Affirmative Action Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Affirmative Action - Research Paper Example in moving what seemed to be unmovable in United States society’s African American rights, precipitated to the creation of the Affirmative Action law. Many quarters, especially the minorities and the women, saw the law as a milestone in human rights history. The affected societal members saw the law as an imperfect but preferable tool to eradicate the current social disease called discrimination (Boit, 2012). Further, the term Affirmative Action centers on the legal provisions of the action. The provisions ensure that equal opportunity is given to people from all walks of life. The law focuses on granting better work opportunities, school opportunities, and other social opportunities within the United States environment. The law specifically states that discrimination occurs when the individuals are unfairly treated because of their gender, race, or ethnicity (Boit, 2012). In the Ricci vs DeStefano case, 557 U.S. 2 (2009), The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that the New Haven, Connecticut violated the Affirmative Action law when the government leaders discriminated against 20 firefighters. The firefighters passed the promotion examinations. However, the firefighters were promoted on the ground of race. Most of the complaints were African Americans. Two of complainants were Latinos. The Court gave a majority decision stating the government leaders committed discriminated against the 20 firefighters when they discarded the results of the complaining firefighter’s tests. Consequently, the discrimination violated Title 7 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Forst & Dempsey, 2011). Furthermore, the law focuses on two major discrimination areas. First, the equal opportunities are granting females and minorities in terms of work and other benefits. Likewise, the Affirmative Action law ensures that United States society is made up of a diversity of individuals, not a segregation of individuals. The law gives the disadvantaged female and minority individual the right to

Nature of Poverty Essay Example for Free

Nature of Poverty Essay The nature of poverty can be described in many ways. The obvious way to explain poverty is the lack of income. However, in the deeper meaning, poverty also includes those who lack of security, healthcare, power, and other basic necessities. Poverty can be categorised in terms of absolute poverty and relative poverty. Absolute poverty is household based measure by income per year under a statistic developed by government which will aid those who are poor by giving them money depending on the number of members in the family on a yearly basis. While, relative poverty focus on people’s living with no statistic. For instance, if a family has 10 members but they have only 3 cars, they can be regarded as poor. Nevertheless, there are three common methods that use to measure the level of poverty. The first method defines poverty as a lack of income, which can be measured by World Bank. The absolute poverty for this case is a cut up point above or below the certain amount of income. Yet, this method has a major drawback. Since it focuses solely on income and ignoring other important factors such as social well-being or the general welfare of people, this method fails to provide the whole aspect of poverty. Secondly, UNDP measures poverty in terms of the lack of capability. It is known as Human Poverty Index that indicates the standard of living of the people in the country, which are life expectancy, life satisfaction, and footprint. This method provide not only deeper but also broader ways of measuring and assessing poverty. It looks pass the income factor and takes into consideration the non-monetary aspects, which generate the more well-rounded information and results. However, there are some critics that this method cannot truly measure the level of the poor since statistics and numerals are unable to measure people’s feelings. It is said that we cannot know how others feel unless we walk in their shoes, therefore, in order to get the accurate result, living with the poor is required. Lastly, poverty as a social exclusion is mentioned by Robert Chambers about the nature of poverty. Chambers introduces the bottom-up theory, which suggests that people should actually work with the rural poor who lack of power to speak out, security, and live with fears. Therefore, the approach is carried out to get an in depth understanding of what are the real meanings of poverty by associating directly with the poor. By this view, Chambers tends to provide qualitative method while other methods are quantitative based. Although this method  provides useful information of the poor, there are few flaws to be considered. Because the outcome is mainly based on qualitative methods such as verbal communication, there is a high tendency that the outcome will be bias. Moreover, snapshot may occur. For example, the interview conducted during the harvest season might get a better result than the actual reality. Therefore, the long-term picture should be taking into account in order for the outcome to be more anthological and longitudinal. Another problem is that people may not be honest, which is called courtesy bias. This way people will only answer what the researchers want to hear and leave the truth out. Thus, sometimes researchers may ask them to draw the picture of their life, which turns out to be a better way to get the real answer. Chambers talks more about vulnerability and isolation of people. For example, the poor cannot transport to sell the goods. In conclusion, there are several ways to measure the level of poverty. Three most common methods are the lack of income, HPI by UNDP (lack of capability) and social exclusion by Robert Chambers. Each method uses different viable and factors to indicate the level of poverty, all have their own advantages and criticisms. Therefore, each one is suitable and appropriate in different situations and purposes. However, in my opinion, even though, the lack of income method might be easier to measure and assess, the social exclusion theory by Robert Chambers could provide the real well-being of people since it includes the important of non-monetary factors that are crucial for the welfare of people.

Communism vs Fascism Essay -- Communism Essays

The definition of communism is â€Å" a system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single, often authoritarian party holds power, claiming to make progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally shared by the people.† The definition of fascism is â€Å"A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.† Communism and Fascism are both forms of Totalitarianism, which is when the ruler has complete power over everyone. There is a fine line between the differences of Communism and Fascism, however these next three articles prove that there is a line and there is no gray space. People are either one side or the other, there is no in between, the goals and secular leading may be the same but the inner workings differ by a lot, Krupskaya, M ussolini, and Hitler explain the differences in their following articles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Krupskaya’s was a communist and her article What a Communist Ought to be Like describes the standards, mind set, back ground, and just an overall idea of what communists are like. She sum’s up her article at the end of the paper which gives the main idea of what the whole article is on â€Å" Thus, in order to be a communist: (1) it is necessary to know what is bad about the capitalist system, where social development is h...

Qualities to Run an Educational Institute Essay

Hello! I am presently working for providing education to those who need it the most. I say this as they are deprived of many resources which others can harness in their lives. As far as an ideal school is concerned, what I personally feel is that if you are able to provide the children what they need the most i. e. moral values and skills simultaneously then a school can be said as ideal. Now what sort of skills is required by a child who is into school education is a question. He/she need not to be perfect to work on a computer or in a research laboratory as these are a part of higher curriculum, what he/she should possess is a thorough understanding of the facts at the level of his class and that too in an applicative manner. Learning a fact by heart is a different thing and using it as and when required is an altogether aspect. What an institution should aim is to develop the confidence among the learners that, what they know is correct. Along with the inculcation of moral values is also a very important process. Your students will at some time be adults trying hard to make the ends meet and in that process they will face many difficulties. To help them to be calm and stable in such a situation takes a good understanding of moral values. I think one’s truthfulness is helpful to him in many ways. He or she can escape many problems just by preventing manipulations of facts. If you are truthful you need not to remember any detail and helps people with you to develop trust in you. Participation of community members and parents is very important in good running of a school. The more is the interaction between parents and teachers, better is the understanding of psychological, social, economic aspects of a child’s personality both ways. This helps in a better healing of the child’s problems on academic, social and psychological grounds. I as an individual have an experience of dealing with those who have to be given education in spite of many types of psychological and social problems and experiences faced by them. Many times the girls don’t even trust you as a male because of some past experiences. That’s where it needs to be patient to wait for that faith to develop trough interactions. I also have the required degree in education. My experience in dealing with CCA pattern prescribed by the education board will also be helpful in a better execution of curriculum.

Business for the Glory of God Essay

Abstract It is not a secret to anyone that the USA has adopted western European business ethic model. Considering the dominance of Judeo-Christian culture in that region, it is of small wonder that quite a few moral principles from the Bible have entered the field of international affairs. I suggest that we compare the two sets of morals: the one hidden beneath the texts of the Bible and the one widely applied in business. The work in the world of negotiation has been traditionally seen as something that cannot possibly contribute anything to God worship. Ambitions and wealth, property owning and exploitation of human labor (however slight and well rewarded) are considered sinful in the opinion of representatives of the traditional branches of Christianity, such as the Orthodox and Catholic churches. Yet Wayne Grudem claims that an effective work of any businessman can be a proper way to glorify the Holy Father. I suggest that we investigate some of the ideas provided by the author in his boo k â€Å"Business for the glory of God: the Bible’s Teaching on the Moral Goodness of Business†. They will be criticized from a few points of view, and certain remarks will be included based on the ideas of Karl Marx and John Kaynes. John Kaynes made a curious comment concerning the discussed subject: â€Å"Capitalism is the astounding belief that the wickedest of men will do the wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone†. These words cannot be disregarded (for the concept of private business is a tribute to capitalism), because Kaynes is one of the â€Å"developers† of modern economic theory, yet, this remark contradicts with the main idea of Grudem. Can it be simply because Kaynes’s point of view is a realistic one and the author of the mentioned book makes assumptions about what the state of things could be like in perfect conditions? Wayne Grudem does not deny the fact that the current perception of business is based on just observations and the experience of the past, yet he claims that none of the elements of business and negotiation has be en initially evil. Four chapters of Grudem’s book (ownership, money, inequality  of possession, borrowing and lending) concern material possessions and their management. The traditional interpretation of the Bible states that any type of possession is sinful; therefore the disciples who take the veil make a vow of poverty. Obviously, poverty cannot keep the business running. Such misinterpretation of the Bible (for I agree with the author, there is no allusion to the virtue of poverty in the Bible) among the Orthodox and Catholics is a result of the traditional hierarchical structure of the society originated in the Dark Ages (early Middle Ages), where the top figure on the scale would collect almost all the earned money (collected crops, livestock, produced goods) and manage it in the way he (back in those days women were prosecuted even for seeing dreams, it was virtually impossible for one of them to gain a high post) would find it appropriate. Both Grudem and Marx agree on the ultimate importance of money (as an equivalent of possession or its measure) in the modern society. At some point, I do agree with the author of the book: barter used to slow down the development of the commerce; therefore, money as an equivalent, a measure for all products and services was initially a good idea and it still remains a useful and practical invention. Also, it was a sensible idea for the author to draw a fine line between the money as an object and â€Å"love of money, as a root of all evil†. At this point, the opinions of Grudem and Marx coincide (at least somewhat), because Karl Marx also chose to differentiate the concept of money and the concept of capital (which here we can interpret as â€Å"wealth†). Therefore, I do not share the author’s opinion about the money as fundamentally good thing, but I can easily agree with it being a neutral but very useful invention. As a basic concept seems now rather clear, I suggest that we move further, to the complex issue of possession. In the book â€Å"Business for the glory of God† a thirst for possession is seen as a positive phenomenon, the wish to expand one’s care and responsibility, but Marx attributes this desire to the realm of capitalism and the need for an increasing surplus value for major manufacturers, which only results in spreading of poverty on the other â€Å"pole† (considering that the surplus value is the value of the produced goods with the laborer’s salary subtracted from it). One could argue that uneven distribution of wealth has been there forever since the simplest hierarchies appeared within savage human communities. Yet the profound  studies of the civilizations of the past uncover one curious fact: there has always been poverty, but the person’s â€Å"income† never depended solely on the products of his or her labor, the person would a lso receive a fraction of common wealth, appropriate for his or her (mostly â€Å"his†) social status. There was hardly such thing as â€Å"you get only as much as you give†. The mentioned phenomenon can be attributed to the origination of capitalism in the Middle Ages. Again, Grudem sees this inequality of possession as an inherent element of the human society and Marx finds it a drawback of the current economic system. However, it cannot go unnoticed that the first author addresses the concept, and the second author explains the peculiarities of its performance in the given situation. But here they are, the opinion of a theologian against the opinion of the father of the modern economy. Owning private property calls for responsibility, but possession is much more likely to corrupt a person than to organize him or her. I might even agree with Karl Marx on the subject of capitalism being a transitional state of the development of the world economy, and a highly unbalanced one. It also might be that time will show that Grudem was wrong, and any type of possession is initially evil and corrupting for the human society; but I am absolutely convinced that hum ankind will not be willing to part with this particular â€Å"sin† anytime soon. Yet in his book Wayne Grudem raises the subject of voluntary contribution of some part of possessions to the needs of the others; the issue that could be the answer to balancing the world discrepancy of what one needs and what one gets. In general, improvement of moralities of all people could be a good way to address many global issues, but the idea of founding a new, perfect society based solely on high morals is nothing but Utopia. Grudem also discusses the question of productivity. On the one hand, I cannot gather why the subject entered the list of ambiguous issues, for hard as I’ve tried to find a single relevant work that would count this aspect as a negative one, I failed. On the other hand, it pleased me to discover the point that had arisen no discussion, the quintessence of everyone’s agreement: all Christian churches find high productivity of any activity a blessing from God, Karl Marx and John Kaynes consider high productivity a result of effective utilization of sources and optimization of processes of manufacturing (of course, these two authors also pay attention to the possible drawbacks of this phenomenon, such as  overproduction, but Grudem only addresses the general positive concept of productivity, therefore, I suggest that we set aside its probable side effects for now). Karl Marx even commented once on the subject of manufacturing, production and productivity, saying that human labor is what makes a difference between the initial and the final product and the difference in their cost; apart from that, a man can do nothing above what nature (in the context of my work â€Å"nature† could be substituted with†God†) is capable of, which is changing only form of things. It is still a question open for discussion whether the joy of creating something new is an attribute to the godly origins of the human body and soul, but it definitely lifts one’s spirits to see a new high-quality and beautiful thing created with her or his own hands. The last controversial point on which I’d like to cast light is employment. Karl Marx sees this aspect as one of the first signs of a working capital: an employer has obtained a big enough capital to free himself from physical labor and allows money to work for him (the exchange of parts of capital for employees’ labor). The Orthodox and Catholic churches see employment as a neutral thing. Yet, considering the aspect of the â€Å"sinful origins of any possession†, the appropriate reward for work is seen as food, shelter and a good attitude, but hardly ever any money. Basically, the traditional approach of Church to paying with conveniences for labor, a kind of barter, seems to have much in common with the ideology of the communist system (the hierarchical scales of both seem quite similar as well). The approach has proven itself to be inapplicable in the current capitalistic world. Therefore, given a just attitude of an employer towards the employees, fair wages and good work conditions, the phenomenon of employment does not seem to bear any initially evil origin. As for the perversions that have invaded the original neutral-good model of employment, I can only add that even a fork could be used for poking eyes instead of picking food. The book â€Å"â€Å"Business for the glory of God: the Bible’s Teaching on the Moral Goodness of Business† by Wayne Grudem does have a seed of truth in it, because none of the discussed concepts has been developed for harm; on the contrary, most of them were designed to make the commerce and cooperation easier for everyone. And in the perfect conditions, in the world, where morality possesses the ultimate value and no perversions are ever implemented into the elaborate structures of cooperation, the  functioning of the designed processes would go smoothly, provoking no discontent from any of the parties. The love of money seems to have corrupted the society and the developed tools are used for increasing the income rather than for harmonizing the relationships between people and providing high-quality products for everyone. Indeed, now business is seen as something that lacks morals and ethics, but with a bit of effort and a major change of attitude it could be aimed at achieving a global welfare. References Grudem, W. (2003). Business for the glory of god: the bible’s teaching on the moral goodness of business. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books. Keynes, J. M. (1936). The general theory of employment, interest and money. United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan. Marx, K. H. (1867). Capital. (4 ed., Vol. 1). Chicago: Charles H. Kerr and Co.

Video games and Dvds essays

Video games and Dvds essays As we move further and further into the future, digital technology becomes more apparent and sophisticated. New media forms are being developed as we speak. My essay will be dedicated to two forms of new media: video/computer games, and interactive DVDs. I will analyse aspects of both, and discuss what makes them new media. My next paragraph will be dedicated to the interactive DVD, followed by video/computer games. After I have discussed the two media forms in detail, I will have a few paragraphs comparing them by discussing similarities and differences. The interactivity of the DVD is noticeable as soon as the DVD disc is loaded. Unlike video cassettes we are not presented with several movie trailers and the opening credits. What DVD displays, is an interactive menu. A menu that prompts the user to perform and command. These menus normally contain many sub menus as well. DVD movies most commonly feature the following main options: Play Movie, Chapter/Scene Selection, Set-Up, and Special/Bonus Feature. All of these options play a large part in this new media. In my next few paragraphs I will explain them in more detail. The Play Movie option is self-explanatory. The Chapter/Scene Selection option is also self-explanatory, but allows for a lot more discussion. This option leads to the idea of time-shifting. Users are able to view any particular scene without the need to fast-forward or rewind tape. The chapters/scenes are normally divided into 10-15 minute intervals and can easily be skipped through (while viewing the movie) with the DVD players remote control. Because the user can practically view whatever he/she wants in seconds, the viewer is able to fully examine every scene in detail Although to many, this seems like a very useful, exciting idea, Wheeler Dixon doesn...

Women in 19th Century essays

Women in 19th Century essays During the nineteenth century women were viewed as homemakers, not able to perform in society with men. They were degraded and debased by men to believe that they were worth almost nothing, only worthy of bearing children. This superfluous male domination lead to many women feeling trapped in their own homes, unable to escape from the confinements placed on them by their husbands. An illumination of these confines was accounted by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, a feminist writer of the nineteenth century, in her short story The Yellow Wallpaper. In this story, Gilman portrays herself as a woman who is suffering from post-partum depression. The woman is locked away from society in a confined room, only to drive herself even more insane. The author uses this nameless narrator in attempts to gain her position against gender issues and break down the barriers of male domination. Throughout The Yellow Wallpaper, Gilman challenges the reader to question feminist stances and gender bounda ries of the 19th century using specific symbols of gendered spaces, but also uses these devices to allow the reader to become connected with the facts of life women experienced during this time. Women in the 19th Century had many reasons to be filled with resentment. They were depraved of many human rights and given little in return for their contributions to society. They worked mostly in the home, taking care of the family while their husbands were at work. Women were not considered able to perform tasks in the work place, and were not able to obtain their own careers. The author recognizes these hardships and relates them to the situation in the story. Gilman writes in a way that is extremely structural that the readers visual senses are captivated by the written text and infer that the narrator is growing increasingly insane. She does this by first letting the reader get familiar with the nameless woman. As the st...

Temperate, Torrid, and Frigid Zones

Temperate, Torrid, and Frigid Zones In one of the first attempts at climate classification, the ancient Greek scholar Aristotle hypothesized that the earth was divided into three types of climatic zones, each based on distance from the equator. Though we know that Aristotles theory was vastly oversimplified, it persists, unfortunately, to this day. Aristotles Theory Believing that the area near the equator was too hot for habitation, Aristotle dubbed the region from the Tropic of Cancer (23.5Â °) in the north, through the equator (0Â °), to the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5Â °) in the south as the Torrid Zone. Despite Aristotles beliefs, great civilizations arose in the Torrid Zone, such as those in Latin America, India, and Southeast Asia. Aristotle reasoned that the area north of the Arctic Circle (66.5Â ° north) and south of the Antarctic Circle (66.5Â ° south) was permanently frozen. He called this uninhabitable zone the Frigid Zone. We know that areas north of the Arctic Circle are indeed habitable. For instance, the worlds largest city north of the Arctic Circle, Murmansk, Russia, is home to almost half a million people. Due to months without sunlight, residents of the city live under artificial sunlight but yet the city still lies in the Frigid Zone. The only area that Aristotle believed was habitable and capable of allowing human civilization to flourish was the Temperate Zone. The two Temperate Zones were suggested to lie between the Tropics and the Arctic and Antarctic Circles. Aristotles belief that the Temperate Zone was the most habitable likely came from the fact that he lived in that zone. Since Then Since Aristotles time, others have attempted to classify regions of the earth based on climate and probably the most successful classification was that of German climatologist Wladimir Koppen. Koppens multiple-category classification system has been slightly modified since his final classification in 1936 but it is still the classification used most frequently and most widely accepted today.

Homelessness in San Francisco Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Homelessness in San Francisco - Research Paper Example In some worst-case scenarios, the homeless persons opt to seek accommodation in extra ordination places that include abandoned cars and buildings, along streets, in movie theaters, and other places of the kind (Todd, 2006). Moreover, people who are housed by others for a short while, and are bond to leave after sometimes are also considered homeless. Therefore, homeless veterans in San Francisco are people who do not have adequate nighttime accommodation; thus, they do seek accommodation in irregular inhuman places. Homelessness is not a problem of a particular sex or age, but is a plague that affects the entire humankind. Notably, children, adults, the elderly, girls, and women alike are facing the plague of homelessness (Baumohl, 1996). Generally, the most common phenomena that lead to homelessness include domestic violence, mental illnesses, addiction disorder, acute poverty, civil wars, and child abandonment. However, the war veterans in San Francisco who fall victims of homelessness usually find themselves in such situations due to mental illness, physical injuries, and other related aftermaths of war. Their lives on streets subject them to extra ordinary environment with numerous life threatening plagues. Most of the homeless war veterans, in San Francisco, are also subjected to unsafe, precarious, and dangerous environments. They never get access to healthy food, quality healthcare (if get any), secure housing; thus, they are often subjected to deteriorated emotions and abuse of human ri ghts (Burt et Al. 2006). Sometimes Well-wisher or some societies often give these homeless war veterans some material supports. However, these supports are periodic; thus, they are never enough. Therefore, it would be proper if the war veterans who are suffering homelessness are initially identified and supported beyond what is currently being provided to them by the society and well-wishers (Baumohl, 1996). However, it is worth

Effects of capitalism and socialism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Effects of capitalism and socialism - Essay Example The system of socialism does not have the objective of accumulation of capital as followed by profit driven entities. The methods of accounting for a system of socialism does not follow financial calculations but is recorded on the basis of physical quantities, labor and time. Capitalism on the other hand is a system of economy where the means of production are owned by the corporate houses and the private businesses. The management of the ownership structure in a capitalist system is based on the production of goods and services for earning of profits. In a system of capitalism, the prices of goods and services are based on the market forces like competition, customer base, etc. The motives of capitalism are based on the accumulation of capital by the ownership structure. The methods of accounting in a capitalist structure in based on financial calculations. Effects: socialism and capitalism The systems of socialism and capitalism in the economy are different from the management of ownership of these two structures. The motives of socialism and capitalism also vary from each other. Due to this, the effects of socialism and capitalism are different from one another. The system of socialism is aimed at production of goods and services solely for the economic conditions of demand. ... The system of socialism has an effect on the labor wages and rights of the workers. The wages of labor are not reduced below a certain level in socialist economy. The minimum labor wages are sufficient to earn the livelihood in a socialist economy. However, due to absence of competition in the market, the employment level in the market is nor too high. There are a lot of people in the economy who are unemployed. Due to equitable distribution of goods and services in the structure of socialism, the demand of goods and services do not exceed the supply by much. Thus there is very little scope of inflation in a socialist economy. Also the production of goods and services are much lower in order to only meet the minimum demand of the population. Thus the GDP growth rates of the economy are much lower. On the other hand, the capitalism structure is driven by the profit motives. The system of capitalism includes the market forces of competition, labor wages, prices of goods and services fo r the growth of economy. The ultimate objective of the owners in a capitalist economy is the accumulation of business capital (Jones, 2010). The increase in competition of the market forces leads to increase in the production capacities. The increase in the production capacities and the requirement of labor for increased production gives rise to the employment level in the economy. Thus the availability of more jobs raises the bargaining power of the employers for which the labor wage rates decline in a capitalist economy. However, the rise in liquidity in the economy and shortage of employment among a few sections of the population gives rise to disparity of the

Energy Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Energy Security - Essay Example It is an effective strategy too because it would help countries to venture into newer energies, since the coal, oil, and gas resources are highly depleting. It does not come as a shock, because most developing countries may lack the power to acquire nuclear energy, but at least have and are aware of other alternative energy sources. According to Gallagher, China’s concern on environmental problems has pushed it to pursue renewable energy; it has so far acted towards ethanol production, and progressively installed small hydropower, solar hot water, and installed wind capacity to add up what accounts from existing hydropower and nuclear energy (n.d.). The adjustments need investment, further research, and early planning to ensure countries develop with uninterrupted energy supply in future. It is a challenge for developed, emerging, and third world nations, if responsibility of safe environment and sustainable energies and development should be given priority. Addressing pattern s of consumption: The amount of energy consumed and carbon emissions in any given country varies with the population, industries, and available forms of energy. China and India have very high populations and have been very active to alleviate poverty and inequality in their nations through further industrial development. As such, with the very high consumption of coal energy in China, the more inevitable the carbon emission remains. This demonstrates that even as international and national policies lay strategies to control consumption, it can only be achieved if the locals and individuals act towards it (Parker, Scott, and Rowlands, n.d.). The developed nations do not have the world’s largest population, yet they are the highest consumers of energy resources;... Addressing patterns of consumption: The amount of energy consumed and carbon emissions in any given country varies with the population, industries, and available forms of energy. China and India have very high populations and have been very active to alleviate poverty and inequality in their nations through further industrial development. As such, with the very high consumption of coal energy in China, the more inevitable the carbon emission remains. This demonstrates that even as international and national policies lay strategies to control consumption, it can only be achieved if the locals and individuals act towards it (Parker, Scott, and Rowlands, n.d.). The developed nations do not have the world’s largest population, yet they are the highest consumers of energy resources; developing nations on the other hand, have large population sizes that with rapid developments, the world natural resources would be stripped away quickly in their demand for energy. The UK’s pop ulation is relatively small and besides investing in renewable energies and nuclear power, the country has invested in research for carbon and capture storage (CCS) technology, which if successful, would boost energy security by reviving coal energy (Department of Energy & Climate Change, 2013). Governments policies and incentives have to be strict, especially in industries of developing nations with respect to how they consume energy.

Dr. Martin Luther Kings I Have a Dream Speech in Three Frames Essay

Dr. Martin Luther Kings I Have a Dream Speech in Three Frames - Essay Example The report will explore Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream Speech. Examples will be provided of the Structural, Human Resource, and Political Frames from the video and transcript of the speech. This will exclude the Symbolic Frame as that information has already been provided per the instructions. As Bolman and Deal (2008) mention from his own unique and personal perspective, David King’s diagnosis makes sense. The reframing process, however, is different for every manager and leader as no two individuals look at a company from the same experiences, career path, education, beliefs, values, and interests. His recommendations made sense for the situation for him and the circumstances he was in at that point in time. He referenced his previous experience many times, but also referenced all four frames equally in his recommendation. It seemed as though, initially, he was relying much too heavily on the human resource frame to justify his actions, but as he later explai ned his thoughts more fully it became clear that he was considering all four frames. The opportunity he may have missed was explaining to the staff the issues related to structure he had observed, so that when dealing with the human resource tensions and conflicts rather than focusing on blaming one another or the details of what one person said to one another. He could have given them a little bit of analysis to divert the attention away from the people issues (Bolman and Deal, 2008). One of the benefits of understanding the Structural Frame, as an example, is that you know the concerns are not primarily the fault of the people. It seemed he spent the majority of his time delving into issues with the staff, which could lead some people to believe that administration was the primary problem. Appearances can mean a lot particularly when there is a change in leadership. His decisions were effective in the short run in that he calmed the situation down that was brewing between Carver a nd Dula, but in the long run there is a lot more work that remains to be seen. His stamina will be tested. From a Structural Frame perspective other possible actions that Mr. King might have pursued to resolve the challenges he could have begun his interviews with the administrators asking them more about the structure as they understand it or what type of structure they would like to see developed. He could have made some assumptions that with the number of problems the school had experienced prior to his joining, there were structural issues to begin with and launched into questions as to their thoughts, reassuring them that the true issues are not with the individuals. In other words, He could have done some homework in advance. His findings later of the lack of structure weren’t a surprise based on the previous symptoms of fighting and outright chaos. From a Human Resource Frame perspective other possible actions that Mr. King might have pursued to resolve the challenges would have been for each administrator to meet with him and express what they think needs to be done to bring the school back to what the original vision of RFK was.  

Identification and analysis of DNA repair mechanisms that contribute Literature review

Identification and analysis of DNA repair mechanisms that contribute to resistance against nucleoside analogues - Literature review Example Consequently, DNA is damaged frequently, and is repaired through pathways of repair and proofreading functions by DNA polymerase. Multiple mechanisms of repair within the cell act to balance these levels of mutation. However, the large number of mutations that occur means that every so often, the repair process misses these mutations and they become part of the DNA. This process can be the first step in carcinogenesis . There are currently 346 different genes that have been associated with the development of cancer, although this number continues to grow. In some cases these genes are mutated in cancer cells and not in normal cells. In other cases, genes may show substantial levels of deregulation. Both of these processes have the potential to significantly decrease the effectiveness of certain genes, leading to altered pathways within the cancer cell and the body itself . This suggests that mutations are a crucial part of the formation of cancer. Indeed, human cancer appears to have thousands of different mutations by the time that it is first detected. Furthermore, information that cancer can be inherited from one generation to the next suggests that some of these mutations can be passed along in genes . Cancer is characterised by high levels of clonal expansion of somatic cells. These cells are not subject to the normal growth regulation components of the cell cycle. Thus, they are able to proliferate beyond the normal constraints of tissue. Likewise, the controls over apoptosis are also circumvented . Most tumours that develop in the human body are substantially heterogeneous. This suggests that multiple mutations occur within human cancers driving the creation of tumours and the change in function between normal cells and cancerous cells . Thus, cancer can be considered to be a disease, or collection of diseases, that occurs due to genetic abnormalities accumulating within cells . In each generation of cancer cells, significant mutation occurs within diffe rent cells, and those that develop mutations that facilitate cancer growth are selected for, resulting in an increase in the prevalence of these cells. Mutations may be subtle, such as changes in the sequence of nucleotides, or more substantial, involving changes in the chromosomes themselves . One significant factor in cancer treatment resistance is that therapeutic killing cancer cells, while causing cancer to go into remission, can also act to select for resistance to treatment. This can result in a progression of tumour growth, with cells that cannot be targeted by the same treatment . Another form of resistance that can occur is based on the cells location in the division cycle. Cancer therapy tends to be most effective on cells that are rapidly replicating. Furthermore, resistance to treatment can often be stronger in some stages of the cell cycle than others . Cancer cells contain a wide range of mutations, and these mutations may act to drive the formation and progression of tu

Week 4 response papers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week 4 response papers - Essay Example The disadvantage with such an approach is that businesses relax their CSR actions when they are not economically rewarding. This means that organisations no longer derive their motivation for CSR mainly from their negative environmental effects and need to protect the environment, but the need to have a good image and make profit. The avoidance of CSR may not be detrimental to the organisation but its effect cannot be ignored in a society where customers are becoming more cautious about environmental issues. Over the recent years, CSR has afforded organisations some social power and ignoring this because of economic or other reasons is bound lead to a gradual reduction of social power. Davis’s statement therefore holds some truth. As mentioned, businesses know the effects of their actions on the environment. In this case, they have an obligation to focus on environmental change whether voters and politicians are not pushing agendas that focus on environmental change. In opposition to Hussein’s (1999) statement that adopting such a position can be harmful to the organisation, CSR has turned into one of the biggest source of competitive advantage for businesses. Multinationals have also tapped into it as a risk management model. In addition, many governments respond positively to such actions by recognising and rewarding organisations which undertake good CSR activities in efforts to protect the environment. This has increased awareness of such organisations, their products and consequently, they have experienced a positive return on their sales (Bhattacharya et al, 2011). Customer/voter purchases are now influenced by CSR to the benefit of organisations that have good CSR reputations. Since the 1950s, many organisations have formulated their own CSR policies. However, if the decision to become responsible was totally left at their disposal, many would choose not to because CSR activities

Identification and analysis of DNA repair mechanisms that contribute Literature review

Identification and analysis of DNA repair mechanisms that contribute to resistance against nucleoside analogues - Literature review Example Consequently, DNA is damaged frequently, and is repaired through pathways of repair and proofreading functions by DNA polymerase. Multiple mechanisms of repair within the cell act to balance these levels of mutation. However, the large number of mutations that occur means that every so often, the repair process misses these mutations and they become part of the DNA. This process can be the first step in carcinogenesis . There are currently 346 different genes that have been associated with the development of cancer, although this number continues to grow. In some cases these genes are mutated in cancer cells and not in normal cells. In other cases, genes may show substantial levels of deregulation. Both of these processes have the potential to significantly decrease the effectiveness of certain genes, leading to altered pathways within the cancer cell and the body itself . This suggests that mutations are a crucial part of the formation of cancer. Indeed, human cancer appears to have thousands of different mutations by the time that it is first detected. Furthermore, information that cancer can be inherited from one generation to the next suggests that some of these mutations can be passed along in genes . Cancer is characterised by high levels of clonal expansion of somatic cells. These cells are not subject to the normal growth regulation components of the cell cycle. Thus, they are able to proliferate beyond the normal constraints of tissue. Likewise, the controls over apoptosis are also circumvented . Most tumours that develop in the human body are substantially heterogeneous. This suggests that multiple mutations occur within human cancers driving the creation of tumours and the change in function between normal cells and cancerous cells . Thus, cancer can be considered to be a disease, or collection of diseases, that occurs due to genetic abnormalities accumulating within cells . In each generation of cancer cells, significant mutation occurs within diffe rent cells, and those that develop mutations that facilitate cancer growth are selected for, resulting in an increase in the prevalence of these cells. Mutations may be subtle, such as changes in the sequence of nucleotides, or more substantial, involving changes in the chromosomes themselves . One significant factor in cancer treatment resistance is that therapeutic killing cancer cells, while causing cancer to go into remission, can also act to select for resistance to treatment. This can result in a progression of tumour growth, with cells that cannot be targeted by the same treatment . Another form of resistance that can occur is based on the cells location in the division cycle. Cancer therapy tends to be most effective on cells that are rapidly replicating. Furthermore, resistance to treatment can often be stronger in some stages of the cell cycle than others . Cancer cells contain a wide range of mutations, and these mutations may act to drive the formation and progression of tu

The Major General Environment Developments that Impinge Upon the Europ Essay

The Major General Environment Developments that Impinge Upon the European Automotive Industry - Essay Example Further Europe has highly evolved manufacturing facilities with automobiles constituting 36% of the total manufacturing of Europe. Of the five major automobile giants General Motors, Toyota Ford, Daimler-Benz, and Volkswagen, the last two are indigenous to Europe but all have a strong European presence with a number of smaller groups adding to the competition. GM markets its products under popular brand names of Opel and Vauxhall. The Ford Europe has staged major acquisitions in Europe by buying Land Rover, Aston Martin, and Volvo, Jaguar. Ford was the first US company to set up its manufacturing base in Europe as far back as 1920. Volkswagen, the German manufacturer is the most aggressive of all the European companies having acquired brands like Skoda, Bentley, Lamborghini, Audi, Buggati, and Seat. Since the early twentieth-century European car manufacturers enjoyed the competitive advantage due to their location. Europe accounted for the maximum percentage of consumers while it also has the largest number of manufacturers. However, it faced the first trans-continental threats first from the US car majors like Ford, GM in the early twentieth century and then from the highly efficient Japanese cars in the 70s. Political: Europe is an economically integrated region of 27 countries. The industries have to conform to near equality in trade laws and manufacturing standards especially the emission standards of the European Union. European Commission, for example, wants to do away with the rigid system of national car dealers (Madslien). Since dismantling of the Communist regimes in the Warsaw Pact countries, a large East European market has opened up for the European manufacturer. Due to the advantage provided by a common culture and proximate culture, the European automotive manufacturers were quick to capitalise on it. Companies like Volkswagen, Ford Europe, Daimler-Benz, and Peugeot Citroen have set up manufacturing facilities in East Europe.  Ã‚  

Organic certification Essay Example for Free

Organic certification Essay Marketplace Characteristics of U. S. Organic Sector The U. S. organic food industry crossed a threshold in 2000: for the first time, more organic food was purchased in conventional supermarkets than in any other venue. Industry estimates suggest that nearly half of the $7. 8 billion spent on organic food in 2000 was purchased in conventional retail outlets. Organic products are now available in nearly 20,000 natural foods stores (Natural Foods Merchandiser), and are sold in 73 percent of all conventional grocery stores (Food Marketing Institute). Growing consumer demand for organic products has been manifested in the market in many ways. Acreage of certified organic farmland is increasing to meet growing consumer demand. According to the most recent USDA estimates, U. S. certified organic cropland doubled between 1992 and 1997, to 1. 3 million acres. Preliminary estimates for 2001 suggest that certified organic acreage significantly increased between 1997 and 2001. From the consumer side, new products are being introduced rapidly. For example, over 800 new organic products were introduced in the first half of 2000. Desserts made up the majority of new products in 2000, while most new products introduced in 1999 were beverages (Myersand Rorie). The new U. S. Department of Agriculture standards for organic food, slated to be fully implemented by October 2002, are expected to facilitate further growth in the organic foods industry. The USDA standard defines organic production as â€Å"A production system that is managed in accordance with the [Organic Foods Production] Act and regulations in this part to respond to site-specific conditions by integrating cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. † 1 The national organic standards address the methods, practices, and substances used in producing and handling crops, livestock, and processed agricultural products (see box). All agricultural products that are sold, labeled, or represented as organic must be in compliance with the regulations after October 2002. Organic food is sold to consumers through three main venues in the United States—natural foods stores, conventional grocery stores, and direct-to-consumer markets—and a small amount is exported to foreign markets. USDA does not have national statistics on organic retail sales. Industry sources have reported retail sales for organic food, but those data are fragmentary and, at times, inconsistent. A trade publication, the Natural Foods Merchandiser (NFM) reported estimates of total U. S. retail sales of organic foods for 1990 through 1996. NFM estimated total organic sales through all marketing outlets rose steadily from about $1 billion in 1990 to $3. 3 billion in 1996, the last year that total sales were reported. Since 1999, Packaged Facts, a market research firm, has been reporting organic food sales. According to Packaged Facts, organic food sales in all venues totaled $6. 5 billion in 1999 and $7. 8 billion in 2000. This increase continues the streak of industry growth equal to 20 percent or more annually since 1990. Purveyors of natural products were the primary sales force for organic food since the beginning of the organic food movement over half a century ago. Until 2000, the largest retail outlet for organic food was natural foods stores followed by direct markets (such as farmers markets), according to NFM data (fig. 1). In 2000, 49 percent of all organic products was sold in conventional supermarkets, 48 percent was sold in health and natural products stores, and 3 percent through direct-to-consumer methods (Packaged Facts). In contrast, in 1991, 7 percent of all organic products were sold in conventional supermarkets and 68 percent were sold in health and natural products stores (NFM). Fresh produce remains the top-selling organic category (see fig. 2), followed by nondairy beverages, breads and grains, packaged foods (frozen and dried prepared foods, baby food, soups, and desserts), and dairy products. During the 1990s, organic dairy was the most rapidly growing segment, with sales up over 500 percent between 1994 and 1999. Sales of organic yogurt and kefir increased 56. 4 percent between 1999 and 2000. Following closely, sales of nondairy beverages (for example, juice and soymilk) increased 53. 1 percent and sales of fresh produce grew by 51. 4 percent between 1999 and 2000, according to industry sources. Overall, according to Packaged Facts, organic sales in natural product supermarkets and conventional stores increased by 20 percent between 1999 and 2000. Organic farmers market their food directly to consumers much more frequently than conventional farmers do, and the last decade has seen a renaissance in the use of farmers markets across the country. Producers capture a much higher share of the consumer food dollar when they market their produce directly to consumers. Several surveys of certified organic producers show similar findings on theirheavy use of direct -to-consumer marketing. A 1997 survey of certified organic producers in the United States conducted by the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF)—a California nonprofit group that sponsors research on organic farming—found that direct market use is extensive and varies by commodity sector, with fruits and vegetables the highest. Organic producers reported selling produce from about 23 percent of their vegetable acreage directly to consumers through on-farm sales (9 percent), farmers markets (8 percent), â€Å"community supported agriculture† subscriptions (4 percent), and other types of direct-toconsumer markets (2 percent). Also, produce from about 20 percent of the organic fruit and vegetable acreage was marketed directly to grocery retailers and restaurants. A 1994 USDA survey of certified organic vegetable producers in the United States found that the use of direct-toconsumer markets varied with farm size, with 60 percent of the growers with under 10 acres (three-quarters of the respondents) using this channel compared with 12 percent with 10 acres or more (Fernandez-Cornejo et al. ). Smaller growers tended to market directly to grocery retailers (11 percent versus 6 percent for larger growers) and through grower cooperatives (10 percent versus 3 percent for larger growers), while the larger growers marketed more heavily to vegetable packer/shippers, brokers, and food processors. Organically grown food is widely available in farmers markets across the United States, and organic-only farmers markets have been organized in Oregon, Illinois, Missouri, and other States. The renaissance in farmers markets in the United States during the 1990s—fostered by State and local municipalities wanting to revitalize neighborhoods and preserve regional farmland and open space— has been a boon to organic farmers who use this marketing outlet much more heavily than conventional farmers do. States are also producing directories of farm stands and pick-your-own farms, including organic directories, and developing logos like â€Å"Jersey Fresh† to promote locally grown food. Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is an innovative direct marketing arrangement that organic farmers have been pioneering in the United States for about a decade. Consumers subscribe to the harvest of a CSA farmer for the entire upcoming season, and pay for their produce in advance. Under a CSA arrangement, consumers share the production risks and variable harvests of the farmer— including especially abundant harvests—and sometimes participate in festivals and other social activities at the farm. Over 800 CSAs are currently listed in the U. S. database maintained by USDA and the Robyn Van En Center at Wilson College. Most of the CSA farms use organic production systems. Production Characteristics of U. S. Organic Sector A growing body of research in the United States has been devoted to the economics of organic production systems— its yields, input costs, income, profitability, and other economic characteristics. A 1990 review of the U. S. literature concluded that the â€Å"variation within organic and conventional farming systems is likely as large as the differences between the two systems† and found mixed results in the comparisons for most characteristics (Knoblauch, Brown, and Braster, 1990). Several more recent U. S. studies have indicated that organic price premiums are key in giving organic farming systems comparable or higher whole-farm profits than conventional chemical- intensive systems, particularly for crops like processed tomatoes and cotton (Klonsky and Livingston, 1994; Batte, Forster, and Hitzhusen, 1993; Assadian, Esparza, and Ponce, 1999). Other studies have found that organic systems may be more profitable than conventional systems, even without price premiums. For example, some Midwestern organic grain and soybean production was found to be more profitable than conventional systems, even without price premiums, due to higher yields in drier areas or periods, lower input costs, or crop mix (Welsh, 1999). Also, a recent study comparing organic and conventional apple production in California’s Central Coast showed higher yields as well as higher returns under the organic systems (Swezey et al. , 1994). And another recent study compared organic, conventional, and integrated apple production systems in Washington State over a 6-year period, and found that the organic system was more profitable, had similar yields, better tasting fruit, and was more environmentally sustainable and energy efficient than the other systems (Reganold et al. ). We are not aware of recently published research that finds farming with organic methods is less profitable than farming with conventional methods. Of course, net returns to various production systems may vary with biophysical and economic factors (such as soil type, climate, and proximity to markets), and a system that is optimal in one location may not be optimal in another. Also, factors not captured in standard profit calculations, such as convenience, longer-term planning horizons, and environmental ethics, can motivate rational adoption of a particular practice or farming system. Further research is needed to improve our understanding of the factors influencing net returns to organic farming systems. The promising results from the limited number of economic studies to date have led to an increase in research on organic farming systems. USDA, universities, and other U. S. institutions are increasingly examining the long-term economics of organic farming systems through replicated field trial research and a multidisciplinary systems approach. Most of these projects are less than a decade old, and promise to answer basic research questions about yields and profitability as well as to address farmer-defined management and production obstacles to the more widespread adoption of organic production systems. Farmers in 49 States used organic production methods and third-party organic certification services on 1. 35 million acres of farmland in 1997, according to an Economic Research Service (ERS) study. Crops were grown on about two-thirds of the certified U. S. organic farmland, and the rest was pasture. The ERS study analyzed data from 40 State and private certifiers (see box, p. 8, on organic standards and certification). Uncertified acreage was excluded, even though it may represent a large segment of organic production, because of the difficulty in determining the production criteria used by uncertified growers. ERS reports statistics on certified organic U. S. acreage in the Organic Farming and Marketing Briefing Room (www. ers. usda. gov/ briefing/organic). Organic farming has made deeper inroads in the fruit, vegetable, and other high-value specialty crop industries than in the major grain and oilseed industries. While less than two-tenths of 1 percent of the U. S.corn, soybean, and wheat crops were grown organically in 1997, over 1 percent of the dry peas and tomato crops and about 2 percent of the apple, grape, lettuce and carrot crops were organic. And nearly a third of the U. S. herb and â€Å"mixed vegetable† crops were grown organically in 1997. (A â€Å"mixed vegetable† crop is a mixture of numerous horticultural crops (mostly vegetables) grown on a small farm or parcel. ) The markets for organic vegetables, fruits, and herbs have been developing for decades in the United States, and these crops are grown organically in more States than any other type of commodity. State and private certifying groups certified over 180,000 acres of these crops in 44 States in 1997, more than double the amount certified in 1994, with the biggest gains for cultivated and wild-harvested herbs such as St. John’s Wort. About 2 percent of the major fruit and vegetable crops—apples, carrots, lettuce, and grapes—were grown organically, and a third of the organic vegetable acreage was devoted to producing â€Å"mixed vegetables† in 1997. Mixed vegetable farms, as defined in the census of agriculture, are small farms—less than 50 acres—that produce a large number of vegetables. Large farms produce processing tomatoes, organic wine grapes, and other high-value crops on a commercial scale, while numerous small farms still specialize in mixed vegetable production for direct marketing to consumers and restaurants. The top producer of organic fruits and vegetables was California, followed by Arizona, Florida, Texas, and Washington. About a third of the total certified organic vegetable acreage in 1997 was for mixed vegetables. In 1997, U. S. farmers certified nearly 3,000 acres of organic mixed vegetables on farms or parcels that were 5 acres or less, and over 14,000 acres on farms and parcels over 5 acres. New York organic producers had over 1,400 acres in the 5-acres-or-less category. Mixed vegetable producers often target farmers markets, community-supported agriculture subscriptions, restaurants, and other direct marketing outlets. Organic farmers are also growing major grains and oilseeds on a small portion of the planted area in the United States. Wheat was produced under certified organic farming systems on over 125,000 acres in 1997, corn was grown on over 42,000 acres, and soybeans were produced on about 82,000 acres. Other field crops produced organically in 1997 include barley, oats, sorghum, rice, spelt, millet, buckwheat, rye, dry peas, lentils, dry beans, flax, and sunflowers. Organic acreage of these crops, especially soybeans, has undoubtedly increased since 1997. Thirty-nine States had certified organic hay and silage production, with most acreage in Idaho, Wisconsin, and New York. Acreage of these crops expanded 51 percent between 1995 and 1997 as the number of certified organic milk cows more than doubled during that period. Organic meat and poultry markets have lagged behind those for crops partly because meat and poultry could not be labeled as organic until February 1999, when a provisional label was approved by USDA. Food crops and non-meat animal foods (eggs and dairy products) are regulated by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration, which allowed food packages to carry an organic label throughout the 1990s. 2 While the number of certified organic beef cows, hogs, sheep, and lambs declined during the study period (1992-97), the number of dairy cows and layer hens increased sharply. The market for organic meat products is beginning to grow now that organic labeling is permitted, and the growing market for organic milk and eggs has been pushing up the use of certified organic pasture and the demand for certified organic grains and oilseeds. Farmers and ranchers raised a small number of certified organic cows, hogs, and sheep in 23 States in 1997. Dairy cows were raised organically in 13 States in 1997, and New York, Wisconsin, and Minnesota were the top three producers. The number of certified organic milk cows in the United States nearly tripled between 1992 and 1994 and more than doubled between 1994 and 1997. California was the leader in organic poultry production, followed by New York and Virginia. Other organic animal specialties, including goats, fish, and colonies of bees, were certified in several States. Consumption Characteristics of the U. S. Organic Sector A number of academic and industry studies have been conducted to examine consumer behavior and identify their motivation for purchasing organic foods. Many of the industry studies use consumer surveys, which seek to identify how often consumers purchase organic food, their motivations for purchasing organic food, and demographic data on organic food purchasers. University studies have adopted different approaches to assess consumer buying behavior and to identify which characteristics (for example, income, food quality, educational level, concern for the environment, or family size) affect whether consumers will purchase organic food. Several industry groups have surveyed consumers about their preferences and buying habits for organic food. The results of the different surveys are not always consistent. The Nutrition Business Journal reported that 11 percent of consumers purchased some organic food in 2000, and less than 2 percent are regular purchasers. Results of the Hartman Group’s 2000 survey suggest that 3 percent of consumers regularly buy organic products. The Walnut Acres Survey (2001) found that 63 percent of respondents purchased organic food at least sometimes, and 57 percent of the purchasers had been doing so for at least 3 years. The Food Marketing Institute’s survey (2001) found that 66 percent of surveyed shoppers bought organically grown foods. In 2001, the Food Marketing Institute’s survey indicated that 37 percent of shoppers said they purchased organically grown food to maintain their health; and 44 percent of these shoppers had purchased organic food in the past 6 months. Consumers surveyed by the Hartman Group (2000) gave the following reasons for purchasing organic food: health and nutrition (66 percent), taste (38 percent), environment (26 percent), and availability (16 percent). 3 The Fresh Trends (2001) survey revealed that 12 percent of the shoppers surveyed reported that whether a product is organic is a primary factor in their purchasing decision. Sixty-three percent of the respondents of the Walnut Acres Survey believed that organic food and beverages were better for them and were more healthful than their conventional counterparts. Fresh Trends (1996, 1998, 2000, 2002) found little difference between the purchasing habits of men and women. Over the years, Fresh Trends found that, of the shoppers that had purchased organic produce in the previous 6 months, more purchased vegetables than fruit (according to the 1996 survey, 24 percent purchased fruit and 84 percent purchased vegetables; according to the 2000 survey, 35 percent purchased vegetables). Apples and tomatoes led the list of fruit and vegetables purchased by the shoppers surveyed by Fresh Trends. According to the Hartman Survey (2000), the top 10 organic products purchased were strawberries, lettuce, carrots, other fresh fruit, broccoli, apples, other fresh vegetables, grapes, bananas, and potatoes. The Hartman survey also suggested that fruits and vegetables were â€Å"gateway categories† (typically the first organic products purchased by consumers). The Walnut Acres Survey (2002) indicated that 68 percent of consumers revealed that price is the main reason they did not purchase organic food. Academic researchers have taken a slightly different tack in studying organic consumers by complementing surveys with statistical analysis to depict the typical consumer. Some studies reveal conflicting results, most likely because of the different methodological approaches. Consumers considered the following factors important when purchasing fresh produce: price, size and packaging, whether the item is on sale, and whether the item is organic (Estes and Smith). Age, gender, and having a college degree had little impact on a shopper’s decision to buy organic produce (Thompson and Kidwell). Consumers with higher incomes and higher levels of education are willing to pay more for organic potatoes (Loureiro and Hine), while consumers with advanced degrees are less likely to buy organic produce (Thompson and Kidwell). Appearance of fresh produce mattered, and the larger the number of cosmetic defects, the less likely would an organic product be purchased (Estes and Smith, Thompson and Kidwell). One picture of the typical organic shopper is a younger household in which females do the shopping; smaller and higher income households are the most likely purchasers of organic produce (Govindasamy and Italia) and organic apples (Loureiro et al. ). Households knowledgeable about alternative agriculture are more likely to purchase organic produce (Govindasamy and Italia) and those concerned about the environment are more likely to purchase organic apples (Loureiro et al. ). Those concerned about food safety are more likely to buy organic produce (Govindasamy and Italia) and organic apples (Loureiro et al. ). Those who enjoy trying new products are more likely to purchase organic produce (Govindasamy and Italia). Households with children under 18 are more likely to purchase organic produce (Thompson and Kidwell) and organic apples (Loureiro et al. ). Consumers with children are willing to pay less for organic potatoes (Loureiro and Hine) and more likely than other households to purchase organic apples (Loureiro et al. ). Strategies to increase purchases of organic food include shelf-labeling, which had a mixed effect on sales in an upscale grocery store but a significantly positive effect on sales of dairy products, pasta, bread, cereal, and carrots in a discount retailer in the Minneapolis and St. Paul markets (Reicks, Splett, and Fishman). The recent addition of organic food sales to scanner data, by AC Neilson and Information Resources, Inc. , has made possible econometric studies of consumer demand for organic food. Frozen organic vegetables, organic milk, and organic baby food all exhibited high price elasticity of demand, meaning that the quantity purchased responds greatly to price changes (that is, quantity purchased increases by more than 1 percent when prices fall by 1 percent) (Glaser and Thompson, 1999, 2000; Thompson and Glaser, 2001). For some frozen vegetables, there was little crossover between purchases of organic and conventional products, so that changes in prices of either commodity had no significant impact on quantities purchased (Glaser and Thompson 1999). For other products (milk and baby food), the conventional and organic products are substitutes, so that increases in the price of the conventional product result in consumers’ purchasing a greater quantity of the organic products (Glaser and Thompson, 2000; Thompson and Glaser, 2001). The Marketing Chain: From Farm to Market Food passes through many hands as it moves from farm to consumer. Some foods are fresh when delivered (apples and eggs) while others are processed before delivery (pasta and bread). Regardless of whether they are fresh or processed, higher quality products and products with unique attributes (such as organic foods) generally have a higher selling price. As a result, farmers have a strong incentive to produce and sell commodities with quality and other price-enhancing attributes intact. Yet, since most foods pass through a number of intermediaries as they move from the farm to the consumer, maintaining premium product integrity along the marketing chain can sometimes be a challenge. To do so, each agent along the marketing chain must begin by moving the product to the next agent quickly. Farmers need to sell their perishable commodities immediately after harvesting, while distributors, brokers, and wholesalers need to get fresh products to retailers as quickly as possible. Retailers want to be able to purchase a consistent and large enough supply of a wide variety of uniform quality fresh food. Consumers want to be able to buy a wide variety of fresh food that is both high quality and low priced. Organic food consumers, in particular, want to feel confident that they are buying food that not only was grown organically, but also has kept its organic integrity at each stage in its journey to the market. Each commodity, depending in large part on whether it is fresh or processed, follows an individualized path from farm to market. Because fresh foods rapidly deteriorate, they must be delivered to the market quickly. The storage and transportation systems along the way must provide the proper temperature and other conditions that help maintain freshness. Processed foods, on the other hand, have a longer shelf life—but the products that go into them must be harvested at the right time, delivered at the right time and satisfy the processor’s quality requirements. In the next sections, we trace the production and marketing chains for the major organic commodities in the United States, noting applicable regulations as well as observed marketing trends.

Examining The De Escalation Of Violence Nursing Workplace Nursing Essay

Examining The De Escalation Of Violence Nursing Workplace Nursing Essay In the United States there are 1.7 million incidents each year where workplace violence has taken place (Mattingly, 1994-2011). Twelve percent of the incident involved a healthcare worker or a mental health worker (Mattingly, 1994-2011). In the Midwest sixty seven percent of nurses have been physically assaulted at least once within six months (Mattingly, 1994-2011). For the longest time they have been using only chemical restraints and seclusion and restraints as an intervention for dealing with agitated patients (Mattingly, 1994-2011). This has been an intervention used by healthcare workers for a long time. They use this method to deal with aggressive agitated patients in both the emergency room and the psychiatric hospitals (Mattingly, 1994-2011). A new method that has been introduced is de-escalation. According to International Journal of Mental Health Nursing the definition of de-escalation is the gradual resolution of a potentially violent and or an aggressive situation throug h the use of verbal and physical expression of empathy, alliance and non-confrontational limit setting that is based on respect (Cowen, Davies, Estall, Berlin, Fitzgerald, Hoot, 2003). Most health care workers do not have the skills needed to care for the mentally ill population. This paper will discuss: what causes this problem; what is the nurse role in caring for the patient; other alternatives and the outcomes and how a nurse would use these interventions in practice . There are several factors that cause healthcare providers to face difficulties while dealing with aggressive and mentally ill patients. Nowadays they have been working under limited conditions (Bigwood Crowe, 2008). These units lack teamwork, leadership and they are much very unorganized (Cowen, Davies, Estall, Berlin, Fitzgerald, Hoot, 2003). Hospital units are overcrowded. In many regions, in order to get a bed in the psychiatric hospital, patients have to wait in the emergency room until a bed becomes available (Cowen, Davies, Estall, Berlin, Fitzgerald, Hoot, 2003). This ends in an overcrowded emergency room, low staffing ratio, the nurse is unable to exercise patience, and the patient is becoming increasingly agitated because they are confined to a bed in a little corner of an emergency room (Cowen, Davies, Estall, Berlin, Fitzgerald, Hoot, 2003). Hospitals are not taking the time to properly train these healthcare providers that are caring for this group (Cowen, Davies, Est all, Berlin, Fitzgerald, Hoot, 2003). They are also unorganized when it comes to delegating functions and roles to the staff (Cowen, Davies, Estall, Berlin, Fitzgerald, Hoot, 2003). In a crisis situation when a patient is agitated, if functions and roles are delegated everyone would be able to know what part they will partake in the situation (Cowen, Davies, Estall, Berlin, Fitzgerald, Hoot, 2003). Without this training the healthcare provider tends to lack the confidence in caring and dealing with these patients (Cowen, Davies, Estall, Berlin, Fitzgerald, Hoot, 2003). There are interventions to take when it comes to de-escalating a patient. The role of the nurse is to recognize the warning signs (Townsend, 2006). People do not just start off escalated. It starts off with small stages. The patient may become anxious. This may be a sign of impeding danger or threat that the patient faces discomfort (Townsend, 2006). They may start pacing, which is a back and forward movement (Townsend, 2006). Patients usually pace as a way to deal with stress or anxiety. They might exhibit excessive body movements which include: tremors, non-purposeful movements and shaking (Townsend, 2006). They also increase the volume and tempo of their voice, and their facial expression (Townsend, 2006). Recognizing these signs can help eliminate an escalating situation (Townsend, 2006) (Cowen, Davies, Estall, Berlin, Fitzgerald, Hoot, 2003). Special skills are needed when it comes to de-escalating a patient. The most important intervention is to ensure safety(Townsend, 2006). Make sure the patient and the other patients are safe on the unit (Townsend, 2006). To ensure safety, remove the patient from the environment (Townsend, 2006). If that is not possible, remove the other patients from the environment (Townsend, 2006). Remove any potentially dangerous items from the area immediately (Townsend, 2006). Remove any staff that might be agitating the patient. Identify and remove stressors and remove them from them from the vicinity. The main goal in this situation is to reduce the stimuli (Townsend, 2006). Healthcare providers will need to learn how to communicate with the patient. Communicating with the patient will involve verbal skills, which is called verbal de-escalation and nonverbal skills. The definition of verbal de-escalation is a complex therapeutic interactive process in that it is the act of talking to the patient and decreasing the patient from disturbed and excitability (Cowen, Davies, Estall, Berlin, Fitzgerald, Hoot, 2003). The key to verbal de-escalation is knowing how to talk to an individual to calm them down. When de-escalating a situation make sure open ended questions are asked and open ended statements are made (Townsend, 2006). This will allow the patient the opportunity to express themselves and tell the healthcare provider what is wrong (Cowen, Davies, Estall, Berlin, Fitzgerald, Hoot, 2003). Make sure you find a calm space for the patient (Townsend, 2006). This will reduce the stimuli. Always avoid confrontation and judgmental comments to the patient. When talking to the patient give the patient your undivided attention (Cowen, Davies, Estall, Berlin, Fitzgerald, Hoot, 2003). Giving someone undivided attention involves facing them directly and giving them direct eye contact (Cowen, Davies, Estall, Berlin, Fitzgerald, Hoot, 2003). Speak in a calm tone. Make your presence is known by introducing yourself and your title. Your posture should be relaxed and comfortable (Cowen, Davies, Estall, Berlin, Fitzgerald, Hoot, 2003). A defensive stance like arms around the waist or the hands are not visible can send a threating message to the patient (Cowen, Davies, Estall, Berlin, Fitzgerald, Hoot, 2003). Make sure statements will be reiterated to let the patient know that you were actively listening to them (Cowen, Davies, Estall, Berlin, Fitzgerald, Hoot, 2003). This will help clarify unclear information. The healthcare provider should be compassionate. At the same time they should be firm. They should not make promises or challenges. Keep statements clear and concise(Townsend, 2006). Lengthy and complex statements are avoided because the patient is mostly focused on one thing at a time (Townsend, 2006). It is also important to identify two types of escalated patients (Cowen, Davies, Estall, Berlin, Fitzgerald, Hoot, 2003). Always keep in mind that some patients will try to gain control of the situation (Cowen, Davies, Estall, Berlin, Fitzgerald, Hoot, 2003). They will try to be manipulative (Cowen, Davies, Estall, Berlin, Fitzgerald, Hoot, 2003). It is the duty of the healthcare provider to allow the patient to take responsibility for their own actions and to regain control of themselves or the situation (Cowen, Davies, Estall, Berlin, Fitzgerald, Hoot, 2003). In any situation, the most common solution to any problem is respect. Showing respect to anyone goes a long way. There are other alternative interventions that are used other than de-escalation: medication, seclusion and restraints. Medication is also considered to some people as a chemical restraint. Some healthcare providers use it as way to control and restrain a patients behavior (Bigwood Crowe, 2008). The patient does not have any control over their body. A chemical restraint contains Haldol a typical antipsychotic and Ativan a benzodiazepine (Mattingly, 1994-2011). This shot has been known to put a patient down for several hours. Patients have to be monitored very closely to ensure safety and to detect the adverse effects that are involved with the typical antipsychotic medication (Bigwood Crowe, 2008). Anti-psychotics block dopamine receptors in the body (Unbound Medicine, 2000-2011). It mainly works on the positive symptoms that patients are affected by (Townsend, 2006). The side effects of typical antipsychotics can be anything from seizures, blurred vision, respiratory depression, c onstipation, dry mouth, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, tardative dyskinesia (Unbound Medicine, 2000-2011). They are called extrapyramidal symptoms. While the patient is on this medication the nurse needs to monitor the patients vital signs, assess the mental status of the patient, assess for positive and negative symptoms, and assess intake and output to monitor bowel and bladder function (Unbound Medicine, 2000-2011). Monitor the patients laboratory reports, mainly the complete blood count with differential and liver function tests (Unbound Medicine, 2000-2011). These should be monitored during drug therapy (Unbound Medicine, 2000-2011). Benzodiazopines depresses the CNS and increases GABA in the body (Unbound Medicine, 2000-2011). This drug puts patients at risk for psychological and physiological dependence (Mattingly, 1994-2011). Seclusion and Restraint is another alternative way to control a patient. It is also known as timeout (Townsend, 2006). It is supposed to be used as a tool to guarantee safety to both staff and the patient involved. It has proven to cause more harm physically and psychologically to the patient (Bigwood Crowe, 2008). These are intended to be used as a last resort for patients that are posing harm to themselves or others (Bigwood Crowe, 2008). The procedure taken to administer this means of safety can be very risky (Bigwood Crowe, 2008). Staff and patients tend to become injured as a result of this procedure (Bigwood Crowe, 2008). Although at times nurses cannot avoid seclusion and restraints they need to administer them with care and compassion. That would include making sure that the patients basic needs are met. Have the patient stay in seclusion and restraints for a very limited time, at least until the patient has calmed down and can guarantee safety (Townsend, 2006). Again the nurse should monitor the vital signs, nutritional status, mental status when the patient is restrained (Townsend, 2006). Applying de-escalation to nursing practice will decrease the amount of injuries in mental health hospitals and emergency room (Cowen, Davies, Estall, Berlin, Fitzgerald, Hoot, 2003). This will provide the nurse with the confidence in dealing with the mentally ill population. Patients needs will be able to be met more efficiently, because the nurse will be educated on how to care for them and how to communicate with the patient. In practice, a nurse will treat mentally ill patients like any other type of person in society. This will consist of treating the patients with respect and ensure them with safety. The main thing to remember is that a nurse can never go wrong with taking the time to assess their patient. It will paint a picture of what is going on with a patient. With that, a nurse will be able to notice the early warning signs of an agitated patient. By doing so, their needs will be addressed. The patient may request medication or the patient may just be hungry. Nurses should continue to take classes to learn a lot more communication techniques on how to communicate with these particular types of patients. Giving them undivided attention and showing them that they are cared for as a patient, will ensure and verify that nurses has a lot of compassion in what they do. My passion is taking care of the mentally ill.

Essay --

Muchas personas en los Estados Unidos està ¡n experimentando problemas de salud y mueren de enfermedades que posiblemente pueden evitarse con la adecuada atencià ³n de la salud y la educacià ³n. Desafortunadamente, debido a la falta de recursos y educacià ³n son las disparidades de salud entre diferentes grupos à ©tnicos y minorà ­as. Ha habido muchos estudios que muestran que las minorà ­as està ¡n en peor estado de salud, tienen problemas para acceder a la atencià ³n de la salud por ser asegurado y recibir menor calidad en la atencià ³n sanitaria. Estas diferencias pueden ser basado en el hecho de que muchas personas no pueden tener los ingresos adecuados, la educacià ³n o la cobertura necesaria para mantener un estilo de vida saludable. A pesar de que tales disparidades, no podemos eliminar totalmente los que podemos encontrar soluciones para reducir la brecha. Teniendo en cuenta esta informacià ³n, en comparacià ³n con otros grupos à ©tnicos, los hispanos tienen mayores tasas de seguro que los blancos no hispanos y los isleà ±os de Asia / pacà ­ficas (Mead, Smith, Jones, Ramos & Siegel, 2008). Hispanos tambià ©n tienen un nà ºmero desproporcionado cuando se habla de diagnà ³stico de VIH; los estudios han demostrado que son menos propensos a hacerse la prueba del VIH y tienen una mayor probabilidad de obtener un diagnà ³stico mà ¡s adelante con la oportunidad para ser bajo terapia (Palfrey, Rosen, Ogilus & Foley, 2013). Con los hispanos, siendo el grupo à ©tnico de mà ¡s rà ¡pido crecimiento y continà ºa creciendo a este ritmo debe ser abordado el tema del cuidado de la salud. Una de las principales razones de por quà © hay un problema de salud es debido a que hay un problema de interpretacià ³n y traduccià ³n de lenguaje. 21% de la poblacià ³n de Estados Unidos habla otro idioma que ... ...unas familias pueden tener mucho firmar para arriba para la cobertura y una vez que pasen este proceso, las inscripciones constantes que toma lugar causas aspirantes a ser asignado a diferentes mà ©dicos, causando un problema de confianza. Tambià ©n, a veces los solicitantes no recibe los formularios para llenar o no entiende la informacià ³n solicitada, causando que pierden sus beneficios. En cuanto a cobertura de seguro, cuidado Obama ayudarà ¡ a financiar nuevas clà ­nicas y los centros de las ciudades con una alta poblacià ³n hispana que permite a los pacientes a tener cuidado de la salud disponible con poco o ningà ºn costo en absoluto. En realidad, el cambio no puede suceder con el chasquido de dedos de alguien. El cambio tiene que empezar con la educacià ³n, hispano educar y motivar a utilizar el sistema de salud es clave para posiblemente resolver la disparidad en la salud.

Eugene Delacroix Essay

Eugene Delacroix is a French romantic painter who lived between 1798 and 1863. He was born Ferdinand Victor Eugene Delacroix in Charenton Saint Maurice, France on April 26, 1798. His father was Foreign Minister Charles Delacroix, although for some reasons he was assumed to be the son of Tallyrand, a famous diplomat, whom he resembles much in form and appearance. His mother had died in 1814, around nine years after the death of Charles Delacroix’s. The incident left him orphaned at the tender age of 16 year old. It as a year after that when he started his painting career. It was in 1815 when he became the pupil of a popular French painter, Pierre Narcisse Guerin and eventually entering l’Ecole des Beaux-Art in 1816. During that period in time, he had successfully produced more than 850 works and had completed numerous numbers of murals, sketches, and drawings. Prior to his education under Guerin, Eugene Delacroix early schooling was at the Lycee Louis le Grand. There is where his talents were first discovered, as he went on winning awards for his drawings during his stay in the institution. It was under Guerin though, that he had learned the neoclassical styles of Jacques Louis David. But even so, he was better influenced by the techniques of Peter Paul Rubens and a fellow French painter Theodore Gericault, as far as choice of colors and the visual impacts that his works portray. During his entire career as a painter, Delacroix had created masterpieces in the likes of Massacre at Chios, Death of Sardanapalus, Liberty Leading the People, Travel to North Africa, and The Barque of Dante, among others. In 1824, Delacroix submitted his second work in the Paris Salon exhibition, after his had submitted â€Å"Dante and Virgil in Hell† two years prior. His painting entitled â€Å"Massacre at Chios† has garnered good reviews and had caught the attention of a lot of art critics. This masterpiece depicts Greek civilians all sick and dying, while being slaughtered by the Turks. Because of this particular work, Delacroix shot up to fame and recognition to be the leading Romantic painter in all of France. His painting was the exact representation of the French sentiments during those times. The 20,000 Greeks that were suffering under the hands of the Turks, as shown in the painting, was what it takes to convey the sympathy that the French are feeling for the Greeks in their war for independence. It was the French government who get to buy his work and it had cost 6,000 francs. His other work entitled â€Å"Death of Sardanapalus† is a depiction of the death of an Assyrian king named Sardanapalus. The piece was an adaptation from the literary play that is created by Byron. This masterpiece is created with stunning colors amidst the tragic event it portrays. In the picture, the king is watching quite impassively as his guards carry out his own orders of killing animals, servants, and concubines in front of him. In the actual play though, there isn’t a reference at all to concubines being killed. It is believed that the addition of naked ladies in the painting is an exercise of Delacroix’s artistic freedom. The artwork is indeed a tragic representation of death and all its horrors, which during that time, were never drawn or painted, even in the walls of the Sistine Chapel. Aside from his notable paintings, Eugene Delacroix also associates closely with writers and playwrights that are prominent during his time. He had illustrated the many works of writers in the likes of Sir Walter Scott, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and of course William Shakespeare. Many of Delacroix’s works are portraits of people, religious subjects, and scenes drawn from history and literature. He also got to make landscapes and flower pieces, and of them made him one of the greatest artists of all time.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Government Systems Essay

Around the world, each country has their own way of running things and their own government system. In this essay I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of 3 government systems; unitary, confederate, and federal. Although some government systems might have similarities with the others, they are all very different and have different problems. A unitary state is sovereign and governed as a single unit where the central government is supreme and any administrative divisions only have the power that the central government allows them to have. One advantage of the unitary form of government is it’s a small government with less people so less tax dollars are used to pay government workers and more tax dollars go to the government. Another advantage is there is fewer conflicts between national and local governments. Some disadvantages of a unitary form of government are; there is slow government response because of being such a small government and having so little resources and people. Another is again related to the size of the government, since it’s so small, all the people work together on issues in the state being governed so it’s easy for them to lose track of smaller, local issues. A confederate government is a form of government where a union of free states creates a central government with limited power. The members of these states have supreme influence over all problems except those few that have been specifically delegated to the central government. An advantage of a confederate form of government is local governments are better suited to help citizens and government response is rather quick on a small scale. Another advantage is confederacies minimize the growth of a central government, which makes it much easier to focus on local issues, and the citizens needs. A disadvantage of a confederate government is the national government is weak and they often have trouble fighting wars or keeping a stable economy. Another disadvantage of this form of government is there is a lack of unity and common laws leading to misunderstandings and unrest. A federal government is a government in which powers and responsibilities are divided into national levels to address national and regional needs.  Power is shared by a strong central government and states that are given significant self-rule. An advantage of a federal government system is federal unity. Local governments handle their local problems and the national government handles national problems. Also, there are many opportunities for citizens to participate in decision making relating to government choices. Some disadvantages are citizens living in different parts of the country could be treated differently in the area of law enforcement pertaining to different laws punishments in different states and programs such as welfare where individuals could make more or less depending on certain expenses in their area. It is important that we have an equal understanding of our government policies and the way our government is run. We should know how much voice we have when it comes to government decisions and formations of laws and such. Know the differences in government systems so you’re not left out when it comes to certain matters.

“Stray Dog” and “Lost in Transition”

The movie â€Å"Stray Dog† is the classical masterpiece directed by Akira Kurosawa. It is about a rookie homicide detective, played by Toshiro Mifune, who had a stolen Colt pistol. It is ironic how a homicide detective had lost his weapon due to pickpocketing. The Colt pistol stolen from the main character was used in a series of murders, which eventually troubled him. Due to this, Murukami started to hunt the guy who stole his weapon and used it for murder. Murukami who was in search was helped by Sato, played by Takashi Shimura, when the first victim was found. Sato was an old guy, but he was definitely clever. The movie or the manhunt occurs in post war Tokyo, with a partially bombed atmosphere or scenery. Furthermore, the search and the feat occur while a brutal and horrid heatwave is present. The heatwave somehow shows or reflects the living conditions of post war Tokyo, or Japan as a whole (Ishikawa and Tyler, 1998). Japan after the World War II was devastated wherein problems in communication and transportation are at large. Furthermore, living conditions are not that good. There was a severe shortage in the supply of food, and a very high demand for it, and this lasted not just for months but for years. â€Å"Stray Dog†, was filmed in the year 1949 which somehow relates to the time where the story itself took place. Furthermore, the setting or atmosphere in 1949 was evident in the film as justified by the presence of a lot of scenes showing cities or regions which requires rebuilding. The mark or indication of bombings was present in the setting of the movie, just like Japan after the bombings in 1945. Poverty and desolation are some of the things which can be depicted out of the movie and in a way, gives the movie watchers a little feeling of social consciousness. Aside from Japan being withered by the bombings, the harsh or horrible social conditions also depreciates or weakens the soul and morals of a man. This happened to Yasu, the killer or antagonist in the movie, who was once a good person. He shifted to a life of crime after experiencing the harsh effects of poverty and poor conditions of living. Somehow, it may tell the story of some individuals turning towards a life of crime and social evil to continue living in the post war Japan. As the title somehow suggest, â€Å"stray dogs† which could turn later on as rabid dogs, could be representations of a man or of a desolate individual who goes or turns to doing social crimes. Social awareness on Japan also increases as the movie ventures into the dark alleys and criminal or murder elements in the story. Generally, â€Å"Stray Dog† is a good movie, especially to those who love murder or crime-solving movies and even to those socially or slightly socially aware individuals. It is like coursing through history of Japan, without being actually there. The audience are entertained, at the same time taught good lessons. The second movie entitled â€Å"Lost in Translation† is basically a comedy-drama film which hit the box office hits in 2003. It is about an American action movie star, named Bob Harris, who was experiencing certain problems in his career and basically is losing it. Bob Harris, played by Bill Muray, went to Tokyo, Japan in order to shoot a film, more specifically a commercial on Suntory whisky wherein he met Charlotte, played by Scarlett Johansson. Bob and Charlotte went with each other, and experienced or shared an unconsummated romance. Though at some points, they were a little bit uncertain about the directions that they want to take or in their lives or how far they want to take their relationship. Life in Japan by 2003 is far different than that of the post-war Japan. Also, life in Japan is different as that of what Westerners experience. As such, the two characters had a feeling of being alienated as they both toured or explored the life in Tokyo, more specifically Japan’s culture. Since they were both Westerners and that they are in a different country, they both felt loneliness and wanted to be with each other. The second movie takes its audience to the new and modern Japanese cityscape, far beyond the scenery in the movie Stray Dog. After World War II, almost all the regions in Tokyo ware devastated and destroyed. By 2003, the city had risen from the ashes and had grown into a strong city with a lot of beautiful scenery. The scenes or views of the new Tokyo after the war can be observed by the audience not just in the movie alone, but even in the posters, teasers or in the trailer of the movie. Economically and socially, the movie tours its viewers to the new Japan after the devastating war and shows through the scenery, actions or movements and characters how it had recovered. The post war economic success was possible and helped Japan to reinvent itself and be the Japan that we know of it today (Neary, 1995). Just like the Stray Dog, Lost in Translation which was directed by Sofia Coppola, is very much entertaining. Lost in Translation was at first funny, but as the story goes on, audiences experience a unique drama. The ending of Lost in Translation was more mind boggling or intriguing as compared to the ending of the Stray Dog. The audiences in Lost in Translation are left thinking or imagining what the ending could have been. Both movies were able to show the old and new Japan, and if it was watched one after the other, the audience would be greatly aware of the huge transformation that Japan took or went to, before and after the war. Works Cited â€Å"Japanese History: Postwar†.   1996.   (December 18, 2002):   japan-guide.com. December 18, 2007. . â€Å"Lost in Translation†.   2003.   (December 18, 2007):   Focus Features. December 18, 2007. . â€Å"Lost in Translation (2003)†.   2007.   (December 18, 2007):   Internet Movie Database Incorporated. December 18, 2007. . Ishikawa, Jun, and William Jefferson Tyler. The Legend of Gold and Other Stories. Honolulu: HI University of Hawaii Press, 1998. Neary, Ian. War, Revolution and Japan. Richmond, Surrey, GBR: Curzon Press Limited, 1995.