis M. Hanratty, editors.Caribbean Islands: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1987. State University. (2006). Jamaica Preprimary Primary Education. Available: http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/728/Jamaica-PREPRIMARY-PRIMARY-EDUCATION.html. Last accessed 5th Dec 2014. Welsh. R (2012). Overcoming Smallness through Education Development: A Comparative Analysis of Jamaica and Singapore Current Issues in Comparative Education 15(1):114-131. Appendix Transcription Did you enjoy senior school? Yeah I did What kind of classes did you do? Classes? When I was at school I went till I was 14, and then I was in a mixed class with boys and girls. And I just do maths and English. Did you do science? Dint do science, just two subjects. Where about did you grow up in Jamaica, Mantana. Did you go to school here afterwards. No just in Jamaica. Did you feel like your schooling was limited because you only did maths and English? Yeah very. Would you say there was rich and poor people at your schoolà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹? was rich and poor, I was one of the poor ones Did people wear different uniform, if they were rich would they wear better clothes? No we all wear uniform. Did you feel like anyone was horrible to the poorer people? No no everybody got on, just there to learn, everybody was interested in learning, no time for any bullying or anything like that. I go to school without any shoes, I didn’t have shoes, and they didn’t bully me. They didn’t laugh at me or anything. Did you feel like race mattered at school? No no no race nobody knew about race until she came to England. Because everybody is black, some was white and some were black, but nobody knew about it, didn’t have things like that. Did anyone at your school have disabilities, extra help? No everybody was the same; all seem to be on same wave length. Did you have more than one teacher? For me was just one, the headmaster, in our class, before we went to the sixth form we had another interviewee teacher. So when I went to school was in normal, then sixth form, and in sixth form he was the teacher, the headmaster So you didn’t feel like anyone looked down on each other where you lived, looked down on people for being poor? No no, Did you feel like children that were richer, they got better jobs when they left school? Yeah because when I was 14 headmaster said to me, write to your dad and let him give you 5 pound for books, so you can take your o levels, and I waited and he didn’t send it you see, so I couldn’t take my O levels, because I didn’t have any books, but all the others took their O levels because they had the money to buy books. What did you do when you left school? I left at 15 for a year helping round house, then came to England at 16. Did you feel like school effected what u did after school? If id stayed there in Jamaica maybe I would have ended up been like a cleaner or something like that, because I didn’t have the qualifications to get a decent job. The people who did the O levels what did they do? They went to a higher school, like a college, you call it college here they went to the higher school, learned short hand typing. If I was there I wouldn’t have been able to go because I wouldn’t have me o levels, needed them to go there. Was lucky to come to England. Did you feel like more men went and got jobs than women did? Well I didn’t know what boys did, but girls went to the higher school. But with boys and girls even though we were in the same class, we didn’t speak for some reason, everybody just quiet only one who spoke to us was headmaster. everyone seemed to ignore each other. was weird really. Did you feel like you had less opportunities than boys did at school did they have extra classes? No all had same class, and same subject. I don’t know if they had extra, if they did I didn’t know about it. When I was in school they had two things to do, girls do sewing and boys do gardening. Cos they had a school garden, so I said to them once a week they used to do that. So the teacher said I should go sewing, but I told him I wanted to go and do the gardening with the boys, and he said no. so I went into the school and hide because I didn’t want to do sewing. And sent someone to come and get me, and they said if I didn’t come and do the sewing I would be expelled. So I had to go back in and do the sewing. So did any one bully people? Well no after school only twice I had name calling because I was flat chested, used to call me pigeon chest. And when I had mumps jaw was really bigmouth called me barrel jaw. But that wasn’t in school that was out of school. When they saw me on the street. Was the same as was in my class at school; it was another school the next town away, another school next town away. So were all the schools quite spaced out really? Yeah. Did you ever get hit by any of the teachers? The head master, that was that day when I didn’t do sewing he give me the cane, and tell me to go and do sewing on my hand, hit me twice with cane in my hand, and said now sit down and do sewing. Horrible man. I hated him after that.

The Exeter Book :: Old English Poetry Literature Essays

The Exeter Book The Exeter Book is the largest existing collection of Old English poetry. The manuscript was given to the library of Exeter Cathedral by its first bishop, Leofric, at the end of the tenth century. The book consists of 131 parchment leaves which measure approximately 12.5 by 8.6 inches. The most famous works contained in the Exeter Book include â€Å"The Wanderer,† â€Å"The Wife’s Lament,† â€Å"The Seafarer,† and â€Å"Wulf and Eadwacer.† In addition to the 31 major poems, 96 riddles are also included in the collection. The manuscript was likely copied by a single scribe in 975, though â€Å"The Wanderer† is though to date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes’ conversion to Christianity in the sixth century. â€Å"The Wife’s Lament† may have pre-dated â€Å"The Wanderer† because â€Å"it offers none of the typical Christian consolation for her despair and appears to reflect a pre-conversion, pagan attitude tow ards ones’ fate† (The Exeter Book). Both poems are invaluable resources in their depiction of the precepts and roles of men and women in Anglo-Saxon society. â€Å"The Wanderer† is an elegy, or a lament for the dead and the glories of the past. The narrator of the poem has lost his kin in battle and is wandering alone and contemplating the temporal nature of life. It is clear that the narrator respects the comitatus, the bond of loyalty between a lord and his warriors, as is illustrated when he recalls â€Å"embracing and kissing his liege lord and laying his hands and his head on his knee† (Wanderer 101). The stoic attitude of the narrator is reflective of the Anglo-Saxon culture in which men were supposed to be brave and unemotional. Despite this convention, the narrator’s sorrow is strongly conveyed in the Ubi Sunt (‘Where are they?’) passage when he asks, â€Å"Where has the horse gone? Where the young warrior? Where is the giver of the treasure?† (Wanderer 101). The narrator’s lament also displays the permeating cultural belief that everything in life is predetermined by fate. This is seen when the narrator envisions the end of the world in everlasting winter when â€Å"all the earth’s kingdom is wretched [and] the world beneath the skies is changed by the work of the fates† (Wanderer 102). The poem ends with a strong reference to Christianity in the lines, â€Å"It will be well with him who seeks favor, comfort from the Father in heaven, where for us all stability resides† (Wanderer 102).

Virtual Reality :: essays research papers

Virtual Reality Today Virtual reality allows people to study artificial worlds through simulation and computer graphics. Computers have changed the way we perform flight training, scientific research and conduct business. Flight simulators have drastically reduced the time and money required to learn to fly large jets. One of the most interesting capabilities of virtual reality is the ability to practice certain medical practices. Computers are helping many doctors perform complicated operations very simply. Computers have changed the way we look at health problems. They have made incurable health problems very easy to solve in today's society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We have only begun to realize the extreme wastefulness of burning expensive fuel in aircraft in order to learn something in an hour that could be taught in ten minutes in a simulator. Simulators have come a long way since 1929, when Ed Link first built what was soon to be known as the pilot maker, or more affectionately, the blue box. Students often find themselves sitting at the end of a runway waiting for takeoff clearance on a busy day, with the engine turning and burning expensive gas. This is not a very effective way for students to spend money. Most students do not have access to expensive flight simulators. Most have to travel hundreds of miles to take advantage of these amazing simulators. Flight simulators are much better than an airplane for the simple reason that in a simulator the learning environment is much safer. Students are able to avoid the overriding need to keep the airplane flying and out of harm's way. In a simulator a student is constantly busy, practicing what he is supposed to be learning, and once he's flown a given maneuver, he is able to go back and do it over again, without wasting time or fuel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Years ago doctors used X-rays to see the insides of humans. X-ray's were most helpful in finding broken bones. These machines were an incredible break through years ago. Today X-ray machines are hardly ever used. Today we use computer-aided volumetric images of internal organs, often referred to as cross-sectional images of the body's interior.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the past scars were often left behind after major surgeries. We have avoided leaving these nasty scars through fiber optics. If a patient needs surgery on an injured nee, the doctor would cut two small holes in the side of the patient's knee and glide the tiny light, camera, and operating tools inside. The doctor would be able to monitor what he was doing from a colored monitor screen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Virtual reality also allows leeway for doctor's mistakes. With virtual reality a student is able to try several different operations more than once.

Nike Position Paper

Nike Position Paper In our prevalent society today, there is an intricate debate between boycotting and supporting many different transnational corporations such as Nike, Inc. It has been inferred that Nike breaches multiple human rights acts and workplace violations. Dissidently, Nike’s total net income is 273. 4 billion dollars and their annual revenue adds up to approximately 19 billion dollars. This concludes that global citizens are more than voluntary to purchase their merchandise and endorse their business. Nike is involved in several environmental projects such as building athletic courts out of recycled shoes and their â€Å"air pockets† in numerous models of sport sneakers use nitrogen instead of SF6, which is a greenhouse gas. Nike also has â€Å"green† events associated with The Green Project of Long Island in New York State. Nike manufactures in over 30 countries and sells in over 160, with about 36,000 employees’ total. They also have rights to Hurley International and Nike invests in professional athletes to promote their goods. Nike has dynamic and monumental marketing skills that influence our generation conspicuously. In correlation, multinational business’ pay acceptable wages to workers because they have an innumerable amount of expenses unseen by most people. Corporations have significant distribution and tariff expenses bringing their products to market. Furthermore, transnationals’ pay acceptable wages given that profit margins are not as great as people may assume. Competition between producers is so fierce that profits for 214 companies in 1999 were limited to an average of 8. 3%. A wage premium is also applied where wages are 40% to 100% greater than the average rate in many developing countries. It has been fathomed that Nike violates labor laws. But, anti-globalization people often distort the truth on this topic, as in the case of the fake German documentary film against Ikea. It has also been acquiesced that corporations exploit their workers. It is valid that employees’ work long hours, but a New York Times article indicated that the workers do this willingly because this allows them to make more money than they might be able to earn otherwise. Mass business’ such as Nike, constitute investment and the increased export income improves a country’s equilibrium of payment, introduces otherwise unavailable goods and services that are essential for diversifying production, and stimulates local entrepreneurship by subcontracting to local industries and enhancing competition. â€Å"You don’t win silver, you lose gold,† is a famous Nike quote that has much controversy behind it, as do many business affairs pertaining to this iconic corporation. While workers in Indonesia are being paid around 21,000 dollars a year for a myriad amount of hours of hard labor in one day, one of Nike’s promotional athletes, NBA player Kobe Bryant, is being paid over 500,000 dollars a week to bounce a ball around. Workers are told to sign a contract which removes all their rights, they are typically fired by the age of 35, and Safety & Health Administration has found more than 1000 plus violations. Irrevocably, there are two definitive positions of transnational corporations. They have an agglomeration of flaws, but none that can be condemned irremediable. You hear a different opinion from each worker, each newspaper and each monopoly spokesperson. To ostracize such a beneficial asset to our economy would be asinine. People are kept off the streets, with paying jobs, and are making a contribution to society one shoe at a time.