Balanced Scorecard Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7000 words

Balanced Scorecard - Dissertation Example If you can't measure something, you can't understand it. If you can't understand it, you can't control it. If you can't control it, you can't improve it† by H. James Harrington is justified in every aspects of a business environment (USACE, 2005). Measuring performance in an organizational perspective is equally important as its business operations. An organization running its operations without having performance measurement tools can be like a CEO functioning without formulating a strategic plan or an aeroplane flying without its compass. Therefore it can be portrayed that the primary intentions behind measuring performance is to get an idea of how the organization is performing and looking after the possibilities of further development. Performance management enables organizations to measure, plan and control activities in accordance with the predefined strategies. In simple words it facilitates organizations to achieve their desired goals (Johnson, 2007, p.1-2). Some of the major performance measurement tools that are being used in current business scenario include Balanced Scorecard, Economic Value Added (EVA), Activity Based Costing and Management, Performance Prism and Quality Management. However among the aforementioned tools, importance and usage of balanced scorecard will be principally highlighted through the entire report. While the saying ‘balanced scorecard was coined in the early 1990s’, the origin of this approach however is believed to be deep, and also embrace radical work of General Electric (GE) during the early 1950s. The work was basically based on reporting of performance measurement. Apart from this French process engineers have also contributed immensely towards the development of performance management tools. There work was during the early 20th century. In this context the engineers literally developed a â€Å"dashboard† in order to monitor performance levels in a simplified and efficient way. Despite of its early conception, it was originally developed at Harvard business school by Dr. David Norton and Dr. Robert Kaplan in the year 1992. During the initial phases after the development of balanced scorecard, it was merely used as the performance measurement tool or a performance measurement agenda. Nevertheless slowly with the passage of time balanced scorecard has been able to gain much more importance in the professional field. A number of companies incorporated balanced scorecard into their system of operation in order to facilitate effective and well-organized performance measurement system. Nowadays balanced scorecard is considered as a valuable strategic planning tool. It helps an organization to transform its strategic plan from

Autobiography of a Classroom Essay Example for Free

Autobiography of a Classroom Essay I am a very big classroom in a well-known public school. I cater to needs of the kindergarten class of the school, accommodating I think about eighty five children, a big number isn’t it? I understand that I am the best looking room in the school as, the very small children study here. I am very attractively decorated so that the little ones like to come here every day. The room that is me – is decorated with beautiful coloured pictures. The walls are a blend of some colours I do not know the names of. The furniture that is placed in the length and breadth of the room consists of small round tables to seat four children on each table, and the chairs are also tiny. That is not all, all the furniture is a mixture of many colours. When the children come inside the class they almost fight to sit on certain chairs. That makes me understand that they like the colours and fight for their favourite colours to sit on. At the top two ends of the length of the classroom there are two bigger tables and full size chairs for the teachers to sit. Since there are so many children there are two teachers while in other classes there is only one each. I am a treat for everyone to see. My pleasure knows no bounds when everyone who comes inside the class, admires me, appreciates my get up and the colours that don me. I have the twin advantage of being the most beautiful room in the school and also having the cutest of children coming to spend their time with me. Thus, my life is full of beauty, colour, noise and laughter and at times of course also crying and howling of the children. At times some new entrants to the school come to me with their mothers and, cry as if they had come to the slaughter house to be butchered. At such moments even by heart cries for the little ones and I wonder why man makes these little children come to study if they do not want to. I of course do not know how important studies are for human children, I only feel sad seeing the children cry. My life is full of a very busy schedule though very interesting. The routine of my daily life is so busy that, I do not get any relief for quite long hours. In the morning as early as 6 a. m. wo sweepers come open the lock of my room or rather me, and off they start working on me. They sweep my floor, squab it, dust each and every piece of the furniture in me. Thus, I get alerted as soon the room is unlocked. It is not even 8 a. m. when the little brats start pouring inside my body’s doors. At times they enter with so much noise that my whole body feels the rattle of it all. Their movements are so loud that now, I cannot even think of any rest. School bags get flung, tiffin boxes are strewn all about, water bottles are kept just anywhere and there is a lot of commotion all over. Soon the maid enters the room and keeps everything in order and my appearance at once improves and I look tidy and well kept. For these small ones the school hours are just three from, 8 a. m. to 11 a. m. These three hours is my duty time, and just is the time when I also get the day’s entertainment. Being a classroom for the Kindergarten children I get a great chance of hearing conversations between the teachers and the parents. Since this is the first time their children have entered school, parents devote a lot of time to talking about the school and its standards. At times I find that some parents are just too critical and, inspite of getting all the best in this school they always seem to be unhappy and dissatisfied with something or the other in the school. Such parents keep lecturing about things missing in the classroom, the school or even in the playground. When I hear such complaints, my heart sinks and I wonder if they will allow or not allow their children to come to me any more,. For such conversations I have understood that, these days parents pamper the children too much, and it seems that they can never yes, never be satisfied. I am quite surprised to see the vast difference in opinions. While on the one hand I, and also many parents think that I am very beautiful, well kept, and decorated, others of the same clan are always complaining of many defects in my appearance. This gives me a feeling of depression and I do wonder if I can do anything in the matter. After some thinking bouts, I realize that, I can do nothing to satisfy these unhappy parents. I am just here in the hands of the school authorities and stand here as and how they keep me. My working hours are just six, from 6 a. m. when sweepers enter to say 12 noon when I am locked after all children go. After my duty hours I just relax but also feel lonely. No matter what is said about me, I am thoroughly enjoying my life in the cute company of little children. Their company makes me also feel young though now I am quite old. Every summer vacation I am painted afresh, my furniture is painted, and, I am ready to welcome my little friends, new and old with a new look, new enthusiasm and renewed vigour. I pray that my life is forever allowed to remain so interesting and so relaxed. I just love all the children and teachers who come here to me, to work and play in the restricted area within my four walls.

Human Resource Planning in Healthcare

Human Resource Planning in Healthcare The most important resources in healthcare is the human beings. Equipment such as machines and devices are essential parts in healthcare. However, it requires the expertise and commitment of a human being to fully utilize their features in the delivery of care. This is the reason why human resource planning is vital in the provision to any healthcare establishments. The human resource policy has many objectives: to entice, hire, retain and improve proficient employees and develop a constant healthcare learning organisation. The main focus of all healthcare personnel is the client or the patient itself. There are many personnel involve in the process of providing the best healthcare services. In the medical aspects: physicians, nurses, healthcare assistant, med-techs, pharmacists, and resident doctors are the direct provider of outpatient and ward care for patients. While the admin, public staffs, laundry, food caterers, electricians, and other maintenance personnel are also involve in the success in providing safety in delivering care to the clients. Planning is indeed an important thing to do for all these personnel for them to work effectively on rendering best service towards their patients. These are the three ways on how to improve human resources: Work system: The goal of a work system is to obtain cooperation and collaboration among all employees. Healthcare personnel seek for a better system so that their deeds will have favorable outcome without wasting much time on activities. Employees may feel important as they participate on such activities. On the other hand, tasks or activities that are forcedly delegated to them can build doubt as they believe of not owning it. In order to be a part of the system, employees must participate actively in the planning. This will create efficiency on the workforce as they work together regardless of what department. These are some examples of an effective work system: Organize a team either short-term or long-term. Examples would be the infection control, waste management, and quality control team. Encourage further higher education, offer staffs greater responsibilities and help them to determine trainings that they need. Rotation of nursing and nursing attendants to avoid boredom in work. Also emphasize the importance of multi-tasking. Management in performance system: each employee must work according to their job description. The performance of each employee is evaluated towards their target in a timely manner; this helps employees to achieve their targets annually. Reward practices: the reward system is either monetary or non-monetary. An example of monetary rewards are promotion of the position, special increase in the salary, and long service awards. Non-monetary awards are given through formal or informal letter or a simple gesture of tapping the back of an employee in front of other employee as a sign of a job well done. Proper communication: a sense of unity in an organisation is present among workers who have proper communication on their superiors and subordinates. Recruiting and selective hiring of new staffs: during the recruitment process, the hospital or the company must identify the work requirement and at the same time during the interview, attitude and aptitude survey of the applicants must be completed. Moreover, there should be a transparent explanation to the applicant about his future growth upon staying in the organisation. Lastly, an induction process must be handed to the new employee of the working environment in order to have familiarity of the situation. Employee development through training and education: there must be a continuity in learning and development process for employees. Employees are trained with the following aspects: technical (proper handling of equipment and devices), managerial (the ability to handle work environment), and behavioral (the proper attitude in a given situation). The training program has two goals: the short-term and the long-term; the former aims on achieving client’s satisfaction and reducing time cycle while the latter is aimed on having a more efficient technology. These trainings are provided to achieve the ultimate goal of healthcare, to provide safe and best service to patients and family members. There are various trainings provided for the staffs in the Kindly Residential healthcare. Physicians, nurses, and technicians are offered with a continuous medical education. This is to render effective health teachings to their patients. Also, healthcare assistants are trained on proper waste disposal, oxygen therapy, and proper use of HOIST. The training programs provided by the company is not enough to measure the effectiveness on the performance of employees. In order to determine the effectiveness of the training program, there must be an evaluation process. During evaluation, factors that are monitored closely must have a direct link with the well-being of the client. Factors like the rate of occurrence of illness and death, feedback of the client and family members, quantity of re-admission having the same medical problem and most of all is to retain the trust and confidence of the client towards the healthcare. The well-being and satisfaction of the workers: the satisfaction of employee is vital to the motivation on the whole organisation. The following aspects make a big contribution on the satisfaction of employees: The work environment: The working environment is one of the essential aspect in providing satisfaction for the workers. A safety environment by enforcing precautions creates a healthy environment. Employees may work freely because they know they are safe and they have the proper gadgets or devices to protect them as they carry-out their tasks. Such precautions are: emphasis on proper waste disposal, compulsory annual check-ups and vaccination should be done, and continuous research on unsafe practices. The work climate: Awareness programs and accessible facilities are provided for workers by the company in order for them to feel proud because they are taken good care by the organisation as they render service to their clients. These are some programs that improve the work climate: health awareness program, awareness of AIDS program, mess hall, fitness gym, education and library access. The satisfaction of an employee: the satisfaction of an individual worker is difficult to achieve. There are only few hospitals who are successful on making their employees satisfied. The human mind is very dynamic; people may not be contented on what they achieve because of the belief that they can do more. Therefore, expecting an employee to become satisfied on the company’s facility is far from the truth. However, the organisation collects feedbacks by doing a formal or informal assessment process and correlate these results on determining improvement priorities. Through this action, it makes the worker feel that the organisation or management is very sincere regarding their concerns.

Recent Studies Concerning Violent Tendencies and the Confusion that Arises :: Violence Murder Papers

Recent Studies Concerning Violent Tendencies and the Confusion that Arises "It was an urge. . . . . A strong urge, and the longer I let it go the stronger it got, to where I was taking risks to go out and kill people-risks that normally, according to my little rules of operation, I wouldn't take because they could lead to arrest." -Edmund Kemper (6) Ted Bundy. Charles Manson. Timothy McVeigh. Bundy murdered pretty women. Manson had followers who killed on his command. McVeigh is responsible for one of the most horrendous terrorist attacks on America, the Oklahoma State bombing. While these three serial killers had different methods for their acts, the one thing they have in common is that they are killers. Murderers who took a number of innocent lives. Perhaps to not the same extent, but sadly enough the world is full of Charles Manson's and Ted Bundy's. Violence has become a common and prevalent occurrence in society today. Everyday on the news one hears stories of crimes-murder, robbery, rape, assault, extortion, kidnapping, homicide, an endless list. Law enforcement works day and night protecting neighborhoods and cities from crimes and violence, but the truth of the matter is that crime still exists and all one can do is ask himself why. Why do such treacherous violent acts exist in society? In essence, one must ask himself whether or not these violent tendencies have any biological relation whatsoever. Do violent tendencies occur as an affect of disruptions or damage to the brain? Is there a genetic correlation? Is violence brought about by some other factor, such as economic difficulties or social or cultural differences? All these questions remain unanswered. But one even significant, broader question that one must cons ider is whether or not these factors, biologically related and non, effect the occurrence of violent tendencies in individuals. In 1848, a railroad worker, Phineas Gage, was working when an explosion caused an iron rod to impale his skull, damaging the front part of his brain. Although Gage miraculously survived, his behavior severely changed in that the intelligent and respectful man everyone knew suddenly because fitful, impulsive, and rude (2). This is one of the first dated cases insinuating that violence may be related to some kind of damage or abnormality in the brain.

Operation Essay

Southern Fire-fighters, New Zealand Railways, Speights Brewery, Otago Hospital Board, and Cadburys. They limited membership to employees and their families in each case. In 1986, due to growth, the (renamed) Fletcher Challenge Employees (Otago) and the Southern Fire-fighters Credit Unions co-operated in the sharing of office facilities. They purchased a site on a main thoroughfare in Dunedin, just down from the central business district, and erected a modern single story office with street frontage, and provided service to members on a full time basis. Methods for financial transactions varied from manual to different types of computer operated systems. The mid to late 1980s saw great change in the New Zealand economy and society, with the introduction of (new right) `Rogernomics’ policies. The Labour Government deregulated the financial services sector, resulting in the entrance and proliferation of foreign owned banks, and other types of financial service providers, and conversion of building societies to banks, many of them seeking a share of the basic business of credit union, viz personal loans, with a consequential significant increase in competition. However, the banks introduction of sophisticated technological services, in the shape of ATM, and Eftpos, made rural banking relatively expensive, resulting in branch closures. In addition the then Labour Government sold the old Postbank to the ANZ bank. Unemployment increased significantly in the country, and compounded the rural problem, as organisations downsized in a massive way, particularly in the public sector. Questions for Discussion 1. Suggest a possible strategy(s) for the survival of the credit unions in Otago. Phase Two: (1987-95) Otago, in order to take advantage of economies of scale, and thus compete more favourably in the market place. The industrial credit unions had flourished over the period, but the directors realised that their individual sites once saturated, provided little potential for membership growth, particularly in the face of major downsizing. At this point the Railways and Speights credit unions had merged with Fletcher Challenge Employees Each credit union received sufficient support from their respective memberships for amalgamation. The regulator for the credit union industry, the Registrar for Friendly Societies and Credit Unions (Registrar), approved the merger, such that the newly named Credit Union Otago (CUO) opened for business in November 1987 at its Dunedin premises, and functioned with four full time professional staff working a fiveday week. Becoming a community based credit union meant opening up membership to anyone resident in Otago, which has a population of about one hundred and forty thousand. As the first region in New Zealand to undergo this process, Otago provided the model for others to follow.

America’s New Free Trade Agreement Essay Example

America’s New Free Trade Agreement Essay Example America’s New Free Trade Agreement Essay America’s New Free Trade Agreement Essay The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), implemented in the year 1994, is meant to remove barriers to trade between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. An important component of this free trade agreement is the member countries’ concern for environmental as well as labor issues, which must be worked on and agreed upon by the member countries. Yet another significant component of NAFTA is that of conflict resolution between the member nations. For this, the free trade agreement outlines procedures (Topulos).Since the time that it was first implemented, NAFTA has proved to be a positive experience for all member countries. In Mexico after NAFTA, poverty rates were reduced, and the real income increased, despite the economic crisis that the country went through during 1994-1995. Experts believe that the free trade agreement has the potential to reduce the poverty of Mexico even further. Trade among member nations has already increased tremendously. Goods produced in the United States, Canada or Mexico, are now distributed simultaneously in all three member countries. Moreover, the Mexican factories that process imported raw materials into finished goods for export have seen a dramatic increase in their income. Trade in other sectors of the Mexican economy has also increased. In the area of agriculture, Mexico has witnessed a steady increase in exports every year since the inception of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreeme nt). Undoubtedly, NAFTA is expected to benefit Mexico also in the future, just as the benefits of the agreement are being realized more fully today by the United States and Canada. The latter are expected to still increase their benefits of NAFTA with Mexico’s economic development.Given the benefits of NAFTA to the economies of the member countries, and the faith of the United States that it should have firm economic relationships with its neighbors – in December 2003, the United States, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua completed their negotiations on the newest free trade agreement in the region: the Central American Free Trade Agreement or CAFTA (Promoting Trade With Central America And The Dominican Republic). The United States and Costa Rica agreed on the latter’s participation in the new free trade agreement in January 2004. Two months later, the United States concluded negotiations also with the Dominican Republic to integrate the latter int o the CAFTA. This changed the name of CAFTA to DR-CAFTA, or the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (Costa Rica).The goal of DR-CAFTA was the establishment of a free trade zone, which would be similar to the NAFTA. Thus, the DR-CAFTA removes tarrifs on approximately 80 percent of the U.S. exports to the other member countries (Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement). By so doing, the new free trade agreement makes it especially beneficial for member countries that are economically weak to buy high quality U.S. products and thereby raise their standards of living. What is more, the agreement allows for easy access of goods from member countries into the United States market. Once again, the economically weak member countries are bound to benefit substantially through the new agreement, seeing that they may now have the gigantic U.S. market to sell their products to (Runyon).Other provisions of the DR-CAFTA include: (1) a promise made by the govern ments of all member countries that foreign investment is guaranteed in their respective nations; (2) a gradual removal of all barriers to trade that were initially meant to protect domestic production; (3) no duties on the import of agricultural goods; (4) subsidies on all agricultural goods, except sugar, must be eliminated; (5) intellectual property rights must be maintained; (6) a gradual removal of protectionist barriers in all sectors; (7) national monopolies must be dismantled so as to allow foreign investments to compete equally with the domestic organizations; (8) transnational companies would be given the right to resolve conflicts in private international courts; (9) the environment must be respected, and environmental laws abided by; (10) the major labor standards of the International Labor Organization must be enforced in all member countries; and (11) government corruption must be reduced and eventually eliminated in all member countries, especially the economically wea k ones where corruption is rampant (Dominican Republic).The United States’ economy would benefit by selling tariff-free goods to the member countries of the DR-CAFTA. The DR-CAFTA states would be able to purchase more U.S. goods than before, seeing as the tariffs would have been lifted. It is worthy of note, however, that the combined GDP of the DR-CAFTA states is only 0.5 percent of the GDP of the United States. The quantity of U.S. goods that the DR-CAFTA states would be able to purchase would be limited but naturally. Still, the benefits that these states achieve in the long run through the DR-CAFTA are expected to be greater than the benefits that the United States would be able to realize. This is because the DR-CAFTA states are all economically weaker than the U.S. Thus, positive changes manifested in the economically weak states would appear to be much greater in extent (Runyon).Although the effects of the new free trade agreement between the United States, Dominican R epublic, and five Central American countries, have not been documented as yet, it is believed that once the DR-CAFTA has been fully implemented, the United States would be able to increase its exports to the member countries by approximately 15 percent. U.S. imports are similarly expected to increase by around 12 percent, while the effect on the aggregate output as well as employment in the United States is expected to be little. Hornbeck states: These estimates are in line with expectations made prior to the negotiations that the marginal effects of the DR-CAFTA would be small, but positive for the U.S. economy as a whole, given the DR-CAFTA countries had small and already largely open economies.Once again, the overall benefits of DR-CAFTA would be more clearly visible in the DR-CAFTA states in the long run, just as the case of Mexico and NAFTA reveals greater interest in the benefits of NAFTA to Mexico. Just as NAFTA reduced poverty rates in Mexico, increased trade in the DR-CAFTA nations is expected to reduce poverty rates in these nations. However, it may take a while before the full benefits of DR-CAFTA are realized in these nations. Molly Runyon explains why the full range of benefits of DR-CAFTA would not be immediately visible in the economically weak nations: 1. Costa Rica. Retrieved from ustr.gov/assets/Document_Library/Reports_Publications/2004/2004_National_Trade_Estimate/2004_NTE_Report/asset_upload_file462_4745.pdf. (7 April 2007).2. Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement. Wikipedia (2007). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/. (7 April 2007).3. Hornbeck, J. F. The Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA). Congressional Research Service (2005, July 6). Retrieved from http://price.house.gov/UploadedFiles/CAFTA%207.6.05.pdf. (7 April 2007).4. North American Free Trade Agreement. Wikipedia (2007). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Free_Trade_Agreement. (7 April 2007 ).5. Promoting Trade With Central America And The Dominican Republic. The White House. Retrieved from whitehouse.gov/index.html. (7 April 2007).6. Runyon, Molly. Free Trade in Weak States: The Case of DR-CAFTA in Nicaragua. Retrieved from http://fletcher.tufts.edu/research/2006/Runyon.pdf. (7 April 2007).7. Topulos, Katherine. NAFTA. Duke University School of Law (2007). Retrieved from law.duke.edu/lib/researchguides/pdf/nafta.pdf. (7 April 2007).

Learning to Listen

Learning to Listen Free Online Research Papers Listening, the process of taking in what we hear and mentally organizing it to make sense of it, is invaluable component of the communication process. Listening is an essential skill for those who want to be successful in work and in life ( Janasz, 2006, p138 ). Especially for us international students, listening plays an irreplaceable role in our daily life. If our listening is poor, we can not understand what locals are talking about, and we won’t know what is going on, just like we are living in a world with noise, not with language. So the first step is to practice and improve our basic listening skills. Listening to the radio may be an effective way to improve listening. It will provide us information about the local events, local culture, and most importantly the local accent. It is a fact that we Chinese students are much more familiar with American English than British English, because we have been learning American English and American sound since secondary school, and in one time I was a little confused about British sound. Now I am in Australia, the same thing happens again. The very first word I heard from the local was â€Å"Today†, which made me feel like he was saying â€Å"to die†. This astonished me at first, but later on, I felt free to hear that â€Å"die† sound. Another way to improve listening I think is to talk with locals as much as possible. If we only practice listening over the radio, we never talk to it, and the radio never gives a feedback. However, things are different when we make conversations with locals. We learn their ways of expression, their accent, and even their ways of thinking. It is true that we eastern people think differently from the western people, because of the different cultural and educational background. So it is necessary for us to be aware of the western ways of thinking and their customs. Talking with local people will provide us good opportunity to get all the useful information, and our listening is improved meanwhile. When the basic listening skills are improved, we go to the next step, to be a good listener. We need to pay attention to the tone of voice, body language, and other nonverbal messages. These will help us understand what is being said. The final step is active listening, and in active listening, it is common for the listener to be an active participant in the conversation, asking and probing for details in such a way that the speaker feels both supported and encouraged to share more information about a situation. Enhancing both the speaker’s and listener’s understanding of what is taking place ( Janasz, 2006, p139 ). It will be a little hard for me to be an active listener, because English is my second language, but I will try to take part in the conversations and not to be a passive listener. I think by the end of this semester I will make some progress in my listening, and be an active listener by practicing the basic listening skills. Research Papers on Learning to ListenThree Concepts of PsychodynamicStandardized TestingMind TravelAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaHip-Hop is ArtComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoThe Spring and AutumnInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductPETSTEL analysis of India

The African American Civil rights movement

The African American Civil rights movement Introduction Several major events took place in the United States and around the world during the 1960’s. The United States witnessed counter culture and social revolution that ended with abolishment of retrogressive laws that had established social taboos in the country (Beito Royster, 2009). Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The African American Civil rights movement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this paper I will discuss how my own life could have been different had it not been for the civil rights movements that happened in the 1960s. Secondly, I will show how the same event influenced my choice of career path, and finally, I will describe how the world could have been different had it not been for the civil rights movement. How life could have been different had not been for the civil rights movement The civil rights movement (commonly referred to as African American civil rights movements) describe s the social movements that took place in the United States to end discrimination against black people and restore their right to vote (Farber, 1994). The majority of the campaigns begun in 1955 and were characterized by civil disobedience. During the 1960s notable achievements were made including the passage of a Civil rights Act in 1964 that outlawed any form of discrimination towards people of a different â€Å"race, color or national origin in employment practices and public accommodations†; in 1965, the voting rights of African Americans were restored following the passage of the Voting Rights Act 1965; in the same year, the Immigration and Nationality Services Act of 1965 was enacted (Harrison Dye, 2008, p. 34). The act allowed immigrants from other regions of the world, other than the traditional Europe to enter the United States (Goluboff, 2007). In 1968, â€Å"the Fair Housing Act 1968 was enacted† to ensure that everyone had an equal opportunity to buy or r ent a house in the US (Harrison Dye, 2008). The achievements that were made following the civil rights movements inspired young people across the country and saw African Americans re-entering politics in the Southern States (Goluboff, 2007). My life could have been significantly different had it not been for these legislative achievements that followed the civil rights movement. The civil rights Act of 1964 basically banned segregation in the US. It gave all the Americans the right to be served equally in facilities that were open to the public including equal access to education (Harrison Dye, 2008).Advertising Looking for essay on african american? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More I honestly believe that the peace and cultural diversity that we currently enjoyed in the US is as a result of the legislative changes that followed the civil rights movement. Had it not been for this changes I could now be living in a segregated society that is full of mistrust, violence and other social ills. Notably, the civil rights movements did not only ensure equal rights for African Americans but also other minority groups such as Latinos and Asian Americans. In addition, the movements opened the eyes of the majority of the Americans thereby effectively transforming their attitudes. Had it not been for the civil rights movement I could now be part of a conservative society that basically trusts the government on everything. America could not be enjoying the role model status that it is currently accorded internationally. Through the schooling process I have acquired many friends from different racial backgrounds. The segregation that was predominant prior to the civil rights movement denied Americans the opportunity to freely mix with people from other races. This implies that had the situation remained the same then I could not be having the freedom to associate with people from other races. It’s sad to think that I or some of my friends could have been denied a chance to pursue our dream careers. Prior to the civil rights movements, Americans were not active people and frequently followed the government’s opinion (Farber, 1994). It’s important to note that following the civil rights movements many American citizens opened their eyes, changed their attitudes and begun to press for effective leadership. Everyone realized the need to pursue the American dream. Since then, Americans have played leading roles in determining the extent to which the government can indulge in international affairs. Not so long after the civil rights movements, Americans were already urging their government to withdraw troops from Vietnam. Others pieces of lSegislations that were enacted following the civil rights movements such as the Voting Rights Act 1965 and the Immigration and Nationality Services Act of 1965 have greatly influenced the American society (Beito Royster, 2009). African Americans have been politically active since the enactment of the voting rights Act 1965. Had it not been for the civil movements, I could now be part of a divided society where politics is an exclusive reserve for one race. I could never have lived to see a black president leading our country. The Immigration Act allowed immigrant from all over the world to come to America. This has led to a culturally rich and diverse society that is comparable to none. Therefore without the 1960s civil rights movements I could not be enjoying the benefits of cultural diversity such as foods and festivities.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The African American Civil rights movement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More How the civil rights movements influenced my career path The events that were happening prior to the civil rights movement showed how human beings can subject fellow human beings to discrimination. Learning about such happenings gave me the desire to take a career path that can enable me to advocate for the rights of others, particularly those who are disadvantaged in the society. I realized that many of our citizens are involved in epic struggles and really need support from the society in order to make it through (Beito Royster, 2009). Therefore by selecting a course that offered me a chance to effectively contribute to the society through advocacy, I feel that it will be possible for me to live a fulfilling life that takes into account the needs of others. The harsh struggles that characterize the American history, including the liberation wars and the civil rights movement have validated my desire to take a course in social sciences and understand how the society functions and how I can be able to assist through advocacy. How the world would be had it not been for the civil rights movements The racial conflicts that were taking place in America prior to the civil rights movements wer e also being witnessed in many parts of the world. Several governments around the world were not keen to protect the rights of their minority citizens. For instance, majority of European nations had colonies in Africa where their representatives were subjecting Africans to exploitation and brutality. Other countries such as New Zealand and Australia had no formal laws to protect the rights of the indigenous minority citizens. It’s important to note that the United States had portrayed itself as the leader of the free world and yet many of its citizens were being subjected to severe racial discrimination. Back then, Europe was the only important continent to the US as far good foreign relations were concerned. Many communist states publicly lamented the hypocrisy portrayed by the United States. Thus the events that followed the civil rights movements validated the country’s portrayal as a model democracy that observed the rights of its citizens. The civil rights movem ent gave America the chance to appeal to many countries in the world without severing ties with its traditional allies in Europe. Advertising Looking for essay on african american? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Since then, the US has been able to play a role in the democratization of many countries around the world (Harrison Dye, 2008). It has also been on the forefront in urging other countries to enact appropriate legislations that are needed to protect the rights of minority groups. The effects of the civil rights movements played a role in the development of good relationships between the US and other regions whose descendants were initially being racially abused in the US. These regions include South America, Africa and Asia. The good relations have in turn created a platform for globalization. Therefore without the laws that followed the civil rights movement globalization activities such as international trade could not have been developed to the current level. In addition, the US could not have gotten the voice to call for change in other countries, and thus most countries could still have been in chaotic states. Conclusion This paper sought to describe how the scenario could ha ve been without the civil rights movement. It has established that the freedom and diversity currently enjoyed by Americans today could have been a pipe dream. The paper has also shown how the civil rights influenced my career path by inspiring the desire to advocate for other people’s rights. The effects of the civil rights movements also played a role in globalization. References Beito, D., Royster, L. (2009). Black Maverick: T.R.M. Howards Fight for Civil Rights and Economic Power. Illinois: University of Illinois press. Farber, D. (1994). The Age of Great Dreams: America in the 1960s. New York: Hill and Wang. Goluboff, R. (2007). The Lost Promise of Civil Rights. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Harrison, B., Dye, T. (2008). Power and Soceity: An introduction to social Sciences. Florida: Thomson Wadsworth.

Supervisory Skills Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Supervisory Skills - Research Paper Example The leader will act as a mentor, coach and teacher to gain support for meeting productive outcomes and performance targets. â€Å"Authentic relationships evolve over time† (Starnes, Truhon & McCarthy, 2010, p.5). Motivational problems can be overcome through more visible interaction in the management environment and by allowing decentralized decision-making to occur where solutions are provided horizontally rather than top-down. This will improve a sense of social belonging and remove layers of power distance that can de-motivate and also improve the self-esteem that leads to better enthusiasm in job role function. The long-term plan hinges on success in using transformational leadership design to gain commitment and improve motivation. Once establishing the foundation of a positive corporate culture built on knowledge-sharing and team function, as well as emphasis on human resources development, the Quality Control department will undergo sweeping changes related to total quality management. Each director will utilize a balanced scorecard to measure individual performance and the performance of production as well as research and development, which will be reported to the VP. The total quality management approach will consist of the Delphi Method, a qualitative forecasting tool involving multiple stakeholders in which solutions are brainstormed recurrently until new processes or systems needed for improvement are identified (Rowe & Wright, 1999). The Delphi Method will improve relationship development among colleagues, improve knowledge transfer, and open the doors for innovation by providing multitudes of solutions to improve quality and performance in each director’s division. This will further emphasize cultural development and improve competitive advantage in human capital among competing firms in this industry. Reorganization is required only in the factory line, which must be

IT security threats Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

IT security threats - Research Paper Example and controls and has less privileged access to users of the sensitive information systems (Silowash, Cappelli, Moore, Trzeciak, Shimeall and Flynn, 2012). The other threat to information technology is the threat of credit card fraud which leads to unauthorized use of a credit card (Turban and Volonino, 2011). Some of the potential solutions includes avoiding to give out the credit card but rather opt to enter the credit card number on a secure online order, avoiding to disclose credit card number and other details on websites that are not secure or on emails, avoiding to leave the credit cards and other receipts that contain the credit card details lying around or even writing of PIN number where it can be easily found (http://www.scambusters.org/CreditCardFraud.html). Other than the above two threats, Microsoft provides other threats like spoofing and tampering mainly conducted by cyber criminals and spies. In order to prevent or stop these threats, installing backups regularly, coming up with more tough and complicated configurations that will not be easily broken into and installing firewalls are some of the basic security precautions people and organizations should make (Springer, 2010). Silowash, G., Cappelli, D., Moore, A., Trzeciak, R., Shimeall, T. and Flynn, L. (2012). Common Sense Guide to Mitigating Insider Threats, 4th Edition (CMU/SEI-2012-TR-012). Retrieved January 24, 2013, from the Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University website:

The Role Of Stakeholders In Passing The Proposed Amendment 1 Assignment

The Role Of Stakeholders In Passing The Proposed Amendment 1 - Assignment Example Due to the dynamic nature of the world politics, the intended role of politicians voted by voters as slowly narrowed to self-centered interests. It is evident that majority of the politicians across the world, become active when discussing issues affecting their welfare, for instance, an increment of allowances (Gowing, & Arnold, 1974). On the other hand, they remain reluctant in passing proposed amendments in other sectors such as nursing. This is in contradiction with the noble calling to serve the subjects. This calls for stakeholders from all fronts including the nurses to participate actively or passively in the splendid role of spearheading passing of proposed amendment. It is notable that the stakeholders can participate in policy change through lobbyist’s influence (Bristol, 2004). The activists have the capacity to sway the subjects to vote for or against a policy; however, this depends on the past record in telling the truth in their bid to make their opinion superio r.In conclusion, it is a fundamental role for relevant stakeholders to participate in passing the proposed amendment because; the political class may ignore an important policy because of self-interest. It is notable that, the participation of the stakeholders creates a platform, which is irresistible in addressing key issues. This platform saves time in passing proposed amendment of critical importance to the large society, which involves subjects from all professional and unprofessional fronts.

Path to Global Food Security Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Path to Global Food Security - Research Paper Example Analyzing market trends of GMOs is important in examining their acceptance in the world. Of striking interest in this debate is the position adopted by two large markets in the world. While European markets have rejected GMOs, American markets have accepted them. Such is the rift on this debate.Other countries have conformed to the European approach or the American approach depending on their relationship with the two. Most countries in Africa for example, especially those depending on exports to European markets, or those having colonial ties, have adopted Europe’s cautionary approach. Egypt, South Africa, and Burkina Faso are the only countries to have adopted GMO farming in Africa as of 2009. Philippines (once an American colony), was the only country that readily adopted GMO farming in Asia. This shows how the relationship of a country to Europe or America has affected their stand on GMOs. As will be evidenced later, market trends will depend on further revelations from st udies on GMOs (nelson, 2001).Of great interest on the GMO debate are health repercussions, environmental effects, and economical effects. In a study carried out in Britain in 1998, rats fed on GMO potatoes were adversely affected health wise. This generated debate by the media. Later on, the royal society gave a statement claiming experimental design flaws in that research. However, consumer anxiety had already been aroused. As regards the environment, experiments have revealed that GMOs can cause genetic pollution.

Abstract Artworks Analysis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Abstract Artworks Analysis - Term Paper Example The essay "Abstract Artworks Analysis" aims to compare two abstract paintings. In the following sections, the researcher shall analyze two works of modern art - in particular abstract art. The first piece of art work that we will discuss is an abstract art work in acrylic. The work is a visual representation of a shabby neighborhood with houses and electric poles lining the street. The street is shown to be half lit by sunlight and the other half overcast by the noon shadows of a bigger property and some small dwellings. The colors used are muted pink, magenta, greys, olive green, white, beige and brown. The overall look is melancholy and that of emptiness. The second piece of art is another abstraction done in acrylic too of much vibrant colors. The general colors that stand out are bright canary yellow, orange, rust, royal blue, sky blue, saffron yellow, red, purple, and white overtones etc. The work is represented by geometrical shapes such as circle, square, triangle, ellipse, rh ombus and semi-circles etc. At first glance, the shapes look like abstract placement but upon close observation one sees that the artist has cleverly integrated the shape of a female head with earring. There are other figures too - a man or child perhaps tending to a sick person in bed. The atmosphere seems to be that of illness and sadness. The two abstract pieces of work demonstrate that modern art can both be abstract and in-depth if one look closely at them regardless of their approach or medium.

A Better Russian Space Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Better Russian Space Program - Essay Example This essay describes main events from the history of launchings and space researches in Soviet Union and modern Russia, such as the first artificial satellite called Sputnik 1 launching in 1957, the first man in space in 1961 and space launches lessening in 90th, because of economic issues, and later provoked by means of political disorder in the country. In 2000, as this essay states, Russia’s position on the world launching started to improve and moved in to top slot which it has detained ever since maintaining an average launching rate. But, sadly, in the last 2 years the Russian space program, once was the envy by the whole world, has been facing a number of problems, especially since huge financial effort on the already strained Russian space agency. Second part of this essay suggests the way Russia can improve it's own space program and what steps should it take, such as experiments with voyages to Mars, increasing their budget and developing a partnership program with NASA. In conclusion, this essay demonstrates the importance of what space agencies all over the world are doing daily. They are constantly researching and developing to better serve mankind's thirst for knowledge and comfort. This is why it is important to support and embrace space agencies at all times, for who knows what gifts they could bring us in the future. It also suggests, that Russia needs to work hard in making their space program the best, that it was in 1980s, and many believe that they can lead the way once more.

Path to Global Food Security Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Path to Global Food Security - Research Paper Example Analyzing market trends of GMOs is important in examining their acceptance in the world. Of striking interest in this debate is the position adopted by two large markets in the world. While European markets have rejected GMOs, American markets have accepted them. Such is the rift on this debate.Other countries have conformed to the European approach or the American approach depending on their relationship with the two. Most countries in Africa for example, especially those depending on exports to European markets, or those having colonial ties, have adopted Europe’s cautionary approach. Egypt, South Africa, and Burkina Faso are the only countries to have adopted GMO farming in Africa as of 2009. Philippines (once an American colony), was the only country that readily adopted GMO farming in Asia. This shows how the relationship of a country to Europe or America has affected their stand on GMOs. As will be evidenced later, market trends will depend on further revelations from st udies on GMOs (nelson, 2001).Of great interest on the GMO debate are health repercussions, environmental effects, and economical effects. In a study carried out in Britain in 1998, rats fed on GMO potatoes were adversely affected health wise. This generated debate by the media. Later on, the royal society gave a statement claiming experimental design flaws in that research. However, consumer anxiety had already been aroused. As regards the environment, experiments have revealed that GMOs can cause genetic pollution.

A Better Russian Space Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Better Russian Space Program - Essay Example This essay describes main events from the history of launchings and space researches in Soviet Union and modern Russia, such as the first artificial satellite called Sputnik 1 launching in 1957, the first man in space in 1961 and space launches lessening in 90th, because of economic issues, and later provoked by means of political disorder in the country. In 2000, as this essay states, Russia’s position on the world launching started to improve and moved in to top slot which it has detained ever since maintaining an average launching rate. But, sadly, in the last 2 years the Russian space program, once was the envy by the whole world, has been facing a number of problems, especially since huge financial effort on the already strained Russian space agency. Second part of this essay suggests the way Russia can improve it's own space program and what steps should it take, such as experiments with voyages to Mars, increasing their budget and developing a partnership program with NASA. In conclusion, this essay demonstrates the importance of what space agencies all over the world are doing daily. They are constantly researching and developing to better serve mankind's thirst for knowledge and comfort. This is why it is important to support and embrace space agencies at all times, for who knows what gifts they could bring us in the future. It also suggests, that Russia needs to work hard in making their space program the best, that it was in 1980s, and many believe that they can lead the way once more.

An analysis of the current activities of Cherwell District Councils Environmental Services Department Essay Example for Free

An analysis of the current activities of Cherwell District Councils Environmental Services Department Essay 1.0 Background Cherwell District Councils Environmental Services Department is made up of two sections (Environmental Services and Amenity Services), which deliver a wide range of diverse services (see Table 1). Table 1. Services offered by the Environmental Services Department. Environmental Services Amenity Services Food Safety/Health and Safety in businesses Waste Collection/Recycling Animal Welfare/Dog Warden Service Street Cleaning Pollution Control/Noise Nuisance Pest Control Service Health Promotion and Disability Issues Environmental Strategy/Agenda 21 This report looks at some of the services provided by the commercial team within environmental services who are responsible for food/health and safety law enforcement, infectious disease control, food/water sampling, licensing/registration, complaint investigation and offering information and training. 2.0 Introduction The majority of the activities of the commercial team are mandatory imposed on the Council by statute such as the Food Safety Act and the Health and Safety at Work etc Act. The sections activities are also monitored through quarterly reports to the Chief Executive of the Council, the Food Standards Agency and The Health and Safety Executive. Despite the regulatory function of the section which is primarily the enforcement of the law, it none the less provides a service which is described as the combination of outcomes and experiences delivered to and received by a customer (Johnson Clark, 2001 p9). Figure 1 lists some of the aspects of the service experience, which can be used when assessing the quality of the service provided. * the extent of personalisation of the process * the responsiveness of the service organisation * the flexibility of customer-facing staff * customer intimacy * the ease of access to service personnel or information systems * the extent to which the customer feels valued by the organisation * the courtesy

COPD with Cognitive Status in an Elderly Sample

COPD with Cognitive Status in an Elderly Sample COPD with Cognitive Status in an Elderly Sample using the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Dean Sherzai, MD MAS PhD(c), Rachel Schade, Sonia Vega, Ayesha Z. Sherzai, MD Author’s Affiliations: 1Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Cedar Sinai Health System, Los Angeles, CA, USA; 2Keck Science Department, Pitzer College, Claremont, CA, USA; 3Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Loma Linda School of Public Health, Loma Linda, USA; Department of Neurology, The Neurological Institute of New York, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA. Keywords: COPD, cognitive status, dementia, aging Abstract Purpose: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) has been associated with dementia and cognitive impairment. We attempted to assess the relationship between COPD and cognitive impairment in a nationwide database, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). Methods: Data was analyzed from the NHANES III database, a nationally representative cross sectional observational study among older adults. The diagnosis of COPD was based on calculation of FEV1/FVC ratio, with a cutoff of 0.7. The odds of having poor cognitive status was assessed using logistic regression models between COPD and three cognitive tests (immediate recall, delayed recall, and serial subtraction tests), adjusted for demographic variables and medical comorbidities. Results: We identified 17,181,182 individuals with a diagnosis of COPD. The mean age of was 71.5  ± 0.19 years. In the crude model, there was a strong relationship between those with COPD and poor cognitive test scores. This relationship was strengthened in the multivariate model adjusted for demographic variables and vascular comorbidities, such that those with COPD had a higher odds of having impaired immediate recall (OR 2.56, 95% CI 1.44- 4.53), delayed recall (OR 3.10, 95% CI 1.73- 5.52), and serial subtraction tests scores (OR 2.74, 95% CI 1.17- 6.40). Conclusions: Individuals with COPD have a higher odds of having cognitive impairment in this large nationally representative database. Introduction Approximately 35.6 million currently suffer from dementia worldwide, and this number is expected to double by 2030 and triple by 2050 [1]. In the last few years we have become more cognizant of the importance of identifying cognitive decline at the earlier stages when it is more amenable to treatment. We have also become more knowledgeable about possible comorbidities that may propagate the process of cognitive decline and ultimate dementia. Causes of cognitive decline, and possible progression to dementia, are believed to be multifactorial. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a progressive disease that affects more than 13.5 million people in the United States and has been associated with cognitive decline [2]. To date, there are no definitive treatments for dementia; therefore, much emphasis had been placed on the prevention of dementia, and identification of modifiable risk factors early in the disease process. Multiple studies have reported the association between COPD and either global cognitive deficits with the most severe deficiencies in specific cognitive domains such as perception, motor function or memory [3]. Despite the current body of evidence, the majority of studies are based on a single region, and there are a few studies that used a nationally representative data (Health and Retirement Study). Given that society is facing an increase in the rate of chronic diseases of aging [4], and the lack of large scale investigation on the relationship between COPD and diminished cognitive status, we analyzed this nationwide database, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), to better elucidate this relationship. Materials and Methods NHANES III is a cross sectional health survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), performed from 1988 to 1994 in persons aged two months and older in the United States. NHANES has a multistage, probability sampling design used to select participants representative of the civilian, non-institutionalized US population. Our study population consisted of 39,488,973 adults 60 to 89 years. Of these, participants were included if they had measurements for spirometry and the cognitive tests. Based on The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (GOLD) standards, cases of COPD were defined based on the patient’s ratio of forced expiratory volume (FEV1) to the forced vital capacity (FVC). Patients with a ratio of less than 0.7 were classified with COPD. Our control group, patients without COPD, was classified by a ratio greater than 0.7. For the older population, NHANES-III measures cognitive status with three cognitive tests: an immediate a nd delayed logical verbal memory test from the East Boston Memory Test, a three word registration/memory task (â€Å"apple,† â€Å"table† and â€Å"penny†) and five serial subtractions by intervals of three. A point was awarded for every correct answer from the three word memory task and the logical verbal memory test. For immediate memory, using a summary score of logical memory (0-6 points) plus three word task (0-3 points), we considered less than 5 out of 9 points to be impaired (low), such that individuals with 0-4 were score ‘low’, and those scoring 5-9 were scored ‘high’. For delayed memory, a summary score of less than 4 out of 9 points was considered impaired (low). Both summary scores are consistent with previous NHANES-III reports. For the test of serial subtractions, any miscalculation during the five trials was considered impaired, and only a perfect score was considered ‘high’. The reported race and ethnicity includes non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic Blacks, Mexican-Americans and ‘other’. Smoking was defined by a â€Å"yes† response to the following two questions: â€Å"Have you smoked at least 100 cigarettes during your entire life† and â€Å"Do you smoke cigarettes now†. These questions can be found on the NHANES III household adult questionnaire. Education was stratified in three categories: 12 (some college and beyond). We performed an X2 and t-test analysis to compare demographic characteristics between patients with COPD and patients without COPD. To assess the association between COPD and a low cognitive test score (with high score as reference) crude and adjusted logistic regression analysis were performed. Adjusted potential confounders were age, race-ethnicity, sex, BMI, education status and smoking. Appropriate NHANES-III weighted sampling was applied during this analysis. All data analyses were conducted using SAS (v 9.3; SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). Results Table 1 presents the demographics of the population. There were 17,181,182 individuals with COPD; 50.1% were females, 49.9% males and 85.9% were non-Hispanic White. The mean age for patients with COPD was 71.5 ±0.19. In both groups, patients had less than a high school education, were non-smokers and had both hospital and medical coverage. Majority of individuals with COPD scored low on each cognitive test as compared to those without COPD (Table 1). Coronary artery disease was the most prevalent comorbidity in patients with COPD (31.9%) and in patients without COPD (30.4%). In the unadjusted model, participants with COPD had increased odds of impaired scores on each of the three cognitive tests: the immediate recall (OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.81- 2.62), delayed recall (OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.87- 2.70) and serial subtraction test (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.10-1.90). We then examined the association between COPD and the cognitive tests, initially adjusted by age and race, which diminished the relationship slightly for all three tests, but the relationship was rendered insignificant for the serial subtraction test (OR 1.29, 95% CI 0.95-1.69) (Table 2). Then, we adjusted for age, sex, height, body mass index and education, which did not change the relationship significantly. In the third model, further adjustment for race, poverty income ratio, and medical coverage did not appreciably change the relationship. In the last model, we additionally adjusted for vascular risk factors such as smoking, stroke, hypertension, CHF, diabetes and coronary artery disease. This increased the odds for poor scores for all three tests; immediate recall (OR 2.56, 95% CI 1.44- 4.53), delayed recall test (OR 3.10, 95% CI 1.73- 5.52), and serial subtraction (OR 2.74, 95% CI 1.17- 6.40). Discussion We were able to identify a strong association between COPD and diminished cognitive status across three common cognitive tests. Individuals with COPD had significantly greater odds of impaired verbal memory, and this relationship remained robust after adjusting for potential sociodemographic and vascular risk factors. The relationship between COPD and the serial subtraction test scores was rendered significant after it was adjusted for vascular risk factors. Despite evidence in the extant literature showing an association between race with cognitive status [10], race was not a factor in the relationship between COPD and cognitive status. Our results are consistent with a growing body of evidence that has revealed a strong association between COPD and poor cognitive function. In one of the largest epidemiological studies, The Health and Retirement Study (n=4,150), patients with severe and non-severe COPD had significantly lower cognitive test scores compared to healthy controls. In adjusted models, only patients with severe COPD had the lower scores on the cognitive tests [5]. Furthermore, a dose-response relationship between COPD severity and cognitive dysfunction was previously established, with more severe COPD cases performing worse on the cognitive tests [6]. Notably, a 2013 study demonstrated significantly reduced memory tests scores on the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) among patients with COPD but without hypoxemia [7]. Further evidentiary support for global cognitive impairment in patients with COPD was also shown in a study that observed significant differences in executive functioning, working memory, episod ic memory, processing speed, and visuospatial ability [8]. Recently, several COPD studies have combined cognitive testing with neuroimaging, which have revealed significant white matter pathology in this population, with varying degrees of cognitive impairment [8,9,10,11]. The mechanism by which COPD causes cognitive decline is not very clear. COPD results in hypoxemia and hypercapnia, which has been implicated in diminished cognitive status [3,5]. Recent imaging studies have pointed to possible microvascular damage [3], and other studies have implicated chronic inflammatory process causing cognitive decline [12]. Yet others believe that the hypoxic process may cause direct neuronal damage, glial activation and the generation of free radicals which could affect cognitive functioning [13]. Given the prevalence of both COPD and cognitive decline in the elderly population and a probable causal relationship, it is important to further investigate the mechanism underlying the relationship. Limitations As all studies, this one has many limitations that need to be visited. One of the limitations unique to our study was that majority of the individuals in our elderly NHANES population had less than high school education. Given that educations has repeatedly been found to be strongly correlated with resilient cognitive function as well as less susceptible to neurodegeneration, our results could have been confounded by the lower mean education level in our population[14-18]. Another limitation lies with the cognitive testing used by NHANES. Only three cognitive tests were utilized, which does not provide a comprehensive assessment of cognitive function. In addition, the cognitive tests used most likely overlap in the cognitive function they measure, not allowing for specificity. However, the cognitive variables have been validated as a good tool for testing memory [19]. Furthermore, the cross-sectional nature of this paper does not allow us to make a causal link. In addition, the restr icted scope of lifelong socioeconomic status is a limitation, which is strongly associated with both cognitive impairment and COPD. However, it has been demonstrated that individuals with poor socioeconomic status may have a higher risk of developing COPD and lower cognitive reserve [20,21]. The strengths of this study are its large, diverse representative sample, that provided extensive medical history and allowed for control of confounding variables, as well as the objective measure of cognitive impairment and COPD. Also, the spirometry data from NHANES III allowed for more accurate diagnosis of COPD. Conclusion We were able to demonstrate a strong relationship between COPD and diminished cognitive status. We were not able to demonstrate any effect of gender, race, as well as sociodemographic or vascular risk factors on this relationship between COPD and cognitive status. The independent relationship between COPD and cognitive status may provide us an important clue into the pathophysiology of dementia, which needs to be further explored. Declaration of Interest References Prince M, Bryce R, Albanese E, et al. The global prevalence of dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Alzheimers Dementia 2013;9(1):63-75. Ford ES, Croft JB, Mannino DM, et al. COPD Surveillance- United States, 1999-2011 COPD Surveillance. Chest 2013;144(1):284-305. Dodd JW, Getov SV, Jones PW. Cognitive function in COPD. Eur Resp J 2010;35(4):913-922. Dall TM, Gallo PD, Chakrabarti R, et al. An Aging Population And Growing Disease Burden Will Require A Large And Specialized Health Care Workforce By 2025. Health Aff 2013;32(11):2013-2020. Rusanen M, Ngandu T, Laatikainen T, et al. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma and the risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia: a population based CAIDE study. Curr Alzheimer Res 2013;10(5):549-555. Li J, Huang Y, Fei GH. The evaluation of cognitive impairment and relevant factors in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Respiration; International Review of Thoracic Diseases 2013;85(2):98-105. Gupta PP, Sood S, Atreja A, Agarwal D. A comparison of cognitive functions in non-hypoxemic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and age-matched healthy volunteers using mini-mental state examination questionnaire and event-related potential, P300 analysis. Lung India: official organ of Indian Chest Society 2013;30(1):5-11. Dodd J, Van Den Broek M, Jones P, Charlton R. S92 cognitive function cerebral white matter tract microstructure in COPD. Thorax 2011;66(Suppl 4):A43-A44. Charlton RA, Dodd JW, van den Broek M, et al. Can brain MRI explain cognitive decline in COPD? A pilot study. Eur Resp J 2010;38(Suppl 55):29-36. Chung A, van den Broek MD, Charlton RA, et al. Cognitive Function And Cerebral Functional Connectivity In COPD: A Resting State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study. Age 2012:65(68):20-27. Dodd JW, Chung AW, van den Broek MD, et al. Brain structure and function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a multimodal cranial magnetic resonance imaging study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2012;186(3):240-245. Borson S, Scanlan J, Friedman S, et al. Modeling the impact of COPD on the brain. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis 2008;3(3):429-434. Singh B, Mielke MM, Parsaik AK, et al. A Prospective Study of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and the Risk for Mild Cognitive Impairment. JAMA Neurol 2014;71(5):581-588. Schmand B, Smit J, Lindeboom J, et al. Low education is a genuine risk factor for accelerated memory decline and dementia. J Clin Epidemiol 1997;50(9):1025-1033. Stern, Y. Cognitive reserve and Alzheimer disease. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord 2006;20(2),112-117. Ngandu T, von Strauss E, Helkala EL, et al. Education and dementia What lies behind the association? Neurology 2007;69(14):1442-1450. Scarmeas, N, Stern, Y. Cognitive reserve and lifestyle. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2003;25(5):625-633. McDowell I, Xi G, Lindsay J, et al. Mapping the connections between education and dementia. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology 2007;29(2):127-141. Albert M, Smith LA, Scherr PA, et al. Use of brief cognitive tests to identify individuals in the community with clinically diagnosed Alzheimers disease. Int J Neurosci. 1991;57:167-178. Eisner, MD, Blanc, PD, Omachi, TA, et al. Socioeconomic status, race and COPD health outcomes. J Epidemiol Community Health 2011;65(1):26-34. Stern, Y, Tang, M X, Denaro, J, et al. Increased risk of mortality in Alzheimers disease patients with more advanced educational and occupational attainment. Ann Neurol 1995;37(5):590-595. Table 1. Baseline characteristics by COPD status in the NHANES III population * p values derived from t test comparison of means of COPD by population characteristics SD = Standard deviation Table 2: Crude and adjusted odds ratio for COPD and cognitive tests among 17,134,886 individuals in the NHANES III population OR = odds ratio, CI = confidence interval, ref = reference Model 1: adjusted for age and race Model 2: adjusted for age, sex, height, BMI and education Model 3: Model 2 additionally controlled for poverty income ratio, race, and medical coverage Model 4: Model 3 additionally adjusted for stroke, coronary heart disease, hypertension, congestive heart failure, diabetes. 1

Comparing Characterization in Alias Grace, Their Eyes Were Watching God

Characterization in Alias Grace, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Fools Crow      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood is a novel where the main character Grace is a sort of mystery character.  Ã‚   In the end she is at peace, but there are still many questions about her left unanswered.   Because Atwood's style of writing is informative, yet unclear at the same time, the audience is left to put the pieces of the puzzle that is Grace together themselves.  Ã‚   This leaves the reader guessing about her character.   Two other works that contrast the characterization of Grace Atwood uses in Alias Grace are Janie in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, and Fools Crow in Fools Crow by James Welch.   The characterization the authors use in these three novels determines how well the reader will get to know the main characters in terms of emotion.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Characterization is one of the main components of writing a novel.   Most of the time in a novel the attributes of the main character are well known.   By the time you've finished the novel, you feel as if you know all that there is to know about that person.   In the case of Alias Grace, Atwood leaves more to questions about Grace's character than are answered.   It seems as if the more you learn about her life, the more of a mystery she becomes.   It is the reader's job to take what is known about Grace and piece her together the best she can. In a review of the book, David Wiley states, "What unfolds is that no one will ever know Grace" (Wiley 3).   Her personality is never totally revealed, and the reader is left wondering who she is. One character, Dr. Jordan never finds out anything new about her personality than any of the other doctors who evaluated her before did.   She t... ...statement:   The characterization the authors use in these three novels determines how well the readers will get to know the main characters in terms of emotion. I.   Characterization of Grace   Ã‚  Ã‚   A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What role characterization plays   Ã‚  Ã‚   B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How well the reader gets to know Grace II.   Characterization of Janie   Ã‚  Ã‚   A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hurston's development of Janie   Ã‚  Ã‚   B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What the reader learns about Janie III.   Contrast of Janie and Grace   Ã‚  Ã‚   A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What makes the two characters different   Ã‚  Ã‚   B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Contrasting views on love and marriage IV.   Characterization of Fools Crow   Ã‚  Ã‚   A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Transformation made by his character   Ã‚  Ã‚   B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How his character is developed V.   Contrast of Fools Crow and Grace   Ã‚  Ã‚   A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Difference in the two character's emotions   Ã‚  Ã‚   B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reaction (emotionally) to different situations   

American Imperialism Essay -- Nongovernmental Oganizations

To use the title ‘Transnational American’ (Grewal, 2005) might be more politically correct than American imperialism but I contend that one is in fact an agent of the other. The two readings for this week converge around the discussion of transnationalism and neoliberalism although in slightly different ways. Grewal (2005) discusses transnationalism in relation to the United States and its cultural, social, political and economic influence on other nation-states specifically through technologies, biopolitics and geopolitics. Grewal presents interesting arguments to support the view that the construction of human rights activism since the 1960’s was a geopolitical strategy used by the United States to extend its imperialist grasp on the outside world. Grewal (2005) posits that the development of the feminist and women’s rights movements were born out of human rights discourse that quickly became â€Å"transnational instruments of technologies of governmenta lity, creating and applying knowledges and techniques that promote welfare and security, rather than just the rights of populations† (Grewal 2005:122). The birth of Nongovernmental Organization (NGO) came out of a desire to â€Å"move women [vulnerable populations] from the margins to the center by questioning the most fundamental concepts of our social order so that they take better account of women’s lives† (Grewal 2005:126). In the process human rights issues became wedded to women’s rights, social justice and later on to development. NGOs at the time of its inception were seen as politically autonomous entity that would intervene â€Å"to ensure the welfare of female populations, the inefficiency of the state, and its ideology of patriarchy† (Grewal 2005:127). But cultural, socio-political... ...loitation, the US maintains its embargo on Cuba and continues to police movements across its borders; only the future knows how the current anti-immigration sentiments might unfold and materialize. Space does not permit an elaborate discussion about the politics of the United Nations, the World Bank or the IMF, but as a parenthetical note, these are also examples of an imperial or should I say transnational apparatuses taken advantage of the by the United States. In the final analysis, I concur with Comaroff and Comaroff (2001) that â€Å"relationship between the nation-state and millennial capitalism†¦is not synonymous with globalism, although globalization is and inherent part of it† but I would add more specifically that globalization like its predecessor colonalization, imperialization and now neoliberalism is a capitalist apparatus (Comaroff & Comaroff, 2001:34)

Comparing Oedipus and Prufrock

Everyone has at least one personal flaw that somehow overcomes or defeats them in a certain place in time. In this essay, two characters of completely different fields will be put side by side to compare their own tragic flaws. On one hand, Sophocles’ Oedipus is proud, arrogant and persistent; while on the other hand, Eliot’s Prufrock is self conscious, insecure, and indecisive. While the two characters are complete polar opposites, they also share a devastating similarity: they are paranoid and in fear of their own fate. Oedipus’ personality is clearly conveyed as having excessive pride and determination throughout the play.He first travels far from Corinth to prevent an oracle’s prediction that he would kill his father and marry his mother. He arrives in Thebes where the people were distressed over the Sphinx’s riddle. Oedipus then sets his mind on solving this riddle in which he succeeds and is awarded the throne to Thebes. This should have been a huge boost of confidence for a man who was worried he would be cursed for the rest of his life. He serves as a loyal King for his people, seeming to want to do the right thing for Thebes, but talks with such a conceited attitude.In the play, right after receiving news that the preceding king’s killer is residing in Thebes, Oedipus states â€Å"Well, I will start afresh and once again make dark things clear. Right worthy the concern of Phoebus, worthy thine too, for the dead; I also, as is meet, will lend my aid to avenge this wrong to Thebes and to the God† (Sophocles). With both assurance and superiority in his voice, Oedipus throws it in Thebes face that he has saved them once before, and will do it again by bringing Laius’ killer to justice. He sets out on finding the person that murdered King Laius and puts all of his energy, pride, and persistence into it.He acts as a great detective and follows each clue diligently. This helps the play revolve around the question of solving a crime (Rix). By putting together the pieces of the murder mystery, he finally begins to questions himself about his involvement in the assassination and even his own fate. Sophocles’ Oedipus pursues self-knowledge and at the same time resists it because it may connect him with his past (Morgenstern). He eventually finds out that he is indeed his father’s killer and his mother’s husband. Oedipus’ tragic flaws of hubris and determination lead him to blind himself and be exiled just as e said would happen to the murderer if he was found. Unlike Oedipus, the character in T. S. Eliot’s â€Å"Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† is timid, insecure and indecisive. Throughout the poem, Prufrock is faced with a decision to approach a woman he has developed a liking to, or remain looking out a lonely window drowning his self consciousness in an ocean of self doubt. He wants to ask her the overwhelming question, but instead he purpos efully avoids the woman by having personal detour conversations with himself about his self image. The entire poem is laced with Prufrock asking himself questions.He asks â€Å"Do I dare disturb the universe? †(Eliot) as if the whole world will come crashing down if he simply talks to her. He wants to wait for the right time, but in the same thought, he knows his years are running out; he mentions his bald spot and thin arms. Prufrock is so consumed with himself and how others might portray or judge him, that it is paralyzing him from social activities and gatherings. He is going through a mid life crisis that he may have brought on himself by leading an unproductive, bland life and his lack of determination and will to change that life may lead him into his fear of being lonely forever.Prufrock is essentially intimidated by women or people in general because he is ashamed of his personal appearance and monotony. One side of his personality believes in the possibility of havi ng a relationship but the side of his self doubt and pity shackles him from living the life he is clearly screaming out for (Blythe). Towards the end of the poem, he realizes that he will never summon up the courage to talk to the person he admires. He gives up on himself and becomes aware that he has wasted his life asking himself if he should do the things he wanted to do instead of putting his plans to action.Where Oedipus is without a doubt expeditious, stern and decisive in his promises, J. Alfred Prufrock is deficient by being obsessed with taking his time, indifferent and unable to make a simple choice even for himself. However both of these characters share a haunting similarity of fearing the realization that their lives have finally come to a particular point they have been attempting to prevent their whole life. Sometimes life presents a person with a deficiency in personality which becomes highlighted in the spotlight while trying to correct that specific trait.In the Ca se of Oedipus and Prufrock, their own life flaws are over exaggerated and yet still overcorrected, in which they remain troubled with the things they hate about themselves. The two characters failed to avert a lingering curse which had been following them throughout, eventually sealing their fate with their own personal flaws. Works Cited Blithe, Hal and Sweet, Charlie. â€Å"Eliot’s THE LOVE SONG OF J. ALFRED PRUFROCK. † The Explicator 62. 2 (2004): 108-110. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. Eliot, T. S. â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. The Norton Introduction to Literature: Shorter Tenth Edition. Eds. Allison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 1015-1019. Print. Morgenstern, Naomi. â€Å"The Oedipus Complex Made Simple. † University Of Toronto Quarterly 72. 4 (2003): 777-788. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. Rix, Robert W. â€Å"Was Oedipus Framed? † Orbis Litterarium 54. 2 (1999): 134. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. Sophocles. Oedipus the King. The Norton Introduction to Literature: Shorter Tenth Edition. Eds. Allison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010.

Community Crime Prevention Strategies Essay

Do community safety, crime prevention; crime reduction initiatives help all victims? Choose specific types of CS – police led, management of offenders, crime prevention as focus. The Home Office delineates community safety as, â€Å"An aspect of quality of life in which people, individually and collectively, are protected as far as possible from hazards or threats that result from the criminal or anti-social behaviour of others and are equipped or helped to cope with those they do experience† (Home Office: 1998) The fear of crime can impact us in a major way on how we feel about our community. â€Å"Localised action against crime† also know as community safety, crime prevention or crime reduction; is often practiced by police officers and authority workers e.g. Probation workers, housing officers etc. Community safety focuses on introducing physical and social changes to local communities to enforce balance and prevent crime and disorder from taking place. There are three ways of classifying crime prevention, primary secondary and tertiary prevention. Primary prevention targets the general population to prevent crime from happening before it has happens. Secondary prevention targets the population that is most at risk, where Tertiary prevention focuses on the individual; Often a known offender (Newburn, 2007:566) The aim of community safety is to allow local residents to be able to live their lives freely, yet still feel comfortable and protected in their area by local authorities. All citizens should be able to live without interruption or fear that may come from crime and disorder. In some ways community safety can be hard to define, as various communities have different ways of carrying out the service. In some communities citizens have a say in what issues they feel need to be addressed and prioritized for action in their community; and in others they don’t. So where some issues may be of relevance in one community, it won’t be of relevance in another. Most importantly once an issue has been tackled it is fundamental that it does not re-occur. Offending behavior can negatively affect an individual and/or a whole community. By reducing offending behavior community service should generally improve the quality of live of an individual or community, both socially and economically. Without first addressing fear and typical preconceptions of crime, any action to prevent anti-social behavior will be of no relevance, as communities may be unaware of the changes occurring and therefore reluctant to believe that they are being protected. It is after the Morgan Report in 1991 when the term ‘Community safety’ first came into notion. As stated by ‘CSinfo magazine’ â€Å"The term community safety was not well defined then and in some eyes the same is true today† (CSinfo: n.d.). Anti social behavior and the nature of crime can cause the focus of community service to shift at times. This is mainly because of the difference in cultures, various religions and ethnic groups that may be in one community. Therefore we can question if community service is effective in a diverse society. In all of this we must take diversity and ethics into consideration. In society people have different values and approaches to life. Diversity is the unique difference that we all have. In all walks of life there will always be people from various backgrounds that we must make contact with. Diversity can be a cause of conflict and tensions within a society. Community safety aims to prevent divisions within a community and create unity to establish a safer and more comfortable lifestyle for civilians. Community safety or community policing can be very effective in society as it establishes a good and trusting relationship between the police and citizens. The police become â€Å"part of the neighbourhood† (Anon: 2010), In addition to creating relationships it also enables the police to become aware of what the community needs. This partnership allows police officers to familiarize themselves with individual members of the community. As well as this, they are able to remember important information about the people that are of risk to the community. In all aspects of policing there will always be advantages and disadvantages. A great advantage of community policing is that it reduces any fear that one may have. This creates a sense of trust between the police and community and therefore civilians will feel safer. ‘Law teacher’ states, â€Å"as citizens become more active in taking care of their community, they start to understand what officers actually do on a day-to-day basis† (Anon: 2010). A disadvantage of community policing is that without the trust of the community and community involvement there isn’t much that the police can do. If they don’t have first hand knowledge of certain issues within the community they cannot solve it nor can they be aware of the specific citizens that are of risk to the rest of the community. The majority of people find it hard to trust the police, especially in ethic minority communities where many people believe that the police are racist. In saying this any attempt to help a community will fail, as there is no partnership between the police and community. Another disadvantage is that community policing is a long-term partnership and results will not be seen immediately. Members of the community may feel as though they are wasting their time in trusting in the police to better their neighborhood, yet nothing has changed. The relationship must be maintained for it to work. â€Å"Community policing is a philosophy, not a program† (Roth: 2000,183) An additional disadvantage is that the same members of the community step forward to help and improve the neighborhood, however it requires the help and belief of whole (or majority) of the community for the service to be effective. â€Å"Community policing is only as good as its community involvement† (Law Teacher: 2010). Overall the advantages weigh out the disadvantages of community policing. Community policing is effective as it establishes a relationship between the police and citizens, which generally improves the safety and the peace of mind of the community. â€Å"Community-based programs are important in the service delivery in many communities†(Mancini & Marek: 2004, 339). To prevent crime in their neighbourhood people develop programs that aid in the prevention of crime and disorder in their community. There are several community policing programs, the most popular program is known to be the ‘neighbourhood watch’, where locals come together to make their community a safer place. Neighbourhood watch can be beneficial to a community as it allows locals to be aware of any suspicious activity. ‘National Night Out’ is another program that helps to fight crime in a community. Residents that participate in this, leave their outside lights on during the night, in the hope that civilians will safeguarded at night time where (in more dangerous areas) there are more drug and alcohol misusers gallivanting the streets. D.A.R.E which stands for ‘ Drug Abuse Resistance Education’, is a program that seeks to make young adults (teenagers) feel good about the police, as well as preventing violent behavior, the abuse of drugs and alcohol and gang involvement. The program informs young people on how to say no from peer pressure, and build the necessary skills that they need to ensure a better lifestyle. Through D.A.R.E students are able to identify the perils of violence in their community as well as in their schools. Neoliberism, the idea that the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor. In place of tackling poverty right realists would prefer to reduce crime through control. They argue with Marxists that although several old people are poor their crime rate is low. They believe that labeling theory â€Å"romanticises† the criminal by being too sympathetic. The problem with this approach is that although harsh methods of punishment may be good for the moment, they aren’t very effective for the long term. When putting someone in prison all aspects of their life must be considered. The offender may have a family that solely depends on them. In addition the offender may have health issues that could deteriorate in a prison environment. The biosocial theory of criminal behavior was introduced in 1985 by Wilson and Herrnstein. They explored the notion that criminal behavior is influenced by social and biological factors. Herrnstein and Murray believed that low intelligence was the main cause of crime. Also developed from biological causes. Yes it is true that the chance of a person becoming an offender can be increased by biological cause however, it is believed that environmental have more influence on an offenders behavior. â€Å"Charles Murray (1990) argues crime is increasing because of a growing underclass who is defined by deviant behaviour and who fails to socialise properly† (Anon: 2012). . Unlike right realists, left realists share the same views as labour government. Described as socialist in 1984 Lea and Young support the modification of society rather than the avant-garde change by a few Marxists. They debate that right wing politicians in an industrial capitalist society, have presented themselves accordingly as the parties of forces of law and order. Left realist believe that all crimes with the exception of white collar crime need to be tackled and elucidated as they are a serious problem. Since World War Two there has been a significant increase in street crime (Young: 1993) â€Å"Criminology has undergone an etiological crisis† (Anon:2012). This has resulted from the rise in offences that are being recorded officially. Both right realism and left realism share similarities but there are also extreme differences. An example of this is that they both have different political views, where right realists have a conservative mind, left realist have a labour mind. Despite this both believe that crime is a ‘real’ problem, and they fear that crime is rational. Through the way that both sides explain crime, it is clear that right realists are neo conservative, whereas left realists are reformist socialists. Right realists put the blame of offending on the individual but left realists consider environment and relative deprivation, sympathising with the offender. In the same way both sides also have varying political differences, which is shown through their aims and how they plan on soling problems of crime. â€Å"The right prioritise social order achieved through a tough stance of offenders while the left prioritise justice achieved through democratic policing and reforms to create greater equality† (Anon:2012). â€Å"As with other signs of brutishness, the sight of violence, pain, or physical suffering became highly disturbing and distasteful to modern sensibilities† (Garland, 1990: 223). A man like Garland who can be considered as a right realist suggests that we should be more punitive. He argues that we live in a culture that needs more control; although we have become more civilized, we are also more acceptant of mercy and as a society we tend not to punish as hard as they did in the olden days. Despite Garland’s views many still believe that we haven’t learnt to punish less. Moreover some people insist that we have learnt to punish better through the use of modern technology. Unless an offender is of high risk to the rest of society, it is better to rehabilitate through intervention rather than imprison, in the attempt to just remove the person from society. In most cases imprisonment is more expensive than interventions (Williams: 2010). Nevertheless it is still a major aim to manage the risk of reoffending through â€Å"warehousing† (over crowded Imprisonment). Supervised by probation officers, who would advise assist and befriend them† (Probation of Offenders Act 1907). If these requirements were/are neglected the offender may be sent back to court to be re-assed and re-sentenced. (Canton: 2011, 5). â€Å"Offenders would be on probation:instead of being ounished, and on their undertaking to be of good behavior, they would be put to the test and given an opportunity to show they could lead good and industri â€Å"Criminals are not normal, they are wicked, evil, different to us, they are dangerous and they are strangers† (Wilson and Herrnstein: 1985). This is the idea that criminals are like animals, out of control and driven by their animalistic lust to do inhumane things. Crime is linked to low IQ; suggesting that most criminals are black and/or Asian, coming from backgrounds that cannot afford to educate children. The level of how risky someone is should determine the intensity of intervention they must endure. There are wide ranges of interventions in the criminal justice system. Diversion, Reparation, Unpaid work, Supervision and counseling, Basic Skills, Group work programmes, Drug and alcohol programmes, Therapeutic communities’, Circles of support and women’s programmes. We typically do not see only one kind of criminal offender. Although a plethora of offences are made daily, the uniqueness of one person will be different from the criminogenic needs of another person. Diversity and sociological aspects of crime can be an influence of this. Where some offenders may be employed, others could be unemployed. Some may be dependent on drugs; others may have alcohol problems, or suffer from mental illnesses. Despite this a Right realist would rather punish the offender under any circumstance. Realists see crime as something that is real; they believe in solving the problems of crime, whereas Marxists see crime and deviance as something that has been socially constructed through an unequal world and exploited society. Much like the conservative government, right realists trust that there is a solution to the growing crime rates in society. Rather than finding the causes of crime right realists seek to find practical methods in which crime can be monitored. In the opinion of a right realist offenders should be punished rather than rehabilitated. Many see this method as impractical as individually offenders have different criminogenic needs. MAPPA (Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements). ‘Prisoners Families and Friends service’ states; â€Å"It is not a legal body or framework, but a set of arrangements for supervising offenders in the community. They are principally a structure by which the various agencies an offender comes into contact with can share information and thereby monitor risk factors after the person is released† (Anon: n.d, 26) Joining responsible authorities, MAPPA manage high risk offenders. Forming a partnership with other agencies that may be working with the offender. Once MAPPA and other joined agencies come to a decision on the extent of how risky the person is. A risk management plan will put in order for the offender, which is then reviewed on a regular basis; addressing anti social behavior by monitoring the offender. In a similar way DAAT also monitor offenders. DAAT (Drug and Alcohol Action Team) is a partnership that is accountable for carrying out the 10-year strategy and three year action plan for the government. DAAT unifies all local agencies that have involvement in addressing drug use e.g social services, the voluntary sector. DAAT aim to protect communities by reduces all forms of drug related crime. Preventing danger to families and individuals affected by the use of drugs and alcohol. As well as offenders there are organisations that support victims of crime. These organisations hold programs that are set out to help crime victims move forward through counseling and other services that teach victims their rights in terms of the law. In the USA 35 million people become victims of crime every year (Anon: 2012). After crime most victims and their families are left in a terrible state. Physically, mentally, emotionally and financially, which can be difficult to resolve. Because of this special organisations for victims have been created in the attempt to help millions of victims all over the world. The world has changed very quickly through globalization. We currently contemplate whether science and technology are now creating more risk rather than preventing it. An example of this is through the effect of bullying and anti social behavior with the use of the Internet and social networking sites. And the idea that the world is becoming smaller and smaller. Kinnvall and Jonson stated in 2002 that globalization will have a massive impact on our society forever as it covers all issues from economics, and politics to western culture and specifically â€Å"Americanisation† (Karofi and muanza: 2006). Many people see americanisation as a good thing as it provides development for all, however others would disagree by suggesting that it is a threat to peoples cultures. Discussed in three sections by Kinnvall and Johnson the globalisation process consists of scale, speed and cognition – From the links between social and political societies to the time frame in which globalisation is being hypothesised. In their research Kinnvall and Johnson make it clear that globalisation is not a new discovery. But because of how quickly the world has developed since the millennium increased awareness of globalisation has been made. It is hard ton think of a world without new technology, just 30 years ago the development of the Internet was begin ning. As mentioned previously every offender is different and therefore has an individual criminogenic need; the same goes for victims. Some victims may need long-term assistance depending on how serious the crime was e.g. rape, domestic violence. ‘sensitive crimes prosecution’ are cases like child abuse, child neglect and sexual assault. Organisations have specific programs that deal with these cases where the aim is to shield the victim from having to retell the story of the crime in which they were involved. In many cases victims have to tell their stories numerous times and this can because a daunting and even more traumatizing experience for them. In some circumstances it can even make the victim more unlikely to open up. If the truth isn’t told the full service cannot be fulfilled. To prevent this, the service assigns one lawyer to each case so that the victim only has to tell the story a few times. In doing this both victims and the system are at an advantage. There are programs designed to help all kinds of victims. When dealing with property crime victims mediation is used as a form of mediation. Mediation allows both the victim and offender to receive the correct benefits or sentencing he or she deserves. The victims service organization have a financial restitution program where anything that the offender stole or damaged from the victims property is replaced. This is done through a court ordered sanction. (Andrews: 1989). The program helps victims calculate how much has been damaged in addition to completing the necessary forms, maintain records informing the appropriate officials about the victim’s desire for restitution (Anon: 2012) â€Å"Through the mediator, the victim and offender talk together about trust, completion of the restitution, and what determines if they will meet again† (Anon: 2012). This cannot be done in all situations. E.g. in a situation of rape it is highly unlikely that the victim will want to come in any form of contact with the offender and officials will not expect or ask them too. The programs also file claims for victims. They do as much for the victims as possible to make it easier for them, even little things like filling out forms. Mock trials of criminal justice proceedings are officered so that the victim may become aware of what the real trial may consists of. Preparing them in all areas so that they are not blind-sided. A social working will prepare the victim by asking them a number of questions that may be asked during the trial. Often victims are given information on where the case is heading before any trial has taken place. The victim has the right to state their opinion on pardons and parole hearings. In answering the question and essay title, yes I do believe that crime reduction initiatives help all victims of crime. Even in murder cases the victims families are always addressed and taken care of in the correct way (in most cases). The service that initiatives provide for victims, give the victims a place to turn to for guidance and support in seeking the rightful justice that they deserve. Programs like crisis intervention allow the victim to start recovering from their victimization and deal with their situation. †Restitution and returning of stolen property is another way that victims may financially deal with their victimization. Also simply making victims aware of the rights is an excellent start to the victim’s search for justice† (Anon: 2012). Bibliography: Anon. (2012). Assess the value of the left and right realist approaches to crime and deviance. Available: http://potmd.wordpress.com/2012/03/10/assess-the-value-of-the-left-and-right-realist-approaches-to-crime-and-deviance/. Last accessed 4th Jan 2013 Anon. (n.d.). DAAT. Available: http://www.medway.gov.uk/communityandliving/communitysafety/drugsandalcoholactionteam.aspx. Last accessed 4th Jan 2013. Anon. (2012). high risk offenders. Available: http://www.highland.gov.uk/healthandsocialcare/criminaljusticeservices/highriskoffenders.htm. Last accessed 5th jan 2013. Anon. (2012). Left realism and crime. Available: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/left_realism_crime.htm. Last accessed 6th Jan 2013. Anon. (n.d.). what is community safety?. Available: http://www.csinfo.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&lay