Saturday, August 31, 2019

I Love Yous Are For White People

Reading your book brought to surface many of the occurrences in my life that I have found myself hiding from. You told my story seen through your eyes but from a deferent environment, I honestly thought I was alone In this world until I read your book.From moving from your home land, to being bullied and picked on for your accent, losing a friend through tragedy and having to meet new friends In a new world, from being physically and mentally abused by your father to molested by a family member, from ranking to numb the pain to Joining a gang/clack to feel at home and have a real family who cared, and finally occurrences to which I could have lost my life. Every story you told had a deeper meaning to me and my stories, you have helped me shine a light on the past which has held a strong grip on me for so long.Growing up in another country brought to light In my eyes the Importance of family, having respect for your elders, and to speak when spoken to along with not speaking out of tu rn. I grew up Belize with an abusive/ alcoholic father, in a way he was similar o what you described he was strict on me getting good grades and staying out of trouble: in any way I dishonored or disobeyed his orders he would be waiting my arrival home, his glare which literally made me weak in the knees and most of the time made me cry, but the various objects he would hold to give me my beatings never made me budge in a way; I was ready it was a routine.My mother I can say was in a way similar to the mother you described, she was always quiet and never intervened in anything my dad was involved in; she could never defend or protect e, she had to stay quiet, and had to make sure my father was satisfied whenever he was around. The phrase you used on chapter fourteen â€Å"l realized one thing- I am my father† really caught my attention. I found myself in life trying my hardest to run away from the thought of becoming my father not realizing that every action I participated in brought me closer to being him.At the age of eight I started stealing money from my parents and sneaking alcoholic beverages to drink so I could numb myself from my surroundings and the pain I was feeling, then it became worst as mime progressed. I don't usually talk about my best friend because it brings back painful memories and the feeling of hate and revenge, he was my big brother older than me by close to a year but he was too young to lose his life.I was eight when we loaned the family gang which Included friends and family members, at the age of 10 during a drug deal he was gunned down by a rival gang during their Initiation phase. Seeing my only brother lifeless In a coffin drove me to a dark place and I felt I had to do something about it. When I turned 10 years old my mother who feared for my life took me from my father and we left Belize to come to America; she wanted to give me a new start, a better life and a future to live for.In Tampa, Florida the elementary school m y mother enrolled me In I didn't feel alone the children were nice and friendly although I had my heavy Caribbean accent, then It changed when I graduated and went to a different middle school from the little bit of friend I had befriended the bullies and never was I picked on again; instead I was protected. My other received a better Job in a different location and I had to switch schools.The second middle school I was enrolled in became my worst nightmare; I was called names, physically picked on by the students and couldn't make friends, I was an outsider and found myself roaming the school yard alone. I became depressed, found myself eating away my pain, and started stealing drinks from my mother's wine bottles and from her boyfriend's liquor collection. I pleaded with my mom for a new change, as a result we moved to Long Beach, California after I graduated middle school; before arriving I swore to myself I would never stand for getting bullied ever again.In High school I starte d working out and turned all my fat into muscles and I also found myself getting in too much fights, about close to 70 in the first two years, then I switched schools to a predominated white upper-class high school in which I joined the wrestling team and took the varsity position at ass's my first year, ever since I moved to the new environment my life has changed. I am in college now pursuing a career in the Fire Service; I want to help people not cause harm to them.I never wanted to be a violent person, I was driven into it because at the time I felt there were no other possible solutions. Today I strongly believe the person I grew up to be does not shape my future, it's my choice; I can either stay and dwell in the past or move forward and strive for my future. You helped me enforce this idea and that's why I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read your novel â€Å"l Love Hoys Are For White People†.You can change the lives of many individuals Just by being able to elate, a lot of people feel they have to bottle up their emotions because no one out there would be able to relate and understand. I would and will recommend this novel for all my friends and family to read. I have come to witness that am still here in this world for a reason, I believe in the phrase you used and that is â€Å"Eve come across a couple of angels in my days here on earth†. I want to say thank you once again for speaking to me through your story and I really appreciate the words you wrote. Sincerely Clifford Usher

Friday, August 30, 2019

Vedic Religion, Mythology, and Society.

Paige Hammerl Vedic Religion, Mythology and Society The early civilizations of India have proven to be a highly intellectual, god fearing, and advanced collaboration of people. From approximately 2700 B. C. E to around 500 B. C. E two societies flourished in the northern region of India known as the Indus Valley. The Indus Valley Civilization and later, the Aryans – believed by some to have migrated to India from Europe and the middle East – paved the foundation of Hinduism through the influences of their cultures, early religions and social structures.Unfortunately, there is little to be said of the earliest inhabitants, the people of the Indus Valley Civilization because there still does not exist a decipherment of the Indus Valley Script. Based on loose interpretations of artifacts found in ancient Indus Valley cities, we have been able to depict that the people of the Indus Valley were originally a nomadic tribe, but later had a high degree of uniformity amongst cit y development, a language written on a variety of small 1 inch seals, and may have worshiped Goddesses or a pre-Siva God, often seen on these seals with three faces, bullhead, sitting in a yogic position.According to A. L Bashman’s book The Origins and Development of Classical Hinduism, over time the Indus Valley Civilazation began to dwindle because they were driven from their lands by natural disasters, such as the sudden rise in the level of the sea bed south of the delta of the Indus River (Bashman, 1989, pg. 2). Although we have been able to extract minuscule clues from the Indus Valley Civilization, most of Hinduism's pre-history stems from an religious Aryan ancient text called The Veda, consisting of four traditions, the Rg-, Yajur-, Sama-, and Atharva-.It is important to mention that the Veda’s are thought of as eternal, or not written by human beings, and the Aryan people passed down knowledge of the Veda’s from generation to generation through word of mouth. People saw the Veda’s as extremely sacred texts or scriptures and they were verbally relayed for nearly 3000 years with little to almost no change to them. By some the translation of the Veda’s into written word was viewed as against the religion because traditionally not everyone was actually allowed or able to learn the Veda’s in early times, and also it was as if physical written words tainted the sacredness of the scripture.The priestly class of the Vedic Aryans, known as the Brahmans, were viewed as the preservers of vedic tradition. They were allowed to attend the various theological schools which would specialize in the memorization of specific texts within the Veda’s. The Veda’s were composed chronologically with the Rg-Veda as the first text â€Å"written†. The Rg-Veda consists of 10 books of 1028 hymns praising various deities, guessed to be composed in early Sanskrit as early as 1200 BCE over a period of a few hundred year s. The Sama-Veda is a book of songs, all based on the hymns of the Rg-Veda.The Yajur-Veda consists of 4 books: one book is the white Yajur-Veda, and the other three are the black Yajur Veda. Within these books lies vital information regarding procedures for rituals and sacrifices. Lastly, the Atharva-Veda is a collection of hymns and â€Å"magical† material (spells, charms, imprecations, and incantations), and this Veda is essentially overlapping magic and religion. Each of the four Veda’s have a vast number of gods, or devas, being acknowledged and praised. However, within the Veda’s, stories or myths of the gods are scarcely present; that information was assumed to be common knowledge.All the pantheon of Vedic religion are divided into two classes: the gods (devas) which follow rta, the cosmic order, the set course of nature, and the demons (asura), follow anrta, or anti-rta, in an attempt to overturn the natural course of things. The gods uphold rta, which is essentially moral and physical universal law. Many other gods or devas are deities associated with nature, the heavens and space. The main Devas include Indra, Varuna, Mitra, Nastya, and the minor devas include Yama, Vishnu, and Rudra. The nature divinities include Surya (sun), Agni (fire), Soma (ritual plant), Pajanya (rain), Ushas (dawn), Earth, Moon and Night.The gods are viewed as powerful and willing beings whose pleasure or dissatisfaction determines the course of events in humans day to day lives. If they are pleased they can bless the people with rain for their crops, fertility in woman, good health, etc. and if they are displeased they first punish wrong-doers with disease, and after they are banished to â€Å"The House of Clay† a gloomy hell-like place, similar to where Hades of the Greeks resides. Of all the gods mentioned in the vedas, most notably in the Rg-Veda, the god Indra, god of war and weather, has a staggering 250 hymns in his honor.Indra is believed to be the creator of the cosmos, for when the demons, led by the serpent Vrtra, came to attack the gods, Indra, strengthed by Soma drink, faced them alone and came out victorious and from Vrtra’s dead body he created our world. Because of this, Indra is mainly viewed as a war leader (Bashman, 1989, pg. 12). The Veda’s main function were its involvement in public worship, and it were an essential part in rituals. The vedic Aryans main religious practice was promised religious sacrifice on a cyclical basis with the purpose of pleasing the gods and their ancestors.Both demanded praise and acknowledgement so anything from milk, clarified butter or ghee, curds, grain (rice/barely), soma plant, and even domestic animals were all used as offerings to the gods during sacrificial ceremonies (Bashman, 1989, ). There were two types of sacrificial ceremonies: domestic (life-cycle rites, requiring one fire) and solemn (public rites, requiring three fires). The vedic Aryan people used regular sacrificial ritual to maintain functionality of their tribe or cities. The gods were believed to have control over things such as rain, disease, sun, fertility, etc. o the people would sacrifice various goods/animals in their name in order to please them or strengthen them to help them. in order to maintain the functionality of the tribe. Each ritual was an extremely delicate experience. If one word, or one procedure was out of place the ritual was deemed void, and could even sometimes cause harm to the tribe for displeasing the gods. This is where the use of Brahman’s were vital, the rituals did not require massive buildings or elaborate icons, but only a qualified Brahman who knew all the required procedures learned from the Yajur-Veda.Often they had several Brahman’s present in order to ensure the correct sequence of events occurred. Rituals were centered around the idea of fire. In rituals the fire god Agni would, via a specific number of domestic fires, re ceive sacrifices/praises from the people and pass them onto the other gods. This gives Agni the reputation of a rather important god, with 200 hymns dedicated to him in the Rg-Veda. Fire was viewed as a link between the worldly and divine realms (Flood, 2004, 41). Also, rituals consisted one other important act preformed by the Brahmans – the eating of the Soma plant.According to Gavin Flood in An Introduction to Hinduism, Soma is believed to be some variation of a hallucinogenic mushroom, and was used to bring the priests to a mystical state where they could see the gods and recite veda hymns to them. Soma was not only a plant used in rituals, but was also a deity (god) and was praised for creating the link between gods and humans. To the drinker, Soma brought superhuman strength, a sense of growing to a gigantic size, and gave visions of the gods coming down to join the worshipers (Bashman, 1989, 14).Soma was also given to the gods during rituals as a strength inducer so th ey would be able to fight off the demons causing a tribe grief. As stated in An Introduction to Hinduism, rituals were preformed on a daily basis by every Aryan at around dusk or dawn, and also more complicated rituals were preformed at the beginning of the two lunar fortnights of the months (the days of full and new moons). One expensive and important ritual preformed during this period was the rajasuya sacrifice. It was a royal sacrifice used by kings to ensure them a place in heaven during afterlife and also to prove their worth as a king.This complicated sacrifice was put on by the king and was centered around a great stallion (or horse) that would be followed by groups of men for about a year as it roamed the plains going city to city demanding praise before coming back to the main city to be sacrificed to the gods. The significance of the rajasuya sacrificial ceremony was its link to political power (Bashman, 1989, 33). These sacrifices were used to maintain the functionality of a tribe/city and give kings the opportunity to prove their worth to the people, so kings would pay all the extensive expenses in order to put forth these ceremonies.However, the only people that were able to preform these specific ceremonies with perfect precision was the priest class (Brahmans). This gave them a considerable amount of power, and one could argue that it created a power struggle between the ruling class and the priestly class. Nevertheless, all the sacrificial offering ceremonies were a time for rejoicing, not only for the kings who put them on, but also for the entire population because everyone was benefiting. Later in vedic history, after all the Veda’s had been written, people began to grow antsy with their religion.They started to seek more answers and try to create connections between the meaning of life, birth/rebirth, karma, the gods, and the purpose of ritual (Reat, 1977, 1). This is the period when the Upanishads were written. The Upanishads were a â€Å"secret conversation† that was only meant to be heard by a select few people, and was the beginning of the emergence of Enlightenment and created the basis of classical Hinduism. Vedic religion is not the same as the Hinduism religion, it is however a precursor to it.From the vedic religion we can see the pre-stages of important Hinduism concepts, such as the connection between religious sacrifice and karma. To this day some people in traditional Hindu and Nepal societies practice early vedic traditions. The vedic religion is overall a polytheistic religion, however it seen being practiced as monotheistic and henotheistic, and in my opinion this excerpt coming from the Yajur-Veda sums up the Vedic Religion: â€Å"O Supreme Force governing the world! You function as per unchangeable laws which remain the same throughout without slightest of deviations.May I also seek inspiration from. You to be unflinchingly principled in my life. Thus I resolve to seek truth constantl y by eliminating the false from my life every moment to the best of my abilities, intentions and efforts. May I be successful in this noble decision of mine. † Yajurveda 1. 5 Bibliography Bashman, A. L. The Origins & Development of Classical Hinduism. Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press, 1989. Print. Flood, Gavin. An Introduction to Hinduism. New Delhi: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Print. Hammerl, Paige and Deshpande, Madhov. Vedic Religion/Lifestyle Notes.Jamison, S. J. and Witzel, M. â€Å"Vedic Hinduism. † FAS at Harvard University. Harvard University. 2002. Web. Accessed February 4th, 2013. Lorenzen, David N. â€Å"Who Invented Hinduism? † Comprehensive Studies in Society and History. Cambridge University Press. October 1999. Web. 4 February 2013. Ross Reat, Noble. â€Å"Karma and Rebirth in the Upanishads and Buddhism. † Lancaster, England: ProQuest and Information and Learning Company. December 1977. Print (on the web). â€Å"Srauta. † Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 4 December 2012. Web. Access February 4th, 2013.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Global Financial Market Essay

With the market turmoil of 2008 and 2009 in fairly recent memory, investors were feared to take risk in the stock markets, as instabilities of global stock market accordingly enhanced. Stock market is a key element prior to reflect the performance of economy. It is an important part of the economy of a country. The stock market plays a pivotal role in the growth of the industry and commerce of the country that eventually affects the economy of the country to a great extent. That is reason that the government, industry nd even the central banks of the country keep a close watch on the happenings of the stock market. The stock market is important from both the industry’s point of view as well as the investor’s point of view. Through this assignment, with particularly focusing on the performance of Hong Kong stock market, I am going to discuss the roles of the stock market that affect the economy by elaborating the functions of primary market and secondary market, and anal ysis the Hong Kong stock market in relation to the economy with statistics method. Importance of Stock Market The stock market is a necessary and essential aspect of commerce world-wide. Without a stock market, companies could not easily to raise the fund and capital, and investors could not quickly and easily trade shares through the stock market system, and the global economy would not be established into a maturity stage like now a day. The stock market and thus they play the most important role of supporting the growth of the industry and commerce in the country. That is the reason that a rising stock market is the sign of a developing industrial sector and a growing economy of the country. Primary market Whenever a company wants to raise funds for further expansion or settling up a new business venture, they have to either take a loan from a financial organization or they have to issue shares through the stock market. In fact, the stock market is the primary source for any company to raise funds for business expansions. If a company wants to raise some capital for the business it can issue shares of the company that is basically part ownership of the company rather than issuing debt for enhancing the capital and liquidity because of the cost efficiency. There are three main financial systems such as resources allocation, risk management and risk pricing to simultaneously and consistently perform in an economy under the philosophy of primary market. Resources allocation in the primary market Primary market can raise the fund for the company business plan in a short period. Economy can be affected according to any new IPO issued in the stock primary market. To issue shares for the investors to invest in the stocks, through the primary market of the stock exchange they can issue the shares and get the funds for business requirements. There are certain rules and regulations for getting listed at a stock exchange and they need to fulfill some criteria to issue stocks and go public. The company has the business plan which is required to borrow fund for implementation, and the company has planned to apply their fund raised by the stock market after issuing the share through IPO. Fund should be allocated in different areas of the business plan, and it can also increase the liquidity and capital. Refer to the IPO issuance of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China(ICBC) in 2006, ICBC was one of the biggest bank in China. After the IPO. ICBC was the world’s biggest ever IPO that makes it at the same becoming the biggest bank with the most capital in the world. These can significantly increase the confidence of the investors and reallocate the resources in investing into different market against their business plan. Risk pricing in the primary market Investors always assess and calculate the interest and return to every investment which they made. In the primary market of issuing stock listed on the stock exchange, rules and regulations are formed to dominate any new issuers. International banks and Investment banks are always the underwriter of the IPO. It can also comfort the investors that the risk has been assessed by experience large institutions accurately, and then the price of the share is announced to the public objectively. Investors can have more information to compare the return and lose through the provided information in the primary market. In the view of the above, investors will be attracted to invest into the IPO against the recommended pricing. More funding invests into the market that can make a positive impact to the economy. Risk management in primary market To issue IPO in the primary market, guaranteed investors should be confirmed to every IPO announced. This can help into managing the risk, as a minimum of fund can be ensured to the company which can control the risk exposure. The company may have liquidity problem in case of failure in raising the fund of IPO, therefore, the function of guaranteed investor and IPO underwriter can mitigate suck risk, and that can be a risk management to protect the interest of the company as well as the investors. It can reduce the uncertainties and managing the risks involved in investment market of economy. Secondary Market The secondary function of the stock market is that the market plays the role of a common platform for the buyers and sellers of these stocks that are listed at the stock market. It is the secondary market of the stock exchange where retail investors and institutional investors buy and sell the stocks. In fact it is these stock market traders who raise the fund for the businesses by investing in the stocks. So the stock market is not only providing the much required funds for boosting the business, but also providing a common place for stock trading. It is the stock market that makes it possible to sell the stocks at any point of time and get back the investment along with the profit. This makes the stocks much more liquid in nature and thereby attracting  investors  to invest in the stock market. Mobilize Savings in the secondary market When businesses or even individuals hold their money in form of shares, they can easily mobilize funds for investments. Securities traded in the secondary markets are not as liquid as cash therefore this limits the ease of accessing cash. Accumulation of funds for long-term capital projects is therefore easy and possible. The secondary market provides a convenient platform for the trade of securities hence shares can be easily converted to cash for investment. Investment Opportunities in the secondary market As opposed to holding money in savings accounts, the secondary market provides investors with an opportunity to save and at the same time invest. Shareholders can earn and make profit in investing in the secondary market, as the share price always rises and falls subject to the news in public and the environment of economy. In the secondary market, investment in shares does not require a large of fund, therefore, it provides a chance to invest and expand their portfolios. Stock market and economy (Statistical analysis) To support the analysis of stock market in related to the economy, I have done a t-test showing as below. Basically, as the stock market should reflect the economy in advance. I do the statistic in one year difference. Refer to the result, the difference is considered to not statistically significant. The stock market seem influencing the economy significantly. We can see the stock market dropped in 2008 that make the decrease of GDP in 2009. Due to the financial crisis in 2008, the stock market was in panic. This is one of the factors to decrease the GDP. In Hong Kong economy, as there was a great support due to the significant growth of China’s economy. In relation to the increase of HKEx index since 2009, the stock market was in recovery that bloom the economy and the Hong Kong property market has accordingly benefited to grow in these years. GDP was also reflected slightly growth. It can strongly evidence and prove that the performance of stock market obtains a strong relationship with the economy. Conclusions With the reference of the above, stock market is essential to the impact of economy. Companies could easily raise the fund thru the stock market by IPO in the primary market, in order to apply the fund in implementing the expansion business plan, and the investors could gain interest and profit in the secondary market in stock exchange that the capital fund of investors could be increased, in which both factors could have positive effect to the economy. In my recommendation, Hong Kong Exchange and Clearing Limited (HKEX) could consider to extend the trading hours. It could stay closer to other stock markets like USNY, London and etc. This implementation could attract more investors and equity fund to invest into Hong Kong stock market, as the time difference to other stock markets is shorten. It could increase the trading volume in the stock market. If the stock market becomes prosperous that makes the Hang Seng index increase, as more funds invest into Hong Kong, the economy in Hong Kong can accordingly rise in an absolute way.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

How a Bill Becomes a Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How a Bill Becomes a Law - Case Study Example Nurses’ working hours should be set. A nurse should be prohibited from working overtime after the end of his/her shift even if it is voluntary. A minimum of 3 nurses should handle a 24 hour shift where each nurse works a maximum of 8 hours. This will reduce nurse fatigue and subsequently improve the quality of health care provided. Among nurses, work shifts of 12 hours or more have become a common occurrence. This act of working long hours can be attributed to different factors such as the shortage of nurses, attractive incentives for overtime work or nurses volunteering to work extra hours. However, extended work shifts have a negative impact on nurses and their patients. Findings from a study carried out by Stimpfel, Sloane and Aiken in 2012 indicated that nurses who work for longer shifts (12 hours and more) were twice more likely to suffer from job dissatisfaction and burnout than nurses who worked shorter shifts. Due to job dissatisfaction, nurses tend to leave or quit the practice, and thereby contributing to the already shortage of nurses in hospitals. Additionally, patient dissatisfaction was higher in nurses who worked for longer shifts. Furthermore, the long working hours undermine nurses’ well-being. Also, a study carried out by Rogers et al in 2004 titled ‘The Working Hours Of Hospital Nurses And Patient Safety’ stated that long working hours had a negative effect on patient safety. According to the study, near errors and errors were likely to happen if nurses worked for more than 12 hours continuously.

McWorld Vs. Jihad by Benjamin Barber Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

McWorld Vs. Jihad by Benjamin Barber - Essay Example Neither of these two sides wishes to compromise, as the corporations are only worried about expanding their company in order to maximize profits and the tribal communities are only concern with keeping the corporations away, so conflict will always exist. Also, neither of these two sides is interested in democracy, so a battle of wills is taking place in these regions. This book does an excellent job of describing the problems that have occurred since globalization became a reality and the ideas that are presented here can be applied to a number of present day issues in society. The most obvious place where this ideology can be applied is in the Middle East, where militants have become tired of the Americanization of their economies and have decided to do something about it. In these places, war has always been a common answer to problems, as the various tribes in these areas have been feuding for centuries. Conflict is nothing new in the Middle East, so it should not be surprising that there has been a violent uprising in response to the globalization that had been attempting to sweep through the region. Since the region is very rich in oil reserves, corporations feel as though there are ways to make money off of the situation. This greed has made the area very attractive, but this attraction has come at a price. Different groups of people lay claim to various regions in the Middle East, even to the point where the present day borders are disputed regularly. Jihad and McWorld are moving in completely opposite directions, with one siding wishing to make the world a smaller place and the other side wishing to isolate the various tribes so that they each have their own space and are left alone. The problem, according to Barber, is that neither of these sides act democratically, which will causes for the current problems to last well into

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

A spin on the issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A spin on the issue - Essay Example Military veterans who have suffered a disabling injury during service are neither condescended to nor treated with undue special treatment by being given preferential treatment for jobs and positions through affirmative action. In this case, society is giving preferential to those who have served society and earned, with the price of their health, the opportunity to be placed at the head of the line. While most social groups who are elevated because of affirmative action are given preferential treatment because of something that was a consequence of birth, disabled veterans have earned the spot at the head of the line. According to Hackerott, Kapusta, and Miller (2003), all federal job opportunities must be covered under affirmative action parameters to support the hiring and advancement of disabled veterans. In comparing the purposes of affirmative action to the plight of women and minorities in contrast to giving preferential treatment to those who have served, the purpose of equaling the playing field for woman and minorities is very different than giving honor to those who have served society through military service. Women and minorities have suffered under oppressions that have denied them the same consideration as others, which affirmative action frameworks intended to balance by then requiring those groups to be considered first. The ethical problems that come through these forms of trying to set things right are different than those for disabled veterans. An example of the ethical problems involved in affirmative action initiatives arose during the case the University of California versus Bakke. Mr. Bakke sued the University of California for discriminating against him because he was a white male for not letting him apply under the special admissions program. Bakke won his lawsuit and provided context for arguments against affirmative action in that through the intention of trying to level the playing field in

Monday, August 26, 2019

Organisations, organising appealing and organisation effectiveness Essay

Organisations, organising appealing and organisation effectiveness - Essay Example Over the time, the study of how effective the organization is in achieving the goals that it intended has undergone an evolution due to the changes in the environment that took place as well as the fast pace at which these changes occurred. There has been a shift towards the adoption of more rational approaches to organizations. This paper reviews the reasons why managers prefer rational approaches. It also explores the open systems theory and how is it of benefit to managers. Scott proposed three concepts for defining organizations: rational, natural and open systems. Rational systems concept deals with the fact that organizations are created to function as effectively as possible to achieve a set of intended objectives. The goals of the organization are specific and have been defined explicitly. The rational system also encompasses the view that organizations have a lot of formalization. One of the variables governing a formalized structure is that rules regulate behavior and are accurately and clearly drawn. Another variable of the formalized structure is that roles and role relations are devised independently of the personal qualities and interaction between the individuals having different positions within the organization (Scott, 2001). Frederick Taylor was an engineer-turned-management consultant and was a strong advocate of the rational system theory. In his view, all organizations did not function with the accomplishment of a certain goal in mind ; however, this was a problem and needed to be dealt with. Managers nowadays prefer the rational systems approach for organizing. By regulating the behavior of the individuals through rules, the process of formalization can be carried out effectively. This will result in the mitigation of uncertainty. Uncertainty can lead to disorder, apprehension and disturbances in many

Sunday, August 25, 2019

The Role Self-Concept In Building Interpersonal Relationships Essay

The Role Self-Concept In Building Interpersonal Relationships - Essay Example Sales personnel can obtain the attention of the manager of some organization by applying his oily tongue, flattering techniques, and capability of glamorizing the scenario and articles to sell them to the customers and clients. A writer can capture the consideration of a magazine, journal or newspaper by writing the powerful article on the topic of public interest. Without self-disclosure in the present of the relevant authority, making sure headway leading to success is certainly tantamount to impossibility. It becomes evident that self-concept and self-disclosure turn out to be fruitful for the individuals to assess and estimate their abilities and exhibit the same while communicating with other members of society. Attributed to the unprecedented technological advancements, the contemporary era is frequently regarded to be the age of perfect competition, which has introduced revolutionary alterations in all fields of life, including the corporate sector all over the globe. The comp anies hire the services of highly qualified, proficient, confident and brilliant personnel against the positions in different departments with the aim of ensuring a powerful penetration into the entire business environment in a successful manner. Not only this that the companies strongly recommend the development of self-concept in the employees, but also lay stress upon the observing of the same while demonstrating their interpersonal skills while entering into interaction with the management, co-workers, subordinates, and customers at large.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Risk management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Risk management - Assignment Example This is because organizations that perform risk assessment effectively operate more efficiently and have a better understanding of their industries. Risk assessment is used in determining the type and level of risks involved in business operations and processes. It is also used to determine the degree of risk that can be incurred without negative ramifications (Tarsus, 2014). Businesses use internal or external risk management professionals to determine the risks involved in different organizational plans and how they can be managed. Before carrying out risk assessment, specific processes must be initiated to facilitate the whole exercise from start to finish. These include pre-planning, which involves setting the scope and breadth of the exercise, selecting individuals to carry out the exercise and budgeting (Moss, 2014). There is no set time for carrying out risk assessment. It can always be scheduled depending on an organization’s needs and activities. Some organizations like to plan them to coincide with other assessments while others prefer to conduct them exclusively (Aven, Baraldi, Zio, & Flage, 2014). Risk assessment is also done when projects are being commissioned, and the organization needs to understand what it is up against in terms of possible losses and difficulties. Aven, T., Baraldi, P., Zio, E., & Flage, R. (2014). Uncertainty in risk assessment: The representation and treatment of uncertainties by probabilistic and non-probabilistic methods (Illustrated ed.). New York: John Wiley &

Friday, August 23, 2019

Media Artifact Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Media Artifact - Essay Example Her three years of learning was a revelation to her that high school is hell, after which in the following seasons, she managers to navigate through collage and then in the latter seasons, the narrators portrays her in a manner that she had to face the expected grown up responsibilities. Having illustrated that, it is perfect to understand that this artifact, however long it was, many could followed it up to the last season, hence portraying a sense of interest and expectations (Whedon et al, 2007, p.11).Evidently, the TV series literally narrated the idea of a chosen one. At the age of fifteen, Buffy regardless of her sex was chosen to hunt demons and vampires as well as forces of darkness. She manages to fight the challenges of high school, with the company of Xander and Willow and up to the end of the journey where she manages to save the world. She was expected to stand against all her opponents and fight for her victory and the victory of others. Being a slayer, she understands this tale by heart, and so, despite the fact that she tries so hard to be simply a normal girl, the truth according to the episode is that she cannot escape from her destiny. This media artifact contributes positively to the life of human being, for instance the struggle of Buffy to save the world portrays the hardship people usually go through o acquire their destiny (Hoechsmann, & Poyntz, 2012). Now, having perused through the above media artifact, the pertinent thing is to connect it to the Marxism.’, a theory noted by Mack and Otto in their book titled ‘critical media studies.’ It follows that the book illustrates this theory as a theory and at the same time a political movement and as a social tool motivator (Ott & Mack, 2010). This theory is actually rooted in the idea of society all the way in the history of class struggles. Actually, it is of no offense if the theory is assumed as a theory that literally does not make sense of the entire world via the per spective of materialism of historical grounds. First, the TV

Thursday, August 22, 2019

What are the Reasons Behind Challenging Behaviour in residential care situations Essay Example for Free

What are the Reasons Behind Challenging Behaviour in residential care situations Essay Residential Care is local authority and privately owned residences within which Looked After Children (LACs) aged thirteen to eighteen reside. Challenging behaviour is a term defined as two main types: disruptive or externalised behaviours which may include some of the following: aggressive behaviour such as fighting, disobedience, tantrums, destruction of property, bullying and attention-seeking; non-disrupting or internalised behaviours including depression and anxiety. Symptoms of the latter include tension, inferiority complexes, unhappiness, feelings of worthlessness, timidity, social isolation and hypersensitivity (Hayden et al. 1999). Within my research I will be focusing upon externalised behaviours, specifically tantrums which are defined as episodes of extreme anger and frustration characterised by crying, screaming, shouting and violent body motions, including throwing things (Encyclopaedia of Children’s Health [online] 2011). My interest in this area stems from placement experience when two young men I worked with were reading an article Breaking the law in and inside in Who Cares Magazine (2010), a publication they receive every month. Within the publication was a letter from a young man of a similar age to them (15-16) and he said he behaved badly because people expected him to and he felt that if people expected him to he might as well live up to this reputation. The young men I worked with agreed with this, which made me think about the reasons behind some of the behaviour they exhibit on a regular basis. Within my placement in residential care the most common form of challenging behaviour I witnessed was tantrums. I feel it is important both for the young person and staff to understand the reasons behind the behaviour; for the young person they will better understand themselves and for staff they will be able to help the child more if they understand the behaviour more and the reasons behind it. Upon examining this concept closer I looked on the Who Cares website to gain more insight and discovered ‘John’s blog’ and a particular entry from October 2010: ‘I wasn’t prepared for the Panorama programme ‘Kids in Care’ The blur quickly fixed itself in the eyes of ‘Connor’, an angry fourteen year old in care. In the short clip, no doubt shown to jack up audience numbers, Connor is shown attacking his social worker’s car and leaving its window smeared with blood (at least I think it was blood). His rage caught me off guard, not out of shock, but more from a forgotten familiarity. I remember that rage and then I remember the vacuum. The hole in my childhood that screamed out to be filled. I often reached for rage. ..’ (John’s Blog, 2010). This research proposal begins with a review of literature around LACs and behaviour and identifies findings and any gaps in the current research. Examining other literature helps to identify any ethical issues or areas of difficulty others have found and able to overcome or avoid these in this proposal. Literature review The research uncovered in order to shape the proposal is dated from 1998 which is thirteen years old the most up to date research I found was from 2010. I will examine this literature in a thematic order. These themes will be used to inform the design of the planned interviews and help me to from questions around particular topics. Life as a looked after child Many of the research projects consider what it is like for the young people to be a Looked After Child (Baldry and Kemmis, 1998; Minty, 1999; Rutter, 2000; Rutter et al. 2000; Munro et al. 2005; McCarthy et al. 2003; Vinnerljung et al. 2006; Clausen and Kristofersen 2008). This was done by looking at daily life, being looked after, contact with family and friends, social workers, planning and reviews, education, and information and knowledge of what is available in the community. Garrett’s (1999) article highlights that those children who are perceived to be at risk of offending or to be threats to the community are also products of the ‘care’ system. Further to this, in The Guardian (1993) a comment that Kenneth Clarke made when he was Home Secretary regarded offending children and young people when he stated that they are ‘persistent nasty little juveniles’. One of the questions I would like to understand from my research is: what is the impact of these type of labels on LACs? Action and Assessment Records Several of the articles examine the use of Action and Assessment Records (AARs) from two different perspectives Garrett (1999) was concerned that the AARs are oppressive and contain powerful sub-texts; for example, what is an ‘appropriate’ youth lifestyle and the effects of this on the LACs? Kufeldt et al. (2003) looked at the children’s health, education, identity, family and social relationships and self-care skills. They felt the use of AARs would help their practice and improve outcomes for LACs. This is a contrasting viewpoint; the expectation seems to be that LACs need to fit into a particular box; it further highlights the concept of labels. Davies and Harrà © (1990) also look at identity: ‘ who one is is always an open question with a shifting answer’ I feel this fits LACs very well and other researchers have stated that having a social identity is important and LACs often do not have a confident grasp of what their identity is and this can have a detrimental effect upon them (Biehal et al. 1995; Ridge and Miller, 2000; Rutter,2000). This research intends to engage with young people in order to find answers to these questions. Families Research by Biehal et al. (1995) found that the birth family remains very important to LACs. Ridge and Miller (2000) did in-depth interviews to explore the importance of social relationships for LACs and what the impact of the care system is on keeping and maintaining these relationships. Rutter (2000) states LACs usually come from families where the parents exhibit diverse psychopathology and multiple parenting problems. Therefore, when working with families and LACs it is important to remember the impact the care system has on LACs maintaining social relationships and what impact families may have had on children prior to coming into the care system. This identifies another area for investigation in this project. Social Exclusion A number of the researchers look at social exclusion that LACs may experience. Ridge and Miller’s (2000) core finding is that LACs lack strong family ties and, due to living in care, experience a high degree of social difference. Their study focused in particular on emotional aspects of social exclusion. McCarthy et al.’s (2003) research assessed the level of social impairment and distress experienced by LACs with behavioural disorders whereas Minty (1999) examines empirical findings of behaviour to assess the extent to which LACs experience emotional, social, behavioural and educational problems. Rutter (2010) comments on Minty’s work: ‘Two implications are immediately evident. First when considering the elevated rate of emotional/behavioural difficulties.it will be necessary to ask whether these derive from the risk factors external to the experience of care or the care experience itself.’ (Rutter, 2010, p.686). Behavioural Problems Behavioural problems seem to be a recurring theme within the above research findings and are the focus of some of them (McCarthy et al. 2003; Munro et al. 2005; Hayden, 2010). Coward (1997) in an article in The Guardian argues that the assumption that when children are left to their own devices they will naturally drift towards offending behaviour. The present research proposes to discover how these assumptions and labels have become prevalent in the present time. Offending Behaviour Hayden and Gough (2010) discuss the introduction of restorative justice in residential settings and the impact this has in counteracting offending behaviour and thereby the above assumptions and labelling. In particular with regard to residential care Munro et al. (2005) state that several of the children interviewed in residential care experienced a culture of delinquent behaviour, bullying, low staff morale and also a lack of empathy displayed by the staff. McCarthy et al. (2003) looked into behavioural problems but only the impact on how this affects the LACs; it does not look at reasons behind challenging behaviour a gap I wish to examine. Improving Outcomes Two studies look into improving the outcomes for LACs and the idea of misconceptions of LACs ((Kufeldt et al. 2003; Hare and Bullock, 2005). These researchers firstly examined how children are looked at within legislation; they do highlight that there have been lots of improvements since the Children Act 1989 but my own interest indicates that this may not be good enough. These researchers further advise cautions in attempting research with LACs, stating that LACs are an ‘administrative sample because they are defined by law’. There is consideration of the difference between ‘movie shot’ samples and ‘snapshot’ samples of participants in that most studies with LACs focus mainly on those who have long-term fixed placements or those that move around frequently. Following this the above study examines retrospective and prospective samples; it examines the rates within which LACs end up in offending institutions to explain the flaws in these types of studies. Many LAC studies rely on retrospective evidence; the major problem with this approach is that it exaggerates links between the past and the present. However, the prospective study hopes to avoid a biased link with leaving care and offending. In my study I want to remove myself from viewing variable factors of a LAC’s experience as fixed such as: they will all come from feckless, neglectful families. Hare and Bullock (2006) warn of the danger of syllogisms which arise when characterising this group of children ‘all a is b, but all b is not a’. Their example is the relationship between children presenting challenging behaviour and placement in residential care. It is also important to remember that it is not only LACs who experience poor outcomes but they are more visible and they highlight the wider problems experienced by all deprived children. With all these considerations in mind Hare and Bullock (2006) used a snapshot sample of three hundred and fifty one LACs which then produced four groups of children with common needs: 1) adolescents who need help to improve their behaviour; 2) children who need protection from risk of neglect in families; 3) children in need of nurture and protection from families with serious health problems; 4) children whose needs arise from a specific problem. They state at the very end that the research does identify a risk to LACs but that it may not lead to improved outcomes or dispel misconceptions of them it may reinforce negative stereotypes. This is possibility that I am aware of and hope to avoid in my own research.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Security and Privacy Essay Example for Free

Security and Privacy Essay Introduction Identity theft is becoming very easy due to technological advancements. Protecting patient information must include all efforts from medical facilities, employees, and consumers. Society has the right to be protected from any misuse of personal data. An effective protective program starts with front-end preventive safeguards and ends with follow-through that reaches wherever incorrect information has flowed Identity theft has become a very popular topic for the past decade or so, the number of complaints has increased and is costing more than anyone wants to be spending on that issue. The Federal Trade commission estimates that as many as nine million Americans have their identity stolen each year, resulting in over 50 billion dollars of financial loss (Mercuri, 2006). Very common on Television to hear news and commercials warning about identity theft or some company trying to sell their services, helping in the fight to prevent it. In this paper, there will be discussions on the disadvantages of the break in privacy dealing with identity theft and on possible action plan to prevent the incident. What are your Reactions? Identity theft is a fraud that occurs when one identity is taken away and used in order to gain services or something usually of financial nature. Criminal identity theft occurs when a victim’s name, address, and mostly social security number is used by a different individual other than the actual owner. Oftentimes, the imposter would obtain that information from someone with access to a data bank where personal information is stored; it may be a hospital, social security department, company that collects data for the purpose of providing financial services. The information may be sold and used to open accounts, gain access to services fraudulently, which the actual owner, a victim of the theft will be charged for. Though many have tried to find ways to prevent and fight that kind of invasion of privacy, it  remains an issue and a very expensive one. Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in United States; it affects 13 persons per minute, 799 per hour, or 19,178 per da y (Mercuri, 2006). When it comes to personal identity theft, elaborate steps must be taken to repair identity, all creditors and banks must be contacted in order to freeze accounts and limit the damages. Any financial activities that were not approved should be reversed and investigated and any opened accounts closed. New identification cards should be provided, depending on the extent of the situation legal counseling may be necessary. Whichever way it happens, identity theft remains a burden for all not only individuals, but also for companies who carry the burden of screening employees in order to protect their customers from such occurrence. No one would welcome such calamity, not only the loss of privacy, the financial burden, but more so the trauma of not being able to prevent it completely. What are the Disadvantages of the Break in Privacy? The disadvantages of the break in privacy are for the hospital as well as the victims. Big corporations are kept accountable for all data collected from their clients and are liable for any misuse of that information no matter the use. Personal information are trusted to be used for an individual benefits in the process securing a service; it should not be sold or used without consent for others benefits. Once information has been compromised, it is the duty of the corporation which allows the break to occur to remedy the problem. Remediation can be very costly, the company is liable for the break, cause analysis is necessary to find the leak and establish preventive measures. Which involves retraining personnel and maybe adding more doing the hiring, better screening process; make every one accountable for work involvement. It is a costly process but necessary. It is a federal offense and as an HIPAA violation all perpetrators will be fined, it is a mandate. Victims of identity fra ud bear the burden of regaining their identity and find any measure to prevent future occurrence. Such fraud creates a financial burden, all major federal instutions such as social security department, internal revenue services, banks and creditors must be informed of the fraudulent act before identity can be restored. All activities under the victim name must be verified and investigated, that will require to work with the fraud departments of all banks where accounts  was opened or compromised. It can be very costly not only to restore identity, but also mostly once the damages are discovered it will take a lot of time and money to correct the wrong done. The federal trade commission must be contacted; they collect information that is shared with law enforcement agency investigating identity fraud. Consumer Credit reporting agencies must be informed and a credit reports requested to investigate whether the victim history has been compromised. The motor vehicle and passport agency must be contacted as well, in such a case all possible areas must investigated for possible damages. It takes time and resources to correct break in privacy. Medical identity theft may be very difficult to discover, an individual my not have any idea that he or she has been the victim until late and the damages result in a mounts of debts and loss of revenue for providers and insurers. One victim hired an attorney to sort out the damage to her records. She avoided the hospital where the identity thief was treated, because of the inaccuracies in her health record as a result of the medical identity theft (AHIMA, 2008). What are the Possible Actions Plans to prevent the Incident? Preventing any incident requires individuals as well as corporations to be very diligent in safeguarding personal data. It requires a team effort on the part of all parties, corporations must be willing to put in place the necessary resources in the respect, although the first line of defense rest with the individuals seeking services. Some of the preventive measures include, but not limited to: Share personal and health insurance information only with trusted providers. * Monitor the explanation of benefits received from insurers and obtaining a summary of all the benefits paid in the patient’s or guarantor’s name. * Question â€Å"free† medical services or treatments. Individuals should always question what is being offered and who is paying the cost. If not satisfied with the answers, they should decline the offer. * Protect health insurance information. Individuals should safeguard insurance cards, explanation of benefits, and health plan correspondence in th e same way they would safeguard credit cards. * Obtain and maintaining personal health records that include copies of significant health information from each healthcare provider (O’Brien, 2008). Furthermore it is very important that every hospitals or any  corporations having access to individuals personal data, to empower every consumer to be very diligent about personal data. It is necessary educate the public about the threat of identity theft. Increase awareness of the consequences and prevention measures. Institute sophisticated security monitoring measures and implement a broadly accepted, executive-supported information security charter for effective security policy and governance (American Health Management Association, [AHIMA], 2008). HIPAA rules require that a risk analysis of any system be conducted that would address administrative, technical and physical safeguards. HIPAA security rule does not focus on technology but administration (American Health Management Association, [AHIMA], AHIMA, 2008). It requires that any data collected of consumers be protected according to its security rule. Corporations must develop guidelines that protect consumers, but also that would minimize employee’s incidents of mismanagement of data. The process should start from hiring, to training and setting up steps that would raise red flags with any questionable occurrence. Conclusion Medical identity theft is becoming very complex and must involve the effort of all consumers, providers and insurers to battle and prevent occurrences. Consumer involvement is very important and necessary, they must be made aware of the threat to their privacy and educate on ways to prevent any occurrence. The public deserves to be protected from any mismanagement of personal data, it incumbents on every corporation to put in place process that safeguards all data collected. An effective protective program starts with front-end preventive safeguards and ends with follow-through that reaches wherever incorrect information has flowed (American Health Management Association, [AHIMA], 2008). References American Health Management Association, [AHIMA]. â€Å"Online, On Message, On Duty: Privacy Experts Share Their Challenges.† April 2008. Available online in the FORE Library: HIM Body of Knowledge at www.ahima.org. American Health Management Association, [AHIMA] e-HIM Work Group on Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIOs). â€Å"Using the SSN as a Patient Identifier.† Journal of AHIMA 77, no. 3 (Mar. 2006): 56A–D. Retrieved from www.ahima.org Mercuri, R. T. (2006, June). Security Watch: Scoping identity theft. Communications of the ACM, Retrieved from: www.citeseerx.ist.psu.edu O’Brien, Jenny. â€Å"Responding to Identity Theft: One Organization’s Effort to Turn a Negative Event into a Positive Result.† Journal of AHIMA 79, no. 4 (Apr. 2008): 40–41. Retrieved from www.ahima.org

The Anxiety Of Death In The Elderly Sociology Essay

The Anxiety Of Death In The Elderly Sociology Essay The essay below is on the death anxiety of the elderly persons who are independent and those who are dependent on others in life. Anxiety of death is defined by the British National Health Service as a feeling of apprehension, or dread that an individual encounters when thinking of the process dying. On the introduction part of the essay, there is a brief discussion of death anxiety in the society. The literature review of the essay has tackled two major aspects of death anxiety. The first aspect is the general discussion of death anxiety among the elderly persons. Many people in the society have a perception that at old age people tend to have anxiety of death as compared to the youngsters, which many psychological scholars oppose. The second aspect includes the two main variables that affect the level of death anxiety in old age. These variables include being independent in life, and being dependent on others in life. It has been argued that elderly persons who are dependent on oth ers have high levels of death anxiety as compared to the individuals who are independent. The essay was based on the methodology and findings of a study conducted by Dr.Bharat H.Mimrot on A Comparative study of Death Anxiety of Old Persons in the year 2011. The sample size was 200 respondents who were randomly selected. The respondents were residents of Aurangabad city, and were selected from those living in institutions and those living with their families. Introduction Anxiety of death is considered as an abnormal or relentless fear in an individuals mind of death. Anxiety of death is defined by the British National Health Service as a feeling of apprehension, or dread that an individual encounters when thinking of the process dying (DePaola, Griffin, Young, Neimeyer, 2003). In the field of psychology, anxiety of death is considered as a psychological problem that is affected by a number of variables. Among the variables that affect anxiety of death, include the environment that one lives in, the age of an individual, the ego integrity, the religious faith of an individual, the personal sense that an individual has for self-worth. In studying death anxiety of an individual, majority of studies have indicated that the difficult part is the measuring of the anxiety an individual has in relation to other variables (Cicirelli, 2006). The below essay seeks to address the anxiety of death of the elderly individuals who are independent and those who are dependent on other people. For instance, the essay focuses on the age and the environment in which the individual lives as the main variables for the anxiety of death. Majority of studies have indicated that as people age, regardless of them being independent or dependent on others, they become less anxious about death. The essay will be supported by a study conducted by Dr.Bharat H.Mimrot on A Comparative study of Death Anxiety of Old Persons in the year 2011. This article has been extracted from the Indian Streams Research Journal. Literature Review Anxiety of death in old age In the current society, the anxiety of death among individuals is a rampant psychological issue, especially the younger generation that should not be ignored. Many people in the society have a perception that at old age people tend to have anxiety of death as compared to the youngsters, which many psychological scholars oppose. When dealing with anxiety of death in old age, it is very important for one to understand old age in general (Banck, 1976). Generally, old age is considered to be consisting of ages that are nearing the average life span which human beings are expected to live. Majority of psychological studies on issues that affect individual at old age referred old age as a late adulthood stage that tend to begin at 60s and lasts until death. In her definition of death anxiety, a renowned psychologist Janet Belsky, considered death anxiety as the emotions, fears, as well as thoughts about the final event of life that an individual may experience under more normal conditions of life. In old age, people must deal with the possibility of their own death as well as the death of loved ones (Chernick, 1990). Death may also be looked into in terms of statistics, which supply us with significant figures and facts. Even though death most commonly occurs in later years, it may happen at any stage in life. As a common phenomenon in the current society, majority of people are afraid of dying, especially the elderly who know that lifetime in world is ending. For instance, many perceive that death is always near when one is in old age; therefore, their perceptions make them believe that anxiety of death is a common condition for the elderly persons in the society as compared to the youngsters (Dever, 1998). On the contrary, most studies are against this particular perception in the sense that any person can be anxious of death due to the living conditions. According to a psychological theory done by Erickson, it is indicated that in the later stages of life, individuals experience what is known as ego integrity. In his theory, developmental psychologist Erickson pointed out that this particular theory explained that as people grow older in life, they go through a series of crises in life. The psychologist argued in his theory that a person tends to engage in life review when they reach th e old age (Epstein, 1979). Ego entry according to Erik Erickson is a state when an individual comes to term with his or her life and accepts it. On the other hand, when a person reviews his or her life in old age as a series of failed events and opportunities, then such individuals never reach the stage of ego integrity. This is when one becomes anxious of death at old age, whether they are dependent on other people, or whether they are independent in life. The elderly people who find life worth continue living tend to have less anxiety on death. In Erickson theory of psychology concerning anxiety of death, elderly individuals tend to have less anxiety of death when they reach the ego integrity level because, when they look back on their lives, they find meaningfulness in their lives, hence have a purpose to continue living (Langs, 1997). It is with no doubt that anxiety of death is minimal to individuals who are elderly because majority of studies support the psychological theory done by developmental psychologist Erik Erickson. In a certain study, the Templer Death Anxiety scale was used to measure the level of death anxiety among individuals from 16 years to 83 years. N the study, it was found that the individuals who were 60 years and above had lower scores of death anxiety while the younger individuals had higher levels of death anxiety. This particular study was proved that the psychological theory of Erickson was true (Rheingold, 1967). Another study still indicated that anxiety of death is minimal during old age. In the research study, it was found that anxiety of death normally begins to be prevalent in ones life during their years of young adulthood. This is during the ages of 20 years to 40 years. During the next age phase, anxiety of death reaches its peak. This is between the ages of 40 to 64 years. At old age, that is 65 years and above, it was indicated that the anxiety of death tends to lower. Form the findings of this particular study; it is evident that the psychological theory done by Erickson is supported. This particular study tends to contradict with the expectations that people have towards anxiety of death at old age. As indicated in the previous text of the essay, many individuals in the society think that old people are always anxious about death due to the process of aging (Neimeyer, 1994). Anxiety of death in the elderly who are dependent on others and those who are independent in life As discussed above, death anxiety tends to lower when individuals become elderly. Though it lowers as one ages, there are two main variables that may affect anxiety at old age. The two variables include whether the elderly person is dependent on other people in life, or whether the individual is independent in life. Being dependent on other [people may entail receiving life support such as food, laundry activities, medication, house cleaning, and many other important activities that are crucial in life. On the other hand, when one is independent in life, it means that the individual supports him or herself in carrying out the crucial activities of life such as paying for their own bills, buying for himself or herself food, taking themselves to entertainment joints and many others (McCarthy, 1990). For instance, majority of studies have indicated that elderly individuals who are dependent on other individuals in life tend to have higher levels of death anxiety as compared to their counterparts who are independent in life. This is because the elderly who are dependent on others tend to review their lives and find no meaning in living. They tend to reach this point especially when they feel that they are a burden to those who pay their bills, buy them food, as well as looking after them. They find no worth in continue living because they do not add any value to the society they live in but rather consume that available resources without replacement. They have a perception that when they die, the people they depend on would be free at last (Lonetto Templer, 1986). On the other hand, elderly individuals who are independent in life tend to have lower levels of death anxiety. As it is stated in Ericksons psychological theory, as individuals reach their old age, they tend to sit back and make a review of their lives. When they reach the ego integrity level, they tend to find meaningfulness in their lives hence they find it worth continue living. This is because of the achievements they may have made in their entire lives. Therefore, they feel that they should continue living in order to enjoy whatever they achieved in their entire lives. This is unlike the elderly individuals who feel that they failed in life after they review their lives. For instance, elderly individuals who are independent in their lives tend to find the meaningfulness in living after they review their lives. This is because; when they review their lives they find that they have achieved so much in life that they should continue living to enjoy their prosperity (Mahabeer, 1980) . They find no problem with them continuing living because they pay their own bill, look after themselves, as well as buy themselves food and many others. As opposed to their dependent counterparts, the elderly independent individuals fail to have the feeling of being a burden to other people in the society because they do not depend on them for survival; hence they find it worth living. It is therefore evident that elderly individuals who are independent in life have lower levels of death anxiety as compared to those who are dependent on others in life. This is so since it is supported by a majority of studies conducted on anxiety of death in the elderly persons (Langs, 1997). Methodology of the study The study was specifically for the old person living at Aurangabad city. The study included institution sector units as well as family sector units. The hypotheses formulated for the purposes of the study were to be tested by collecting relevant data from the participants who took part in the study. One of the hypotheses tested by the study that is relevant to this particular essay is that the elderly individuals who live in institutions tend to experience more anxiety of death as compared to those who live in the family. The study included both the females and the males; it did not sideline participants from a certain gender (Mimrot, 2011). The sample for the study included 200 old persons. These 200 old persons belong to both the sexes to various families and institutions, of Aurangabad city. Of the 200 people, 50 were male who lived with family, and 50 females who lived with family, as well as 50 males who lived in institutions and 50 females who lived with family. The sample for the study was selected by the use of random sampling technique. In addition to the selection of the sample for the study, the tool used for the methodology was Death Anxiety Scale. The scale was made up of 10 units and was constructed and developed by Upinder Dhar, Savita Mehta, as well as Santosh Dhar. The split-half reliability coefficient was = 0.87. The scale reliability was determined by calculating split-half reliability coefficient, corrected for full length, on a sample of 200 subjects (25-55 years) Besides face validity, as all items of the scale are concerned with the variables under focus, the scale has high content validity. The reliability index was calculated by the reaserchers for purposes of establishing validity from the coefficient of reliability Norms for the scale were available on a sample of subjects belonging to the age range of 25-55 years (Mimrot, 2011). The data analysis for the study was carried out with the help of descriptive statistics including Means, Standard Deviation, and multiple univariate 2 x 2 ANOVA for Death Anxiety. Discussion There are significant differences between mean scores of old people living in the family and institutionalized old people on death anxiety. (F = 11.875, df1 = 1, df2 =196 P Based on the analyses that were interpreted in the study, there was a major difference between old age people living in family and old age institutionalized people in terms of their anxiety of death. Based on the mean value interpreted from the study, the elderly people living in the family have high death anxiety (6.00) than institutionalized old people (5.44). this is an indication that those living with their families are highly dependent on their family members as compared to those living in institutions since they have no family member to depend on. This particular interpretation of data from the study failed to support the hypothesis that old age people living in the institution would experience more death anxiety than old age people living in the family (Madnawat Singh, 2007). The hypothesis was therefore rejected for the study. In connection with the above-mentioned findings, some of the psychological scholars found the ageing process is associated with a number of factors like economic independence, health status, their role expectation in the family and status accorded to the elders in the family. From the results of the study conducted by Dr.Bharat H.Mimrot, it is clear that elderly individuals who are dependent on others have higher levels of anxiety of death as compared to the elderly individuals who are independent (Ens Bond, 2005). In this particular case, the independent old people were represented by individuals who were living in institutions whereas dependent elderly persons on others in life were represented by those who were living with their families. In support of Erickson psychological theory that states that the death anxiety of an elderly person tends to lower down suppose the individual reaches the ego integrity level. As discussed in the previous paragraphs, such a level is usually reached when an individual takes a full review of his or her life and finds that it is worth living. For instance, the elderly persons living with their families in this particular study were found to be having a higher level of anxiety of death as compared to their counterparts since they failed to find the essence in continuing living. The fact that they fail to have the urge of continuing living is due to them relying on their families for their upkeep. The individuals feel that at their age they are supposed to have made enough in their entire lives that would support them during their old age instead of being a burden to their family members (Epstein, 1979). On the other hand, the results of the study indicated that the elderly individuals who live in institutions have a lower anxiety of death. This is according to their ego integrity level. These particular individuals find the sense of continuing to live after they review their entire lives. In the institutions where these elderly persons live, they do not rely on others for their upkeep but rather pay for the services that are offered to them, which is unlike the individuals who live with their families. They find the essence of continuing living because they feel that they are not a burden to any individual and that they achieved much in their entire lives that is worth continuing living. This particular discussion is supported by the psychological theory of Erik Erickson (Mimrot, 2011). Conclusion In conclusion, anxiety of death not only affects the elderly persons, as many in the society perceive, but can also affect children and the young adults. Among the variables that affect anxiety of death in ones life, age seems to be the principle variable. The elderly persons are less anxious of death while the youngsters are highly anxious of death. As discussed in above essay, it is clear that the elderly who are dependent on other people in life have a higher level of death anxiety as compared to those who are independent in life.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Schizophrenia :: science

This mental disorder. However, it is proven that one is more apt to obtain schizophrenia if there is a member in their family that has had this disease already leaving those who do not have a family member with schizophrenia to be very unlikely to acquire it. Another way of acquiring schizophrenia in the inherited sense is through a dietary factor. This would mean that a certain food would trigger schizophrenia in a household present in the member of the family that eats that food (Torrey 80). Early in this disease, there may be obsession with religion, matters of the supernatural, or abstract causes of creation. Speech may be characterized by unclear symbolism’s. Later, words and phrases may become puzzling, and these can only be understood as part of the person’s private fantasy world. People who have been ill with schizophrenia for a long time often have speech patterns that are disoriented and aimless and deficient of meaning to the casual observer. Sexual activity is frequently altered in mental disorders. Homosexual concerns may be associated with all psychoses but are most prominent with paranoia. Doubts concerning sexual identity, exaggerated sexual needs, altered sexual performance and fears of intimacy are prominent in schizophrenia. The process of regression in schizophrenia is accompanied by increased self-fixation, isolation, and masturbatory behavior. The schizophrenic person finds himself or herself in a painful dilemma. He or she retreats from personal intimacy or closeness because of the intense fear that closeness will be followed by rejection or harm. This retreat from intimacy leaves the person lonely and isolated. This dilemma often becomes the care-taker’s dilemma. The care-taker wishes to form a productive emotional bond but at the same time seeks to lessen the person’s anxiety. The schizophrenic person, who moves toward emotional closeness, will eventually increase anxiety. The dopamine theory of schizophrenia is based on the action of the neuroleptic drugs, better known as antipsychotic drugs. Neuroleptics are the drugs of choice for treating the symptoms of schizophrenia. The neuroleptics are believed to block the dopamine receptors in the brain, limiting the activity of dopamine and reducing the symptoms of schizophrenia. Amphetamines, just the opposite, enhance dopamine transmission. Amphetamines produce an excess of dopamine in the brain and can provoke the symptoms of schizophrenia in a schizo phrenic client. In large doses, amphetamines can simulate symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia in a nonschizophrenic person. Some symptoms of schizophrenia are due basically to hyperdopaminergic activity.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Annotation Assignment: A Separate Peace :: essays research papers

Setting: 1. Chapter 1, page 1, #2: â€Å"I didn’t entirely like this glossy new surface† Analysis: This quote shows that the setting was at one point different to the author. It was not glossy and new. 2. Chapter 1, page 4, #2: â€Å"Devon is sometimes considered the most beautiful school in New England, and even on this dismal afternoon its power was asserted.† Analysis: This quote showing setting can be closely related to the character Finny. Much like the school, Finny is beautiful even in the midst of some of his hateful classmates. 3. Chapter 1, page 5, #3: â€Å"Moving through the soaked, coarse grass I began to examine each one closely, and finally identified the tree I was looking for by means of certain small scars rising along its trunk, and by a limb extending over the river, and another thinner limb growing near it. Analysis: This setting shows in detail a location which is directly tied to the author. He remembers the tree in such detail because this was the place were the main conflict in his life took place. Theme: 1. Chapter 3, page 5, #3: â€Å"A little fog hung over the river so that as I neared it I felt myself becoming isolated from everything except the river and the few trees beside it. The wind was blowing more steadily here, and I was beginning to feel cold.† Analysis: This quote has the affect of creating a foreboding mood as if something dreadful is about to happen to gene and the landscape is warning him. 2. Chapter 2, page 18, #3: â€Å"It was hypnotism. I was beginning to see that Phineas could get away with anything.† Analysis: This quote is based on the theme of envy. It is clear that Gene feels that Phineas can get away with anything. The reader can tell that Gene hate him because of this. 3. Chapter 3, page 29, #1: â€Å"â€Å"Blitzkrieg†, repeated Finny doubtfully. â€Å"We could figure out some kind of blitzkrieg baseball,† I said. â€Å"We’ll call it blitzkrieg ball,† said Bobby. â€Å"Or just blitzball†Ã¢â‚¬  Analysis: This quote shows the theme of microcosm. The boys are so isolated from the rest of the world and the war, that they do not understand fully the horrors of war. So much so that they name a game after a German tank invasion were thousands of people died. 4. Chapter 5, page 53, #1: â€Å"I couldn’t figure out exactly what this word meant, whether It meant broken in one or several places, cleanly or badly, and I didn’t ask. Annotation Assignment: A Separate Peace :: essays research papers Setting: 1. Chapter 1, page 1, #2: â€Å"I didn’t entirely like this glossy new surface† Analysis: This quote shows that the setting was at one point different to the author. It was not glossy and new. 2. Chapter 1, page 4, #2: â€Å"Devon is sometimes considered the most beautiful school in New England, and even on this dismal afternoon its power was asserted.† Analysis: This quote showing setting can be closely related to the character Finny. Much like the school, Finny is beautiful even in the midst of some of his hateful classmates. 3. Chapter 1, page 5, #3: â€Å"Moving through the soaked, coarse grass I began to examine each one closely, and finally identified the tree I was looking for by means of certain small scars rising along its trunk, and by a limb extending over the river, and another thinner limb growing near it. Analysis: This setting shows in detail a location which is directly tied to the author. He remembers the tree in such detail because this was the place were the main conflict in his life took place. Theme: 1. Chapter 3, page 5, #3: â€Å"A little fog hung over the river so that as I neared it I felt myself becoming isolated from everything except the river and the few trees beside it. The wind was blowing more steadily here, and I was beginning to feel cold.† Analysis: This quote has the affect of creating a foreboding mood as if something dreadful is about to happen to gene and the landscape is warning him. 2. Chapter 2, page 18, #3: â€Å"It was hypnotism. I was beginning to see that Phineas could get away with anything.† Analysis: This quote is based on the theme of envy. It is clear that Gene feels that Phineas can get away with anything. The reader can tell that Gene hate him because of this. 3. Chapter 3, page 29, #1: â€Å"â€Å"Blitzkrieg†, repeated Finny doubtfully. â€Å"We could figure out some kind of blitzkrieg baseball,† I said. â€Å"We’ll call it blitzkrieg ball,† said Bobby. â€Å"Or just blitzball†Ã¢â‚¬  Analysis: This quote shows the theme of microcosm. The boys are so isolated from the rest of the world and the war, that they do not understand fully the horrors of war. So much so that they name a game after a German tank invasion were thousands of people died. 4. Chapter 5, page 53, #1: â€Å"I couldn’t figure out exactly what this word meant, whether It meant broken in one or several places, cleanly or badly, and I didn’t ask.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Assisi, Italy Essay example -- Observation Essays, Descriptive Essays

Assisi Before and After Francis and Clare? Assisi is a town located in the province of Perugia and Umbrian region of central Italy (?Assisi?).? It is located at the foot of Monte Subasio, which is 1300 feet or 400 meters above sea level. The narrow, winding streets and the surrounding city walls are indicative of the region?s medieval history (?Assisi?).? Although the town is primarily known as the birthplace of St. Francis, it was an important location for the Umbrians, Etruscans, and Romans (?Assisi?).? As an ancient Umbrian center, the townspeople fought with the neighboring Etruscan cities.? In 89 BC, Assisi became a confederated Roman city and a municipium named Asisium (?12. Franciscan Sanctuaries?).? Today the remains of the Roman forum, the amphitheater, and most noticeably the Temple of Minerva serve as a testament to this city's ancient Roman origins.? In the early Middle Ages, the town was subject to the dukes of Spoleto, and in the 12th century, Assisi became an independent commune involved in internal dispu tes and wars with Perugia.? It joined the Papal States in the 16th century and the Italian kingdom in 1860 (?Assisi?).? The medieval architecture and religious artwork left by the various inhabitants of Assisi have given this town a timeless quality.? Although it is a town of the twenty-first century, millions of tourists and religious pilgrims flock to the area seeking simplicity, reflection, and peace. From Paganism to Christianity Under the Romans Under the Roman Emperor Augustus, the grand Forum was constructed; various temples were built; the city walls were completed; the baths and healing springs of mineral waters were opened; and the theater was constructed along side the amphitheatre.? T... .... Connor, Mary OSC. Personal Interview. 10 November 2003. ?Earthquake Jolts Assisi.? Franciscans and St. Anthony Press. 16 Nov. 2003. . Lattin, Don.? ?A Renaissance in Assisi; St. Francis? Hometowns Rebuilds After 1997 Quakes.? The San Francisco Chronicle. 12-23-99, A-1. Miller, Ramona, O.S.F. In the Footsteps of Saint Clare - A Pilgirms Guide Book. St. Bonaventure, NY: The Franciscan Institute, 1993. ?Temple of Minvera.? Convento S. Antonio. 16 Nov. 2003. . ?1. St. Francis and St. Clare ? Life and Times.? Franciscan Institute Outreach ? Malta. 19 Nov. 2003. < http://198.62.75.1/www1/ofm/fra/FRAlife1.html>. ? 12. Franciscan Sanctuaries.? Franciscan Institute Outreach ? Malta. 19 Nov. 2003. .

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas â€Å"Explain how characters transition from headstrong and quirky in the beginning to something that resembles shell-shocked soldiers† Raul Duke and the Attorney also known as the main characters of the novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas transition from headstrong and quirky characters to something that appears to be shell-shocked soldiers. The American Dream, a very common theme for every American, everyone wants to live it but few actually know what it is. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is the American Dream put in action as Hunter S. Thompson puts to the test his standard practice of living in excess and acting strangely enough to evade detection, with the attitude of someone who belongs where he is. Hunter S. Thompson manages to create a journalistic discovery that outlines the changes of an American legend. The characters transitioning from headstrong and quirky in the beginning to something that resembles shell-shocked soldiers, these descriptions apply to both the characters, Raul Duke and his Samoan attorney who is never named, and the supporting characters, hotel bellhops and other static characters. Old elephants limp off to the hills to die; old Americans go out to the high way and drive themselves to death with huge cars†(18). This shows a perfect blend of aggressive journalism gone awry combined with great American willpower and ingenuity and is a landmark in the world of â€Å"counterculture† writing. At the beginning of the novel both Raul Duke and the attorney showed head strong and quir ky qualities. As your attorney†, that’s how the attorney always presented himself in front of people shows a very positive and headstrong personality because he isn’t afraid of showing who he is and it also represents how he loves his job since he always wanted to be referred as to the attorney. Another scene that shows both the attorney and Dr. Thompson upbeat personalities is their ride with the shark to Las Vegas. Off course they were high throughout the whole drive. That is also a reason why they felt so headstrong because it is believed that drugs made them feel more powerful. We are going to rip his lungs out! † said the attorney during the ride to Las Vegas. Also them getting the shark was one of the moments that got them so pumped up. Then there is a change in personality were both characters resemble shell-shocked soldiers. I believe these changes of transition originate from the drugs and their effects and that provokes them to become bipolar. One of the scenes that show this transition is the Vietnam flash and the hotel scene while Dr. Thompson and the attorney are in the elevator and the attorney becomes overly aggressive. This transition happens after their usage of drugs and alcohol and it is influenced by Hunter S. Thompson and his persona. The influence of Dr. Thompson’s novel he has had on American culture is almost countless. Every American writer with any sense of politics and social morality reads and looks up to the good doctor. Fear and Loathing marks a turning point in his style. The strange and often twisted mindset of these people creates, for the average readers, what seems like an alternate reality, a world which they have never before witnessed. Duke and his attorney seem like characters in some perverse drama although they are in fact, actual people. This is the effect the â€Å"sub culture† that is the subject matter. The reader can identify with the ordinary people in the novel such as hitchhiker, these people do not understand the rhyme or reason of the actions taken by the end of the book the reader, at least, has gleaned some sort of comprehension of this secret and sometimes frightening world of drug people. You can turn your back on a person, but never turn your back on a drug especially when its waving a razor-sharp knife un your eyes†. This transition from headstrong and quirky to shell-shocked soldiers all occurs from the use of drugs and its effects. Thus, Hunter S. Thompson created these characters and their personalities as a representation of himself even though they are realistic people.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Good and Evil of Internet Essay

The onset of computers on the general population has given a boost to the Economy in the world’s market. People who weren’t much aware of the world became drawn to computers, which in turn brought about the Internet, connecting the world all over. The Internet has played a major role in the lives of people all over the world. Now, it is not limited to just important organizations or governments. Everyone who owns a computer is logged on to the Internet; and this has made the world seem smaller. No one has to wait for the postman to deliver the mail, but instead one can just connect to the Internet and right away, you got mail. The Internet has been a boon, yet there are its darker aspects, which has caused much harm. The world is now so dependent on the Internet that it seems unthinkable of living without it. The computer industry got a boost when the people discovered that the world was progressing in leaps and bounds, and should any country be left out would be considered a backward country. Developing countries caught on to the progress. Learning about computers in school was made compulsory. To enhance the knowledge, everyone, young and old had to learn about computers and that was the first step. From computers to the Internet is but just a step ahead. Families who have migrated to different parts of the world have the link of Internet to connect to their relatives and friends, in the fastest and cheapest way. Internet has brought families, friends and businesses closer than they actually are. Communications via the Internet is so fast and cheap that there is no hold to its progress. The Internet brought about a lot of developments around the world, which otherwise would have taken much longer. Employers could buy the best talent around the world at a cheaper price than they would have to pay for hiring local workers. The young and aspiring workers left their homes and found better employment abroad, by searching for jobs on the Internet. Businesses flourished, as they could be in touch with whom they were dealing with, fast and quick on the Internet. The Internet brought prosperity all around and every small and big business caught on to the fear of being left behind. Big and small schools opened up for teaching computers and the Internet. Cyber cafes flourished to the assistance of those who did not possess a computer. Various Internet service providers propped up offering a variety of discounts and benefits for Internet services. Industries prospered, employees and employers also prospered, and to say the least there is just no stopping to the growth of the Internet. Information is at your fingertips, there is no need for the newspaper; all you need to do is switch on the computer and go to the web page to read the news. The Internet certainly is responsible for the development of the world, but it also has its negativity, which has brought about considerable disruptions and problems in its wake. Bad characters had limitations before, but now with the Internet, their limitations have gained a spot over. Countries know the secrets of each other and are always trying to harm one another in some way. Recent September eleven attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, in which thousands perished and landmarks reduced to rubble, are living proofs of what the Internet is capable of. Hacking, junk mail, obscene mail, porn mail and viruses are all done via the Internet. There is much damage done via the Internet to the minds of young adolescent children and these are just a few examples. The world is full of good and bad people, and having the Internet at your fingertips leaves something to your imagination of where the world is progressing today. The discovery of Internet is definitely a boon to the world and the development and betterment it has done for countries and people throughout the world. The progress that the world has made is beyond imagination, thanks to the Internet. The Internet has its advantages and disadvantages too. Those who want the betterment of the world spread enlightment and those that are bad create trouble and Internet is just the media through which they have access to the minds of people fast and results are equally fast and damaging. Now it is the responsibility of each and every family, parents, teachers, and the well wisher of the world to educate their young impressionable children, to differentiate between the good and evil. We hope this awareness should eliminate the negative aspect of the Internet.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Evaluation of Cathay Pacific

Evaluation: Employee In our case, the Cathay Pacific Flight Attendants Union (FAU) did not satisfy with a new policy that required them to work at least 70 hours a month before they could swap shifts with colleagues and they thought this new policy had hurt their pay and lifestyle. Pay and benefits is one of the factors that affect job satisfaction of the employees and it is perhaps one of the most rewards employees would like to get in order to support their lives.So when the flight attendants union alerted that their usual benefits gain from the job has changed, they immediately voiced their concern and bargained with the employer to protect their rights. Moreover, the flight attendants viewed the new decision as the company’s measure to withdraw their benefits that they are entitled to receive, which are claimed to be clearly stated in the labor contract with Cathay Pacific. They argued to the employer that this action was illegal as the company did not communicate this dec ision with them beforehand.This can be explained by the principles of justice of the employees which consists of outcome fairness, procedural justice and interactional justice. In our case, interactional justice can be applied. A perception of interactional justice is a judgment that the organization carried out its actions in a way that took the employee’s feelings into account. It includes the explanation of decision to the employees, respectful treatment, consideration and empathy. Referring to our case, the employer did not notice the employees before the implementation of the new policy which made the employees think the company did not concern their opinion.As their feelings are being ignored by the employer, the flight attendants union strongly opposed this new policy and caused conflict with the employer. Through this case, we discover that conflicts cannot be avoided in the workplace since the management goals and labor union goals are always opposite. The management aims to lower costs and raise outputs, as in our case, Cathay Pacific wanted to increase the productivity of the flight attendants and ensured every one of them should work at least 70 hours a month before they could swap shifts with colleagues.However, the labor union aims at obtaining pay and working conditions that satisfy their members and of giving members a voice in decisions that affect them, and in our case, the flight attendants bargained with the employer not to accept the new policy which harm their benefits. As some degree of conflict is inevitable between workers and management, the labor union has a significant role to represent their members’ interests and resolving conflicts with employers. When more employees join the labor union, it can boost the bargaining power of the union as it represents more employees.The Cathay Pacific Flight Attendants Union represents over 5,800 cabin crew in Cathay Pacific Airways which is a high ratio. Collective bargaining is in deed one of the ways to manage conflicts. It can be defined as a voluntary, formalized process by which employers and independent trade unions negotiate, for specified groups of employee, terms and conditions of employment. Regarding our case, the union would like to negotiate with the management at first but received no response so the union threatened to take industrial action, including a work-to-rule or a potential strike to urge the reply of the management.The pressure of an impending strike deadline forces both union and management negotiators to make concession and resolve their differences. Threatening of going on strike is usually a weapon of the labor union because it will cause a big harm to the employer and that the union can gain more attention from the management and gain a higher chance to win the negotiation. Fortunately with the intervention of the Labor Department the dispute was brought to an end with an agreement signed to withdraw the swap restriction permanentl y.The Biggest Winner was the union, which gained more than 600 new Members as a result of the ordeal. Through this case, it is obvious that the labor union gain a high importance in representing the employees and bargaining with the employer in order to get their desired results. http://www. aspireaviation. com/2010/04/05/cathay-pacific-threatened-with-strike/ http://www. thestandard. com. hk/news_detail. asp? pp_cat=11&art_id=96074&sid=27482954&con_type=1 http://www. businesstraveller. asia/asia-pacific/news/cathay-pacific-cabin-crew-mull-strike http://www. cpafau. org. hk/eng/index/