Brave New World and Individual Freedom Essay Example

Brave New World and Individual Freedom Paper The Motto of the World State is Community, Identity, Stability. With detailed reference to the novel, how do you  view this  in relation to individual freedom? â€Å"Community, Identity, Stability. † The motto that shapes and defines the entire civilized world. Civilians like Lenina believe that the motto has given them their individual freedom. â€Å"I am free. Free to have the most wonderful time. Everybodys happy nowadays. † (Page 79) Ironically, Huxley was trying to convey the exact opposite message. The motto really speaks of a heavy price paid freedom in exchange for collective happiness. Freedom to feel, freedom of identity, and the freedom to know and create. It is too heavy a price, perhaps, because freedom is never dear at any price. It is the breath of life. To ensure a community where â€Å"everyone belongs to everyone else†, individuality must be entirely eradicated. Babies are mass produced upon order in hatcheries according to castes, like lifeless dolls, existing only to ensure the smooth operation of the world. At the stage of an embryo, every citizen of the World State has its caste, gender, physique, career and mental capacity predestined. Further conditioning and hypnopaedia moulds everyone’s character according to the Controller’s suggestion – â€Å"Till at last the child’s mind is these suggestions, and the sum of these suggestions is the child’s mind. And not the child’s mind only. The adult’s mind too – all his life long. † (BNW, page 23) In other words, the whole being of the entire human race is controlled by the few World Controllers. Physically, mentally and spiritually. There is nothing left of humanity. People grow up with an indisputable set of morals and character already built into them, having no ability to choose who to be and what to think. We will write a custom essay sample on Brave New World and Individual Freedom specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Brave New World and Individual Freedom specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Brave New World and Individual Freedom specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Masses of human behave, talk, and think in the same way. Even if there is a chance to be different, they aren’t able to make that choice. They are confined in their minds; prisoners behind the invisible bars of predestination. Because â€Å"when the individual feels the community reels† (Page 94), emotions were to be reduced to the most superficial form possible to scaffold social stability. Firstly all family relations must be completely abolished. People no longer know what monogamy, romance, families and mothers are, and along with that, stripped of the right to practice them. Then there is the use of soma. As Mustapha Mond exclaims, you can now carry half your morals around in a bottle, because the slightest bouts of any negative emotions can be instantly cured by the drug. Like ostriches the whole civilized world choose to bury themselves in their soma holiday in face of the tiniest adversity. Living in that bubble of false happiness, they have lost all ability and freedom to have emotions. John the Savage believes that being happy all the time is a prison on its own, and he claims the â€Å"right to be unhappy†. After all, being a human, even at its most abject and abased state, is about the right to feel, to love and to hate. The citizens of the World State have also lost their right to know and to create. They are all intellectually degraded, even for an Alpha Plus. Watsons himself, the most distinguished Emotional Engineer admits that the hypnopaedic lines he writes are â€Å"idiotic, writing when there’s nothing to say†. (Page 194) Mustapha Mond explains the reason why they couldn’t afford to have people becoming too intellectual. After centuries of war, famine, poverty, diseases, heartbreaks and chaos, one day The Ford came along and decided that it is too hard being human beings. So he wiped out all arts, history, religion, emotions and relationship in effort to â€Å"shift the emphasis from truth and beauty to comfort and happiness. † (Page 194) In fact he reduced the entire humanity into a game of numbers and equations. Mond admits that â€Å"It hasn’t been very good for truth†¦But it’s been very good for happiness†. (Page 194) The motto and the entire World State wouldn’t be possible unless everyone succumbs to The Ford’s ideology. When he decided to abolish truth and beauty, inevitably he has also made the choice to strip off from Human its very last piece of flesh – the ability to reason and to make choices. In other words, freedom. Such were the price paid for what The Ford calls â€Å"civilization†. But of course, Lenina wouldn’t agree with that. References: http://www. enotes. com/brave-new-world/essays-criticism http://www. bookrags. com/essay-2006/2/22/13115/0989 http://www. gradesaver. com/brave-new-world/study-guide/short-summary/ http://www. bookrags. com/essayfree/Brave_New_World http://hotessays. blogspot. com/2010/05/essay-on-brave-new-world. html

Free Essays on Richard Serra

Richard Serra Assignment Richard Serra is a sculptor whose work is highly criticized because of its simplistic nature. Richard Serra’s artistic ability isn’t a new realization, for his mother realized his creativity when he was a young child in elementary. She highly encouraged his artwork and introduced Richard as ‘the Artist.’ Richard then continued testing his abilities and painted art pieces. Throughout his high school years, beginning at the age of 16, Richard worked in steel mills, including Bethlehem Steel and Ryerson Steel. He didn’t realize this at the time, but the education learned at the steel mills would greatly influence his later work. While attending Yale, Richard became interested in the stuffing on animals. He, in fact, stuffed several animals and displayed them in cages to appear as if they were alive. As one could guess, this was extremely criticized and not looked upon as ‘art.’ A company in San Francisco, Richard’s hometown, was closing and about to destroy its two tons of rubber; rather, Richard called the company and bought the rubber from them. Intricately designing the rubber upon the floor of his workshop, Richard made his first sculpture-another piece looked down upon. Richard then realized that he needed to individual himself. From a friend of his, he had several sheets of lead sent to his home in San Francisco. Richard propped the lead up in several different designs, realizing the flexibility and versatility of the lead. Recalling his knowledge in steel, Richard called his old steel plants and had several tons of sheets of steel sent to his home also. It was then that Richard began to manipulate the steel in designs that were so geometrically correct and artistically unique, that they almost crossed into architecture. Steel became Richard Serra’s predominant use of material for his sculpture. His analytical eye allowed him to view the steel in a very unique and intell... Free Essays on Richard Serra Free Essays on Richard Serra Richard Serra Assignment Richard Serra is a sculptor whose work is highly criticized because of its simplistic nature. Richard Serra’s artistic ability isn’t a new realization, for his mother realized his creativity when he was a young child in elementary. She highly encouraged his artwork and introduced Richard as ‘the Artist.’ Richard then continued testing his abilities and painted art pieces. Throughout his high school years, beginning at the age of 16, Richard worked in steel mills, including Bethlehem Steel and Ryerson Steel. He didn’t realize this at the time, but the education learned at the steel mills would greatly influence his later work. While attending Yale, Richard became interested in the stuffing on animals. He, in fact, stuffed several animals and displayed them in cages to appear as if they were alive. As one could guess, this was extremely criticized and not looked upon as ‘art.’ A company in San Francisco, Richard’s hometown, was closing and about to destroy its two tons of rubber; rather, Richard called the company and bought the rubber from them. Intricately designing the rubber upon the floor of his workshop, Richard made his first sculpture-another piece looked down upon. Richard then realized that he needed to individual himself. From a friend of his, he had several sheets of lead sent to his home in San Francisco. Richard propped the lead up in several different designs, realizing the flexibility and versatility of the lead. Recalling his knowledge in steel, Richard called his old steel plants and had several tons of sheets of steel sent to his home also. It was then that Richard began to manipulate the steel in designs that were so geometrically correct and artistically unique, that they almost crossed into architecture. Steel became Richard Serra’s predominant use of material for his sculpture. His analytical eye allowed him to view the steel in a very unique and intell...

Quantitative Methods Individual work wk4 Assignment

Quantitative Methods Individual work wk4 - Assignment Example In conservative approach, there will be determination of the minimum payoff in each alternative that are available. The second step using the approach will involve selection of an alternative that maximized the minimum payoff that can be obtained. Basing on this approach, the maximum of minimum payoff values, the recommend alternative is decision one with the third state of nature 25. The mind max regret approach involves evaluation of each alternative available in terms of maximum and minimum regret values that are able to occur. In the consideration, the second alternative will apply as compared to the first alternative. In making decision on the plant size to construct, the recreational products will be demanded most in large company except due to low demand periods. The best alternative that the company is able to go for is small size plant. During low demand, the firm when puts up a large size will gain less profit as compared to small firms but when the demand rises, the demand is equal in medium demand and higher in high demand. The small size farm will be appropriate as there is no much loss that is incurred in all demand seasons. From the decision tree, in case the firm starts the project at 5 million dollars it has the probability of failing and succeeding in the investment. In case the firm is successful and decides to build the facility that they operate, the firm is exposed to different profits in different demand situation. If the business decides to have sell rights after it is successful, the business will gain 20 million as the profit. In this situation, the business should invest and start the project. After the project is started, the business should then make sure to focus on the success of the project. When the project becomes successful, the business will invest in building the facility such that high demand will lead to more profit than the firm invested. The selling price of the rights to the product will be 25 million dollars

Broken window concept and it connection to social disorder, as Essay

Broken window concept and it connection to social disorder, as described by George L. Kelling - Essay Example This situation results in social withdrawal or flight from the area, thus reducing the power of informal social control, which increases crime. Signs of this conduct are unrepaired broken windows and graffiti, teen age drunks and young bands. Kelling underlines that securing and propping up informal control mechanisms, through the aggressive policing of disorder and incivilities, constitutes the central means of reversing the spirals of neighborhood breakdown and misbehavior. Society, from this viewpoint, behave to counter the degeneration associated with crime, on the presupposition that it is an inherent capacity of communities to improve their resources of social control. Through informal community controls, it is anticipated that the primary of the normative consensus of the society will be asserted. These ideas connect with, and reflect the influence of, broken windows thesis (kelling 1995). According to this, societies and citizens are seen as occupying an essential role in hal ting moral decline, the regeneration of neighborhood life, and the prevention of crime, by exerting their moral authority. Societies and individual citizens are identified as a powerful site of social order and control. â€Å"For many people, thanks in part to how it has been presented by many police leaders, community policing is viewed as â€Å"soft† policing comparable to community relations or, worse yet, social work† (Kelling 1999). Community in this sense is defined negatively, through reference to others. Community members recognize themselves as a collective, as us in contradistinction to them. Consequently, insiders only exist because there are outsiders and so community may be based less on what people share in common than upon their difference in relation to others. Community, thus understood, is more than geographic location, it exists where members of a social group feel bound together by shared values or traditions

Battle of the Bulge Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Battle of the Bulge - Research Paper Example However, the Germans were crushed by the joint armed forces of Bastogne and St. Vith that placed the Germans’ communication lines in danger. The St. Vith encounter chose time over space: the time required to set up a strong shoulder defense on the Bulge’s northern border.2 The triumphant defense of Bastogne’s transportation center pushed German forces into combat grounds and reset the German timeframe.3 Military Tactics of the Battle of the Bulge In the two encounters, a combination of intense and mild defenses was employed successfully. In the northern side, airborne and infantry forces reinforced the 7th Armored Division stronghold in St. Vith. The 7th Armored Division’s triumphant fighting withdrawal provided an opportunity to assemble a solid defense on the Bulge’s north border.4 This disrupted the timeframe for the German offensive and its troops were not able to recover their strength; hence, the German circumstances for victory were never att ained. In the southern side, the traces of the 9th and 10th Armored Divisions, as well as their crude weaponry and a number of VIII Corps Artillery forces, gave the armament support and mobile counter-offensive force for the overpowered units of the 101st Airborne Division enclosed in Bastogne.5 The Bastogne stronghold demonstrates how a light force, reinforced with armament support and well-equipped forces, was successful in holding out the assault of heavily armed German troops. This case was adopted as part of the basis for the creation of U.S. light divisions and to validate their importance in a NATO context.6 As a proof to the value of a combination of light and heavy forces in mid- to- high-level fighting, combinations of heavy and light forces have been required for the circumstances of the Army’s Battle Command Training Program’s automated, HQ practice combat games. They have been proven successful in Iraq as well.7 The capacity to envision the combat zone, as in the focused lens of Napoleon, that defines an exceptional war leader, was shown by General Anthony McAuliffe, Troy Middleton, and Bruce Clarke in making a decision where to battle and how to carry it out. Middleton understood that controlling the major road intersections of Bastogne and St. Vith for the longest possible time was needed to ward off the German forces.8 By choosing to defend these road intersections, Middleton identified the battle’s operational direction. McAuliffe and Clarke contributed to the cause by understanding the enormity of their task and by confronting excellent strategic battles to control those road intersections and hinder the opponent.9 Another official who was able envision the combat zone and who had an outstanding hold of his battleground was Lt. Col. Creighton W. Abrams, who led the ultimate attack that released Bastogne.10 According to a report: Abrams, when he got into combat, knew everything was going on. How he knew it, nobody knew, bu t he did. He knew where every tank was. He knew where every piece of equipment was, and he could command and move his outfit and always defeat the enemy in front of him. It was just that simple.11 Abrams undoubtedly had situational understanding and a general working image of what was taking place. Although Middleton and his commanding officers were able to envision the combat zone after the Germans revealed their plan, the German deception scheme was

Early Learning Environment | Reflective Essay

Early Learning Environment | Reflective Essay Marie Grey Reflective Diary Introduction For this reflective diary portfolio I have chosen to talk about two completely different activities, one outdoor and one indoor. The outdoor activity promotes holistic development in many aspects which I will discuss within the reflection and the main factor which affects this activity is the environment. In the indoor activity it also promotes different areas of holistic development which I will also discuss in the portfolio below in more details. The main factor here is relationships, family life or community and also social factors. I feel I have learnt a lot throughout this module. In regards of the learning environment and how important it is for the overall learning or development of a child. The environment plays an important role within the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) setting. In my opinion the environment as a whole includes the centre, areas, indoors and out, materials, curriculum and everything that surrounds or affects the child. Practitioners have a duty to provide a warm, safe, encouraging, supporting, friendly environment for each child to help them develop holistically and to their full potential. Age appropriate activities, materials, equipment, books and games are very important. Why I mention these areas, if the children are doing activities or have materials that are for younger children than them. They will stay at the developmental stage they are currently at without progression. On the other hand if the materials/equipment is suitable for older children they will have difficulty. For example if a 3yr old is doing a puzzle suitable for a 6yr old, it may be too hard for the child. They may become frustrated and gain a dislike for puzzles or lose interest altogether missing out on learning opportunities. Daily routines are equally important in their own right I have learned through this module how routines affect children. Daily routines are in place for the benefit of both staff and children. It benefits staff so they have an overall goal for the day to work towards. Also it allows staff to get the work they need to do done within a certain time-frame. How I think it supports and helps children, is by giving the structure and a sense of time, as children do not fully understand the concept of time. This makes it easier for them to identify what time of day it is feel it helps the day feel less long for those who are there for a full day. Also routine is important for pre-schoolers to prepare them for school. A big one which I feel is very important in every setting and in life would be equality and diversity. I have learned ways of promoting this. By doing activities and discussing different cultures with the children. It is very important to promote these areas as there are lots of different family types and cultures attending our settings. Space is very important for children. They need space to run around, explore, play and do activities. If there is limited space children haven’t got the freedom to play comfortably and grow as individuals. Also I find some children do not like others in their personal space and get very upset when others are too close to them. To prevent unnecessary anxiety a spacious area where a group can play comfortably is ideal. I will discuss further about areas I have gained more understanding and knowledge about and also my personal, professional and working as part of a team. Activity 1: The first activity I am going to talk about is an outdoor activity. It is called the Parachute. This activity involves a big colourful parachute with a group of 2-4year olds and also adult involvement. The reason for this activity is to promote well-being, thinking and exploring, communication and identity and belonging. While also supporting the learning and holistic development of each child while having fun doing so. Before I started this activity I informed the other staff members about what I was going to be doing and I asked them if they had a parachute on the premises in case I needed to get one. They had one already, so I proceeded into the storage room and took it out the back. I shook it out and checked it for health and safety matters to make sure it was ready and safe for use with the children. When I came back in it was time to get the children ready to go outside. When their coats where on I told them I had planned a fun activity out the back garden for them to play. They were very excited. We proceeded out and I called the children down to where I had set up the activity in the most spacious part of the garden. All the staff and children joined in on the activity and we had lots of fun doing it. The children threw balls onto the parachute and we lifted it up and down to try get the balls back off again. Then the children ran under the parachute while the staff manoeuvred it up and dow n for them. When they were finished the activity their play didn’t stop there. Some of the children wanted to put the parachute on top of the play house. When they asked if they could I simply said â€Å"of course you can†. The children where then leading the activity themselves. I decided it best if I just stood back and let them enjoy and lead their own play. Impact on holistic development. P.I.L.E.S Physical- The activity helped strengthen muscles, Hand-eye co-ordination, Gross and fine motor skills. The children were using their hands to grip/hold the parachute. Using bigger muscles in their arms moving them up and down. Intellectual- Imagination, thinking of new games, ideas, leading their own activities. Language-Communicating with each other, discussing ideas for games, learning new words such as â€Å"Parachute†. For children who have not done the activity before. Emotional- I feel this activity had a calming effect as the children saw it move in the wind. Also being outside would impact their well-being and relationship building within the group. Social- As this was a group activity it impacted on the children socially, they needed to share the parachute and work together in order for it to move. Learning opportunities. The learning opportunities that occurred during this activity where the development of concepts such as moving the parachute. Learning what is high and low, fast and slow, up and down, under and over. How this affects the children’s overall holistic developmental, the activity is promoting all areas of P.I.L.E.S. The affect can differ depending on the development of each child. Where some may be advanced for example in their physical development such as their fine motor skills, others may be more advanced in their cognitive development or intellectual development, understanding the above concepts better. In my opinion the affects it has on the child’s holistic development are beneficial. The activity is also providing the children with time to be out in the fresh air and giving them some exercise. Which will benefit the whole child and their well-being. Factors Environment- The outdoor environment provided freedom and space, the weather was nice, sunny, dry and slightly windy so the parachute could take flight! If there had been no wind the activity wouldn’t have gone as well. Activity 2: The second activity was an indoor activity. A family tree/wall. This activity involved a group of four children at different times. This activity in my opinion supported each child’s identity and belonging, well-being, communication, and also thinking and exploring. It also supported each child’s holistic development such as language, social, emotional, physical and intellectual as well as other factors that affect the child such as family and peers or community. I started by informing staff what I was planning to do and see if they had the materials I required. I discussed with the supervisor a time to carry out this activity and we agreed to break up the groups into four. The children involved where between 2-4years.I started by drawing a big tree, cutting it out, sticking it to a cardboard background to stiffen it. Then I mixed up some brown paint and called groups of four children down to the back table to paint. Each child got a branch or part of the trunk to paint . I then got the groups to draw their hand for the leaves. I cut them out, the children coloured them and drew their family on each fingertip. I could not use photographs for this activity because of personal reasons regarding a particular child. Impact on holistic development P.I.L.E.S Physical-The children were using paintbrushes and crayons. These impacts on their fine motor skills, strengthening their hands and pincer grips. Intellectual- The children had to concentrate on the activity, think about their families, and count family members. Language- The children talked about their families, the colours they were using, their pets, and communicated which each other. Emotional- I feel this impacted the most as the children expressed how they felt through their creativity and speech talking about people in their lives that played a big role in their lives. Their family. Social- It was a small or intimate group and the children socialised very well together. Talking and discussing the activity. Sharing the materials. Learning opportunities. This activity provided the children in my opinion, the opportunity to learn and explore different ideas on families and cultures. It also allows them to discuss their families and cultures or traditions. They have been presented the opportunity to learn about types of family structures such as one parent, two parent, same sex, adoptive/foster or any other types of families the children may have. Even pets in their family. Siblings and grandparents. They can discuss their own backgrounds and learn more about cultures and beliefs from each other. In my opinion this affects the holistic development of the child in many ways such as, how they connect or socialise with others in groups. The child as a whole is not only just their P.I.L.E.S but also their personality, environment, values, culture and experiences. Factors Social/Culture- I feel a factor that affected this activity was social/culture and community/family. How this affects in my opinion, the children expressed their feelings about their families and home life. This has a big impact on children as the family/guardians/parents are the prime care givers they affect every aspect of the child’s overall development and well-being. My personal and professional needs. Personally I have learned to be more confident and trust my own judgement more. Also to observe more and stand back letting the children lead their own activities’ feel more confident to share my ideas and opinions. Professionally I have learned to use different ways and approaches with children when it comes to behaviour feel I have progressed professionally and I am more confident to lead activities and communicate my ideas with staff feel I can work more professionally within a team and I am able to work on my own intuition with confidence that I am doing a good job and using best practice. I also feel I have helped other staff members identify their learning needs by giving them advice and ideas on their own learning, as there are some staff doing their Fetac level 5.I try to help them in any way I can by recommending activities and books that may help them. Personally I feel I need to learn more about each child’s interests so I can create more activities that the will benefit the children. Also I need to do more research on areas of development and how the factors that affect children. Professionally I need to learn more about each family and their cultures or beliefs so I can help the children explore these areas within the crà ¨che. I feel it will benefit myself and other staff members involved. In a professional sense I feel I have learned a lot, but still have a lot more to learn. Working as part of a team and maintaining professional conduct. â€Å"Practising in a professional manner requires that individuals have skills, knowledge, values and attitudes appropriate to their role and responsibility within the setting. In addition, it requires regular reflection upon practice and engagement in supported, ongoing professional development.†(Siolta Standards 2014) In my opinion it is very important to work professionally .Towards parents and staff members working effectively and in a professional manner shows external people how you use best practice in your setting. How you as an individual represent yourself, the sitting and the standard your service provides. In order to maintain good professionalism you must be able to work and communicate efficiently and efficiently with your team, management, children and parents. Respect is very important, to be professional I feel you must have respect for your colleagues, management, parents and children. Being respectful of other people’s ideas/opinions, backgrounds, choices, even if you may not agree with them or have the same values. Treating people with respect and consideration of their personal beliefs and cultures is very important and shows good professionalism. Staying supportive within your team can resolve or even prevent conflict or clashes with co-workers. Being supportive of their ideas and views can reflect on how the job is done. Working in a team is vital in childcare and practitioners may need support emotionally as well in some cases where the job or stress of the job may overwhelm some team members. We may need support ourselves one day and it’s nice to know your team are behind you to encourage and support you no matter what the situation may be. Building a good strong working relationship with your team not only benefits you and the team it also benefits the little people you are caring for. Again respect comes up, we are role models for the children we care for and if they don’t see us being respectful and supportive towards each other, how can we expect them to respect us or each other. What you put out there you receive back. Confidentiality and trust are equally important in their own right. We must be professional and use confidentiality in all areas of working. Towards parents, staff and children this is vital in childcare. Equality is important in any profession especially childcare all involved should treated as equals whether you are only starting your career or are the leader/supervisor/manager or most experienced. In my opinion if trust is lost or you become known as untrustworthy your professional career and relationship with all involved will suffer. When trust is gone it can never be replaced. (Class notes Team Leadership: 6N1948). Trusting your teams judgement is also very important, it helps the team prosper and grow knowing you trust and have faith in their decisions. All the areas I have discussed will help the team become stronger as a unit, therefor making it easier to provide the best possible care you can for the children and the support the parents may need whether they ask for it or not they will know it’s there when they need it. â€Å"Effective team members promote self-expression of ideas and feelings about group problems and operations. The staff members are candid and seem to know how other staff members feel about topics or issues being discussed. Ineffective teams avoid discussion of personal feelings or ideas. The general attitude is that discussion of feelings is inappropriate or potentially dangerous.† (homesteadschools.com 2013) References Siolta the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education ‘Standard 11: Professional Practice’ cited on: http://www.siolta.ie/services_standard11.php Accessed online [12th of June 2014] Fisher, Kenneth. (2013)_ â€Å"Leading Self-Directed Work Teams: A Guide to Developing New Team Leadership Skills [Online], Available at:http://www.homesteadschools.com/lcsw/courses/TeamBuilding/Section10.htm [Accessed 11th November 2013] (Class notes Team Leadership: 6N1948) unpublished 2013 Advocacy: People With Intellectual Disabilities Advocacy: People With Intellectual Disabilities This essay will look at the role of advocacy in relation to representing the views and interests of people with intellectual disabilities attending a day service. It will briefly look at the historical evolution of advocacy in general and then look in particular at collective self-advocacy and citizen advocacy models and how these are employed for the social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. Day services for people with intellectual disabilities are considered to be one of the major service providers but traditionally have contributed little to the promotion of social inclusion and self-determination (Fyson and Ward, 2004:64). Advocacy has a role in changing these services by working in partnership with service users to increase social participation and opportunities for everyday experiences such as employment and further education (Fyson and Ward, 2004). From reviewing and reading literature on the topic it is clear that there is much debate as to what advocacy means. Bateman (2000) suggests that the different types of advocacy can all be interpreted differently and therefore there is no universal definition of advocacy. But all have a common theme; helping another person obtain something from someone with power (Bateman, 2000:16). The evolving of advocacy into the multi-model that it now is has come from citizen advocacy and the representation of citizens views (Henderson and Pochin, 2002). The key principles within advocacy are respect for the clients view, as much empowerment and as little dependency for the client as possible, facilitation of informed choices, the advocate to be independent and choice of advocacy for the client (Woods, 2003:49). A key factor of advocacy is that it allows for the expression of views and wishes of marginalised people who are often relying on advocacy as a means of creating awareness of social issues but also as a means to assess their rights and entitlements (Henderson and Pochin, 2002). The attainment of rights is a key part of advocacy and that advocacy has a role in creating awareness of injustices (Bateman, 2000). But in relation to people with disabilities the rights are limited and are not enforceable by law (Lawson, on the Web, nd). A right can be defined as any claim that is morally just or legally granted as allowable (Final Report, 1995, cited in Forum for People With Disabilities, 2004:57). Historically people with intellectual disabilities have been socially excluded from society by prejudice and discrimination (About Learning Disabilities, on the Web, nd). Social exclusion rather than social inclusion was the norm where people with intellectual disabilities were excluded from their communities by residing in institutions outside the community and were not granted the same opportunities as others in the general population. Social inclusion in relation to people with disabilities is to increase their participation within society and to support them to have independent lives (Office for Social Inclusion, 2003). In relation to social inclusion many organisations such as voluntary and community organisations have used the concept of advocating for their members to improve social inclusion and participation (Woods, 2003:21). Traditionally the perceptions regarding people with disabilities was to see the person based on their perceived limitations but that these were challenged by disability groups that rights held by other citizens to also be attributed to people with disabilities (Barnes and Mercer, 2003). The European Social Charter (1996) states that people with disabilities have a right to independence, social integration and participation in the life of the community (Lawson on the Web, nd:8). Advocacy in relation to people with intellectual disabilities allows that each person has value (Gray and Jackson, 2002:9), which is in direct contrast to the historical view held by society of devaluing people with intellectual disabilities. That people with learning disabilities are citizens with the same rights and responsibilities as other citizens (Gray and Jackson, 2002:10). The most effective model of advocacy is that which matches the service users needs but there is often the need to employ more than one type of advocacy where the general overall aim is to promote the attainment of skills for self-advocacy (Woods, 2003). In relation to the needs of people with intellectual disabilities they can be considered to be the most complex in that the disability may not just have cognitive repercussions but physical disabilities also. The ranges of the intellectual disability that they are experiencing can result in diminished ability to communicate and cognitive ability. The complexity of their disabilities can result in limited opportunities for self-determination and being excluded socially from society (Inclusion Ireland, on the Web, 2003). A key challenge for a person with intellectual disabilities is to be seen as an individual that has the same rights and needs even though they have a greater dependency on their care-givers because of their intellectual disability (Inclusion Ireland, on the Web, 2003). Self-advocacy Model Self-advocacy can be employed for people with intellectual disabilities and that organisations need to support opportunities for self-determination in relation to their lives (Inclusion Ireland, on the Web, 2003). Self-advocacy is defined as a process in which an individual, or group of people, speak or act on their own behalf in pursuit of their own needs and interests (Bateman, 2000:18). Key to self-advocacy is that the individual should have the skills that allow them to represent on their behalf (Woods, 2003). According to Bateman (2000:18) the most influential form of self-advocacy is that of collective advocacy where people with similar needs come together as a group to seek a particular outcome the sum of the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts. The collective self-advocacy model has some of its roots in trade unionism where during the 1940s collective advocacy took place during the World War II to challenge the welfare system. Civil rights movements during the 1960s in America drove collective self-advocacy regarding the rights for marginalised people (Bateman, 2000). As societies have modernised the concept of community has been lost to the importance of the individual but collective self-advocacy is continually used by groups to bring change on a macro level (Bateman, 2000). Collective self-advocacy is often the most effective form for people with intellectual disabilities in that for many as an individual standing alone the choices that they have are to agree to the services on offer or have none (Whitehead and Hughey, 2004). Group self-advocacy is of importance to people with intellectual disabilities because it can provide the opportunities to gain skills in communication, increased confidence and to express their view in relation to their rights and wishes (Woods, 2003). Shoultz (1992, cited in Woods, 2003) states that group advocacy can benefit people who do not have verbal communication skills to gain the confidence and skills to advocate for the group and themselves. An example of collective self-advocacy is People First, in Canada, People First have as a collective self-advocacy model challenged that no person with an intellectual disability will be forcibly required to be sterilised (Bateman, 2000). Therefore in order to challenge discrimination that many people with disabilities have joined collective self-advocacy groups to fight social injustices (Whitehead and Hughey, 2004). The characteristics of collective self-advocacy are that the group share experiences and knowledge to work together to address injustices (Henderson and Pochin, 2002). Collective self-advocacy promotes action on a macro level so that the vast majority of the collective group will benefit from the collective action that is being advocated for (Bateman, 2000). Woods (2003:36) supports this by stating collective self-advocacy can directly change services within an organisation and can be a resource for dealing with the day-to-day issues of participants. An illustration of this in relation to the scenario of the day service could be that the individuals together agree that a change in service delivery is required to enhance their independent living skills such as learning to operate the phones and participate as receptionists at the centre as a means to gain employment. There are different types of collective self-advocacy but the most common are the groups based in services (Woods, 2003:35). This is where the group is within a centre or service and generally meet during a calendar month to discuss issues that are of concern to the group members. A key worker or staff member may be needed to act as facilitator (Woods, 2003). A key aspect of self-advocacy in general is that it is driven by the person and in this way collective self-advocacy groups often represent a particular issue or group (Henderson and Pochin, 2002). Organisations such as St. Michaels House and Enable Ireland have group self-advocacy within their organisations (Woods, 2003). Collective self-advocacy can often be the ground breaker in provision of advocacy services within an organisation (Woods, 2003). Collective self-advocacy could be viewed as a means to support inclusion and participation by encouraging person power to impact on service development in general and to promote changes in social policies (Whitehead and Hughey, 2004). In terms of participation levels group advocacy within an organisation would be higher than other forms of group self-advocacy (Woods, 2003). A criticism of collective or group self-advocacy in relation to people with intellectual disabilities could be that the term self-advocacy implies that the person is directly representing themselves. But that in reality this is often not the case as in order to self-advocate a person with intellectual disabilities often requires a professional person to act as a support (Bateman, 2000). Also in relation to group self-advocacy within a service a criticism has been as to what degree are the choices made and available to the group members free from influence from the service and staff that may be facilitating the group advocacy meeting. Independent group self-advocacy away from the service has been suggested as a means to remove any potential service influence but that this may reduce the participation as it is not based within the service that is being used. Another criticism is that within the group self-advocacy that the focus can be based on the views and opinions of the most verbally expressive service users and therefore may not reflect the group as a whole (Woods, 2003). Also collective or group self-advocacy although initially established to challenge for collective needs or rights sometimes the group then becomes a service provider which would challenge its objectivity in relation to representation of wishes (Bateman, 2000). Citizen Advocacy Model Another advocacy model that is considered to be effective for people with intellectual disabilities is citizen advocacy (Woods, 2003). Citizen advocacy relates to the persuasive and supportive activities of trained selected volunteers and co-ordinating staffà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. working on behalf of people with disabilities who are not in a good position to exercise or defend their rights as citizens (Woods, 2003:40). Citizen advocacy is considered to be supportive of people with intellectual disabilities who are often more dependent on the services that they are utilising and often more dependent on other people to advocate on their behalf (Walmsley, 2002). Citizen advocacy developed in the 1960s in America with the civil rights movement (Bateman, 2001). It was developed into the disability sector as a result of parents with children with disabilities observing that they received more relevant services when someone acted on their behalf as an advocate (Bateman, 2000). OBrien (1987, cited in Bateman, 2000:24) suggests that citizen advocacy has at its core the concept of the valued citizen who is not paid and is not a member of a service provider organisation. Woods (2003:40) also supports the concept of the valued citizen as being someone who does not have a problem getting heard, working with a person who is discriminated against. Another element of citizen advocacy is that through citizen participation actively advocating for the wishes and rights of the person that they are in turn challenging traditional perceptions of people marginalised within society to have full inclusion and participation as all citizens (Woods, 2003). The characteristics of citizen advocacy are that the advocate is independent from the organisation or service that the person is using or attending, that the advocate is not a relative and is not paid for advocating (Forum of People with Disabilities, 2001). The nature of the needs of a person with significant disabilities would suggest that citizen advocacy is best met when the advocate can support in the long term (Woods, 2003:41). People with intellectual disabilities have varying levels of needs and degrees of intellectual disability and citizen advocacy could be considered to be supportive of people with intellectual disabilities who could be considered to have greater needs (Woods, 2003). This model and has its foundation in normalisation and social role valorisation (Walmsley, 2002:26). Normalisation being that people with disabilities should have opportunities to experience everyday occurrences (Walmsley, 2002). Examples of citizen advocacy are Ealing and Harrow Citizen Advocacy and the Galway Citizen Advocacy Project as cited by Woods, (2003). The importance of citizen advocacy in relation to social inclusion is that by working in partnership with the person with intellectual disabilities to have every day opportunities as other members of the general population that it can reduce exclusion through its concept of giving value to the person (Fyson and Ward, 2004). This can result in challenging the societal view that with disabilities are a homogeneous group (Butler and Forrest, 1991, cited in Bateman, 2000:25). Citizen advocacy can be a means of identifying gaps in service provision and challenge discrimination and social exclusion (Bateman, 2000). The advocate rel ationship develops over a long period of time and that this creates opportunities to consistently support the person with intellectual disabilities to build their skills and their self-belief (Woods, 2003). The citizen advocate has two functions one of representing the person and secondly to act as a social medium by the personal relationship that is established between the advocate and the person (Woods, 2003). The actual volunteering of time to create a relationship is an important aspect within citizen advocacy in that for many people with intellectual disabilities the range of social opportunities available to them may be more limited than other people with disabilities (Woods, 2003). A criticism of citizen advocacy is that because of its voluntary nature that the advocate can be viewed by services to not have the knowledge or expertise to fully advocate on behalf of the person with intellectual disabilities (Forum of People with Disabilities, 2001). Another criticism is that conflict in terms of obtaining needs and rights can be an element of advocacy and that an inability to understand the function of conflict to create change can prevent citizen advocacy being effective (Bateman, 2000). Some self-advocacy groups have criticised citizen advocacy that it is maintaining the dependency bias that society assumes in relation to people with intellectual disabilities (Henderson and Pochin, 2002). Citizen advocacy which is often employed as a model for people with intellectual disabilities has in its application supported that people with learning difficulties need the intervention of able-bodied advocates if their wishes are to be taken seriously (Pochin, 2002:107). Bu t citizen advocacy could be considered to be supportive of social inclusion by its concept of valuing all people and promoting community participation (Whitehead and Hughey, 2004). Another criticism is that citizen advocacy requires time and commitment from the advocate and that a challenge is to find citizens that have the time available to give (Forum of People with Disabilities, 2001). Conclusion In conclusion advocacy should include that every individual should be listened to and to have an active part regarding the outcomes of their life (Woods, 2003). Advocacy has at its core the attainment of rights and needs (Bateman, 2000). Social inclusion could be considered to be supported by the principles of advocacy that promote empowerment and choice for people with intellectual disabilities (Woods, 2003). But for both advocacy models in relation to people with intellectual disabilities the greatest challenge seems to be that of asserting their right whether moral or legal to avail of the everyday opportunities that the general population can experience (Forum of People With Disabilities, 2001). That society generally questions the ability of a person with intellectual disabilities to self-determine and this has impacted on the development of advocacy models for people with intellectual disabilities (Gray and Jackson, 2002). The provision of advocacy services for people with inte llectual disabilities although attempting to challenge inequalities that unless people with disabilities have a legalised right to services that advocacy is meaningless without rights (Bateman, 2000:43). That by not enforcing rights regarding services and no proper recourse through the legal system because these services are not rights that advocacy cannot be truly effective in supporting social inclusion (Bateman, 2000). That enforcing rights to services would support the client becoming the consumer and could be an effective way of using advocacy to create social inclusion (Bateman, 2000). A challenge for both models is the funding required is often allocated to other supports and this can be contributed in some ways to the fact that advocacy is not universally defined and is not universally legislated for (Bateman, 2000).

Non-Dominant Voices on Difference and Diversity :: Multiculturalism Cultural Culture Politics Essays

Non-Dominant Voices on Difference and Diversity Chapter one of Multiculturalism from the Margins: Non-Dominant Voices on Difference and Diversity is "Social Movements and the Politics of Difference" by Cheryl Zarlenga Kerchis and Iris Marion Young. This chapter examines the idea of assimilation versus acceptance of group differences. The chapter begins by explaining the historical acceptance of assimilation especially in the United States with its ideals of the American melting pot. However, as Kerchis and Young explained each social group evolved and eventually began to embrace the idea of a politics of difference. Although assimilation is still often part of policy and social practice in the United States, Kerchis and Young point out that this idea oppresses the socially disadvantaged group in three separate ways. First, assimilation oppresses socially disadvantaged groups because in trying to assimilate the socially disadvantaged group is always playing a game of catch up. Secondly, assimilation suggests that one culture is the right one. Lastly, members of the socially disadvantaged group can end up feeling abnormal or deviant. On the other hand, the idea of politics of difference allows "members of an oppressed group to celebrate and be proud of their identity"(Harris, 1995, p.11). Also, the politics of difference allows the disadvantaged social groups to accept their differences and not try and adjust their culture to the more dominant culture. Therefore, there is not a sense of a correct culture versus a less desirable one. Politics of difference also allows society to view the dominant culture in a critical light, which can lead to necessary changes. Lastly, politics of difference embraces the concept of individualism, which American society has always held in high esteem. The author suggests that "Our nation should strive for social justice in its political and social institutions." (Harris, 1995, p. 16). Just an informal review of the political or judicial establishment reveals that social justice has not been accomplished. Most Americans agree that the justice system strongly favors the dominant culture. American politicians are certainly not a diverse group of people. In education, the changes have been more strident. I work in a school district that is primarily Hispanic. More and more administrators who are Hispanic are being hired. However, primarily white men hold the top district positions. The author next discusses the disadvantage women of child bearing years face in the work force. This is certainly an issue that I have experienced personally.

Fast Food and the Problems with Fast Food Essay

Fast Food Having an Effect on U. S Health Fast food chains are anywhere and everywhere. You cannot drive to town without passing at least two or three of these â€Å"restaurants. † The concept behind fast food was a good idea, but the results were catastrophic in the health aspect. Now that fast food has become one of the top industries in the world, everything has gone awry. The fast food industry has drastically changed the way people view food, how convenience is rising and the cost for products. Fast food restaurants first started as drive-ins with car hops, but in the 1980’s began with drive-thru windows. McDonald’s was one of the first ones to convert from car hops to drive-thru windows. The idea of fast food service brought about a whole new concept to how we view food. Without proper education in the health field typical Americans would not know what their body needs and what they consume. Maybe if that was the case the obesity rate and rates of chronic heart disease would plummet and we could focus on more important problems. When these restaurants began to spring up, it spread like wildfire. Sonic, McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s and etc. all became multi-million dollar companies. They discovered they could mass-produce products that were cheap and that could make them money faster than what they had to been doing before (Super-Size Me). Fast food has sprung up and become a leading industry because they are focused on quick, cheap food for people. Despite how bad it is for them it is cheap and fast to produce. They are extremely convenient due to the drive-thru windows that are being incorporated into any and all fast food restaurants. The food that you buy is relatively inexpensive and cheap also. Another key point to fast food restaurants popularity is that they are advertising their foods more towards the children. McDonald’s has their cartoon show that advertises their products to children along with the play places and their mascot, Ronald McDonald. They also incorporate toys and such for the kids’ meals. Burger King does something similar to McDonald’s with their characters. There are many lawsuits against corporations advertising to children for fast food, which are still being reviewed for the time being. This advertising is being sued because of the high rates of obesity in younger children is sky rocketing and chronic heart diseases at younger ages is also a factor in these lawsuits (Food, Inc). The health factors play perhaps the largest role in any type of food industry. â€Å"The disadvantages to fast food is that the products are higher in soya, fat, sugar, oil, fried meat, salt cheese, mayonnaise, and obviously salt†(Bose). There are very little nutrients in fast food if any due to the process of frying the foods to cook them. There is also bacteria present on the food before frying it which can do harm to our bodies if not destroyed also. There is a direct link between fast food and obesity, coronary heart disease (CHD) and diabetes. Fast food is loaded with salt and fats that are not needed for the body to function which after a long period of â€Å"exposure† can lead to CHD and obesity. â€Å"Eating fast food two or more times a week was also found to increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 27 percent† (University of Minnesota). The advantages of fast food are more for convenience than nutrition. †In a survey done by WebMD the top 11 reasons for eating fast food are as follows: They’re quick, they’re easy to get to, I like the taste of fast food, they’re inexpensive, I’m too busy to cook, it’s a â€Å"treat† for myself, I don’t like to prepare foods myself, I don’t like to prepare foods myself, My friends/family like them, it is a way of socializing with friends and family, they have many nutritious foods to offer, they’re fun and entertaining†(Hitti). This survey just shows that most Americans do not have time or do not make the time to prepare meals for themselves and their families. If families are too be healthier individuals they need to make time to prepare meals for the entire family. Choosing one day out of the week to cook meals for the whole week is a great and convenient solution to this problem. The major chains that have flourished greatly are McDonald’s with their advertising towards children and very inexpensive foods, Burger King with their better â€Å"quality† tasting food, and Sonic which kept the drive in style fast food, but incorporated a drive thru into their layout. Each of these restaurants have one thing in common, they all advertise to children as their main concentration. Keeping their restaurants friendly and geared towards kids pushes the kids to want to keep going to these places so they can eat and play. Sonic does not offer a play place or anything like what Burger King and McDonald’s have. Sonic keeps more of the older style of fast food using car hops and drive ins which plays to their advantage being one of the very few restaurants that even do this anymore. One of the biggest problems with fast food is that they try to keep us in the dark about what we are consuming. That should raise the question of what is being hidden from us. In the documentary, Food Inc. all of the corporations producing foods refused to comment on their procedures. The farmers were not even allowed to let the cameramen into their chicken houses. This alone should tell us there is something that these companies are hiding that could cause them to lose a lot of money. If you watch closely to how these companies operate then that alone should raise an eyebrow or two as to what is their big secret and why are we the consumers kept in the dark about this. For McDonalds, the chicken nuggets they sale are not actually chicken nuggets. The â€Å"nuggets† are the leftovers of the chicken made into a pink paste like substance that is then made into a chicken nugget. None of the meats made are 100 percent beef or chicken or fish. The products are leftovers of the real ingredients ground up and mixed with other products to make what we consume. Trans-fatty acids are placed into the products to preserve them which only make them worse for us, which leads to insulin resistance over time and cause Type 2 diabetes. The beef has been reported to have less than 2 percent actual beef in the burgers. Many of the mystery ingredients in fast food are typically industrial chemicals. The occurrence with deaths due to how our food is processed is becoming a major concern for most states. Unfortunately FDA regulations are very lax with food processing companies and fast food companies because some of the â€Å"big wigs† are working for these food companies (Food, Inc. ). The beef that is being processed for our consumption are typically standing in their own manure, which causes infected meats and disease ridden food. Also chicken houses are very similar to the way beef is raised. The chickens are packed into these houses and pumped with steroids so they will grow much faster and much larger than normal. This means less time spent raising the chicken and faster money in the pockets of the corporations. Food is an essential part of life. It is necessary to live and to function throughout the day. The type of food we consume is up to us, we can have healthy, nutritious food or we can have quick, unhealthy food. The choice comes down to our knowledge of what we consume and need as humans. Unfortunately fast food has changed how we view food, how convenience is a greater commodity than nutrition and the cost for products. Works Cited Bose, Debopriya. â€Å"Advantages and Disadvantages of Fast Food. † 12 Nov. 2013. Buzzle. Web. Clarke, Nancy. â€Å"Health Risks Involved When Eating Fast Food. † 9 Sep. 2013. Demand Media. Web. Food, Inc. Dir. Robert Kenner. Perf. Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Gary Hirschberg, and Joe Halatin. Magnolia Pictures, 2008. Documentary. Henshaw, Ashley. â€Å"The Major Health Hazards of Fast Food. † 9 Sept. 2013. SymptomFind. Web. Hitti, Miranda. â€Å"Top 11 Reasons for Fast Food’s Popularity. † 12 Nov. 2013. WebMD. Web. Pereira, Mark, David S. Ludwig, Alex I. Kartashov, Cara B. Ebbeling, Linda Van Horn, Martha L. Slattery, David R. Jacobs. â€Å"Fast-food Habits, Weight Gain, and Insulin Resistance (The CARDIA Study): 15-Year Prospective Analysis. † 9 Sept. 2013. 365. 9453(2005): 36-42. Web. 9 Sept. 2013 Martindale, Diane. â€Å"Fast Food is a Major Public Health Hazard 177. 2380. † 2 July 2012. Organic Consumers Association. 9 Sept. 2013. Web. Super-Size Me. Dir. Morgan Spurlock. Perf. Morgan Spurlock, Daryl Isaacs, and Lisa Ganjhu. Kathbur Pictures, 2004. Documentary. University of Minnesota Academic Health Center. â€Å"Fast Food Intake Increases Risk of Diabetes and Heart Disease in Singapore. † ScienceDaily. 9 Sept. 2013. Web. Weiss, Thomas C. â€Å"Associated Health Risks of Eating Fast Foods. †. Disabled World. Fast Food Having an Effect on U. S Health Fast food chains are anywhere and everywhere. You cannot drive to town without passing at least two or three of these â€Å"restaurants. † The concept behind fast food was a good idea, but the results were catastrophic in the health aspect. Now that fast food has become one of the top industries in the world, everything has gone awry. The fast food industry has drastically changed the way people view food, how convenience is rising and the cost for products. Fast food restaurants first started as drive-ins with car hops, but in the 1980’s began with drive-thru windows. McDonald’s was one of the first ones to convert from car hops to drive-thru windows. The idea of fast food service brought about a whole new concept to how we view food. Without proper education in the health field typical Americans would not know what their body needs and what they consume. Maybe if that was the case the obesity rate and rates of chronic heart disease would plummet and we could focus on more important problems. When these restaurants began to spring up, it spread like wildfire. Sonic, McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s and etc. all became multi-million dollar companies. They discovered they could mass-produce products that were cheap and that could make them money faster than what they had to been doing before (Super-Size Me). Fast food has sprung up and become a leading industry because they are focused on quick, cheap food for people. Despite how bad it is for them it is cheap and fast to produce. They are extremely convenient due to the drive-thru windows that are being incorporated into any and all fast food restaurants. The food that you buy is relatively inexpensive and cheap also. Another key point to fast food restaurants popularity is that they are advertising their foods more towards the children. McDonald’s has their cartoon show that advertises their products to children along with the play places and their mascot, Ronald McDonald. They also incorporate toys and such for the kids’ meals. Burger King does something similar to McDonald’s with their characters. There are many lawsuits against corporations advertising to children for fast food, which are still being reviewed for the time being. This advertising is being sued because of the high rates of obesity in younger children is sky rocketing and chronic heart diseases at younger ages is also a factor in these lawsuits (Food, Inc). The health factors play perhaps the largest role in any type of food industry. â€Å"The disadvantages to fast food is that the products are higher in soya, fat, sugar, oil, fried meat, salt cheese, mayonnaise, and obviously salt†(Bose). There are very little nutrients in fast food if any due to the process of frying the foods to cook them. There is also bacteria present on the food before frying it which can do harm to our bodies if not destroyed also. There is a direct link between fast food and obesity, coronary heart disease (CHD) and diabetes. Fast food is loaded with salt and fats that are not needed for the body to function which after a long period of â€Å"exposure† can lead to CHD and obesity. â€Å"Eating fast food two or more times a week was also found to increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 27 percent† (University of Minnesota). The advantages of fast food are more for convenience than nutrition. †In a survey done by WebMD the top 11 reasons for eating fast food are as follows: They’re quick, they’re easy to get to, I like the taste of fast food, they’re inexpensive, I’m too busy to cook, it’s a â€Å"treat† for myself, I don’t like to prepare foods myself, I don’t like to prepare foods myself, My friends/family like them, it is a way of socializing with friends and family, they have many nutritious foods to offer, they’re fun and entertaining†(Hitti). This survey just shows that most Americans do not have time or do not make the time to prepare meals for themselves and their families. If families are too be healthier individuals they need to make time to prepare meals for the entire family. Choosing one day out of the week to cook meals for the whole week is a great and convenient solution to this problem. The major chains that have flourished greatly are McDonald’s with their advertising towards children and very inexpensive foods, Burger King with their better â€Å"quality† tasting food, and Sonic which kept the drive in style fast food, but incorporated a drive thru into their layout. Each of these restaurants have one thing in common, they all advertise to children as their main concentration. Keeping their restaurants friendly and geared towards kids pushes the kids to want to keep going to these places so they can eat and play. Sonic does not offer a play place or anything like what Burger King and McDonald’s have. Sonic keeps more of the older style of fast food using car hops and drive ins which plays to their advantage being one of the very few restaurants that even do this anymore. One of the biggest problems with fast food is that they try to keep us in the dark about what we are consuming. That should raise the question of what is being hidden from us. In the documentary, Food Inc. all of the corporations producing foods refused to comment on their procedures. The farmers were not even allowed to let the cameramen into their chicken houses. This alone should tell us there is something that these companies are hiding that could cause them to lose a lot of money. If you watch closely to how these companies operate then that alone should raise an eyebrow or two as to what is their big secret and why are we the consumers kept in the dark about this. For McDonalds, the chicken nuggets they sale are not actually chicken nuggets. The â€Å"nuggets† are the leftovers of the chicken made into a pink paste like substance that is then made into a chicken nugget. None of the meats made are 100 percent beef or chicken or fish. The products are leftovers of the real ingredients ground up and mixed with other products to make what we consume. Trans-fatty acids are placed into the products to preserve them which only make them worse for us, which leads to insulin resistance over time and cause Type 2 diabetes. The beef has been reported to have less than 2 percent actual beef in the burgers. Many of the mystery ingredients in fast food are typically industrial chemicals. The occurrence with deaths due to how our food is processed is becoming a major concern for most states. Unfortunately FDA regulations are very lax with food processing companies and fast food companies because some of the â€Å"big wigs† are working for these food companies (Food, Inc. ). The beef that is being processed for our consumption are typically standing in their own manure, which causes infected meats and disease ridden food. Also chicken houses are very similar to the way beef is raised. The chickens are packed into these houses and pumped with steroids so they will grow much faster and much larger than normal. This means less time spent raising the chicken and faster money in the pockets of the corporations. Food is an essential part of life. It is necessary to live and to function throughout the day. The type of food we consume is up to us, we can have healthy, nutritious food or we can have quick, unhealthy food. The choice comes down to our knowledge of what we consume and need as humans. Unfortunately fast food has changed how we view food, how convenience is a greater commodity than nutrition and the cost for products. Works Cited Bose, Debopriya. â€Å"Advantages and Disadvantages of Fast Food. † 12 Nov. 2013. Buzzle. Web. Clarke, Nancy. â€Å"Health Risks Involved When Eating Fast Food. † 9 Sep. 2013. Demand Media. Web. Food, Inc. Dir. Robert Kenner. Perf. Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Gary Hirschberg, and Joe Halatin. Magnolia Pictures, 2008. Documentary. Henshaw, Ashley. â€Å"The Major Health Hazards of Fast Food. † 9 Sept. 2013. SymptomFind. Web. Hitti, Miranda. â€Å"Top 11 Reasons for Fast Food’s Popularity. † 12 Nov. 2013. WebMD. Web. Pereira, Mark, David S. Ludwig, Alex I. Kartashov, Cara B. Ebbeling, Linda Van Horn, Martha L. Slattery, David R. Jacobs. â€Å"Fast-food Habits, Weight Gain, and Insulin Resistance (The CARDIA Study): 15-Year Prospective Analysis. † 9 Sept. 2013. 365. 9453(2005): 36-42. Web. 9 Sept. 2013 Martindale, Diane. â€Å"Fast Food is a Major Public Health Hazard 177. 2380. † 2 July 2012. Organic Consumers Association. 9 Sept. 2013. Web. Super-Size Me. Dir. Morgan Spurlock. Perf. Morgan Spurlock, Daryl Isaacs, and Lisa Ganjhu. Kathbur Pictures, 2004. Documentary. University of Minnesota Academic Health Center. â€Å"Fast Food Intake Increases Risk of Diabetes and Heart Disease in Singapore. † ScienceDaily. 9 Sept. 2013. Web. Weiss, Thomas C. â€Å"Associated Health Risks of Eating Fast Foods. †. Disabled World.

Example of a Term Paper

Example of a Term Paper Example of a Term Paper Example of a Term Paper Abortion is one of the most popular topics for term paper writing.   Nevertheless, wealth of information makes it even harder to write good term papers.   offers you a free example of term paper on abortion.   Our paper writing blog has hundreds of free term paper samples on a wide range of topics.   Custom term paperwriting service is also available if you want to get a term paper written especially for you! Our prices are well-balanced to meet the financial needs of every student! Example of a Term Paper: Abortion and Religion Papal, as well as theological, opinion varied on the abortion with the times. Pope Gregory IX (1227-1241) declared that abortion was acceptable if performed before the fetus had moved, usually during the first forty days. But more than three hundred years later in 1588 Pope Sixtus V announced that all abortions were murder. And three years later in 1591 a new pope, Gregory XIV, revoked all penalties except for abortion after the forty-day period. This Church law lasted until 1869 when Pope Pius IX returned to the sanctions of Sixtus V and eliminated the distinction between an animated and a non-animated fetus and disallowed abortion at any time. This makes the present Church attitude condemning abortion only one hundred years old. A good Catholic woman living in the six hundred years between the thirteenth and the nineteenth centuries (except during the three years of Pope Sixtus' pronouncement) could have had an abortion during the first forty days of her pregnancy and remained a go od Catholic, while today abortion is banned and the rule of 1588 is followed. Pope Pius' ban on abortion in 1869 was supposedly done in an effort to counteract the spread of contraception and also as a result of the new scientific understanding of when, where and how fertilization takes place. After centuries of debate, the Church has reversed itself several times, alternating between conservative and liberal phases on its attitude toward abortion. Now, of course, it takes the view that to destroy the fertilized ovum is tantamount to murder. Pope Pius XI in 1930 said that "The life of each [mother and fetus] is equally sacred and no one has the power, not even the public authority, to destroy it." Today the Church is still strongly opposed to abortion. Thirty Roman Catholic bishops meeting in New York recently issued a statement reaffirming their position that "the Church disowns by immediate excommunication any Catholic who deliberately procures an abortion or helps someone else to do so." The letter called the state abortion law an "outrage against humanity." The letter went on to say that "each day they [abortionists] grow wealthier from the killing of unborn children some of whom have been heard to cry as they were dropped into surgical trash cans." In response to this, Dr. Jean Pakter, director of Maternity and Newborn Services for the New York City Department of Health, described the letter as "hysterical." She said that a total of twenty-six fetuses were born alive after legal abortions in New York and several were beyond the twenty-four-week legal limit for abortions. Custom Term Paper Writing Example of a term paper is written with the aim to give you a good sample of professional writing.   If you need individual assistance, you should order custom term paper writing help at this site. Custom paper writers are able to impress you with quality writing and timely delivery.   Plagiarism report is provided for free!

Cost Leadership Dell Essays

Cost Leadership Dell Essays Cost Leadership Dell Paper Cost Leadership Dell Paper Cost leadership that attempt to become the lowest-cost producers in an industry can be referred to as those following a cost leadership strategy. The company with the lowest costs would earn the highest profits in the event when the competing products are essentially undifferentiated, and selling at a standard market price. Companies following this strategy place emphasis on cost reduction in every activity in the value chain. Ideally, low cost strategy is centered on the capability of Dell to produce and deliver products of competitive quality at lower costs. Cost leadership strategy is much more than cost reduction initiatives that get lot of prominence in strategic planning and review session of Dell as a means to improve the bottom line of a company by improving its efficiency. Dell uses efficient cost structures to protect their markets from the competitors by responding to competitors’ move of making in-roads in the market space by reducing prices. Such reactive response may makes Dell inward focused. Better way to strategically position Dell on advantage of cost is to increase market share by transforming from lowest cost producer to lowest cost supplier of products. This way the company translates its cost advantage into price advantage for its customers and thereby improves the market share. The prospect of increasing the market share provide great opportunity for Dell to leverage the economies of scale coupled with the ruthless cost cutting measures it plans to execute. More the competitive space it occupies which also means that more competitors eliminated effective are economies of scale and as a result the costs are driven still lower. When Dell is able to transform the efforts of cost reduction into cost advantage for customers Dell can be said to be successfully pursuing low cost leadership strategy as there continuously strives to reduce costs and in the market place it has got the image of supplier of products at the lowest prices. This is how Dell can capture markets and eliminates the competitors and improves revenues and market share. Economies of scale and efficiency form the core around which Dell executes its strategy. Thus, other companies pursuing cost leadership strategy compare each and every activity along their value chain with competitors and are committed to surpass them ( 1986). Aside, innovation at Dell is focused on process improvements rather than on products. In fact Dell pursuing cost leadership strategy target mass markets with proven products. Dell has sufficient control over in-bound supplies and logistics. Their cost effectiveness starts from the premises of their suppliers. This is important as major costs are incurred in the inbound supply chain. The cost leaders today generally miss out on one important aspect as concentrate on delivering product of competitive quality at the lowest cost and pass on part of the savings to customers, so obsessed with costs and pricing that rarely do they dissect the customer value proposition. This is prospective area that may provide yet another cost reduction opportunity and at the same time attract potential customers from niche segment. Dell when it compares the value proposition that it offers against the attributes that customers really value, new insights and opportunities may open up (1986). Investing in cost leadership by riding down the experience curve is a common way to establish Dells competitive advantage as success depends on factors that underlie the experience curve. The strategy of cost leadership is associated with stable and predictable environments and correlates with the use of controls. Unfocused strategies make much use of liaison devices. These relationships were likely to be significant for high-performing Dell than those of poor performers. According to (1985), cost leadership and product differentiation can be pursued simultaneously only under rare conditions as unclear how these strategies can be implemented. Dell pursuing cost-leadership strategy attempts to gain a competitive advantage primarily by reducing its economic costs below its competitors. If cost-leadership strategies can be implemented by numerous Dell in an industry, or if Dell face cost disadvantage in imitating a cost-leadership strategy, then being cost leader does not generate sustained competitive advantage for Dell. The ability of a valuable cost-leadership competitive strategy to generate competitive advantage depends on that Dell strategy being rare and costly to imitate. Dell should not put all eggs in one basket as far as implementation of its Business Strategy is concerned. Of course Dell need to take advantage of their core competencies but at the same look for opportunities uses their core competencies to broaden their strategy implementation. In Dell’s case they should use core competencies to implement Cost Leadership Strategy by pursuing multi sales channel opportunities.

Healthcare Administration Issues Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Healthcare Administration Issues - Research Paper Example This will include scrutinizing and evaluating the nursing shortage in the facilities and how this affects service delivery (Rouse, 2006). Similarly, the research will also have to be based on the availability of resources in employing nurses. There are a number of factors that are considered vital when employing nurses. The demand for nurses is, therefore, affected with changes in the wage rate, training and training facilities, the working environment, education of health workers and the management in the workplace. These are issues that will have a direct impact on the nursing profession, which could create a shortage. For example, the retention of nurses is low in many parts, which shows that the management is not apt in executing its duties. Therefore, researching on all these factors would give the reasons behind the shortage of nurses. Research questions will be vital as they are likely to offer critical information in regards to the issue. For example, research questions will be asked concerning the staffing process, retention rate and nursing turnover. With such information, the research will gather information on how nursing facilities employ nurses and how they replace them in case of retirement or quitting. Similarly, the research questions will also reflect on the acceptable nurse-to-patient ratio and nurse-to-general population ratio (Kelly, 2011). These are crucial figures that will enlighten on the extent of the shortage of nurses and the acceptable ratio in the medical facilities. Apparently, when there is an influx of patients, it is obvious that there should be a corresponding number of nurses. However, limiting the number of nurses to a manageable level will almost certainly lead to poor service deliver as the few available nurses will be overworked. In addition, the research questions will also be us ed to gather information on the potential factors that have

Strategic Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 3

Strategic Marketing - Assignment Example The theoretical underpinnings have been used to analyse the marketing strategies of Unilever. The company has successfully positioned its brands in such a manner that it is a household name in almost every household across the globe. The company also has portrayed a strong responsibility towards the betterment of the society and has taken its CSR activities to a new level. Unilever has also developed innovative strategies that would allow them to reach to every cross section of the population across all income levels. In the end recommendations have been provided that the company can adopt for its betterment. The marketing concepts have evolved over the past few decades. Previously when there were lesser options and the competition was monopoly or monopolistic the customers had little say over the pricing strategies or even the quality of products. However in the present world the market structure has changed from monopolistic to perfect competition whereby the customers have the power of making or breaking an organisation. The marketing strategies are thus formed keeping in mind the role of customer. The organisations aim to maximise customer satisfaction and design strategies to that effect. Apart from developing marketing strategies that would be customer friendly and also facilitate the increase of market share of the firm, multinational companies (MNC) have to undergo Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) so that a favourable image of the firm can be maintained. Marketing orientation is considered a concept that takes into account customer orientation, competitor orientation, inter-functional coordination, organisational structure and long term creation of value for shareholders. The concept pledges to deliver superior performance of the company by way of satisfying customers needs. Therefore a company philosophy that focuses on identifying and meeting the