National Parks of |Ethiopia

It is the oldest and most develode wildlife reserve in Ethiopia. It is even easy to access, situated 210kms (130miles) east of Addis Ababa. Awash national park occupies about 830 square kilometers (320sq. miles) of dry savannah in the middle of the rift valley. This hot, arid terrain climbs up to 1,000masl, with the exception of the peak of Fentale volcano, which reaches 2,007masl. The parks name comes from the longest river in Ethiopia: the Awash. It marks the southern boundary of the park by means of a deep gorge, then turns north where it reaches the inhospitable Danakil region.In the park’s interior, the river forms a waterfall underneath which it is possible to walk and enjoy the exceptional view of a great numbers and variety of birds. The park’s habitat features an odd riverine forest and interesting volcanic terrain. The impressive 3. 5km crater presents a vision of hell, surrounded by remains of lava from the last eruption in 1820. The harar road cuts the park in to two. Hot springs are accessible by road in the northern part of the park. Warm, turquoise waters with a temperature of 360c offer a delightful swim.Among the park’s sparse vegetation, the palm oil trees stand out. They are highly valued by the Afar people who live in the surrounding area, because edible oil is obtained from its fruit. Not far from the main roads, one can see soemmering’s Gazelles & even the pale beisa oryx, with straight horns capable of spearing a lion. These animals have adapted to the high temperatures and scarcity of water by developing a physiological mechanism that allows them to increase their interior temperature. Instead of perspiring, they lose heat through radiation.There are also other mammals inhabited in the national park like: greater kuhdu, lesser kudu, dik dik, warthogs, Anubis baboon, hamadryas baboon, black & white colobus monkey, vervet monkey and many more. It is not easy to spot predators, but in the park there are lions, le opards, cheetahs, striped and spotted hyenas, golden and black-backed jackals, servals and wild cats. The spotted hyenas, the largest in the family, reach a height of between 65 and 90cm. they have a wide head, short bristly hair, hind quarters lower than the front quarters, and a long, powerful neck. Their coats are grey or yellow with black patches.About 400 species of birds have been counted, including some endemic species such as the banded barbet, the golden backed woodpecker, the thick billed raven and the wattled ibis. SIMIEN MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK It is registered as a world heritage site by UNESCO, located in the Simien Mountain, it occupies a surface area of 180km2. Simien means â€Å"NORTH† in Amharic, an allusion to the position it occupies in the Gondar massif, one of the craggiest in Africa. The park is interesting because of the uniqueness of its endemic animals, the beauty of its flora, and the majesty of its impressive landscape.The park, situated between 4,6 20 and 1,900masl, boasts varied flora with three marked botanical areas. The highest parts have meadows with little vegetation, characteristic of afro alpine zones. Here one can find the endemic lobelia rhynchopetalum, small groups of perpetual flowers, helichrysum, and the striking kniphofia foliosa. Of particular botanical interest is the Afrovivella semiensis, a small fleshy plant with pink flowers in the shape of little bells. This plant has been found only in the Simien Mountains and nowhere else on earth.There is only one species within its genus. In the park, there are three most colorful endemic mammals in Ethiopia: the walia ibex which lives wild at an altitude of more than 2,500masl, the gelada baboonwhich inhabits the simian plateax, and the Ethiopian wolf which is also found in great numbers in the Bale mountain national park. In the park, approximately 50 different bird species have been identified, among them a great many scavengers and birds of prey. Birds migrating f rom Europe and all over Africa also can be seen here.One of the most striking birds is the large and powerful lammergeyer or bearded vulture. It is a scavenger, often seen on the north face of the park. This bird nests on inaccessible shelves and in hollows on great walls of rock. Unlike other vultures, its head is completely covered in feathers. Underneath its beak, it has a streak of stiff bristles, which accounts for its nick name â€Å"bearded vulture†. Its wingspan can reach up to 250cm. the lammergeyer feeds on animal remains stripped of meat by other vultures. It takes the bones, drops them from a great height, and eats the marrow.Bones and marrow comprise 85%of its diet. There are also other birds of prey in the park: buzzard, Egyptian vulture, Ruppel’s griffon vultures, eagles, falcons and ravens. Endemic bird species such as the spot-breasted plover, the white-billed starling and the black-headed siskin are easy to spot in the national park during rainy seaso n, as they search for food over the cultivated land of the high plateau. Even if there is a rare chance to see, one can also possibly spot the black-headed forest orioles & golden-backed woodpeckers in the valley. YANGUDI-RASSA NATIONAL PARKDespite the difficulties of getting this place, the Yangudi-rassa national park is worth visiting. It is the last refuge of the extremely rare and almost extinct African wild Ass. Found 500kms northeast of the Addis Ababa, the habitat is 4,371km2of semi desert with vegetation consisting of acacia trees, fleshy grass and scrub. The park protects against the dangers threatening the wild donkey: Somalis and Ethiopian who hunt them for food and medicine, depredation by hyenas, competition with cattle for scarce water, and cross-breeding with domestic donkeys.The sub-species living in Ethiopia, the equus africanus somalicus(YEDUR AHIYA), is down to only a few hundred heads, surviving in a completely wild state. These asses posses excellent climbing ab ilities and usually inhabit rocky, uneven places. This ability differentiates them from their brother, the domestic donkey. BALE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK Although the access route is difficult to traverse, the Bale Mountains are worth visiting because they contain the richest flora & fauna of the alpine habitat in all of Ethiopia. The park occupies a surface area of 2,470km2 and includes altitudes from 1,500 up to 4,400masl.This provides a unique diversity of landscape, vegetation and fauna. The park is divided by the Harenna cliff, which runs through it like a fracture from east to west, creating three clearly differentiated areas within the reserve. The northern part is known as Geyessey, named after a small river that crosses it & flows in to the WEYB River near the settlement of Dinsho. The central part, just above the cliff, is the sennete plateau which rises to more than 4,000masl. The southern part, below the cliff, is a densely forested area known as the Harenna forest.From th ere, the land continues to drop until it reaches the lowlands. In the northern part, geysey area, and around Dinsho, a large variety of animals can be seen. The vegetation consists of grassy ground, riverside plains, trees and bushes. In the hills, between 2,500 and 3,300m, there are meadows and plentiful hygenia abyssinica and juniperous procera trees. Geraniums, lobelias and Allchemilas species create colourful carpets interrupted by thickets of Artemisia afra, kniphofia foliosa flowers and the wild roses of the Rose abyssinica.This part of the park is the best place to see the endemic mountain Nyala, which is a large antelope the size of a Kudu. In the area surrounding Dinsho, one can find the endemic Menelik’s bushbuck. The bushbuck prefers plains and mountains up to 4,000m and feeds mainly on leaves, shoots and fruit. It is a natural swimmer. As it is a solitary creature, Menelik’s bushbuck is rarely found in pairs, except for couples in the mating season or a fem ale with her offspring. In the second part of the park, the senate plateau, just above the harenna cliff at a height of 4,000m.It was formed by ancient volcanic rocks. It can be reached by the road connecting Goba to Dolomena, which crosses the eastern part of the park. This road has views of some of the most wonderful natural scenery in the world. Rivers and streams cut gorges across the plateau, form waterfalls in some places and craggy crests rise above the plateau. The most outstanding peak is the second tallest in Ethiopia, TULLU DIMTU (The red mountain) at 4,477meter. Mount Batu, at 4,300m, is also impressive. The shallow depressions of the plateau fill up with water during the rainy season, forming small lakes.A few large lakes contain water year round, including Garba Buracha (Black Water) and Hora Bachay, which create unique places to observe migratory birds from Europe, that are avoiding the western winter. The plateau of volcanic rock is covered with emerald green moorlan d and a host of lichens. The area’s afroalpine vegetation is displayed in the numerous giant Lobelias and the everlastings represented by different species, among them H. splendidum with its yellow flowers and the thorny H. citrispinum. This area is the best place to see the endemic and rare Ethiopian wolf.This mammal can only be found in the high altitude prairies of the Bale and Simien massifs. Its reddish coat is similar to the European Red Fox, but its shape is between a wolf and a jackal. It has long legs, a sharp snout, and a very thick black and white tail. The male and female are identical. Its preferred prey is the endemic giant molerat, a large, brown, round-bodied rodent. The last part of the park is located to the south, where the land gradually falls away and a belt of heath land gives away to a densely wooded forest, known as the HARENNA FOREST.Depending the altitude, different species of trees appear in the forests, from Podocarpus, Hagenias, Juniperous, Scheff lera and Bamboos, all with bark decorated by the lichens and mosses. In the forest, it is difficult to spot animals but several types of pig have been seen, such as Warthogs, Bushh pigs and Giant Forest hogs. In the Harenna forest, Black & White colobus monkeys jump from tree to tree. Anubis baboons are most common, found in Adeley, Geysey and Harenna forests. Groups of them have been seen at altitudes above 3,700meters.Vervet monkeys live at an altitude below 3,000meter. More than 200 bird species have been counted, of which at least 15 are endemic. Among the rocky highlands of Bale, the spectacular lammergeyer, one can often find the thick-billed raven feasting on the lammergeyer’s leftovers. It is also possible to spot different birds of prey such as Falcons, Eagles, kites, Vultures and Ravens. The best season to visit the park is the dry season, from November to January when there are abundant clear days. The temperature can reach up to 300C during the morning and drop to -70C at night.

Fast Food Nation Essay

Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser, is a stark and unrelenting look into the fast food industry that has ingrained itself in not only American culture, but in culture around the world. There is almost no place on earth that the golden arches has not entered. Aside from Antarctica, there is a McDonalds on every continent, and the number of countries that have fast food restaurants is growing on a daily basis. Schlosser describes in detail what happens behind the scenes, before the hamburger and fries come wrapped in environmentally safe paper and are consumed by millions of people daily. There are several stories that stick out in my mind. First is the one about a rancher in Colorado. He had resisted the idea of squeezing as many cows in an enclosed area as possible. Instead, he rotates where the cattle eat, what kinds of grasses they eat, and how often they eat it. His ranch was what cattle raising should be. This is in contrast to how a majority of cattle are raised today. They stand in paddocks their whole life where they hardly have the ability to move, and they are fed things that cows aren’t designed to eat ?corn, wheat, chicken parts, and even the leftovers of already slaughtered cattle. Then they are lead up a gangway, into a building where they are first shocked, then hung up by their hooves and have their necks slit, one after another. It harkens back to The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. After one hundred years, the conditions at the meat packing plants have not improved much. It is still the most dangerous job in America. Almost everyone who works there are injured at one point, be it from mechanical smashers or knives that had come too close to their arm. Hundreds of thousands of cattle are slaughtered every day, and that is to keep up with the demand from places like McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s. It saddened me to read later that the Colorado rancher committed suicide because he could no longer compete with the large cattle-growers and he was going to lose his livelihood. Another thing that stood out was they way these fast food places treat their workers. Their policy of automation has created a whole group of people that do not have to think to do their job. These people ? usually teenagers ? are paid minimum wage to push buttons and do all of the jobs that used to be done by hand. It gains government subsides for training people with no job skills, such as the poor, young, or disabled. The ironic thing is that they have admitted that they don’t want to have to train people. They want the job to be as easy and training-free as possible, due to their want for uniformity. Uniformity seems to be the way of things at McDonald’s ? uniformity and conformity. If you cannot conform to the mold of a McDonald’s worker, they will simply find people who will, and they don’t have to train them all over again, because the job only requires that you know how to push a button or respond to a light or a beep. The last thing that stands out is the amount of contamination that can occur because of the way these animals are slaughtered. One hamburger from Burger King can contain meat from a thousand different cows. If only one of those cows were sick, then the person eating it can get sick. Then you multiply by how many packages of meat or hamburger was processed that could possibly have that one sick animal in it, you have an epidemic. One sick animal can contaminate ? and cause the recall of ? over 400,000 pounds of meat. That’s a lot of meat to have to bring back, and there are countless people who may have already eaten it and gotten sick, or, like the 6-year-old in the book, died. All of these things ? and the whole book in general ? has turned me off of fast food forever I think. I’ll never look at McDonald’s in the same way again. The food is full of grease, fat, and bacteria that could kill. The food also has hundreds of chemicals in it to make it taste the way it should, rather than the way it does. Seems to me that if their food tasted the way it should in the first place, they wouldn’t need chemicals to do the job. The employment practices of the fast food chains also leave a lot to be desired. They are a great part of the reason that people need more than one job to survive. Because they have so many minimum wage jobs ? even managers only make about $10 to $15 an hour. That had become a norm in the US, where people don’t even make a livable wage. There were a few things I didn’t like about either the book or Schlosser himself. First, he was very liberal, and it showed throughout the book. He practically blamed both Bush administrations for every problem laid out in the book, then praised Clinton and his administration to try and stem the tide of the fast food giants. Then there was Schlosser himself. During his speaking engagement at the college, the first thing he said was that he wasn’t going to try to tell anyone not to eat fast food or go to McDonalds’s or Taco Bell or any other fast food restaurant. He then spent an hour trying to do just that. He said that people spend more time looking into buying a house than deciding what goes into our bodies. My first reaction was â€Å"Of course we do! A house costs tens of thousands of dollars, and a burger costs 99 cents. † I know what he meant by it, saying that the burger will be with us for the rest of our lives and will affect our health in both the short and long run, but it’s not seen that way. If we have high cholesterol, we cal take a pill. High blood pressure? There’s a pill for that, too. There are even pills to help people lose weight. The mentality is that we can eat what we want, and there will be a way to reverse it. The bottom line is that I enjoyed the book and I did learn from it. I’m never eating at one of those places again, and not just because the food is terrible. I refuse to support their employment and food acquisition practices. I’m only sorry that it took me 26 years to get to this stage. Hopefully my children won’t support them either.

HRM and the External Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

HRM and the External Environment - Essay Example Markets have expanded rapidly, transcending all boundaries and going beyond a local and even a national scale, to a more global level. Furthermore, technological advances have also greatly influenced and shaped the socioeconomic sphere today. That is to say, market expansion and technological progress have made the economy a much more challenging one today. For example, now, it is much harder to keep track of the latest fashions and trends because the producer does not directly know the consumer, and hence cannot gauge the consumer’s latest tastes or feelings towards a product (Houseman, pp. 149-170, 2001). Moreover, since there are many indirect links in marketing today, the ‘loyalty’ factor that was characteristic of a buyer-seller relationship and that used to work heavily in favour of some suppliers is no longer there, and there is an increased pressure on the companies to do well to keep their consumers satisfied. Now, there is a much greater pressure on firm s than before to deliver, in that there is increased competition and to thrive – or even survive – in their fields, firms must not only perform well, but also perform better than their competitors perform. Furthermore, trends have also changed greatly as new tastes and fashions grip society, and consumers’ demands are constantly altering, forcing businesses to adapt to them and provide products and services that fit their latest needs and demands (Houseman, pp. 149-170, 2001). Overall, in an economic environment where competition is paramount, consumer satisfaction is of the utmost importance to a business’s returns and so, to keep up with this pace, businesses must cater to new demands, and adapt to cost-cutting and more productive strategies to maximize status and profit. Naturally, to keep abreast of this faster moving market, businesses have had to address their strategies and alter their policies. These changes include an assessment of the production process, evaluation of employees, research etc., but one of the biggest changes made to the structure of the businesses has been to promote and increase greater flexibility in the workplace (Houseman, pp. 149-170, 2001). Workforce flexibility refers to â€Å"an organisation’s ability to adapt its human resources in a manner appropriate to increasingly changing environmental conditions† (Houseman, pp. 149-170, 2001). This approach allows a business to allocate tasks based on which jobs on an agenda require the most attention, for example, deciding the product that requires more work forces at a certain time. In addition, more work forces can come under hiring if demand calls. This is a very efficient strategy as unforeseen human resources staffing needs can be met without any significant loss to the business, and at the same time, workers earn more in terms of skills and training in other areas of their work as well. Need for an organisational restructure may come abou t due to a sudden increase in demand, or a certain, unexpected problem in the production line. For example, during a slow hour, cashiers could be used to help stock shelves, this is efficient because no workers are left idle, and a faster way to marketing can be approached (Wood, pp. 367-413, 1999). At other times, for example, if the supermarket is very busy and has a massive in-flow of customers, workers that were,

B4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

B4 - Essay Example Ordinal and interval variables collect measurements. Interval data is actually measured on a continuous scale (actual quantities of some quality like height or age) while ordinal data is numerical form of classification, where whole numbers are used to denote order but the numbers themselves are not measures but a form of classification (GraphPad.com). Table 1: Variables Measured in the Survey Interval variables Ordinal variables Categorical variables Age Age category Gender Distance travelled Distance category Reason 1 Regularity of visits Reason 2 Satisfaction with: price Department Number of items Purchase Service Payment Quality Follow up Overall Store Contact The variables in the top row are italicized to indicate that they are independent variables. In this survey, it was hypothesised that demographic factors such as age and gender (pre-existing qualities or ‘independent variables) might influence opinions and behaviour of respondents (dependent variables). For men and wo men might differ in the distance they are prepared to travel to a store. Description of the Data Table 2 shows the number of women and men in the sample and various measures of their age profile. Table 2: Demographics of the Sample Gender All Women Men Number of people 582 373 (64%) 209 (26%) Mean age 42.6 42.8 42.3 Minimum age 17 17 17 Median age 42 42 42 Maximum age 75 75 74 The sample comprises 582 shoppers between the ages of 17 and 75, nearly two-thirds of who are women and just over third men. The age profiles of the men and women are very similar. Analysis of the distance travelled by respondents to the store where they were interviewed revealed a wide disparity. The modal distance (the most common length or trip) was less than a mile, but many had travelled much further, up to 53 miles. The median distance travelled was 5 miles and the mean just under 10. This indicates a positively skewed distribution where it is difficult to say what is the ‘typical’ distance travelled to the company’s stores. Inferential Statistics Table 3 shows the results for all shoppers, with men and women grouped separately. Separating women’s and men’s responses in this way allows a preliminary assessment of whether the independent variable (in this case gender) is influencing the dependent variable (distance travelled to the store). Table 3: Distance Travelled to the Store where Interviewed Distance travelled Less than 1 mile 1-5 miles 5-10 miles 10-30 miles Over 30 miles Total Women 49 (13%) 149 (40%) 83(22%) 69 (19%) 23 (6%) 373 Men 23(11%) 74 (35%) 51 (24%) 52 (25%) 9 (4%) 209 Total 72 223 134 121 32 582 The message is mixed: a higher proportion of the women than of the men travelled the shortest distances, but at the other end of the scale women were also more likely than men to have travelled the longest distances. A possible means of determining whether there is a difference between the distances men and women are prepared to travel to the company’s shops is to compare the mean raw distance (using the actual mileages rather than the categories) travelled by respondents of each gender. The mean distance travelled by the female respondents was 9.54 miles compared with 10.26 miles by the men. The standard deviations of the two samples are similar (11.1 and 10.6), so it is appropriate to conduct a ‘type 2’ test, but since the samples are independent and of different sizes we use an independent t-test

Hispanic in united states Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Hispanic in united states - Research Paper Example C. Nelson and Marta Tienda noted, â€Å"Hispanic as a label combines colonized natives and their offspring, foreigners and political refugees under one ethnic umbrella, but coherence of this label is questionable on theoretical and historical grounds† ( Oboler, 1995). It is evident that some researchers have pointed out the political cost of the debate while other researchers have identified its demographic connotations of census definitions since 1930s. The label â€Å"Hispanic† arrives from time of arrival, language, race and minority status (Oboler, 1995). Understanding the ambiguity of the term, Joan Moore and Harry Pachon raised referred to the concept as â€Å"racial minority or simply another predominantly Catholic ethnic group like the Italians for example† (Oboler, 1995). According to Pastora San Juan Cafferty and William McCready, â€Å"policies are created for Hispanics which help some and ham others because there are in one sense no generic Hispanics† ( Oboler, 1995). Revolution in the global economy and its bang in US labor market have opened a new paradigm for immigrants from Latin America. They deal with a fall of industries like clothes making, providing untrained, admission level jobs to recently arrived populations in United States (Oboler, 1995). According to the results of Census 2000 there is a remarkable increase in the Hispanic population form 1990 and has increased from 22 million to 35.2 million. The total Hispanic population is categorized into two groups: A. native Hispanics- those born in US who possess Hispanic heritage and B. foreign born Hispanics they either have or do not possess US citizenship. It is estimated that both these categories contributed to the increase in Hispanic population, but the foreign born Hispanic population experienced surprising growth in their population owing to the enhanced immigration (Grieco,

Predatory Practices in financial borrowing and lending contracts Research Paper

Predatory Practices in financial borrowing and lending contracts - Research Paper Example Predatory Practices in financial borrowing and lending contracts The following are some of the characteristics of predatory practices in money lending. First, those targeted are chiefly the low income people and the elderly in society. Second, the loans’ costs and terms often change at the closing and differ greatly from what they were at the beginning or what was agreed. Predatory practices are also often accompanied by aggressive sale approaches. There are also repeated re-financing options after a short time lapse so that lenders end up collecting addition fee or penalties, consequently denying borrowers such as home owners the equities from their security. Notably, in most of predatory lending practices, the lending is not often in line with the borrower’s capacity to repay since the lender’s center of attention is often the foreclosure. In addition, the vulnerable borrower is always unaware of the underlying truths of the truth, terms, conditions, and consequences of the deal (â€Å"Predatory Lending† 4). That is, there is always quite a lot of misunderstanding about the nature of loan and the amount to be repaid since such transactions has high but hidden fees that could be hidden from the borrower’s eyes. The borrowers are often tricked by the aggressive sales. Most affected in this regard are uninformed groups, which end up borrowing under unfair loan terms. Due to the harmful effects of such loans to society, the government has numerous remedies in form of laws and regulations. These remedies include the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act (HOEPA), and the Truth in Lending Act (TILA). Others are the Fair Housing Act, and the Federal Trade Commission Act, and Special State Anti-predatory Lending Statutes, in State Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Acts, and common law fraud and unconscionability. This paper explores some of the predatory practices in lending, pointing out and explaini ng the parties’ responsibilities. Predatory Practices Predatory lending practices are not only unfair but also fraudulent and deceptive. In other terms, predatory lending entails the imposition of abusive and unfair terms on loans for borrowers. In fact, the phrase ‘predatory lending† generally refers to many specific illegal activities in the loan sector. Nonetheless, different states have various laws against each specific type of illegal loan activity. Notice should be taken about the distinction between predatory lending and predatory mortgage servicing. The latter refers to the deceptive, fraudulent, and unjust practices of lenders and servicing agents in loan or mortgage servicing processes. Unlike predatory lending, this latter activity takes place post loan origination. An example of a predatory practice is that of a lender deceptively convincing a potential borrower to accept an unfair and abusive loan term (Nasiripour 122). Second, a lender may methodica lly breach the terms so that the borrower finds it hard to defend against it (Aleo and Svirsky 119). These predatory practices may be done through certain types of  credit cards, largely  subprime, payday loans, and overdraft loans. In all these cases, the lender may set the interest rates at considerably and unreasonably high levels. Mostly targeted by predatory loan lenders are borrowers with some collateral to back their loan requests. This collateral could be a car or a house, which the

Is the statement ''Good record-keeping shows good clinical care'' true Assignment

Is the statement ''Good record-keeping shows good clinical care'' true Discuss - Assignment Example A good clinical record should include: (1) pertinent information of the patients’ medical history, including important negatives; (2) examination results, including important negatives; (3) differential diagnosis; (4) details of any laboratory exams ordered, and any treatment provided; (5) patients’ progress report; (6) follow-up schedules; (7) information shared with or discussed to the patient, such as associated complications of a treatment; and (8) patients’ non-compliance of the treatment (Medical Protection Society [MPS], 2011). This should be written objectively, clearly and legibly; with the name and signature of the medical practitioner; as well as the date and time of examination affixed after the report (MPS, 2011). Clinical records are part and parcel of patient care, which ensures the safe delivery of health care, as well as positive patient outcomes. Medical records are the basis for establishing a high quality of patient care (Ram & Carpenter, 2007 ). It is a vital tool that allow medical practitioners to understand; learn from; and correct errors made in the past (Ram & Carpenter, 2007). ... A detailed account of patient complaints help medical practitioners focus treatment plan and care provision on the problem presented; and on its associated complication. It provides a list of objective manifestation that form the basis for the diagnosis; and it prevents deviation from the ideal course of treatment. By setting out on a treatment course designed for the patient, unnecessary tests, medications, procedures, as well as expenses can be dodged; and a focused plan of care can be applied. According to Blake (2010), â€Å"good record-keeping will assist the member in accurately recalling the starting point with the client, the agreed-upon goals and process, and evaluating the extent to which the goals have been achieved† (p.15). Information contained in medical records serve as a basement data with which present, and future assessment findings can be compared with. This aids the health providers in deciding; in planning; and in evaluating the treatment regimen and other interventions for the patient. Documenting assessment findings, outcome interventions, and other observed manifestations, can help medical practitioners monitor the progress of patient care; and identify, as well as prevent possible adverse effects resulting from the treatments employed. In a study by Pomeranz (n.d) on deaths caused by medication errors, he emphasized that â€Å"...better awareness can help prevent some of the deaths [caused by adverse medication reactions;]...and better record keeping can help prevent patients’ being given drugs that they have had allergic reactions to in the past...† (as cited in Grady, 1998, n. pag.). Pertinent information that can affect

In disadvantaged areas around the world, young men find expressions of Essay

In disadvantaged areas around the world, young men find expressions of their masculinity through violence. discuss - Essay Example Additional factors such as social class, poverty, culture and race are also involved, and this makes it difficult to isolate the element of gender and analyse its role in society. This paper introduces recent theories about gender in society and suggests an appropriate way of approaching the subject. It then considers how far and why young men in disadvantaged areas might choose to use violence as a means of expressing their masculinity. Finding an appropriate vocabulary is an important first step in understanding how gender affects behaviour: â€Å"Talking about gender for most people is the equivalent of fish talking about water.† (Lorber, 1994, 21) A great deal of human experience of gender is taken for granted because it occurs on an unconscious level. It is not something that individuals work out themselves, but rather it is the result of repeated interactions with other people who convey the prevailing values and boundaries of society. Lorber stresses the social nature o f gender: â€Å"To explain why gendering is done from birth, constantly and by everyone, we have to look not only at the way individuals experience gender but at gender as a social institution.† (Lorber, 1994, 21). ... From birth babies are assigned to male or female gender, and this results in a whole set of traditional responses which reinforce that gender. Because there is pressure from the family, and from society at large, boys and girls internalize a lot of these notions of gender and grow up â€Å"doing gender† themselves, in ways that are defined by others. This is what it means when we say that gender is socially constructed. The dominance of patriarchy in most human societies ensures that there is a widespread tendency to accord more status and prestige to men, in relation to women. Organized violence tends to be the work of men, and this is a pattern that has been evident throughout history as successive male governments launch into wars with each other. Culture does have some influence in the way that this occurs, however, and Connell points out that â€Å"Commercial capitalism calls on a calculative masculinity and the class struggles of industrialization call on a combative on e. Their combination, competitiveness, is institutionalized in ‘business’ and becomes a central theme in the new form of hegemonic masculinity† (Connell, 1987, p. 156). Western industrialized capitalism, therefore, produces a particularly restrictive form of masculinity which has assertion of power and resistance to this power built into its fabric. Dominant males oppress females and also weaker males. This is the force that lies behind unfairness in comparative wage levels, inequality in access to jobs, promotions and all kinds of opportunities. In communities which are generally disadvantaged both men and women are subjected to prejudice from the more affluent parts of society and this brings their status closer together, at the bottom of social hierarchies. When

The cost of capital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The cost of capital - Essay Example The formula determines the appropriate expected return of alternative projects. The cost of capital is the amount that the investor has to pay in order to generate a series of future dividend incomes, return of investments (Sheridian, Martin & Keown, 2010). For example, Geoff Black (2010) reiterated the business earns $1,000,000 in one year. The profits will grow by 2 percent per year, and the company generates a net worth of $16,666,667 after two years. The cost of capital is arrived at as follows:After computing the formula, X is equal to 8 percent cost of capital figure. Further, the cost of capital can include the return that the stock market investors are expected to earn from their investments in a company. The firm that generates revenues more than the amount of cost of capital will entice the company’s current and prospective investors to invest additional funds into the invested company’s coffers.For example, Microsoft generated a 53 percent return on its equit y. The company’s equity is $7.2 billion. Computing, the company’s return on equity is $3.8 Billion. If the company’s cost of capital is 14 percent, the company’s cost of capital is $1.0 Billion. The company’s residual income is $2.8 Billion. ($3.8 Billion - $ 1.0 Billion). Another term for the $2.8 Billion net income is residual income or Economic Value Added (EVA). Under the Economic Value Added (EVA), management is faced with the financial question whether the assets can be better used in other areas or by fresh management.

The Role of Mass Movement in the World Politics Essay

The Role of Mass Movement in the World Politics - Essay Example The early stages of the War of American Independence appear a notable example of civil disobedience, including mob violence and resistance, which, however, subsequently developed into a full-scale armed conflict (Williams, 1980). Furthermore, the depth of the social crisis in France brought to the French Revolution of 1789 (Breuilly, 1993), which inter alia fully and explicitly demonstrated the potential civil disobedience has for both destruction and creation, as the case might be. A working-class movement in the early 19th-century Britain, named the Luddites, attempted to hold up the â€Å"steady march of capitalism† by destroying and sabotaging the machines that were ousting the workers from their jobs (Richmond, 2012); while the advent of the socialist movement eventually brought the world the 1917 October Revolution, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, the Cuban missile crisis, etc. Despite some differences – in terms of geography, country-specific grievances and demand s, the outcome, and a scale of impact on the world political system – the above-mentioned cases, along with many others as reviewed in the section below, appear to have two common features. First, civil disobedience had been sparked by existing power relations within a particular spatial and temporal configuration, and second, it was aimed at changing those power relations, thus bringing about disruption for state and society’s modus operandi on a massive scale. This paper is intended to review the history of the Occupy Movement in order to establish the actual motives behind its emergence; which, in turn, could provide some answers in regard to the tenability of capitalist and neo-liberal modes of production, the role and success of mass action in bringing about political change at both national and international levels, and, most notably, the feasibility of a fully functioning democracy. Historical Background In more recent times, there are many examples of mass move ments that played more or less an important, if not decisive, role in the development of the respective states and societies. These include the Non-Cooperation Movement inspired and led by Mohandas ‘Mahatma’ Gandhi in the 1920s (Bakshi, 1988; Brown, 2009), The African-American Civil Rights Movement which operated between 1955 and 1968, and later on gave birth to the Black Power movement (McAdam, 2009), Stephen Biko’s Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa (Gerhart, 1978), the Anti-Vietnam War Movement in the United States (DeBenedetti and Chatfield, 1990), also the 1989 velvet and colour revolutions in Eastern Europe (Sorin and Tismaneanu, 2000), and the so-called ‘Orange Revolution’ in Ukraine that followed the 2004 presidential election, etc. (Gee, 2011).

Technology Makes the World Smaller Essay Example for Free

Technology Makes the World Smaller Essay Technology Make the World Smaller Office 2004 Test Drive User Table of Contents Commerce 4 Dell6 Ebay 7 E-cash8 Work Cited11 Footnotes12 Technology Makes the World Smaller The international marketplace is changing very fast every day. E-commerce and E-Business is now one of the standard ways to do business. The Internet has opened up vast opportunities for business to tap into new markets all over the world. The use of the Internet removes all geographical constraints, permits the instant establishment of virtual branches throughout the world, and allows direct and immediate foreign market entry to the smallest of businesses to the biggest. As the economy is becoming more global in nature, companies are handling more business on an international level. When comparing traditional business to e-business, one can see several differences between the two. The most obvious difference when buying standard goods such as a computer or Clothes is the store. When dealing with e-business there is no real store or merchandise to look at. It is all presented through the merchants webpage, or by other electronic means. You will not be able to touch, or feel potential purchases. All you will have to go on is perhaps a picture and a brief description of the item on your computer screen. This is obviously a big change from traditional store where you can walk in physically touch what you plan to purchase. There are several reasons why e-business is appealing to a lot of people. E-business is based on the internet. If you are using the internet, you are not bound by geography. You can access any site, anywhere in the world from the comfort of your own chair. Now the consumer has access to several things they didnt before. Same goes for any type of business on the Web. The consumer and different business now has variety. With the entire internet at your fingers, in a matter of minutes you can browse several stores in several parts of the world without even leaving the comfort of your own home. This allows you to compare prices and products off of different site. With e-business you are not restricted to the prices and products of your local stores. You can easily choose the best price or the best product. You have probably read all of the news stories about the shift to e-commerce and the hype that has developed around e-commerce companies. And you may have actually purchased something on the web, so you have direct personal experience with e-commerce. Still, you may feel like you dont understand e-commerce at all so lets start with the basics. Commerce Before we get into a complete discussion of e-commerce, it is helpful to have a good mental image of plain old commerce first. If you understand commerce, then e-commerce is an easy extension. Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary defines commerce as follows: com. merce n [MF, fr. L commercium, fr. com- + merc-, merx merchandise] (1537) 1: social intercourse: interchange of ideas, opinions, or sentiments 2: the exchange or buying and selling of commodities on a large scale involving transportation from place to place 3: sexual intercourse So commerce is, quite simply, the exchange of goods and services, usually for money. You can see that at this high level, commerce is a fairly simple concept. Whether it is something as simple as a person making and selling hotdogs on a street corner or as complex as a Doctor performing heart surgery, all of commerce at its simplest level relies on buyers, sellers and producers. So electronic commerce is just exchange of money for goods and services via electronic means. In other words, electronic commerce is usually when you purchase something off of the Internet. It is often referred to as e-commerce, or e-business. The Internet has revolutionized the businesses of today. Instead of having physical stores, companies can sell their products right off of the Web. To understand it a bit, lets take a look at one of the most successful e-commerce companies Dell. Dell Dell provides a range of technology products, including mobility products, desktop personal computers, software and peripherals, servers and networking, and storage products. Co. s services offerings include infrastructure technology, consulting and applications, and business process services. Co. also provides a range of financing alternatives, asset management services, and other customer financial services for business and consumer customers. Co. s customers include corporate, government, healthcare, and education accounts. Co. conducts its businesses through four reportable segments: Large Enterprise; Public; Small and Medium Business; and Consumer. Dell is a straightforward company that, like Gateway 2000, and a host of others, sells custom configured PCs to consumers and businesses around the world. Dell started as a mail order company that advertised in the back of magazines and sold their computers over the phone. Like the book Direct from Dell explains â€Å"Dells WebPages have enabled Dell computers to reduce their expenditures and become much more efficient in their production and distribution of their computers. Dells success at using the built to order system and internet has enabled them to become a much more efficient manufacturer of computers allowing Dell to maximize profits. Dells e-commerce presence is widely publicized these days because Dell is able to sell so much merchandise over the web. Dell currently sells something like $14,000,000 in equipment every day. 25% of Dells sales is over the web. Simplified e-commerce is what most small businesses and individuals are using to get into e-commerce. In this option the vendor provides a simplified system for creating your store. The system usually involves a set of forms that you fill out online. The vendors software then generates all of the web pages for the store for you. One good examples of this sort of offering is the website â€Å"Ebay†. EBAY Technology has allowed us to form international community with consumers. Not many company’s have done this as well as Ebay who was one of the first but more are popping up such as Amazon. There are very few companies in the world that are as recognizable as eBay. It is the online auction site and stands as one of the top online retailing stores in the world today. Hundreds of millions of people buy and sell merchandise through the eBay website. Few websites, if any, can drive the amount of traffic that eBay gets on an average day. What is more, virtually all of the people visiting eBay intend either to buy or sell goods and they can be neighbors or on opposites sides of the world. Because of this it is the perfect place on the internet to acquire or dispose of merchandise. The ability to display a products or services, and the ability to extend your business hours to 24-7 without a physical presence, and to update information which is seen by the world, immediately is very powerful in reaching global markets. Businesses can now use website like ebay and the internet breaks down logistical barriers, offering greater flexibility and power in the way they do business. It shrinks time and distance, simplifies complex business processes. E-cash Our textbook states that the biggest impact that will effect international business and global customers is E-retailing and financial services. They say the day is just around the corner where we will have â€Å"E-cash† which stands for electronic cash. With the example of prepaid smart cards we can see it’s not to far behind. Today you can buy one of these cards and use them for public calls and transportation and replacing cash. Once we see this type of payment option show up on the internet it will result in global digital cash and customers and business will be able to work on a 24-hr basis. Electronic cash systems offer vast opportunities for the consumer and business. In business transactions, electronic cash allows businesses to verify cash transactions instantly and to covert from one currency to another. This will be a big break through e-cash will be a currency without a country. In consumer to business transactions, it is easier for the customer because there is no need to carry physical currency, and transactions can be made over the internet instantly. EBay creates value by providing a very simple service. It brings people together. To the uninitiated, this may not seem like much. And yet, it is the foundation of a multibillion-dollar, multinational business empire that exerts an influence over the lives of millions of people. An advantage of any new technology as well as the internet is that it amplifies human potential. When electricity, the telephone, the automobile, and the airplane were invented they made the world more accessible to more people. Bussiness and people could now reech further distances. The internet can have the same revolutionary impact individuals and businesses can overcome geographical, cultural and logistical barriers and improve the way they live and work instantly. Because it amplifies our potential in so many ways, its possible that the long-term impact of the Internet could equal that of electricity, the automobile and the telephone. Disadvantages of the new technology and the internets is that it can make work portable. This will allow company’s to contract work overseas to save of coast. Resulting in people loosing jobs to low paid workers in other countries. In Conclusion the development of technology has greatly benefited mostly developed countries in which they were first launched, but because of the internet many other undeveloped countries are not to far behind. The power of the internet has now allowed for people to communicate regardless of where they are in the world weather it is your neighbor living twenty feet away, or some person totally across the world. Work cited Dell, Michael, Catherine Fredman, , and . Direct from Dell. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1999. Print. Dell Inc.. Mergent Online. Mergent, 2005. Web. 15 Jun 2010. . Hodgetts, Richard, Fred Luthans, and Jonathan Doh. International Management. 6th. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2006. 46-48. Print. Footnotes

E Commerce Use In The Tourism Industry Tourism Essay

E Commerce Use In The Tourism Industry Tourism Essay Abstract: The aim of this paper is to present the impact of Internet on tourism, highlighting the main benefits and limitations of e-commerce in the tourism industry. The article will provide some fundamental knowledge about the ICT (Information and Communications Technology) developments and their implication on various sectors of the travel and tourism industry, related to the world economic situation. 1. Introduction The Internet which is considered to be the most important innovation since the development of the printing press (Hoffman, 2000) has revolutionized how businesses operate. In 2010, Internet reached almost 2 billion users worldwide(28,7% of the total population) including more than 800 million Internet users in Europe (58,4% of its population) and approximately 7.8 million users in the Romania (35% of its population). These figures represent an increase of 444,8% compared to the year 2000. Table 1. Internet Usage and penetration rate Population (2010 est.) % Pop. Of the world Internet users Penetration (% Population) Users Growth (2000 -2010) Romania 21,959,278 0.32% 7,786,700 35.5 % 873.3 % Europe 813,319,511 11.9 % 475,069,448 58.4 % 352.0 % Rest of the world 6,010,331,171 87.78% 1,483,658,668 24.7% 482.8% Total world 6,845,609,960 100% 1,966,514,816 28.7 % 444.8 % (Source www.internetworldstats.com) Due to the uninterrupted growth of the Internet penetration rate, demographic characteristics of online users are resembling more and more the ones of the general population. The average age of Internet users is rising in tandem with that of the general population, and racial and ethnic characteristics are more closely mirroring those in the offline population (eMarketer, 2010). Another interesting is the fact that over 90% of people between age of 5 and 17 use the Internet on a regular basis (Turban, King, McKay, Marshall, Lee Viehland, 2008). These younger generations are more familiar with the Internet than other media such as radio and television. When they will become economically active population, the Internet will be the most influential medium in business. From the early ages of the public Internet development, the search for travel information and for the purpose of making a booking has been one of the main reasons that people use the Internet. The top 5 most popular online purchases were books (66%), clothes (57%), travel arrangements (57%), gifts (51%) and CDs (45%) in the US in 2007 (Center for the Digital Future, 2008). The tourism industry has demonstrated rapid growth before the impact of the financial crisis and therefore has been identified as a key element of growth in the services sector. The tourism industry continues to be an important element as foreign exchange earner, contributing to the growth of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the growth of the investments and employment rate as well as strengthening the services account of the balance of payments. According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) the tourisms contribution to worldwide GDP is estimated at some 5%, and ranges from approximately 2% to over 10% for countries where tourism is an important sector of the economy (UNWTO Tourism Highlights 2010). The global economic recession combined with other problems related to natural disasters and influenza pandemic made out of 2009 one of the toughest years for the tourism sector worldwide. The year 2009 marked a decline in international tourist arrivals all over the world (880 million) and the tourism sector in Europe was the strongly affected. But starting with the 4th quarter of the year growth returned, after 14 months of negative results. And good news is announced by the UNWTO prediction that international arrivals will almost double reaching 1.6 billion by 2020 (UNWTO Tourism Highlights 2010) and will continue to grow at a rapid pace. The expansion of this industry will also have a benefic effect on the economic growth of other related service industries, such as food and beverages, accommodation, transport, shopping, entertainment and other small and medium-sized industries. Source: UNWTO Tourism Highlights 2010 2. The connection between ICT and Tourism Tourism industry has been linked with the progress and evolution of ICTs for over 30 years. Commencing in the 70s with the establishment of the Computer Reservation Systems (CRSs), then in the 80s the evolution of the Global Distribution Systems (GDSs) and the Internet in the 90s have changed operational and strategic practices in tourism. Nowadays ICTs are relevant on all operative, structural, strategic and marketing levels to facilitate global interaction among suppliers, intermediaries and consumers around the world (Buhalis Law, 2008; Egger Buhalis, 2008) Tourism is a dynamic sector of the economy, regardless if it is considered at local, national or international level, and as the Internet penetration rate increased, the use of e-commerce can became an effective tool to promote and develop new opportunities in the travel and tourism sector. Because tourism can be considered an information intensive industry it has experienced important changes over the past few years due to the strong evolution of ICT, which together with the Internet spans the globe (G. Schneider, 2007). The tourism sector is characterized by the intensive production of information, to meet the needs of the various actors (Ramos et al., 2009). ICT has significantly altered the playground for travel and tourism stakeholders, creating new opportunities and challenges in selling and promoting their products/services. The way in which potential clients search for travel information and buy their holidays packages was also altered by the unforeseen development and mass diffusion of Internet. Tourism and Internet combined together revolutionized the way of traveling. The cumulative effect generated by the following factors: the progress made in the field of the ICTs combined with the fact that technology became largely available; the digitalization of business; the growth of e-commerce in al fields of the economy; the adoption and integration of these revolutionary technologies in the field of tourism led to the birth of the concept of e-tourism. Electronic tourism (e-tourism) is defined as being the application of ICT on the tourism industry (Buhalis, 2003). After a literature review of works done on this domain I would like to point out that experts stated that e-tourism represents the digitalization of the value chain and business processes in the travel, tourism, hospitality and catering industries. At the tactical level, it includes e-commerce and applies ICTs for maximizing the efficiency and effectiveness of the tourism organization. At the strategic level, e-tourism revolutionizes all business processes, the entire value chain as well as the strategic relationships of tourism organizations with all their stakeholders. (Buhalis, 2003) 3. Benefits and limitations of the Internet and ICT As mentioned above the evolution in technology allowed existing business to re-engineer themselves through technological innovation and permitted the entrance and creation of new business. The implementation and use of e-commerce applications present a series of advantages but also a series of disadvantages. The most relevant benefits and limitations of electronic commerce use are displayed in the tables below: Table 2. Benefits of e-commerce Source: Turban et al. 2008 Table 3. Limitations of e-commerce Source: Turban et al. 2008 ICT and Internet have provided the means for tourism organizations to develop their business processes and adapt their management structure and strategy to take advantage of the newly created possibilities in order to: Increase internal efficiency and better manage of their capacity and improve yield management. Interact more with existing and potential customers and personalize the products/services in order to meet their needs. Revolutionize tourism intermediation and increase the number of points of sale. Enable consumers to communicate with each other and share opinions. Provide Location Based Services utilize the ability to make use of the location of the mobile device. (Virrantaus et al. 2001) Promote of efficient cooperation between partners in the value system. Enhance the operational and geographic scope by offering strategic tools for global expansion. (Buhalis, 2003) The most discussed technological barriers are the lack of global standards for quality, security, and reliability (Turban et al., 2008; Van Toorn, Bunker, Yee, Smith, 2006). The absence of standards in technologies and its applications can increase semnificatively the cost of system integration for a more efficient management in distribution, operation and communication worldwide. Hospitality corporations had the financial power to invest and transform their systems into a total netware system. Small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SME) on the other hand are having trouble integrating their systems because of limited financial resources. Due to this fact SME have a competitive disadvantage when competing against large corporation and it is difficult to conserve their position on market. The major non-technological problem is the payment and privacy issues, which can result in keeping consumers away from making online transactions. Businesses must protect themselves and their customers from losses due to cyber-vandalism and fraud, offering secure transactions and privacy protection of personal information by using advance cryptographic methods. The large availability of Internet created huge amounts of information, some of which can be inaccurate and deluding. For this reason, the Internet has lead to a decrease in the efficient search for information (Allen Shoard, 2005; Farhoomand Drury, 2002; Lurie, 2004). From the consumer point of view this may result in frustration due to the increased number of alternatives and attributes and finally may lead to increased cost for searching and indentifying alternatives Using ICT as a stand-alone initiative is not adequate and has to be combined with redesigning the business processes, structures and management control systems. ICT can enhance business success when rational and innovative planning and management is exercised on regular basis in organization. Intellect therefore becomes a critical asset, while continuous education and training are instrumental for the innovative use of ICT and the competitiveness of tourism organizations. (Buhalis, 2003) The integration of e-commerce application in tourism affected both supply and demand in this industry. In all sectors of the tourism industry the influence of ICT and Internet can be noticed through internal re-organization, relationships with partners and the way it relates and interacts with customers and stakeholders. E-tourism offers a wide range of opportunities for business expansion in all geographical, marketing and operational senses and as a result an important number of new players have arisen, sometimes referred as barbarians in the literature (Wade, 2000), as they enter with self-defined new rules. Table 4. Influence on various tourism industry players Source: Werthner, H. and Klein, 1999 4. Conclusion Travel and tourism have demonstrated that e-commerce may influence the structure of an industry, and provide new opportunities for business. In order to keep up with the highly demanding and better-informed customers, tourism organization have to use the advantages provided by the development of ICT and integrate the innovational technologies into their business process. The changes in industry structure is equally affecting large corporation and small and medium companies but it is more stringent for SME to master the ability grasp the opportunities provided by ICT, because failure to do so will materialize in loss of competitiveness and business opportunities. As experts stated it: Given the importance of e-commerce in tourism, it is essential that tourism organizations adopt e-commerce as their business strategy. All type of tourism organization should pay attention to the new mobile technologies that emerged in the past few years and to the advantages offered by m-commerce because this may take e-tourism a step forward by offering a better interaction with the customers. The study of what seems to be materializing, as m-tourism will be the focus of further research. Due to the fact that the use of e-commerce had a continuous and rapid growth despite the current economic situation combined with the great potential of the tourism sector, I venture my self in stating that e-tourism can provide us with a way to surpass more quickly the negative effects generated by the international financial crisis into the economy.

Emotional Intelligence Ei And Burnout Among Nurses Psychology Essay

Emotional Intelligence Ei And Burnout Among Nurses Psychology Essay This study examined the relationship between emotional intelligence and burnout among nurses working in private hospitals in Malaysia. Theoretical literatures related to this relationship are presented in the first part of this chapter. The existing literatures on the topics were examined and key pieces were brought together to establish a foundation for this study. While for the second part of this chapter, it discusses about the theoretical framework of this study and finally, the research hypotheses are developed based on the theoretical foundations and empirical evidences from the existing literatures. 2.2 Burnout The term burnout has its roots in the medical and nursing disciplines. It was first defined by a psychiatrist, named Herbert Freudenberger in 1974. The theory of burnout was developed through his clinical experience by exploring the turmoil that people experience every day. According to Maslach and Jackson (1981a), burnout occurs in the helping professions, such as nursing due to the chronic stress associated with doing work that involves people. Basically burnout occurs as feelings of emotional exhaustion, negative feelings, and attitudes within the job and the increase of negative self-concept. The earliest use of the burnout term in nursing literature was found in the articles published by Seymour Shubin in 1978. Shubin described burnout as hazardous to nursing and all other helping professions. The study of burnout, although not exclusive to nursing, continues to be an important occupational issue for the nursing profession. 2.2.1 Definition of Burnout There are many definitions of burnout, however most definitions share a view of burnout as a state of fatigue and emotional exhaustion, as a result of emotional depletion and loss of motivation. The term burnout that was first coined by Freudenberger in 1974 refers to wearing out from the pressures of work. It was used to describe the experience of employees in professions that needs high degree of people contract. Freudenberger in 1975 further defined burnout as wearing out, failing, becoming exhausted, and it occurs when excessive demands on energy, strength or resources are made. Cherniss (1980) was among the first to describe burnout within human service field who defined burnout as a process that leads to an individuals attitudes and behaviors change in negative ways in response to work stress. On the other hand, Maslach (1982) who had extensively researched about burnout has provided the most commonly accepted definition of burnout as a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment that can occur among individuals who do peoples work of some kind. Maslach identified three related themes: (1) painful emotional experiences often resulted in clinical practitioners feeling emotionally exhausted and drained; (2) as a result, they developed negative and cynical attitudes towards their clients; and (3) personal competence suffered resulting in feelings of failure about their ability to work in the healthcare profession. These three themes were summarized as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal ac complishment and later operationalized to measure burnout using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) (Maslach, Jackson Leiter, 1996). Garrosa, Moreno-Jimenez, Liang and Gonzalez (2008) indicated that burnout is a specific form of chronic and occupational stress in the professional social services. According to Westman and Eden (1996), studies have shown a strong relationship between work stress and burnout in many occupations. Especially, burnout has been repeatedly linked to job stress in the human service field due to the frequent and intense interactions with clients (Cordes Doughery, 1993; Lee Ashforth, 1996). Additionally, studies have also shown that nurses who experience occupational stress experience greater burnout (Stechmiller Yarandi, 1993). Thus, burnout is related to stress whereby burnout is a reaction to stress. Prolonged and unrelieved work stress often leads to burnout which results in negative attitudes towards work. Freudenberger (1975) postulated that burnout involves physical and behavioral symptoms. Behavioral consequences of burnout include decreased interaction with care recipients, ineff ective absenteeism, and high levels of job turnover (Maslach, 1982; Maslach Leiter, 1997). 2.2.2 Models of Burnout The burnout literature provides several models of burnout. This section describes three models constructed in the early eighties which proceed from the simplest to the most complex model. 2.2.2.1 Cherniss transaction model of burnout Cherniss (1980) was a significant figure of the first wave of burnout researchers and offered a burnout model that articulated transactional imbalance between the personal resources of the giver and the demands of the recipient or situation. Cherniss described burnout as a transactional stress process that involves three stages. The first stage is stress whereby demands placed exceed individual resources for coping. The second stage is strain, the initial emotional response to stress which usually includes feelings of anxiety, tension, fatigue, and exhaustion. Finally, defensive coping occurs which leads to changes in attitudes and behaviors such as the tendency of burnout individuals to treat clients in depersonalized way. Two years later, Cherniss modified his model and elaborated on the model that the causes of stress can either be internal or external demands. Additionally, the limited resources contributing to stress can also be external (e.g. availability of time, work space, a nd equipment) or internal (e.g. skills, knowledge, energy, and personality). In summary, Cherniss theorized that burnout is a coping response in a transactional process that begins with excessive and prolonged exposure to job stress. The uncontrollable stress causes strain in the individual which influences the coping process. If the stress is prolonged or becomes more intense, it will deplete the coping resources of an individual and force the individual to withdraw psychologically. 2.2.2.2 Edelwich and Brodsky: Five stages of burnout Edelwich and Brodsky (1980) suggested five stages of burnout: (1) enthusiasm; (2) stagnation; (3) frustration; (4) apathy; and (5) intervention. At the first stage, employees have great enthusiasm for their new jobs. They do not know much about their job and have unrealistic expectations about outcomes of their effort. Therefore, when the outcome is not as expected, they become disillusioned. During the period of stagnation at stage two, realities of the job become evident. The job is no longer satisfying as it first appeared. Employees are now more concerned with meeting personal needs, working hours, and career development. The third stage is called the period of frustration. Employees begin to question their job effectiveness and the value of their job. The limits imposed by bureaucracy frustrate the individuals and they become dissatisfied with the job situation. At this stage, employees begin to develop emotional, physical, and behavioral problems. Proceed to stage four; employees frustration turns to apathy because individuals feel trapped. On one hand, they feel frustrated by the job situation but on the other hand, they need the salary. The emotional and physical responses of individuals become worse whereby they would avoid clients whenever possible. The final stage is intervention. Nevertheless, it cannot be determined whether this stage would occur in an organization or the individual who is experiencing burnout would recognize their psychological state as undesirable. In summary, Edelwich and Brodsky viewed burnout as an evolutionary process that begins with idealistic enthusiasm and commitment. Subsequently, the loss of idealism, vigor, and purpose are triggered largely by work conditions (Edelwich Brodsky, 1980). 2.2.2.3 Maslach: Burnout caused by social interaction Maslach, a social psychologist, who became a stellar figure in the emerging research of burnout, has provided the conceptual definition that begun the second wave of research. Maslach (1982) described burnout as a three-dimensional syndrome characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Another specific contribution Maslach made was the theoretical emphasis on the relational causes of burnout which linked to the social roots of emotional expenditure (Leiter Maslach, 1988; Maslach Leiter, 1997). Maslach (1982) saw that emotional overload and subsequent emotional exhaustion are the heart of the burnout syndrome. Thus, the first response to a stressful interaction with other people is emotional exhaustion. As people become emotionally depleted, they cope by cutting back on their involvement with others. This detached response which called depersonalization is the second aspect of burnout and leads to various negative attitudes and behaviors. At this stage, individuals who experience burnout feel more emotional distress and guilt about how they have treated those that they are trying to help. Finally, the feeling of reduced personal accomplishment which is the third aspect of burnout appears. At this point, the individuals feel inadequate about their ability to treat or help others. They tend to believe that they have failed professionally and chosen the wrong profession. A major contribution by Maslach was the development of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Maslach and Jackson (1981a, 1981b) developed the MBI, which was one of the first reliable instruments for valid measurement of burnout. MBI is still the most widely-used measure of burnout in current research. MBI assesses psychological burnout and has three different versions, which include one general survey, one for human service professionals, and one for educators. The most commonly used measure of burnout is the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey or MBI-HSS (Maslach, Jackson Leiter, 1996) which was developed to measure occupational burnout among people working in the field of human services. 2.2.3 Burnout and Nursing Employees in general experience burnout on the job, especially those in jobs with high contact with people. Nevertheless, nurses are considered at high risk of work-related stress and particularly susceptible to burnout among the different healthcare providers (Keane, Ducette Alder, 1985; Kilpatrick, 1989; Schaefer Moos, 1993; Schaufeli Janczur, 1994; Duquette, Kerouac Sandhu Beaudet, 1994; Farrington, 1995; Decker, 1997; Marsh, Beard Adams, 1999; Koivula, Paunonen Laippala, 2000; Taormina Law, 2000; Shimizu, Mizoue, Kubota, Mishima Nagata, 2003; Jenkins Elliott, 2004; Piko, 2006). This is also proven by the fact that burnout in nursing has received world-wide attention (Demerouti, Bakker, Nechreiner Schaufeli, 2000). Several studies have identified nurse burnout rates are as high as 40-50% (Hapell, Martin Pinikahana, 2003; Vahey, Aiken, Sloane, Clarke Vargas, 2004). Nurses are particularly susceptible to the development of burnout, mainly because of the nature and the em otional demands of their profession. Nurses experience considerable stress in their job because they have long working hours, a wide range of tasks, interpersonal conflict with patients and their families, doctors, and other co-workers, exposure to death and dying, and noise pollution (Schmitz, Neuman Opperman, 2000; Maslach, Schaufeli Leiter, 2001; Shimizu et al., 2003). Studies have also confirmed that stressful circumstances for hospital nurses are escalating (Foxall, Zimmerman, Standley Bene, 1990; Healey McKay, 2000; Koivula et al., 2000). Basically, nurses are subjected to many demands in the workplace which include physical demands as well as the psychological/emotional demands. The physical demands are related to the physical energy required to perform the daily duties of nursing such as transferring patients in and out of bed and lifting patients onto a bed. On the other hand, psychological/emotional demands are related to the emotional energy required to care for patients with chronic illness (Van Servelle n Leake, 1993). Therefore, nurses who feel overloaded perceive a lack of meaningful connection with the patients. 2.3 Emotional Intelligence (EI) Emotional intelligence (EI) is complementary to cognitive abilities (IQ) (Devrim, Nadi, Mahmut, Mustafa Mustafa Kemal, 2005). Goleman (1995) stated that EI is significant to success. Goleman further explained the difference between people with high IQs who experience difficulties in their personal and professional lives and people with moderate IQs who are very successful in all their endeavours. Emotions are separated from that of the rational mind by having independent views and a mind of their own (Freshwater Stickley, 2004). Therefore, one has two minds, a rational mind that thinks and an emotional mind that feels. In conclusion, both the rational mind and emotional mind, store memories and influence our responses, actions, and choices. Furthermore, EI such as academic intelligence can be learned and developed with age (Mayer, Caruso Salovey, 2000). Research has shown that people with high EI understand their own and others feelings, know how to manage themselves, deal successfully with others, and respond effectively to work demands (Dulewicz Higgs, 2003; Goleman, 2005). Cooper (1997) stated that people with high levels of EI experience more career success, build stronger personal relationships, lead more effectively, and enjoy better health than those with low EI. Hence, developing EI competencies in existing employees or finding individuals who posses these skills will enhance the organizations bottom line (Goleman, 1998a, 1998b) and ensure long-term success for the company. 2.3.1 Background and Definition of Emotional Intelligence (EI) The idea of EI has its roots in the social intelligences. EI was first proposed by Thorndike in 1921, who noted that it was of value in human interactions and relationships. Gardners (1983) multiple intelligence theory later also contributed to the theory of EI through the identification of intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligences. Interpersonal intelligence comprised of the ability to understand others and to co-operate with them, whereas intrapersonal intelligence comprised of the ability to be self-aware, to recognize ones own feelings, and to use this to operate successfully in life. However, the term EI was not brought into mainstream psychology until 1990s (Mayer, DiPaolo Salovey, 1990; Salovey Mayer, 1990). Hence, EI is a new construct since the first peer-reviewed article that was published in 1990 (Salovey Mayer, 1990). The concept is also described as a new theory which is still in the initial stage of development and testing (Ashkanasy, Hartel Daus, 2002; Cherniss , Extein, Goleman Weissberg, 2006). As a result, definition of EI varies. Salovey and Mayer (1990) first coined the term of EI and defined EI as the ability to monitor ones own and others feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide ones thinking and actions. Mayer et al. (2000) further defined EI as an ability to recognize the meanings of emotions and their relationships, and reason and problem-solve on the basis of them. EI is involved in the capacity to perceive emotions, assimilate emotions related feelings, understand the information of those emotions, and manage them. However, the concept of EI was popularized by Goleman (1995) through his book Emotional Intelligence, which became the best-selling book for business and education leaders. Goleman (1998a) identified EI as the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships. In addition, Bar-On (2005) defined EI as a cross-section of interrelated emotio nal and social competencies, skills, and facilitators that determine how effectively we understand and express ourselves, understand others and relate with them, and cope with daily demands. In conclusion, recognizing feelings and controlling emotions are described as the core competencies of EI. Individuals who are emotionally intelligent can understand one another and each others views to overcome conflict and avoid damaging the relationship. Therefore, EI is about sensing what others are feelings and handling relationships effectively (Dulewicz Higgs, 2000). Previous research also addressed the relationship between EI and work outcome variables such as stress perceptions in the workplace (Bar-On, Brown, Kirkcaldy Thome, 2000; Nikolaou Tsaousis, 2002), job satisfaction (Wong Law, 2002), job commitment (Nikolaou Tsaousis, 2002), leader effectiveness (Higgs Aitken, 2003), and performance (Lam Kirby, 2002; Van Rooy Viswesvaran, 2004; Lopes, Grewal, Kadis, Gall Salovey, 2006). 2.3.2 Theories of Emotional Intelligence (EI) Many theories have been proposed since the emergence of the concept of EI in 1990s. Nevertheless, three theories have gained acceptance among scholars and practitioners (Dulewicz, Higgs Slaski, 2003). These three major theoretical constructs each focused on understanding the roles of skills, traits, and abilities in EI (Emmerling Goleman, 2003). EI has been defined as an ability (Salovey Mayer, 1990), a set of traits and abilities (Bar-On, 2005) or a combination of skills and personal competencies (Goleman, 1995). The ability model is based on an individuals ability to use emotions as part of the reasoning process (Mayer et al., 2000). Mayer et al. asserted that EI depends on the ability to process emotional information and to use core abilities related to emotions. Bar-On (2005) conceptualized EI as a set of personality traits and abilities that predict emotional and social adaption within environments. Bar-On also affirmed that EI is teachable and learnable. According to Goleman (1995), EI is a set of learned skills and competencies and this conceptualization is most widely accepted outside academia. Golemans ideas have contributed to the development of leadership models that outline skills and competencies related to emotionally competent leadership (Emmerling Goleman, 2003). Apart from that, the literature has evolved into two main categories of EI models: (1) ability model; and (2) mixed models (Feyerherm Rice, 2002). The Salovey and Mayer theory is considered as an ability model of EI, while the Bar-On and Goleman theories are considered as mixed models of EI (Mayer et al., 2000). Basically, the ability model encapsulates EI as a skill and the mixed models go beyond ability by including additional personality characteristics that lead to certain behaviors. 2.3.2.1 Ability Model The ability model of EI is the Salovey and Mayer (1990) model which officially launched the field of EI. Salovey and Mayer viewed EI as an ability that exists, interacts, and complements an individuals cognitive capabilities. Ability theory promotes the relationship between cognition and emotions based on mental abilities (Mayer, Salovey Caruso, 2004). Salovey and Mayer conceptualized EI as a set of interrelated skills composed of four branches of abilities, which include: (1) perception and expression of emotions; (2) using emotions to facilitate thought; (3) understanding and analyzing emotions; and (4) managing emotions (Mayer et al., 2004). The four branches can be described as follows: (1) the perceiving emotions branch relates to the ability to detect emotions in oneself and in others; (2) the using emotions branch relates to the ability to use emotions in cognitive activities such as problem solving; (3) the understanding emotions branch relates to the ability to comprehend t he complexity of emotional languages and emotional relationships; and (4) the managing emotions branch relates to the ability for one to regulate emotions in oneself and in others. The ability model of EI is different from other theories because the model is the only one which utilizes an instrument designed to measure ability (Dulewicz et al., 2003). This model operationalizes EI using ability-based measures: the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MECEIT) (Mayer, Salovey Caruso, 2002) and its predecessor, the Multifactor Emotional Intelligence Scale (MEIS) (Salovey Mayer, 1990). The ability tests measure how well people perform tasks and solve emotional problems, as opposed to other EI scales which rely on the individuals subjective assessment of his or her perceived emotional skills. However, ability tests are expensive and require more resources to administer and score. MSCEIT instrument is difficult to score and lacks workplace applicability (Brackett, Rivers, Shiffman, Lerner Salovey, 2006). Consequently, self-report assessment outnumbers ability tests are more widely used in the mixed models. 2.3.2.2 Mixed Models EI mixed theories highlight the emotional and social functioning of individuals (Goleman, 2005; Bar-On, 2006). Therefore, Bar-On categorized his model of EI as a key of emotional-social intelligence (ESI). Bar-On (2005) asserted five key competencies are associated with ESI, whereby the five domains of these mixed models are: (1) intrapersonal capacity (the ability to be aware and understand ones own emotions and to express ones feelings and ideas); (2) interpersonal skills (the ability to be aware, understand, and appreciate others feelings as well as to build and maintain effective and satisfying relationships with others); (3) adaptability (the ability to adapt to various situations by effectively managing personal, social, and environmental changes by employing various skills such as problem solving, reality testing, and flexibility); (4) stress management strategies (the ability to manage emotions and to use those emotions to stay motivated and persistent); and (5) motivational and general mood factors (the ability to be optimistic, to enjoy oneself and others, and to maintain positive feelings) (Bar-On et al., 2000). The Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i), a self-report measure is considered as the most widely used measure of ESI (Bar-On, 2005). The EQ-i analyzes the concept of emotional and social functioning by measuring a persons ability to deal with daily demands and pressures. People who are taking EQ-i answer questions based on five competencies: (1) intrapersonal skills such as emotional self-awareness, self-regard, self-actualization, or independence; (2) interpersonal skills such as interpersonal relationships, empathy, and social responsibility; (3) adaptability, including problem solving, flexibility, and reality testing; (4) stress management, including tolerance and impulse control; and (5) general mood of optimism and happiness. Goleman developed his mixed models theory of EI by building on the work of Salovey and Mayer, in addition to other researchers in the field (Emmerling Goleman, 2003). Basically, Golemans model of EI can be grouped into personal competencies and social competencies that affect personal success in the workplace. Goleman (2005) stated that a personal competence is the ability to keep self-awareness and manage ones behaviors while a social competence is the ability to understand the behaviors of others and manage relationships effectively. These competencies are described in detail as: (1) self-awareness (knowing ones internal states, preferences, resources, and intuitions); (2) self-management (managing ones internal states, impulses, and resources); (3) motivation (emotional tendencies that facilitate reaching goals); empathy (awareness of others feelings, needs, and concerns); and (4) social skills (adeptness at inducing desirable responses in others) (Goleman, 1998a). Based on the emotional competencies identified by Goleman (1998a), the Emotional Competence Inventory (ECI) was designed to assess EI. ECI is a 360-degree scale which gathers self, subordinate, peer, and supervisory ratings on social and emotional competencies of individuals in organizations. Subsequently, Boyatzis (2007) designed Emotional Social Competency Instrument (ESCI), a multi-rater assessment in real organizational contexts which comprised of four emotional and social competencies, which include: (1) self-awareness; (2) self-management; (3) social awareness; and (4) relationship management. In general, EI mixed models stress performance based on behavioral competencies and personality traits suitable for a wide range of work contexts, job roles, and job levels (Petrides, Furnham Martin, 2004; Goleman, 2005; Boyatzis, 2007). The mixed models are also comprised of other measurement instruments. For examples, measures such as the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT) (Schutte, Malouff, Hall, Haggerty, Cooper, Golden Dornheim, 1998), and Wong and Laws (2002) leadership-focused measure of EI. Many studies in the literature utilize self-report measures of EI based on mixed models perspective that incorporates both disposition and ability (Chan, 2006). According to MacCann, Matthews, Zeidner and Roberts (2003), mixed models scales vastly outnumber ability tests at the stage of EI development, meaning that EI is more commonly assessed as a disposition, rather than as an ability. Additionally, self-report or peer-report measures require less amount of time to complete and are most cost-effective than the ability based measure. 2.3.3 Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Nursing There is a large body of knowledge related to EI exists outside nursing whereas EI theory and research within nursing is scarce and a more recent phenomenon (Akerjordet Severinsson, 2007; Smith, Profetto-McGrath Cummings, 2009). Smith et al. (2009) conducted a literature review related to EI and nursing during 1995 to 2007. Smith et al. found only 21 theoretical and 9 empirical articles related to the subject and concluded that although the body of theoretical literature in nursing is growing, scientific research about EI and nursing is just beginning. Apart from that, researches that link EI and nursing are mostly correlation designs using small sample sizes. Akerjordet and Severinsson (2007) asserted that EI has significant implications for nurses quality of work in healthcare. Therefore some qualitative studies have been carried out to explore the concepts and ideas of EI in nursing (Akerjordet Severinsson, 2004; Freshwater Stickley, 2004; Kooker, Shoultz Codier, 2007; Hurley Rankin, 2008). Akerjordet and Severinsson (2004) used qualitative interviews to gain insight into mental health nurses emotional experiences in practice and sought to understand the connection between nurses articulations of emotions in practice and EI concepts. Four main themes emerged from the study, which include: (1) relationship with the patient; (2) the substance of supervision; (3) motivation; and (4) responsibility which are related to different aspects of EI. For instance, relationship with the patient which was a central research finding is linked to EI through the ability to interpret and communicate emotional information. Akerjordet and Severinsson concluded that EI implies important personal and interpersonal skills in nurses therapeutic use of self, critical reflection, and stimulates the search for a deeper understanding of professional nursing identity. In another study, Kooker et al. (2007) used the conceptual framework of EI to analyze nurses stories about their professional practices. The stories reflected evidence of EI competencies that could provide fresh insights into ways to keep nurses engaged in practice and to improve nurses retention and patient/client outcomes. The domains and competencies of EI identified across the stories include social awareness, the most common one, followed by social management, self-awareness, and lastly self-management which was represented less frequently than the other domains. In summary, EI concept is increasingly recognized and is making an appearance in nursing journals (Cadman Brewer, 2001; Evans Allen, 2002; Freshman Rubino, 2002). The literature revealed EI is important and relevant to nursing from both an empirical and a theoretical perspective. EI influences emotions within quality of care and stress management, thus influence employees retention, quality of patient care, and patient outcomes. Therefore, further research that investigates potential uses for EI theories, skills, and competencies related to nursing practice and patient care is warranted within the healthcare environment (Akerjordet Severinsson, 2007; Smith et al., 2009). 2.4 Relationship between Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Burnout Emotional Intelligence (EI) expressed in the ability to recognize, understand, control, and utilize emotions may have impact on the perceived job stress and the consequences of experienced stress. Many empirical studies have shown that the relationship exists between EI and burnout syndrome (Reilly, 1994; Duran Extremera, 2004; Gerits, Derksen, Verbruggen Katzko, 2005; Chan, 2006; Duran, Extremera, Rey, Fernandez-Berrocal Montalban, 2006; Benson, Truskett Findlay, 2007; Rimmer, Bedwell, Bay, Drachman, Torey, Foster Caruso, 2009; Brackett, Palomera, Mojsa-Kaja, Reyes Salovey, 2010). These studies also proved that there is a negative correlation between EI and burnout syndrome. For instance, Reilly (1994) in a study of hospital nurses identified that nurses who scored higher on EI experienced fewer symptoms of burnout. Apart from that, other empirical studies have shown that the components of EI are correlated with the components of burnout (Mendes, 2002; Farmer, 2004; Palser, 2004; Potter, 2006; Froese, 2009). Farmer (2004) conducted a study to examine the relationship between EI and burnout using a sample of 169 newly graduated nursing students in practice. The results showed significant correlations which included a negative relationship between using emotions to facilitate thinking and depersonalization (DP) (r = -.240, p Palser (2004) investigated EI and burnout among ministerial workers. The researcher utilized bivariate analysis and produced two significant correlations. Firstly, an inverse relationship between emotional exhaustion (EE) and using emotions to facilitate thinking was presented among the 101 pastors sampled (r = -.25, p < .05). Secondly, a positive relationship was identified between personal accomplishment (PA) and understanding emotions (r = .21, p < .05). In another study, Froese (2009) examined whether the four abilities of EI predicted the components of burnout among 57 professional caregivers after accounting for the contribution of caregiver's demographic characteristics, which were licensure level, age, and ethnici

Abortion :: essays research papers

ABORTION – THE ISSUE Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy. Legal abortions can be performed up until the sixteenth week of pregnancy, after sixteen weeks most doctors or clinics will not perform the procedure unless keeping the baby presents a medical risk to the mother. Even in these situations abortions are very risky after sixteen weeks. The moral question has always been whether or not it should be a woman’s decision to get an abortion. The other side of that question is whether the government should have control over a woman’s body and forbid her to get an abortion. Both the pro-life and the pro-choice supporters on this issue are adamant about their ideas and their beliefs. Pro-life activists carry a strong argument, and continue to push their beliefs. They feel so strongly about these beliefs that violence has broken out in some known instances. Pro-choice activists, on the other hand, also carry very strong points. They believe that the child inside them is their property and its life doesn't be until birth. The Church is against abortion seeing it as the killing of a human life. Pope John Paul â€Å"condemned abortion as a crime†¦urging Roman Catholics to fight what he called an abominable crime and the shame of humanity.† (The Age 6-10-97) and on a trip to Brazil stated â€Å"May the abominable crime of abortion, shame of humanity, not condemn the unborn to the most unjust execution – that of the most innocent human beings.† Mother Teresa another widely recognised religious figure was whole heartedly against Abortion seeing it as â€Å"murder† of the innocent. The Catholic Church believes that abortion should be undertaken only in extreme circumstances such as when the mother is in risk of dying. The media on the other hand seem to relay both sides of the issue. The electronic media seem to go by public support that abortion is a woman’s right and that the baby is only a foetus with no feeling. The print media follow the same structure as an opinion article in the Age by Pamela Bone reads â€Å"The law should reflect society’s needs, and at this point in time, that need includes safe and legal abortion.† (12/2/98) on making abortion illegal across the states. The media seems to voice what the statistics show that the 80 000 abortions in a year will still happen even if abortion is made illegal.

Asian Values: Do they exist? Essay examples -- Economics

Asian Values: Do they exist? On the face of it, the existence of ‘Asian Values’ seems illusory. After the humiliation of the 1998 Asian Financial Crisis, the sounding of the death knell for the Asian-values debate seemed imminent. Yet with the recent ascension of China as an economic superpower and similar economic miracles in the East, some began to speculate about ‘Asian Values’ and its inherent superiority in the political, economic and social structures in countries. ‘Asian values’ can be termed as a set of values shared by people of many different nationalities and ethnicities living in East and Southeast Asia. Often seen in the context of religion, Taoism, Islam and Buddhism have fashioned or influenced the basis of many values. Despite some minor differences in the value systems of these religions, they generally agree on certain areas. These include a stress on the community rather than the individual, a reliance on the moral fabric of human relations and conventions, a particular emphasis on thriftiness and hard work, and a respect for political leadership amongst others. In order to examine whether these Asian values still have credence in today’s world, we must look at four areas of study: the influence of globalization, the policies of government, adoption of Asian values into economics, and the changing social fabric of Asia. There can be no doubt that globalization in the past decades has had a profound influence on the traditional v...

Alienation And Discrimination: Of Mice And Men :: essays research papers fc

The 1930s was a time period in which racial discrimination played a vital role in the lives of minorities. Around this time period many men were rovers, or men who wandered in search of work. These men were often very lonely. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, Crooks, a black stable buck, endures alienation due to racial discrimination. Racial discrimination also hinders him from any type of success. Despite the hardships, he overcomes these obstacles and faces this struggle head on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Forced into isolationism, due to segregation, alienation becomes Crooks’ companion. On an attempt for his alienation to be broken, Lennie walks into Crooks’ room â€Å"smiled helplessly in an attempt to make friends† (75). At the sight of this Crooks becomes defensive and declares, â€Å"I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse and you ain’t wanted in my room...They say I stink†(75). It is obvious that Crooks has been treated badly. he wants company but he does not really know how to except it or express himself towards it. Suddenly, â€Å"Crooks scowled but Lennie’s disarming smile defeated him†(76). This action shows the importance of human contact and though he scowls, Lennie looks over him. 1this entire incident shows how Crooks wants his loneliness to end. As Lennie entered Crooks room he (Crooks) slowly began to let his guard down because he needs companionship and friendship with others to share his ideas. Until this point ant time none of the other men had ever been in Crooks’ room just as he had never been in the bunkhouse. More ironic incidents are bound to happen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After Candy enters Crooks’ room, Curley’s wife enters the room also and tries to hold a conversation with the three men. After the men do not respond to her she states, â€Å"Funny thing... If I catch one man, and he’s alone, I get along with him fine. But just two of the guys get together and you won’t talk†(84). Curley’s wife is also very lonely (just as the men are). The men do not want any trouble so Crooks tells her, â€Å"Maybe you better go along to your house now, we don’t want no trouble†(84)...†You ain’t got no rights in a colored man’s room†(88). She does not have the right to be in his room. Neither of the men want to be in any type of trouble with the boss or Curley, His son, because she decided to go into Crooks’ room. But all of a sudden she becomes furious and exclaims, â€Å"Listen, Nigger, you know what I can do to you if you open your trap?