Engendering violence Essay

Violence could occur in various ways and in different levels. It may happen in the form of physical, sexual, verbal and psychological abuse, and could be inflicted by any individual, groups, institutions or nations. Whatever form of violence is inflicted, it could threaten the body of the violated person in the most complex way (Jarvis, â€Å"world of the body†). The society today is not new with the issue of violence. Every now and then, the media is consistently reporting events that are inhumane. Although violence could occur among different people, it has been well identified that the prevailing cases of violence are those that are gendered-based. Before one could fully identify gender-based violence, it is an imperative to clarify various definitions that are centered to the area being studied. It should be well understood that the usage of the words gender and sex are needed to be given identification in order to fully understand gender-based violence. In many cases the words gender and sex are used alternately; however there is a distinction between the two words. Sex is often referred to as the differences in the physical aspects of males and females while gender is known to be the roles of the males and females that are socially-prescribed. Such gender roles are acquired through the process of socialization (Ward, 2002 qtd in Benjamin and Murchinson 3). While the physical differences between male and female is persistently identified to be something that is easily distinguished and could be possessed in common, the gender roles are wide range and could be found in different aspects of an individual’s life and may apply in various aspects such as access to various resources, responsibilities that are public and private or even during the period of courtship. Although gender roles could be altered in the long run, it should be well understood that these gender roles reflect the position of men, women and children in the society (Benjamin and Murchinson 3-4). Based from these roles, gender-based violence could be identified as a form of violence that is done to an individual in accordance to the role he or she played within the society. Although such violence could also be directed among men, gender-based violence is prevalent among women and girls. The violence inflicted to females intends to empower hierarchies and strengthen gender inequalities (Benjamin and Murchinson 4). The term gender-based violence is now taking a new context where in it tends to examine and deeply understand the violence against women and discusses the role of gender in inflicting the violence. The power of gender relations always place women in a more disadvantaged position compared to their male counterparts. Gender-based violence place women at a level where they have less access to resources, information, decision making, benefits and have lesser hold on their rights. Aside from these, gender-based violence are also closely related to violence against women and girls because of the involvement of the idea that women are the subordinate gender in the society (UNIFEM 2-3). In various nations, women and girls are victims of myriads of forms of violence. Most of the cases of violence were not done randomly. The victims became the targets of the perpetrators because of the reason that they are females. Among the many forms of violence, sexual violence specifically rape is the most commonly inflicted among women. All sexual assaults are done out of aggression, despite of the gender and age of the victim. The primary motivation of the assailant to carry out rape is not centered towards satisfying a sexual desire or an issue of sexual deprivation from the past rather the perpetrator inflicts rape in order to express their power over somebody (Groth qtd in New York City Alliance against sexual assault, â€Å"Factsheets†). In most cases of female rape the act of violence was predominantly done by males who all come from socio-economic classes, racial or other ethnic groups. All through out the world, rape is often directed towards women because of their gender, regardless of their age, ethnicity or political affiliation (UNIFEM, â€Å"violence†). In the United States alone, it was reported that a woman is raped every two minutes. Just in 1995, the number of women who were raped or sexually assaulted reached over 354,670. The risk factors for initiating rape were accounted for early sexual experience, stereotyping which include the negative attitudes of males toward females, consumption of alcohol and the acceptance of rape myths (â€Å"American rape statistics†). In addition, during war and civil conflicts gender-based violence such as rape and sexual abuse were done in order to attack the morale of the enemy including men and women. For others gender-based violence was also conducted as â€Å"spoils of war. † (Benjamin and Murchinson 5) During the 1994 Rwandan genocide, sexual violence, especially rape was directed or encouraged by the Hutu Militia groups in order to strengthen their goal of destroying the whole Tsutsi clan. At this point in time, the violence was directed towards the Tsutsi women due to their gender and ethnicity. Furthermore, the sexuality of the Tsutsi women was also regarded by the Hutu’s, who were the genocide perpetrators, as a medium that could be used by the Tsutsi community to infiltrate the community of the Hutus. Because of this reason, the propaganda of sexually violating the Tsutsi women became prevalent in order to dehumanize and subjugate the Tsusti community as a whole. Aside from the Tsutsi women other Hutu women were also targeted for rape by their own tribesmen because they were associated with Tsutsi men who are considered as an opposition (Norwojee, â€Å"Shattered lives†). During the conflict in Bosnia-Hercegovina, Muslim women were raped and sexually abused as a part of the so-called â€Å"ethnic cleansing† for the establishment of the Greater Serbia, which is said to be ethically pure. On the basis of investigations, it was estimated that over 20,000 women became the victims of rape and sexual abuse. It was also documented that the rape was directed among the women in order to impose humiliation among the victims, their families and the community where they belong (WomenAid International, â€Å"EC investigative mission†). Much has been written about the prevalence of rape and rape reporting among females. However, it was stated earlier in the study that gender-based violence could also occur among males. In the case of rape, males are often disregarded about the issue because of the social context that males are the initiators of the sexual act, or if not they are considered as the dominating gender and that the women should be take the submissive role (Gagnon and Simon, 1973; Schneider & Gould, 1987 qtd in Duncan and William, â€Å"Gender role,† 1). Despite this traditional sexual script, male rape is also very much similar to female rape. The most common perpetrators of male rape are also males, yet on a larger scale, the involvement of female as accomplices or perpetrators were also reported. In 2002, it was documented that out of eight rape victims, one of those involves a male (RAINN, 2003 qtd in Stanford’s men against violent group, â€Å"male rape†). More often than not, male rape is one of the many violence issues that are least discussed in the society. This is because such issue is often interpreted as an extension of the life in prison and is often regarded as a part of the homosexual subculture (Kaufman et al. , 1980 qtd in Pino and Meier, 1). However, what people do not recognize is the fact that male rape survivors include not only homosexuals but also heterosexuals, teenagers, homosexuals and children. Case research even suggested that males also experience the same reactions felt by females. Alongside with the feelings of depression, anger, self-blame, guilt, sexual dysfunctions, vulnerability and emotional distancing, male rape victims also have to endure unsympathetic attitudes from people even their friends, family and acquaintances (Brochman, 1991 qtd in New York City alliance against sexual assault, â€Å"Factsheets†). Likewise, it was also reported that males are more likely to become victims of multiple aggressors, yet the assailants could inflict sustained physical trauma and male victims could be held as captives for a longer period of time compared to their female counterparts (Kaufman et al. , 1980 qtd in Pino and Meier, 1).

Cultural Relativism

|Cultural Moral Relativism. Do We All Agree? | |Essay #1 Pratheep | |Sivabaalan 100266114 | |11/18/2009 | |James Connelly | I find Rachel’s arguments against the view of Cultural Moral Relativism persuasive and very convincing. Believers of Cultural Relativism have influenced the notion that cultural moral codes are culture bound. After explicating and assessing Cultural Relativism views and Rachels arguments, it is clear that there are discrepancies and inconsistencies in the views that favor Cultural Relativism. Rachels introduces a number of considerations that reject Cultural Relativism. Cultural Relativism tells us that there is no such thing as universal truth in ethics, and what does exist is the customs of different societies. Furthermore, we cannot judge a custom of another society or our own as right or wrong. Cultural Relativism simplifies its facts by employing an argument, known as the ‘Cultural Differences’ argument. ) Different cultures have different moral codes 2) Therefore, there is no objective â€Å"truth† in morality. Right and wrong are only matters of opinion, and opinions vary from culture to culture (Rachels, p18) Rachels identifies that argument as being unsound, thus an invalid argument altogether. Rachels explains that the conclusion does not follow the premise. Rachels explains that the argument’s premise concerns what people believe, and the conclusion concerns what really is the case. I agree with Rachels reasoning on the argument, the premise is motivated by observations, and not the facts and the conclusion suggests what is true. Therefore, the argument cannot be considered as a strong view for cultural relativism since the conclusion does not logically follow the premise; an unsound argument. Rachels attempts to provide stronger claims to reject Cultural Relativism through a method known as reduction ad absurbum. One of the main points that Cultural Relativism stresses is that â€Å"We can no longer say that customs of other societies are morally inferior to our own†. Rachels disagrees with this notion in contrast with less compassionate practices in other societies. Rachels brings up examples, such as the oppression of the Chinese Government upon its citizens. Cultural Relativism denies us to condemn such actions because we cannot judge practices in another society to our own. I believe Rachel has a good point on how far is too far, when it comes to customs in other societies. Situations and practices like excursion, slavery, stoning and etc raises questions on how tolerate can people be on inhuman practices. Another proposition that Cultural Relativism brings up is that â€Å"We could no longer criticize the code of our own society†. Rachel criticizes this statement by suggesting that people do not believe our society’s code is perfect, but Cultural Relativism disallows us to think of ways why our society can be better. I agree that our society’s moral code is not prefect and there are a number of reasons that suggests this. For example, animal testing and killings of specific dog breeds are questionable in our society’s moral codes. Furthermore, in our society we have different views on the topic of abortion, where people feel it is right and wrong. Like many societies and our own, we are prone to question our own moral codes and customs. Lastly, â€Å"The idea of moral progress would be called into doubt†, is the last statement Cultural Relativism conveys. The statement contradicts many of Cultural Relativism views it expressed. Rachels example of women rights can be seen as progress, yet it also means that the old ways, before the movement, are now being replace by new and improved ways. Cultural Relativism does view women rights changes as progress; however it forbids us from thinking that this is making our society better. Thus, cultural relativism views on progress makes this argument contradictory. The five tenets of Cultural Relativism undergo further explication as Rachel notes further criticism. The first claim, â€Å"different societies have different moral codes†, holds some truth, however fails to explain that there are universal values that all societies do share. Values such as truth telling, prohibition of murder and caring for the young are conceived by all societies. The only difference is the factual beliefs, not their values. I agree with Rachel, that there are some values that cultures do share. The second tenet, â€Å"The moral code of a society determines what is right within that society; that is, if the moral code of a society says that a certain action is right, then that action is right, at within that society†. Rachel assesses and explains that there is a vast difference in what a society believes and what is really true. Practices, like excision, can be very wrong and suggests does it really promote or hinder human well being. I believe it hinders a human well being, excision is a painful procedure that abolishes sexual pleasure for the individual. Scarring and tendencies to contract disease(s) are most probable in the long run. Cultural relativism believes that society’s morals of a culture can never be wrong. However, Rachels believes that we can see that societies are in need of moral improvement. I agree with Rachels statements, there is room for societies to understand and learn that mistakes can be made even in cultural customs. The third tenet, â€Å"There is no objective standard that can be used to judge one society’s code as better than another’s. There are no moral truths that hold for all people at all times†. Rachels strongly disagrees with this tenet in cases of stoning, slavery and excision. Rachels says, â€Å"it always matters whether a practice promotes or hinder the welfare of the people affected by it†(Rachels, p28). People affected by such barbaric practices do not seem to improve the quality of their lives nor their happiness. The forth tenet, â€Å"The moral code of our own society has no special status; it is but one among many†. Rachels points out that Cultural Relativism says, â€Å"it is merely one among many†(Rachels, p28) which directs an ‘open question’. A code in particular can be one of the best or one of the worse. This opens up an entirely new discussion that there are customs that are questioned to being right or wrong. The fifth tenet, â€Å"It is arrogant for us to judge other cultures. We should always be tolerate of them†. Rachels raises truth in this statement, we are often arrogant when we criticize other cultures, and tolerance is a good thing. Nevertheless, Rachels notes, we shouldn’t tolerate everything, human societies have done horrible things. Tolerance can only go so far, to a point where intervention is crucial. This claim is inconsistent with the second claim, ‘that right and wrong are determined by the norms of a society’. There are instants that norms of a society favor intolerance, for example the Nazi army invading Poland. Cultural Relativism teaches us not to criticize the Nazis for being intolerant if all they’re doing is following their own moral codes. However, cultural relativism also tells us that the norms of a culture are bound within the culture itself. Since the norms are bound in Polish society, invasion and manslaughter are not part of their norms. Work Cited: Rachels, James and Stuart Rachels. (2009). The Elements of Moral Philosophy. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Animal Research

Animal Research Essay Animal ResearchFor the past 20 years, there has a been an on going heateddebate on whether experiments on animals for the benefit of medical and scientific research is ethical. Whether it is or isnt, most people believe that some form of cost-benefit test should be performedto determine if the action is right. The costs include: animal pain, distress and death where thebenefits include the collection of new knowledge or the development of new medical therapies forhumans. Looking into these different aspects of the experimentation, there is a large gap for argumentbetween the different scientists views. In the next few paragraphs, both sides of the argument will beexpressed by the supporters. A well known scientist named Neal D. Barnard said, The use ofanimals for research and testing is only one of many investigative techniques available. We believethat although animal experiments are sometimes intellectually seductive, they are poorly suited toaddressing the urgent health problems of our era, such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, AIDS andbirth defects. He goes on further to say that animal experiments can not only mislead researchersbut even contribute to illnesses or deaths by failing to predict any toxic effect on drugs. The majorityof animals in laboratories are used for genetic manipulation, surgical intervention or injection offoreign substances. Researchers produce solutions from these animal models and are adaptingthem to human conditions. Unfortunately, these animal models cant always be connected with thehuman body thus creating problems. Many times, researchers induce strokes on animals in order totest certain methods for curing. The downfall of this procedure is that a healthy animal thatexperiences a sudden stroke does not undergo the slowly progressive arterial damage that usuallyplays a crucial role in human strokes. In another illustration of the inaccuracy of animal research,scientists in the 1960s deduced from many animal experiments that inhaled tobacco smoke did notcause lung cancer. For many years afterward, the tobacco industry was able to use these studies todelay government warnings and to discourage physician s from intervening in their patients smokinghabits. We all know now that this is totally untrue and that smoking is a large contributor to cancer. Itturns out that cancer research is especially sensitive to differences in physiology between humans andother animals. Many animals, particularly rats and mice, synthesize within their bodies approximately100 times the recommended daily allowance for humans of vitamin C, which is believed to help thebody ward off cancer. The stress of handling, confinement and isolation alters the animals mentalstability and introduces yet another experimental variable that makes any results from testing evenless valuable to human helping. In many cases, drugs and other substances are given to the testanimals but studies have shown considerable differences in the effects of these drugs on differentspecies. David Salsburg of Pfizer Central Research has noted that of 19 chemicals known to causecancer in humans when ingested, only seven caused cancer in mice and rats using the standards setby the National Cancer Institute. This justifies that many substances that appeared safe in animalstudies and received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in humans laterproved dangerous to people. The drug milrinone, which raises cardiac output, increased survival ofrats with artificially induced heart failure; humans with severe chronic heart failure taking this drug hada 30 percent increase in fatalities. Also, the antiviral drug fialuridine seemed safe in animal trials yetcaused liver failure in seven of 15 humans taking the drug (five of these patients died as a result of themedication, and the other two received liver transplants). Scientists and the populous that do notagree with the experimentation of animals believe in different methods. These techniques includeepidemiological studies, clinical intervention trials, astute clinical observation aided by laboratorytesting, human tissue and cell cultures, autopsy studies, endoscopic examination and biopsy, as wellas new imaging methods. In the last decade, scientists with these views have learned to respect theanimals for their own species observations and for their ability to communicate. On the reverseaspect, many scientists READ: Computer systems Essay

Exercise 6-1 Remote Power System Exercise Assignment

Exercise 6-1 Remote Power System Exercise - Assignment Example These two units are found at the first level and the breakdown of the units goes into the second and third levels. Moreover, there are other units such which are the core of the project and cannot be placed in the second or third level (Schwalbe 76). Level 2 is mainly made up of deliverables that are clearly tangible and recognizable. The other levels consist of activities and tasks that build up on the project. The remote control unit is used in controlling the Remote Power Motor System (RPM) through the use of different components. The major project milestones are put together in level two of the project. In the case of our project we put together the following sections: Training, Budget Control, Data Management and Project Management. These sections are must be implemented using a bottom up approach. The Project Manager is responsible for the control and overall supervision of the project (Haugan 61). Therefore, he/she is general in charge of project management which is placed at level 2 of the project. Other important services that should be placed at level 2 include data management, budget control and training. However, in our case we should concentrate on the two levels that are categorized into the Remote control and the Vehicle units. These two important levels control the remote power mower into moving and operating at optimal levels. The deliverables in this project are constituted of several important components. For instance, the remote control unit is made up of antenna, transmitter and the battery. While the Vehicle unit is made up of the receiver, console among other components. The assembly of all the components is done through various tasks. Some of the tasks that could be utilized in this project include system engineering, development test, operational test and evaluation (MiloÃ… ¡ević 82). The tasks make up important part of the project and all tasks

Emerging Technology 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Emerging Technology 2 - Essay Example There are basically two different ways in which green computing can be looked at. One of these is by considering the hardware that is being used in the processes. The other is by considering the software. Hardware in this case will mostly look at such things as the efficiency of data processing and the design of data centers. Software considers such aspects as cloud computing and algorithm tweaks that minimize power consumption improving efficiency (Harris 2008 23). Hardware One of the more recent technologies in this space is that of cloud computing. This allows large companies to basically distribute the costs of handling their data to a single company. This reduces the amount of data centers required to hold the numerous amounts of data. They also provide companies with the opportunity to consolidate their resources and hence minimize power usage and increase efficiency. One concern though that has been raised by this technology is that of the security of the data. This is from wh ere there is increased risk of the transfer of secure data from the companies to the data centers. There is the virtualization of both software and hardware. A good example is the running of two or more logical computers from a single set of hardware. This leads to the consolidation of resources that increases the efficiencies of running computer systems (Soomro & Sarwar 2012 539). Software One of the software green computing technologies that is begin applied is that of the utilization of green scheduling techniques and green compilers. Green compilers work through various processes to analyze the programs that a software is running on and then to reshape the source code of the software. They reshape the software by applying certain green aspects. A green scheduler on the hand works on how to allocate the resources to a program and how well to utilize these resources so as to make it more efficient. The concerns that are raised with these two modes of software engineering are that they require a balance between efficiency and effectiveness of the machine (Fakha, Javed, Rasool, Malik & Zulfiqar 2012). Conclusion There have been great improvements in the making of green computing systems. The current improvements are limited by the available hardware at the moment. It has been predicted that we are a few years away from deriving the maximum efficiency out of silicon based chips. A better scheduler is also required to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the various green compliers currently available. Intelligent systems Abstract Intelligent systems are commonly used to refer to systems with artificial intelligence. It is difficult to generally classify these but they can be broadly classed as diagnostic, knowledge and expert. All these different categories apply three basic principles that have their various limitations. The major limitation is in the replication of human knowledge. This is a limitation that at present has greatly limited the developmen t of artificial intelligent systems. Introduction There has been a contention with how to think about intelligent systems with their being a variety of definitions. The one that may be used to explain an intelligent system may be that it is â€Å"

Changes in Maro environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Changes in Maro environment - Essay Example Wal-Mart in Mexico was impacted due to the 1994 currency crisis. Due to currency crisis, the interest rate was decreased in the Unites States as a result of which the amount of net capital inflows in Mexico was adversely impacted. With this macroeconomic variables’ impact, Wal-Mart’s credit position was affected which brought the firm in unstable position through increased level of cost and decreased productivity. The case of Wal-Mart in Mexico is a practical implication of the political decisions’ impact, which is a macroeconomic factor, upon the operations of a firm (Oxelheim, Wihlborg, & Zhang, 2009). The similarity between the strategies adopted by McDonald’s in China and Wal-Mart in Mexico is that both the firm strived to come out of certain adverse consequences of the macro environment and succeed in the respective markets. The difference between the strategies is that McDonald’s followed ‘customer driven’ strategy whereas Wal-Mart followed ‘competition driven’ strategy. This is because McDonald’s focused on implementing various ways of winning customers’ belief, while on the other hand, Wal-Mart concentrated on gaining competitive advantage through adoption of various innovative strategies such as opening up of banks in its stores. In the case of McDonald’s expansion strategy in China, the Chinese governmental policies towards foreign companies attempting to acquire China’s natural resources impacted upon the firm’s cost during entering the market as they had to make use of channels for avoiding this entry barrier. Utilization of channels accompanied extra cost for the company and also in certain cases, the firm had to compromise with its business structure for reducing the entry barriers. Again the case of Wal-Mart’s expansion strategy in Mexico had been highly impacted due to the trading situations between Mexico and the US resulting in various

Case Study - Evaluating the Purchase of an Asset with Various Capital

- Evaluating the Purchase of an Asset with Various Capital Budgeting Methods - Case Study Example nd 50 miles per gallon respectively, whereas, the cost and miles per gallon of non-hybrid Toyota Yaris 5-Door LE 2014 is $ 17,644 and 32 respectively (U.S. Department of Energy). The total cost of driving the hybrid model for one year = annual gallons of fuel*cost per gallon. Gallons used per year = (12,000/50) = 240 gallons. Therefore, total cost = (240*2.071) = $ 497.04 per year. On the other hand, the total cost of driving the non-hybrid model for one year = annual gallons used*cost per gallon. Gallons used per year = (12,000/32) = 375 gallons. Therefore, the total cost = (375*2.071) = $ 776.625 per year. Consequently, the savings offered by the hybrid model over the non-hybrid model = (776.625 – 497.04) = $ 279.585 per year (Fuel cost calculator). The NPV of the hybrid model. The annual cash inflow = $ 279.585. The rate of return = 10%. The initial investment = $ 19,905. The NPV = $ -18,187. See appendix 1 (Götze, Northcott, and Schuster 68-76). Comparatively, the NPV of the hybrid model (-18,187) is lower than the cost of the gasoline engine model (17,644). However, from a pure financial standpoint, the hybrid model makes sense since it saves up to $ 279.585 on fuel consumption as compared to non-hybrid model (Götze, Northcott, and Schuster 68-76). The payback period is the time taken to recover the amount invested in a project. Based on this case study, the initial investment = cost of a hybrid model – cost of the gasoline engine model) = (19,905 - 17,644) = $ 2,261. The expected annual net cash flow = $ 279.585. Therefore, the payback period = (2,261/279.585) = 8.087 years (Götze, Northcott, and Schuster 68-76). The following are some of the quality concerns related to the hybrid model: first, the car battery loses the charge faster during the cold season, thus increases the number of charging occasions. Second, the hybrid cars weigh less compared to gasoline engine cars. As a result, they easily get involved in accidents, especially during

Law And Case Policy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Law And Policy - Case Study Example An examination of the present legal environment reveals the effectiveness of policies in safeguarding business information and information systems. More than ever before, businesses are rapidly globalizing their operations due to the expansion of e-commerce abilities. This has resulted in the emergence of robust information systems that encompass vast quantities of business-related information. As a consequence, businesses have increasingly started depending on third-party vendors for diverse business operations, posing immense challenges to information security. Vendors such as contractors need to guarantee protection of valuable customer data. Complex systems are needed to handle these complex business opportunities and challenges. Consequently, information security policies are essential to effective everyday business operations. Policies encompass both government polices and organizational polices. With regard to government policies, the US is renowned for its development and imp lementation of robust information security legislation to deter exploitation and misuse of information and information systems and technology. Such legislation provides a reliable business environment, ensuring a stable economy (IT Governance Institute, 2004). Prominent government policies on information security include the 1986 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFA Act), which is the foundation of most computer and information-related federal laws. The 1996 National Information Infrastructure Protection Act amended the 1986 law, increasing penalties for information-related crimes. The degree of the penalties imposed depends on the essence of the information acquired and used and whether or not the information-related offense was committed for commercial advantage, personal financial gain or the perpetuation of a criminal act, for instance, fraud. The US Patriotic Act has modified various laws, allowing greater latitude to law enforcement agencies in order to deter terrorism-related ac tivities that encompass the use of information and information system; for instance, making information available for terrorist activities. However, perhaps some of the most important government legislation that govern information dissemination, confidentiality and integrity include the 1996 Telecommunications Deregulation and Competition Act, which regulates telecommunications, both foreign and interstate (IT Governance Institute, 2004). Additionally, the 1966 Freedom of Information Act facilitates disclosure of formerly unreleased documents or information controlled by the government, for instance, tax records. In order to protect businesses against illegal access to stored information on business and personal communications, the government established the Unlawful Access to Stored Communications. This law is particularly important since it deters access and dissemination of business and personal communications, especially those carrying vital business details. The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, which was last amended in 2006, helps to deter computer-related acts of unlawful information use, dissemination and access (IT Governance In

Freedom of Human Will Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Freedom of Human Will - Essay Example After all, without the notion of freedom as an attainable state another crucial phenomenon that exists in any society would virtually collapse. This phenomenon pertains to the notion of control that we may have over the ways we conduct our relationships in the wide sense of this word. The importance that human beings assign to the need of being in control of themselves, of those around them, and of external circumstances that they are immersed in, reflects one of the essential qualities of human nature as such - that of the striving of man to change the world we lives in, to adapt it to human needs, and to feel secure in it. All these aspirations presuppose the presence of at least some degree of control on the part of man, and with the development of human societies the phenomenon of control in its different social, economic, and political manifestations represented by schemes of distribution of power was gaining more and more elaborated and intricate forms. At the same time, along with macro events such as political and economic processes micro level of human relationships is not a less interesting realm of investigation aimed at finding out what the notion of control is, and whether we really have control over relationships in our life. Let us try to take a closer look at both macro and micro sociological scale of our life in order to examine what degree of control we really may have over the ways we conduct our relationships. Perhaps, such a discussion would also help us better understand the interrelation between the conception of control and the more fundamental notion of freedom of human will from which it stems. Definitions of control First of all, as we are speaking about control we have to define what we mean by it. In this respect, various definitions can be applied, ranging form the far-reaching characterisation of control as a power to determine, direct, and dominate, which in a positive way (similarly to the formulation of the concept of positive liberty that stands for 'freedom for'(Carter, 2003) suggests that an agent exercising control possesses creative and almost God-like qualities, to the much more humble description of control as an ability of a human agent to restrain for some purpose her or his emotions, desires, or certain impetuses (Miller, 1998, pp.9-12). This latter definition offers a negative account of control, which again can be compared with the concept of negative liberty formulated as 'freedom from' (Carter, 2003). In between these definitions a range of intermediary ones can be located that specify different application of control in social, economic, private, and other spheres of human activity. However, it seems that it is the consideration of the outlined extreme poles represented by the positive and negative definitions of cont

The entrepreneurs as the need of the time for making a difference in Essay

The entrepreneurs as the need of the time for making a difference in the global business world - Essay Example This research will begin with the definition of entrepreneurship as the word which describes the true accomplishments of an entrepreneur. Over the years researchers have given several definitions for entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship according to many is a method which keeps evolving rather than being stagnant. Entrepreneurship can be related to personification of entrepreneurs and accommodates features such as novelty, systematisation, responsibility handling, resource allotment and finance acuity. The world has seen many entrepreneurial firms beginning their journey from scratch and rising to the top position. These firms have focussed on innovation and change in their process of doing business. Entrepreneurial firms are of umpteen numbers in the world but very few have reached the zenith. One such entrepreneurial firm is Virgin Group. Virgin Group of companies was founded by Richard Branson in the year 1970 as Virgin Mailing Order. Later, the company expanded to various sectors, which includes airlines, mobile phone, music label records, etc. At present the Virgin Group is a conglomerate of 400 companies. Virgin Group is referred to as the entrepreneurial firm of innovation and new thinking. It has considerably changed the old methods of doing business. It believes in freshness, something different and thinking out of the box to deliver a changed product, a better product, an innovative product to the large customer base. (Virgin, 2012). Entrepreneur An Entrepreneur is the architect who creates new opportunities through business process by presenting existing or recent product with a different attribute. Entrepreneurs are opportunist and courageously accept the risks prevailing in the entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs possess distinguishing characteristics which enables them to develop unique skills for accomplishing great success in the world of business (Finance in the classroom.org, 2004). Entrepreneurs are just not creative in developing new and innovativ e ideas but are much more than that. They are the torch bearers in the complex world of business with tremendous potential to accept challenges and provide the best solution. Further, entrepreneurs can be said to be the personality who possess certain qualities such as: a. Entrepreneurs analyse the needs and wants, and simultaneously solves the problems faced by the customers. b. Any opportunity is converted into the strength for the firm. c. Innovative ideas are laid down for the best business plan. d. Risks in expansion or new venture are analysed beforehand. e. Entrepreneurs never hold on to a single idea as change is the demand of time. f. Utilise the resources in the best possible way to succeed in the business ventures. g. Learns from the mistakes and failures to attain success in the near future. These qualities stand out as unique and distinctive approach of entrepreneurs in shaping the world and providing the best solution to the arising problems (Mvp.cfee.org, n.d). Entrep reneurs are the force behind the venturing of business. They give the business a new look, different form their counterparts and this is what makes them leaders. Virgin Group over the years has undergone a lot of modification and changes in its approach towards business objectives. It will be wrong not to mention its founder and owner Sir Richard Branson’s name as the success story of Virgin Group was written & executed by him. Richard Branson since the early stages of founding Virgin Group has had different approach unlike his

GEs Talent Machine Solution Essay Example for Free

GEs Talent Machine Solution Essay ?Question NO 1:While most companies have difficulty producing sufficient quality candidates for top management succession, how has GE been able to create a surplus? What philosophy policies and practices have made it a â€Å"CEO factor6y† as Fortune and Economist call it? Really producing sufficient quality top executives is very difficult task for companies, but if we see case of General Electric, it was producing managers not only for own, GE was producing these executives in enough quantity to meet the need of industry. The philosophy adopted by GE includes some techniques, policies and practiceswhich enable GE to fill vacant top positions. Following are these techniques that wehave analyzed in this case study. Continuous Improvement:Management development process of GE was very effective in which employees aredeveloped step by step. Every manager was continuously involved in diversified andinnovative task in which every employee is rotate in different departments which enablethe employees to be expert in almost every field. The company was providing on jobtraining to its employees through training programs conducted in university which wasestablished by GE. Self succession plan and session C was also good for improving and polishing talent. Focus Strategy:To fill the vacant top positions GE was focusing on internal source. For this GE wasconducting a lot of training programs for its employees because when these were trained by company, it was easy for company to adjust existing employees at top positions. Emerging Culture:Company is try not only to gain objectives but also to merge the new employees withthe existing culture followed at GE. New employees are encouraged to adopt the cultureof GE which was very helpful in transferring the culture and value from senior executivesto junior executives. Company Strategy:Company was considering the employees as the asset of the GE. Company was notonly focusing on business development but also on employees development. It wasspending 10% of its pre tax income on employees development. It was also givingtraining to employees in university established by GEMeritocracy:In GE employee’s performance was measured by quantitative and qualitatively andthe basis of this evaluation the employees were promoted. While concluding we analyze that actually GE’s policies and practices were so goodthat it was producing the surplus managers. Values, culture, training programs, and performance appraisal measures are factor that help GE in exposing and polishing thetalent of employees. Question No2:How generalizable are GE’s , management development policies and practices? Howtransferable across cultures? Across industries ? Aross companies ? Overall policies and practices are very good and fulfill the requirement and need of management development. These policies and practices are generalizable in every wherein world up to some extent not completely. Their extent of generazibility depends uponthe circumstances and situation and environment of geographical areas, laws andregulations of state because these factors vary from culture to culture. E. g. moral valuesand ethics followed in American culture are not followed in Pakistan so we cannot saythat policies adopted by HR department in American organizations fully implemented inHR department of Pakistani organizations. Transferability across Culture, Industries and Companies:Of course policies and practices are implemented in European culture but it seemsvery difficult to implement these policies in Asian culture because HR policies have todeal with human behavior and culture. Human behaviors are different in differentcountries in same situations. In GE employees are recruited which are fresh graduate. Then these employees were polished by GE by taking into account future requirements. Employees at GE have onlyand only experience in GE company but This situation may not happened in other organizations because they do not have such employees who are trained and developed by only one company because almost all organizations are involved in external hiring, so policies to develop employees cannot be implemented in those companies. How we transfer policies and practices to other culture, industries and companies. For transferring these policies it is necessary to change and create the circumstances andsituations according to that of GE. HR departments have to deal with factors like value,culture and behavior and these things are different from culture to culture, company tocompany.

Treaments for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Treaments for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Posttraumatic stress disorder occurs when individuals experience intrusive effects of a disturbing event that they have experienced for more than one month. PTSD is also marked by an individual’s determined avoidance of any stimuli that might remind them of the aforementioned event, along with a marked shift in mood and behavior which is distressing to the people around them. Over the years, a number of therapeutic techniques have been used to treat PTSD. Due to their effectiveness, exposure therapies and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) are two of the most widely used of these techniques. These have been utilized to treat soldiers as well as civilians who have experienced trauma. However, the nuances of their application, in terms of their effectiveness against specific demographics have yet to be determined. This paper will critically evaluate a number of different studies conducted using exposure techniques, EMDR, or both and determine their effectivenes s in treating individuals with PTSD. Even though EMDR has its roots in exposure therapy, for the purposes of this study, EMDR and exposure therapies will be regarded as two distinctive therapeutic techniques (CITE). One of the biggest issues faced by PTSD treatment research is a large number of studies with subpar methodologies. Due to this, Foa and Meadows (1997) published seven standards that should be present in any research that deals with treatment outcomes of PTSD. They are known as the â€Å"Gold Standards† for treatment outcome studies. According to Foa and Meadows, every suitable PTSD research should have clearly defined symptoms; reliable and valid measures; use of independent evaluators; trained assessors; manualized, replicable, specific treatment programs; treatment adherence; and an unbiased assignment to treatment. Ready et al. (2012) provides an effective utilization of group-based exposure therapy which sets the precedent in favor of exposure techniques among veteran soldiers. Their decision to divide the participants into three groups of ten ensures that every individual can form personal connections with other members of the group given the limited time of the treatment program. The small group size also allows the participants, who would typically avoid social situations, to not feel overwhelmed when asked to share their experiences. On the other hand, the lack of any gender diversity within the sample group reduces external validity and adds to the stereotype that only men who have been in combat suffer from PTSD. Given the comorbidity of PTSD and substance abuse (CITE), using drug abuse as exclusion criteria further decreases its external validity. Allocating the first part of the program to forming support groups among participants is an effective use of the small sample size. It also helps in prolonging the social and emotional support that participants get during the program so that they will continue to support each other after its conclusion. Using each individual’s presentations as a form of exposure allows for a highly personalized exposure treatment while allowing them to understand that others have faced the same situations that they have. However, since they are required to listen to it as homework, it can only be effective with highly motivated participants. Seeing the long-term effectiveness of this type of exposure technique, Ready et al. (2012) proposed that the number of times that participants are required to listen to the presentations be increased from 10 to 20, which would theoretically increase the rate at which symptoms of PTSD would disappear. Overall, group based exposure therapy (GBET) is shown to be an effective short-term and long-term treatment for PTSD. Through research conducted in a Ugandan refugee camp, Neuner et al. (2008) demonstrated that, even with laypersons with minimal training in psychotherapy, exposure techniques such as narrative exposure therapy (NET) can be used to treat PTSD. Just nine research assistants, all laypersons, were employed to conduct this study among a sample size of 277 individuals. While they were given a 6 week crash course on therapeutic techniques and communication skills, the use of unqualified personal to treat psychological disorders is unethical and could have negatively affected the participants being treated. Furthermore, it would have been better to use research assistants who weren’t from the camps that the study was being conducted on; this would have decreased threats to the validity of the study such as demand characteristics and participant expectations. However, the subject of PTSD wasn’t alien to the laypersons since all of them had been diagnosed with it at one point or another, meaning that they could empathize with the participants via personal experience. Since follow-up assessments showed that 70% of the participants who underwent NET can no longer be diagnosed with PTSD, this type of psychotherapy can be used in war-torn regions where professional help isn’t readily available. But the validity of the final results can be questioned due to the large number of participants who could not be located for the post-test and follow-up sessions, even though the study had adjusted for attrition during participant selection. Another exposure technique, known as imagery rescripting and exposure therapy (IRET), was used by Long et al. (2011) to treat nightmares associated with PTSD. Like in the aforementioned case of Ready et al. (2012), this program also suffered from the issue of being all male. Furthermore, the temporal relevance of the study can be questioned since the participants were primarily veterans of the Vietnam War and none of the participants had participated in active combat since the early 1990s. While IRET had great success in decreasing the frequency of nightmares and increasing the quality of sleep, it wasn’t shown to have any effect on other symptoms associated with PTSD. The validity of these findings can be further questioned by the fact that the mean age for the participants were 62.1 years; meaning that their sleep disturbances may be the result of factors other than PTSD. Despite all of this, the self-employed and individualized exposure techniques used in this study, along with the extensive psychoeducation that preceded it, makes it a highly effective tool to treat nightmares associated with PTSD, even in individuals who have been suffering from it for decades. Rothbaum, Astin, and Marstellar (2005) attempted to compare the efficacy of prolonged exposure therapy (PE) to EMDR with respect to the treatment of rape victims. One of the things that stood out from this study was the fact that every assessment and evaluation that is required during the course of the study was conducted by independent, blind evaluators. In addition to that the integrity of the specific therapies was measured by assessors who rated them highly. The sample size used was appropriate but a high dropout rate, combined with a few peculiar additions to the sample groups negatively affects the validity and reliability of the study; three participants who would not have otherwise been able to pass the exclusion criteria were allowed to participate in the study. It also used the participant’s subjective opinion on the most significant events in their lives, on which the treatments were focused on, which stands out due to the lengths they went to make the results of th is study independent and objective. Furthermore, the remarkable success at which both PE and EMDR was able to treat the participants, raises questions on the reliability of the treatment process; 95% of the PE group and 75% of the EMDR group of patients who have been suffering from PTSD for over a decade, were no longer diagnosable as PTSD patients after a treatment process that lasted a few weeks. Despite all that, the efficacy of both exposure techniques and EMDR in treatment compared to no treatment cannot be questioned. Ahmad, Larsson, and Sundlein-Wahlsten’s (2006) study, which was conducted using participants between the ages of 6 to 16, demonstrated that PTSD is prevalent even among children. The randomized controlled nature of the study along with the independent assessments makes it high in internal validity. Participants on the control group of this also showed improvements; they however, improved in non PTSD related symptoms. Moreover, the inventory that was administered had been modified in such a way that it can be understood and used easily with children. Furthermore, a more extensive evaluation can be carried out in the form of longitudinal studies or case studies regarding the relationship between PTSD in children and the history of mental illness in their family. Like many other programs which tested different treatments of PTSD, this study lacked a larger sample size, and utilized extensive exclusion criteria; this could affect its generalizability. In addition to this, they fai led to make independent assessments of their follow-up evaluations, affecting its claim of having blind assessments. Similar to Rothbaum, Astin, and Marstellar’s (2005) study which used the victim’s subjective opinion of their worst experience in order to conduct their PTSD assessment, this study also decided to focus on one single incident that the young participants or their guardians deemed significant. This is an effective method of administering EMDR, since it is more efficient in treating specific memories that are distressing to the participants. However, in a broader perspective, while a case can be made to the point that subjective opinions of individuals’ most distressing events are relevant to treating PTSD since it’s the individuals themselves who are experiencing them, it should also be pointed out that what an individual considers to be the most significant event in his/her life need not be the most significant event in terms of psychological and emotional trauma. Therefore, it should be best to conduct extensive background checks before any kind of decisio n is made regarding the significance of any life events. In a study published by Taylor et al. (2003), a side by side comparison of prolonged exposure therapy and EMDR with respect to specific symptoms of PTSD was conducted to determine which technique was more effective against each of them. Compared to most other studies conducted regarding PTSD, this study had a fairly large sample size (n=60) with the majority of them being Caucasian and women. While the study employed an impressive sample size, since the participants were primarily diagnosed with chronic and severe forms of PTSD, the external validity of the results can be brought into question. However, since most of the participants of the study had chronic PTSD, it reduces the possibility that the changes that were observed in the pretests and posttests are purely due to temporal changes. The validity can be further questioned due to the difference in educational qualifications of the two therapists who administered these therapeutics techniques. However, independent expert assessm ent of their interrater reliability produced high scores, disproving these doubts. Moreover, the treatments were administered using standardized manuals which increased the validity of the study by ensuring that all participants received near as similar treatments as possible. This study is the first study to have achieved the aforementioned â€Å"gold Standard† for PTSD outcome treatment research (CITE). This study’s observed reductions in PTSD symptoms for all three subject groups were determined by the authors as a result of the effect of unintended exposure during relaxation training and EMDR techniques. This contradicts with the belief that in EMDR, eye movement â€Å"enhances the retrieval of episodic memory and increases cognitive flexibility† (CITE). While exposure techniques and eye movement desensitizing and reprocessing (EMDR) are similar to each other in many ways and are efficacious in their treatment of PTSD, their approaches, implementations, and goals are quite different from one another. EMDR treats PTSD by asking the patients to subjectively choose the memory or experience that they think is causing them the most distress and treating them so that they are desensitized to this particular experience. The root of their PTSD is determined to be their most distressing memory and by desensitizing them to that experience and the re-experiencing that follows it, they are shown to have significant decrease in symptoms of PTSD. While some specialized exposure therapies employ similar approaches, others such as the NET and GBET explores an individual’s whole life or a particular period in which they were susceptible to distressing experiences respectively. This method allows the therapist to play a part in determining the most significant event in an individual’s life and adjusting the treatment process accordingly. In addition to that, since Taylor et al. (2003) showed that prolonged exposure therapy was more effective than EMDR in reducing the levels of re-experiencing and avoidance, the authors of the study concluded that it is the superior therapeutic technique. All in all, both exposure techniques and EMDR are very good at what they are supposed to do; but exposure techniques are better at it. Therefore, a hypothesis can be derived from the above discussed studies which states that specialized exposure techniques are more efficacious in the treatment of PTSD than EMDR across social and temporal demographics.

Effects of Health Insurance on Small Businesses in the US

Effects of Health Insurance on Small Businesses in the US 1. Problem statement With over half of the American workforce employed by small businesses, these organizations are the backbone of the American economy. Small businesses are the innovators and the main employers in the American work force; they play a vital role in the nations economic recovery. But with the increasing government regulations over health insurance affecting their revenues, small business owners are facing peril in their near future which will affect not only the owners but the work force as a whole. 2. Description: How Small Businesses are being affected by Health Insurance? 2.1. Increased Health Insurance Charges Increased government regulations in terms of health insurance may cause increased financial strain on owners while decreasing their revenues dramatically. Many employers have a difficult time purchasing coverage for their workers because they have fewer employees, so the cost of health insurance per worker is higher than that for a corporation who has a larger employee pool. Insurance costs for small businesses have increased 129 percent since 2000. Small businesses with less than five hundred employees create more than two-thirds of the jobs in the American economy, but an excessive amount of their revenue is going toward inflated health insurance premiums, and not where it should be directed growth and expansion, which would lead to the employment of more individuals(Landrieu, 2009). 2.2. Payments of Small Businesses Employees Small business employees pay an average of 18% more in premiums than those in large firms for the same benefits. Small businesses and their employees are frequently charged more for the same health insurance coverage than large employers and their workers. Due to this the employers of the small businesses have to face greater difficulty in providing the facilities to their employees. 2.3. Health Insurance State Laws In many states, if business owners purchase insurance for themselves they must cover their employees as well. This leaves many sole-proprietors unable to afford the luxury of health insurance. They desire to cover their workers, but unlike bigger corporations and firms, they are unable to deduct the expense on their tax return. 2.4. Higher Administrative Costs The prices that small and large firms paid for health insurance and the value of the products purchased are similar. However, insurers of small health plans have higher administrative expenses than those who insure larger companies. Also, operating expenses are all higher for small health plans too. Small firms received slightly less generous health insurance benefits, according to calculations of actual value. For these reasons, small businesses offer health care coverage to a lower percentage of their work force and are a different type of customer than large firms. 3. Solution Improving access to credit by small businesses is a crucial step in supporting economic recovery and job creation. Since the financial crisis began, small businesses have faced a perfect storm: the pulling back of lending by banks, deterioration in the value of real estate that they often rely on for collateral and weakened sales. The following proposals can help solve our problem to an extent. 3.1. The Proposed Solutions Small business owners can benefit from a new proposal that would allow their workers to be pooled with the employees of other smaller businesses (Anonymous, 2009). The proposed solutions are Allow Insurance To Be Sold to Associations. There are some 16,000 associations in the United States, and six million people are already insured through such organizations as the National Association for the Self-Employed. Association health plans allow small business owners to pool resources, negotiate with insurers and purchase insurance plans for members. However, the existence of 50 sets of state regulations is a barrier to low-cost health insurance. If small firms could buy health insurance with uniform federal regulations, they could enjoy the same lower administrative costs and greater bargaining power as large firms. Let Businesses Purchase Health Insurance from Insurers in Other States. Protection from interstate competition allows politicians to impose expensive mandates and costly regulations. Allowing businesses to purchase coverage across state lines would create more competitive insurance markets. Interstate compe ­tition would give more people access to affordable insurance. Let Businesses Contribute to the Cost of Employee-Owned Insurance. Health insurance in the United States is largely tied to employment because employer contributions for health insurance are tax deductible business expenses and do not count as taxable income for employees. Premiums for employer-paid health benefits avoid all income taxes and the (FICA) payroll tax. By contrast, employees of small businesses without employer-provided health benefits get no tax relief. Small business employers should be able to contribute to the cost of health policies purchased by their employees. Their workers would get portability, but at premiums closer to the cost of group insurance. As a result, insurance coverage would follow people from job to job and workers would not face a disruption in benefits when their employment changes. 3.2. Benefits of the proposed solutions The proposed solutions can help the Small businesses in the following ways The insurance company would then be able to offer them lower rates; more employees would be pooled together, thus lessening the cost per person. Loosening government regulations and offering health insurance relief to sole-proprietors would bring about other benefits. The gained revenue could then be used to train employees properly, incorporate the tools necessary for their work to be completed in a timely and effective manner, and hire qualified, motivated employees with a strong work ethic. Their businesses would then be able to grow, thus decreasing the unemployment rate. This in turn would stimulate the economy and increase the betterment of life not only for the employees in question but for Americans as a whole. As the businesses will grow, this will develop greater struggle amongst the businesses and as a result will help in increasing the Competition. Competitive market always results in betterment. Small business owners and their workers will be focused Small business owners will be passionate about their businesses. Innovative small businesses are prize targets of larger corporations that often find it more cost-effective to acquire than to innovate on their own. By decreasing the pressure on these businesses, they will able to make more innovations. Small businesses know that their livelihood is based on their customers. Small is great for customers. Therefore, by reducing stress of these businesses, they will be able to provide better customer care. This topic has been researched using a number of different sources. For instance, ProQuest provides an abundance of information regarding the nature of the health insurance regulations that are being imposed on sole-proprietors. Two of the cited articles addressed the issue specifically from the sole-proprietors point of view which helps to shed some light on the issue on hand as to how these owners are directly affected by stringent health insurance regulations, what impact it has on both them and their employees and what would be the best course of action to take to make this work for everyone involved (Landrieu, 2009). The other article chosen was written in an objective point of view, stating the struggling nature of sole-proprietors, how they long to provide adequate health insurance for their workers but cannot manage to do so since it is not tax deductible. Some pertinent facts and statistics are also utilized in all of the cited publications in order to explore the effects of this issue and evaluate their implications. These articles do provide some quantitative statistical grounding, based on which some conclusions can be drawn. At the same time, most of the research on hand will be qualitative. In order to curb the limitations inherent to using the qualitative method exclusively, we must utilize the quantitative part as much as these resources allow. While the resources available wont solve the problem once and for all, the closeness of all the writers to both the insurance sector and to the small businesses promises to provide some valuable insight on the issue, from a both qualitative and quantitative approach. 4. Conclusion   People should be able to purchase, with pretax dollars, health plans that are portable from one job to the next, just as group plans do. Employers should be able to help pay the premiums on those individual plans. To avoid costly state mandates, small businesses should be allowed to purchase plans similar to those purchased by large companies that self-insure. If a solution for this problem of health insurance effecting small firms is solved, small businesses could create a national marketplace where insurance companies and care providers compete for individuals on price and quality. References Mary Landrieu. (2009,October9). Health Costs Are Crushing Small Businesses.Wall Street Journal (Eastern Edition), p.A.17. Retrieved October 21, 2009, from ProQuest National Newspapers Expanded. (Document ID:1875612881). Michael Weiser. (2009,October9). Insurance woes of a small business.Chicago Tribune, p.23. Retrieved October 21, 2009, from ProQuest National Newspapers Expanded. (Document ID:1875818001). NCHC | Facts About Healthcare Health Insurance Costs. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2009, from http://www.nchc.org/facts/cost.shtml Small businesses now have a difficult time.(2009,September8). The Washington Post, p.A.9. Retrieved October 21, 2009, from ProQuest National Newspapers Expanded. (Document ID:1854901361), Small Employers Struggle to Offer Health Insurance BusinessWeek. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2009, from http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/oct2009/sb2009106_487565.htm Small Business HealthInsurance Retrieved October 21, 2009, from http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba642 Network services and consulting corporation Retrieved October 21, 2009, from http://www.enetsc.com/doctorebiz.htm

Queen Elizabeth I in Love Essay -- History Expository Essays

Queen Elizabeth I in Love A huge obstacle that women only in the near past have been able to conquer is their status in society. Women today have the freedom to take up any profession they desire, attend any school they desire, and most importantly marry anyone they desire. In the 16th-18th centuries, the time of the Renaissance, rebirth, and discovery of grand new worlds, women possessed the status of children in many ways; women were considered minors dependent on their fathers until marriage when that dependency transferred to their husbands. They could not own land, they could not be educated, and they most importantly could not marry whom they chose. The poor could possibly marry for love, but the new wealthy merchant class and the nobility married for political reasons: to increase the fortunes of husbands, for women to enter nobility, or vise versa. This reasoning affected every facet of women’s lives. One of the most important women it affected was Queen Elizabeth I. However, it affected her in a less direct way, as she did not have a father arranging a marriage for her. The lowly status of women is clearly illustrated in the movie Shakespeare in Love. In this movie, Viola, the heroine, is married off to Wessex, deliciously horrible and broke. Viola’s father is a wealthy merchant; her dowry is 5000 pounds. Wessex, a member of the nobility, wishes to marry Viola as an investment in order to recover his fortune. Viola expresses her feelings on this matter on the morning of her wedding day, saying to her father: "I see you are open for business, so let’s to church." She has absolutely no say in this "business transaction." Her father knows, Wessex knows, and even Queen Elizabeth I knows that Viola does not love him. Sh... ...ribed in her poem "On Monsieur’s Departure." In it she describes her love for the Duke and her misery in being forced to deny this love. "I love and yet am forced to seem to hate, / I do, yet dare not say I ever meant†¦" She loves him passionately, but denies that love in order to protect her position as Queen of England. Queen Elizabeth loved a man passionately, but also loved her country and the running of it passionately. She would not give up that responsibility for love. This is illustrated in various works, young and old, from 16th century poems to present day movies. These works also illustrate the status women held during Queen Elizabeth’s time and the attitude held toward marriage. One last thing these works illustrate is how far society has come in increasing the status of women and bestowing on women the rights of love and the freedoms they have today. Queen Elizabeth I in Love Essay -- History Expository Essays Queen Elizabeth I in Love A huge obstacle that women only in the near past have been able to conquer is their status in society. Women today have the freedom to take up any profession they desire, attend any school they desire, and most importantly marry anyone they desire. In the 16th-18th centuries, the time of the Renaissance, rebirth, and discovery of grand new worlds, women possessed the status of children in many ways; women were considered minors dependent on their fathers until marriage when that dependency transferred to their husbands. They could not own land, they could not be educated, and they most importantly could not marry whom they chose. The poor could possibly marry for love, but the new wealthy merchant class and the nobility married for political reasons: to increase the fortunes of husbands, for women to enter nobility, or vise versa. This reasoning affected every facet of women’s lives. One of the most important women it affected was Queen Elizabeth I. However, it affected her in a less direct way, as she did not have a father arranging a marriage for her. The lowly status of women is clearly illustrated in the movie Shakespeare in Love. In this movie, Viola, the heroine, is married off to Wessex, deliciously horrible and broke. Viola’s father is a wealthy merchant; her dowry is 5000 pounds. Wessex, a member of the nobility, wishes to marry Viola as an investment in order to recover his fortune. Viola expresses her feelings on this matter on the morning of her wedding day, saying to her father: "I see you are open for business, so let’s to church." She has absolutely no say in this "business transaction." Her father knows, Wessex knows, and even Queen Elizabeth I knows that Viola does not love him. Sh... ...ribed in her poem "On Monsieur’s Departure." In it she describes her love for the Duke and her misery in being forced to deny this love. "I love and yet am forced to seem to hate, / I do, yet dare not say I ever meant†¦" She loves him passionately, but denies that love in order to protect her position as Queen of England. Queen Elizabeth loved a man passionately, but also loved her country and the running of it passionately. She would not give up that responsibility for love. This is illustrated in various works, young and old, from 16th century poems to present day movies. These works also illustrate the status women held during Queen Elizabeth’s time and the attitude held toward marriage. One last thing these works illustrate is how far society has come in increasing the status of women and bestowing on women the rights of love and the freedoms they have today.

Anglian and Anglo-Scandinavian Settlement at Cottam :: Medieval Archaeology Essays

Anglian and Anglo-Scandinavian Settlement at Cottam Excavation of the Anglian and Anglo-Scandinavian settlement at Cottam B (NGR 49754667) continued in July 1995, directed by Dr J.D. Richards for the Department of Archaeology, University of York. Work focused on a possible 10th-century settlement focus, c.200m NE of the 8th/9th-century site investigated in 1993. Two Norse bells, a 10th-century spearhead and a Jellinge-style brooch had been recovered from this area by metal-detector users, and field-walking had yielded Torksey-type ware sherds. Aerial photographs showed very few crop-marks in this area, although a magnetometer survey was conducted in Spring 1995 and revealed several ditched enclosures either side of droveways. The purpose of the 1995 excavation was to: - evaluate the survival of evidence in this area and investigate the reasons for the lack of crop-marks; - test the theory that this site represented a localised settlement shift from the SW; - characterise the nature of settlement in this area. A trench 20 x 100m was cut across the entrance, a central trackway, and parts of at least two enclosures. This revealed a massive ditched entranceway with an internal rampart and substantial wooden gate structure. At this point the ditch was at least 1.5m deep by 2.5m wide with a rampart behind it, although elsewhere the trackways and enclosures were defined by shallow ditches, less than 0.5m in depth. It appears that the main purpose of the entrance was for display rather than defensive purposes. Traces of several post-built structures were discovered within the enclosures, although truncation by ploughing had removed all occupation deposits and continues to make it difficult to define coherent building plans. The lack of crop-marks was demonstrated to be the result of the shallow nature of most of the features, many less than 0.1m deep, making them visible to magnetometry but not affecting crop growth. Several structural features were identified however, including a possible quarry pit and several industrial features which yielded large quantities of fuel ash slag. The finds recovered included two late strap-ends, one conveniently from a post-hole, as well as a number of dress pins, and a finger ring decorated with ring and dot ornament. The pottery, including York-, Torksey- and Maxey-type wares, attests to a range of trading contacts, both N and S of the Humber. This is in stark contrast to the 8th and early 9th century focus, which was apparently aceramic.

Schools and Education - Understanding the Rise in Apathy, Cheating and

The Rise in Apathy, Cheating and Plagiarism – Understanding the Problem Over the past ten years teachers have witnessed a drop in student preparation and a rise in apathy and cheating. Students who cheat do so from a variety of motives. Making this situation even more difficult is that faculty members do not even define plagiarism the same or punish it consistently (Howard, â€Å"Sexuality† 473). Some surveys even show that teachers simply ignore the problem or do not report plagiarism because: â€Å"they do not want to be bothered, because they think only the student who cheated is actually harmed, or because of the unpleasant bureaucracy and documentation ramifications† (Moeck 484). Alschuler and Blimling add to this list the fear of litigation, student reprisals, administrative reprimands and lack of support (124). With such diversity and outright dissention among teachers, finding solutions to these problems will require not only a common purpose but also an understanding of what may be at the heart of these issues. One potent ial answer lies in educating ourselves about the history and nature of plagiarism. Another potential answer lies in analyzing how so many students arrive at college ill-prepared and apathetic. Freire’s theories on banking education may explain some of these problems concerning student preparation and academic integrity. First, we must understand the history of plagiarism and the problem many instructors have in separating original thinking from collaborative thinking (that which is influenced by those who have come before). Western thought traces its roots to the great civilizations of Classical Greece and Rome. The nature of much writing from this period up into the 19th Century was ... ...n, 1993. 17-24. Howard, Rebecca Moore. â€Å"Plagiarisms, Authorships, and the Academic Death Penalty.† College English 57 (1995). 788-806. ---. â€Å"Sexuality, Textuality: The Cultural Work of Plagiarism.† College English 62 (2002). 473-91. Jeffers, Thomas L. â€Å"Plagiarism High and Low.† Commentary 114 (2002). 54-61. McCabe, Donald L. â€Å"Students Cheating in American High Schools.† The Center for Academic Integrity. 2002. 10 Nov. 2002. . Moeck, P. G. â€Å"Academic Dishonesty: Cheating Among Community College Students.† Community College Journal of Research and Practice 26 (2002). 479-91. â€Å"Statistics.† Plagiarism.org. 10 Nov. 2002. . Roberts, Peter. Education, Literacy, and Humanization: Exploring the Work of Paolo Freire. Ed. Henry A. Giroux. Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey, 2002. 54-73.

Research paper in Mcdonald’s Philippines Essay

I. Executive Summary Company McDonald’s Philippines is a subsidiary of the Filipino-owned Golden Arches Development Corporation. The first Filipino McDonald’s to open for business was in the Morayta university districts in Manila during 1981. These days McDonald’s is operating over 150 restaurants throughout the islands of the  Philippines. Being a 100% Filipino-owned franchise allows McDonald’s Philippines to be more agile and take quicker actions, making them an even more competitive force in the Filipino fast-food market. McDonald’s in the Philippines is owned by Filipino entrepreneur George Yang brought the brand to the country in 1981 after several attempts. In the first few attempts, Yang was turned down by the heads of McDonald’s in the US saying that the Philippines was in the radar (for expansion) but was not yet a priority. Challenge Accurate and timely demographic data is difficult to obtain in western economies; the ability to collect this precise data is even further strained when the survey is of a developing country. With a land area of 300,000 km2 spread over 7000 islands and a domestic population of nearly 100 million people, timely and accurate demographic data requires in-depth, thorough, but quick market surveying. McDonald’s Philippines has been operating in an incredibly competitive market for over 25 years. Domestic competition from the leading local fast-food provider Jollibee and common international rival KFC have created an environment in which McDonald’s must move swiftly and efficiently in order to gain market share and increase profitability. In order to expand effectively, McDonald’s needs to better understand where there are market gaps that can be filled. Additionally, McDonald’s needs to have the most up to date data to determine if current stores are cannibaliz ing each other’s trade area. To achieve this McDonald’s management will need detailed, segmented demographic data of the Philippines overlaid with both theirs and competitors’ restaurant locations. II. Situation Analysis 1. Product Offering They serve the typical consumer wants like burgers, spaghetti, fries, floats, ice cream, rice and chicken meals. 2. Market Analysis a. Vision, Mission, and Values. Vision: â€Å"Una sa Pamilyang Pinoy†. First to respond to the fast changing needs of the Filipino family. First choice when it comes to food and dining experience. First mention as the ideal employer and socially responsible company. First to respond to the changing lifestyle of the Filipino family. Mission: To serve the Filipino community by providing great-tasting food and the most relevant customer delight experience. Values: Customer-Driven: Conscious and deliberate action to exceed the needs and requirements both internal and external customers; Malasakit: Concern for the customer, employees, co-workers, business partners, community and company. Integrity: Being upright in character and action, upholding the standards of one’s profession and position through honesty, responsibility, and trust Teamwork: Working as ONE towards achieving a common goal Excellence: Day to day drive to deliver THE BEST results b. Target Market SEGMENTING BY AGE 1. School-Age Children †¢ From toddler to early grade school. 2. Tweens (8-12) †¢ Biggest influencer over family purchases. 3. Generation Y or Millenials (13-19) †¢ Commonly referred to as teens or young adult. 3. Generation X †¢ Born between 1966 and 1981. †¢ Family-oriented, well educated, and optimistic. Has a stable career, ready to settle down 4. Baby Boomers †¢ Born between 1946 and 1965. †¢ Lucrative segment. Diverse segment that generally tends to value health and quality of life. 5. Seniors †¢ Also called the gray or silver market. Elder people, retirees, etc. c. Market Trends Green Dining is a trend that we would like to encourage, the mechanics are the customers get the option on bringing their own container for drinks, utensils, and bags for take out, this will deduct a corresponding amount to their bill. With this trend we hope to reduce the waste produced by the food chains and as well as the expenses. The uniqueness of our happy meal box to attract many kids to buy collectible toys. d. Market Growth Rate McDonald’s Philippines has a current market share of 14% but with some aggressive marketing scheme and a little bit of adjustments we estimate that the market shares of McDonald’s Philippines will boost from 14% to 25% within the following years. Competition SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Affordable products Good location Excellent customer service Service crew punctuality Quality of food Customer assessment Opportunities Threats Unique product offerings Media exposure Effective promotion schemes Customer Safety Health conscious consumers Environmentalists h. PEST Analysis Political Factors Economic Factors The change of tax rates in the country The raise of minimum wage rates Improper allocation of tax funds Inflation rate Unemployment rate Employment rate Socio-cultural Factors Technological Factors Consumer behavior Internet Social Media i. Market Profitability There are certain factors that affect market profitability, first are Buyer Power. We can safely say that the products of McDonald’s are normal goods, so when the buyer’s income increases, their purchases of McDonald’s food products will also increase. Next we have the Supplier Power if we were to purchase raw materials in bulk then we could obtain a trade discount, helping us decrease our expenses and lower the prices of our products,  making it more affordable to the consumers. Third we have Barriers to Entry; we can decrease the number of competitors by being more efficient in our production, like what I have stated earlier regarding the trade discount. This is one way to be efficient and if the company were to develop innovative products or improve the quality of their product and services, then it would be hard for another firm to enter the market. j. Industry Cost Structure Firm Infrastructure: Market Strategy, Business Strategy Human Resource Management: Product Development, Staff recruitment and training Procurement: Equipment, Raw materials Inbound Logistics: -Pricing -Transportation -Fuel Operations: -Storage maintenance -Production of food and beverages -Sanitation of facilities Outbound Logistics: -Delivery -Drive through Sales and Marketing: -Promos -Discounts -Events Service: -Online delivery -Feedbacks form consumers through social media k. Distribution Channels Our other means of selling the product is through direct selling in events like concerts, carnivals, festivals, etc. Exclusive Distribution and we also see the possibility of putting up McDonald’s food trucks at areas where McDonald’s is unavailable to see the possibility of putting up a restaurant in those areas depending on the sales and revenues generated. l. Key Success Factors Our other means of selling the product is through direct selling in events like concerts, carnivals, festivals, etc. We also see the possibility of putting up McDonald’s food trucks at areas where McDonald’s is unavailable to see the possibility of putting up a restaurant in those areas depending on the sales and revenues generated. m. Marketing Mix Strategy (4p’s) After analyzing the market, finding the key factor, target segment and understanding the market demand, every company needs to come up with an offers or such type of plan, that speed up the growth of the company. For which McDonalds uses 5p’s of marketing mix which are as follows: 1. Product 2. Place 3. Price 4. Promotion 1. Product: Products include that, how the company should design, manufacture the product so that it enhance the customer experience? Product is the physical product or services offered by the company to its customers. McDonalds includes certain aspects of its product such as packaging, desirability, looks, etc. This consists of both tangible and non-tangible aspects of the product and services. And it has purposely kept its product depth and product width limited. McDonalds continuously innovates its products according to the changing preferences and tastes of its customers. The recent example is the introduction of the Mc Spicy Chicken burger and latest introduction of chicken style burger. McDonald’s serves the world some of its favorite food like the Big Mac, Big n’ Tasty, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Cheeseburger, French Fries, Egg McMuffin, Apple Pie and Sundae. This is what we are famous for, globally and locally. In the Philippines, we are also happy to serve local favorites like  Chicken McDo, Burger McDo and McSpaghetti. These favorites were specially made to cater to the unique Filipino p alate. 2. Place: The place consists of distribution channels and outlets of the company. They used to franchise McDonalds near Jollibee food chain so that there is a competition between two food chains. Usually they put it up near universities and inside the mal and near vacation hotspots. Now McDonalds have also started offering internet facilities at their outlets, along with music system through computers, not the music but the music which preferred by young generation in order to attract them. 3. Price: They released new strategy of buying products for the consumers. They called it the â€Å"BFF BURGER BUNDLES† and â€Å"BFFCHICKENBUNDLES† . 4. Promotion: Setting The Promotion Mix An advertisement is targeted to attract the masses it reaches to large number of people at a time. Advertising is one of the most important tools for promotion which had various ways of advertisement in that advertisement through billboards and media are often used by any of the business enterprise. Consumers mostly perceive goods which are advertised goods, as they assume it is more rightful. Due to distinct features of advertisement McDonalds also hold the hand of advertising. There are three main objectives of advertising for McDonalds are to make people aware of an item, feel positive about it and remember it. The right message has to be communicated to the right people through the right media. McDonalds does its promotion through television commercials, billboards and now they used online advertisement. They use print ads and the television programmes are also an important marketing medium for promotion. III. Marketing Strategies 1. Business Strategy a. Franchise Module As per franchise model of McDonalds Only 15% of the total number of restaurants are owned by the company. The remaining 85% is operated by franchisees. The company follows all the framework of training and monitoring of its franchises to ensure that they achieve good QUALITY SERVICE, CLEANLINESS AND VALUE FOR THE MONEY offered by the company to its customers. b. Product Consistency By developing a sophisticated supplier networked operation and distribution system, the company has been able to achieve consistent product taste and quality across the nations of the world. c. Act like a retailer think like a brand McDonald’s focuses not only on a delivering sales for the immediate present, but also protecting its long term brand reputation. 2. Segmentation, targeting and Positioning McDonald’s uses demographic segmentation strategy with age as the parameter. The main target segments are children into consideration, children are more attracted towards toys and delicious meals including teenagers such their place foe their entertainment and the urban families select McDonald’s on various occasion like birthday party, to treat children. To also for the seniors to enjoy their delicious and yummy burgers. IV. Industrial Analysis a. Threats Of New Entrants Possible competing firms are likely to increase because society nowadays is searching for affordable food. Most of the people today refer to affordable but tasty that can deal with their customer satisfaction, so the rate of new entrants is expected to increase. b. Bargaining Power Of Buyers There is a low bargaining power for the buyers because the company will imply  fix but reasonable pricing. The buyers’ curiosity is surely a great factor in buying rate of the products but, it won’t be a reason for the decreasing chances of the products’ price. The increasing price of the product will vary upon the market demand and as well as the supplies. c. Bargaining Power Of Suppliers Suppliers tend to bargain on the price of the resources needed like, chicken, beef, potatoes, rice etc. This happens when the prices of the commodities goes up, the company tends to increase their products and services, as a result the company’s which they usually supply might switch to a different supplier who offers the product and their services at a lower price. There is a low bargaining power for the suppliers because the resources needed for production are abundantly available in the market. d. Rivalry McDonald’s is one of the most famous fast food chains in the world compared to its local competitors. They are also one of the leading fast food chains that donate a portion of their sales to charity and create creative TVC’s that are family and friend oriented. e. Substitutes There are a lot of substitutes for McDonald’s like Jollibee, Burger king, KFC, and Wendy’s to name a few, but despite the variety of substitutes this is no sign of weakness but a sign of strength. McDonald’s is also adapting to the fast advancement of technology like adapting an online delivery portal and social experiments which most people are fond of. V. Customer Analysis a. Survey b. Profile a. Age: all ages b. Class: A, B and C c. Sex: Both Males and Females d. Education: All levels of education including those who didn’t have an education e. Income: Those with minimum wages and above f. Places: Cities and Provinces VI. Competitor Analysis a. Competitor Profile Tony Tan and his family founded Jollibee with its humble beginnings as an Ice Cream Parlor, which later grew into an emerging global brand. At the heart of its success is a family-oriented approach to personnel management, making Jollibee one of the most admired employers in the region with an Employer of the Year Award from the Personnel Management Association of the Philippines, Best Employer in the Philippines Award from Hewitt Associated and a Top 20 Employer in Asia citation from the Asian Wall Street Journal. Values Customer Focus Excellence Respect for the Individual Teamwork Spirit of Family and Fun Humility to Listen and Learn Honesty and Integrity Frugality Mission â€Å"To serve great tasting food, bringing the joy of eating to everyone†. Source: http://www.jollibee.com.ph/about-us/ b. Competing Product Features Product Feature McDonald’s Jollibee Value Meals Available Everyday Available Monday-Friday Delivery Time Depends on the order Guaranteed 30 minutes Burgers Optional Double Patties Single Patty c. Target Market Section Age: all ages Class: A, B and C Sex: Both Males and Females Education: All levels of education including those who didn’t have an education Income: Those with minimum wages and above Places: Cities and Provinces Filipino Kids ages 3-10 years old; Teens ages 11-21 years old. Can be male/female. Filipino Families – even the senior citizen. Social Classes C, D, and E Looking for budget-friendly or quick meals. Target Audience: The Traditional Family and all communication materials focus on the importance of family values, making Jollibee the number one family fast food chain in the Philippines. d. Positioning strategy Ensuring high traffic needs an emphasis on store location and positioning Jollibee in the minds of the consumer as a place that they would enjoy eating fast food. This entails proper branding and positioning of the service offered. Jollibee also projected itself as world class and not a local brand. The service that is offered should be consistent over all Jollibee stores, however this might be a problem as the division has been slimmed recently and resources might be stretched too far. e. Marketing Mix Strategy Product- they continue to innovate their products which are the rice meals and strengthen its weaknesses to ensure that their clients will be satisfied with their products and continue buying it. They try to make price bundling. Place- they locate their stores near places where it tends to be crowded with people, granting them accessibility to their food chains, they also put up restaurants near public areas like churches, bus stations, hospitals, parks, etc. Just like in SM-Dasmarinas they have 3 branches of Jollibee’s, every mall has Jollibee like hypermarkets, supermarkets and near plaza’s. Price- they try to price their products as low as possible, they also provided a value meal that can go head to head with the value meal offered by McDonald’s. They also started selling their products in ala Carte just like McDonald’s Promotions- Jollibee does its best to hire artists that are currently in demand like Julia baretto, Sarah Geronimo, Carmina Villaruel, etc. They also mix it up with some real life stories to give inspiration to their viewers casting regular people to make it look more legitimate. Consumer Promotion pull promotional activities designated to encourage demand by end like Banded/bundled packs, Continuity Program, introductory Discount Coupons, Internet Advertising like sky scrapers, sponsorship ads. f. Differential Advantage Analysis The advantage of Jollibee over McDonald’s is first; it’s a Filipino Brand. Which means the very core values of Jollibee is whatever the core values of a regular Filipino, like Family. Another would be taste, since it is a local brand; there is no need to localize it, making their products stays as it is. Whatever they are doing, they are doing it right.

Persistent Organic Pollutants and Food Allergy Essay

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are compounds with cyclic, halogenated and are organic in nature characteristics that impart stability in their structures (Ritter, Solomon, Forget, Stemeroff, and O’Leary, 1995). Because of its structural stability, POPs withstand degradation while its organic nature makes its solubility high in lipid or organic solvent but low in water and in other inorganic solvents. Additionally, their semi-volatile nature allows them to exist in vapor or be deposited on atmospheric particulates. Food allergy is a result of the abnormal response of the body’s immune system to foods that may cause grave illness and even death (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2007). It is mistakenly associated with food intolerance which is a digestive problem and can not be attributed to food allergy. In addition, food intolerance is not caused by the action of the immune system rather by the lack of specific metabolic enzyme needed in the digestion of a particular food (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2007). Individuals with familial allergy background are prone to food allergies and other allergic diseases like asthma. Meanwhile, the gastrointestinal tract, skin, lungs, throat, and skin are often sites of allergic reactions (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2007). Persistent Organic Pollutants Organo-halogenated compounds such as toxaphene, chlordane, dieldrin, dibenzo-p-dioxins, DDT, dibenzo-p-furans, and polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs are known for their structural stability and environmental persistence, thus, bioaccumulation results as they continuously flow in the ecological food chain (Ritter, Solomon, Forget, Stemeroff, and O’Leary, 1995). As an example, PCBs resist degradation for several years and biomagnify by 70,000 folds. Since POPs are semi-volatile, they evaporate from warm regions and condense in geographical areas like mountain terrains and Polar Regions (California Breast Cancer Research Program, 2007). These properties permeated PCBs in worldwide places including Antarctic, arctic, and desert regions where chemical plants do not exist. Most POPs came from anthropogenic sources like industrial production and foliar applications of pesticides and insecticides while others such as dioxins and furans are just by-products of the manufacturing process, waste incineration, forest fires, and metallurgical processes (Environmental Literacy Council, 2008). As such, the presence of PCBs in far flung places is a manifestation of its worldwide-dispersal from several industrial sources. In fact, fifteen nanograms per cubic meter of PCBs’ concentration have been analyzed in the atmosphere of industrialized areas and different places over the world (Ritter, Solomon, Forget, Stemeroff, and O’Leary, 1995). Thus, the PCBs’ presence in rain and snow would not be a surprise. Exposure to POPs by means of food consumption, industrial occupation, and pollutants may lead to toxicity. POPs’ lipophilicity or high solubility in lipids in coupled with its structural stability and biomagnification in the food chain result to high risk of bioaccumulation and toxicity among living organisms. More than these, metabolic conversion of POPs into more persistent compounds is also possible. Researches conducted on this matter showed the correlations of PCBs’ ingestion with the dysfunction of endocrine, reproductive, and immune systems, cancer, neurobehavioral disorders and some infant abnormalities (Ritter, Solomon, Forget, Stemeroff, and O’Leary, 1995). Moreover, exposure to POPs’ has been correlated with a decrease in the population of marine organisms like dolphins, whales, and fish species (Ritter, Solomon, Forget, Stemeroff, and O’Leary, 1995). Food Allergy Food allergens are proteins in foods that after digestion run through the bloodstream to specific body parts and triggers allergic reactions (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2007). Allergic reactions may take place either at the specific cells or within the whole body (Jackson, 2003). The length of digestive process determines the possible time and location of the allergic reactions. If one is highly sensitive to substances present in food, by merely just chewing the food allergic reaction may start at the mouth. Most of the time stomachache, vomiting, and diarrhea are observed after eating which indicate allergic reactions. After food digestion, food allergens flow through the bloods stream and may trigger blood pressure lowering. Nonetheless, reaching the skin, mouth, and lungs, may cause hives, itchiness, and even smothering (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2007). Antibodies or immunoglobulins are protein substances secreted by B-lymphocytes to work against antigens or allergens (Jackson, 2003). Antigens are exuded by bacteria or other microorganisms which brings bodily infections. However, the extraneous production of antibodies may cause illness (Jackson, 2003). Meanwhile, potential antigens are also present in dust, pollens and foods. By means of direct contact, inhalation or consumption of these antigens, the body generates appropriate antibodies to combat their infectious effects (Jackson, 2003). The immune system has two consecutive actions leading to allergic reaction. During the digestion of foods, the immune system produces immunoglobulin-E (IgE), an antibody which is protein in nature (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2007). Then, IgE adheres with basophils and mast cells located in blood and body tissues respectively. This food-specific antibody educes the cells to elicit chemicals like histamine which in turn produces allergy (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2007). Mechanism of Allergic Reaction The production of allergens signals the action and circulation of IgE through the blood stream to bodily parts. The IgE molecule has a specific site for antigen binding and receptor-specific end for cell attachment. Then, the IgE attracts antigen as it binds on the surface of the cell (Jackson, 2003). As such, the cell is incited by the antigen to generate antibodies. The cell becomes sensitive to the subsequent attacks of the same antigens and autonomic response develops. Thus, as the cell detects the presence of the antigen, it educes biologically active and other proinflammatory substances like histamines and leukotrienes (Jackson, 2003). These substances trigger the inflammatory response of the cell resulting to an increased blood supply and other immune system components on the affected area that can be observed as itching and swelling (Jackson, 2003). Since mast cells and basophils are located in different body parts, immediate allergic reactions are often observed in some individuals who are highly sensitive with allergies. As a result of allergen absorption and wide circulation of chemical mediators, the body can be systematically engrossed with allergic reactions (Jackson, 2003). The intestine has defensive barriers that prevent the entry and contact of any antigens with the mast cells (Jackson, 2003). Also, the gut wall is covered with viscous mucus secreted by the lining cells. This mucus has protective substances acting as antiseptic coupled with the help of antibodies. Then, epithelial cells are located below the mucus membrane, which generate enzymes that can deactivate histamine and other bioactive substances (Jackson, 2003). Allergens that may infiltrate the layer of epithelial cells can be deactivated by antibodies without inflammatory response production. If the antigens were able to escape all these mechanisms, mast cells covered by IgE produce chemical mediators that in turn cause inflammatory response (Jackson, 2003). Conclusion The genetic predisposition causes individuals with familial allergic history to become susceptible to allergic reactions as triggered by specific antibody or allergen. As a result, asthma, rhinitis, and even anaphylaxis can be observed wit these individuals (Jackson, 2003). This inborn allergic tendency is called atopy, thus, individuals in this condition are tagged as atopic. On the other hand, contemporary theory on the nature of allergy suggested that the prevalence of allergy-related cases nowadays can be attributed to the modern life style (Jackson, 2003). For instance, drug treatment of a mother during pregnancy and infant’s medication may contribute to early acquisition of allergic tendency due to the body’s adverse reaction with drugs (Jackson, 2003). Also, the inhalation of bacteria or other microorganism through air pollutants and other atmospheric particulates that may include persistent organic pollutants or POPs provoke the immune system to produce antibodies then, allergic reactions spontaneously occur.