Gmos Are Safe For Consumption - 1643 Words

In recent years farmers have faced increasing odds against their crops – bugs building an increasing resistance to pesticides, too little rainfall, skyrocketing gas prices, and an increasing demand from the public for pure and wholesome products straight from nature. In addition to these difficulties, customers still demand that prices remain low, that goods are visually appealing and that as few chemicals as possible are used. The real questions posed is – is that even a viable possibility? Though many people are uninformed about genetically modified organisms, and hence often dislike them, their benefits cannot be ignored and due to the regulations and testing by the EPA and FDA, GMOs are considered safe for consumption. GMO use should†¦show more content†¦However, there is no consensus from the scientific community yet. Due to the lack of consensus, there have been numerous court cases dismissed with regards to enforced labeling on GM foods. Those against l abeling often cite court cases such as Alliance for Bio-Integrity v. Shalala. The 1992 court case challenged the FDA’s â€Å"generally recognized as safe† statement (Acosta). GRAS is a term used in the food industry that references a food additive that is said to be safe by experts. The court ruled that â€Å"FDA’s interpretation of the FFDCA’s labeling requirement was reasonable† and â€Å"genetic modification does not ‘materially’ alter foods† (Acosta). Those for mandatory labeling however cite that most of Europe has regulations regarding labeling food products. Although labels are required, there is little effect on the economics of GM food in Europe (Gruà ¨re and Rao 5). Therefore, if there is no economic difference between a labeled GM food and unlabeled product, enforcing legislation would be a waste. To enforce something that still will not deter consumers and to spend millions if not billions would be irrespo nsible. GMOs are safe and beneficial for human consumption. GMOs have been rigorously studied to ensure their safety. In a summary of hundreds of reports compiled by Angelika Hilbeck, she concludes that â€Å"on the basis of their studies, that a number of varieties of GM products (mainly maize and soybeans) are as safe andShow MoreRelatedGmos Are Not Safe For Human Consumption1433 Words   |  6 Pagesto the topic of weather genetic modifications are safe or unsafe for animals, the environment and for human consumption, some of us will readily agree that they are in fact very dangerous for everyone. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of how exactly they affect everyone. Whereas some are convinced that GMOs are not safe for any one, others maintain that they are not a hazard to anyone. I agree that GMOs are not safe because while doing my research I found concrete evidenceRead MoreGmos Are Not Safe For Human Consumption1555 Words   |  7 Pagesto the topic of whether genetic modification are safe or unsafe for the animals, the environment and for human consumption, some of us will readily agree that they are in fact very dangerous for everyone. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of how exactly they affect everyone. Whereas some are convinced that GMOs are not safe for anyone, others maintain that they are not a hazard to anyone. I agree that GMOs are not safe because while doing my research I found concreteRead MoreGenetically Modified Organisms ( Gmos )1105 Words   |  5 PagesDoppelgà ¤nger Over the last two decades, there has been a significant increase in food products containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs). GMOs are substances which have had their genetic material altered through unnatural processes. Since the advent of the first GMO in 1973, the modification of plants and animals through the introduction of a new trait or the alteration of a gene has significantly increased (Aleksejeva 5). With increasing genetic modifications of plants and animals for foodRead MoreGenetically Modified Organisms ( Gmos )1236 Words   |  5 PagesOver the last two decades, there has been a significant increase in food products containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs). GMOs are substances which have had their genetic material altered through unnatural processes. Since the advent of the first GMO in 1973, the modification of plants and animals through the introduction of a new trait or the alteration of a gene has significantly increased (Aleksejeva 5). With increasi ng genetic modifications of plants and animals for food products andRead MoreShould Labeling be Required for GMOs? Essays1218 Words   |  5 PagesShould Labeling be Required for GMOs? The debate over genetically modified foods continues to haunt producers and consumers alike. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are foods that have been modified through bioengineering to possess certain characteristics. These plants have been modified in the laboratory to enhance traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or increased nutritional content (Whitman, 2000). The debate continues to grow as to whether these genetically altered foodstuffsRead MoreIs Genetically Modified Food Overrated?1731 Words   |  7 Pagesfood or GMO food is developed from the altered DNA of an organism. This engineered food was first introduced to the public and placed on market in the early 1990s. Since then, GMO has presented concerns throughout the country of the United States of America and it is my job to present a sound structure for this argument of concern. The leaders of the United States of America need to recognize and take action on the concern of the public, regarding GMO food. People have a deep concern for GMO foodRead MoreThe Road Not Taken By Robert Frost1224 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"road† of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, when they consume food (Frost). But an individual must stop to think about what GMOs are and whether they are harmful in any way, despite being popular. The Journal of International Affairs interviewed Mark Lynas, an environmental writer and biologist, because of how controversial GMOs are, even amongst experts. Lynas does not believe that GMOs are harmful and wholeheartedly supports their consumption; however, contrary to Lynas’ beliefs, geneticallyRead MoreGenetically Modified Foods And The United States1087 Words   |  5 PagesOriginally GMOs were introduced to create better yields, tolerate droughts and increase nutrition (). Today GMOs have excided beyond the standards of t he past. 80% of the foods sold in the U.S. today are genetically modified. This group of foods include alfalfa, corn, canola, cotton, sugar beets, soybeans, tomatoes, squash, potatoes, oil, golden rice, salmon and many more(). While the production of GMO foods have increased the FDA refuse to regulate it because in 1993 the FDA declared GMOs as â€Å"notRead MoreAre Gmos Beneficial For Human Consumption?1407 Words   |  6 PagesWhen it comes to the topic of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), most of us will readily agree that consumption of GMOs will cause long-term health concerns. A number of people who have been consuming GMOs have recently suggested, that GMOs are safe to consume because they have better nutrition’s than organic foods do. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of are GMOs beneficial for human consumption? Genetically Modified Organisms are living organisms whose geneticRead MoreGenetically Modified Organisms And Our Health And The Stability Of The Environment1058 Words   |  5 Pagesmodified organisms, or GMOs, on our health and the stability of the environment. Emily Anthes, a journalist who mainly writes about current issues in science, posted an article on the New York Times titled â€Å"Don t be Afraid of Genetic Modification†. In the article, Anthes presents a few examples of genetically modified animals that have been considered for consumption and the obstacles that the biotech companies who created them face. Anthes is discussing a very prevalent topic here. GMOs are here to stay

The Problem Of Sexual Assault - 1490 Words

Start blaming the system, not the victim. Sexual assault is a crime that is very common, yet the punishment perpetrators receive is not as harsh as it needs to be to reduce the occurrence of these crimes. Laws concerning sexual crimes have been edited over decades to be stricter however, sex offenders typically receive little or no punishment. Sexual Assault is defined as any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient (â€Å"Sexual Assault†). Victims of sexual assault are often blamed as the reason for the crime being committed while the blame is taken away from the offender. Harsher punishment must be enacted on sex offenders because the victims suffer conflict from the crime throughout their†¦show more content†¦Each state also has its own sex offender registration, which requires any individual convicted of sex offense to be officially registered as a sex offender in the state in which they live, this registration i ncludes the documentation of the perpetrator s name, address, and information regarding the crime. The opinion of the judge greatly affects how the sex offender is punished, which is the main issue concerning the punishment of these offenders because the judge could have a strong opinion about sexual assault in favor of either the victim or the criminal. Victims of sexual assault suffer from a wide variety of mental and emotional issues throughout their lives as a result of the experience. Results can range from depression, anger, feelings of loneliness, and difficulty when trying to formulate relationships of trust (Hyde 45). Victims experience a wide variety of psychological issues as a result of sexual crimes, which they will have to carry with them throughout their entire lives. Also, â€Å"Psychological problems can start later in life with changes in behavior- vague fears, feeling unprotected and helpless, nightmares, bedwetting, sleeping problems, fear to loss parents approval/love, need to please others, poor self esteem, anger, depression, withdrawal from activities, daydreaming, difficulty concentrating, behavior problems† (Hyde 47).

Patriots in Lower Canada Free Essays

Quebec is known as the homeland of the French-speaking Canadians. Its uniqueness in culture was guaranteed by the British North American Act and is a cornerstone of Confederation. Prime Minister Pearson encouraged and advertised the idea of making the Canada as a homeland for French-Canadians and not merely for the Quebec. We will write a custom essay sample on Patriots in Lower Canada or any similar topic only for you Order Now 1 In 1837, both Upper and Lower Canada had their rebellion opposing the proposed union between the two halves of Canada. The Canadian Patriots who are the Quebecers would like to separate from the British colonialism and led themselves in any affair which for their own benefits. This rebellion was not materialized and there were twelve Patriots in Lower Canada who were put to death and hung in Montreal. Aside from that, there were sixty patriots who were exiled to Australia. In Upper Canada’s case, the rebels who had rebellion were also sent to Australia. After this incident, the Durham report came out and tried to have solutions for the French-Canadian feud. 2 According to Claude Belanger that Durham suggested the â€Å"joining of the Upper and Lower Canada into one legislative union having two administrations to institute responsible government as to remove a major source of friction that had existed between the government and elected officials prior 1837 to assimilate the French†. 3 _______________________ 1. Opinion; Bridging the Solitudes. www. uni. ca/threads/d12. html 2. ibid. 3. C. Belanger. The Durham Report, the Union Act and the Birth of the Separatist/Federalist Attitudes. http://www2. marianopolis. edu/quebechistory/readings/durham. htm *Durham Report Durham report contributed much in the history of Canada. It was able to analyze the root causes of rebellions. Durham’s report has four main topics; these are the causes of conflict in Upper Canada, causes of conflict in Lower Canada, the Union of the Canadas and responsible government. 4 The earl of Durham whose name was John George Lambton introduced the Durham report to the Colonial Office in February 4, 1839 but Durham report was consummated in January 1839 that was why it was officially introduced in the following month by the said earl of Durham. 5 After the rebellion in 1837, earl John George Lampton was designated as governor general of British North America with special power as lord high commissioner6 to inspect colonial grievances. He arrived in the spring of 1838 in Quebec. The report of earl John George Lampton called â€Å"Report on the Affairs of British North America† was one of the most significant documents in the British Empire history. 7 The report on the affairs of British North America made by Durham report suggested reforms as the creation of municipal governments and a supreme court. According to David Mills on his website that Durham condemned the â€Å"defective constitutional system in Upper Canada where power was monopolized by a petty, corrupt, insolent Tory clique†. Durham was able to narrate the dilemmas as racial and not political based in Lower Canada. He was able to found out that there were two nations fighting in the heart of one state. 8 __________________________ 4. Radical Jack and the Union of the Canadas. www. sd22. bc. ca/vss/library/CBenz/8-3. html 5. D Mills, Durham Report. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Thecanadianecyclopedia. com/index. cfm? PgNm=TCEParams=A1ARTA0002473 6. The History of Canada. Durham Report. www. linksnorth. com/canada-history/thedurham. htm 7. ibid. Durham suggested the assimilation of the French Canadians through the legislative union of the Canada to secure harmony and progress9 which they have had between 1791 and 1837. 10 This report of Durham was favored by the reformers in UC and NS which in favored the idea of responsible government but was not accepted by the Upper Canada’s Tory elite. The Montreal Tories showed their support to the union for having a reason of finding it as a way of overcoming the French Canadian opposition for their plans in economic development . 11 Durham report was mistakenly perceived about its suggestion in assimilating the French Canadians that it came from an intolerant, racist attitude. Durham had his three reasons why he suggested assimilation. The following reasons of Durham report are taken from Claude Belanger: â€Å"*There was, for a variety of reasons, some of which disclose intolerance on the part of Durham, a deadly animosity between the English and the French and this made efficient government of the province impossible. *One should consider who will dominate eventually on this continent; the French of Canada will suffer the fate of the Acadians of Louisiana. If the French cling to their ancestral ways and language, in a continent increasingly dominated by the English, they will put increasingly in a position of hopeless economic and social inferiority. *Because they are French, a spirit of __________________________ 8. Mills, op. cit. 9. ibid. 10. Belanger, op. cit. 11. ibid. exclusion (read: they have been victims of discrimination) has kept them out of the better positions in government and business and has furthered their position of inferiority†. 12 As a whole, Durham report regarding his recommendations for separation of powers between colonial and imperial obligations was not accepted. He has one significant mistake of judgment when he stated that the French-speaking Canadians might be influenced by a growing English-speaking majority. 14 When Earl John George Lampton was in Quebec for his few months of staying there, he was busy gathering information which was needed for his report. On the other hand, he was attacked by his political opponents at his own homeland and received great criticism from them. 15 After few months of investigation, Earl John George Lampton was able to go home, England, to give his findings about the dilemmas in Canada. He was not able to witness the action that was taken according by his report because he was ill and died after. 16 But indeed, Durham report was able to played a significant role in the progress of Canadian autonomy. 17   12. Mills, op. cit. 13. C. Belanger 14. Mills, op. cit. 15. History of Canada, op. cit 16. †¦ 17. ibid. References 1. Opinion, Bridging the Solitudes. www. uni. ca/threads/d12. html 2. Claude Belanger. The Durham Report, the Union Act and the Birth of the Separatist/FederalistAttitudes. http://www2. marianopolis. edu/quebechistory/readings/durham. htm 3. D Mills, Durham Report. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Thecanadianecyclopedia. com/index. cfm? PgNm=TCEParams=A1ARTA0002473 4. The History of Canada. Durham Report. www. linksnorth. com/canada-history/thedurham. htm 5. Radical Jack and the Union of the Canadas. www. sd22. bc. ca/vss/library/CBenz/8-3. html How to cite Patriots in Lower Canada, Papers

My Love for the Game of Hockey Essay Example For Students

My Love for the Game of Hockey Essay There are many people in this world that have certain things they love. It may be school, friends, family or just the love of watching television. I have loved the same thing for my entire life: the game of hockey. Through the years it has made a drastic impact on my life and has shaped me into the person I am today. Many people are drawn to all sorts of different hobbies, and hockey just happened to be mine. Its been about 13 years since I first stepped foot on the ice, and I remember it just like it was yesterday. My father had built our own rink in our backyard and at the young age of 4, we went for our first skate. My family, especially my dad, has definitely had the biggest influence on me in hockey. He has always been the most motivating and I always wish to make him proud at every game. My family has done more than enough in helping me pursue my dream in hockey. I really do appreciate all they have done, from all the time and money theyve invested in my hockey over the years. Hockey is not a sport I fell in love with because it was expected of me or because everyone else played. It is a sport I fell in love with because the moment I witnessed my first ice rink and stepped foot on the ice, I had no other choice. In fact, I was dismal in my first couple years but I never quit. It was simply my attraction to the sport that kept me motivated to keep on playing. To say the least, the people around me werent the most supportive in my first couple years. They actually wanted me to try and take up another sport. Everyone seemed surprised that such a small, scrawny boy played the game of hockey. This makes no difference as over the past couple years, hockey has become so much a part of my life that it has shaped into who I am today. When you come to the locker room and you play a team sport: this becomes your family. I have always had a very strong bond with the players on each time I have played on. This high school hockey team had to be the closest group of guys yet. Whatever we did, we did as a team. To be successful as a team, everyone needs to have good relationships with one another. Wayne Gretzky even stated hockey as being a unique sport in the sense that you need each and every guy helping each other and pulling in the same direction to be successful  . I believe that is why we had so much success in our season. My hockey team is truly my second family. We may sometimes fight, but at the end of the day we are the best of friends. We all want to further our game of hockey and help each other become better athletes. It wasnt until I was close to playing high school level hockey that I realized hockey is more than just a game. I always knew hockey was a physical sport but it didnt really sink in until I suffered my first major injury. As I grew older the speed of the game got faster and kids were getting a lot bigger. I was always one of the smaller kids and at the age of 14, I suffered a posttraumatic concussion and had to miss a full year of hockey. It actually prevented me from doing any physical activity whatsoever for up to nine months. My family, friends and many doctors advised me from ever coming back to hockey and to try and take to up a less physical sport. I was simply devastated as I thought I would never make it back to the game I love. Gordie Howe, known as Mr. Hockey   once said, Youve got to love what youre doing. If you love it, you can overcome any handicap or the soreness or all the aches and pains, and continue to play for a long, long time. Once I was slowly noticing improvement on my injury, I was quite optimistic and thought it was possible to make a comeback. I managed to get back in shape and make the SJR 1 hockey team. It truly was a comeback for the ages and I still today live by this hockey legends quote. It may still be tough for me when I get an injury, but I know I can overcome anything after that traumatizing one. People are always very curious to why I love the sport so much, and it is very simp le. I love the smell of the ice as I step in the rink even the cold. I love the sound of bodys nailing against the boards. .u56ab0b953fc8ee27215846397016a6cd , .u56ab0b953fc8ee27215846397016a6cd .postImageUrl , .u56ab0b953fc8ee27215846397016a6cd .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u56ab0b953fc8ee27215846397016a6cd , .u56ab0b953fc8ee27215846397016a6cd:hover , .u56ab0b953fc8ee27215846397016a6cd:visited , .u56ab0b953fc8ee27215846397016a6cd:active { border:0!important; } .u56ab0b953fc8ee27215846397016a6cd .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u56ab0b953fc8ee27215846397016a6cd { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u56ab0b953fc8ee27215846397016a6cd:active , .u56ab0b953fc8ee27215846397016a6cd:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u56ab0b953fc8ee27215846397016a6cd .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u56ab0b953fc8ee27215846397016a6cd .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u56ab0b953fc8ee27215846397016a6cd .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u56ab0b953fc8ee27215846397016a6cd .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u56ab0b953fc8ee27215846397016a6cd:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u56ab0b953fc8ee27215846397016a6cd .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u56ab0b953fc8ee27215846397016a6cd .u56ab0b953fc8ee27215846397016a6cd-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u56ab0b953fc8ee27215846397016a6cd:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Hedda Gabbler Argumentative EssayThe sound the blades on my skates make when I make a hard stop and start, the roar of the crowd when the puck hits the net for a goal  ¦ as long as we scored. But most importantly, I love the look on my familys faces when they see me out there. I can do things on the ice that I cant do anywhere else. When I am out on the ice, it gives me a chance to forget all my worries in life and focus purely on the game I love. If I am having a bad day, I know a good game of hockey will cheer me up. To the sport of hockey, I owe a lot. It has made me strong and determined. It has taught me the value of hard work and that if I am willing to dedicate myself to the pursuit of my goals, nothing can get in my way. It has taught me to find the strength needed to pull myself up every time I fall, how to be a teammate and how to lead those around me. Today, people love very strange things in this world, and there is no problem with that as every individual is unique. I have one true love and that is the game of hockey. Hockey has led me to be responsible leader and outgoing person that I am today. Without hockey I would be a totally different person.

Clinton Homosexual discrimination policy

Efficient communication is vital for attainment of organizational goals and objectives; when managing change, the change agents need to ensure there is reliable communication system to boost change acceptance. In the case Clinton Homosexual discrimination policy, the president used different change management strategy to ensure that the right decision was reached effectively (Carr, Hard and Trahant, 1996). This paper discusses the change resistance management approach that the president used.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Clinton Homosexual discrimination policy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Education Communication When using this approach method, the change agent concentrates on initiating some sense to those people whose change is likely to affect of the need of the change, the process aims at preparing the people whom the change will affect. In the case of Clinton, when announcing the Executive Orde r, he had studied the relationship and the situation at the military and opted to have an order that would be of the good to the people and the image of the military. By giving the announcement, the executive was exercising his powers as the president of the United States but he forgot that for change to take effect effectively, the people who are likely to be affected directly need to be consulted and opinions taken (Burke, 2008) With the resistance that the announcement of the Executive Order, the president was fast to note where he had gone wrong and was willing to change his approach. The involving of military people and the public to a special commission was the start point of his successful change resistance management approach (Diamond, 1986). Manipulation cooptation When President Clinton decided to make the Executive Order without much of consultation, there was an element of dictatorship in the decision. The same can be interpolated that the president wanted to manipulate and dictate how things should be run in the military. As much as there are some elements of dictatorship in the military arenas, the approach that the president had developed was not accommodated by stakeholders (Barbara and Jocelyne, 2006). According to manipulation cooptation change resistance approach, management resort to covert attempts to influence others, there is no much of consultation and decisions are reached after the person in authority has given his stand. In the case of Clinton, he tried to exert his influence as the president to the military and change the notion and approach towards discrimination.Advertising Looking for case study on gender studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More After the resistance from the military and other high ranking security officers, the president had to change his tactic and formed a commission to check on the matter. The resultant was a ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell ’, approach to dealing with homosexuality in the military, which is working well with the forces. The decision was reached with consultation of the relevant bodies and players; this was what lacked initially (Adrian, 2003). The involvement of other people meant that they considered all corners and elements that would be caused by the decision by the president. When the decision was made whole some involving all people, the military and the public were willing to support the same. Other than support, the decision was a collective one thus resistance was minimal. Conclusion Initially, President Clinton had ignored the role played by communication, consultation, and involvement in managing change resistance. He had taken the move of dictating how social issues should be run in the military however, the change management approach could not hold. After the failure of the first method, the president reverted to using effective communication approach to change management. References Adrian, T. ,2003. Managing Change. London: Pearson Education Barbara, S. and Jocelyne F. ,2006. Organizational change. London: Financial Times Prentice Hall. Burke, W.W. ,2008. Organization Change: Theory and Practice. California: Sage Publications. Carr, D.K., Hard, K.J. and Trahant, W.J.,1996. Managing the Change Process: A Field Book for Change Agents, Consultants, Team Leaders, and Reengineering Managers. New York: McGraw-Hill.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Clinton Homosexual discrimination policy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Diamond, M. ,1986. Resistance To Change: A Psychoanalytic Critique Of Argyris And Schon’s Contributions To Organization Theory And Intervention. Journal of Management Studies, 23(5), pp. 543-562. This case study on Clinton Homosexual discrimination policy was written and submitted by user Lauren O. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The eNotes Blog No Accounting for Taste A Bunch of Over-Educated People Confess BookHatred

No Accounting for Taste A Bunch of Over-Educated People Confess BookHatred Y U NO see this book is HORRIBLE? I just asked my group of friends on Facebook to tell me what book they HATE that everyone else seems to love. Well, it has been roughly one hour and we are up to  EIGHTY-TWO comments. Now, to look at the list you would think this was NOT a group of people holding approximately one-third of the nations student debt. You would not suspect that the  lowest  degree among thesecontributors is a Masters. No, to look at this list would be to assume an IQ level hovering around say Kardashian. I am here to tell you that even those of us who consider tweed to be sexy and elbow pads to be all-the-rage can admit that there are certain works that we just cannot stand.   Some are classic, some we are forced to teach, some are foisted on to us via book clubs. Whatever the case, you will either take umbrage or comfort in the forthcoming admissions: Moby Dick  by Herman Melville Erudite Explanation: Ughhh The Fountainhead  by Ayn Rand If there are more than 79 pages, this grad student will never find out. Repeated attempts all stop there. A Confederacy of Dunces  by John Kennedy Toole Pulitzer-Schumlitzer. PFFFT. Edith Wharton. All of it.   Nattering in drawing rooms. If only WHARTON had been killed by a runaway sled. The Great Gatsby  by F. Scott Fitzgerald It  pains  me to put this here but poor ol Jay, Nick, Daisy and the rest of the West Egg Gang got at least three thumbs down. A fellow professor gently expresses her reasoning:   Everyone loves that book, but I hated it. I hated it when we read it in high school, and I hated it when I re-read it in grad school, because I had to teach it. Lord of the Flies  by William Golding   Clearly it is a good thing our semesters are over: Kids dont just stop being psychotic animals because an adult shows up. Pride and Prejudice  by Jane Austen Male friend intones OHHHHHH Mr. Darcy!! (I detect sarcasm.) Jane Eyre  by Charlotte Bronte   I wish they wouldve both died in the fire. So, this is just a sampling of the long-held vitriol among our kind. What did you hate that you were forced to read? Or who do you think listed here is completely wrong and should not be allowed to instruct Our Nations Youth? We really want to know!

Microprocessor Prosthetic Knee Use for Transfemoral Amputees Essay

Microprocessor Prosthetic Knee Use for Transfemoral Amputees - Essay Example The 19th century saw the use of more advanced lighter-weight prostheses made of wood. It has been found that amputations are largely due to trauma in developing countries while they are from vascular reasons in the developed countries.2 Vascular problems are usually associated with a lot of other illnesses which may limit a person's mobility and hence eliminate the urgent need for an advanced prosthesis. On the contrary, post-trauma amputees are usually younger with more active lifestyles and hence are candidates for advanced prosthetic placements so as to ensure uncompromised quality of life. Conventional mechanically controlled prostheses utilize a pneumatic or hydraulic damper to provide the appropriate gait parameters for the user at his or her conventional normal walking speed.3 The adjustment is usually effected by a prosthetist. When there is a change in walking speed, the pendulum action of the prosthesis for the change in stride or step is compensated by tilting the pelvis or such other physical maneuvers which delay the extension so that the foot is appropriately placed for the next step. These physical negotiations not only mar the flow of the gait but also use up more energy. Mauch Knee4 from Ossur is a nonmicroprocessor-controlle... The basic concept of the microprocessor-controlled lower limb prosthesis is the use of a microprocessor-controlled damper with the help of which step time is measured and knee extension is adjusted to changing walking speeds. The first computer-controlled prosthesis was devised by Blatchford in the early 1990s with a view to improving the amputees' symmetry of gait over a wide a range of walking speeds. The "Intelligent Prosthesis (IP)," as it was called, programs the knee to optimum swing settings for each individual user to achieve the smoothest gait pattern with less energy expense.5 A pneumatic control unit in the knee senses speed changes and adjusts the swinging speed of the prosthesis, making the gait not only look natural but also feel natural for the user. However, the IP works well only on even surfaces. In 1998, Blatchford introduced the more advanced Adaptive Prosthesis. The Adaptive Prosthesis has a microcomputer that adjusts to the change in terrain underfoot and its co mbination of hydraulics and pneumatics assisted weightbearing and responded to changes in the walking speed. The Adaptive Prosthesis provides the required degree of stability for walking, standing and climbing as needed by each individual user. The IP+ of Blatchford offers individually programmed microprocessor cadence control, stance stability to provide a natural gait, and a Stanceflex unit that helps reduce shock during heel strike. The Smart IP of Blatchford, in addition to all of the above features, can be re-programmed at any time by the user for footwear and activity level changes. The Smart IP claims through its studies and trials that with its intelligent pneumatic swing

Gangs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Gangs - Essay Example The latest definition of gangs depicts criminality as an inherent idea in such groupings. Basically, a function is termed a gang when it is identified as having such aspects as; an organizational structure, identifiable territory, identifiable leadership, recurrent interactions. In addition, gangs have been closely linked to serious criminal behaviors that are violent in nature. Information from the Past studies reveals an increased prevalence of gangs’ activities in major cities. For instance, in the past decade, over 25, 0000 active gangs were believed to be in existence in America alone. The reports have indicated a slight decline of gang activities between 1996 and 2003; however by the end of 2010 the yearly estimates realized a significant increase. The latest study indicates an approximation of greater than 29000 gangs, which represents a 4.6% increase from 2009.certainly; this presents the highest yearly estimate since 1997. Gang’s activities exist in smaller in the same manner they exist in suburban counties and larger cities just. However, the latter have been depicted as their primary locations, considered to host nearly two- thirds of the Gangs nationally. Although suburban Counties and larger Cities expectedly accounts for large numbers of gangs, there is also substantial disparity within each area type. Such is the case that 45% of bigger cities and more than half of suburban counties report ten or less active gangs within their jurisdictions. On the other hand, a greater part of agencies in rural counties and smaller cities report less than five gangs. The geographical locations also explain a considerably large variation in the number of gang members reported between 2006 and 2010. The suburban Counties and Bigger cities have been depicted again as reporting large numbers of gangs. Here, one in every five large cities accounted for 1,000 or even more gang members-an estimate deemed higher when compared to one in ten reported in subu rban counties. Gangs have been closely linked to homicide activities. The period between 2000 and 2010 saw an average of 80 percent persons reporting gang-related homicides within their jurisdictions. In this case, the data got from the NYGS sample depicting the period between 2006 to 2010 showed an average of nearly 2,000 annually homicides. In that same time, the FBI anticipated, on average, greater than 16,000 homicides all over America. A further report relating to cities recorded populations of over 100,000persons, showed the number of gang-linked homicides as having increased by approximately 10 % from 2008 to 2009, a similar scenario depicted in the period between 2009 and 2010. Another significant gang related information from the respondents showed crimes ranging from person offenses, drug related crimes and use of fire arms. However, the relative absence of comprehensive and definitive gang-crime data regarding violent and nonviolent crimes indicates that there is so much still to be told on gang crime trends. Gang activities have also been extended to take in street –crime like drug trafficking, extortion and theft. Also, gangs have been shown to undertake victimization of individuals through kidnapping and robbery. A report from the studies conducted depicts street gangs’ dominance in certain â€Å"turf† or territory where they extort people in the name of â€Å"providing protection.† In such cases, they use fronts to display control and gain proceeds in certain areas.

Effects Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Effects Research Paper - Essay Example Arnas (2006) used children in the age 3-8 years bracket with a total of 347 respondents. The study included the parents as well since some respondents were still young to comprehend the questions. Arnas found out that about 50% of the ads viewed by children during their TV exposure are food related. Because of this 40% of the respondents requested their parents to buy the foods shown in the ads and about 9% of them are even insistent. Arnas' concern is that most of these foods are high in fats and sugar which are associated with obesity, diabetes, and other health problems. Hitchings and Moynihan (1998) in the other hand used children within the 9-11 age brackets but used limited number of respondents. A total of 44 children across varying social class were involved. Their findings show that a relationship exist (r=0.58) between the type of ads observed by children from TV to the type of foods they eat. The more alarming fact is that most of these foods contain high sugar, fats, salt , and preservatives like crisps, softdrinks, and savoury snacks. The results of the two studies mention... But the result is enough to prove that eating habit of children between 9-11 is related to TV food ads they saw and recalled.. More intensive study with greater number of respondents could have shown higher positive relationship. This effect may not only be associated with food advertisements but also with other products as well. It has shown that the television medium is a good way to educate the viewers and a good means to present new ideas and programs to the target client. These findings can be a good start for private individuals, groups, or government institutions planning to launch programs, projects, or products. Opinion about the implications of the research for parents and society. In the context of parents and the society as a whole, the results of these studies can be both viewed as promising and alarming. They have both advantages and disadvantages. The findings are alarming in the sense that food manufacturers and food marketing firms are aware that the television medium is a good tool to push their products and that they are taking advantage of this potential in order that their products be recognized by their target sector. The worst thing is that several manufacturers are less concerned about the health effects of their product. In all cases, obviously, these ads do not mention negative aspects about consuming their products. Their primary concerns are the increase in sales the ads would bring the company. Since most ads do not include warning on over-consumption, children may think it is fine to eat them as they like thereby jeopardizing their health. The results' implication can be promising if government

Arguments For and Against Personality Predictors

Arguments For and Against Personality Predictors Arguments in favour Anyone seeking to measure personality has an abundance of useful psychometric instruments at their disposal, include the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) (e.g. Archer, 2005), the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) (Watkins et al, 1997), the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) (Myers McCauley, 1985; McCrae Costa, 1989), and the, NEO Personality Inventory (revised) (Costa McCrae, 1992), and the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) (Cramer, 1996), just to mention a few. Thus it should be simple matter to generate a reliable and valid set of scores, which can then be used to make various predictions about future behaviour. Studies have shown that the more established personality tests have acceptable levels of reliability (i.e. they measure personality consistently, both in terms of stability over time/across situations, and internally), and validity (they seem to measure personality, rather than some other psychological feature) (e.g. Costa McCrae, 1992; Wa tkins et al, 1997). Indeed, use of some of these measures is so widespread that they have become a standard part of psychological assessments in health care and recruitment, marriage counselling, and other fields (Davey, 2004; Myers, 2007). The data obtained can for example be used to make a prediction about the success of a marriage, professional abilities of a candidate for a job, or medical outcomes. For example, the MMPI is regularly used to make determinations about future behavioural problems in psychiatric patients (Arbisi et al, 2002). The NEO Personality Inventory and Myers Briggs Type Indicator have been fund to be particularly useful at predicting future behaviour. For example Moutafi et al (2003) asked 900 people to complete various psychological tests as part of an exercise conducted by a business consulting company. These tests included the MBTI and the revised version of the NEO Personality Inventory. Multiple regression analysis showed that various personality scales contained in both personality inventories reliably predict multiple dimensions of intelligence, at the 5% level of significance (Howitt Cramer, 2005). Clearly, the availability of tried and tested measurement tools suggests that it personality can be measured reasonably accurately, and hence used as the basis for making predictions. Another argument concerns the dispositional nature of personality traits. Personality has long been conceptualised as a stable and enduring feature that once developed does not change much during a person’s lifetime (Allport, 1937; Ryckman, 2004). This stability means it is possible to formulate a clear idea about the nature of a person’s personality (e.g. using a personality test) (Myers, 2007). This idea, once formed, can then be used to make predictions. To better appreciate this argument consider more volatile psychological characteristic like stress or coping (Janis, 1986). A persons stress levels can fluctuate widely over any given period of time. For example, an individual may experience high stress levels when the go to work during the day, but then feel relaxed once they return home. Similarly an individual may become highly agitated when flying in an aircraft and then subsequently experience little or no stress once they are back on the ground. Given the volat ility of stress levels it may be rather difficult for a researcher to conduct an overall and accurate assessment of a person’s anxiety. By contrast, personality shows sufficient continuity to enable a researcher develop a reliable personality profile (Engler, 2006) for any one individual. The accuracy of personality measurement is facilitated by the availability of suitable statistical tools, notably factor analysis (Tabachnick Fidell, 1996; Field, 2000). Factor analysis is a statistical method that allows one to condense a large amount of data into a small number of more manageable dimensions. In particular, a persons’ responses to a large number of items in an inventory can be reduced to a small number of basic dimensions that encapsulate the individuals’ personality. This is important given that personality is a multidimensional construct that can be described with thousands of words, phrases, and sentences, in the English language (Livesley Jackson, 1986). Consequently, personality theorists have routinely used this test to identify the basic dimensions of personality, such Goldberg’s (1993) ‘Big Five’ personality themes – agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, extraversion, and openness to experience. It is well known that renowned psychologist Hans Eysenck (Haggbloom, 2002) was one of those to first grasp the utility of factor analysis for developing accurate measures of personality. He subjected a large number of personality items to factor analyses, over several decades, yielding several dimensions: a proclivity to experience negative feelings, which he called neuroticism; an interest in social activity, labelled extraversion; and later a susceptibility to mental illness (e.g. schizophrenia), named psychoticism. These dimensions have been used to make predictions about a wide variety of behaviours, in many different situations (e.g. see review by Riggio Riggio, 2002). Furthermore, a person’s personality is a significant determinant of their behaviour in many different situations (Ryckman, 2004; Myers, 2007). This is a scientific fact, as demonstrated by the large number of studies that have used personality measures as the basis for determining various aspects of human behaviour under disparate conditions (McCrae Costa, 1990). For example, studies have shown how a defensive, unreceptive, or evasive personality can lead audiences to reject health warnings issued on a variety of topics and in a multiplicity of situations (see review by Eagly Chaiken, 1993). Empirical studies show that personality scores predict a significant amount of the variance in various behavioural scores, with the influence of chance factors falling below the five percent level (e.g. Moutafi et al, 2003). For this reason psychologists have spent a considerable amount of time and effort studying this construct. Once an accurate measurement of a persons personality have been obtained it should be fairly simple to make a significant prediction about their current or future behaviour in any given situation, using analytic procedures such as multiple regression analysis. Arguments against Psychologists cannot agree on the proper definition of personality, let alone measure it accurately and make reliable predictions. Open any relevant psychology textbook and one is confronted with several different theoretical accounts of precisely what personality means (e.g. Davey, 2004; Myers, 2007). For example, the legendary Sigmund Freud conceptualises personality as a multidimensional construct (incorporating the id, ego, and superego) that transcends the conscious, preconscious, and subconscious, and is driven by unconscious emotional problems. By contrast behaviourists, such as Burrhus Skinner, view personality as learned behaviours shaped by reinforcement and conditioning. Trait theorists like Gordon Allport conceptualise personality as stable behavioural characteristics that manifest across different situations. Thus, psychologists are far from reaching a consensus. Therefore, the idea that personality can be measured accurately is nonsensical. How can one measure a phenome non that isn’t clearly defined? Until psychologists can agree on a universal definition of personality, accurate measurement will remain an unattainable dream. At the beginning of this essay I provided a list of measurement tools for assessing personality, for example the MMPI, MBTI, and NEO personality inventory. While these instruments do appear to have some accuracy, their psychometric properties are continually the subject of doubt and criticism (e.g. McCrae Costa, 1989; Watkins et al, 1997). Reliability coefficients, while good, aren’t often high enough, and validity tests are rarely conclusive (Arbisi et al, 2002). Given these problems in the measurement of personality, accurate prediction of behaviour is bound to be impaired. For example, it is known fact that measurement error, resulting from the use unreliable and invalid measurement tools, can obscure significant relations between variables, resulting in a type II error (Baron Kenny, 1986; Howitt Cramer, 2 005). The idea that personality could be used to predict behaviour across situations rests on an important assumption – that how people respond in any given situation is necessarily predictable. The truth is that a person’s behaviour may sometimes be random with no apparent cause. This idea is echoes chaos theory (Gleick, 1987), a scientific school of thought that proposes that an event may be unpredictable due to various complexities or errors in its antecedent conditions. For example, long-term weather forecasting is often difficult because so many unstable climatic factors interact in such a complex fashion that minor changes in the nature of these interactions, and the elements which interact, could produce random, unpredictable, and escalating weather patterns. Chaos theory is applicable to the social sciences (Kiel Elliot, 1997). Different personality characteristics may interact (Howitt Cramer, 2005) in extremely complex fashions that any slight changes in the nature of these interactions or the variables involved can produce statistical and computational problems that reduce predictive power (Field, 2000). For example, any error in measurement of personality will be magnified to such an extent that it would obscure significant relationships between personality and behaviour. Baron and Kenny (1986) document this magnification in measurement error resulting from interactions between multiple variables. It means that behaviours produced by overly complex interactions between personality characteristics may to all intents and purposes be mathematically unpredictable, and hence appear random and sporadic, irrespective of the situation (Gleick, 1987). This is especially likely when trying to predict fleeting or eccentric behaviours (e.g. deliberate self-harm) often resulting from the complicated interplay between not just personality traits, but also other psychological phenomena, not to mention situational factors. There are others concerns. Psychologists can’t agree on whether personality traits are best conceptualised as stable entities that persist across situations or variable characteristics that change from one situation to the next (Davey, 2004). Which is it? Whatever view one subscribes to has measurement implications. Stable personality dispositions are generally more difficult to measure accurately, for various reasons (Leventhal et al, 1993). For example, people are less accurate at describing how they ‘generally’ behave, showing a memory bias towards positive rather than negative characteristics: in which case it would be more difficult to predict behaviour in any given situation, due to reliability and validity constraints. Finally, there is what social psychologists call the fundamental attribution error (Aronson, 1995). This refers to the tendency to overestimate the effect of personality on behaviour and underestimate the impact of the situation. Consider for example a person who has a fear of flying. They become highly stressed, agitated, and sometimes even panic stricken once a plane reaches cruising altitude. However, their anxiety disappears once the plane is back on the ground. The primary determinant of this individual’s emotional stress is situational – flying in a plane. Although personality may be important – for example, he/she may have a neurotic personality, making them more prone to stress (Riggio Riggio, 2002) – it would be a mistake to underestimate the effect of the situation (Janis, 1986; Engler, 2006). The essence of the fundamental attribution error here is thus: even if personality could be measured accurately, it may still fail to predict behaviour effectively to the extent that the behaviour in question is primarily a function of the situation rather than personality characteristics. Conclusion Can we predict a person’s response in any given situation if personality could be measured accurately? This essay presents arguments for and against. Regarding the former, psychometrically useful measures of personality abound, yielding reasonably reliable and valid personality scores that can be used for making behavioural predictions. Furthermore, analytic tools like factor analysis and the purportedly stable property of personality traits may both facilitate accurate measurement and further improve predictive power. Various empirical studies exist the support these arguments. However, there are several strong counterarguments that are difficult to refute. There is as yet in psychology no unanimous definition of personality. This raises serious questions about the psychometric attributes of any instrument that purports to measure personality. Indeed existing personality inventories are continually plagued by concerns about reliability and validity. Even without these psychom etric issues, a person’s behaviour is often heavily (if not entirely) determined by the prevailing situation, rather than their personality characteristics. Thus, even the most accurate personality measures will exhibit poor predictive power. In any case it is questionable whether human behaviour is always predictable. Certain responses may appear random, sporadic, and to all intents and purposes, unpredictable, due to analytic and methodological limits of existing science. In the midst of these constraining realities it is unlikely that personality traits could reliability predict behaviour across different situations References Allport, G. W. (1937). Personality: A Psychological Interpretation. New York: Holt,  Rinehart Winston. Arbisi, P., Ben-Porath Y. McNulty J (2002). A comparison of MMPI-2 validity in  African American and Caucasian psychiatric inpatients. Psychological  Assessment 14, pp.3-15. Archer, R.P. (2005). MMPI-A: Assessing Adolescent Psychopathology Lawrence  Erlbaum Associates Aronson, E. (1995) The Social Animal. New York: Freeman. Baron, R. M. Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in  social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical  considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51,  pp.1173‑1182. Costa, P.T., McCrae, R.R. (1992). Revised NEO personality inventory and NEO  five-factor inventory professional manual. Florida: Psychological Assessment  Resources, Inc. Cramer, P. (1996) Storytelling, Narrative, and the Thematic Apperception Test. New  York City: Guilford Press. Davey, G. (ed) (2004) Complete Psychology. London: Hodder Stoughton. Eagly, A. Chaiken, S (1993). The Psychology of Attitudes, Fort Worth, TX:  Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Engler, B. (2006). Personality Theories. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Field, A. (2000) Discovering Statistics using SPSS for Windows: Advanced  techniques for the Beginner. London: Sage. Goldberg, L. R. (1993). The structure of phenotypic personality traits. American  Psychologist, 48, pp.26-34. Haggbloom, S.J. (2002). The 100 most eminent psychologists of the 20th century.  Review of General Psychology, 6, pp.139-152. Howitt, D. Cramer, D. (2005) Introduction to Research Methods in Psychology.  London: Pearson. Janis, I.L. (1986). Coping patterns among patients with life-threatening diseases.  Issues in Mental Health. Nursing, 7, pp.461–476. Kiel, L. D. Elliott, E.W. (eds) (1997). Chaos Theory in the Social Sciences:  Foundations Applications. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.. Livesley, W. J., Jackson, D. N. (1986). The internal consistency and factorial structure  of behaviors judged to be associated with DSM-III personality disorders.  American Journal of Psychiatry, 143, pp.1473-1474. Leventhal, E.A., Suls, J. Leventhal, H. (1993) Hierarchical analysis of coping:  Evidence from lifespan studies. In. H.W. Krohne (ed) Attention and Avoidance.  (pp.71-99) Seattle, Hogrefe and Huber Publishers. McCrae, R.R. Costa, P.T (1989) Reinterpreting the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator  From the Perspective of the Five-Factor Model of Personality. Journal of  Personality, 57, pp.17-40 Moutafi, J., Furnham, A., Crump, J. (2003). Demographic and personality  predictors of intelligence: A study using the Neo Personality Inventory and  Myers Briggs Type Indicator. European Journal of Personality, 17, pp.79–94. Myers, D. G. (2007). Psychology: Eighth edition in modules. New York: Worth  Publishers. Myers, I., McCauley, M.H. (1985), A Guide to the Development and Use of the  Myers Briggs Type Indicator, Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press. Ryckman, R. (2004). Theories of Personality. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth. Riggio, H.R. Riggio, R.E. (2002) Emotional expressiveness, extraversion   neuroticism: a meta-analysis. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 26, pp.195-218. Tabachnick, B.G. Fidell, L.S. (1996). Using Multivariate Statistics. New York:  HarperCollins Watkins, M.W., Kush, J., Glutting, J.J. (1997). Discriminant and predictive validity  of the WISC-III ACID profile among children with learning disabilities.  Psychology in the Schools, 34, pp.309-319.

Extremism Revealed in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown :: Young Goodman Brown YGB

Extremism Revealed in Young Goodman Brown Hawthorne depicts a 17th century Puritan attempting to reach justification as Brown’s faith required. Upon completing his journey, however, Brown could not confront the terrors of evil in his heart and chose to reject all of society. Puritan justification was a topic Hawthorne was aware of as a journey to hell necessary for a moral man. Having referred to the heart of man as hell, Puritans founds themselves in the midst of Satan and his multitude of devils as he established his kingdom in man’s heart. This was a dreadful revelation that caused Brown to grow bitter and distrustful. Puritan communities, secured by their orthodox faith, dealt with the ungodly wilderness around them. Set in Salem during the early witchcraft day of then, Young Goodman Brown’s experience in the dark, evil forest correlated and would have been recognized by Puritans as a symbol of mistrust of their own corrupt hearts and faculties. Just as man could not trust the shadows and figures he saw hidden in the forest, he could not trust his own desires. Those desires had to be tested through his journey into the forest. Those evil spirits constantly tortured the Puritan, constantly reminding him of his sin and the battle in his own heart. Hawthorne used the presence of this demon in "Young Goodman Brown" by demonstrating, through Brown, the Puritan Journey towards Justification. Going through the forest towards Justification was marked by the disappearance of the self. In place of the self, was the awareness of helplessness and the illusions of sin. This awareness would then assist the moral man to no longer depend upon material things or people, but to put his faith solely upon God . Hawthorne’s knowledge of the historical background of Puritanism combined with the personal experience of his early life and the history of his own family merge into the statement that "Young Goodman Brown" makes. A system in which individuals cannot trust themselves, their neighbors, their instructors or even their ministers cannot create and atmosphere where faith exists. Hawthorne’s tale places the newly wed Puritan Brown upon the road to what may or may not be a true conversion experience. The conversion experience, a sudden realization brought about by divine intervention, a vision, or perhaps a dream, easily translates into the dream of Hawthorne’s work and allows the author to use Puritan doctrine and the history of Salem to argue the merits and consequences of such a belief.

Native American Movement

To most experts, the 1950’s was a defining period for the Americans; one which saw the emergence of the United States as a global superpower, whose clout and influence extended to the far reaches of the globe. America’s glorious victory in World War II has paved the way for a leadership role that the United States took to with effortless skill. This newfound sense of economic and political power changed the lay of America’s land. While World War II ended successfully for the United States, its end meant the beginning of a new struggle for the Americans, or to be more accurate, the continuation of a struggle that started when the Pioneers first settled in America. The Native Americans, as first settlers of the United States before it was called as such, have always been reluctant to welcome the Pioneers. This has led to several violent battles, but eventually to an uneasy compromise. This tenuous peace was threatened once again after the war, as renewed prosperity encouraged the United States government to attempt the re-assimilation of the Native Americans into mainstream society. This brought about an upheaval among Native Americans as they considered this move a threat to their culture and way of living which they have furiously fought for. Most of the uprooted Native Americans were unable to adapt to urban life, and ended up worse than where they started. Clearly while the United State government meant well, the move to urbanize Native Americans failed miserably. The 1960’s brought with it a legacy of â€Å"assimilation and cultural legitimization† (Benham, 2002, 3), and it left on its heels a nation of Native Americans who are more aware of their rights and became more assertive in pushing for those rights. The 1960’s saw the Native American Movement taking off led by a new generation of well-educated leaders fighting to restore Native Americans lands that have been taken away from them. All across the United States, these Native American leaders disputed violations and successfully negotiated for expanded rights for the American Indians. This movement culminated in the establishment of the American Indian Movement (AIM) in 1968 which was founded with the initial purpose of placing state-mandated subsidies in the hands of locally-controlled American Indian organizations, and then channel these funds to Native Indians who needed them the most. However, in the 1970’s the American Indian Movement evolved into a secessionist group which aggressively promoted â€Å"self-governance and return to tribal ways† (Patterson et al, 2005, 77) This fervor spread like wildfire across the United States. American Indians took their cause to the streets, to the courts, to the media, and to all other possible venues where they can express their indignation and press for their rights. In an effort to recover ancestral land, they sued the states that have forcibly taken American Indian territories. They have also been able to protect their land against development. Needless to say, all of these militant protests paid off, with the government granting them concessions. In the 1970’s, there was a succession of legislation passed ensuring better treatment for the Native Americans. In 1972, the Indian Education Act gave Native American greater options over the schools that they can choose to send their children. In 1976, the Indian Health Care Act was passed to provide better health care for American Indians. In 1978, in acknowledgement of Native Indian ways, the Indian Child Welfare Act was enacted which gave Indian tribes the authority to deliberate and decide custody issues involving Indian children. (Mintz, 2007) Indeed the late 1960s and early 1970s was a period of political enlightenment and activism, not just among Native Americans, but among disenfranchised groups such as the African Americans and women’s rights groups. In the case of the Native Americans, the activism was spurred by poverty and lack of support from the government. By the 1960s, while most of the United States was experiencing prosperity, American Indians have remained among the poorest of the country’s minority groups, and the government has remained largely indifferent to their plight. This resurgence in Native American Nationalism resulted in armed confrontations and death, but it managed to bring desired results as well. Sometimes it does take militant action to compel a government to pay attention and take action. Other Americans, who did not know any better, became more aware of Native Americans and their plights, and some became active supporters to their cause. Elected officials such as senators and congressmen were compelled to support legislation that protected the rights of the American Indians and ensured their equal protection. Indeed it might be said that the Native American movement was a movement that has been a long time in the making. But when it did take place, it did so at the best possible time. The movement came at a time when Americans were becoming aware of the rights of others, and thus American society was only too willing to heed the call of a people who have been in the land long before anyone else did. References: Benham, K.P. (2002). The Renaissance of American Indian Higher Education: Capturing the Dream. Edited by Wayne J. Stein. NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. P. 3. Mintz, S. (2007). America in Ferment: The Tumultuous 1960s. The Native American Power Movement. Digital History. Retrieved October 10, 2007 from http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?HHID=387 Patterson, J. T., et al. (2005). The Oxford history of the United States. Oxford University Press. p. 77.   

Spanish Prepositional Pronouns

Spanish Prepositional Pronouns The easy part about learning the grammar of pronouns in Spanish is that they follow a structure similar to the pronouns of English, serving as subjects as well as objects of verbs and prepositions. The tricky part, at least for people whose first language is English, is remembering which pronouns to use. While English uses the same pronouns as objects of prepositions and for direct and indirect objects of verbs, Spanish has a different set of pronouns for each usage, and those sets overlap. The subject pronouns and prepositional pronouns are identical except in the first-person singular and familiar second-person singular forms. How To Use Prepositional Pronouns As you can probably guess, prepositional pronouns are those that come after prepositions. In a sentence such as Tengo una sorpresa para ella (I have a surprise for her), para (for) is the preposition and ella (her) is the prepositional pronoun. Here are the prepositional pronouns of Spanish along with examples of their usage: mà ­ (first-person singular, equivalent of me): El regalo es para mà ­. (The gift is for me.)ti (informal second-person singular, equivalent of you; note that there is no written accent on this pronoun): El regalo es para ti. (The gift is for you.)usted (formal second-person singular, equivalent of you): El regalo es para usted. (The gift is for you.)à ©l (third-person masculine singular, equivalent of him or it): El regalo es para à ©l. (The gift is for him.)  Miro debajo à ©l.  (I am looking under it.)ella (third-person feminine singular, equivalent of her or it): El regalo es para ella. (The gift is for her.)  Miro debajo ella.  (I am looking under it.)nosotros, nosotras (first-person plural, equivalent of us): El regalo es para nosotros. (The gift is for us.)vosotros, vosotras (second-person informal plural, equivalent of you): El regalo es para vosotros. (The gift is for you.)ustedes (second-person formal plural, equivalent of you): El regalo es para ustedes.  (Th e gift is for you.) ellos, ellas (third-person plural, equivalent of them): El regalo es para ellos. (The gift is for them.) Sà ­ as a Pronoun There is also another prepositional object that is occasionally used. Sà ­ is used to mean himself, herself, the formal yourself, the formal yourselves, or themselves as the object of a preposition. For example, à ©l compra el regalo para sà ­, he is buying the gift for himself. One reason you dont see this usage often is since the meaning is usually expressed using the reflexive form of the verb: Se compra un regalo, he is buying himself a gift. Pronouns for It Either à ©l or ella can mean it as the object of a preposition, although as a subject there is no Spanish word used for it. The word used depends on the gender of the noun it replaces, with à ©l being used for masculine nouns and ella being used for feminine nouns.  ¿Dà ³nde est la mesa? Necesito mirar debajo ella. (Where is the table? I need to look under it.) ¿Dà ³nde est el carro? Necesito mirar debajo à ©l.  (Where is the car? I need to look under it.) Similarly, ellos and ellas, when used as a preposition pronoun meaning them, can be used to represent things as well as people. Use ellos when referring to nouns that are masculine, ellas for feminine nouns. Ellos also is used when referring to a group that includes both masculine and feminine nouhs. Contigo and Conmigo Instead of saying con mà ­ and con ti, use conmigo and contigo. Él va conmigo.  (He is going with me.)  Ella va contigo.  (She is going with you.) You also should use consigo instead of con sà ­, although this word isnt very common. Él habla consigo. (He  talks with himself.) Exceptions: Prepositions Followed by Subject Pronouns Finally, note that yo and tà º are used with the following six prepositions instead of with mà ­ and ti, respectively: entre (between)excepto (usually translated as except)incluso (including or even)menos (except)salvo (except)segà ºn (according to) Also, hasta is used with the subject pronouns when it is used in the same way as incluso. Examples: Es la diferencia entre tà º y yo. (Its the difference between you and me.)Muchas personas incluso/hasta yo creen en las hadas. (Many people including me believe in fairies.)Todos excepto/menos/salvo tà º creen en las hadas. (Everybody except you believes in fairies.)Es la verdad segà ºn yo. (Its the truth according to me.)

Water Pollution Explained

Water Pollution Explained Water pollution is when water contains contaminants. In the context of environmental science, a contaminant is usually a substance which can be harmful to living things like plants or animals. Environmental contaminants can be the result of human activity, for example a by-product of manufacturing. However, they can also occur naturally, like radioactive isotopes, sediment, or animal waste. Because of how general the concept of pollution is, we can assume that polluted waters have been around even before humans were here. For example, a spring might have high sulfur levels, or a stream with a carcass in it would have been unfit for other animals to drink from. However, the number of polluted streams, rivers, and lakes multiplied rapidly as the human population increased, agricultural practices intensified, and industrial development spread. Important Sources of Pollution A number of human activities lead to water pollution harmful to aquatic life, aesthetics, recreation, and human health. The main sources of pollution can be organized in a few categories:   Land use. We have a heavy impact on the land: we cut forests, plow grasslands, build homes, pave roads. Land use activities intercept the water cycle during precipitation events and snowmelt. As water flows over the land and into streams, it picks up anything small enough to be carried away. Vegetation does an important job of holding back organic and mineral components of the soil, but clearing that vegetation means a lot of substances make it into streams, rivers, wetlands, and lakes, where they become contaminants.Impervious surfaces. Most man-made surfaces cannot absorb water like soil and roots would. Rooftops, parking lots, and paved roads allow rain and snowmelt runoff to flow with great speed and volume, picking up along the way heavy metals, oils, road salt, and other contaminants. The pollutants would otherwise have been absorbed by the soil and vegetation, where they would have been naturally broken down. Instead, they concentrate in runoff water, overwhelming the streamsà ¢â‚¬â„¢ capacity to process them. Agriculture. Common agricultural practices, like exposing soils to the elements, using fertilizers and pesticides, and concentrating livestock, routinely contribute to water pollution. Nutrient runoff, mostly phosphorus and nitrates, leads to algae blooms and other problems. Mismanagement of farm soils and livestock can also lead to significant soil erosion. Soil picked up by rain makes its way into streams where it becomes sediment pollution, with harmful consequences on aquatic life.Mining. Mine tailings are the piles of rock discarded after the valuable portion of the ore has been removed. Tailings can leach to surface and ground waters large amounts of contaminants, some occurring naturally in the waste rocks, others a product of the ore processing methods. Mining by-products are sometimes stored in impoundments as a slurry or sludge (for example, coal ash), and failure of the dams holding back these artificial ponds can lead to environmental disaster. Abandoned coal mines are a notorious source of acid mine drainage: water in flooded mines and in contact with mine tailings sometimes oxidizes sulfur-bearing rocks, and turns extremely acidic. Manufacturing. Industrial activities are a major source of water pollution. In the past, liquid waste was dumped directly into rivers, or put into toxic waste barrels which were then buried somewhere. Those barrels then deteriorated and leaked, resulting in heavily contaminated sites we are still dealing with today. In the United States, regulations now severely limit these practices, notably the 1972 Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation Recovery Act of 1976, and the Superfund Act of 1980. The release of toxic materials at industrial sites continues, either at levels below regulatory thresholds, or simply illegally. In addition, accidental spills occur all too frequently – for example with the recent West Virginia MCHM spill. In developing countries, pollution from industrial sources is still widespread and dangerous to human and ecosystem health.Energy sector. The extraction and transportation of fossil fuels, notably oil, is prone to spills that can have long lasting e ffects on aquatic systems. In addition, coal-fired power plants release large amounts of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in the air. When those contaminants dissolved in rain water and enter waterways, they significantly acidify rivers and lakes. Coal plants also emit mercury, a very toxic heavy metal, polluting lakes throughout the world and making fish unsafe to eat. The production of electricity through hydropower produces much less pollution, but still has some deleterious effects on aquatic ecosystems. Household practices. There are numerous actions we can take every day to prevent water pollution: avoid lawn pesticides, slow rainwater runoff, collect pet waste, properly dispose of household chemicals and medicine, avoid products with microbeads, attend to oil leaks on the mower or car, have the septic tank maintained and inspected.Thrash. A lot of trash persists in the environment, and plastic matter breaks down into harmful microplastics. Are Contaminants Always a Substance? Not always. For example, nuclear power plants use vast amounts of water to cool down the steam generator by the reactor and used to spin the turbines. The warm water is then released back into the river it was pumped from, creating a warm plume that affects downstream aquatic life.

Paper 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Paper 2 - Essay Example The series is about a prominent New York City dweller named David who decides to leave the city and visit his parents in a Florida retirement community and also to attend his mother’s birthday celebration. On arrival he meets both his parents in a jovial mood and receives a warm welcome. His attention however is split between his folks and his job as he is receiving numerous calls from his boss back in New York, something his father is not so happy about and this leads him to him quitting his job to decide on what he really wants with his life. His decision is taken well especially by his mother, Elaine Robbins who claims to have been inspired by it so much and decides to leave his father, Alan Robins to go to Portugal and pursue her dream of becoming a painter. David finds himself in between a rock and a hard place as he juggles between his father’s interests and his mother’s, who comes back to Florida after her Portugal endeavour proves a failure, after the two choose to remain separated. Coming back to his parents place also opens a new chapter in his life with relation to his childhood best friend, Brandon his love life and the fact that he is now retired at only the age of thirty five. This TV series generally shows the oddity of having a successful business then retiring at the age of thirty five and having to live with one’s parents, an elderly couple who are having issues in their marriage. It also shows what impact friends can have on someone and how too much bonding with ones parents at this age can affect the normal day to day routine. The target audience for ‘Retired at 35’ in my view, would be young people of the age late twenties to early forties both female and male with a slim positive bias to the male audience as the jokes in the series tend to be capitalized on David’s bad luck, who is a thirty five year old male. Also the inclusion of the words ‘texturing’, ‘tittering’ and ‘facial book’

Financial Resource Management and Healthcare Reimbursement Research Paper

Financial Resource Management and Healthcare Reimbursement - Research Paper Example There is an increase in the number of Medicaid patients and children enrolled in the children’s health insurance program of the state. This has affected our payer mixing which has consequently led to a decline in our reimbursement and the quarterly disbursement that we give to the physicians. The pediatric endocrinologist has approached me with a proposal to have his remuneration increased. He is asking for an additional stipend to his regularly covered services. Many partners have also suggested that we ought to increase the clinic services. They have come up with ideas on how to implement this plan. The increase in clinic services is a costly affair that will influence our finances. One of the partners is of the opinion that we contract a pediatric oncologist who will be seeing patients on a monthly clinic day. Another has suggested that since the contract for the Indian health contract was up for renewal soon, we can target that patient population and serve it through an ou treach arrangement where one or two pediatricians can travel to clinics reserved for the patients or the patients can come to our clinic. These ideas are quite brilliant since they are ventures that have the potential of earning additional revenue to the institution (McKeever, 2012). Many factors influence the price charged across the pediatric services worldwide. One is the remuneration that is paid to pediatric practitioners that in turn depends on the level of qualification and the number of cases that the medic attends. The other factor is the cost of conforming to the laws of the state regarding pediatric services for example the cost of obtaining a license to do the business. The type of illness also determines the charges since some diseases require more resources to treat than others can. There is also the cost of medical equipment like syringes, stethoscopes, and microscopes among others. Revenue collection is a vital process for any business since it is the only way

Study of Anti-Dumping by a Regional Trade Agreement Dissertation

Study of Anti-Dumping by a Regional Trade Agreement - Dissertation Example Anti-dumping policies are typically rationalized on the basis that they are necessary for eliminating harmful dumping practices by exporters and to promote fair competition in trade (Davis, 2009). Even so, research demonstrates that despite the fact that the WTO’s anti-dumping policies are intended to protect the interests of domestic producers and to promote fair competition and trade, the frequent use of the WTO’s Anti-dumping Agreement by some regional actors such as the EU, the USA and China demonstrates that the WTO’s Anti-Dumping Agreement is exploited for unnecessary protectionisms and retaliatory measures. Moreover, Article XXIV of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 allows the creation of Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) and thus together with the Anti-Dumping Agreement exacerbates the WTO’s liberalized multilateral world trade system and particularly its goal of indiscriminate trade. This research study examines the use of the WTOâ₠¬â„¢s Anti-Dumping policies in RTAs and demonstrates exploitation via unnecessary protectionism and retaliatory measures. It is concluded that the trends in regional trade agreement anti-dumping policies and practices fully demonstrate that WTO members are free to exploit the Anti-Dumping Agreement contained in Article VI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT) for excessive protectionism, retaliatory measures and for discriminatory trade practices contrary to GATT’s non-discrimination trade policies.... Table of Contents Abstract 3 Table of Contents 3 Chapter One 5 Introduction to the Study 5 I.Background to the Study 5 II.Research Questions 9 III.Aims and Objectives of the Study 10 V.Significance of the Study 11 VI.Research Methods 11 VII.Organization of the Study 12 Chapter Two 12 A Review of the Literature 12 I.Introduction 13 II.RTAs 13 A.Definition 13 B.Typologies of RTAs 14 D.Conclusion 23 III.Conceptualizing Anti-Dumping 24 A.Definitions 24 B.The Advantages and Disadvantages of Anti-Dumping Policies and Measures 26 C.Conclusion 30 IV.The WTO’s International Trade System 31 V.Conclusion 33 Chapter Three 34 Regional Trade Agreements Within the World Organization’s Multilateral System 34 I.Introduction 34 II.Snapshot of the WTO’s Legal Regime Facilitating RTAs in the WTO’s Multilateral Trade System 35 III.The WTO’s Legal Framework for the Formation of RTAS 36 A.Customs Unions 45 B.Free Trade Arrangements 47 VI.Conclusion 49 Chapter Four 49 The WTO’s Anti-Dumping Legal Framework 49 I.Introduction 49 II.Anti-Dumping Under the WTO 50 III.Conclusion 56 Chapter Five 57 Findings/Conclusion 57 Chapter One Introduction to the Study I. Background to the Study Dumping occurs when products or goods are sold on the global market or exported to a domestic market at a relative low price compared to like products or goods (Raju, 2008). According to the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade(GATT) 1994, dumping refers to the sale of goods and products at a price lower that its ordinary value (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994, Article VI). According to GATT (1994: Article VI) the ordinary value of goods and products is the price at which those goods and products are

Analysis of Factors Influencing Attrition in It Sector Essay Example for Free

Analysis of Factors Influencing Attrition in It Sector Essay With the economy of India booming at an all time high despite the impact of recession, it is an employee’s market. A large number of multiple jobs are being circulated in organizations and across industries, employees take little time to ponder and leave for greener pastures. In the event the employee feels dissatisfied with his job content, colleagues, boss or a general feeling of discontentment, disillusionment or disappointment creeps in him, considering present market conditions he need not think twice but can easily chucks for good. But obviously it is not good for the employers. Organizations spend a major buck in inducting an employee, beginning from the recruitment process to his internalization in the organization. After reaping rich benefits in the organization in terms of learning, growth, development and availing every possible opportunity in that time span he feels he should go. The HR department is left in the hanging as how to fill in the gap between the demand and supply in terms of human resources. But it helps organizations understand why at all attrition takes place. Why at all at the first place did the idea for leaving come in the mind of the employee. And if at all it came, then why the organization was not pro-active enough to have sensed his dissatisfaction. Furthermore why was it not well equipped to have stopped him from leaving? The entire cycle is vicious. Normally no one welcomes change unless it is forced to be applied. Similarly when an employee joins the organization, he really has no intension of leaving. Circumstances and conditions arise which make him think towards cutting ties. If negative conditions continue to exist then he is confirmed to leave. We all know people do crib about money, not good perks and facilities but if they are happy they stay for the sake of that happiness. People also join organizations for their need for socialization. When they form friends at their work stations; they look forward coming to office every morning. People leave because of boredom and disenchantment from everything. They find no other recluse other than leaving towards somewhere else.

Comparative Industrial Relations Between France Germany And Sweden Management Essay

Comparative Industrial Relations Between France Germany And Sweden Management Essay The European systems of industrial relations exemplified by France, Germany and Sweden are fundamentally similar. Furthermore, the Japanese and U.S. systems of industrial relations are fundamentally different from those found in the three European countries. What is your view of these statements? How do you justify your view? Table of Content Introduction 3 Main Body Systems of Industrial Relations in France, Germany and Sweden 4 Labour Market 5 Trade Union 6 Employers Association 7 Collective Bargaining 8 Employee Participation and Works Councils 10 Government and Regulation 11 Compare Systems of Industrial Relations between France, Germany and Sweden and in the United States and Japan 12 Labour Market 12 Trade Union 14 Employers Association 15 Collective Bargaining 16 Employee Participation and Works Councils 16 Government and Regulation 17 Conclusion 17 References 20 Introduction Industrial relations generally involve employment relations related issues in the past and present and how the changes happened. It is dynamic and changing all the time (Salamon, 1994, p.3). According to Dunlop (1958), systems of industrial relations include three main actors and their representations. The three actors are employers and their representatives, employees and their representatives and the government. Within these three parties, there is collective bargaining which is usually conducted between trade union and employers associations; and in some countries government can directly interfere collective bargaining while some cannot. Governments roles in systems of industrial relations are very significant. Dunlop also mentioned that there are factors which can affect the three parties relations, and these factors are market of labour force and power of parties. Industrial relations systems involve varieties of institutional structures beyond just employer-employee relationshi p (Hyman, 2000). Because different countries have their own unique ways of development, systems of industrial relations should be different among countries. However, from a macro point of view, it is claimed that there is a European systems of industrial relations. The creation of European Works Councils and the social partners agreement of 1991 are evidence of European industrial relations systems (Jensen et al, as cited in Hyman). In this essay, I will analyse the European industrial relations systems which demonstrate by France, Germany and Sweden which have some similarities, but differ a lot. This essay also addresses the issue that systems of industrial relations in Japan and the United States are fundamentally different from those found in the three European countries. This essay argues the following: in the three European countries, there are some similarities on aspects of labour market, employers associations structure, high coverage of collective bargaining and the decentralised bargaining level. However, they differ a lot because the difference of trade union confederation, union density, reason of high coverage of collective bargaining and decentralised bargaining level, works councils and government intervention. There are huge differences between these European countries as a whole and Japan and the United States. They are different in terms of labour market, trade unions, employers associations, collective bargaining, employee participation and works councils, and government intervention and regulations. In order to explain the above arguments, the essay concludes two main sections. In section one, I will explain the general European background for the three countries, followed by the systems of industrial relations in the three European countries. In section two, I will analyse differences between the three European countries as a whole and Japan and the United States. Within each section, the analysis is based on labour market, trade unions, employers associations, collective bargaining, employee participation and works councils, and government intervention and regulations. Main Body Systems of Industrial Relations in France, Germany and Sweden Firstly, there is one thing to be notice, and that is both these three countries are operating under a common community-the European Union. Within this European Union framework, they have some common regulation and organisations. For example, the Maastricht Treaty on Monetary Union and European Works Councils Directive of 1994 are breakthroughs of European industrial relations systems (Streeck, 1998, p443-445). Through Maastricht Treaty, member states began to have their European single currency which they can benefit a lot, such as a more stable currency, low costs of trade and European identity (Europa.eu, 2010). For the European Works Councils, they need to meet at least once a year to share information and consultation on issues such as economic and social development (Schulten, 1996). There is even a transnational employers association in Europe. Although there is a common framework for European countries, there are some similarities in the systems of industrial relations in France, Germany and Sweden; but they differ a lot. This is probably because of path dependency, countries develop towards different directions based on their own situation. I will analyse it from the aspects of labour market, trade unions, employers associations, collective bargaining and employee participation, and government roles and regulations. . Labour Market From the table below, we can see that unemployment rates of 2005 in France and Germany were quite similar and both are around 10%, while Sweden remained relatively low, at only 5.60%. The working time in these three countries are similar, around 40 hours per week. Unemployment rate (2005) Working time (weekly hours) France 10.10% 38.3 Germany 10.60% 39.9 Sweden 5.60% 40 Source: unemployment rate-Indexmundi; working time-eurofound Trade Unions About trade union confederation, according to Bean (1994), France, Germany and Sweden represent three different types of confederation. For France, confederation is considered as political unionism (p.20) because confederations are based on political affiliations and there are five main confederations in France. For example, CGT and CFDT affiliate with communist and socialist party separately (Labbe, 1994). Because the five confederations are not for specific industries or occupational groups, there are competitions among those five confederations (Freyssinet, 2003). The second type of confederation is the single dominant confederation (DGB) represented by Germany. Since there is only one confederation, confederation competition is not existed in Germany. The third type of confederation is confederations organised by occupational groups which is found in Sweden. There are confederations for blue collar workers, white collar workers and professional/ academic groups (Carley, 2002). Th is occupational division of confederations kind of follow the early union formation which was unions organised all workers, skilled and unskilled, who worked with a given material (Bean, 1994, p. 27). Union density also differs a lot through these three countries. The union density is 9.1%, 29.7% and 79% for France, Germany and Sweden separately (1999 Eurostat Labour Force Survey, as cited in Carley, 2002). What is worth notice is that although union density in France is very low, the mobilisation of French unions is quite high compared with its union membership (Gallie, 1980). Employers Associations Employers association is an organisation which is similar with trade union confederation, except that it is in favour of employers instead of employees. Employers associations structure is similar in these three countries. They all have a peak employers association which in France is SAF (SN), in Germany is BDA and in Sweden is CNPF (MEDEF); and those peak organisations cover their own entire countries in terms of geography and industries (Bean, 1994). In all the three countries, the peak employers associations do not conduct collective agreements and the member organisations that conduct collective bargaining and conclude collective agreements (Traxler, 2003; Wallerstein, et al, 1997). It is the sectoral employers organisations that have collective bargaining roles (Carley, 2002). However, the power of these peak organisations, control over member firms and the strength of affiliates are different for France, Germany and Sweden. As you can see from the table below (as cited in Traxl er, 1999), for France, the peak organisations power is above average; the control over member firms is average, and the affiliates are weak. For Germany, both peak organisations power and control over member firms are weak while the affiliates are strong. For Sweden, peak organisations power, control over member firms and the affiliates are all extremely strong. Although employers associations in Sweden are very powerful, the membership is in low level compared with membership in France and Germany (Traxler, 2000) C:UsersEllenDesktopà ¦Ã…“ ªÃƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ½Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ .jpg. Collective Bargaining Country Collective bargaining coverage (%) Key level of collective bargaining France 93 Industry towards company negotiations Sweden 90 Industry Germany 64 Industry (Source: Worker representation in Europe. Labour Research Department and ETUI-REHS: 2007, as cited in worker-participation.eu) As you can see from the table above, all the three countries have high coverage of collective bargaining. Both France and Sweden have high collective bargaining coverage which is above 80%. As discussed before, union density in Sweden is very high. So, we can say that the high coverage of collective bargaining is associated with high union density in Sweden. France has a high coverage of collective bargaining (but a low union density) is mainly because its government. Government in France encourages collective bargaining and provides some legislation for that (Bean, 1994, p.76). In Germany, compared with its collective bargaining coverage, its union density is relatively low; it is employers associations that ensure the coverage of collective bargaining is high (Waddington, 2009). The table also illustrate that the level of bargaining in the three European countries is at industry level. However, there is a trend of decentralisation of collective bargaining in these three countries. For France, it is the state that tries to drive collective bargaining downwards and there are legal frameworks to encourage bargaining at lower levels (Goetschy and Jobert, 1993, p.162). It is even towards company negotiations now. In Germany, there are agreed forms of opening clauses that allow decentralisation happens (Katz, 1993, p.7). Sweden moves from single framework agreement to industrial bargaining with more flexibility and bargaining leverage (Katz, 1993, p.5). For wage bargaining, Germany and Sweden mainly rely on sectoral level, while company level is the key bargaining level for France (Carley, 2002). In general, it can be concluded that collective bargaining is conducted mainly at industry level in those three countries; and the bargaining depends on state/ legislation, employers associations or union organisations for France, Germany and Sweden separately. Employee Participation and Works Councils The ways which employee participation and works councils operate in these three countries are different, but with some similarities as well. In Sweden, because most employees are union members (high union density), there is no works councils at workplace separately from trade unions to represent employees and it is trade unions and shop stewards that have similar roles of works councils in other countries (Hammarstrom, 1993). Works councils are available in both Germany and France, and works councils for both countries are in statutory form (Goetschy and Jobert, 1993; Fuerstenberg, 1993). In Germany, the participation system is considered as harmony of interest between management and labour. (Bean, 1994, p.167). In France, works councils have rights to be informed and consulted about general management of the firm, especially on issues related to employees; however, they seldom have decision-making power (Goetschy and Jobert, 1993, p. 158). For Germany, expect the rights to informati on and consultation, works councils also have the right of co-determination, such as on personnel selection and training; and for consultation right, worker representatives can also have some influence on outcome (Fuerstenberg, 1993, p. 186-87). For both France and Germany, work councils elected by employees which may or may not from trade unions lists (Carley, 2002). However, it is the dual system in Germany which is there is a formal separation between institution of workplace participation (works councils) and institutions engaged in collective bargaining (trade unions) (Hassel, 1999). For France, both collective bargaining and institutions of workplace participation (works councils) involve trade unions and trade unions have a formal presence within the workplace (Treu, et al, 1993). Government and Regulation Within these three countries, states play different roles on collective bargaining. In Germany, there is a very important constitutional principle about collective agreement-Tarifautonomie; it is about the state cannot directly interfere in the negotiation arrangement conducted by the employers associations and the trade unions; and parties conduct collective agreements are independent (Burgess and Symon, 2005). In contrast to Germany, state intervention is very important in France, and the French state plays some direct role in collective bargaining (Bean, 1994, p.155). The French government always tries to encourage conversation between employers associations and trade unions (Bean, 1994, p.76). The Swedish state is special because almost every economic and social policy issue is discussed between three parties-state, labour and business (Pontusson, 1991; Waddington, 2009). Compared with the other two countries, welfare provision in Sweden is huge with great public expenditure (Cas tles and McKinlay, 1979). Compare Systems of Industrial Relations between France, Germany and Sweden and in the United States and Japan From the analysis above, it can be seen that there few similarities among the three European countries-France, Germany and Sweden. However, when compare those countries with the United States and Japan, they are often considered as Europe and become quite similar. The Japanese and U.S. systems of industrial relations are different from those found in the three European countries. I will also analyse it in terms of labour market, trade unions, employers associations, collective bargaining and employee participation, and government roles and regulations. Labour Market Unemployment Rate France Germany Sweden Japan U.S. 2005 10.1% 10.6% 5.6% 4.7% 5.5% 2006 9.9 11.7 5.8 4.4 5.1 2007 8.7 7.1 5.6 4.1 4.8 2008 7.9 9.0 6.1 3.8 4.6 Source: Indexmundi.com Nickell (1997) once argued that there is no relationship between Europeans rigid job market and the relatively high unemployment rate. However, from the table above, we can see that compared with these European countries, the Unites States which has a more flexible job market has relatively low level of unemployment rate from 2005 to 2008. Japan also has a low unemployment rate. European countries Japan U.S. Maximum working time/week (by law) France/ Germany48 hours Sweden40 hours 40 hours (but usually extension ) No statutory maximum working week (but must receive overtime pay if exceed 40 hours) Average weekly hours by full-time workers (in 2001) France 35.7hours Germany 37.7hours Sweden38.8hours __ 42.8 hours Minimum period of paid annual leave (by law) France 25 days Germany 20days Sweden 25 days 20 days No statutory annual leave entitlement Actual annual work hours (in 2000) France 1589 hs Germany 1525 hs 1970 hs 1986 hs Source: EIRO; Carley, 2004, eurofound From the table above, we can conclude that compared with the three European countries, Japan and the United States generally work more and have less holiday time. It is also argued that Japanese and American workers are more tolerant and tend to accept overtime and irregular working time; and therefore European workers are considered in lower work ethic (Streeck, 1992, p.312). The characteristic and economic aspects of labour market between the three European countries and Japan and USA are also different. According to Streeck (1992), there are two distinction of labour market between European countries and the other two countries. The first one is the skilled level of labour. Labour in European countries is identified as high-skill workers, and they also have relatively high wages and social benefits. The high-skill workers have a strong relation with training schemes in European countries. This also illustrates the difference between LMEs (USA) and CMEs (France, Germany, Sweden and Japan). The apprenticeship system in USA is not strong and has no institutionalised links with the general education system; while the apprenticeship system is better in CMEs, and especially in Germany which has new apprenticeship programmes in both manufacturing and service sectors (Bosch and Charest, 2008, p.429). Bosch and Charest also mentioned that vocational training pro grammes have minor roles in USA while in Germany, employers, trade unions and government drive occupational training together (p.433). Japanese workers tend to be trained on-the-job (Hashimoto, 1979). Japanese workers skills are also in high level but with low transportability which is the second distinction Streeck mentioned. Labour can be easily transportable in European countries and USA but in Japan, labour is firm-specific (p.311); and the low transportability of Japanese workers is mainly due to lifetime employment (Hashimoto, 1979). Trade Unions As mentioned above, Germany has a single dominant confederation (DGB), and this is similar with the United States because it has unified confederal arrangements (AFO-CIO) (Carley, 2004). A noticeable feature of U.S. unionisation is business unionism which focuses on economic aspects of the members and collective bargaining instead of concerning social reorganisation and political activities; and it has little direct connections with political parties (Bean, 1994, p.21). For Japan, it is similar with France because its two main confederations are based on political affiliations (Rengo links with left party and Zenroren links with further left party) (Kuwahara, 1993). One similar trend for those five countries is the decrease on number of trade unions and the merging of trade unions (Carley, 2004). Generally speaking, trade union density is declining in all the five countries; trade union density in Japan and USA is lower than the average of it is in those three European countries, but higher than it is in France (see the table below). Country 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 France 8.4 8.3 8.2 8.4 8.2 8 8 7.9 7.8 Germany 25.3 24.6 23.7 23.5 23 22.2 21.6 20.7 19.9 Sweden 80.6 79.1 78 78 78 77.3 76.5 75.1 70.8 Japan 22.2 21.5 20.9 20.3 19.7 19.3 18.8 18.3 18.3 U.S. 13.4 12.8 12.8 12.6 12.4 12 12 11.5 11.6 Source: OECD.Statistics Employers Associations As mentioned above, all the three European countries have their own national peak employers associations and the subsections of the peak associations conduct collective bargaining. Japan also has a national employers association-the Japan Federation of Employers Associations (Nikkeriren) which does not engage in collective bargaining and collective bargaining is usually conducted at company level (Bamber and Lansbury, 1993). But, Nikkeriren do have formal conversation with the government and trade unions; although Nikkeriren cannot force companies to follow its guidelines, its member associations play a behind role which influence member companies (Carley, 2004). However, this is not the case in the United States. Employers organisations are less important in USA and no national employers confederations have ever been engaged in collective bargaining (Wheeler, 1993). Collective Bargaining Country Coverage of collective bargaining Level of collective bargaining France 93% Industry Germany 67% Industry Sweden 90% Industry Japan 20% Company U.S. 15% Company Source: Eurostat Labour Force Survey 2002 From the table, we can see that the coverage of collective bargaining in both Japan and USA are very low compared with the three European countries. As mentioned before, France, Germany and Sweden have high bargaining coverage depend on the government, employers association and high union density separately. For Japan and USA, the low bargaining coverage matches their low union density (Carley, 2004). The table also demonstrates the level of collective bargaining. For the three European countries, collective bargaining conducts mainly at industry level, whereas for Japan and USA, it happens at company level. It is noticeable that USA employers tend to oppose to unions since mid-1970s, and employers opposition to collective bargaining is more spread in USA than in other countries (Bamber and Lansbury, 1993). In Japan, both unions and employers organisations satisfy with company bargaining because firms rely mainly on internal market and employees tend to stay in the same company (Kuwahara, 1993). Employee Participation and Works Councils While in France and Germany, there is legislation for exchanging information and cooperation negotiations between employers and employees; by law, Swedish trade unions have the rights of information, consultation and co-determination; both USA and Japan, there is no legislation for works councils and employee participation, but Japan does have a high level of employee-management cooperation (Carley, 2004). Government and Regulation Because USA is a typical country of LMEs, government intervention is relatively less compared with it is in CMEs. In France, Germany, Sweden and Japan, there are clear legislations that support collective bargaining, but legislative support of collective bargaining in USA is very limited (Bean, 1994, p.124-26). For new forms of work, such as part-time work and temporary agency workers, European countries tend to regulate them with legislation; USA leaves them unregulated; and Japan is in between (Carley, 2004). Compared with Japan and USA , European countries provide high level of basic social rights for employees; and European industrial relations also provide publicly guaranteed status to strong, independent unions both in the industrial and the political arena (Streeck, 1992, p.314). Conclusion The systems of industrial relations are mainly about the three actors which are employers and their representatives, employees and their representatives and the state. When looking at systems of industrial relations in France, Germany and Sweden as a whole as European countries and comparing them with systems in Japan and the United States, it is believed that the three European countries are similar while fundamentally different from Japan and the United States. However, when compare the three countries separately, they have many differences. Trade union confederations in France, Germany and Sweden are under three different systems-political affiliations, single dominant confederation and divided by occupational groups separately. The high coverage of collective bargaining mainly depends on government, employers associations and high union density in France, Germany and Sweden. Sweden has a single channel system and has not works councils at workplaces while works councils are avail able in France and Germany; and in Germany, trade unions and works councils are separated from each other by law, but this is not the case in France; French trade unions involve in collective bargaining and have formal presence in workplace. For labour market, Japan and the United States tend to have lower unemployment rate than it is in European countries; those European countries workers work less and have more holidays compared with Japan and the United States; labour in European countries with wider range of training programmes is in high-skill level while in low-skill level in the United States; Japanese workers are also well trained, but the transportability in low compared with it is in European countries and the United States. Trade unions in European countries concern with social issues and have some relations with political activities, whereas focus on economic issues and has little relations with political activities. National employers associations are available in Japan and the three European countries, but absent in the United States. Legislative support of collective bargaining is placed in European countries and Japan (CMEs), but limited in the United States (LMEs). Both union density and the coverage of collective bargaining are high in the three European countries while low in Japan and the United States. The bargaining level in European countries is mainly at industrial level, but at company level for Japan and the United States. When there is no legislation on works councils in Japan and the U.S., it is available in European countries. European employees enjoy higher social rights than employees in Japan and the United States. Word count: 3661