Case study analysis - Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case study analysis - Report - Essay Example Consequently, the Doctors focused on the reduction of costs and shortening of stays of various patients in the hospitals, after surgery operations as shown in exhibit 1 in the appendix. However, they faced problems with increased cost pressures throughout healthcare industry increasingly affecting prestigious and expensive academic hospitals such as MGH. Additionally, care path did not dictate the medical treatment of patients. Consistent treatment procedures embodied significant philosophical shifts of physicians generated in making independent medical decisions based on cases. Therefore, the implementation of CABG for surgeries by the doctors incorporated several problems that affected costs on medicines, medical treatment, philosophical shifts, and decision-making processes that delayed processes of operations for coronary artery bypass graft. Bohmer, as the care path facilitator, believed in the success of care path through the corporation and accepted assistance of hospital staff to enable the development of pathways since it hastens the ongoing reduction of hospital bed count. Moreover, it leads to loss of jobs because of more efficient practices (Wheelwright and Weber 2). Torchiana, the team leaders, instrument the creation of care path and continued implementation. Moreover, emphasis on the need for controlling costs and care path merits develops from ideas that Torchiana put across at MGH, despite the problems that they face. Moreover, total quality management (TQM) implementation becomes difficult since the cost of implementing and developing CABG becomes difficult to allow for surgery operations. TQM presents a management approach in an organization that focuses on quality and participation of all members of the organization (Chartered Quality Institute 1). The approach applies to the entire organization. The care path developed at MGH did not introduce new treatment technologies. It attempted to

Bringing a Change in Organizational Culture Essay Example for Free

Bringing a Change in Organizational Culture Essay Critically explain why changing organisational culture is so difficult and how managers can do it. Culture can be defined as â€Å"a set of basic tacit assumptions about how the world is and ought to be that a group of people share and that determines their perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and, to some degree, their overt behaviour† (Schein, 1996). Organizational culture is depend on differences in norms and shared values which are learned in workplace and to direct behaviour of members in the particular organisation. Cabrera, Cabrera Barajas 2001) Organisational culture was built on its shared beliefs and values which was the guidance to solve problems. This essay will introduce the definition of organisational culture and explain why changing organisational culture is so difficult. The main reasons are the fear of uncertain future and difficult to establish the organisational culture. In addition, the essay is to interpret how managers can change organisational culture and how does it work. Managers can change organisational culture through communication and management strategies. This essay may introduce the detail about changing organisational culture. Most scholars think that changing organisational culture is difficult; however a few people think it is easy to change organisational culture. As Chu (2003) stated that organizational culture is contributed to change. In his opinion, organisational culture can collect different values and actions to form a frame to guide the behaviour of members within an organisation. In other words, organisational culture can shape what employees do in the company and control tendency of company. For example, a company may have employees who are unwilling to change and who are conductive to change, if managers recruit staff that are innovated and willing to change, they may be the new power to change organisational culture. Therefore, to form a â€Å"change† culture can make changing organisational culture easier. However, it is also difficult to establish an organisational culture. It is need to experience a long time and face lots of difficult and challenges. According to levels of cultural analysis (Wood 2004), it shows how difficult to form the organisational culture, especially the deepest level of cultural analysis: common assumption. Common assumptions are to collect truths that organisational employees shares as a result of their common experiences and that direct beliefs and behaviours. It is extremely hard to isolate these modes, but it is interpret why culture is full of organisational life. It is hard to shape common assumptions if members of the organisation do not experience same ups and downs or cooperate long time. As Ferrara-Love (1997) stated that organizational culture does not appear in a night. On the contrary, organisational culture evolves during the time, and is the collective beliefs of individuals who worked together. Therefore, it is hard to establish organisational culture, to say nothing of changing organisational culture. At the same time, it is debatable to recruit plenty employees when the company want to change organisational culture. The new power is unstable to the company. It is hard for managers to control the new employees and it still need to cost much time. To conclude, it is difficult to change organisational culture. Organisational culture plays an ineradicable role to different kinds of organisational behaviours and members within organisations. Thus, it is always failure if certain problems of organisational culture were not being considered. Moreover, if managers want to change organisational culture which focuses on shared values or beliefs, it will be more difficult; because on the deepest of organisational culture, it formed invisible and omnipresent old guard or power which makes organisational change failure. As Locus and Kline (2008) stated that organizations always appear â€Å"learning disability† and â€Å"defensive routines† which obstruct the learning and organizational change. It shows the strong of conservative power. When managers try to change the organizational culture, they always face opposition. What was worse, the conservative power always important to the organisation. They make huge contribution to the company, which used to promote the development of company. Therefore, they play an important role to organisation. It is difficult for managers to challenge their authority. Moreover, the reason people do not want to change is the nature of people. People are easy to be used to do one thing and do not want to accept new thing. They are afraid of the unknown thing after change. As Ferrara-Love (1997) stated that people are comfortable with exist ways to finish the work. In their opinion, change is just the threat to their peaceful. Thus, they do not want to change organisational culture and dispute to change. It is obvious that changing organisational culture is so difficult. Leadership is the key to change organisational culture. The achievements of an organisation mostly depend on the leadership of managers. As Fishman and Kavanaugh (1989) stated that the culture of an organization and how employees want to change was formed substantially by leader. For example, if managers uphold to change organisational culture steady and have enough ability to direct staff, it will achieve maximum results with little effort to change organisational culture. Thus, managers are the guidance of the company; they are main factor to change organisational culture. Clement (1994) also expounded that management leadership is basic factor in a major organisational change effort. From this, it can be seen that the importance of leadership in change organisational culture. However, it is hard to change managers. If managers are not satisfied with their employees, employees can be changed, but managers will not changed unless the company go bankrupt. Thus, the most difficult to change organisational culture is to change the mind of managers. For instance, if managers make no attempt to make progress and milk-toast, it will be the most resistance to change organisational change. For this reason, the best way to change is from up to bottom. At the same time, change the mind and ability of leader is the difficult demand for changing organisational culture. To change organisational culture, managers have lot of things to do it. The role of managers is very important through up down system. As Ott (1989) suggested that the leader can do lots of things included staff selection, socialization, removal of deviating members, cultural communication and role model to guide behaviour. For example, managers can choose employees who will support to change organisational culture. Although it will not change the situation directly, they can be the power push the step of changing organisational culture. In the same way, managers can fire part of staff who opposes to change. It is not only reducing resistance to change organisational culture, but also overawe the opponent to change their minds. Furthermore, managers need to be the role model to change organisational culture. The behaviour of managers can be the maximum power to guide behaviour of managers. For example, when managers try to change organisational culture but not to do anything to change it, employees will not follow managers with any anxiety. To sum up, it is important to be the role model of changing organisational culture for managers. Furthermore, communication is an important tool for managers to change organisational culture. According to Fry (2003), he examined that leadership as motivation to change; managers need to communicate with employees about their feelings. In other words, managers should get in touch with employees and let them know core values of changing organisational culture and the need of changing organisational culture. The employees may understand the determination of managers and why to change organisational culture. Then, they can have their decision about changing organisational culture. In this way, it can reduce the distance between managers and employees, and let employees think they are also the participants to change organisational culture, they are not insignificant. When employees think they are the part of changing organisational culture, they will follow managers and try their best to help managers. At the same time, managers communicate with employees also can understand what employees think about and then do well about interactive. In addition, it can reduce the fear of employees about unknown future. As Kanter, Stein and Jick (1992) stated that communication is basic tool within any change process and failure to change always because of the feeling uncertain and anxious about their future. Thus, communication is very significant for managers to change organizational culture. In addition, to help employees to change organisational culture, managers need to teach them related skills and knowledge to work differently. As Ke and Wei (2007) suggested that employees thought to learn skills and knowledge as their main responsibility. Thus, employees may accept skills and knowledge easier than accept directly new culture. When they understand how to do, it may easy for them to accept to change organisational culture. At the same time, it is also the good way to remove their fear to uncertain future. When they master relevant skills and knowledge, they will be confident to deal with change of organisational culture. In this way, they will not fight against to change organisational culture as before. Then they can be the power help to change organisational culture. The most important things to change organisational culture are to change origin perception and beliefs. According to the definition of organisational culture, if managers want to change organisational culture, they must change shared values. The same as Whitely (1995) said that, managers need to be able to help employees to remove the past values which are not consistent with current shared vision of future organizational arrangements. The shared values and beliefs are keys of the organisational culture. Thus, managers need to change origin values of employees to change organisational culture. For example, managers can change new uniform to show the new the new appearance of company. According to Wood (2006), managers can create processes, systems and ways of working that enable to put the new values into practice. The new values can take place of the past one. In addition, managers can recruit and select new employees to help change origin values. As Harris and Metallinos (2002) stated that new employees were outside the company who did not affect by origin organizational culture, thus they were easy to accept new culture. That is why managers to select new employees to enlarge the power to change organizational culture. The new values and beliefs can be brought into the company in this way. In the same way, managers can retrain employees and engraft new rules to them, although it will not have better effect than new employees, it also can help to change organizational culture. In a word, managers need to create new values and beliefs to substitute origin one. Technology change also can promote to change organisational change. Although Weick (1990) thought technology change may make people anxiety about the values of new technology to their work, the new technology is the progress to organisational culture. There is no doubt technology change may improve work efficiency which may improve organisational culture. As Harris and Metallinos (2002) suggested that the application of new technology and subsequent development of system would promote standardization. The implementation of new technology can make employees understand new things which break routine. It also can be the sally port to open the mind of employees, let them know advantages of changing. When they can accept technology change, it is easy for them to support to change organisational change. Thus, managers can first bring in advanced technology to improve organisational change. Then teaching them to learn about it and establish new values in this process. This essay introduces what are the organisational culture and two main parts of organisational culture, the reason why changing organisational culture is difficult and how managers do to change it. This essay support to change organisational culture is so difficult because of the fear of unknown and difficult process to form organisational culture.

Police Work And Related Fields :: essays research papers fc

Police Work and Related Fields CO-OP Christmas exam 1. The working conditions of a police officer can vary from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  easy to stressful situations where the officers life and the lives of others are threatened. The officer must deal with these situations in the way they feel is best but sometimes the officer cannot deal with this situation on their own and they have to call in backup witch can help them deal with the situation. CHANGING IN THE WORK PLACE In these times of change many work places are finding it necessary to change the ways in which they do business. The RCMP for example are moving into a more community based policing. This makes the police more accessible to the community. In this new system the RCMP try to solve the problem if they are repeatedly called to the same home for domestic disputes they will stay for how ever long it takes to find the route of the problem, where as if they were to encounter the same situation their policy was to arrive in two minutes and stay for 20 minutes. This new program is the starting stages and already it has had great reviews and great public support, as it brings the police closer to the community. Another part of this community based policing is that there are crime prevention comities that are run by various community groups that have monthly meetings with the police. A police officer starts their career with on the job training and then they move on to become a constable where they must be able to relocate to any part of the country where they are positioned. In order for an officer to advance tier career they may have to switch divisions where their careers may excel. The work values for a police officer is to uphold the law, patrol assigned areas and maintain public safety. They also participate in public information groups and safety programs. 2. The nature of the work is always changing as crimes are becoming more and more sophisticated, as well as there is no set times that any crimes will happen so their jobs are always different. The job of a police officer is always different as they could be talking to various groups on any number of topics. They could also be testifying in court in relation to an investigation they participated in. Officers may also take calls on situations in which they can provide counselling to the caller until help arrives or provide necessary numbers of shelters and food banks. 3. The outlook in this field is good although an officer could go through the

Mini Position Paper Essay

Many schools exist that don’t create student success. In too many school systems today, students are deprived of the education they need to become successful in life. What is society doing to make sure these students find their way? What does it take for them to become successful participants of society? After reading Freire’s, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, I must say there is some truth to students being oppressed for they are being forced to matriculate in an educational environment they aren’t familiar with; can’t survive in; or don’t want to be in. Students who are in the predicament noted above are not able to thrive in a strong academic environment because, as Freire states, they don’t know their reality. If they knew their reality, they would be better prepared to adjust to what they need for academic success. My position is that students that will better succeed in vocational or magnet schools. The vocational option is best suited for students that are not college bound and need to learn hands-on job skills to work right out of high school. For the nontraditional student the magnet option can work well. As a dancer, I attended magnet performing art school and this opportunity allowed me to learn about my craft and move on to earning a scholarship to Temple University in dance and theater. It allowed me the option to get involved in a field that I love and having a love for what you do makes the difference in which you become. There is no denying that people are mentally in different places at different times in their lives. Whether they have been raised in a single parent home, or whether they grew up in an environment that isn’t conducive to learning, it is important that students know what they can handle in an educational setting. For some students, an advanced math class or AP courses may not be reasonable. There are some students that understand where they stand academically and know that they aren’t able to learn under the same conditions as other students. These students need to develop other avenues in which to become successful. Vocational and Magnet schools are a great source for students that aren’t ready for a rigorous academic curriculum. Although students will still get the core courses they need to graduate, they will also have a trade that will at least keep them employed and able to take care of them after graduating. There are students that have a love for cosmetology, auto mechanics or even plumbing. One important fact is that there are colleges that offer two year degrees in these vocational trades. It is crucial that today’s generation know that there are options outside of becoming a doctor or lawyer. While we always need lawyers, doctors, and teachers, the world also needs mechanics to fix cars, a plumber to fix leaks the correct way or even a specialist to make sure a heating or air conditioning system is properly working. It is important that today’s student be comfortable in knowing that being academically challenged is okay, and that choosing a vocational education is an option. Vocational Magnet educations are just as important and should be interjected in all of today’s schools for they too serve a vital function in preparing our students in life. â€Å"The Guardian†, a newspaper printed in the U. K. , ran an article in 2013 regarding vocational educations. It questioned the validity of the concept of vocational educations by asking the public if they value vocational skills. The article allowed people to give their opinions. Although most people were in support of vocational education, there were some that weren’t. One person commented that though he didn’t look down on vocational education, he would not consider the vocational route if he didn’t get the grades needed to attend a university. He finished by explaining he would definitely go for A-levels because in his opinion, â€Å"they are far more respected by employers and universities†. In his opinion, having a career rather than a skill is more esteemed. After reading the article, I was stunned at the idea that vocational educations aren’t respected. That a plumber or custodian is not valued is a disrespectful and cocky position to take. Society will always needs someone to make sure offices are clean and bathroom toilets run properly. People underestimate that diverse careers are needed for the world to effectively revolve. Unfortunately vocational skills like plumbing, carpentry, and electricians have been downgraded in social status over the years. One of the biggest issues in education today is low graduation rates, low college entry and a growing rate of unemployment. Vocational education can be the resolution to this problem. What are missing in schools are alternatives like a technical baccalaureate, which offers valuable learning and real skills, and leads to real jobs for young people. Getting children in the right program for their learning needs is what leads to success. Vocational qualifications serve a need for particular kinds of students and are very important skills. Vocational education training provides career and technical education for students interested in jobs that are based upon labor-intensive or real-world jobs. The plus side to vocational education is that students have the opportunity to work in their field while in school; it requires less education than four year degree programs; the vocational fields are vast and varied such as, pharmacy and medical technicians, paralegals, medical assistants, office assistants, cosmetologists, mechanics and construction workers; it assists in higher graduation rates; increased employment; and overall student achievement. The objective in education is to assist students in their quest of having a stable life. A vocational education reinforces the connections between secondary and postsecondary education, and improves accountability for students.

Report Writing, Household Waste Management Essay

Acknowledgements The team would like to convey its sincere gratitude to the youth members of Shimultala who participated as interviewers in the survey. Thanks are also extended to the Councilor Mr. A.K. Azad, members of the Local Project Management Committee and the people of Shimultala for their hospitality and support. Executive Summary: Being one of the third world developing countries, Bangladesh is still in the process of development of a sustainable and effective waste management system throughout the country. Though the scale of consumption of food, energy and other resources & products in Bangladesh is much less than any developed countries, waste management here is still poor due to lack of adequate knowledge amongst the people about how negatively this wastes can impact on peoples’ health, environment and aesthetic. The generation of waste here is increasing parallel with the growth of the country’s economy and infrastructure since waste generation is closely linked to population, urbanization and affluence. Human beings produce a variety of waste, which can be classified into two broad groups: organic and inorganic. Organic waste is biodegradable and generally decomposes fairly rapidly, while inorganic waste decomposes much more slowly. In Bangladesh like other developing countries with increasing population, prosperity and urbanization, it remains a major challenge for municipalities to collect, recycle, treat and dispose of increasing quantities of both organic and inorganic wastes. To determine how this report could assist in the management of waste, the team decided to carry out a survey in the Shimultola area to figure out what types of waste are being produced and how they are handled. A survey questionnaire was formulated for this purpose and a survey was carried out by the members of the team along with a small group of young people of Shimultola. The survey was carried out on a sample size of 159 household in the area out of which only 143 participated in the survey. Some heads of households were reluctant to take part in the survey for the following reasons: disagreement with the involvement of the youth as survey interviewers, refusal to disclose information about how they handle their waste, and the belief that waste management with the project is unnecessary because the people already  know what to do but are simply unorganized and irresponsible. Based on the evaluation of available data, the report recommends establishing a suitable location for every little area, which will serve as the communal dumpsite for non-recyclable inorganic waste. A feasible waste collection and disposal system should be established immediately. Waste separation should be encouraged and each waste type should be disposed of in an appropriate manner. The sale of recyclable material should be organized. Composting of organic waste should be encouraged. Existing waste management regulations and their enforcement should be reviewed and amended. A variety of awareness activities — targeting different age, gender and interest groups within the village — should be carried out to encourage proper and responsible disposal of waste. The general poor state of cleanliness and the continued use of open areas for dumping wastes are clear indications that the majority of the people are not convinced about the negative health and environmental impacts of improper waste disposal. In addition, although local regulations relating to waste disposal exist, they are simply not being enforced. In order to improve the situation, the people must make an effort to dispose of various types of waste in a responsible manner. The existing regulations should be reviewed and amended to improve monitoring and enforcement. A common dumpsite needs to be established, accompanied by a feasible collection and disposal system.

5 5-Paragraph Essay Topics Meet the Top Popular Issues to Debate!

5 5-Paragraph Essay Topics Meet the Top Popular Issues to Debate! A 5-paragraph essay is a standard writing for schools and universities which in its specific form implements the structured text consisting of five paragraphs. That is where the name comes from. Such papers are mostly used to discuss various points and for this reason always have a strong argumentative constituent. Therefore when choosing a topic for a five paragraph essay one needs to remember that the subject needs to involve some ambivalence or have several points of view at the subject that might be disclosed. The 5-paragraph essay topic must enable you to draw strong argument to support or reject it so that the effects on the reader you are aiming at is reached. Most of the time students choose some popular or urgent social issues that are rather disputable to be the subject of their five paragraph essay. The diversity of such topics can spread from social minorities to world affairs and a very important advantage here is that there always exist several standpoints opening a good perspective for strong convincing arguments. The structure of a five paragraph essay is purposely set that way when every paragraph starting with the introduction is leading through the topic building up on the argument to present you a concluding viewpoint. Nevertheless choosing a good topic is a key factor on the way to successful essay. Since such type of writing does not involve any detailed description and broad discussion the topic should preferably be brief but catchy and known to the majority of the poten tial readers. Whenever you are going to write a five paragraph essay start with a thorough topic selection which will play its part in the whole writing process and help you create a good paper.

Analyze How Chinese Women Immigrants History was Linked to American Womens History essays

Analyze How Chinese Women Immigrants' History was Linked to American Womens History essays The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the topic of American history. Specifically it will link Chinese women immigrants' history to American women's history. Chinese women have a particularly difficult history in America, because many of the first Chinese women to immigrate to America were prostitutes imported to serve the many single Chinese men working in the country. Chinese women were effectually banned from immigrating to the country for many years, and most Chinese men left their wives and children behind in China because it was much cheaper for them to live there. The men simply sent money back home to support their families. 1 Chinese women's history parallels American women's history in many ways, but Chinese women have a much shorter history in this country, and most faced many hardships due to their race. Chinese women immigrated to American in exceedingly small numbers until the 20th century. In the mid-1800s, there were 63,000 Chinese in the United States, and nearly all of them were men. They came to this country as laborers, and left their families behind. Most of them fully intended to return to China and reunite with their families, and perhaps half of them did, but many remained in the U.S., mostly on the West Coast, where Chinatowns sprang up in most large west coast cities. 2 In 1882, the U.S. passed an exclusion law, banning almost all Chinese from immigrating to this country, and it made it illegal for Chinese already here to become citizens, too. This kept even more Chinese women in China, and this law lasted until the 1943, and kept the ratio of Chinese men to Chinese women extremely high. One author notes, "By 1890, there were about twenty-seven Chinese men for every Chinese woman. As late as 1930, the ratio was still four to one." 3 During the time of immigration exclusion, thousands of Chinese were smuggled into the country, and many of them were women. Most of ...

Ashley Flores Missing Person Hoax - Urban Legends

Ashley Flores Missing Person Hoax - Urban Legends Chain emails and online postings seek help locating Ashley Flores, a 13-year-old girl allegedly missing in Philadelphia. Description: HoaxCirculating since: May 2006Status: False (details below) 2012 example:As shared on Facebook, April 2, 2012: I am asking you all, begging you to please forward this msg on to anyone and everyone you know, PLEASE. My 13 year old girl, Ashley Flores, is missing. She has been missing for two weeks It only takes 2 seconds to forward this. If it was your child, you would want all the help you could get. Louise Louw Tel: 27 31 303 1001 Cell: 27 82 509 6676 SFTBC 2006 example:Email contributed by M.M., May 11, 2006: Subject: Missing Girl from PhillyPlease pass this to everyone in your address book.We have a Deli manager (Acme Markets) from Philadelphia, Pa who has a 13 year old daughter who has been missing for 2 weeks.Keep the picture moving on. With luck on her side she will be found.I am asking you all, begging you to please forward this email on to anyone and everyone you know, PLEASE. My 13 year old girl, Ashley Flores, is missing. She has been missing for now two weeks. It is still not too late. Please help us. If anyone any where knows anything, please contact me at:HelpfindAshleyFloresyahoo.comI am including a picture of her. All prayers are appreciated!! Ashley Flores missingIt only takes 2 seconds to forward this.If it was your child, you would want all the help you could get. Analysis: This is a hoax, circulating since May 2006. Neither the Philadelphia Police Department nor the National Center for Missing Exploited Children lists (or has ever listed) a missing child by the name of Ashley Flores. No Amber Alert has ever been issued in her name. Moreover, the viral message contains none of the critical details one would expect to find in a real alert for example, a physical description of the missing person, the time and place of disappearance and contact information. Another giveaway is the presence in the body of the message of several sentences copied word-for-word from previous missing child hoaxes (see Penny Brown and C.J. Mineo). The Ashley Flores / MySpace Connection Though she never really went missing, it appears that Ashley Flores does exist and lived in Philadelphia when these alerts first started going around. By following hyperlinks embedded in a version posted on MySpace.com, I found an exact match (long since deleted) for the image above in a photo gallery on Photobucket.com, along with several others (long since deleted) that were uploaded by the same user and featured a young woman named Ashley who bore more than a passing resemblance to the girl pictured above. The images were posted by someone using the screen name Vixter609, whom I found blogging under the same alias on MySpace.com with her given name listed as Vicki, her age as 17 and her city of residence as Philadelphia. When I contacted Vicki to ask what, if anything, she knew about Ashley Flores and her status as a missing person, I received the following reply (reproduced verbatim): ashley flores is not missing it was a merly a joke that got completely out of hand please imform everyone that e-mail that she is NOT missing it was a joke im sorry about any confusion Subsequent inquiries went unanswered. That this little joke caused confusion is putting it mildly. 2009 Update After a version of the Ashley Flores email containing the contact info of the Rolla, Missouri police department circulated in 2009, said police department was forced to change its telephone number because it was receiving up to 75 calls per day on the matter. The citys online FAQ page still contains a reference to the hoax. The Flores alert is listed on the U.S. Department of Justice Amber Alert website as a known hoax. Further reading: Weekly Press Gets PunkdPhiladelphia Will Do (blog), 1 June 2006 Missing Girl Hoax SpreadsSydney Morning Herald, 28 June 2006 Fake Amber Alert Spreading Throughout UtahDeseret News, 10 February 2009

Why Hospitals should hire Patient Navigator Research Paper

Why Hospitals should hire Patient Navigator - Research Paper Example The populations with limited access on the healthcare system encounter difficulty in using the system leading to delay in cancer diagnosis, added costs, less efficient, and effective use of recommended therapies. The patient navigation programs provide support and guidance to people with the goal of improving access to the cancer care system and overcome barriers to quality care. This paper will present a conceptual model to evaluate cost-effectiveness of cancer patient navigation-programs, discuss challenges, and the best approach to address the challenges. Evaluating the economic impact of patient navigation has a wide array of activities that involves different settings while it suffers from inadequate of information. Different cost elements differ in the study perspective. Different researchers present interventions to determine the relevant cost measures that assess the economic value of patient navigation. The history of the patient navigation programs attributes to Harold Freeman the chair of American Cancer Society that commissioned the study of barrier to cancer among the poor in America. The success of the pioneer program and recognition of significant barriers to cancer diagnosis continue to exist among the minority and the underserved populations. Currently, many patient navigation programs work to reduce barriers to care at all levels. The growing popularity and publication of promising observational studies fail to evaluate the efficacy of navigator programs. Researchers are yet to establish the cost-effectiveness and the impact of navigation programs on cancer-related morbidity and survival. The patient navigator programs can be time and resource intensive. Similar to other interventions may improve the health of poor and underserved populations. One should view the navigation programs in the context of allocating resources to maximize health outcomes on limited budgets. It is important to

Pharisees and Sadducees Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pharisees and Sadducees - Essay Example The Pharisees were the flag bearers of the Mosaic law (The Torah). They also fought with Judas Maccabeus for the cause of religious freedom. It is said that they increased in numbers and had considerable clout during the Roman period, and as a result they became the most popular party. A number of Pharisees gave stress on the formal aspects of religion but didn't pay much heed to the spiritual (cf. Matthew 23). Nevertheless they do believed in the existence of angels, demons, the resurrection of the body, and the existence of heaven and hell (Acts 23:7-8). They had a very firm belief that they are the chosen people by God and are the keepers of the Law and the Messiah would come to them one day. According to the 'Random House Dictionary of the English Langauge' 'Sadducee' is a member of an ancient Palestinian sect that differed from the Pharisees chiefly in interpreting the bible literally, rejecting oral laws and traditions, and denying an afterlife and the coming of the Messiah. It is believed that the term possibly derived from the founder, Zadok. They were the leading party of the rich, wealthy, aristocrats and the priestly class. They also indulged themselves in diplomacy and making foreign relations. The Pharisees socially were common people, the figure of authority in them was the 'Disciples of the Wise' they had a selective attitude to Hellenism, as regarding their attitude to hasmoneans they were opposed to usurpation of monarchy, they believed in free will, angels and afterlife, they believed in Sophisticated scholarly interpretations of the Bible, written Torah and also advocated application of priestly laws to non-priests. In contrast to them the Sadducees came from the background of Priests and aristocrats, the figure of authority in them were the priests, they were for Hellenism, opposed usurpation of priesthood by non-Zadokites , they advocated free will but didn't believe in angels and afterlife. They had a Literalist attitude towards the Holy Bible but didn't believe in the oral Torah, they laid emphasis on priestly obligations. The Pharisees as well as Sadducees followed the Luni Solar Calendar. Within the ministry of Jesus the Pharisees had many confrontations with him, as their beliefs were entirely opposed to what the Jesus preached. Jesus openly violated many of their oral laws. "He mixed freely with tax collectors and sinners, making Him ceremonially unclean (Luke 7:39). He ate and drank with them, and was called a glutton and a drunkard (Luke 7:34). He ate with ceremonially unclean hands (Luke 11:38). He broke their Sabbath laws by healing people, and gleaning corn to eat (Luke 13:14, Matthew 12:1-2). He forgave peoples' sins, which to the Pharisees was blasphemy (Luke 5:21). He also freely criticised the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and self righteousness (Luke 11:37-52). In the Pharisees' eyes, Jesus was guilty of law breaking and blasphemy. The idea of Jesus criticising them was an outrage (Luke 6:11). They also saw Him as a threat both to their popularity and their authority over the people (Luke 13:17). Because of this they plotted to kill Him. Throughout His min istry they questioned Him, trying to catch Him in His answers in order to hand Him over to the Roman Governor (Luke 11:53)." (Retrieved from 'The Law and the Sabbath' http://www.lastdays.org.uk/jesuspha.html 15 January 2009)

Music concert report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Music concert report - Essay Example Other pieces played had incorporation of instruments such as bass guitar, Hammond organ, harmonica, and electric guitar blue rock. Personally, I comprehended the genre associated with heavy metal , boogie rock , Garage rock , southern rock , punk blues hard rock. The band consisted of blend of old generation people with youthful blood in it. The organizers of the event sold their tickets through Ticketmaster.com quite early in time thus facilitating the convergence of a substantial number of people to the function. From the concert I mastered the relevant core blues rock. These were an electric guitar, drum kit and bass guitar which the artists applied to ignite the mood of the people. The electric hugely amplified via the tube guitar in a typical overdrive effect. It was observable that to produce the customized reverberation, two guitars were played in subsequence to riffs and some of the chords on the rhythmical guitar. Synchronically, another artist must be playing corresponding melodic lines and rhythmical solos from the lead guitar. While at the concerts we as the audience were served with cool nice combination of instruments melodies thus widening our zeal and love for the music. Am not a fan of rock but I had to appreciate the model on which it was availed. The musicals created a conducive and soothing environment. The fusion of drumbeats and other instruments provided very nice tranquility and comfort zone.Personally, my main aim for the occasion was to relate with history.

Compare and Contrast Country Lovers and The Welcome Essay

Compare and Contrast Country Lovers and The Welcome - Essay Example However, other issues that are related to the study of literary works such as style are usually the same. The thematic concerns that are centered in literary works are also mostly the same. These are the various factors that are discussed when looking at literary works. This paper will be a discussion of two literary works Country Lovers by Nadine Gordimer and The Welcome Table by Alice Walker. Focus will be on content, form, style and setting of the two literary works. These features will be analyzed so as to ascertain the rationalization that they have towards developing the themes of race and ethnicity that are common in both works. All these aspects as pertains to the two stories will be compared and contrasted. Both literary works, Country Lovers and The Welcome Table are short stories. They can be found in a number of collected anthologies. However, despite the fact that they are both story stories, they are quite different. While Gordimer’s story is long and quite detai led, this is not the case in The Welcome Table. This story is quite brief but still manages to pass the message that it was intended to. Through descriptive words, the author has still managed to come up with a plot that is interesting to follow. Therefore, while both literary works are short stories, one is long and much more detailed than the other. This is what contrasts the two literary works of art in terms of form. It also makes them quite interesting to study. ? ­ One aspect that is similar in both Country Lovers and The Welcome Table is the protest about racism; this is followed by the tragic human consequences that this practice comes with. Despite the fact that the stories are written based on the same thematic concerns, the context in which they are written is very different. Moreover, the way in which they are written and the emotional impact that they have on the readers are not the same. For example, whilst Gordimer’s story is written in South Africa when the apartheid regime was rampant, Walker’s story is set in the United States during the post civil war period. These were different historical times that occurred in places that are far apart and the experiences that the characters in this stories had may not have been the same. During the Apartheid system, the law, under the operation of the state was used to impose difficult living conditions on the non-whites in South Africa (Union of South Africa, 2012). This situation can be seen from the text, while Paulus went to school and lived in full comfort and sometimes even enjoying some luxuries, like movies, this was not the same case with Thebedi, she was supposed to do manual labor on the white man’s house with education being a secondary objective to her and the other black children (Gordimer, 1975). This was as per the law that ensured that there was a great disparity between the lives of the blacks and the whites. While this was the situation for the blacks, all wealth , economic and educational opportunities were privileges that were exclusively reserved for the whites in South Africa. On the other hand Walker focuses on the plight that the older rural based African Americans go through. This is through the life of complete slavery that they have been subjected to and they are still subjected to. Even though some reforms were made during the Civil Rights era, there is a lot of subjugation that the blacks

The CAGE and AAA Models as the Drivers of Globalization Essay - 3

The CAGE and AAA Models as the Drivers of Globalization - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that globalization, in the business sector, is widening. More and more companies, in the recent days, have either gone global or are contemplating on doing so. The reason as to why a company needs to globalize its dealings are still unclear to most, but they believe that more the company spreads its branches internationally the better. Globalisation comes with its challenges though. Being an international business entails a myriad of issues. It is in this connection that various frameworks and models have been formulated to give insight on what is required successfully to establish an international business. Nokia, BOEING, Renault, FedEx, Virgin Group and Vodafone are perfect examples of successful international companies. Nokia, for instance, is a handset manufacturing company, whose products are sold in over 150 countries. The company earns an estimated annual income of 38 billion sterling pounds. In India, Nokia is the largest multinatio nal company, yet the company is located in Finland. Nokia employed a cost leadership technique in India, to look for various ways of cutting cost and making their products readily available. These involved setting up manufacturing stations for handsets, creating financial options for mobile phones and together with network providers to reduce airtime cost. Nokia also created the distribution network that attracted over 25000 dealers, this was three times the size of Samsung and six times the six that of Sony Ericsson. Moreover, Nokia considered working with distributors of fast moving consumer goods and consumer durables. This enabled their products to be readily available to consumers on the market, thus explaining their dominance in India. Nokia operates in the telephone and communications industry. Globalisation has a played a notable role in this type of industry. Companies are monopolizing their dealing, and this has substantially led to globalization. Large telecommunication c ompanies have taken over this industry and hence denying the smaller companies a chance to develop. The local companies are faced with stiff competition from these multinationals making them pull out of business. According to the CAGE and AAA frameworks, this kills local entrepreneurial spirits and increases dependence on the advanced nations. However, globalization has led to improved services in the telecommunication sector. Large organizations have sufficient capital, hence, investing in expensive networks that are of highly rated. The networks provide faster transfer of quality sound and videos, which are convenient for subscribers. The success of any multinational company depends on the strategies they decide to adopt. A proper framework gives the business guidelines, which could enable it to attain multinationalism. Some of the most popular frameworks include the CAGE distance framework, AAA model, Adding Value and Drivers of Globalization. CAGE distance framework considers th e cultural, administrative, geographical, as well as economic differences, and factors when selecting the countries a company should address when crafting international strategies. This framework was formulated by Pankaj Ghemawat, a business professor, in Spain, at the IESE Business School. The framework links interactions between countries to their national incomes divided by some composite measure of distance. Cultural distance, in this case, refers to the difference in languages, ethnicities, religion, values, norms, and dispositions of a particular nation. Companies should use the CAGE distance framework as it includes both bilateral and unilateral factors. It is also more practical than other frameworks due to some of its aspects.

Compare and Contrast Country Lovers and The Welcome Essay

Compare and Contrast Country Lovers and The Welcome - Essay Example However, other issues that are related to the study of literary works such as style are usually the same. The thematic concerns that are centered in literary works are also mostly the same. These are the various factors that are discussed when looking at literary works. This paper will be a discussion of two literary works Country Lovers by Nadine Gordimer and The Welcome Table by Alice Walker. Focus will be on content, form, style and setting of the two literary works. These features will be analyzed so as to ascertain the rationalization that they have towards developing the themes of race and ethnicity that are common in both works. All these aspects as pertains to the two stories will be compared and contrasted. Both literary works, Country Lovers and The Welcome Table are short stories. They can be found in a number of collected anthologies. However, despite the fact that they are both story stories, they are quite different. While Gordimer’s story is long and quite detai led, this is not the case in The Welcome Table. This story is quite brief but still manages to pass the message that it was intended to. Through descriptive words, the author has still managed to come up with a plot that is interesting to follow. Therefore, while both literary works are short stories, one is long and much more detailed than the other. This is what contrasts the two literary works of art in terms of form. It also makes them quite interesting to study. ? ­ One aspect that is similar in both Country Lovers and The Welcome Table is the protest about racism; this is followed by the tragic human consequences that this practice comes with. Despite the fact that the stories are written based on the same thematic concerns, the context in which they are written is very different. Moreover, the way in which they are written and the emotional impact that they have on the readers are not the same. For example, whilst Gordimer’s story is written in South Africa when the apartheid regime was rampant, Walker’s story is set in the United States during the post civil war period. These were different historical times that occurred in places that are far apart and the experiences that the characters in this stories had may not have been the same. During the Apartheid system, the law, under the operation of the state was used to impose difficult living conditions on the non-whites in South Africa (Union of South Africa, 2012). This situation can be seen from the text, while Paulus went to school and lived in full comfort and sometimes even enjoying some luxuries, like movies, this was not the same case with Thebedi, she was supposed to do manual labor on the white man’s house with education being a secondary objective to her and the other black children (Gordimer, 1975). This was as per the law that ensured that there was a great disparity between the lives of the blacks and the whites. While this was the situation for the blacks, all wealth , economic and educational opportunities were privileges that were exclusively reserved for the whites in South Africa. On the other hand Walker focuses on the plight that the older rural based African Americans go through. This is through the life of complete slavery that they have been subjected to and they are still subjected to. Even though some reforms were made during the Civil Rights era, there is a lot of subjugation that the blacks

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 122

Assignment Example Firstly, I would like to express my satisfaction with the writing of this play. Indeed, by composing it, Euripides was out to demonstrate his literary prowess. In his writing, the author effectively used the element of characterization. He made a good choice of characters that would make it much easier for him to deliver his intended message to the audience. Each of the characters was given a name and role that perfectly suits them. They include Medea, Jason, Children, Glauce, Creon, Aegeus, Messenger, Nurse and the Tutor. Each of these played a very significant role in promoting the continuity of the play and developing its themes. The interaction between the protagonist and other characters was quite impressive. The role played by characters like Medea and Jason helped in demonstrating how the Ancient Greek society was discriminative and bias towards the womenfolk. All these were clearly brought out by the manner in which the author empowered his characters. If it were not for them , the play would not have enjoyed an uninterrupted continuity. Besides, the play has adequately utilized the aspect of theme. In his composition, the author was very much concerned about a particular message he was intending to pass to his target audience. Apart from using appropriate characters to help in doing this, he chose a good setting that suits the play. Essentially, Corinth is one of the historical Greek cities that can be used to understand the Ancient Greek history by shedding more light on how the Greeks interacted amongst themselves and with their gods on the day to day basis. With characters like Medea as a protagonist, the author would not struggle to explore the themes of position of women in the society, love, pride and revenge. The theme of love was produced as a result of the love affair between Medea and Jason and later Jason and

Factors to Determine Ethical Behavior Essay Example for Free

Factors to Determine Ethical Behavior Essay Scott: I couldn’t agree more. And nowhere is this more evident than in corporate America. We see ethics at play all the time, with Bernie Madoff and his Ponzi scheme, the Enron scandal, Exxon, BP, and many, many more examples. Ethical behavior can make or break a company. Diane: Sure, I remember people passing up Exxon stations after the Valdez accident several years ago; same with the BP oil spill. Boycotts against companies happen all the time if they forget they have to be good corporate citizens, in addition to turning a profit. Scott: I think the issue here, in a discussion of ethics though, is what determines ethical and unethical behavior. Can we give people any kind of a framework that might help to easily determine what is seen as correct behavior and what needs changing in a corporate setting? Diane: Of course! And while none of these ideas are foolproof, in general, they cover the majority of signs or problems to look out for and be aware of. You have to look at the individual employee’s stage of moral development, their individual characteristics, the structure of the company, the company culture and then look at how big the issue itself really is. Scott: Well, I’m interested in a few concepts that I’ve never really heard of before. Talk to us a little about â€Å"the stages of moral development.† Diane: Gladly. There are three levels inherent in moral development. You have the pre-conventional level, which deals with consequences from the outside dictating moral behavior†¦ Scott: So, an example might be my grandfather, who  always talked about the nuns who taught at his Catholic school breaking out the rulers. That would be pre-conventional, right? Diane: Exactly. It’s all about how outside punishment or reward affects the choices people make between what is right and what is wrong. Scott: So, if that’s pre-conventional, I’m betting that the second level is conventional, then. People just living up to the standards of society – what other people believe for the most part is right and wrong. Diane: That is it exactly, and that leads to the third level, which is the principled level. This is beyond responding to an outside stimulus or to our own notions of what others believe is right and wrong. At the principled level, people now look inside themselves and make a determination removed from all those other factors affecting what they believe is right or wrong behavior. Scott: Well, that does make a lot of sense. So then, what are the individual characteristics that can have an influence on moral behavior? Diane: Values and personality are the two things that govern these individual characteristics. A person’s individual values begin developing during childhood and continue to develop through experiences, discussions with other people and interactions with family, friends, teachers, religious figures, and others. A person’s value system is very broad and includes many different areas. Personality deals more with two specific ideas, that of ego strength and locus of control. Scott: Sure, ego strength influences a person’s convictions. If you have a high degree of ego strength, then moral convictions will be easier to hold. â€Å"Locus of control† isn’t a concept I’m too familiar with though. Diane: A person’s locus of control has to do with fate. Some people believe they have a lot of control in their lives, while others believe that things are left to the wind. Those who have an internal locus of control believe they are in control, while those who have an external locus are more apt to believe that things will happen to them because of fate or luck or mere happenstance. Scott: So I know we’ve talked before about how a company is structured; whether or not it is centralized or decentralized. That plays a significant role as well, correct? Diane: It does, very much so. The more hands touch something, the less likely it is that any strict controls put in place will stick. The less people you have managing a process, the more tightly the controls can be monitored. This of course would be inaccurate if you had, say, one person managing everything who was inherently unethical. Then there would be nobody to call them to account. The structure of a company is a significant factor in the ethical behavior put into practice. Scott: The ethical behavior of individuals is fascinating and all, but what about the ethical behavior of organizational culture? Some companies encourage transparency and ethical behavior at all times. They have realized that openness and honesty are good for the bottom line in the long run and ensure a strong core brand. Other companies may not overtly tell people to act unethically, but have individual â€Å"bad actors† inside the corporation who might encourage people to do things they shouldn’t. Diane: Exactly. And we all know examples of this. We hear about chemical companies dumping dangerous waste that contaminates ground water, about cigarette companies lying about how dangerous and addictive their product is, or about banks and the â€Å"robo-signing† scandal during the last recession. All of these activities, while not necessarily condoned by everyone across the enterprise, were OK’d by certain people within the corporation and seriously damaged the brands involved. Scott: And of course, this is where issue intensity is important, because while we don’t like to admit it, some unethical behaviors are worse or more impactful than others. While all unethical behavior should be avoided, dumping toxic chemicals into water that could kill thousands of people could arguably be seen as worse than, say, an employee who is skimming a few dollars here and there from a company. Both are bad, wrong, and can cause harm, but the characteristics  that determine issue intensity show us that there are indeed levels of unethical behavior, and they can determine the likelihood of this kind of behavior occurring in the future. Diane: And these characteristics – greatness of harm, consensus of wrong, probability of harm, immediacy of consequences, proximity to the victim, and concentration of effect – all play a role in determining when and why something unethical might occur. The less these factors play a role, the more likely for fraud or other unethical behavior to occur. If the victim isn’t seen, if the consequences are far in the future, or if the behavior only affects one person, the possibility for unethical behavior is likely to see a jump. Scott: And to talk more about this, we’d like to welcome to the show Scott Hyder, attorney at law. Diane: Hello Scott – welcome to our show. Let me ask you, how does ethics play a part with respect to certain professions that require licensing to do business? Scott Hyder: Well, it’s incredibly important particularly in very regulated businesses such as businesses where you need a license. I’m an attorney and so every attorney has to follow a certain set of ethics guidelines regardless of the state that you’re in. Every state has passed very detailed ethical rules that are approved by the state’s Supreme Court and it’s not a matter of if, or a matter of choice, or just a matter of morals when following the ethical rules. It’s a matter about whether your license will be revoked if you don’t and many times you’re violating ethical rules unintentionally; it’s usually NOT an intentional  thing. It goes anywhere from disclosing client confidences to wrongful accounting practices, even if they are innocent mistakes. So, we really have to be careful as lawyers because if we don’t comply with these rules, all it takes is one client’s bar complaint to open up the flood gates. A client could complain about poor service from a lawyer, file a complaint with the state bar who regulates all lawyers but, by the end of the day, even if the client’s complaint about the service of the lawyer is frivolous, the attorney could be sanctioned for other unrelated things that become apparent as a result of the investigation. It’s very common, for example, for a complaint to be filed but ultimate charges are implemented that have to do with wrongful accounting practices, competence issues and if that kind of thing happens, your license can be suspended and if it’s very egregious, it can be revoked. Scott: Very interesting discussion, Scott, thank you so much for all your time. Diane: And thank you all of you listening. We’ve appreciated your time and hope that you’ve gained a great deal from this content. Scott: Until next time!

Power of Images to Influence and Inform

Power of Images to Influence and Inform Images of Perfection in an Imperfect World. Abstract The power of images to influence and inform cannot be underestimated. This is especially true in contemporary society, where we are continually bombarded with images and with the messages implicit in them. The messages they emit are far-reaching, pervasive, and overwhelming in sheer magnitude. Most importantly: they are perfect. Photographs of beauty queens and movie stars the nearly perfect people who are the icons of society are manipulated so that the images are of true perfection. Blemishes dissolve, complexions glow, pounds melt away, and teeth sparkle as technology works its magic. When these images appear in the format of magazines targeted at young people, all of society should be concerned. What messages are informing the thoughts of youth today? How are they reacting? What can we do if we see that damage is being done? This paper will address that question, with a particular emphasis on the print publications aimed at girls and young women, who are statistically more apt to be bombarded with unattainable goals in the form of endless images of perfection. The people apparently in control of these publications particularly editors should have the authority to control that content, to redirect and or redistribute it to present more realistic views to their readers. This is particularly when faced, as they are, with evidence that the messages they are disseminating are harmful to large numbers of young people. In the case of young women who suffer from eating disorders, that evidence is in fact overwhelming. This paper intends to demonstrate the harm that is being done to young people globally, and most especially to young women, and the responsibility of the media to be accountable for content or at the very least, to stop airbrushing all the blemishes and imperfections they may see on original images, and present a more realistic and attainable vision of reality to those who seek it in their pages. Liz Jones When Liz Jones, who was then editor of the women’s magazine Marie Claire, resigned from the magazine, it was not a sudden decision. It was, rather, the culmination of a lifetime of experiences as a female member of society, followed by years working in a business that had a great influence on females in society. Quite simply: she had had enough. She explained publicly the reasons she decided to step down from her position as editor at Marie Claire, and she did so with heartfelt emotion and compelling clarity. First, she described her feelings earlier that year as she sat through another season of high fashion: modeling spectacles in which all eyes are upon myriads of unnaturally thin young women the ‘supermodels’: For those used to the fashion industry there was nothing unusual about the shows at all. But for me it was the end, it was then that I decided to resign as editor of Marie Claire magazine. I had reached the point where I had simply had enough of working in an industry that pretends to support women while it bombards them with impossible images of perfection day after day, undermining their self-confidence, their health and hard-earned cash (Jones, 2001). Jones goes on to explain the sequence of events that, together, resulted in her resignation. One of the most important factors was the considerable effort she had put into a campaign to effect profound change on the media’s approach to and impact on young women. The campaign was met with such vehement hostility that she found it extremely difficult to continue to be involved with this part of the industry. Just one year earlier, she notes, she had optimistic beliefs unrealistic, perhaps about the prospects for change: ‘I believed wholeheartedly that we could stop magazines and advertisers using underweight girls as fashion icons’ she wrote (2001). She had already proscribed articles about diets and weight-loss, which was an action that was far ahead of its time. This was clearly a step in the right direction but she knew that it was not enough. As part of an experiment, she decided to publish the same edition with two covers one of size-six Pamela Anderson, and one with the fleshier size twelve Sophie Dahl. Marie Claire then asked readers to choose ‘between the skinny, cosmetically enhanced â€Å"perfection†, or a more attainable, but still very beautiful curvy woman’ (2001). There was literally no contest; Sophie Dahl clearly won the support of the readers. The reaction that followed the contest was ‘staggering’, Jones noted. A media frenzy ensued; universities wanted to include it in their course curricula; filmmakers made documentaries about it; and, perhaps most tellingly, an unprecedented number of readers reacted and responded with enthusiastic and overwhelming support. However, the one group whose cooperation was most expected and most needed other members of the industry refused to rally. Jones found no support from her colleagues; instead, they reacted with a vehemence and aggression that both stunned and saddened her. ‘The very people from whom I had expected the most support my fellow female editors were unanimous in their disapproval’, Jones wrote. ‘They were my peers, friends, and colleagues I sat next to in the front row of the fashion shows. They were also the most important, influential group of women in the business, the only people who could change the fashion and beauty industry’ (2001). Some labeled her a ‘traitor’; others suggested that she was using this campaign as some sort of clever ploy to boost circulation numbers. She was even accused of discrimination against thin models. Model agencies began to blacklist the magazine. Despite this, Jones redoubled her efforts. She even spoke publicly about her own struggles with eating disorders. From the age of eleven, she admitted, she was plagued with the eating disorder anorexia a disorder that lasted well into her twenties. Because of this, she explained, she was very able to understand how deleterious it was for young women to subsist on ‘a daily diet of unrealistically tiny role models gracing the pages of the magazines’ that they are addicted to, as she was (Jones, 2001). Furthermore, she does not lay blame on the publications exclusively; rather, she points out that they definitely did more harm than good. If they were not the impetus that set off the disorder, the graphics she was so bo mbarded with seemed to encourage it: ‘the images definitely perpetuated the hatred I had for my own body’ (2001). To test her theory, the research team at Marie Claire formed a focus group of young, bright, accomplished women. The women were asked a series of questions about their bodies, after which they were free to peruse a selected group of magazines for approximately an hour. When the hour was up, the same questions were asked this time, the answers were very different. ‘Their self-esteem had plummeted’ Jones writes (2001). As the literature and research to be presented in this paper shows, the results of Ms. Jones informal sociological study was very close to the truth: her instincts were right on the mark. However, in hostile surroundings with little support, she was unable to follow them. It soon became clear that the tide of advertisers was far too strong a force to fight from within the industry, and she reached a point of no return: ‘I refuse to conform with an industry that could, literally, kill’ wrote Jones, a survivor. Chapter I. Background.A. Predecessors and Successors Liz Jones was not the first woman to struggle in the name of editorial change. Along with Jones, there were her American predecessors, Grace Mirabella of Vogue, and Gloria Steinem of Ms. In her autobiography, In and Out of Vogue, Mirabella writes about receiving a virtual threat from her publishers, ordering her not to include any articles that criticised cigarette smoking. She was told there should not be even a hint that there might be medical risks associated with nicotine use despite the fact that evidence had already been made known to the public that such risks existed. The reason for this was advertising, the lifeblood of the magazine. Millions and millions of dollars were poured into magazine advertisements by tobacco giants. This gave tobacco manufacturers a sense of power, a right to have input, or even to dictate, what made up the content of the publications they advertised in. They made it clear that any disparagement of their product however valid would result in thei r immediately pulling their advertisements and discontinuing their sponsorship (Mirabella, 1995). Unable or unwilling to risk this, the publishers of Vogue passed on the restrictions to Mirabella. The fact that the health of female readers who also supported the magazine by purchasing it might have been compromised was virtually a non-issue. Another of Jones’ predecessors was American feminist Gloria Steinem, whose magazine Ms. was groundbreaking in a number of ways, and especially in its handling of advertisements. The editors of Ms. Magazine battled constantly with advertisers who contributed to the magazine’s coffers. Noted writer Marilyn French discusses the battles Ms. had with both Clairol and Revlon, two of its major sponsors. Both cases share similarities with the Vogue situation and are worth mentioning. Both companies withdrew their advertisements and cut off funding, each for different but equally significant reasons. Clairol did this after Ms. ran text that included information about medical studies that suggested the possibility of there being carcinogens in hair-dye products. Clairol, well known for its hair-care products, had regularly placed advertisements in the magazine until a disturbing article appeared alongside them, addressing the possibility of carcinogenic content in hair dyes. The topic had already been made public, and was, in fact, the topic of congressional proceedings at the time. In addition, the possibility of cancer-causing agents was widely reported in newspapers and other publications. Still, Clairol was not pleased to have that information appear in the same publication in which it placed advertisements for that very product. The advertisements were removed. Revlon’s reason for cutting off Ms. was slightly different, and certainly less compelling. Revlon executives were disgruntled with the appearance of a cover photograph which showed faces of women from the Soviet Union it was the cover story, and one which they had initially supported. The subject area was something rarely written about at that time, about a populist movement in Afghanistan, and was considered quite an achievement by many, both from within and outside the industry. However, the women in the photos were not wearing Revlon products they were not wearing makeup at all. The company found this objectionable because if the women were not wearing makeup, the cover story was not selling Revlon products(French, 1992: 171). That was enough for Revlon. The advertisements were removed. Later on came an editor from Australia: Cyndi Tebbel, who headed New Woman Australia in 1996. For a year and a half, Tebbel focused on self-help that could not be equated with self-flagellation: she said â€Å"no† to diets, â€Å"yes† to relationship and career advice. In 1997, near the end of her leadership, she published a groundbreaking issue embracing the concept of and featuring large-size models. Although the original strap was ‘Fat Is Back’, the issue finally ran as ‘The Big Issue’. Sales did not plummet, but neither did they soar. Still ‘The Big Issue’ was perceived as ‘unglamorous’, and did little to win support for Tebbel’s cause. Shortly after its publication, Tebbel resigned. There are more and more editors like this as well as writers, designers, photographers, even fashion models themselves who are ‘coming out’ as true supporters of women ‘as they are’. This is, no doubt, due in good part to the work of those that came before. However, they are still a minority, albeit a strong one. B. Fashion Victims What is it that women want? In her book Fashion Victim, editor and writer Michelle Lee raises a number of valid points as she attempts to answer this question.She speculates on what would happen if mainstream magazines began to feature plus-size, or even slightly plump models on their front covers: ‘Even if magazines showed heavier body types on a regular basis, would consumers really respond positively?’ She answers the question by explaining that in theory, we like the idea of showing realistic portrayals of ‘real’ women but the truth is that we don’t like to see them. ‘We appreciate the idea of magazines that use larger models’ Lee asserts. ‘We’re glad they exist. We like the idea of magazines that show more â€Å"realistic† sizes. The only problem is that we don’t buy them, and then they go out of business’ (Lee, 2003: 144). She follows this statement with statistics to underscore her point. The poin t that truly needs to be addressed here, however, is not the fact that we don’t buy magazines that feature the truest images of our selves: but rather, the reason we don’t we buy them. Why don’t we buy them? What is wrong with these magazines that show us who we really are? Or rather: what is wrong with these images of our less-than-perfect ‘selves’? ‘With all of these studies pointing to the public’s apparent need and desire for more â€Å"realistic† body shapes, it would seem likely that magazine publishers would bow to public pressure’, asserts Lee. Apparently, the magazine publishers are one step ahead. They know that what people say is often very different from the ways in which they act. The proof, for them as well as for Lee, is in the numbers. ‘Magazine publishers know that survey respondents are more virtuous on paper than they are at the newsstand’, notes Lee. ‘Top editors and publishers know that thinner cover girls sell more issues’ (Lee, 2003: 139). The noted researcher Angela McRobbie echoes this, asserting that in Britain, ‘winning the hearts and minds of young women has become a social and political priority. There is now a hegemonic effort extended across the social field to win the consent of young women’ (2001: 201). Catering to the desires of th ese young women, then, means displaying covers that they want to see. The point for them is, after all, to sell and they sell by doing what works. What works is staying in business but to stay in business, magazines rely on their advertisers. Because the advertisers are the ones who foot the bill, they have considerable power when it comes to dictating the content of the articles that appear alongside their ads. As French explains it, ‘makers of products for women require women’s magazines (†¦) to print recipes and articles on beauty and fashion to highlight their ads, and further, to promote a certain kind of beauty, food, and fashion the accoutrements of woman-as-commodity’ (1992: 171). Advertisers are also concerned that when their products appear in women’s magazines, they will decrease in value. The association of the product with women is thought to somehow debase it: ‘Many advertisers avoid women’s magazines entirely, fearing that a product that becomes associated with women will be devalued for men. . . .To be assured of advertising revenue, women’s magazines must be vapid, contentless’ (French, 1992: 172). C. Playing Both Sides In addition, advertisers seem to want it both ways they want to sell products to women, and they want to be perceived as supportive of women. Often, these two desires art at odds with each other. On a superficial level, most magazines do a good job of including titles and headlines that, on a cursory reading, appear to do both at the same time. And, as we have seen, ‘real’ women on the cover don’t sell consistently high numbers of magazines for the major publications. As sophisticated as young women may be today, they are still imprisoned in societal expectations. McRobbie asserts that ‘the now normative irony (as knowingness) which pervades the contemporary popular culture and mass media in which young women find themselves accommodated to as post-feminist high achievers, actively disallows such inclinations’ [to be themselves] (2004: 508–509). She also explains that because of their success, these young women are removed from having to face some of the more unpleasant issues that are faced daily by less fortunate female counterparts. What feels like a luxury to them the avoidance of unpleasant realities actually strips them of power, unbeknownst to them. ‘Daily discouraged from the requirement to think or act with courage (as a privilege of the good fortune of living in the affluent liberal west)’ she writes ‘is of course an effective means of disempowerment’ (2004: 509). ‘The last thing magazines want to do is shoot themselves in the foot by admitting that they play a role in creating negative body image’ notes Lee (2003: 140). In order to be profitable and keep their public persona intact, they work from different angles: ‘they do their best to help women break out of that mind-set. But at the same time, they can’t ignore that readers do want to lose weight (or, as most magazines now call it, â€Å"get fit†), so they’re forced to play both sides’ (Lee, 2003: 140). Hence, a single edition of a magazine or, as the later analysis of Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire will demonstrate, may contain contradictory messages on the cover, in the Table of Contents, in the advertising, and in the articles themselves.   Ã¢â‚¬ËœAll magazines are to some degree controlled by advertisers; even supposedly independent news magazines use â€Å"soft† cover stories to sell ads’, asserts French (1992: 171). Thi s control is unavoidable, since advertising is what funds the publications in the first place. Additionally, notes French, all magazines ‘censor articles that might disturb big advertisers or the government (1992: 171). Private backing is an unrealistic solution to this problem because generally, the backers are men: ‘Women’s magazines generally cannot attract such private backing because few women have money’ (French, 1992: 171). As a result, magazines are heavily pressured to include content that advertisers want. There is little choice in this, because to go against the wishers of those who provide the funds is to risk losing the funds and perhaps losing the magazine as well. McRobbie underscores this point, explaining that media ‘have long been seen to be embedded in the fabric of society’ What is new about this, she asserts, is that the power exerted by the media has become stronger than ever. ‘What may be constitutively new is the degree to which media have become something with which the social is continuously being defined’ (McRobbie, 2000: 193). The situation is exacerbated because fashion media cannot lash out against this. ‘Much of the fashion media’s lack of criticism seems to stem from its financial dependence on the industry it covers’ asserts Lee (2003: 100). She notes that ‘fashion magazines have long been among the targets of eating-disorders studies. And many of the results have been damning’ (Lee, 2003: 139). Few would argue the validity of this notion. In fact, most women and most men as well would not need to see evidence. The idea that media dictate the mindsets of young people is not new. In Reviving Ophelia, Feminist Mary Pipher points out that ‘the omnipresent media consistently portrays desirable women as thin’, while ‘models and beautiful women are portrayed as thinner’ even as real women grow heavier. (1994: 216). ‘Underlying advertisers’ constraints is the fear shared by the male establishment generally, that women with a stronger self-image might no longer be willing to remain a servant class, might even unite against exploitation’ notes French (1992: 172–173). She explains that in order to keep a particular segment of the population subordinate, one must first convince the members of that segment that they deserve to be treated this way, usually because of some flaw or inferiority inherent in the group. ‘A person of an inferior group cannot be the author of her or his own life but must center on the superior group’ (French, 1992: 173). Chapter IIFeminism and the Growth of Women’s MagazinesA. Women: A User’s Guide In her volume Feminism, Femininity, and Popular Culture, British scholar Joann Hollows points out that ‘for feminist critics, girls’ magazines have been seen as significant because of their power to define and shape teenage femininities (2000: 167). She goes notes that the ways in which magazines have shaped girls’ development has shifted over the years; the impact is just as strong if not stronger but the means of wielding that power has been transformed. Until the 1980s and 1990s, girls became ‘hooked’ on the idea of physical seduction. Then the ‘hook’ became another form of seduction what Hollows, McRobbie and others call ‘the seduction of buying’ (Hollows, 2000: 171). Of course, McRobbie’s extensive studies and analyses of girls’ magazines provide a wealth of material on this subject. But both the development of the magazine format and the topic of femininity are inextricably intertwined. Hollows also exp lains that ‘feminisms differed in their form and character in different geographical contexts. However, if we take the cases of the UK and US, we can see some similarities in feminist concerns, despite the crucial differences between the forms of feminism which were created’ (2000: 3). It might be worthwhile, then to look into the history of the magazine itself, and to explore how, though developing in places that were geographically distant from each other, the genre ended up being very similar. American researcher Terry Poulton discusses the early days of women’s magazines as ‘the advent of a means of communication by which women could be taught what was expected of them, beauty-wise’, (1997: 30). It was, in essence, a sort of ‘user’s manual’ for women, teaching them what they wanted (assuming they all wanted the same things), and how to act in socially appropriate ways in order to get these things. There was no choice involved, because expectations at that time were rigidly set. Going against what was socially acceptable simply was not an option, and any leanings in the ‘wrong’ direction would most certainly be met with censure and/or ostracism. What Poulton refers to as an operator’s manual was, of cou rse, the beginning of the woman’s magazine. Of course, women had been learning these lessons for years, but never before from a standardized source that would keep them updated of changes on a timely and regular basis. The introduction of women’s magazines bestowed upon those who produced them incredible amounts of power the power to influence women, and in myriad ways. The ways women thought, the way they acted, and of course the way they looked were largely molded by the words and images that arrived in their monthly ‘users’ guides’. As Poulton puts it, ‘what had been missing for centuries a way to deliver visual images to masses of potential consumers had finally arrived’ (1997: 30). B. From Godey’s Lady’s Book to ‘Scientifically Precise’ Fashion Among the first women’s magazines were the U.S. publications Ladies Magazine in 1828, followed a short time later by Godey’s Lady’s Book, in the same year. According to Poulton, ‘thin was in for the first time’ with the advent of these publications. In fact, they are commonly thought to be at least partly responsible for precipitating a diet craze in the United States the first of many (1997: 29). Poulton explains that a foreshadowing of eating disorders also appeared during this time, when an article that appeared in Godey’s Lady’s Book discussed the tragic story of a woman named Louise. Apparently distraught after being ridiculed for her size, she decided to take action. She embarked on a grueling and unhealthy reducing regimen that consisted of a single glass of vinegar each day. Apparently, it worked on one level: she did reduce her size. However, we may ask, at what price? In a matter of months, according to the story, Louise wa s dead (Poulton, 1997: 29–30). In Great Britain, a comparable publication came along in 1872. Entitled The Ladies: A Journal of the Court, Fashion and Society, this publication presented fashion tips from a ‘scientifically precise’ perspective. Historian Virginia Cope explains that it also had clear political messages, with overt pieces in which the need for more political rights for women were discussed. The publication catered to upper-class London women, but appealed to middle-class women as well. The way the American publications served as ‘operator’s manuals’ for women in the U.S., so too did The Ladies for British society women. In this case, however, the guide was originally targeted at the higher classes; however, it soon became a primer for those middle-class women who wanted to rise socially. Implicit in the articles about housekeeping and fashion were lessons to the under classes in how to behave like their more elite counterparts. The ultimate hope that perhaps they wou ld one day be accepted by them was, of course, implicit, and dangled like a carrot to keep them purchasing the magazine each month. However, it seems that The Ladies wasn’t offering quite enough to ladies of either class: the publication did not last long, crumbling after a mere nine months. Even so, it serves as a reflection of British society at the time, which was becoming one of instability and constant flux. Whereas during the days of Queen Victoria’s reign, women’s place was thought to be at home, this gradually began to change and a type of feminism took root. As Britain became more and more industrialised, roles of men and women shifted. Similar changes took place in the United States. Publications of the time from both sides of the ocean like The Ladies and Godey’s Lady’s Book bear witness to this. The power these early publications held over some women is even more significant when one considers that the artistic renderings included in them the ‘graphics’ were just drawings. Photography would not become a part of the process for many years: the age of photographic reproduction was still far off, so images included in the magazines were sketches of varying quality and proportion; these drawings were highly exaggerated and understood to be idealized and unrealistic. Even so, the women who read these early publications still felt their impact, and the pressure to conform was felt by many. This influence would greatly increase when actual photographs replaced the drawings as part of the deceptively seductive advertising package. C. ‘The Camera Doesn’t Lie’ The inclusion of actual photographs in magazines heralded change a dramatic and significant change. No longer were articles accompanied by fanciful renderings of what women should look like now there were actual, live models against which readers could measure themselves. ‘With the mistaken conviction that cameras cannot lie, it was clear sailing for what came to be called â€Å"the tyranny of fashion†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, explains Poulton. ‘From now on, women would feel obliged to remodel their body shape in favor of the prevailing silhouette’ (Poulton, 1997: 30). There was a scientific precision that photography offered, and it wielded much more power than the often whimsical and sometimes anatomically impossible renderings of a human hand. Yet photography was merely the precursor to what would come next, as magazines became inextricably bound to the world of marketing: ‘Poised on the threshold was another kind of tyranny that would be inimical to women’ s ability to feel at peace with their bodies: advertising’ (Poulton, 1997: 30). The setup was ingenious: magazines, through both text and photography, would introduce new ideas to women, particularly about ways in which they failed to meet prevailing standards. At the same time perhaps even on the same page would be an advertisement for a product that would help them ‘improve’ what they now knew to be flawed parts of themselves. Cinematic portrayals soon became a part of this complex process. As French points out, ‘the debasement of women in art and advertising is echoed in cinematic images’ (1992: 164). This was true then, and remains true now. Perhaps no one puts this more succinctly than the American feminist Gloria Steinem, founding editor of Ms., who breaks the process into three parts: â€Å"to create a desire for products, instruct in the use of products, and make products a crucial part of gaining social approval’ (Steinem, quoted in Poulton, 1997: 30). D. Twiggy: Thin Becomes ‘In’ Weight-loss issues did not gain true prominence until the years following World War I. At that point, corpulence became another problem that women had to deal with. Women began to get more and more messages that indicated that extra weight was taboo. These messages were often tied in complex ways to issues of ability, intelligence, and even morality For help, Poulton explains, the typical woman would turn to magazines for help: ‘What was a woman to do if she was guilty of the new â€Å"crime† of corpulence? Why, just flip the pages of her favourite magazine until she found an article or an ad promoting the very latest in reducing schemes, potion, gimmicks, gadgets, and gizmos’ (Poulton, 1997: 33). This continual reinforcement of the message that being overweight was unacceptable left a comfortable niche for marketers of weight-reducing schemes to claim. The introduction of Lesley Hornby signified a major change for women on both continents. The British-born Hornby better known as ‘Twiggy’ became an overnight international sensation. She is considered by many to be the ‘world’s first supermodel’. Twiggy’s debut onto the New York scene was another turning point. ‘Within a year after Twiggy’s debut, the editorial and advertising cheering sections at women’s magazines had shifted into high gear and added exercising to their lists of must-do’s’ explains Poulton. Thinness as personified by Twiggy was an absolute must, and this dictum was treated with stringent rigidity. Poulton uses an excerpt from a Mademoiselle article of the period: ‘â€Å"Creampuffs, there’s no escape. Whip yourself into super shape and stay that way†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (1997: 45). The attitudes taken were both imperative and encouraging not to mention confusing and set a tone tha t in coming years would grow much more severe. McRobbie refers to the ‘boyish femininity of the girls’ of this period as ‘best exemplified in the early fashion shots of Twiggy’ (2000: 20). The ‘Twiggy’ standard has not really changed much since storming the scene in the 70s. ‘The standard of beauty crystallized into a single dominant body image mandated by those who, knowingly or unwittingly, were doing the bidding of marketers’ notes Poulton (1997: 54). Styles changed radically hot pants, hip huggers, mini-skirts, maxi-skirts the list is endless. Throughout all this, the paradigm of thinness has remained the standard towards which women should strive. If thin was in, ‘too thin’ was even more acceptable and encouraged: ‘In the magazines and on the fashion runways, the twirling girls grew thinner and younger by the year. . . . Meanwhile, real women were getting plumper with every technological advance that made physical labor obsolete, and with every new fat-laden food that came on the market’ (Poulton, 1997: 59–60). Yet not all women were able to achieve this unrealistic standard, thus beginning a wave

A Good Man Is Hard To Find :: essays research papers fc

Views and Characters Flannery O’Connor wrote the short story, "A Good Man is Hard to Find" in the hopes of portraying to the reader the racist views of the time: many of the ideals possess "a kind of holy madness or beauty." (Kirszner 238). These are the words mentioned in Literature, and express the emotions that O’Connor made the grandmother experience in the story. The story takes on a sort of irony throughout to provide a comedic look at old values and traditions, displaying to the reader how we advance over time. The grandmother very ignorantly describes just how separate dark and light colored people were during the period: "Oh look at the cute little pickaninny!" she said and pointed to a Negro child standing in the door of a shack. "Wouldn’t that make a picture, now?" she asked and they all turned and looked at the little Negro out of the back window. He waved. "He didn’t have any britches on," June Star said. "He probably didn’t have any," the grandmother explained. "Little niggers in the country don’t have things like we do." The language that is shown in this section of the story clearly demonstrates the difference between what is acceptable, and what is racist. O’Connor clearly provides us that she never has the intent to be racist herself, but rather her characters, possibly an influence in her life, are to blame. The grandmother shows her politeness to June, but also shows her rudeness by describing the dark colored boy with such racist terms, providing the reader with a sense of the "holy madness" that resides within her. The story contains eleven characters, of which only one illustrates her lack of coming together and recognizing everyone as a whole, rather than as separate races. Despite the obvious difference in language barriers, the grandmother does reflect a soft side: "Two fellers come in here last week," Red Sammy said, "driving a Chrysler. It was a old beat-up car but it was a good one and these boys looked all right to me. Said they worked at the mill and you know I let them fellers charge the gas they bought? Now why did I do that?" "Because you’re a good man!" the grandmother said at once. Of notable importance, the name Sam means to listen, or to hear, supporting the fact of racial differences. (Babycenter) This could be the explanation why the characters, Sam and the grandmother, have the most polite conversation in the entire short story.

Do you think murmurin judges is a hopless play? Essay

David Hares aim to paint a portrait on some of the chronic wrongs within the dysfunctional, corrupt Justice system has definitely shown. As throughout this play we start to come to realise critical issues, and situations that often occur in real life such a prejudice, racism, sexism and stereotypes. However the ending of the play gives us a blurry light at the tunnel because although Sandra gives us a glimpse of hope as she says, ‘I want the chief Superintendant. I wonder. Could I have a word?’, some people would have predicted the ending to of had a larger impact of justice. This can be distressing and slightly worrying as it causes the reader to feel unsafe as we have to rely on the odd moral characters such as Irina, and Sandra. If Hares intensions were to reveal what goes on in the system, then he definitely portrayed that, but if his intentions were to reassure the audience that there is always hope then he didn’t for fill that as it only made us feel worse. Hare also underlines the issues that the system were facing in England in the 8o’s and early 90’s such as the increased levels of immigration and terror of the (IRA), and highlights the prejudge situations against the Irish within the system. Such as when Barry’s showing a slight hatred towards the Irish which he says to Sandra, ‘He was kind of Irish as well. He may happen to Hail form the north, but he did stand with a load of Micks outside the pub on Clampham Common every evening. I think we can guess his primary allegiance’. Barry also threatened Travis and Fielding which the semtex plantation, here Hare is showing elements of the terror attacks of the 80’s and 90’s. The play is not hopeless in the respect that is has taught us not to automatically believe the high status of the people in the high courts, as we have been blinded by there qualifications, there wealthy life’s and there high hierarchy in this world. We have learnt to respect and believe the image of powerful authority through social learning and we all forced to believe that there right. But most of these judges and barristers have never seen the real world, and have never considered the backgrounds of there clients, they think they know everything. Such as when Sir Peter makes up his own language towards criminals as ‘the sub-average human’, and says ‘I have represented dozens of people like him. He’s an ordinary, slightly sub-average human being who has landed himself in a dam stupid mess’. In this play Irina also says, ‘A lawyer should never be emotionally involved’, this makes the audience feel that maybe there should be some sort of relationship between the lawyer and the client, because otherwise why would the client trust the lawyer with there problems or the truth? The lawyer will never be able to find justice if they never know the truth behind there clients. An allegory of the justice system being portrayed as a factory of workers, as in each section of the justice system everything is everything is being passed on up the chain. Such as a manufactory chain from the prison (primary work), the police force (secondary work) then the judiciary (tertiary work).  I think the overall message is not hopeful as there is still a innocent man (Gerrard) as he reminds in prison and only to people Irina and Sandra trying to revolutionising the system against a whole battery of lawyers, police and prison officers.