Struggle For Education Essay Example For Students

Struggle For Education Essay ?Struggle For Education?In ?Kaffir Boy?, Mark ?Johannes? Mathabanes mother strives to send him to school. She does not let anything get in the way of her ambition. Even though her husband disapproves, she will not let anything get in her way, but now her desires for her son to be educated are stronger. Her courage speaks louder than the consequences she will face with her husband. It seems as though her husband is dealing with a great amount of jealously. A jealously that will decipher Johanness decision about school. ?Did you hear what that woman said!? ?Do you want the same to happen to you A statement and question raised by his mother to show Johannes the importance of an education. ?They finally did. But what a battle it was, it took me nearly a year to get all them papers together.? Since it took his mother so long to get everything together there was no way she was going to let everything she worked so hard for go down the drain. Even though Johanness mother and father were from different tribes, that did not stop her from putting her son in school. We will write a custom essay on Struggle For Education specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now ?Your father and I fought today because I took you to school this morning.? Johanness mother expresses her courage throughout the story. ?He had told me not to, and when I told him that I had, he became very upset. He was drunk. We started arguing, and one thing let to another.? She shows her courage by disobeying her husbands orders. Unlike her husband, she wants Johannes to have a future and getting an education is the only way for a future. Being beaten was the consequence of disobeying her husband, but the beating how no effect for Johanness mother wanted to see her son succeed in the world. Johanness father seems to be jealous that his own son may have a chance to be educated. He says, ?he doesnt have money to wasted paying for you to get what he calls an useless white mans education.? It seems that he does not understand that school will keep Johannes off the streets. He, himself being uneducated seems to be the result of not comprehending how valuable an education is. Johannes is extremely upset with his father because he beat his mother, and is also upset since his own father does not want him to be educated. Johannes sees school differently after he learns that his mother has always wanted to go to school. Also, her courage and ambition out weighs his fathers jealously. Johannes makes a decision that will forever affect him. After, he realizes all the trouble and hard work his mother went through, he promises his mother that he will forever go to school. English Essays

GMOs essays

GMOs essays Benefits of Genetically Modified Organisms We live in a world that is constantly changing and advancing thanks to technological advancements, especially in the field of molecular genetics. Today, we are discovering and implementing new ways to overcome the ill-fated symptoms developed as a result from poor health or accidents. We are also making advancements in the field of agriculture thanks to molecular genetics. As we all know, food is an essential entity in our lives and is abundant as well as relatively easy to obtain here in the United States. However, as good as it may sound, this is not necessarily true for developing countries. Many people in developing countries receive very little food, if any, due to its scarcity. It is estimated that in Asia alone, close to 800 million people go to bed hungry every night due to food shortage. This problem can be alleviated by turning to the production of genetically modified organisms (a.k.a. GMOs). Genetically modified organisms can be plants or animals that have been genetically altered to produce or express a desired characteristic or trait. By genetically altering organisms such as crops, we can eliminate the use of pesticides by making the crops resistant to insects. We can also produce crops that are resistant to floods and droughts. Furthermore, with the use of molecular genetics, we are able to produce foods that are rich in nutrients and supplements. People in developing countries may not be fortunate enough to have a full course meal that contains nutrients from all four basic food groups. However, GMOs can with a little modification provide all the amino acids, vitamins, and minerals included in a good diet by simply consuming a genetically modified staple crop such as rice. In addition, by producing crops that are resistant to harsh environmental conditions as well as pests, we would see a rapid increase in the production of food thereby redu...

Free sample - Nature of Frost. translation missing

Nature of Frost. Nature of FrostThis essay centers in one of the renowned poet of the twentieth century of the United States of America known as Robert Frost. I have chosen two of his popular poems of his career. Briefly i have looked at his private life and his career life for the purposes of this essay so as to understand the person Robert Frost was and his works. The biography in this essay is giving an account of the life of Robert Frost and how his career spanned during his lifetime. Frost was born in San Francisco, where he lived for the first eleven years of his life. Upon his father's death, a journalist, he moved with his mother and sister to Massachusetts near his paternal grandparents. His first poems he wrote as a student at Lawrence High School, he later was to marry, Elinor Miriam White in 1895. He entered Dartmouth College in 1892 but was there hardly a term; he retuned home to work at various jobs, such as factory-hand, newspaperman and teaching. In 1894 he sold the first poem, 'My Butterfly: An Elegy', to a New York magazine, The Independent. Both Frost and his wife taught school for some time, then in 1897 Frost joined Harvard College as a special student for a short period. He performed quite well at Harvard, but at the time his health became uncertain, he rejoined his wife in Lawrence. At the time his wife was expecting their second child. In October of 1900 his family settled on a farm in New Hampshire, bought for him by his grandfather. Over the next nine years, he wrote many poems that would constitute his first published volumes. Besides writing he tried his hand in poultry farming though not too successful. In 1906 he started teaching English at Pinkerton Academy, a high school in New Hampshire. During this time two of his most accomplished early poems, 'The Tuft of Flowers' and 'The Trial by Existence', were published. At the time he and Elinor had produced six children, two of whom died as infants. In 1912 he sold his farm and sailed with his family Glasgow, settling in Beaconsfield outside London. During his life he did spectacular works writing many books, poems and plays which were published both in England and in America. However Frost having been a polished writer he really believed in his capabilities to thrill his readers with captivating works and Frost's own formulation to an American friend in 1914 is helpful in thinking about his achievement: he told the friend, Sidney Cox, that the true poet's pleasure lay in making ‘his own words as he goes' rather than depending upon words whose meanings were fixed: 'We write of things we see and we write in accents we hear. Thus we gather both our material and our technique with the imagination from life; and our technique becomes as much material as material itself.' It was this principle that Pound saluted in Frost when, in his review of North of Boston, he remarked conclusively: 'I know more of farm life than I did before I had read his poems (Terry 52). This essay is focusing on the works of Robert Frost, picking part of his work to analyze literary and their application in the real life situations which gives reader a feel of someone who committed his whole educating people about the experiences of life and how to cope with challenge as we live.   One of the works of Robert Frost is his poem of 1916 known as 'The Road Not Taken'. In this particular work   can be interpreted in two perspectives. The first perspective is based on a personal interpretation of the works. This depicts how an individual can exercise his or her own independence and self reliance without necessarily involving other people in their decision making. Critically speaking in this work Robert Frost portrays and individual literary who is confronted by life situation to make a choice between two options which are a life challenge as well. The individual is seen first taking a look at the available options and evaluating the best available option though he does not know exactly what lies ahead in either of these options, the individual is convinced that whatever decision he is going to make will meet his desires and goals and therefore there is no need for any influence from third parties such as society and family members (Pritchard 15). In this work Frost also depicts the individual as having taken a decision and convinced that he had made the right decision soldiered on and true to his convictions that thy shall not regret about a decision once made it turns out that he had actually made a decision of his life time and in deed it was a good decision and that he has actually had great benefits. This work centers on encouraging individuals to face life boldly and never fear any challenges in life.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Always assess the situation within your self and do not shy away from taking decisions for it only you who can exercise your personal desires and goal while ignoring other influences. In political philosophy, individualism theory of government is such that they should protect individual liberty to act as they wish, so long as they do not infringe the liberties of others. There is what is termed as collectivist political theories, where, rather than having individuals to pursue their own ends, the governm ent ensures that the individual serves the whole society. This is a contrast to the individual liberties. The second perspective is mainly an ironic interpretation of the works. The ironic interpretation is that the poem is about making choices and rationalizing the decisions we hold with high esteem or regret .In this view, "The Road Not Taken" "is perhaps a famous example of the author's own claims to conscious irony. In the American poetry of a wolf in sheep's clothing, Frost warned â€Å"be careful of this one; it's a tricky poem – very tricky. According to this poem is made to a gentle jab at his friend and fellow poet Edward Thomas, with whom he used to take walks through the forest. Thomas always commented at the end-we should have taken different paths and seemed amused at the interpretation of the poem as inspirational. It also gives us the vigor to continually face life with an open mind so as to take up the consequences which may arise as a result of a decision or decisions we have made in life. In this interpretation it is in order to the view that the end justifies t he means (Finger 478). In this interpretation it is seen as inspirational in life and the works are taking life in another level where as one grows up they should know that they will face a life full of choices and these choices are about realizing ones desires and goals. Decision taking in life cannot be over emphasized in this piece of work and that whatever it whether an individual or the society as a whole they must face the choices available in life and take a decision which is in their best interests. However, if those decisions do not work in their favor they should face the repercussions with their heads high, for this is a show of taking responsibility in whatever actions one takes in life. It is the sociological element in this work which is of great interest since this may lead us to look at a political perspective because the society decision making may have to be shaped by a certain political leadership or dispensation. The society will depend largely on decisions made at position of leadership to look after the society's desires and goals and so their political, economic, social independence and self reliance as opposed to individualized decision taking which is informed by personal convictions. There are also situations whereby the society is segmented in groups in which case the decisions taken by a particular group will be informed by common goals of that particular group and decisions will always be taken in a unanimous agreement amongst the members of that particular group of people. The belief in the importance of the freedom of individuals also termed to as liberalism which is widely accepted in the United States of America and most western countries where i ndividuals are given the liberty to make personal decisions without the interference of the state is widely rejected by religious faiths such as Islam and many countries in Asia. The two interpretations are interrelated with the decisions we make in relationships. These decisions about relationships and family will largely be informed by individual pursuit for personal satisfaction or by societal affiliations. The same can also be affected by certain political aspects of groups and regulations of government. For example there are countries which permit gay relationships and others which are very strict that relationships should be purely between two adults of opposite sex. This political aspect will shape the kind of decisions one will make in relation with love and family. The society groupings will also shape these decisions since culturally they are bound to a certain way of life and that informs their daily life. Robert Frost in his poem 'Out, Out-''(1916) he is looking at death as speaks about a young man who dies as a result of injuries on body where his arm is severed off by a buzz saw. Death is the act of life ending. Naturally death is usually sudden and has devastating effects to the individual, family and the society at large which in ancient and modern society ist received with shock. In the United States of America a person is dead if a certificate is certified by a licensed medical practitioner. In literal interpretation of this work frost is depicting death as something which is investable and may occur at any time. It is also pointing out that death can occur to any person young and old alike. The young man dies minutes just before they could up their activities of the day. The way the death occurs is such that even the sister could not save him from being injured, and upon injuries even the presence of a professional doctor could not save the life of the young. The doctor tries to resuscitate the young man but all in vain (Parin 64). Death is also depicted as something which is individualistic and cannot be passed to someone else and cannot be shared to educe it severe effects on an individual. The young man dies in the presence of his dear sister who could not help out or even share the death effects. When death occurs different people receive the news with a lot of sorrow and tears and at times some waves of grief. The effects of death are adverse since when a family member dies and has been the bread winner of the family what it means is that the family will experience difficulties in terms of paying for their bills, it also causes emotional problems due to the loss of loved ones. Death has economic and social effects in the society when it occurs on persons who are on the productive age. It can also lead to low production as it affects labor as a factor of production when it occurs as a pandemic. However, in his work here Frost shows that death can be stopped if a little caution is exercised, had the elder and experienced operators of the buzz saw worked closely with the young man (Parin 64).   Coping with death in the modern society is varied and it entails a list of therapeutic measures which have been formulated to deal with the effects. These measures includes counseling, stress management and stress therapies to the affected persons so as to torn down the effects and help the affected persons deal with the loss. In his work Frost, he shows that once death occurs in as much as the affected have to deal with the loss, he points out that life has to continue for those who are living. Whether it occurs to loved ones life has to continue anyway and that once death occurs the next thin is to deal with the challenges ahead as a living person and the dead are dead no more. It also cites that death used to occur in the olden days and it occurrence did not mean that life will stop. In this poem it is cited that after the boy's heart is felt as it beats slowly dying and the doctor confirms the boy's life was no more and he informs the rest of the person present they are seen walking away in clear indication that life has to continue. In conclusion, Robert Frost works although some critics challenge his work based on literary perspective and criticism have helped people face life challenges will force and power and that as one continues to read his works you get the feeling that this is connecting you with real life situations. Finger, L. "Frost's "The Road Not Taken": A 1925 Letter Come to Light". American Literature 50 (3):   November 1978).   478–479'' Grant, R. Frost’s Destiny. New Hampshire: Time Books, 1924. Holt, D. Frost’s Poems. Chicago: Peterson Books, 1923. Parini, J. Robert Frost: A Life. London: Macmillan, 2000.   Pritchard, W.   "On "The Road Not Taken"". Illinois: University of Illinois, 2001. Pritchard, W.   Frost's Life and Career. New York: Routledge, 2000. Terry, D. The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-century Poetry in English. Oxford:   Oxford   University Press, 1994.

Self evaluation learning and action plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Self evaluation learning and action plan - Essay Example This section will offer the progress report which will be only limited to the first three capabilities. The first three capabilities are communication, team work and problem solving. Hence the identification and evaluation process will be confined to these segments only. In the first segment, I have tried to enhance my communication skills, skills required for successful team work and also expertise required for solving various problems. Now in order to develop the aforementioned factors, I believe that elements such as listening & understanding, clear speaking and sharing information, working across different ages, identification of the strengths of the team members and offering creative and innovative solutions for various problems are important as well as essential. I have developed the skills mainly by following my teachers and the persons whom I admire. Apart from those, specialized trainings also facilitated learning for me and enhanced my skills. Moreover, feedback from the tu tors has helped to serve the purpose. I also feel that my communication skills, problem solving skills and team work skills have indeed developed. In order to cite an example, a few months back, when I took admission for the masters, I used to feel the nervousness when events such as individual presentations took place. However these days I feel confident and do not undergo any kind of nervousness. A few days back I was to give a presentation on ‘stakeholder’s role on developing a brand value’ and did not sense any nervousness within myself. This demonstrates that my communication skills have developed. As an example of successful team work I will share my experience about the market survey project. I was in a group of 5 people where there were students from USA, Australia and also from Asia. I get along with them very well, irrespective of the cultural differences and we worked as a team and formulated a successful project report. Finally regarding my skills as a problem solver, I have been praised by my friends a number of times. Recently, there was an incident that took place where our college assigned us a project of market survey, which requires substantial amount of money. Being students we could not afford to spend a significant sum of money, still we had to complete the assignments for securing good grades. I took the matter to the higher authority and they provided us the money required to conduct the project. This is how I solved the problem. However I also feel development is a continuous process and it should run as a chain. In future I would like to develop these skills by applying them in professional fields. In the aforementioned categories I believe my communication needs further development in the form of establishing and using networks, independent reading and writing exactly according to the requirement of the topic. Furthermore to enhance my skills I need to interact with the teachers frequently. Hence on the basis of th e skills and expertise, I intend to become a successful businessman in the near future. I believe that using communication skill, I can interact efficiently with my clients and employees. This will also help me in the long run. Also my problem solving skills will hugely assist me in the process of

Domestic & Foreign Policies Writing Assignment Essay

Domestic & Foreign Policies Writing Assignment - Essay Example Participation in Head Start has seen more children graduate from high school to college than in previous decades. Similarly, Medicare has helped significantly decline mortality rates across all races in America. Apart from the direct benefits, safety nets are an indirect form of smart  investments in America’s economic growth because of the improved productivity and health. Even so, there are critics that see safety net programs as largely useless and counterproductive. They see the safety net programs as a disincentive for people to work, and in consequence, confine them to poverty. They encourage complacency and reliance, and reduce labor force participation.2 Despite the arguments, there is no much evidence to suggest the reduction in the labor force and laziness among recipients. In case they do, it is in a limited scale that is not comparable to the overall benefits of the programs. In the main, safety nets are beneficial because they develop the economy, support the middle  class, and lessen inequality. The invasion of Iraq was an unnecessary event that is similar to the redundant Vietnam War. The use of force in Iran is pointless and a waste of taxpayers’ money. The war on Iraq received condemnation both before and after the invasion. According to the United Nations Charter, the war is largely illegal. It results in unnecessary instability in Iraq, the Middle East, and even among a section of the American populace who do not support the war. Several deaths of innocent citizens occur because of the actions of American soldiers and their presence in the region.3 Even so, international restrictions on biological, chemical and nuclear weapons programs in Iraq are necessary for the sake of safety.4 Previous occurrences such as the nuclear attack on Japan were catastrophic, similar to the September 11 terror attacks. The

Clash of cultures Essay Example for Free

Clash of cultures Essay In September of 1620 some 100 people ,mostly seeking religious freedom from the church of England set sail seeking the colony of Virginia. They traveled over on a ship known as the Mayflower where they were blown off their course. After a long voyage of 65 days, the refugees landed in cape- cod, present day Massachusetts. The settlers mostly lived on the Mayflower, while they built their new living quarters. A scouting party was later sent out and the new settlers landed in Plymouth Harbor that December. These settlers began to establish the first pure Christian colony of New England. The start of the Plymouth colony began. These settlers are known as Pilgrims. The Pilgrims would now face a dreadful first winter where nearly half of them died due to poor nutrition and housing that faltered in the harsh weather. Many of the pilgrims returned home and the pilgrims that stayed began establishing farms and a fur trade. To establish ground rules for governing they signed an agreement known as the Mayflower Compact. The Mayflower Compact was an agreement that bounded each member of the Separatist group in Plymouth to obey majority rule to promise to defend one another from potential eviction; set a precedent for democratic rule in Massachusetts (The Pilgrims, 1996-3013). The Wampanoag people were the native inhabitants that lived around the area of the Plymouth Colony for some 10,000 years before the Europeans arrived. The Wampanoag people needed help fending off their rivals in the interior. If the Pilgrims would agree to ally with the Wampanoag’s then they could stay. This was the choice given to them by the Wampanoag leader. Soon after the settlement, the Pilgrims came into contact with Squanto a English speaking native from the Pawtuxet tribe. Squanto was later seized by the men of John Smith for the purpose of enslavement. Squanto later managed to escape to find that his tribe had come to parish due to plague. He latter befriended the pilgrims and taught them to plant corn which had become their main crop. He also taught them where to fish and hunt beaver. In the fall of 1621, the pilgrims shared a harvest feast with the Pokanokets tribe, which is the basis for today’s Thanksgiving Holiday (The Pilgrims, 1996-3013). The settlers were on the right course for permanent residency. In 1623, the pilgrims divided the land and only rewarded those who were willing to work hard enough. Due to all the hard work they were able to pay their debt back to the Virginia Company who helped finance the Mayflower and their travels to the new world. They also had the help of William Bradford who was one of the new settlers who set up a stable governmental self-rule. William Bradford ruled with a strong level hand and consulted numerous colonists before making decisions. After attempting to turn the pilgrims against the Pokanoket tribe and trying to increase his power Squanto died. Other tribes were not quite disposed of the pilgrims and their relationship with Massasoit and the Pokanoket tribe. In 1629, English Puritans sought to formalize Massachusetts as a royal colony do to the progression of the Plymouth colony. As the Pilgrims began occupying more land, relations with the Native American tribes began deteriorating. The natives were very unhappy that the settlers were beginning to occupy more and more due to them growing. Thus the King Phillip war began, which would tear apart New England. Phillip was the son of Massasoit and the chief of the Pokanoket tribe. Over 5,000 in habitants of New England were left dead and a third of them were natives. Many woman and men decided to follow the Pilgrims voyage to the new world due to the policies of religious belief by the King. Kind James1 and his successor eventually forced more and more people to follow behind the pilgrims in hopes of finding their religious haven. Another 1,000 puritan refugees under the guidance of John Winthrop came to establish todays Boston in Massachusetts. Between the time period of 1630 and 1640 another 25,000 refugees would follow to come to their religious safe haven. Eventually the pilgrims of Plymouth failed to achieve lasting economic success. Fighting the king Phillips war was rather costly and damaged the already struggling economy of Plymouth. In 1692, King James II appointed a governor to rule over New England and Plymouth was merged into a larger entity of Massachusetts (The Pilgrims, 1996-3013).

Caring Moments Essay -- essays research papers

CARING MOMENTS The caring project our group chose involved taking a test. We felt test day was an unusually stressful event for everyone. We wanted to come up with a caring way that would help to alleviate some stress on our fellow students, the faculty, and ourselves. We decided to hand out peppermint candy on test day to help stimulate brain function. we felt this might help us all do well. We also talked to everyone and wished them well on the test which was a good way to help relieve stress. It also gave us an opportunity to meet some of our fellow students that we had never met before and it helped to ease the stress we all were under. We also passed out the peppermints to the faculty as they needed a stress reliever on test day too. They have to keep everybody under control and start the test at the appropriate time. We all felt like we were helping our fellow students through a stressful time. Shannon felt good inside knowing that the peppermint might help someone do better on the test than they might normally do. It made her feel wonderful inside seeing everyone talking to one another and enjoying the moment. Kristi felt we were giving out a caring part of ourselves every time someone took a piece a candy. Barbara felt pride in knowing she got a smile out of the students. She felt good knowing the words of encouragement, to each individual student, took a stressful moment and eased the tension. Kristi had a caring moment when a fellow student gave her a small gift. Kristi would carry a pink, â€Å"hello kitty† coffee cup with her to lecture every day. A classmate always complimented her on her cup each time she brought it. One day before a test her classmate handed her a pink, â€Å"hello kitty† pencil. The classmate said she was out and saw the pencil and it reminded her of Kristi. She bought it and gave it to Kristi.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This made Kristi feel very special and important. Kristi and the classmate never have a chance to talk outside of class. However, Kristi will always remember her classmate and have a special place in her heart for her, because of this gesture. Every time Kristi sees this classmate it brings a smile to her face. She feels warm inside knowing that someone thought enough of her to perform such a kind act.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Our group has decided to implement several caring ges... ...ow the health care team is interested in them as individuals and they are not just a body being patched up to be sent home. They need to know that their concerns and what they are going through matters to the health care team. Showing compassion and caring to the patient will build a positive, trusting relationship that will ultimately benefit both the patient and the team. The nurse needs to know that she has support form her colleagues as well, and that she is not alone. If she feels burnout with no moral support, it will begin to affect her job. This attitude will have a negative impact on her client as well as the other staff members. Just one negative non-caring act will affect everyone around her. However, if just one nurse shows a caring moment, big or small, to a colleague, it can change the atmosphere into a caring one which will radiate all the way to the patient. Caring is the gel that keeps the health care team working together. Everyone from the doctor to housekeepin g needs each other. Without the caring element they would all be doing their own thing and the team would fall apart. Therefore caring for each other is an essential step towards a positive nursing career.

Cultural Practices that Affect Health Essay

The Community Health Nurse (CHN), an individual who works outside of the hospital setting and typically with a specific community to provide basic health care systems (All Nursing Schools, 2009) can be perceived as the bridge to address the gap between western medicine and cultural traditions. In cases when cultural practices cause physical harm and health risks, the CHN can be the tool to provide information and educate individuals to inform them of the tangible health risks and often permanent damages caused by such practices. What is also important to acknowledge is that there is an imminent health risk that needs to be addressed. According to Megan Costello (2004), in an article about female circumcision, sometimes making a practice illegal does not serve as a good enough deterrent. Costello (2004) explains that what people need is more information to understand the health risks and the unwarranted, in terms of perceived health benefit, practice. In North African countries, an average of 94 percent of women are subjected to female circumcision (Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 2008). In the United States there are an estimated 228,000 girls and women at risk of female circumcision (Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 2008). The CHN through community agencies or organizations can work to create care systems that will facilitate the dissemination of information. The CHN can effect policy change that will bring health care to the disadvantage populations or minority groups, such as refugees, who may have little understanding of western health care systems. Essentially, to address the gap between large health care institution and individual members of small communities, the CHN has the task of developing a system that will inform members of these groups of the serious harm caused by their practices. Similarly, the CHN through the same system can protect the young adults often subjected to these traditional practices. In the case of female circumcision, Bien Aime of Equality Now (quoted in Costello, 2004) says, â€Å"†¦ people need education. We need people on the ground who have access to girls and young women at risk, to help them understand that not only is this procedure against the law, but also that there are harmful effects. † As more and more cultures and ethnic backgrounds are assimilated through migration activities there is a need to provide health care that is culturally competent. The CHN becomes integral in the task of providing adequate care to all individuals with equity regardless of cultural or ethnic backgrounds through a sensitive approach. In cases where the cultural practice causes permanent injuries and prolonged negative complications to health the CHN can contribute to changing these practices. References All Nursing Schools. (2009). Become a Community Health Nurse. All Nursing Schools. Retrieved March 7, 2009, from http://www. allnursingschools. com/faqs/community-health-nurse. php Brigham and Women’s Hospital. (2008). African Women’s Health Center. Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Retrieved March 7, 2009 from http://www. brighamandwomens. org/africanwomenscenter/FGCprevalence. aspx and http://www. brighamandwomens. org/africanwomenscenter/education. aspx? subID=submenu4 Costello, A. (2004, February 19). Two in U. S. Accused of Genital Mutilation. Women’s E News. Retrieved March 7, 2009 from http://www. womensenews. org/article. cfm/dyn/aid/1718

Consumer-Directed Health Care and The Disadvantaged

Writing from his aerie as a law professor at Georgetown, M. Gregg Bloche takes a dim view of high deductible coverage, tax-subsidized health savings accounts (HSA’s), recently added to the payment mix for health care in America.   He reasons that the poor and minorities (all too often one and the same) generally earn too little to set aside money in consumer-directed health plans (CDHP), they have imperfect information, they lack access to the best-quality health care, and they may well wind up subsidizing the inpatient costs of the middle and privileged classes.   The author suggests relieving the burden on the poor by providing them more lavish tax subsidies, charging well-off patients more for their health coverage, and giving the poor advantageous prices for â€Å"high-value† care.Where the Case for the â€Å"Disadvantaged† Falls ShortUltimately, Bloche rests his arguments on a shared philosophy of should’s and ought’s, that a civilized soci ety must ensure equal access to the best medical care.   This is a perilous stand, an ideal paradigm of social justice that has extremely elastic boundaries.   As a law teacher, Bloche is concerned chiefly with equity.   Taken to a logical conclusion, such a stand obligates health care leaders to provide addicts disposable needles as the Dutch do (and never mind if they do not want to enter a rehab facility), make injected opioid therapy freely available to heroine addicts (Britain), and permit legal abortion to teenagers without benefit of parental consent (U.S.).   In short, the author may be well-meaning but he presents his case in the realm of political and legal ideology.America has always stood for protection of the oppressed.   Given how minorities have suffered bias, prejudice and outright repression, Bloche argues, their poverty is not of their own making.   They should not be forced to pay for health care by digging into money they need for basic necessities: f ood, shelter, and utilities.   This argument is weak in three respects.First of all, the income disparities are not as wide a gulf as he makes them out to be.   In the 2005 Census, mainstream White households had median incomes of $49,000 (Census Bureau, 2006) compared to $34,000 for Hispanics and $30,000 for Blacks. But the real story is that the fastest-growing minority, Asians, recorded a median income exceeding $57,000.   Here is a minority that has endured prejudice and residential segregation too but has pulled itself up by its collective bootstraps in America.Second, African-Americans may be twice as likely to be unemployed (8%) as Caucasians (4%) but they are only slightly more prone to go â€Å"bare† where health insurance is concerned:In 2004, 55 percent of African-Americans in comparison to 78 percent for non-Hispanic Caucasians used employer-sponsored health insurance. Also in 2004, 24.6 percent of African-Americans in comparison to 7.9 percent of non-Hispan ic Caucasians relied on public health insurance. Finally, in 2006, 17.3 percent of African-Americans in comparison to 12 percent of non-Hispanic Caucasians were uninsured (Office of Minority Health, 2007).While conceding the fact that a good one-fourth of African-Americans rely on public health insurance, the comparable incidence is just 4 percent to 11 percent for Asians and this is notwithstanding the fact that some of the latter are unemployed or live below the poverty line.Third, Bloche also wears blinders in conveniently ignoring the fact that CDHP’s are only one element in the insurance or subsidy mix that include Medicare and Medicaid.   He argues for subsidies and tiering to favor the poor but, in conceding that these will probably not gain traction, he raises a straw man of despairing liberal ideology without offering a workable alternative.Hence, the flaw in his argument ensues: ignoring the fact that CDHP’s are voluntary.   In an analysis conducted at on e multi-choice firm, Greene et al. (2006) revealed that those who elected the high deductible CDHP (there was a low-deductible option) were healthier anyway and were better educated than those going with Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO).One concedes that the promise of marketplace reform in lieu of government-imposed restructuring dating from the Clinton presidency has not succeeded yet (Gordon & Kelly, 1999).   Health care costs continue to spiral out of control and there are quite simply not enough physicians and nurses to render meaningful, high-quality care all around.   And yet, Bloche as outsider can perhaps be forgiven for not knowing about the existence of charity wards (overcrowded through they are) and the fine coordinated care that goes on all the time in teaching hospitals.The latter quickly shows up on the bills of insured and paying patients but may proceed behind the scenes without indigent patients necessarily knowing about it.   For this is, in essence, the most humane of professions.   This is also why Bloche’s fear that those at the frontlines, in emergency and outpatient services, will refuse to at least inform indigent patients about high-value tests and treatments is refuted in daily practice.One can rely on the innate high empathy of medical practitioners to discern when patients decline care due to cost, and hence to counsel patients that certain â€Å"savings† may put them at risk (White, 2006).   In fact, access to high-value preventive care (for e.g., diabetics, the hypertensive, those at risk for stroke) has been addressed by HCA rules that explicitly mandate â€Å"first-dollar coverage† for preventive care.   This includes those needed for control of chronic disease (Baicker, Dow & Wolfson, 2007).That said, talent does go where the money is and paying or well-covered patients have readier access to diagnostic tests and therapies.   Until the government can budget the sums necessary to transf orm the healthcare system to a welfare state like the British NHS or the Nordic nation models, both White and minority citizens must earn their keep with the kind of hard work, business acumen and economic rewards needed to purchase adequate coverage.ReferencesBaicker, K., Dow, W. H. & Wolfson, J. (2007). Lowering the barriers to consumer-directed health care: Responding to concerns. Health Affairs, 26(5), 1328-32.Census Bureau (2006) 2005 census: Household incomes by race. Retrieved March 14, 2008 fromGreene, J., Hibbard, J.H., Dixon, A. & Tusler, M. (2006). Which consumers are ready for consumer-directed health plans? Journal of Consumer Policy, 29(3), 247-262.Gordon, C.G. & Kelly, S.K. (1999) Public relations expertise and organizational effectiveness: a study of U.S. hospitals. Journal of Public Relations Research 11, 143.Office of Minority Health (2007) Asian-American profile. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Retrieved March 14, 2008White, B. (2006). How consumer-driven health plans will affect your practice. Family Practice Management, 13(3), 71-8.

Web site Essays - Computer Science, Computing, Software, Free Essays

Web site Essays - Computer Science, Computing, Software, Free Essays Web site Web-Based Software BSHS/352 June 10, 2013 Software enhance The software learning team C chose to use will enhance numerous client services areas within a human service organization because it will enable servicing the client more rapidly and inputting the information in faster, keeping documentations up-to-date regularly so that the clients services are never hindered. Concerning client services, they are taken very seriously and a clients satisfaction is essential and crucial to ensuring that we are providing them with all the help that they need accurately and efficiently. According to Social Solutions Transforming Human Services (2013), "it is a vitally essential component to have for virtually every nonprofit organization, NGO, and government agency (Human Services Software Created by Human Service Professionals). It is vital that as a government agency the appropriate and accurate software had to be chosen because this will ensure that all areas within the agencies, especially our client services are brought together successfully and take lead in assessment efforts, the use of web support, and against all visibly measured outcomes. The software helps us to see where adjustments are needed if any, enables our ability to see what services a client already has, those pending, and makes it easier to keep stakeholders in the loop of the success has (Social Solutions Transforming Human Services, 2013). Client and Services Tracking System is a system that helps with keeping track of clients and the services provide basic human needs, so instead of us just providing our clients with a sheet that has names, addresses, and numbers of other agencies that can assist them with clothing, financial assistance and an emergency food source there is no longer any need to do that the software compiles all the information for us so we can get the services that the client is in need of without delaying one from receiving the help that he or she need. This software makes processing clients information more accurate, faster, and easier to be aware of the services a client is already receiving. The ability to track clients information will enable the processing time to be minimized and things to move swifter those within their household, the services can be immediately released. Client can be informed on the services they qualified for and how along they are eligible to receive because all the ha nd-written work that previously had to be done is no longer needed. Although in order for the process to complete as fast as it should all the primary required information and it will do the rest (Cussn Software Connection, n.d.). Utilize software Both Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) and CUSSN software Connection have software that will utilize the functions of the organization that offer client services. The Human Services Software created by Human Service Professionals offers different services, which can better benefit both the Human Service workers and the client who it serves. Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) nonprofit software by Social Solutions help to give organizations a clear picture of which efforts are having the greatest impact on the social issues they strive to address (Social Solutions, 2013). Utilizing the services provided the software can help with recording the daily events that staff provides also uses the information to improve services provided and what the workers need to improve in their delivery. Performance management software goes the extra step by giving you the features you need to quantify your efforts, measure participant progress, help you understand your impact with, and empowering you to make adjustments to continuously improve your services. (Social Solutions , 2013). ETO human services offer case management, performance management, collaborative social services, and billing software and reimbursement software. With the many services provided the workers can focus on the clients and their needs and take care of their other responsibilities. Advantages and disadvantages Many human services agencies employ software packages to help and establish control of their agency. With many multiple human services softwares out there it is important that he or she finds one that can be a time saver and help preserve data. There will always be some advantages and disadvantages of using these softwares. After reviewing the two softwares these programs offer different task that can help a human services agency become more effective. There are

A Brief History Of E Commerce Information Technology Essay

A Brief History Of E Commerce Information Technology Essay Electronic commerce (e-commerce) is the term used for any type of business or commercial transaction that involves the transfer of products, services and information over electronic systems such as the internet and other computer networks. The trader and customer are not face to face at any point during these transactions, the business being conducted remotely, regardless of location. E-commerce covers a range of different types of businesses, from consumer based retail sites, through auction or music sites, to business exchanges trading goods and services between corporations. It is currently one of the most important aspects of the Internet to emerge. Almost all big retailers have electronic commerce presence on the World Wide Web. Although most electronic commerce involves the transportation of physical items in one way or another, a large percentage of e-commerce is conducted entirely electronically for virtual items, such as access to certain information on a website, purchasin g software or other on-line services. E-business is a superset of e-commerce   [ 1 ]   . Electronic commerce is generally considered to be the sales aspect of e-business. It also consists of the exchange of data to facilitate the financing and payment aspects of the business transactions. E-commerce can be mainly divided into Business-to-Business electronic commerce (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer electronic commerce (B2C). B2B implies that both sellers (suppliers) and buyers are business corporations, while B2C implies that buyers are individual consumers. Business-to-business e-commerce is significantly different from business-to-consumer e-commerce. While B2C merchants sell on a first-come, first-served basis, most B2B commerce is done through negotiated contracts that allow the seller to anticipate and plan for how much the buyer will purchase. In some cases B2B is not so much a matter of generating revenue as it is a matter of making connections with business partners. 1.1.1 . B2B e-commerce B2B e-commerce requires the technological sharing of information among supplies, retailers, distributors, and other interested parties to create electronic relationships. B2B e-commerce does not just comprise the transaction via the Internet, but also the exchange of information before and the service after a transaction. From the purchasing company’s point of view, B2B e-commerce is a medium for facilitating procurement management by reducing the purchase price and the cycle time.   [ 2 ]    The key players usually include selling and buying companies, deliverers, and often some type of electronic intermediaries, or third-party service providers. These associations can take many forms, yet most fall into three models. These models are classified depending on who controls the marketplace: the supplier, the buyer or the intermediary: (a) In a Supplier-Oriented Marketplace: many buyers face few suppliers. (b) In a Buyer-Orientated Marketplace: few buyers fa ce many suppliers. (c) In an Intermediary-Oriented Marketplace: many buyers face many suppliers. A) Supplier-Oriented Marketplace Supplier-Oriented Marketplaces offer a group of customers a wide spectrum of products and services and also support them in their own business. The markets can involve proprietary auctions, bid systems, and exchanges. By using Supplier-Oriented Marketplaces, suppliers are offered new types of market channels in marketing and distribution. Products can be sold directly to the customer without using intermediaries. Most manufacture-driven electronic stores use this form of market place. Successful examples of this business model are e.g. Dell and Cisco.   [ 3 ]   Both Dell and Cisco sold and sell their products via the Internet. However, not only Dell and Cisco use the Supplier-Oriented Marketplace, there are thousands of other companies using this model. Cisco’s main business is providing electronic support using the Internet. The main applicati ons are software downloads, defect tracking and technical advice. Cisco’s business model also includes customer service and finding order status, as well as selling routers, switches and other network interconnect devices.

Long Term Effects of Being a Non-Union Actor Essay

Long Term Effects of Being a Non-Union Actor - Essay Example The thesis of this paper is: When an actor is non-union long-term, self-esteem is often low because he or she rarely makes more than a union actor’s minimum wage.   Furthermore, opportunities to audition are limited, and non-union workers do not receive the respect or benefits provided to those who are in unions. "Ever since the first Hollywood director yelled, 'Action!' on the set of a motion picture, the anonymous corps of performers known as 'extras' formed an integral element of the film capital's working society". This powerful opening leads directly to the crux of this paper. Actors who work as walk-ons, diner patrons, soldiers, and the like are called extras. These are the actors that do not have a spoken part in the production; they are there to provide the full ambiance of the scene. If the production is to convey a busy street scene, that scene requires a host of extras to make the scene believable, therefore, the presence of each and every extra constitutes a comp leted realistic scene that the viewer finds credible. Yet, many extras are not paid in a manner consistent with their important function within the industry. In fact, if the extra happens to lack union status, that extra's pay is decimated by as much as 50% of what a union member would be paid for the same work. Non-union extras should be paid for the work they perform as handsomely as union workers. There are two reasons why the researcher postulate this idea: 1) non-union members who do not receive pay on par with their union counterparts fall into a situation of low self-esteem, and if continued over an extended period of time leads directly to 2) non-union members becoming disenchanted with the industry and performing at lower standards which is not good for the individual extra, nor for the industry as a whole. The author will use the rest of this paper to prove his thesis which will rest upon three foundational points: 1. an extra's pay level denotes their value to the product ion company; 2. challenges in obtaining union membership and, 3. "ordinariness", and the fear of it. In 1995-1996, there were a series of articles that dealt with the issue of union versus non-union pay rates for extras. In one such article, it was stated that a union extra earned $99 a day, or $128 a day for a soap opera job, yet a non-union extra only earned between $30-70 a day for doing the same work. Not only do non-union extra receive lesser pay than union members, the non-union extras also receive lesser amenities, if given any at all. The Horwitz article states, "a SAG extra in The Associate recalls '300 extras in a basement with one bathroom'[and another] 'extra in Sylvester Stallone's Daylight describes several hundred extras in a dimly lit, cold warehouse with winds gusting in off the Hudson. "There were two Portosans". Not as glamorous as one would suppose. In a recent journal article, pay level and self-esteem were studied and it was found that 'consistent with reinforc ement and expectancy theories, most of this research concludes that when high performance results in high pay increases, performance is reinforced and more likely to be repeated in the future'. This study states what most people intuitively expect - you earn based on how well you perform. Yet, in the world of the extra, this almost truism does not exist. In their world, you earn based on union membership.