Monday, September 30, 2019

Meeting Organizational Goals

Effective leadership unites and inspires individuals to use their knowledge, creativity, and skill to excel at meeting organizational goals. Institutional Effectiveness may be defined as the ongoing quest for quality and the demonstration of how well an institution is fulfilling its mission and realizing its vision. The institution may appreciate quality and effectiveness by employing a comprehensive system of planning and evaluation in the major aspects of the organization. It provides documentation of planning, assessment, and the use of results in decision-making. That's why institutional effectiveness is a leadership tool that intends to strengthen the quality of services, to produce a continuous cycle of improvement inside an organization and to monitor its effectiveness in achieving its mission and purposes. Accordingly, the institution collects and analyzes relevant data and uses this information in the institutional planning process as a basis for sustaining quality and self-improvement. There is no one best way to assess institutional effectiveness, no certain formula described, that an institution must use for measuring or demonstrating its effectiveness, as â€Å"assessment efforts† vary among â€Å"different types of institutions† and â€Å"among institutions of the same type† (NEASC Policy Statement on Institutional Effectiveness, 1992). Successful assessment efforts depends on the institution's mission and its available resources. Every institution should have an Effectiveness Office having the task to coordinate and support evaluation activities and being involved with the development and implementation of a broad-based system consisting of integrated institutional effectiveness activities: coordinating the on-going strategic planning process – including the â€Å"establishment of priorities and implementation of action plans†, monitoring the â€Å"development and progress of the strategic plan†, â€Å"overseeing the generation of data, and reports for institutional research purposes† to improve planning and decision-making, to review and provide feedback on assessment plans and reports, overseeing the coordination and conducting of organization assessments and program reviews in ways that will â€Å"continuously improve the quality of services†. (Office of Institutional Planning, Research and Evaluation, New York). All these activities are undertaken for the purpose of continuous program improvement and to insure institutional effectiveness. The strategic plan, which is another leadership tool, can be defined as an â€Å"answer to the question: How will the organization accomplish its goals? † (MAP for Nonprofits, St. Paul, MN) Strategic planning involves environmental scanning for external trends. It includes a variety of internal and external assessment activities, like: annual review of institutional vision and mission statements, review of the implementation report on the prior year's operational plan and of other internal effectiveness indicators, assessment of progress in addressing recommendations resulting from strategic planning activities during previous years. The purpose of strategic planning is encouraging thinking about organization's broad goals and priorities, and how well they are being achieved. The modern approach emphasizes â€Å"strategic thinking† or â€Å"strategic management†. It regularly scans the organization's external environment for significant changes, trying to understand the implications of these for programs, organization structures, staffing, etc. It is known that board policies or program priorities might change because of the planning process, but usually there is no slavish adherence to a plan, the document existing only as a guideline and changing as the world changes. Some of them though are never implemented, proving to be useless, because organizations are always faced with fast changing and difficult to predict environments. Some say that inside an institution there could be no official strategic plan document, as in this complex and rapidly changing world there should only be the process of â€Å"thinking strategically†.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Juvenile Probation Officers Essay

All Juvenile Probation Officers (JPO) are required to complete 40 working hours per week following a flexible work schedule. JPOs are entitled to paid working holidays which includes, but are not limited to, New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Please note that in the occasion that the holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, another day off may be substituted, upon approval of the employer. JPOs may also be granted a vacation leave after six months of continuous service has been rendered. The number of vacation leave, however, will depend on the number of years in service, with a maximum of 15 days for those having rendered at least one year of continuous service. JPOs are also entitled to family leaves in cases of giving birth or conception-related cases, adoption, care of new-born child, family illness, child’s medical appointment of parent-teacher conference Health Insurance. All employees are entered in a group health insurance under a health maintenance organization (HMO) as approved by two-thirds of the majority during the General Assembly Meeting. The group insurance will cover hospitalization, health, long-tern disability, and accident expenses. Employer contribution starting January 2007 will be $557 per month. As such, premiums required for maintenance of the insurance, in excess of the employers contribution, shall be deducted by the state treasurer on the JPO’s salary on a monthly basis and upon employee’s written order. Retirement/ savings plan. After achieving five years of continuous service, provided that the employee is 50 years of age, a JPO is entitled to a retirement benefit which will be computed based on the employee’s age of retirement, length of service, and pre-retirement earnings. Employees may opt for a normal or early retirement, the latter, however, will deduct the accrued benefits for the years prior to the normal retirement age. The employee may choose to receive payment of benefits on a straight life annuity where the retiree will be paid on a periodic basis; or lump-sum payment where the retiree will receive the full one-time payment and no further benefits will be given to the employee upon receipt of payment. Other options will be joint-and-survivor annuity where benefits are provided for married participants. The amount of survivor annuity shall be between 50-100% of the amount payable for the time the couple is alive. The amount, however, will be lower than that received from straight life annuity. In cases where an employee become totally disabled or ill prior to his eligibility in the retirement plan, but has served the company for 10 consecutive years, he will be entitled for a disability retirement benefit, which he could defer or immediately claim. Life insurance. In cases of death or dismemberment of employees, they will be entitled to a life insurance benefit which will be paid in lump sum following the multiple-of-earnings formula. Using this formula, the length of service and earnings of the employee will be incorporated in the computation and will therefore increase following an increase in employee’s salary. Provisions for the life insurance includes accidental death and dismemberment benefits to the employee or his beneficiary equivalent to the basic life insurance and a percentage of the life benefit for dismemberment; monthly income to surviving family members of the employee; retirement from work; and reduction of life insurance for employees near or above 65 years.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Intermediate Macroeconomics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Intermediate Macroeconomics - Coursework Example (c) Calculate and graph the ratio of each of real residential investment, real non-residential investment and real inventory investment to real GDP. How do these components rank in terms of variability? Provide some explanation. 2. Consider a consumer who maximizes a utility function that depends on leisure and consumption, and who is subject to a budget constraint. The government imposes no tax on workers on wage rates up to a certain number of hours worked. Beyond this number of hours the government imposes a proportional tax rate. 4. In the Solow model, suppose there is government spending G=gN where g is fixed, and N is the number of people, and S=s(Y-T), where T=G. Show with a diagram that there are two possible equilibria, but that only the larger is stable. What is the effect on growth rates of an increase in s? 5. Suppose that part of people’s time is taken up with a given level of childcare, so that this cuts into leisure and working time. Suppose now that government raises lump sum taxes to pay for this itself. From a consumer’s perspective, assuming that wages are unchanged, what will be the effect on the consumption/leisure tradeoff? A parent who stays home to care for his or her children receives home production value for providing the service; a parent who works and hires a caregiver must pay the caregiver for the service. In the absence of a deduction for child care costs, payment for nonparental child care is made with income on which tax has been assessed. Thus a parent who pays for child care must earn more than the caregiver’s payment, before taxes, to pay the caregiver. Home-provided child care is â€Å"paid for† by forgoing untaxed wages, so the cost of home care is less than the cost of a hired caregiver. Making child care expenses tax-deductible would lead to greater social efficiency by eliminating this difference and

Friday, September 27, 2019

Environmental Planning and Landscape Urbanism Essay

Environmental Planning and Landscape Urbanism - Essay Example The resulting phenomenon is that the architectural features within the region are gaining new exploitations as tourist destinations and mediums of cultural preservation. For many cities in North America therefore, the culture of architecture is being exploited as a means of creating a brand synonymous with destination travel, themed cultural entertainment and tourism excursions. With more and more residents moving out of the cities and into the devolved suburban environments, the importance of landscape is becoming more glaring as it is essential in the creation of environments that the urban contemporary population deem preferable for habitation. The preferred surroundings of residence are a fusion of massive vegetation and built environments with minimal density and room for the utility of automobiles. As a result, landscape is a fundamental element in the development and maintenance of the multifaceted natural surroundings, the management of post-industrial locations and planning of communal infrastructure (Waldheim, 2002). Key Concepts in Environmental Planning and Landscape Urbanism In his article, ‘Terra Fluxus,’ James Corner metes out an in-depth analysis into some of the concepts of landscape urbanism. One of the concepts emphasized by Corner is that of the importance of processes compared to that of time in landscape urbanism. Corner states that â€Å"the processes of urbanization are more significant to the shaping of urban relationships than the spatial forms of urbanism† (Waldheim, 2002, n.p.). Such processes include the protection of the physical environment, deregulation, the process of globalization, and the accumulation of capital. This concept dispels the impression that the process of socialization can be redesigned by the construction of new physical structures. This is not to say that the spatial element does not contribute to changes in urbanism; but rather to imply that the relationship between the spatial frame and urb an processes is one that entails urban processes streaming through the spatial frame in order to manipulate and protract it. This shift emphasizes the systems that acclimatize the dispersion and density of urban structures, rather than the material properties of space. This poses the greatest challenge to designers and planners (Waldheim, 2002). The implication of this development on the spatial planning of cities and their regions is that their structuring has to borrow more from a comprehension of the processes that urbanism involves as opposed to an insight into the concept of form; that is, an understanding of â€Å"how things work in space and time† (Waldheim, 2002, n.p.). According to Corner, in this respect landscape may act as a propellant for the formation of cities. A case in point is the development of the Olmsted Central Park in Manhattan, which was initially envisioned as a space that could provide a respite to the city residents from the unremitting nature of li fe in the city. The effect of the construction of the park however turned out to be more than just that, as it acted as a catalyst for massive real estate development within the region (Waldheim, 2002).

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Operations Strategy - Rolls Royce Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Operations Strategy - Rolls Royce - Coursework Example evising operational strategies but more sustainable initiatives are to be taken up in these processes so as to ensure higher strategic reconciliation of the objectives and resources of the company with the demands arising in the broad environment of the company. The operations strategies of a company have become critical for the success, sustainability and profitability of the business in the current complex, dynamic and intensely competitive corporate world. The report is commenced discussing the background of the case company and by providing an overview of the company in the current scenario. This is followed by a review of the literary works prepared and published by scholars and academicians in the arena of operations management and operations strategy. The different theories and concepts related to operations strategy are then applied and related to the operations strategy and operations management done in Rolls Royce Plc. A section of the report is dedicated to the discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the company in employing its operational strategies. The report is suitably concluded by highlighting the important findings from the study and by making suitable recommendations for improving the operations management of Rolls Royce Plc. for ensuring higher sustainability, competiveness and success in the future years of the business. Rolls Royce Plc. is a multinational company which started the business with automobile manufacturing and later entered into the foray of aero engine manufacturing. The company was found in the year 1906 by Charles Stewart Rolls and Sir Frederick Henry Royce as a form of partnership venture. Rolls Royce Plc. in the current market provides integrated power and engine solutions to customers in the civil, aerospace and defence markets along with the production of high end automotive. Rolls Royce Plc. is highly renowned for the superior manufacturing and engineering quality of the products and is also well known for the

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Cultural Sensitivity in China Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cultural Sensitivity in China - Assignment Example The language should be easy to comprehend, easy to relate to their culture and should be attractive to woo clients from diverse social settings. This issue will specifically enable the company to know how to advertise and promote their new set of engines. When doing an advertisement, it is necessary to understand their culture and languages to avoid misconception of the original idea intended or annoy the audience instead. For example, it is not allowed to discuss business at meals, they prefer conservative dress codes either male or female as revealing clothes are considered offensive. Their behavior dictates that one should not use hand movements while communicating and avoid pointing while speaking. Understanding these basic norms will help company A to establish when, how, where and what to advertise. According to Confucius, music is highly regarded and appreciated by the Chinese people hence incorporating music in advertisements will capture the attention of the people. The othe r cross-cultural issue is one of an image as presented by the market as perceived by the company and the globe at large. Their historical background of the automobile industry and their current major strategies are the major concern regarding the noted issue. The Chinese automobile industry has come a long way since 1931 during the Republican era till date whereby it is currently rated the largest automobile manufacturer with BYD, Geely and Chery, three major Chinese brands being among car brands ranked top ten in 2009. This shows the potentiality of company A to succeed in the Chinese market since there is a large market for extra heat hardened engines and specialized machined engine components for Chinese automobile manufacturers. This comprehensive understanding of the Chinese history of automobiles and its current state will contribute to the larger automobile image of China as perceived by foreigners and this will assist company A to design appropriate adverts and formulate a p roper marketing plan to propagate the media campaign. The traditions, beliefs, and religion of China will influence company A’s branding and packaging of the engines. For instance, the dragon is a major symbolic aspect central to Chinese culture. Knowing this, company A could easily attract notable client attention by including the word dragon or its actual image on the engines’ models. In this case, cultural beliefs or traditions will act as the main basis of company A’s strategic approach. For instance, the majority of Chinese are Buddhists; they worship in shrines located mostly in mountainous terrains. It is their culture to walk through long distances to places of worship. Company A can take advantage of this long distance and mountainous terrains to promote its strong engines as better options for transport.  

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Linguistic journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Linguistic journal - Essay Example Among the reasons are rapid mutation of Danish phonology over the last five decades, children’s ability to learn written English enhanced as a result of absorbing spoken Danish during childhood, the fact that modern Danish language is more mumbled than spoken, and omnipresence of English language in Danish advertisements. Noticing all these signs led Raymond to the conclusion, â€Å"The overall picture I got of Danish was of a language in an extreme stage of phonological degeneration, extremely divergent from its written form, and functionally unnecessary to many of its younger speakers† (Raymond). Raymond then talks about how Maltese language has evolved into Maltenglish over the passage of time, and how he suspects that Danish language will soon become an ethno-tribal museum artifact. It is true that English is a very popular language in Denmark. Popular opinion also holds that almost all Danes speak and understand English at least as well as they do Danish. The reasons Raymond has noted for his suspicion about degeneration of the Danish language are indeed quite weighty. When a language rapidly evolves and changes in phonology in a matter of few decades, it is an alarming sign for its degeneration. One reason for the transition from Danish to English language is that both languages are similar in terms of alphabets, and grammar to an extent. An even more important reason for suspecting degeneration of Danish language is that it is spoken, written, and understood by a very small population based in Denmark whereas English is a much more popular and widely spoken, written, and understood language. Danish language is also very complicated compared to English, not in the way that languages are traditionally complicated. Even more than grammar, it is the pronunciatio n of words in the Danish language that makes it so difficult to speak and

Monday, September 23, 2019

Economic data analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economic data analysis - Essay Example The situation is likely to be very different if we are dealing with time series data, for the observations in such data follow a natural ordering over time so that successive observations are likely to exhibit inter correlations, especially if the time interval between successive observations is short, such as a day, a week, or a month rather than. The classical model assumes that the disturbance term relating to any observation is not influenced by the disturbance term relating to any other observation. For example, if we are dealing with quarterly time series data involving the regression of output on labor and capital inputs and there is labor strike affecting output in one quarter, there is no reason to believe that this disruption will be carried over to the next quarter. That is, if output is lower this quarter, there is no reason to expect it to be lower next quarter. Similarly, if we are dealing with cross-sectional data involving regression of family consumption expenditure on family income, the effect of an increase of one family's income on its consumption expenditure is not expected to affect the consumption expenditure of another family. If such dependence exists there exists autocorrelation. Symbolically, In this situation, the disruption caused by a strike this quarte... The situation is likely to be very different if we are dealing with time series data, for the observations in such data follow a natural ordering over time so that successive observations are likely to exhibit inter correlations, especially if the time interval between successive observations is short, such as a day, a week, or a month rather than. c) What do you understand by the term 'autocorrelation' What implications will this have for the properties of ordinary least squares The term 'autocorrelation' can be defined as "correlation between members of series of observations ordered in time [as in time series data] or space [as in cross-sectional data]" In the regression context, the classical linear regression model assumes that such autocorrelati8on does not exist in the disturbances ut. Symbolically, E(ut1, ut2)=0 t1#t2 The classical model assumes that the disturbance term relating to any observation is not influenced by the disturbance term relating to any other observation. For example, if we are dealing with quarterly time series data involving the regression of output on labor and capital inputs and there is labor strike affecting output in one quarter, there is no reason to believe that this disruption will be carried over to the next quarter. That is, if output is lower this quarter, there is no reason to expect it to be lower next quarter. Similarly, if we are dealing with cross-sectional data involving regression of family consumption expenditure on family income, the effect of an increase of one family's income on its consumption expenditure is not expected to affect the consumption expenditure of another family. If such dependence exists there exists autocorrelation. Symbolically, E(ut1, ut2)#0 t1#t2 In this

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Dangerous Driving Habits Essay Example for Free

Dangerous Driving Habits Essay Driving a car is a lot of fun and the danger is often overlooked by many. With the dangers rarely being taken into consideration the effects are noticed and felt on a daily basis in our society. People fail to realize that driving requires all five senses. Many people are too confident, some preoccupied, and the most dangerous of all is not being in the right state of mind. Many of today’s drivers have dangerous habits some good and some bad in the end they are all dangerous habits that affect us all. Many of us begin driving very cautiously and soon feel invulnerable on the street. People tend to feel as if they know it all and take their luck for granted while endangering the lives of others. Cars now a day can go much faster than the law permits us to go. For example my father has a Chevrolet Corvette with a heavy foot, he says â€Å"I am the kind of the road† and feels a sense of enjoyment when he is going faster than everyone else. His excuse is never being in a car accident. My sister on the other uses her knee while driving in the city and on the highway! Let’s just say for a second a tire blows and while driving with her knee she does not have enough time to grab the wheel causing her to lose control ending in a major car accident. Maybe the worst of all is convincing yourself a seat belt is not necessary simply because you are too good of a driver. I felt as if I knew it all and there was no need for a seat belt needless to say it saved my life. Everyday distractions take away a lot from a driver and his/her ability to drive well. Cell phones are yet another horrible habit while driving from talking to text messaging. For instance I was on my way to school when the car in front of me slammed on his/her brakes as did I and when looking into my rearview mirror hoping to see if the car behind was going to be able to stop in time all I saw was a girl with both hands on her phone text messaging someone, I know this because she later confessed it to me. Another women putting on makeup while driving, take my mother for example her philosophy is why do my makeup in the house when it can be done in the car to save time. What she doesn’t realize is every time she looks in the mirror to see how her lipstick is coming out she is putting herself in a very dangerous situation. Yet another is music. Just about everyone listens to the radio as loud as can be while driving. Take for instance and young man ready to change lanes with a car in his blind spot and with his new stereo full blast he doesn’t hear the horn from the car he just cut off causing a potentially fatal accident. From cell phones, makeup, and a radio full blast a driver can never be in the fully focused on the road. Yet worst of all a person getting behind the wheel when he/she is not capable of driving. Drinking and driving is by far the worst habit a person can have while driving. Drunk drivers are a menace at every hour of the day, but at night their visibility is cut in half making the situation much worse than it already is. Imagine a young man on his way home from a club in the early morning hours while there is a car broken down unable to pull over, because he is impaired he will not be able to react quick enough to avoid the disabled vehicle. Another horrible habit is getting behind the wheel when you are not rested. Some people do not have a choice as their schedule does not allow them time to sleep enough. Take my father for example on his way home one day with stop and go traffic he dosed off for a second and rear ended the person in front of him. He had no choice to drive but there are things he could have done to wake himself up such as drinking a cup of coffee or eating something before commuting. Driving is dangerous enough and to top it off we all make it worse with our dangerous driving habits. We all need to make better decisions as when to drive, how to drive and when not to drive. It takes a lot of effort to change our driving habits on the road and it will not happen without plenty of discipline and dedication. I have only listed a few yet important habits developed by drivers. If we are driving then we are old enough to know right from wrong and need to make smarter decisions while driving.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The Role of Alfred von Tirpitz in the Anglo- German Naval Race Essay Example for Free

The Role of Alfred von Tirpitz in the Anglo- German Naval Race Essay What role did Alfred von Tirpitz play in the Anglo-German naval race of World War I, 1890-1914? For almost a century historians have been arguing over the causes of the First World War. One of the factors regularly discussed is the Anglo-German naval race, which involved the competing construction of the British and German navies between 1897 and 1914. Much of the blame for the consequential building of navies has fallen on the shoulders of the German state secretary of the navy office, Alfred von Tirpitz. The purpose of this internal assessment is to find out what roll Tirpitz played in the Anglo-German naval race. I will research my investigation with some of the many books published about the origins of World War I, including some of Tirpitzs speeches, letters, and propaganda as well as other key figures of the naval race. The investigation will cover how Tirpitz financed the naval construction, his building strategy, and finally Tirpitzs naval laws. B Summary of evidence How Tirpitz financed the naval construction Tirpitzs entire building strategy relied heavily on his belief that he could build his great fleet without raising taxes or putting any burden on the budget.2 He planned to achieve this with an intensive propaganda campaign, supported by industry and many middle class people. Tirpitz, being an adroit politician and manipulator of men, successfully promoted the navy and created effective pressure groups, like the Flottenverein, whose views had to be taken seriously by the government.3 After a lengthy depression, German industry was looking for large investments that were continuous and predictable. To accomplish this, Tirpitz tried to establish constant yearly shipbuilding rates in order to keep factories operating at capacity. He could then argue in the Reichstag that German industry would suffer a crisis unless it got new ship orders.4 However, it was the Kaisers support that gave Tirpitz the freedom to spend a large portion of the budget on the navy.5 Tirpitzs naval building strategy Tirpitz insisted that he be able to implement a plan of steady expansion, where ships were to be built and maintained regardless of cost.6 His plan had three major components: risk theory, alliance value, and danger zone. Risk theory was the idea that the German navy would be strong enough that if Britain risked battle, Tirpitz believed, the defeat of a strong German fleet would so substantially weaken the enemy that, in spite of a victory he might have obtained, his own position in the world would no longer be secured by an adequate fleet.7 Thus, Britain would be willing to make diplomatic concessions rather than take the risk of a naval conflict. Therefore, Germany only had to build a navy in proportion to England, of about 2:3, or 5:8.8 Danger zone was the period of time when the German fleet was not yet strong enough to deter the British fleet, and might be destroyed in a preventative blow. This led Tirpitz to advise cautious diplomacy towards Britain until the fleet was ready.9 Finally, Alliance value was the notion that a strong fleet would make Germany an attractive ally for other rivals of Britain, and maybe even for the British themselves.10 Therefore, Tirpitz believed that the constant building of the navy was an important asset if Germany wanted to become a threat to Britain, and consequentially gain allies. Tirpitzs naval laws Tirpitz believed that only by building the navy by law would ensure continuous and consistent fleet building.11 In 1898 the first naval law was created, calling for the construction of nineteen battleships, eight armored cruisers, and twelve large and 30 small cruisers, all to be built within six years. Tirpitz took advantage of international situations, such as the impact of the Spanish-American War, sentiment against Britain for an incident during the Boer War, and the Boxer Rebellion in China, and introduced the second naval law in 1900. The law doubled the size of the projected navy to a total of, 38 battleships, 20 armored cruisers, and 38 light cruisers, all to be built within 20 years. This was a direct challenge to the British home fleet that had approximately 32 battleships.12 It also threatened Britain because since 1889 the British navy had been governed by a two-power standard, by which their navy had to be stronger than the combined fleets of the next two naval powers.13 The second naval law also threatened Britain because it did not set a cost limit, therefore Germany needed no new legislation to build dreadnoughts.14 Tirpitz again used international crises, like the Moroccan crisis and Britains stern response to Germany at Agadir, to pass supplementary German naval laws in 1906, 1908, and 1912.15 C Evaluation of sources Two of the sources used were: Ferguson, Niall. The Pity of War. New York: Basic Books, 1999. The English historian, Niall Ferguson, wrote this book in 1999, acquiring most of his knowledge from primary sources and other historians books. The purpose of the book is to inform readers of Fergusons argument, that the Great War was solely Englands fault, but at the same time, the book is meant to be controversial, and to sell copies. This is one of the main limitations of the book, that the author may have misconstrued some of the details in order to make England look guiltier, and thus sell more copies. In general the book is valuable because it is a secondary source written long after the actual events, so he was able to form an opinion after looking at all different types of information and viewpoints. On the other hand, it is limiting because it is not a primary source; he did not write the book during the event, therefore some of the information could be misconstrued. Terraine, John, ed. The Great War, 1914-1918. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1965. This book, written by John Terraine in 1965, gives an overview of the events leading up to and during World War One. The author argues, in the introduction, that it was the German militarism that made the war inevitable. The book is very valuable because instead of the author writing his opinion on the events, he informs readers using primary sources throughout the entire book to tell the story. This is valuable because it displays the events when they happened. On the other hand it is limited because it does not have the benefit of using historiography, and the documents could be misrepresentative. There are many photographs used that are also valuable because they capture moments in history in vivid detail, simulating a first-hand experience. However, they could be limiting because certain details could be excluded, which would affect the view of the event. D Analysis Importance of investigation in its historical context The Anglo-German naval race was a significant event that ruined any possible relationship between the two nations before the start of World War I. Although many historians, for instance Ferguson or Fay, do not attribute the naval race to causing the Great War, it is a consensus among historians that by Germany building up their navy and destroying any relationship with Britain, they were simply pushing England into an alliance with France.16 The Entente Cordial simply meant that if Germany was trying to start a war in order to gain more colonies, they had dragged another enemy into the war to fight with. The naval race also caused extreme financial difficulties for both nations, but more specifically, if Germany had given most of its naval funds to its army, it would have had a much greater chance of achieving a land victory in France.17 Analysis of the Evidence Tirpitzs acquired his fleet by using intense propaganda, and played off of international crises to acquire more money in order to implement naval laws. He had soon built a fleet that was in direct competition with Britain; however it was never clear what his objectives with the fleet were. Different historians have interpreted the intention of this fleet differently. Ferguson and Fay both argue that the fleet was intended to compete with the British navy in order to have the power over Britain to demand colonies.18 However, Scheck more so argues that the fleet was being built in order to attract any of Britains enemies as allies or even Britain as an ally. 19 It is obvious that with both opinions the navy was directed at Britain. This proves that Tirpitz was the aggressor in the Anglo-German naval race, and that he was building the navy to discourage Britain from any direct conflict, and thus would have a stronger voice that could make demands. In addition, the naval construction would attract allies, and be able to support Germany in the coming war. However, Tirpitzs plan may have contributed to various British proposals for limiting the navy, it did not intimidate them or cause them no make concessions. On the contrary, it created the atmosphere of suspicion and antagonism that would lead to a naval race.20 It is obvious that Germany was the aggressor in the naval race; however, many historians have debated over what event it was that triggered the Anglo-German naval race. Herrmann argues that it was Germanys persistent defiance of Britain over a period of time that set-off the naval race, but it was not one particular event.21 However Tucker argues that it was specifically Tirpitzs second naval law that initiated the naval race.22 The latter is a very valid point, since it was this law that put Tirpitzs fleet in direct competition with Britain. Beforehand, the British new that the Germans were beginning to put a navy together, but it did not concern them. Immediately after the passage of the law, the British began to feel pressure from Tirpitz, and responded by building their navy as well. Without Tirpitzs second naval bill, Britain would not have felt threatened, and therefore would have had no reason to enter a naval race. Tirpitz undeniably was a key player in the naval race. He pushed the propaganda, founded the Navy League, designed the naval construction strategy, drafted the naval laws, and most important, would not slow down the building process. However, historians have disputed how large a role Tirpitz played. Scheck and Tucker have put complete blame on Tirpitz, saying that he was the man manipulating the Kaiser, Reichstag and the German people, in order to support and fund his naval plan. 23 Contrary to this, Kennedy and Fay believe that Tirpitz and the Kaiser are equally to blame for the naval race.24 They argue that Tirpitz and the Kaiser were the two men who most supported the navy, and that it was the Kaisers support of Tirpitz that allowed him to get the funding and support necessary to construct his fleet. The former is a more accurate opinion since it was Tirpitz, and Tirpitz alone who designed the building strategy, and manipulated the government in order to raise funds. It was his aggressive policy that built up the German navy to the point where it posed a threat to Britain, giving them no choice but to retaliate through their own naval construction. E Conclusion Tirpitz is solely to blame for the Anglo-German naval race. As Scheck and Tucker have agreed, he was the man manipulating the Kaiser, Reichstag and the German people by using international crises to push propaganda, and implement naval bills. Tirpitzs naval strategy was directed at defeating Britain with his risk navy, in order to make available the necessary colonial property for the central European states which needed to expand.25 It was precisely Tirpitzs Second Naval Bill that competed directly with Britain, thus threatening her imperial position, forcing Britain to increase the rate of her own naval construction. If it were not for Tirpitzs aggressive naval policy, Germany and Britain would not have been thrown into a costly and dangerous naval race. It was made obvious that Tirpitz was solely to blame, when British War Minister Haldene attempted to negotiate a naval agreement, but Tirpitz made it clear he was opposed to any reductions, and negotiations failed.26 1 Peter Quennell, History Today, November 1968, 53. 2 James Joll, The Origins of the First World War (New York: Longman Group, 1984), 62. 3 Joll, 112. 4 Rafael Scheck, Alfred von Tirpitz and German Right-Wing Politics, 1914-1918 (Boston: Humanities Press, 1998), 3. 5 David Herrmann, The Arming of Europe and the Making of The First World War (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996), 162. 6 The European Powers in the First World War: An Encyclopedia, 1996 ed., s.v. Alfred von Tirpitz, by Spencer Tucker. 7 John Terraine, ed., The Great War, 1914-1918 (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1965), 226. 8 Sidney Fay, The Origins of the World War (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1930), 235. 9 Scheck, 6. 10 Scheck, 5. 11 Jonathan Steinberg, Yesterdays Deterrent (London: Macdonald and Co., 1965), 126. 12 Tucker, 688. 13 Joll, 63. 14 Scheck, 5. 15 Tucker, 688. 16 Niall Ferguson, The Pity of War (New York: Basic Books, 1999), 70; Fay, 39. 17 Tucker, 688. 18 Ferguson, 84; Fay, 235. 19 Scheck, 5. 20 Fay, 235. 21 Herrmann, 226. 22 Tucker, 688. 23 Scheck, 8; Tucker, 688. 24 Paul Kennedy, The Rise of the Anglo-German Antagonism: 1860-1914 (New Jersey: Unwin Ltd., 1980), 224; Fay, 243. 25 Fay, 235. 26 Joll, 65

Friday, September 20, 2019

Understanding Of The Diversity Of Family Sociology Essay

Understanding Of The Diversity Of Family Sociology Essay The key family types are Nuclear, Extended, Reconstituted and Lone parent. These are the family types that exist in contemporary Britain. The basic premise is that the family structure depends upon social and economical circumstances as such family definition is open to cultural interpretation, norms and values. Whilst the family is adaptable-over the last Three hundred years in Britain, the family has changed and adapted, as we have moved from an agricultural society to industrial society. Sociologist George Peter Murdoch who defined the universal Family concept stated: The nuclear family is a universal human social grouping. Either as the sole prevailing form of the family or as the basic unit from which more complex forms compounded, it exists as a distinct and strongly functional group in every society The concept of the pre industrial extended family is somewhat of a misrepresentation when you consider death rates of working class families. The extended family is referred to as vertical extensions; Aunts, uncles, cousins and siblings -grandparents, children, and grandchildren who all live together, are referred to horizontal extensions the sexual relationships, and are monogamous within the extended and nuclear family. Polygamous relationships do exist within extended family, although this is predominately within specific cultures and religions. Examples being in the Moslem faith the act of polygamy are still practised; further more there are Christian sects such as the latter Day Saints who still practise polygamy, although such relationships are not legal within the European or American laws. The extended family can also be viewed as that of an extension to the nuclear family thru the inclusion of elders, such as grandparents, as many loan parents are female and they may well life or near their mothers, creating a matriarchal family extended unit. Extended reconstructed family, is considered to be when two opposite sex, or same sex adults with dependent children, either marry or cohabitate: thereby forming a reconstructed family over wise known as step families. Therefore it is not surprising that the most rapidly growing family type is that of the Reconstructed / stepfamily. Statistically most children stay with their mothers when their parents either divorce or separate so most children in a reconstructed family have step fathers this brings in to question the social as opposed to the biological care and nurture. It is quite common in British contemporary society for cohabitation of unmarried parents. The average is 31% of all parents as quoted (http://www.esrcsociet ytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/PO/releases/2004/june/stepfamilies.aspx) In contemporary society British society today Lone parenting is still predominately female orientated, however not exclusively as there has been a steady rise in men taking on the role of lone parenting estimates are that an average 11% of lone parents are now men. Attitudes in society have changed towards the lone parents. Nonetheless they are still passively ostracised from main stream society, by the media and government: as being less able, and a drain on society this is a view most commonly associated with conservatism as such in todays society the conservatives plan to introduce a tax that benefits the traditional stereo typical nuclear family which will effectively penalise both cohabiters and lone parents. www.telegraph.co.uk//conservative//Tories-5-billion-tax-breaks-for-married-couples-benefit-rich-most.html therefore in reality stigma still exists for lone parents. Single mothers were not socially acceptable in pre industrialised Britain, nor early industrialised any off spring were sent to childrens homes. There are notorious examples of how the mother and children were often treated, and can be found in Irelands History of Catholic unmarried mothers (http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/reviews/r0000523.shtml. Functionalists believed in a theory that the nuclear family is a positive social institution. Their view point is one of conservatism, which asserts it meets the needs of a contemporary industrial society. Functionalist emphasise that the ideal family type in modern society, is that of a traditional nuclear family. Their view of the nuclear family comprises of a worker husband and stay at home wife and 2.4 children. US sociologists have developed this approach, in particular Murdock, Parsons and Goode. The functional perspective on the family identifies a number of functions families will characteristically carry out: reproduction, socialisation, nurture, family hierarchy and family emotional support. Talcott Parson was a leading American sociologist in the 1950s who believed that the family was structured on the stabilisation of the adult family members and the socialisation of children. Based on a series of complex social structures and roles that needed to be adhered to achieve maximum family, social and cultural gratification -The social system consists of three systems a personality system, a cultural system and a physical environment to which the individual and society must adjust. Parsons model of key systems and sub systems further developed to define four functional prerequisites these are adaptation, to a physical environment, goal attainment, the ability to manage one self and resources to achieve its goals and obtain gratification, integration, the ability to form skills and ways to deal with differences and finally latency to achieve comparative stability. Each system consequently develops four specialist subsystems to be able to meet these mental and physical requir ements. There four systems are cultural, social, personality and biological- these systems are further broken down to four subsystems, these being (in hierarchical order) the socialisation system, the institutions of social control and integration, the political system goal attainment and the economic system adaptation. The feminist view on family is diverse, as the feminist school of thought has many layers from the liberal to the radical each having very different perspectives on family and the impact of family on woman, family and society. In general all feminists have been critical of the effects of family life on women however these views are dramatically different if not diametrically opposed. Liberal feminists reject the concept that family lives are reflections of the economic structure of society. They believe that the cultural and social aspects of male/female inequality are central to an understanding of the feminist issues. It is fair to say that most feminists believe that the family unit oppresses women and keeps men in power. This is based on the belief that society is patriarchical (male dominated) Patriarchy is defined as the combination of ideologies, cultural practices and systems which keep men in power. The three types of feminism liberal, Radical and Marxist aim to challenge patriarchy in different ways: Liberal feminists believe that the family is in essence institutionalised sexism, because its supports the mainstream culture which is also sexist. They advocate change through legislation and education. Jennifer Somerville a Liberal feminist http://soc.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/31/4/673 asserts that the Radical and Marxist feminist have failed to take in to the account the changes in society that have enabled woman to enter the work force as equals to men, nor the social changes that removed the restrictions on females, such as child care, and the running of the home have changed. Men in society today, are far more likely be involved in the care and nurturing of their respective children and many men now enjoy the shared responsibility of caring for the child and home. The man is no longer elevated to the head of the house; as such equality in the home and family is being achieved. The Radical Feminist Kate Millett (Sexual Politics, 1971 argued that Sociology examines the status quo, calls it phenomena, and pretends to take no stand on it, thereby avoiding the necessity to comment on the invidious character of the relationship between the sex groups it studies. Yet by slow degrees of converting statistic to fact, function to prescription, bias to biology (or some other indeterminate) it comes to ratify and rationalise what has been socially enjoined or imposed into what is and ought to be. And through its pose of objectivity, it gains a special efficacy in reinforcing stereotypesFunctionalists, like other reactionaries, are out to save the family. Radical feminists view the family and men as the enemy within, which is both insidious and damaging to woman. Radical feminists believe that patriarchy is the central starting place of division in society. Essentially men exploit women as husbands, partners, sons and brothers. This manipulative relationship is reflect ed in the family; in which women do all the work for the benefit of men thus reinforcing the capitalist bourgeois ideology. Men are viewed as the enemy by radical feminists who have created a divide within the feminist ranks, as they believe that no female should be dominated or controlled, and the only way to achieve this, is to not participate in any sexual relationship with men. Valerie Bryson (1992) who bases her feminist philosophy as Marxist, argues all radical feminists see the oppression of women as the most fundamental and universal form of domination whilst this view is polarised within radical feminist thinking, it cannot be seen as definitive or even based in the feminist combined ideology. The Marxist feminist perspective argues that the principle source of division in society is class therefore the exploitation of women is indispensable to the continuation of capitalism The family produces and nurtures the next generation of workers at no cost obvious cost to the capitalists system woman doing housework is an unpaid role, which benefits the capitalist, woman were also viewed as cheap labour, before the equality laws were originally implemented in Britain in 19 75 which has gone thru many iterations, and the latest sexual equality act http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/corporate/pdf/equalityimpactassessment.pdf was published in 2007. The earliest view of the family developed from a Marxist perspective is contained in Friedrich Engelss The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State (Engels, 1972, first Published 1884) Engels stated that: The monogamous bourgeois nuclear family developed to help solve the problem of the inheritance of private property men needed to know who their children were in order to pass on their property to their heirs .The family is therefore designed to control women and protect property Freindrich Engles views the nuclear family as a creation of capitalism, specifically designed as patriachical, its primary purpose is to ensure and perpetuate male domination and power through the male only inheritance of land and property It therefore served the interests of capitalism to keep woman economically and socially of less value to society than men. The Marxist feminist view the tasks carried out by woman as reaffirming male dominance therefore house work, child care, cooking and emotional support are seen as detrimental to woman. Women also provide the sexual and emotional support to the husband or partner, in doing so the role is seen as one of submission to the hierarchy of the male head of family. Christine Delphy and Diana Leonard described the everyday situation of family as familiar exploitation however every example could be seen as simply supportive and part of a loving relationship. Todays family in contemporary Britain is made up of different family groups, cultures, ethnicity, class and economic status. There are more isolated nuclear families, which have either migrated to Britain, or moved geographically within Britain families who will have their own norms and values, based on cultural, religious, class or economics which they will bring with them, and incorporate in to their new life. Lone parents who work, as well as mothers from the traditional nuclear families who work, as a financial necessity or a career option. Same sex parents, who now have the same marriage and parenting rights as heterosexual parents. More people live together before marriage, children born outside marriage; all of these are now norms and values socially and culturally. Family and the definition of whats constitutes family and who actually benefits from the family has not changed. We create life and then teach our children. Families provide the care and nurturing essential to th e learning of who we are, and where we form, what has changed is the is open to personal need and interpretation. Essentially the choices of how family is defined are to fluid in their nature and to diverse, to be able to any other than a personal preference of how to live. Nor should government or society be so prescriptive and controlling to impose. In reviewing the different family types, mainly all have positives and negatives however when reviewing Murdochs assertion that every society had a form of the nuclear family , this was incorrect, as both Nayar and Kibbutz proved that the function of family can be performed equally in a society other than the western defined confines of the nuclear family structure. Different cultures, values and norms, create variations of family and also place different importance on the family status in society. In todays society we have many variations of family, same sex families, same sex lone parents, and same sex adoption. As such the traditional term of family is used incorrectly as an outdated social ideal. The world has changed and the attitudes to parenting specifically in Britain have changed. There have been several significant social developments which have brought about changes in social norms and values. The supporters of the nuclear family believe the benefits of the nuclear family are its conservative core norms, and values which underpin the moral, wellbeing of society. They also consider anything else as a failed form of the nuclear family. The traditional roles of men as the breadwinner, and woman as the happy and fulfilled house wife, staying at home, looking after the children is the theme they most project. The Media use this image of happy family relationship, between all ages groups, every day in concepts and products, actively promoting the nuclear family as the social aspiration to happiness, success and fulfilment- the paradox is that in reality many mothers and fathers in todays society, have no choice, because it not a financially viable option, as they would not be able to house or support their selves or their child/children with just one salary. Moreover the woman may be the chief breadwinner, and the husband would then have to embrace role reversal in the nuclear f amily and be a stay at home dad there has been an increase in men staying at home to fulfil the role of house husband, however it is still predominately a female responsibility to care for or arrange alternative care, for children in the nuclear family. The pre industrialised class and economic status had a significant effect on who lived or died an example being if the family was wealthy a land owner, they may well have a more favourable environment in which to increase their chances of survival, although they were still affected by such diseases as the Black Death (Yesinia pestis ) which over a period of two years killed between 30-40% of the entire population of England in both 1348 and 1605. Twice as many poor children died as rich children; the poor in the country were at the mercy of poor harvests, bad weather famine and infections. Also fatalities were higher in the towns where sanitation and overcrowding in poor areas encouraged the spread of the virus. Given that the pre industrial pre-plague population of England was in the range of 5-6 million people, fatalities may well have exceeded or reached as high as 2 million. Urbanisation or isolation neither could supply the basic needs of the poor, so its unlikely that any chi ld surviving the age of sixteen had an extended family, due to the circumstances that they were born in too. Their functionalist view of the family is ideological and unrealistic, as it does not represent a reality of ever changing family, cultural, economical and demographic factors of life and work If nothing else the functionalist view can be seen as a plausible aspiration for some conservative idealists it is however not a viable option for all family types. Equally from a Marxist perspective, the fact that its wrapped in gender and equality issues and that the feminists have such diverse diametrically viewpoints yet have also provided the vehicle for such positives changes in womens rights and social equality, it has to be held up as the champion of woman, yet also recognised as having done its job. Over the last 100 years in England, woman from all classes, ethnicity and culture have gained the right to vote; in the last 50 years working class woman gained entry to university, the right to divorce, and the right to birth control. These changes have impacted society to its very cor e; challenging the definition of the nuclear family and the society it fits into. Religion is slower to change its views on the Nuclear and industrial vision of the nuclear family: for instance where the Catholic Church is politically, ideologically and (possibly) economically powerful, the promotion of marriage, and the ban on contraception have significant consequences for the family, in terms of such things as: size, domestic violence, traditional male/female roles. This ensures the women are still disenfranchised and that emancipation of woman still exists in contemporary modern society. In todays society family is a hot topic. In last 60 years, there has been significant social and cultural change. There is however multiple issues as the pace of change has not be controlled or understood before being implemented. In conclusion its difficult to blithely wrap family in to one perspective, the reality is that there is no ideal family unit and common sense, pragmatism, social, cultural and economical factors must all be taken in to consideration. The western capitalist perspective of the nuclear family, extended family, same sex family or lone parent, do not necessarily translate to other cultures or societies. Equally the views of the feminists do not agree on female equality, or the emancipation and disenfranchisement of woman in todays society. Young girls and boys nurtured by their parents will determine the values and norms relating to their roles in latter life. Woman do have self determination in Britain today this provides the choices necessary on how they live their lives, be that in a nuclear family, in a same sex relationship or as a lone parent. If is impossible to make a definitive choice, as what benefits to the family as a whole, is to provide equal partnership, respect for both genders and a secure loving environment- in saying that domestic violence, drugs alcohol could all present as negatives. The liberal feminist stance resonant as the most pragmatic and balanced view whilst the radicals and Marxist feminist views are polarised in a gender war.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Hanging of Billy Budd Essay -- essays research papers

The Hanging of Billy Budd The hanging of Billy in Melville’s Billy Budd was a questionable and complex decision made by Captain Vere. Captain Vere, or â€Å"starry Vere,† chose to coincide with the law rather than spare Billy to make himself happy. The hanging of Billy was necessary for order to remain on the ship and for justice to prevail. Billy Budd, also known as the â€Å"handsome sailor,† was on trial for killing the master-at-arms, Claggart. Everyone wished for Billy’s life to be spared, but Captain Vere chose to follow the oath he pledged to the King. Consequently, Billy was given the death penalty and hanged. Billy Budd's death was presided on very questionable cicumstances although he was liked by everyone, he was accussed of mutiny abored ship, and the muder of the Master at arms Claggert. His death was looked st as a tragedy by all abored ship even Captain Vere who made the decision to hang Billy, but it was the only decision which could have been made to keep the ship and the shipsmen from rebelling and killing all those people of higher command   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Everyone on the ship enjoyed Billy’s presence, except Claggart. He was described to be a â€Å"sweet, pleasant fellow† (pg. 5). Captain Vere liked Billy as much or more than the others, â€Å"†¦they all loved him!† (pg. 6) Because of this, he wondered what the best choice was: save Billy, or hang him? The decision to hang Billy was, in retrospect, the right one. If Captain Vere chose not to hang Billy, no one wo...

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

morality :: essays research papers fc

Philosophy Papers Same Day Delivery! Only $9.95/page + FREE Bibliography!!! Papers On More Philosophers & Philosophies Page 3 of 36 Previous Next Immanuel Kant's 'Critique Of Pure Reason' [ send me this paper ] A 5 page paper that provides an analysis of Kant's work and focuses on the ideal of pure reason as a central development. No additional sources cited. Filename: Kantreas.wps Immanuel Kant's Concept of Good Will Analyzed [ send me this paper ] A 5 page paper which examines German philosopher Immanuel Kant's good will principle as articulated in his 1785 work, The Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals (also known as The Grounding For the Metaphysics of Morals. Specifically analyzed is why good will is considered to be good, according to Kant, and how it is expressed. Bibliography lists 2 sources. Filename: GdWillAn.wps Immanuel Kant's 'Critique Of Pure Reason' [ send me this paper ] A 5 page paper that provides an analysis of Kant's work and focuses on the ideal of pure reason as a central development. No additional sources cited. Filename: Kantreas.wps Immanuel Kant's Concept of Good Will Analyzed [ send me this paper ] A 5 page paper which examines German philosopher Immanuel Kant's good will principle as articulated in his 1785 work, The Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals (also known as The Grounding For the Metaphysics of Morals. Specifically analyzed is why good will is considered to be good, according to Kant, and how it is expressed. Bibliography lists 2 sources. Filename: GdWillAn.wps Immanuel Kant’s A Priori Knowledge and Time [ send me this paper ] This 5 page report discusses Immanuel Kant’s meaning regarding the â€Å"two pure forms of sensible intuition† being â€Å"a priori knowledge† and â€Å"time† as discussed in his Critique of Pure Reason published in 1781. Kant (1724-1804) believed individual thought to be the framework by which the individual was able to determine the appropriate category into which one thought process or pattern would fit over another. One of his first statements in the Critique is that: â€Å"In the order of time, therefore, we have no knowledge antecedent to experience, and with experience all our knowledge begins.† This paper looks at what he means by such a ststaement and how it relates to the nature and relaity of space and time. Bibliography lists one source. Filename: BWkantcp.wps Kant and Hume: A comparison of views on Ethics : [ send me this paper ] The study of Ethics is an inquiry into the foundations of values. It is a concern with the eventual outcome of the action and experience of every day life.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Effects of Global Warming Essay

Throughout the past century there has been a considerable increase in the average temperature on earth. This average rise of temperature is called global warming. It is caused by the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Almost 100% of the observed temperature increase over the last 50 years has been due to the increase of greenhouse gas concentrations like water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane and ozone (Cause and Effect for Global Warming). The greenhouse gases trap the heat in the atmosphere and make the earth warm. These greenhouse gases have increased tremendously in the atmosphere due to the recent industrialization. The main effects of global warming are climate change, the rise of sea levels, and the behavior change of wildlife. These are the primary effects of global warming; however, they also contribute to a broad range of secondary effects. The global temperatures have been increasing in recent years, this is causing climate change. By the end of the century the global temperature is predicted to increase by 3 ° to 5 °C. Changes in temperature patterns have effects on extreme weather events: they increase the frequency, duration, and intensity of floods, droughts, heat waves, and tornadoes (Cause and Effect for Global Warming). There has been a high correlation of hurricane power with tropical sea surface temperature. Since the surface temperature is increasing, the total annual power of hurricanes has increased. The nature of the earth’s atmosphere is becoming even more unpredictable, which is a cause for attention. This brings about a variation in the biological systems; essentially the crops, forests, oceans, fresh waterways, and grasslands (Effects of Global Warming). Higher or lower agricultural yields is becoming a concern for farmers. Another effect of climate change will be the vegetation that is available on the earth. The tundra vegetation will turn to temperate, cold deciduous and evergreen type of forest. Woody plant population will tend to increase as a result of increased precipitation. There will be a drastic change in the type of vegetation available in the area, which will in turn effect the inhabitation of the area (Effects of Global Warming). The second major effect of the global warming is the rising sea levels. There will be a considerable increase in the water level of oceans and seas as a result of the melting of glaciers. When the temperature exceeds a particular level or warm temperatures last for a long enough period, and if there is insufficient precipitation, glaciers and ice sheets will lose mass (Oceans and sea level rise). This increase in sea and ocean levels will engulf land at the coastal areas and some low lying countries may even become submerged (Effects of Global Warming). This will cause the most dramatic alterations in habitats. Most of the world’s coastal cities were established during the last few millennia, a period when global sea level have been constant. Since the mid-19th century, sea levels have been rising, and during the 20th century, sea levels rose about 15-20 centimeters. Satellite measurements taken over the past decade, however, indicate that the rate of increase has jumped to about 3. 1 mm/year, which is significantly higher than the average rate in the 20th century (Oceans and sea level rise). Even a small increase in sea levels can have a dramatic effect on coastal environments. Over 600 million people live in coastal areas that are less than 10 meters above sea level. If this continues to get worse than a very large number of people in vulnerable locations are going to be forced to relocate. If relocation does not happen before these areas are flooding my storm surges, many refugees are likely to result (Oceans and sea level rise). These nations are also at risk of losing their fresh-water supplies as sea level rise pushes saltwater into their aquifers. Aside from the effect this might have on the human population, there are many environmental concerns such as coastal erosion, wetland and coastal plain flooding, and a loss of habitats for fish, birds, and other wildlife and plants. The behavior in wildlife is also a concern, many animals are being forced to change territories, and some species are at threat to extinction. A behavior pattern of the animals studied shows that the animals are beginning to shift their population north or towards a higher altitude (Effects of Global Warming). Beyond habitat movement, many scientists agree that global warming is causing a shift in the timing of various natural recurrent events in the lives of animals. Many birds have altered the timing of long-held migratory and reproductive routines to better sync up with a warming climate. Also, some hibernating animals are ending their slumbers earlier each year (EarthTalk). Different species sharing like habitats are responding in different ways, tearing apart ecological communities. According to â€Å"Defenders of Wildlife†, some of the wildlife species hit the hardest so far by global warming include caribou, arctic foxes, toads, polar bears, penguins, gray wolves, tree swallows, painted turtles and salmon (EarthTalk). Many other marine animals are affected as well. It is expected that many species will die off or become extinct due to the increase in the temperatures of the water, whereas various other species, which prefer warmer waters, will increase tremendously. Perhaps the most disturbing changes are expected in the coral reefs that are likely to die off as an effect of global warming (Effects of Global Warming). Species that rely upon the existence of sea ice to survive are likely to be impacted, posing the threat of extinction for polar bears, seals, and some breeds of penguins. Researcher Bill Fraser has tracked the decline of the Adelie penguins on Antarctica, where their numbers have fallen from 32,000 breeding pairs to 11,000 in 30 years (Effects of Global Warming). It is quite clear that the effects of global warming have the potential to be disastrous. Global warming is causing rapid temperature changes affecting ourselves, our environment, and the rest of the wildlife. All of these factors contribute to our changing world. The population would be right to prepare for these changes, before it is too late to adapt. People should recognize the source of this, and stop adding to this negative loop.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Loomis

Throughout history, many different groups of people have been oppressed and taking advantage of. However, the African diasporas during the middle passage and the oppression of the people following it stands out amongst the rest. The oppression of people of African descent is unique because the effects of such are still prominent in new generations.August Wilson tackles the tones, moods, attitudes and feelings of generation after generation of oppressed people In his plays, In his play Joe Turners Come and Gone, he addresses the feelings and tones of the generation f African Americans that were struggling to find purpose and identity in the years after emancipation. Wilson Illustrated a number of deferent attitudes and moods ranging from those of African Americans who were born free to those of the vulnerable African American women living during that time.Wilson also highlighted the effects oppression had on African American spiritualism. He did so by Illustrating the traumatizing eff ects oppression had on African Americans in the south. In the last scene of the play Wilson uses the character Herald Loomis to exemplify the linings of African Americans caused by the effects of the oppression of generation after generation. Wilson uses the character Herald Loomis to shed light on the feelings of anger and anguish felt by generations of oppressed African Americans. Herald Loomis was depicted as a cold and distant man.He was beyond angry with the world around him after his ordeals. Wilson described him as, â€Å"†¦ Unable to harmonize the forces that swirl around him and seeks to re-create the world Into one that contains his Image. † Herald Loomis was angry with the world because he gave his life to God and the hurt as a deacon, but was held captive as a slave by Joe Turner for seven years. In the process. Loomis lost his family and religion, He felt neglected by the God he served, hence his anger. In the final scene, a sense of anguish is illustrated b y the drastic actions of Loomis.Wilson depicts feelings of anger and anguish as Martha quotes a scripture to Herald after he brandishes a knife. For example, when Martha quotes, â€Å"Even though walk through the shadow of death?†, Loomis' responds † That's Just where I be walking I† Martha continues with, â€Å"l shall fear no evil. For Thou art with me. Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. † Loomis responds â€Å"†¦ L done been all across the valleys and the hills and the mountains and the oceans†¦ And all I seen was a bunch of naggers dazed out of their woolly heads. And Mr.. Jesus Christ standing In the middle of them, grinning. It Is evident that Loomis Is upset with God for the experiences he has endured; which is similar to the feelings of many generations of black men who felt neglected by the God they praised because of severity of their traumatizing experiences. It becomes clear that his ordeal being led captive as a slave and his sp iritual experiences being a deacon of a Christian church combined to have this effect on him. Like all the generations before and after the time In which the play takes place, the trauma of what black men have seen and the experiences they have been through creates feelings of anger and anguish.Wilson uses Herald Loomis' character to exemplify the feeling of desperation for a purpose in the world, besides being a black man to white people, for generations. Herald Loomis felt like he would know his purpose once he got to re- unite with his wife. The gravity of such desperation is felt in the final scene as Loomis commits to slashing himself. For instance, when Martha says â€Å"Jesus bled for you. He's the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. † Loomis replied â€Å"l don't need nobody to bleed for me! I can bleed for myself. One must truly be desperate for salvation and also have serious deep rooted anger to forsake Jesus Christ himself. Loomis' shedding of his o wn blood is a representation of the anger inside of black men caused by the effects of oppression. Like Loomis, black men of all enervation are angry and desperate for salvation for various reasons. However, majority of those reasons stem from the long term effects of oppression. Some go to church and seek the words of God, and then there are others whom have break downs and blow up and eventually hurt somebody or themselves as Loomis did.In current times, there are too many angry black men hurting themselves and shedding each other's blood. They rather shed each other's blood than bathe in the blood of Jesus because, like Herald Loomis, they too feel neglected by God. The strong influence of the black church was diminished by the effects of oppression. Many young black men don't fear the wrath of God and couldn't care less about their karma for casting evil into word. This ruthless anger is a direct result of the suffering of black men that can be felt from generation to generation .These young black men feel as if they have no purpose in the world like Herald Loomis before he found Martha. It is evident that all these angry and desperate young men need to find a purpose in this world, simply some where they can fit in. For example, in the final cane of the play when Martha tells Loomis, Mimi got to be something, Herald. You just can't be alive. Life don't mean nothing if you don't got a meaning. † Loomis replies by continuing to rant as he slashes himself and rubs his blood on his face. This part of the scene is so dramatic because it is when Loomis finds his song, he finds a purpose.Wilson illustrates, â€Å"Having found his song, the song of self-sufficiency, fully restricted, cleansed and given breath, free from any encumbrance other than the working of his own heart and the bonds of the flesh, having accepted the accessibility for his own presence in the world, he is free to soar above the environs that weighed him down and pushed his spirit into t errifying contractions. † This quote from the play works to cast a light upon the fact that one needs to let go of the hurt and pain and find their own presence in the world. When Benumb says, â€Å"Herald Loomis you shining! You shining like new money! , it leaves the reader with the sense that grounding oneself and finding one's purpose in the world can remedy some of the anger caused by the effects of oppression. By analyzing the character of Herald Loomis in the final scene of Joe Turner's Come and Gone, one will find why generations of oppressed African Americans felt, and still continue to feel such anger. The character Herald Loomis casts light on the effects the African diasporas through the Middle Passage had on African American men. Since the days of the Middle Passage, generations of black men have been traumatized by the same demons that haunted the generations before them.After slavery was emancipated there was already so much damage done to the psyches of darted to fight for their civil rights. After gaining civil rights, black men still endured the trauma of having those rights violated. The same problem still persists in current times. The trauma of being a black man goes back many generations and still can be felt now by today's generations. Black men were stripped of their manhood when they were sold and auctioned as commodities, and couldn't protect their loved ones from being sold off, hurt or killed. The trauma of slavery is etched in the psyches of every generation of black men thereafter.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Azt Pricing Decision Essay

In 1986, Burroughs-Wellcome Company introduced the first major breakthrough against acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). It was the life-prolonging drug AZT. The product has turned out to be very successful for the company and, largely because of AZT’s success, Burroughs-Wellcome’s profits have doubled in the three years ending in 1988. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to expand the authorization for the drug’s usage to those who are infected with the AIDS virus, but not yet showing signs of serious illness. The estimate of the size of this market is hundreds of thousands rather than the tens of thousand who are currently sick with AIDS (1988). The controversy over the drug centers on its price. AZT costs about $8,600 for a year’s supply for each patient (lowered from $10,000 in 1987). Critics in the gay, medical, and legal communities contend that Burroughs-Wellcome executives are â€Å"corporate extortionists.† Some believe that the company has already made too much money at the expense of the sick. The price is so far out of reach of indigent and moderate-income people that the federal government had to step in with subsidies of millions of dollars. Burroughs-Wellcome defends it pricing practices by stating that its profit margins (in the 50-70 percent range) are in line with those companies introducing new drugs. They contend these high returns are necessary to finance research and recoup the millions of dollars invested in developing the drug. They initially gave the drug free-of-charge to as many as 5,000 AIDS patients and spent $80 million on a new plant. Additional criticism revolves around the actual development of the drug. The Wall Street Journal stated, â€Å"But Wellcome’s moral position is undercut by its relatively minor role in the creation of AZT.† Researchers at the Michigan Cancer Foundation, from West Germany, and at the National Cancer Institute are credited with the major discoveries that led to AZT. Nevertheless, Wellcome performed toxicology, pharmacology, and animal studies before AZT was given to the first human volunteer. It also financed the big clinical trial and bankrolled the give-away to the patients in the initial experiment. Wellcome is under pressure to cut its price. The government is attempting to institute a â€Å"reasonable price† clause where an unduly high price could trigger a government order for a company to open its books. Any company found in violation could be sued for breach of contract. Congress is also studying AZT and one Congressman wrote the company contending that the original price rationale (achieving a decent return on investment during a short product life) no longer exists as the drug has been on the market for three years and the market is growing for the product.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Marketing research: assume you are developing

Mc Daniel and Gates (1999) have given a ten-point procedure for developing a questionnaire. This procedure can be adapted and used in designing a questionnaire for the newly developed sandwich by MacDonalds. These authors have emphasized the need for questionnaires to be developed properly, otherwise incomplete and inaccurate data shall be generated. They specifically stressed the need for three important questions to be answered adequately by the would-be questionnaire designer or developer. These questions are as follows: (a) Does the questionnaire to be developed for MacDonald’s sandwich provide the necessary decision-making information for management? For example, can it tell management about the ingredients that should make-up the sandwich and at what price it should be sold to the public? (b) Does it consider the respondent to whom the questionnaire shall be administered to? If respondents are taken into account, the questions would be tailored to their level of comprehension. (c)Does the questionnaire meet editing, coding and data processing needs? It behooves questionnaire developers to take these concerns into account before designing the questions. Ideally, the questionnaire should be pre-tested to see how the questions are understood by the respondents. Questionnaire development Processes According McDonald and Gates (1999) these ten steps should be followed in designing a questionnaire: 1. Set objectives of the study and consider resources and constraints of the study   (MacDonald’s sandwich )- Every study as such the one on sandwich must have a definite objective. This objective should be clearly spelt out. A meaningful objective is one which is attainable within the resources at the disposal of the company commissioning the research study. For example, an objective can be to establish how the newly developed sandwich should be priced. Possible constraints of the study also need to be identified and factored into the process of developing and administering the questionnaire. For example, if the intended market of the sandwich is noted for apparent difficulty in securing respondents to participate in research study, that constraint should be taken into account. In such situations, it may be needful to increase the incentives given to respondents to encourage participation. 2. Determine what data collection procedures to use  Ã‚   – Questionnaires can be administered by telephone, email, or in-person. Each approach employed influences the design used. It also has a cost implication, which must be taken into account. 3.Come out with the question response format – After zeroing in on the method for collecting the data, the actual format should be determined. Generally, three types of response formats can be used. These include open-ended questions, where the respondent is given freewill to respond to questions in his own words. There are also the close-ended questions, where   respondents are allowed to select from a list of answers. Thirdly, there is the scaled-response questions, where multiple-choice questions are given to respondents to pick answers from. 4. Make a decision on how the question should be worded – McDonald and Gates (1999) have given four guidelines that should govern this process. These are (a) the wording should be clear and to the point. (b) Select words that   do not preempt other answers over others or that systematically biase the research outputs. (c) consider the ability of the typical respondents to answer the questions and (d) take into account the willingness of the respondents to answer the questions. 5. Determine the arrangement of   the questions – The questions should be arranged in such a manner that establishes a flow. For example, questions that warm up the respondents should come before those considered difficult and complex. 6.   Assess the questionnaire – Determine the relevance and longevity of questions and the ability of questions to answer the research objectives. 7. Seek the consent of relevant stakeholders – Allow all relevant stakeholders to review the questionnaire and give their approval before administering it in the field. By this approach, their support and cooperation is gained. 8. Give it a trial and revise it accordingly – Before administering the questionnaire, it must be field tried or tested. Here, limited number of persons is allowed to answer the questions and how they understood or perceived the questions are evaluated. Their comments are then factored into the final questionnaire. 9.Develop the final copy of the questionnaire – At this juncture, a final copy of the questionnaire is developed. This copy incorporates both the comments of management, sponsors and respondents. 10. Administer the questionnaire – The questionnaire is given out to the intended population for which information is needed.   Instructions to guide   supervisors and interviewers should accompany the questionnaires prepared. Conclusion By adopting this ten-point approach to developing and implementing questionnaires, it should be possible for the needed information to guide managerial decision-making on the newly developed sandwich of MacDonald’s to be obtained. Reference McDaniel, C. and Gates, R. (1999). Contemporary Marketing Research, 4th Edition, South-Western College Publishing, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.            

Friday, September 13, 2019

All About Personal and Professional Health Care Essay Example for Free

All About Personal and Professional Health Care Essay Health care communication is an important practice in the treatment of a patient. Ensuring effective communication can help the patient understand their state of health. The Meaning and Nature of Healthcare Communication Healthcare communication involves an efficient line of communication between medical professionals, clients, and patient. A vital component of healthcare communication is the ability to share information that can enhance a patient’s knowledge. This is important in assuring quality healthcare (Williams, 2007). Personal healthcare communication is vital in promoting a physician’s understanding through discussion and support groups. Healthcare communication considers factors such as the attitude of the patient, their behavior and belief which could have an impact on how the physician can improve the quality of health care (Williams, 2007). In addition, it requires empathy and understanding from the physician when communicating with their patients. An effective way of achieving effective communication is to get feedbacks from the person getting the information. The healthcare practitioner should carefully evaluate if the client can understand the message being relayed (Williams, 2007). One of the most effective ways of achieving an effective healthcare communication is by conducting a personal interview. This method will help determining the accuracy of information regarding their condition. The psychosocial aspects of the patient’s conditions can be considered when conducting the interview (Williams, 2007). The Relevance of Healthcare Communication An effective professional health care communication can improve the health outcome of a patient. The health care professional can utilize various guidelines to achieve effective healthcare communication. It can help the healthcare practitioner to establish a better understanding of the condition and history of their patients (Williams, 2007). In addition, effective healthcare communication can increase the patient’s satisfaction and knowledge of treatment and its possible outcomes. Without effective healthcare communication, the patient will not have a clear understanding of the state of their health. As a result, they are more likely to spend more on healthcare, take the wrong medication, and become depressed (Williams, 2007). The Principles of Therapeutic Communication The Talking Cure In the early history of health care, therapists or in this case health care professionals rarely say a word. Usually, the best way they understand the condition of their patient is through listening but they never communicate. However, it is likely to practice a non-threatening way of communicating with patients and will not hurt their self-esteem (Wachtel, 2008). In this process, the healthcare professional conceals their real message in a meta-message, which can both be demonstrated in a manner that would make it likely to address the conflicting issue which the patient has avoided (Wachtel, 2008). The manner of delivery by the therapist can have a huge effect on the patient compared to the real message. Most of the time, what the therapist says lowers the self-esteem or confidence of the patient (Wachtel, 2008). In this practice, the therapist must be consistent in monitoring their part in the therapeutic session (Wachtel, 2008). Cyclical Psychodynamics The theory of cyclical psychodynamics utilizes a series of repetitive cycles of communication between people. It combines views from interpersonal dynamics and behavioral and family systems (Wachtel, 2008). The cyclical psychodynamics theory states that people live in a contextual life and their behavior is always related to an individual or object. In therapeutic communication, it is important for the health care professional to understand the roots of the patient’s difficulties (Wachtel, 2008). Cyclical psychodynamics focuses on understanding the cause of the patient’s anxiety. The difficulty of a patient can be rooted from their early knowledge of being afraid of their feelings, thoughts, and inclinations. The aim of therapy in this sense is to help the patient refocus these feelings and integrate them into a complete life (Wachtel, 2008). One aim of therapeutic communication is to direct the patient to a variation of the truth that would help them see new possibilities in their life and to modify life patterns that have been responsible for their difficulties. By using meta-messages, the therapist will help the patient affirm, acknowledge, and understand their feelings (Wachtel, 2008). Other therapeutic techniques provide a different climate, focusing on inhibition, silence and non-engagement from the therapist. With cyclical psychodynamics, however, the health care professional is more involved in the therapeutic process (Wachtel, 2008). Conclusion Healthcare communication involves an efficient line of communication between medical professionals, clients, and patient. A vital component of healthcare communication is the ability to share information that can enhance a patient’s knowledge. This is important in assuring quality healthcare. An effective professional health care communication can improve the health outcome of a patient. The health care professional can utilize various guidelines to achieve effective healthcare communication. It can help the healthcare practitioner to establish a better understanding of the condition and history of their patients. Effective healthcare communication can increase the patient’s satisfaction and knowledge of treatment and its possible outcomes. Without effective healthcare communication, the patient will not have a clear understanding of the state of their health. As a result, they are more likely to spend more on healthcare, take the wrong medication, and become depressed. In the early history of health care, therapists or in this case health care professionals rarely say a word. Usually, the best way they understand the condition of their patient is through listening but they never communicate. However, it is likely to practice a non-threatening way of communicating with patients and will not hurt their self-esteem. In this process, the healthcare professional conceals their real message in a meta-message, which can both be demonstrated in a manner that would make it likely to address the conflicting issue which the patient has avoided Cyclical psychodynamics focuses on understanding the cause of the patient’s anxiety. The difficulty of a patient can be rooted from their early knowledge of being afraid of their feelings, thoughts, and inclinations. The aim of therapy in this sense is to help the patient refocus these feelings and integrate them into a complete life. With cyclical psychodynamics, the patient is directed to a variation of the truth that would help them see new possibilities in their life and to modify life patterns that have been responsible for their difficulties. By using meta-messages, the therapist will help the patient affirm, acknowledge, and understand their feelings. Compared with other therapeutic techniques, which focuses on inhibition, silence and non-engagement from the therapist, cyclical psychodynamics involves more involvement and participation by the health care professional in the therapeutic process All About Personal and Professional Health Care. (2016, Dec 04).

A chance meeting and exciting news Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A chance meeting and exciting news - Essay Example A critical assessment of both options is necessary before the declaration of the decision. Primarily, the first question to address is the money issue. Is the new venture more lucrative than the current position? A critical analysis the remuneration offered here shows that for the first year, working with the partners as consultants would be more financially satisfactory. When the $50,000 is shared equally, the annual salary will be $200,000, which is $50,000 more than what Engulf and Devour are offering. However, this is only assured for the first year only. What happens in the second year if there are no clients? Regardless, comparing the $200,000 offer to the $150,000 provided by Engulf and Devour, the former seems more promising since both opportunities have various uncertainties. Taxation is a key consideration as well. With the partnership being a registered entity, the aspect of double taxation is a partner’s financial obligation. With this consideration, the payment promised by the partnership is much lower after taxation as compared what Engulf and Devour are offering. However, the partnership has a more promising financial future as compared to the job and Engulf and Devour. With the possibility of getting bigger clients, as the reputation improves, the promise of better incomes is higher in the case of the partnership as compared to the current job (Lee 109). Financial concerns are the primary concern for any aspiring entrepreneur. After the financial consideration, the next aspect to take into critical account is assessing the uncertainties of the current contract. What would happen if the contract were to be terminated before it was mature? Likewise, considering the terms of payment is equally crucial. Some clients prefer to pay after the completion of the contract, or on a monthly basis. When handling one’s own business, uncertainties are greater as compared to being employed. Assessing the

Thursday, September 12, 2019

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

Risk Isolation - Assignment Example According to the five-factor model for personality traits, an individual may either be an extrovert or introvert. Psychologists have identified introversion as a significant cause of social isolation. The affected person may find social interaction as daunting; hence prefer spending time alone. Such a characteristic poses a risk towards the ability to interact with people; hence isolating oneself from members of the society. On the other hand, an individual’s personality may be ‘ruined’ due to inferiority complex. Such an individual may find it necessary to withdraw oneself from the public. Inferiority complex entails shame and feelings of low self-worth. The cause-and-effect relationship resulting from social isolation is that it may lead to depression and mental illnesses in the long-run. Hawthorne, (2008) attributes social isolation to feeling of superiority. Individuals who consider themselves superior and more important than others end up losing their friends. Such individuals are self-centered and have little concern for others. At first, such people get along with other people, but eventually the friendship is lost due to their perception of being superior. Such individuals end up being alone and start wondering what the problem might be. At this stage, they are already victims of social isolation. Isolation in itself is not therapy. Hawthorne, (2008) explains that victims of social isolation require therapy because prolonged cases of social isolation result in emotional isolation. It is better to seek help from experts rather than trying to tackle life stressors that may result in psychological and mental strain. Hawthorne, G., PhD. (2008). Perceived social isolation in a community sample: Its prevalence and correlates with aspects of peoples lives.  Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology,  43(2), 140-50.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

An Investigation of the Effects of Smoking and International Public Essay

An Investigation of the Effects of Smoking and International Public Health Campaigns - Essay Example Initial investigations began in the Journal of the American Medical Association, their central website guides the user to salient articles available for purchase or library access. Specifically, this article will seek to answer whether health consequences of smoking over the past five decades is sufficient cause to trigger a public downturn in the prevalence of smoking. To this end, articles will be sought that describe long-term disease trends, as well as sociological shifts pertaining to public health, anti-smoking campaigns. A very recent study by Pierce and associates is highly relevant to this objective. An investigation was performed encompassing 1965 to 2007 to determine the prevalence of heavy, habitual smoking, in the United States, by age and birth cohorts in this instance; with a focus on the State of California. This, and other studies confirm that The intensity of smoking, not only its prevalence, is associated with future health risks. There were 139,176 total respondents within California and 1,662,353 for the remaining United States. Among individuals excluding Californians born between 1920-1929, the prevalence of moderate/high-intensity smoking, more than ten packs per day, was 40.5% in 1965. This high-level of tobacco consumption declined across successive birth cohorts, and it was noted that for the 1970-1979 birth cohort, the highest rate of moderate/high-intensity smoking was 9.7% in California and 18.3% in the remaining United States.... There were 139,176 total respondents within California and 1,662,353 for the remaining United States. Among individuals excluding Californians born between 1920-1929, the prevalence of moderate/high-intensity smoking, more than ten packs per day, was 40.5% in 1965. This high-level of tobacco consumption declined across successive birth cohorts, and it was noted that for the 1970-1979 birth cohort, the highest rate of moderate/high-intensity smoking was 9.7% in California and 18.3% in the remaining United States. There was a statistically relevant decrease in moderate/high-intensity smoking at older ages in all cohorts studied, but the decline was greater in California. According to this study, there has been considerable decrease in the prevalence of high-levels of tobacco consumption. The decrease is explicable both in terms of diminished onset of new smokers, and increase in prior smokers who succeed in breaking the nicotine addiction. Though more investigation is needed to clarify whether it is an awareness of the health-risks alone, either through personal experience or simple word-of-mouth, or whether public health campaigns should take credit for the decline. The British Medical Journal also proved to be a useful source; as a means to evaluate, on an international scale the effects of smoking, and various campaigns intended to lessen its toll on public health. A study was found in the BMJ database that described 50 years worth of smoking habits among male British doctors. The primary goal being a comparison of the hazards of cigarette smoking in British men who formed their habits at different time periods. In addition to determine the extent of any reduction in risks when cigarette smoking ceases at different ages. Essentially, the high