Thursday, October 31, 2019

Reflections on interventions with vulnerable families Essay

Reflections on interventions with vulnerable families - Essay Example lients were teenagers suffering from mental health issues and this resulted after the clients started involving in drug abuse due to parental negligence. The best way of establishing and maintaining a professional relationship with the clients was through talking and educating them about the impact of drug abuse towards their health. The significant of family life education cannot be undervalued; however, it is vital to create good relationships with the client and their family because health relationships within the family are crucial to the well-being of children, adults and also the society as a whole. Social workers should understand that there is no family which is perfect but some families face enormous strains and trauma, without receiving any support or help and this can be detrimental to such vulnerable families (Ko, et-al, 2008). Supporting vulnerable families in the society is crucial; therefore, family support services should cover varied intervention programs. I made significant efforts of building trusting connections with the clients through understanding their needs, and addressing the environmental issues contributin g to health problems. Building trusting connections with the clients demands effective communication process; thus I learnt the significant of communicate efficiently with the clients in order to create mutual understandings. There is a form of oppressing attributed to issues of child negligence and poverty; in fact, these issues have significantly contributed to increased rate of drug abuse among the teenagers and youth. Consequently, increased cases of drug abuse have resulted to deteriorating mental health among the members of the public. In this case, this has led to a need for offering families and those who are involved, in order to empower them through various ways aimed at addressing issues that contribute to these problems. On the other hand, these problems can be solved by integrating effective strategies such as

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Justifications For Improvement In Social Services for the Aged in the Republic of Ireland Essay Example for Free

Justifications For Improvement In Social Services for the Aged in the Republic of Ireland Essay Access to health and social services remains a fundamental human right to a civilized society like that of republic of Ireland. Every person, regardless of age, religion or political affiliation should be able to access health and services if and when they need it. In the case of people with special needs, access to these services becomes even more important. This is because they are the ones that are likely to need these services more frequently. They are also the ones who are likely to be unable to access these services, despite the fact that they need them more. These people with special needs include the aged, the children and the disabled amongst others. For example, those people with mental illnesses are entitled to visits from social workers. These visits are made by the social worker to the homes of the mentally ill to make sure that the family is treating them with respect and care and to make sure that they take their medicine in time and when the need arises. The aged in the republic of Ireland are entitled to certain fundamental social and health services. These include treatment for the diseases that are likely to afflict them and counselling from the social workers. However, it is with deep concern that the writer has noted that the social services that are availed to this group of people are not enough. Some of them are forced to go to homes for the aged where it is said that they will be receiving social and medical services round the clock. However, it is not the wish of these people to spend the rest of their lives enclosed in an institution that they did not want in the first place. This writer noted that the home based care of these people needs to be improved. They should be allowed to stay at their homes. But the number of social workers should be increased such that every old person has a personal social worker who will be accessible at all times. Thus, this paper is advocating for the improvement of home based social care for the aged. Status of the Social Services for the Aged in the Republic of Ireland Social service in Ireland falls under the docket of public health care system for the country (Cahill: 2008). It is enshrined in the health act that was enacted in the year 2004. This act provided for the development of institutions that are tasked with providing social services to every citizen of this country. The social services as such ended up been a part and mandate of the Health Service Executive (Chandran: 2008). Within the HSE, as this body is popularly known, social service is under the department of primary, community and continuing care (Gunnar: 2007). The services that are provided for the older people include rehabilitation and community services. They are also provided by home based services. The latter includes the visitations made by the nurses and other community health officials to the homes of the aged. This paper is going to petition the HSE to improve the social services that the aged gets at their homes, rather than at the institutions for the aged. Improved Social Services for the Irish Aged In 2006, a census was conducted in the republic of Ireland by the Central Statistics Office of Ireland. According to this census, the aged in Ireland were estimated at 207,000 for the male and 260,000 for the females (Schnepper: 2008). These were the ones who are aged sixty five years and above. This is the group that is considered and defined as the aged. They are the ones that need social services more than the others in the society. This number seems big if it is compared with the total number of social service providers that are employed by NSE. NSE employs around 100,000 service care providers. These are the ones that provide care for the aged, the children, the mentally ill and the disabled amongst others (Higgins: 2009). As such, the service provision for the old is neglected, since these care providers are overworked and their resources overstretched. As such, NSE needs to recruit more service providers to cater for the old. The old people have problems accessing not only the social services entitled to them, but also other services like the home care scheme, which provides for a package to cover for their treatment. The national economic and social forum came up with a report on May 2009 highlighting the difficulties that these people experience as they try to access this service (Hughes: 2009). This package has helped at least ten thousand Irish aged in 2008 (Hughes: 2009). But this number is very small compared to the earlier stated estimates of the aged. This means that some of these people are unable to access this service. Something must be done to enable these people to access the service. It is not enough to provide for the service in society, the authorities must make sure that the services are accessed by those people who need it. As John Rawls says, â€Å"institutions in the society†¦. ut regulation in place to ensure that support services are availed to those who experience the targeted problem† (Hughes: 2009). This means that HSE should ensure that the old people get the services that are available for them. There is only one way to ensure this. If these people had access to a social worker, he will be able to sensitise them on how to access such services when the need for it arises. The social worker will not only help the aged access the service, he will also ensure identify situations when the service is called for. It is fact that Irish aged have little or no access to the care services that they need. Many old people, since they lack constant care and other services, ends up developing complications that leads to their incapacitation. These complications could have been avoided if they had accessed the appropriate care at the appropriate time (Chandran: 2008). For example, they develop diseases like cardiac and diabetes. These diseases can be prevented by healthy diet and exercise. However, these people have no one to advise them on the best diet to take in order to avoid such illnesses. They have no one to advise them on the lifestyle they should adopt in order to live healthy. As such, these complications lead to their admissions to nursing homes. This is too little too late, since the condition is likely to have deteriorated. However, if they had the constant care of a home based social service provider, they would have been advised appropriately on the lifestyle to adopt and diet to take to avoid such incidences (Higgins: 2009). According to John Rawl â€Å"equality cannot be achieved by worsening the least advantaged† (Hughes: 2009). This means that there will be no equality in the society if the status of the less advantaged (in this case the old) is made worse. This will be a contradiction to the human rights of justice and equality to all. Less than three percent of Irish aged enjoys home based care, like the one provided for by the social workers (Schnepper: 2008). This is as compared to other countries in this continent, like the United Kingdom. This number is very small, considering the number of aged people that are in this country. The reasons for this measly access are varied. Some include ignorance on the part of the aged, as they do not know that such services do exist. The other reason, and may be the most important, is that there is a shortage of social care providers. This means that there is no one to deliver these services to the aged. The services are there, but there is no one to deliver them. Conclusion There is disproportionately large number of aged people in Ireland as compared to the social service providers. As such, the aged remain to have their health and well being deteriorate. Majority of the aged suffer from depression. This can be mitigated if they have access to the services of social care providers, who will help by counselling them. It is not only their mental health that is at risk, but also their physical health. There is need then for NSE to increase the number of home based social service providers to cater for the well being of this segment of the society.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Effect of Radiofrequency of GSM Phones on the Brain

Effect of Radiofrequency of GSM Phones on the Brain CHAPTER ONE 1.0  INTRODUCTION There has been growing concern about the possible adverse health effects resulting from exposure to radiofrequency radiations (RFR), such as those from mobile communication devices. This radiation belongs to the type called non-ionizing radiation the health hazard of which remains debatable (Ayeni et al., 2011). The possible risks of microwaves for the human body has attracted interest since the 1960s (i.e., before the arrival of mobile phones), when radar and microwave ovens posed a possible health problem ( Salford et al., 2003). ( Oscar and Hawkins, 1977) performed early studies on effects of RF EMFs on the blood-brain barrier. They demonstrated that at very low energy levels (less than 10 W/m2),the fields in a restricted exposure window caused a significant leakage of 14C-mannitol, inulin, and also dextran (same molecular weight as albumin) from the capillaries into the surrounding cerebellar brain tissue. A recent in vitro study has shown that EMF at 1.8GHz increase the permeabi lity of the blood-brain barrier to sucrose (Schirmacher et at. 2000). Shivers and colleagues (Shivers et al., 1987 and Prato et al.,1990) examined the effect of magnetic resonance imaging upon the rat brain. They showed that the combined exposure to RF EMFs and pulsed and static magnetic Fields gave rise to a significant pinocytotic transport of albumin from the capillaries into the brain. (Hassel et al., 1994) have shown that autologous albumin injected into the brain tissue of rats leads to damage to neurons at the injection site when the concentration of albumin in the injected solution is at least 25% of that in blood. The voluntary exposure of the brain to microwaves from hand-held mobile phones by one-fourth of the worlds population has been called the largest human biologic experiment ever (Salford et al., 2001). When using mobile phone, electromagnetic wave is transferred to the body which causes health problems especially at the place near ear skull region where they are kn own to affect the neurones. The possible risks of radio-frequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMFs) for the human body is a growing concern for our society (Hyland 2000). Most researchers in the field have dwelled on the question of whether RF EMFs may induce or promote cancer growth. Although some have indicated increased risk (Hardell et al., 2002 and Repacholi et al. 1997), most studies, including our own, have shown no effects (Salford et al. 1997a) or even a decreased risk (Adey et al., 1999). The study of (Schà ¶rnborn et al., 1998) showed that the adult human head absorbs 80% of the radiation emitted by a cellular telephone. The extensive use of cellular communication devices is accompanied by public concerns about possible harmful effects on human health as a result of exposure to electromagnetic (EM) radiation from these devices(Purushothaman et al., 2013). Thermal biological effects of microwave radiation have been investigated both from the experimental and numerical view points(Elwasife 2012). Damaged neurons, as revealed by cresyl violet staining, were found amongst normal neurons in cerebral cortex, hippocampus and basal ganglia., with a maximum incidence around 2%, but in some restricted areas, dominated the picture. Heating and heat exchange have been viewed as measures of essential processes in the brain and other living tissues, and intrinsic thermal energy has been seen as setting an immutable threshold for external stimulation ([Adair, 1994]). 1.1`Background of the study During recent years, GSM mobile phones (Global System for Mobile Telecommunications), the most powerful RF transmitters in our everyday environment, have become widely and increasingly used by the public and to date there is no clear evidence about their possible biological effects(Panagopoulos et al, 2004). A number of recent developments have resulted in renewed interest in and concern among scientists and the general public about the biological effects of microwave and radiofrequency radiation exposure (Cleary 1977). All life on earth is bathed in a sea of natural low-frequency electromagnetic (EM) fields from conception to death (Adey 2007). In recent times, many people have expressed an interest in learning if the use of cell phones is associated with cancer. Many have heard or read about possible links between cell phones and cancer, but conclusions are rarely definitive ( Zamanian and Hardiman, 2005). It is known that the numbers of people that are using mobile phone in the wo rld are increasing daily (As of November 2011, there were more than 6 billion subscriptions worldwide). Thus it is very important for us to look into the possible danger that may be involved in the usage of phone, since it is a device that receive and send signal (information) using antenna by generating and receiving radio frequency wave. And it is known that radio wave is a form of electromagnetic wave (RIVUX G), which of cause have some danger to human body. Further, the human head is one of the most sensitive organs for EM radiation (Purushothaman et al., 2013). A common concern today, since more and more people are using cell phones than ever before, is that cell phone antennas radiate near a person’s head (Zamanian and Hardiman, 2005). Radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic radiation has been reported to produce a number of biological effects on biomolecules, cells, and whole organisms, including changes in intracellular ionic concentrations, the synthesis rate of differe nt biomolecules, cell proliferation rates, the reproductive capacity of animals, etc (Panagopoulos et al, 2004). Thus the GSM have to be look into to know it effect on the brain. The phone manufacturers have silence on the danger that GSM can cause on the brain but never the less we have to look into the radiation produce from the GSM and known whether it cause any adverse effect on brain. 1.2  Problem statement Radio Frequency (RF) engineers are faced many times with the following two questions: â€Å"What are the effects of radio waves on human health?† and, more specifically, â€Å"What health risks are associated with the use of cell phones, mobile radios, microwave radios, microwave ovens, broadcast radio and television transmitters, power lines and X-rays?( Zamanian and Hardiman, 2005). The obvious problem encountered in the establishment of causal relationships for low intensity microwave-induced alterations in biological systems is the lack of physical interaction mechanisms to explain such phenomena (Cleary, 1977). In this mode of operation, a mobile phone may be regarded as a quite powerful radio transmitter. Its emission at the head surface is typically 10,000 times stronger than fields reaching the head of a user standing within 30 m of the base of a typical mobile phone relay transponder mounted on a tower 30m above ground (Adey 2007). Many people in Nigeria does not kno w the danger the GSM can make them to be expose to by just using it. As many that use the phone have complain of headache, loss of memory, weakness and so on. But they still could not understand the possible causes of these disorderliness in their head, thus there is need for us to look into the study matter and see if the GSM have any possible cause to their problem. Studies of the behavioral effects of low intensity microwave and radiofrequency radiation have produced what appear to be rather contradictory or  inconsistent results. (Cleargy, 1977). 1.3  Justification of the study This study will make the people know the danger that GSM phone can cause in their brain and help them know the symptoms of the effect. Public concern has been aroused by the news media in which attention has been drawn to a number of international incidents involving intentional exposure of humans to microwave fields (Brodeur, 1976). So that people will not be blind folded and just base their mind on the positive effects the GSM has, and not considering the adverse effect it can cause to human brain. Although some group like the international commission on non ionizing radiation protection (ICNIRP) and mobile manufacturer forum (MMF) that manufacturers mobile equipments and GSM operator across the world insists that there are no discernible effects from the RF radiated from base station and mobile phone (Shalangwa et al., 2011). Scientific interest has been kindled by reports that have appeared during the past few years which consistently suggest that biological systems, both in vivo and in vitro, are affected by exposure to field intensities that were formerly thought to be incapable of producing detectable alterations (Taylor and Cheung 1977). But this study will pose us into possible danger that may be result from the use of GSM. Therefore people in Nigeria will not just buy mobile phone but look at the danger it can cause in respect to it specific absorption rate (SAR) of the type of phone. 1.4  Aim and Objectives The aim of the study is to know the effect of radiofrequency of GSM to brain Objectives: To know whether GSM have any effect on the brain To determine the danger GSM can expose our brain to To suggest a possible protection GSM usage To consider the specific absorption rate (SAR) that is permissible by the brain 1.5  Research questions How does brain work? How does the GSM affect the brain? What frequency will make GSM to affect the brain? Under what condition will GSM affect the brain? What can be use to prevent the effect of GSM on brain? What are the effects the GSM have on the brain? What is effect of radio frequency radiation of GSM mobile phone on blood brain barrier? How do the SAR values of phones affect the temperature distribution in the brain?

Friday, October 25, 2019

When do we have time to consider time? :: Business and Management Studies

When do we have time to consider time? Timing is Everything†¦Culturally Speaking We never have enough time. It’s flying, wasted, or spent. In marketing, we strive to be punctual for meetings and deadlines. So when do we have time to consider time? For culturally sensitive marketers, time is key. When we look to establish an emotional link with a Hispanic consumer, we must consider the elements of culture that control values, thoughts, and behaviors; and time is one of these â€Å"dimensions [that] provides the nesting place for archetypes to take root.†[1] Westerners tend to view time as linear. We see events in a straight line, with each successive action following another. Many other cultures see time not as monochronic, but polychronic, which is characterized by events occurring simultaneously. The famous anthropologist, Edward T. Hall, conducted extensive research of monochronic and polychronic cultures found that cultural miscommunication is often the result of not understanding the different structures of scheduling or managing time. Hall concludes that monochronic cultures (primarily North America and Northern Europe) â€Å"emphasize schedules, punctuality, and preciseness.† Monochronic cultures emphasize â€Å"doing† things, productivity, and getting things done â€Å"one time.† Time should be managed and planned and not wasted.[2] A polychronic view of time, according to Hall, is primarily in Latin American, African and Native American cultures.[3] When considering other Hispanic archetypes, this is logical. Hispanic cultures â€Å"are more likely than Anglos to believe that nature and the supernatural control their lives.†[4] Therefore, time is associated with natural rhythms, the earth, and seasons. It is not manipulated, but with a higher power, and therefore it can be spontaneous or sporadic. â€Å"There is more valued placed on â€Å"being† than on â€Å"doing†.†[5] Now of course this view is over-generalized and simplistic. Levels of assimilation, occupation, and general demographics may all effect the degree of truthfulness in this assumption. Time can be a very individualized concept, which I proved arriving late to an interview with my Hispanic friend, Juan. He was born in Costa Rica, and immigrated to the United States when he was fourteen. He is now twenty-one and a college student. I sought to find out how he viewed time in Latin American versus the United States. Juan told me he was not offended by my tardiness, and asking why, he replied, â€Å"Maybe you were talking to friends or family.† This underscores another important dimension, the importance of interpersonal relationships in the Hispanic culture. Juan explained that when Americans travel to Costa Rica, they adjust to â€Å"Tico time†, or the timing of Costa Ricans. He described â€Å"Tico time† as much more laid back, and without rush. He made a clear distinction, however, between this attitude and procrastination.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

What did Hoggart and other British cultural critics see the “juke box boys” (Hoggart, 1958, 247) as a portent of?

Dan Bednar The essay will introduce the notion of consensus – the agreement reached between political parties as well as in the society as a whole. However, due to the limitation of this paper, this is a rather an abbreviated description of the whole situation. As a result the British foreign affairs, as well as the importance of immigrant waves on forming the new British culture, will be ignored. Furthermore, the youth phenomenon did not appear overnight as it might seem from reading the following lines. In fact as the teenagers gained more and more attention from the marketplace and the popular press, they also gained more confidence and their voice was heard. The focus here will be on the Teddy Boys youths; the nation's young generation, however, was much more diverse, ranging from middle and upper class youth (with their specific culture) to youngsters organised in clubs and societies. Consensus Since 1951 the Conservative Party won three subsequent elections. The political consensus between the parties â€Å"reflected a consensus in the nation. In the spectrum of political opinion from right to left, the majority of electors had moved towards the middle †¦ leaving only minorities at the extremes† (Hill, 1986 p.7). This was due to a relative affluence of the working classes. They were better off, ate better food and watched more and more television. The Conservative party followed the political line of the Labour years, and, therefore, many ordinary citizens lost their interest in politics as well as their post-war collective enthusiasm (Hill, 1986 p.5). Furthermore, the consensus seemed to be reached between classes: the affluence of the lower classes made it seem like the class distinctions would eventually disappear (Hill, 1986 p.7). The consensus also reached the mass media. After the war the BBC set up a task of a â€Å"‘cultural mission'- elevating national standards† (Caughie, 1986 p.194).* Television hours were limited to a few hours a day: an act of protectionism. The contrast between what the public wanted and what was BBC's policy of educational entertainment was to be challenged by the first private channel. The British cinema was also rigorously protected. Import quotas secured the showing of a certain number of British films. New films were also censored or banned (McKibbin, 1998 p.423-435). As MsKibbin argues, â€Å"contemporaries thought the cinema was a uniquely powerful medium. The country's elites were persistently worried about its potentially subversive effect on England's politics and morality† (1998 p.455). The consensus reached in this area was set up to protect the citizens from what was then thought to be extremely dangerous: exposure to violence, sex and Americanisation. Contemporary studies supported these views: mass media supposedly had immediate effect (Street, 1997 p.62). The Horror of Rock'n'Roll The critics and academics saw the working class youth as the most endangered group. Thanks to the after war baby boom they were large in numbers, were often employed (We Are the Lambeth Boys) and earned more money. They are ground between the millstones of technocracy an democracy; society gives them almost limitless freedom of the sensation, but makes few demands on them – the use of their hands and of a fraction of their brains for forty hours a week. For the rest they are open to the entertainers and their efficient mass-equipment (Hoggart 1957 p. 249). Hoggart describes the Teddy Boys as frequent customers of milk bars, throwing one coin after another into the jukebox machine, reading sex and violence novels. These novels inspired the first British films targeting youth. With the emergence of the X certificate, some of the British studios concentrated on the horror and the sci-fi genres, the most famous being the Hammer studio. Although the cinema attendance numbers dropped drastically, due to the impact of television and shifting demographics (more and more people moving into new towns), the youth remained the largest cinema audience (McKibbin, 1998 p.420). The Hammer horror films were attractive for the youth audience (Street, 1997 p.76) as well as the Rock'n'Roll imports and their British versions (films with Cliff Richard and Tommy Steel). The horror and Rock'n'Roll films had their exploitational strategies in common. They were both taking advantages of certain novelties (scandals, wars) or/and their cinema audiences. These films usually had an inaccurate, sensational approach similar to that of the tabloid press. They, however, managed to express contemporary anxieties (nuclear threat, crisis of masculinity) (Street 1997, p.76-78). Films like Rock Around the Clock benefited from the Rock'n'Roll hype and from the controversy of the music; the assumed link between music and violence. Some Rock'n'Roll features were banned in local cinemas which only added to their popularity. Parents feared their children would turn into delinquents as the youth crime numbers were raising and the tabloid press blew the violent acts of a few into a nation-wide phenomenon (Hill, 1986 p.13-14). Famous filmmakers like Pressburger and Powell were clearly inspired by the horror genre in their film Peeping Tom. As well as some of the Hammer films, the film comments on the danger of science manipulation (Tom was a subject of scientific experiments of his fathers), but goes deeper into examination of the media exploitation itself, reflecting on contemporary anxieties (â€Å"fear of independent women† (Street, 1997 p.78)) and the supposed ‘higher morality' of the older generation (the elderly man, buying pornographic material in the kiosk). We might go further and suggest that the film is a call for realism. The studio in Peeping Tom produces popular murder stories, but when confronted with a real murder, we realize how remote these people are from the topics of their films. Similarly to Hitchcock's Psycho, Powell and Pressburger cast the main character with a good-looking young man – instead of a villain looking character. As Lowenstein argues, the social realism of Peeping Tom shows that these shifting social currents are shot through with anxieties that include viewers ‘like you and me' as agonized participants in ‘life here today'. (2000 p.229) Powell's and Presburger's interest in products of the mass culture is of the same sort as Warhol's interest in advertising, Kubrick's interest in popular genres in The Shining as well as Tarantino's obsession with pulp novels. Angry Young Men Hoggart's appeal was to preserve and enforce original ‘working class' culture. This appeal came about at the same time as the new breed of writers, first just called Movement and later on called the Angry Young Men. They were often of working class origin, and wrote novels about working class youth or about young men fighting bureaucracy and the current social order (Kingsley Amis – Lucky Jim). These ‘angry young men' represented the part of society that was slowly waking up from the consensus dream. The British Empire was facing internal and external crisis (racial upheavals, Suez War). Problems like class distinctions and national identity re-emerged with greater strength. The writers showed discontent with both the traditional highbrow culture as well as the faceless mass culture. However it turned out, that the mass culture swallowed the new subculture soon afterwards*. The films based on the Angry Young Men novels differed from the exploit features in their respectable treatment of the young individual and investigating the causes of their revolt. They might have been inspired by some of the American youth films, like A Rebel Without a Cause: the film is not just another exploit; it examined psychological depths of delinquent behaviour (the influence of the family background). Also the documentary tradition of some of the filmmakers like Karel Reisz was important. Reisz carefully observed youngsters and disclosed that they are much more than young delinquents in We Are the Lambeth Boys. Braine's novel Room at the Top was turned into a successful film. The film's revolt is in its exposed sexuality. As Marwick suggests: â€Å"censorship was itself changing its views as to what was now acceptable to British audiences† (1991 p.73-74). One of the illusions of the 50s was that the class distinction seemed to disappear (Hill, 1986 p.10-11). Clayton's film is a cruel awakening from the classless dream. The young man in the Room at the Top, puts up a tough fight to be accepted by the privileged class, only to realise that he had to pay huge prize for it. His lover dies in a car accident (suicide?). Joe Lampton hates the everyday routine and the oblivion of his own class, but also despises the class he is trying to join: their power and money are the only way to realise his potential. Sillitoe who wrote Saturday Night and Sunday Morning was of working class background. Reisz, who directed the subsequent film, already got a reputation with We Are the Lambeth Boys. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning is a fierce attack on the ‘great' values of the fifties: affluence of the working class, full employment and mass culture (television). In a way, Arthur is a representative of the disappearing working class culture with his spare time ‘activities': fishing, drinking with friends and revolting. Arthur's parents and his colleague, Jack, represent the new emerging mass culture. They all watch television: Arthur's father to such an extent that he becomes totally absorbed by the medium. When Brenda is getting ready to go out, Jack suggests that one day they will be able to afford a TV set so that she can stay home. The disaffection ..of the young worker is directed against organized society and it bureaucrats, and against the more docile members of he working class, rather than against any identifiable enemy (Marwick, 1982 p.135). Arthur's culture is that of a revolt. He knows that there is something very wrong, but he is not sure how to fight it. Arthur says ‘no' to Hoggart's definition of working class youths: use your hands and a fraction of your brain and you can then be entertained. Arthur's ‘no' is also a ‘no' to the boom of the fifties. The youths were the first to realise the drawbacks, while the older generation was blinded by relative affluence and the pleasures of television. Arthur carries on with the fight until he agrees to marry Doreen. He then conforms to the mass culture of regular wages, consensus and television. His culture of revolt is lost to mass culture. The same can be said of the Angry Young Men movement: it later assimilated with the mass culture, since â€Å"media interest nearly always means immediate expropriation and assimilation by the mass culture† (Taylor, 2000). Conclusion Hoggart saw the emergence of the mass culture as a serious threat to the authentic working class culture. He was one of the first critics who realised the richness of the original popular culture, but he also criticised the highbrow values imposed on the working class. He saw the horror and science fiction films as a sign of classless mass culture and Teddy Boys as a portent of losing one's culture to the universal culture. At the same time, however, a group of writers emerged that created and re-created original working class culture, giving young men the potential for cultural revolution. I have argued that the exploit culture targeting a young audience had a profound effect on the art of the next decade. The Pop art had it's inspiration in trivial entertainment and commercials. The Pop art (art for everyone) made no distinctions between popular and highbrow culture and freed art from all preconceptions. Furthermore, the open dealing with sexual matters in some of the films and novels, opened up the censorship and gave way to artistic freedom. The youth shook the power of the â€Å"highbrow minority† that dictated the shaping of the whole culture and helped the existence of working class bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. The youth also gained more attention from advertisers and this resulted in strictly teenage products – fashion, such as jeans and short skirts. The youth changed the whole nature of cinema production. From then on film producers became more aware of their audiences and the films targeted increasingly younger audiences. Also the age of the media planners, directors and producers decreased and the young filmmakers gained more power both in Britain (Anderson, Reizs) and Hollywood (Beatty, Hopper), only to loose it later on due to further commercialism of cinema during the 70s and 80s (Biskind,1998: Introduction). The strength of the youth influence is also in its diversity: it inspired Marxists, trash artists, nihilists, hedonists, feminists and the list could go on. Its main strength is that it enabled wide cultural and political discussions. Arthur was a portent of complex socio-cultural changes that started during the sixties and carry on until today.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Why Teachers Are Important

Why Teachers are Important Teachers are important because they educate the students by preparing them for a triumphant future. The number of human beings in the world is increasing every second of every day which is why it is not a surprise that teachers other than special education teachers hold about three point five million jobs (McKay, Dawn R. ). As each child grows older, he/she needs to learn in order to survive; teachers are the ones to instill knowledge (DeRoy). Every single person needs an education. To start most careers, a college degree is required.In order to get that college degree, an individual must complete grade school and high school and receive a high school diploma or GED, then complete college courses to learn the degree of choice. Children must be prepared for school and this starts with parents teaching them basic understandings of their alphabet and numbers (Archived: Early Childhood Education). If the students are not equipped with the basic knowledge, then they are bound to drop out of school (Shargel 19). Throughout the world, there are seventy two million children who are not getting the proper schooling they need (DeRoy).These children cannot better themselves through life without an education that can help them through the struggles of everyday life that only schooling can support. In those schools, teachers teach every single person how to write, how to read, how to do multiplication and addition facts, and how to write essays (McKay, Dawn R. ). Many people can think back and remember every teacher they have ever had, and if they cannot remember every one, then they at least remember their favorite one. Teachers are the ones who educate generations of people globally (DeRoy).There are many different teachers all over the world. There are teachers, who teach driving; there are teachers who teach art, and teachers who teach pupils how to construct machines. There are even teachers who teach teachers! All teachers however have to st art off somewhere, and that’s in a class room. Once schooling requirements have been met and some experience has been made, some teachers can become school administrators or can even get additional training and become a school librarian or a guidance counselor. Public school teachers in every state are required to have a achelor’s degree (Haugen, Lee). There are many states in the U. S. that even require a Master’s degree within a certain time frame. The future teacher must have fulfilled an official training program that includes earning a specific amount of educational credits. When it comes to teaching early education such as preschool, the requirements for training differ; some states require a bachelor’s degree while others accept just an associate’s degree (McKay, Dawn R. ). Absolutely all teachers, in every state, and the District of Columbia are required to be licensed.To get a teaching license, one must generally pass an exam that demonstr ates proficiency in basic skills and proficiency in the subject area that is desired. Licenses are normally issued by state boards or departments of educations (McKay, Dawn R. ). Since the world’s population is growing the teaching occupation is growing exceedingly as well. Employment of kindergarten through secondary school teachers alone will grow as quickly as all occupations through 2018. Location is key. Jobs are not meant to be everywhere in the world, if that was so then jobs would be given to anyone with a high school diploma.Also grade level and the subject specialty will have a great affect on job opportunity (McKay, Dawn R. ). In many schools today, students are required to have at least three years of a language course. People who have completed up to three years of a language are more likely to get a job over a competitor who has not had this extra information. Teachers are more likely to get a job over someone else if they indeed, can speak another language beca use they can help students who do not have English as their first language, which produces maximum learning efficiency (DeRoy).The most basic and most important teachers in the world, however, are grade school and high school teachers. Every single student must pass each grade in elementary school in order to go on to high school. Then in high school, the student must pass grades nine through twelve in order to receive one tiny piece of paper that gives individual opportunities in life. That piece of paper is called a diploma (McCourt). That one little piece of paper can make or break a person’s entire life. A diploma or equivalent, GED, is without any exception, required for college. There is no way to skate around it and hope to get in without one.Teachers need to be able to handle students, and teach them the curriculum that is required for the grade level. What makes a great teacher so incredible is their personality. They capture the minds and attentions of their pupils and without realizing it, get the students to understand the topic and remember it. Many students become teachers themselves because they loved their teacher and wanted to follow in the footsteps of them (College Board). A man named Eric Hanushek says that â€Å"teacher’s quality matter so much that a student is likely better off in a bad school with a good teacher than a good school with a bad teacher. If the teacher is good at his or her job, then odds are that student is going to do well academically no matter what. An author and teacher William Sanders once wrote that : â€Å" although an effective teacher can facilitate excellent academic gain in students during the years in which they are assigned to them, the residual effects of ineffective teachers were measurable two years later, regardless of the effectiveness of teachers in later grade. † In simpler words Sanders is saying that if a pupil has one exceptional teacher, then their learning can become corrupt f or years to come.Teachers indeed have an impact. Those students whose guardians are poor may have a hard time in school, but if they were to receive excellent hard working teachers who are willing to teach them, that problem could very well disappear entirely (Hanuskek). There are many ways that a parent or guardian can put their child through schooling. The government is here to help everyone be the best that they can be in this world, for themselves and for the community as a whole (Archived Early Education). Many people sending their children to school worry about their food consumption.They worry that the kids will sit astray with no food while others have a plentiful lunch and snack. Proper schools will not let that happen. A child will not go hungry or thirsty while a teacher or administrator is in that building. These are formative years in children’s lives, and the education and attention that every student requires is very important in determining the future of those pupils (Teachers: Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary). College teachers and professors are more tough on their students than those who teach younger levels.This is because those teachers know what the real world is like (DeRoy). They have hands on experience. Each and every teacher knows how hard it is to get into college, get good grades, graduate, and get hired in a respectable school. They know that students need to get the degree of their choice in order to start a career. The individual needs to buckle down and get to work. Some students may have had bad study habits or bad learning habits in general and the college teacher will help to improve these abilities but will not however hold one’s hand while doing it (Haugen, Lee).College teachers typically teach about seven courses in their subject for example ranging from calculus, statistics, algebra and geometry. Not only may they teach graduates, but they could very well teach undergraduates as well. The tea chers in college do not necessarily teach pupils who have just gotten out of college and are not yet twenty years of age. They can teach all different ages that have no limit. A professor could be teaching someone that is the same age as their grandmother. Knowledge has no age limit and everyone is capable of retaining new material (Teachers—Postsecondary).Many teachers have very different and complicated schedules. Unlike grade school and high school classes that take place all day everyday Monday through Friday without change, these teachers have different obstacles. They may teach three classes a week and each class may be at different times every day. Many college teachers find the environment intellectually stimulating and rewarding because they are surrounded by others who enjoy the subject that they are teaching (Teachers Count). This is very different from younger grades and can be very stressful on students but teachers normally grow accustom to their hectic schedule . Teachers—Postsecondary) An impact that a teacher has on a student is extraordinary. Students spend more time with their teacher than they do with their parents or family while going to school. Teachers are no longer just training their pupils mind for an education but are affecting the intellectual, emotional, and social development of each student they meet (Teachers Count). Teachers are respected by others because they are viewed as knowledgeable about different subjects of school and because they take care of society’s children.Students look up to their teachers for guidance when they are most vulnerable (Rose, Mike). If a student is unsure about something they ask their teacher and trust that the answer given to them is the right response. A teacher spends an entire year with a handful of students. In that time they should have a pretty general idea about each and every pupil in the seats before him or her. Through the teacher’s words and through their act ions, they are being a role model to a student. The teacher provides a special window for the student on a possible future (Adviser, Teacher, Role Model, Friend).Teachers make the world go round. Teachers have the ability to shape and mold the attitudes and values that their pupils possess. This possession can be beneficial with extraordinary outcomes. The society needs decent human beings who know right from wrong and who know how to help the community so the world can be a better place. By teachers enlightening students with more in-depth attitudes they are shaping the world with a strong society (Adviser, Teacher, Role Model, Friend) Teachers are the foundation of this world.They bestow knowledge to all people of every age. Teachers do not just instruct math skills or English skills. They teach moral lessons to everyone willing to learn. When it comes to knowledge, the poorest person in the world could be rich, rich with knowledge. A teacher cannot just stand in front of a room a nd teach. The material in which they preach must be accurate and the students must understand it. One cannot call himself or herself a teacher if the students are not learning the material. The opinions of society can be very influential.If teachers are being viewed negatively than the students are not going to take the teachers seriously and will not respect them not soak up the information that they need (Shargel 19). A proper and positive learning environment is not all that is needed to educate students. Teachers need to radiate positive attitudes and let their students know that they are in charge and that they are there to help the students for a triumphant future that they will need to survive in the world full of seven billion people (McKay, Dawn R. ).

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

ERP Technology

ERP Technology Businesses today confront new markets, new competition, and increasing customer expectations. Thus, companies constantly have to update their business practices and procedures to be even more responsive to their customers and competition. Within the last few decades, information technology emerged as an essential tool to give businesses a competitive advantage. More specifically, ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems are a major information technology being used, in hopes of obtaining this competitive advantage. The efficiency of an enterprise relies upon how quickly information flows across the complete supply chain i.e. from the manufacturer to the supplier to the consumer and so forth. The main purpose of an ERP system is to expedite the supply chain and to make it more efficient.In reviewing the effects of Hansen's Products implementation of its new ERP system (Microsoft Business Solutions Axapta), it is also good to note why it was necessary for the company to implement it in the first place.Hansens Line 1In attempting to manage its production planning and scheduling needs, Hansen had been using a nine-year-old financial system in conjunction with multiple disparate spreadsheets. The company had outgrown that accounting solution. Their raw materials were processed outside of the main system, which made their planning difficult. Their previous solution possessed several constraints in handling their export documentation and multi-currency requirements. Once Hansen realized the decision had to be made to adopt a new and integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, it evaluated seven potential applications before short-listing three and examining their functionality in more depth.In this case, the implementation of the new ERP system allowed the company to integrate at all levels and utilize important ERP applications such as supply-chain management, human resource management and customer relationship management. These applications represent lar ge, complex, computerized and integrated systems, which will strongly influence Hansens's products...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Free Essays on Internet Security

, images, sounds, and video. The Internet is continuing to grow at 40% a year, with about 20 million users, mainly in USA, Canada, and Australia, but still many all over the world. You can do many things on the Internet, such as shop for just about anything, bank and manage money, watch and listen to live cable televison and radio broadcasts, talk to other users with voice like a telephone, conduct international meetings, and access all kinds of information on any subject imaginable. As mentioned earlier, the WWW consists of pages and pages of text, images, sounds, and video. Unlike pages in a book, there is no maximum size for a page, and there is HyperText Links. If you click on any one of these links, the computer will automatically go to the page specified by the link. The WWW is programmed in a computer language called Hyper Text Markup Language, or HTML. Searching the Web can be a difficult thing to do, or if you use a search engine, it can be really easy. Since so many new web pages are added to the Web a day, a very good index is hard to keep, and an alphabetical listing of millions of web pages would be almost impossible to navigate through. To help this problem, people developed search engines that search the Web for you. Some search engines, like Yahoo, search in a big web directory they have made of hundreds of thousands of web ... Free Essays on Internet Security Free Essays on Internet Security He doesn't wear a stocking mask over his face, and he doesn't break a window to get into your house. He doesn't hold a gun to your head, nor does he ransack your personal possessions. Just the same he's a thief. Although this thief is one you'll not only never see,but you may not even realize right away that he's robbed you. The thief is a computer hacker and he "enters" your home via your computer, accessing personal information such as credit card numbers which he could then use without your knowledge at least until you get that next credit card statement. RichardBernes, supervisor of the FBI's Hi-Tech squad in San Jose, California, calls the Internet "the unlocked window in cyberspace through which thieves crawl" (Erickson 1). There seems to be an unlimited potential for theft of credit card numbers, bank statements and other financial and personal information transmitted over the Internet. It's hard to imagine that anyone in today's technologically oriented world could function without computers. Personal computers are linked to business computers and financial networks, and all are linked together via the Internet or other networks. More than a hundred million electronic messages travel through cyberspace every day, and every piece of information stored in a computer is vulnerable to attack (Icove-Seger-VonStorch 1). Yesterday's bank robbers have become today's computer hackers. They can walk away from a computer crime with millions of virtual dollars (in the form of information they can use or sell for an enormous profit). Walking away is precisely what they do. The National Computer Crimes Squad estimates that 85-97 % of the time, theft of information from computers is not even detected (Icove-Seger-VonStorch 1). Home computer users are vulnerable, not only for credit card information and login IDs, but also their files, disks, and other computer equipment and dat a, which are subject to attack. Even if this information i... Free Essays on Internet Security The Internet, or ?net, is a vast network of computers that connects many of the world's businesses, institutions, and individuals. The Internet is composed of many parts, including the World Wide Web, FTP, IRC, Newsgroups, Gopher, WAIS, Archie, and of course Electronic Mail (Email). The Internet is mainly used for communication. Email is the most heavily used resource of the Internet- over 40 million email messages are sent through the Internet a day. The second most used resource, called the World Wide Web, or WWW, consists of pages of words, images, sounds, and video. The Internet is continuing to grow at 40% a year, with about 20 million users, mainly in USA, Canada, and Australia, but still many all over the world. You can do many things on the Internet, such as shop for just about anything, bank and manage money, watch and listen to live cable televison and radio broadcasts, talk to other users with voice like a telephone, conduct international meetings, and access all kinds of information on any subject imaginable. As mentioned earlier, the WWW consists of pages and pages of text, images, sounds, and video. Unlike pages in a book, there is no maximum size for a page, and there is HyperText Links. If you click on any one of these links, the computer will automatically go to the page specified by the link. The WWW is programmed in a computer language called Hyper Text Markup Language, or HTML. Searching the Web can be a difficult thing to do, or if you use a search engine, it can be really easy. Since so many new web pages are added to the Web a day, a very good index is hard to keep, and an alphabetical listing of millions of web pages would be almost impossible to navigate through. To help this problem, people developed search engines that search the Web for you. Some search engines, like Yahoo, search in a big web directory they have made of hundreds of thousands of web ... Free Essays on Internet Security Internet security in one of the hottest topics in the e-commerce industry today. Industry experts predict security issues on the Internet are the primary reasons many companies and consumers are hesitant to do business online. The Internet is a large-scale network of systems that is highly unbounded. This means it has no system of administrative control and no security policies. If there are security policies or laws they constantly need to be altered because of the changing technology. You are always up for an attack or an intrusion of your own privacy. Survivability is the key. Just the simple task of checking email, browsing, chatrooms, or even shopping can be harmful. You can be safe in this environment but you must always be on the alert for problems. Three kinds of Internet security issues that are the topic of conversation; Unauthorized access, back doors and loopholes and, the potential threat of confidential information sent over the internet can be viewed (Scott, 1998). There are several ways you can become a victim of these issues. Email, browsing, shopping or banking and chat rooms are a potential threat for your security. Email can be a type of security issue. America Online, Inc. was forced to admit that hackers had accessed member accounts recently through an email virus. Sending and receiving email from unknown people can cause a hazard. You can make common mistakes by revealing your identity from digital signatures and sending personal pictures of yourself. Although, it is highly unlikely for someone to capture your mail while it is in route to its destination, you should always think about whom you are sending this mail to. Encrypting also is a valuable key is you are mailing confidential information. Mostly email comes from a person or a group listed in the email. Sometimes people deliberately provide the wrong information in the listing. A security conscious user last year noticed five new email me...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

What SAT IIs Should You Take if You Plan to Study Business?

When you’re in high school, you normally take the PSAT, the SAT, and perhaps the ACT as well. That’s enough testing to get you into college right? Alas, not always. If you’re an prospective business student, you may be expected to take additional SAT II tests, as is true for many other majors. Which ones should you take if you plan to study business? Read on to find out. SAT IIs (also known as SAT Subject Tests), are a supplementary component of your college applications. The College Board administers these hour-long, subject-specific tests in a variety of academic disciplines, from Physics to World History. Selective colleges sometimes require SAT II scores to get a better sense of applicants’ strengths. If a student is homeschooled, it’s even more likely that a college will require SAT IIs.    For the most part, students get to choose which SAT IIs they wish to take. However, some colleges may require or recommend the number of SAT Subject Tests the student should take, or the subjects themselves. These sort of restrictions definitely exist if you are applying to some of the top colleges as a prospective Business major. Before you look at any of our advice below, make sure that you verify the admissions requirements for the schools on your college list to see if there are any SAT II tests that you must take. For example, many universities require that prospective business students take the Math II test because they want to ensure that you’ve achieved proficiency in certain mathematical concepts that are necessary to the major. Lately, many colleges have been moving away from requiring SAT Subject Test scores to simply recommending them. While this means that you may not technically need to take SAT Subject Tests to apply to that university, you should take their recommendation to heart. If you think you can study adequately and do well on the tests they suggest, you should definitely do it; it could be a helpful addition to your application. Here are some examples of schools that require or recommend their applicants to submit SAT Subject Tests: If your college recommends SAT Subject Tests and you’re a prospective business major, the first exam you should sign up for is the Math II. Almost always, colleges will want to see that their business majors have mastered mathematical concepts up to pre-calculus. The Math II subject test fulfills that requirement. Math I is not recommended, especially if you’re applying to a more selective school, as the concepts tested on Math I are not as advanced. Strong math skills are necessary for business majors, particularly in their finance and accounting coursework. Thus, it is beneficial to study for this test and master these skills now as you will use them again and again in business school.   Our students see an average increase of 250 points on their SAT scores. Most colleges who want SAT Subject Tests usually ask for two scores. The Math II test is a necessary first exam, but what about the second exam? Is there a specific test that colleges think is necessary for prospective business majors? Well, there are two types of exams that you ought to consider taking if you’re thinking of pursuing a business major: As a general rule, we at do not recommend you take a language exam for your SAT Subject Tests, especially if the language you choose is your native language. However, there is one exception to this rule, and that’s if you’re planning on pursuing a degree in International Business or a trade. Otherwise, steer clear of those. Want to learn more about SAT II tests? See these previous blog posts: Want to find out what tests you need to take to boost your admissions profile? We’ll help diagnose your profile and build you a roadmap through our Mentorship Program . Through our Mentorship Program, you will be matched with a successful college student who is on a similar path when it comes to their academic, career, and college goals. This mentor will meet with you and your parents to provide helpful advice on all topics from college admissions to career goals, and they’ll make sure that you are poised to succeed throughout high school.  Ã‚  

Friday, October 18, 2019

Politics in the Phillipines Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Politics in the Phillipines - Research Paper Example Benigno Aquino, III graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and after he graduated, he joined his family in exile in the United States (Senate of the Philippines). When his father was assassinated in 1983, he returned to the Philippines. He was later elected as Congressman, representing Tarlac province. He was reelected several times and in 2007 won a seat with the House of Senate (Encyclopedia Brittanica). On 2009, his mother Corazon Aquino passed away. By that time, the people of the Philippines were experiencing much dissatisfaction with the Arroyo Administration. President Corazon Aquino’s death revived feelings of the first Edsa Revolution which was also triggered by the people’s dissatisfaction with the government (Teves). A significant clamor for him to run for president in the upcoming elections was expressed by the people. A month after his mother’s death, he announced his presidential bid in the upcomi ng 2010 elections. On May 2010, after a landslide victory, he was elected as the 15th president of the Philippines (Teves). As soon as he was elected as President, he immediately expressed his vow to fight corruption in the country, declaring that there would be no poverty in the Philippines if there was no corruption (Sunstar). ... He has been accused of continually blaming the previous administration for the current state of the Philippines (Sunstar). He has also been accused of doing nothing, and the media has labeled his inactions as ‘Noynoying’ (Gamil and Aurelio). Being the first bachelor president of the Philippines, he has also been criticized for paying more attention to his romantic life. He has been known to date several women since his term started, and as yet, none of these romantic engagements have produced any significant relationships (GMA News). As president, he has maintained diplomatic relations with other countries. Recently however, the Philippines and China have been in a politically tense situation with the latter claiming territorial jurisdiction over Scarborough Shoal (Bautista, 35). President Aquino has firmly expressed that the Shoal was part of the Philippine territory and he has asked for assistance from the US and the international community in order to protect its terr itory (Tulfo). At present, the Scarborough situation has yet to be settled. 2. Arroyo, Gloria Macapagal (450 words) President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is the 14th president of the Republic of the Philippines. She is the second female president of the Philippines and is also the daughter of a former president – Diosdado Macapagal (Spaeth). She married businessman Jose Miguel Arroyo in 1968 and they had three children. She studied at the Walsh School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C and later earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from Assumption College in Manila, a Master’s degree from Ateneo de Manila, and a doctorate degree from the University of the Philippines, Dilliman (Spaeth). She

Estimate the five operating expenses for each of the past three fiscal Essay

Estimate the five operating expenses for each of the past three fiscal years, and evaluate what operating leverage, if any, was applied each year - Essay Example According to both financial statements the five costs are Cost of Revenue, Research and Development, Selling General and Administrative Expenses, Non-Recurring and Others. For the sake of simplicity, Cost of Revenue and Selling, General and Administration Expenses would be regarded as Variable Cost and the other expenditure as Fixed Cost. From the Income Statement Extract for 2003 (Fig 2), it is clear that PFIZER operated with a higher degree of operating leverage than GlaxoSmithKline. This is evident in the company's fixed cost percentage as PFIZER's fixed cost position is 2% higher that its competitor. The fact that PFIZER has a substantial amounts of capital tied up in its fixed assets and in particular in Research and Development Expenditure, would account for its higher operating leverage. It should be of no surprise therefore, that PFIZER's Research and Development accounts for over 50% of its total fixed cost. GlaxoSmithKline may have been a little more conservative since its Research and Development Expenditure spans only 5% of its total fixed cost. The strategy therefore would be for PFIZER to reduce its fixed cost percentage and thus enable itself to manage its risks. It has successfully done so in December 2004 (Fig 3) and as a result its operations have expanded by 13%. GlaxoSmithKline, on the other hand, operating income expanded by only 3% despite the reduction of its operating leverage. This is owing to the fact that its revenue of $39 Billion only increased by 3%. Fig 4 According to Fig 4, the Operating Income of GlaxoSmithKline has improved by an additional 4% where as PFIZER fell by 5%. PFIZER operating leverage has increased again and hence would account for the fall in Operating Income by $3 Billion. It was clear that GlaxoSmithKline managed its operating leverage better and hence reduces its risk. Conclusion The question, which may arise, is whether PFIZER is in a better situation than GlaxoSmithKline The truth is "leverage is neither good or bad"(Schmedt May 1998). Each company must assess the amount of risk it is willing to take while striving to achieve its corporate objectives. It is important to understand the company's cost structure to enable management to make effective decisions so that it can compete effectively and achieve the competitive advantage it so desires. References Fred Schmedts, The concept of Operating Leverage : The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation http://www.noble.org/Ag/Economics/OperatingLeverage/index.html Glaxosmithkline PLC Financial Statements December 2003 to December 2005 - Yahoo Finance http://finance.yahoo.com/q/iss=GSK&annual PFIZER Inc Financial Statements December 2003 to December 2005 - Yahoo Finance http://finance.yahoo.com/q/iss=PFE&annual Buccino, Gerald P. and Kraig S. McKinley, "The Importance of Operating Leverage in a Turnaround," Secure Lender (September / October 1997),

Accounting Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Accounting - Research Paper Example Computer systems have translated all the hand-written statements into systems that can present financial reports from individual transactions. Popular accounting systems are now also available in tailor made form for various companies and industries. This permits organizations to build individual reports easily and quickly manage decision-making. Another change effected by IT on accounting has been the improvement of functionality in accounting departments via increasing accounting information timeliness (Gelinas et al 58). Through improvement of financial information timeliness, accountants are able to prepare for operation and report analysis that can give the management an accurate vision of the current operations. It has also improved the number of financial statements, for example, market share reports, departmental profit and loss, and cash flow statements. Finally, it has allowed accountants to process large financial information data and faster processing of this data (Gelinas et al 58). This has lessened the amount of time required to close each accounting period. Shortening the time helps the organizations in cost control, which, in turn, increases the overall efficiency of the company. Cloud computing and mobile devices are going to be the most important components of Information Technology in the coming decade (Office of Technology Assessment 270). Mobile devices such as ultra-books, tablets, and cell phones, as well as cloud computing, will aid in the further integration of technology into all aspects of accounting on a regular basis. This is referred to as pervasive computing (Office of Technology Assessment 270). With this pervasive computing, accountants will utilize mobile devices in order to access applications that are cloud based, data and communications. The connectivity will aid accountants to work more efficiently and exchange information more

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Immigration policy in the USA Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Immigration policy in the USA - Term Paper Example Such tactics often result in increased competition for employment by the locals with their immigrant counterparts which will create dissatisfaction among the locals. Earlier, America welcomed all the people from the world irrespective of their ethnic or educational backgrounds. In 1980’s and 1990’s, America experienced enormous growth of small-scale industries, mainly because of the contributions of the immigrants. However, at present America implemented many restrictions upon immigration because of the increased threats of terrorism and violence from both legal and illegal immigrants. 9/11 incident resulted in the strengthening of the immigration policies in America. This paper discusses how immigration policy about whom and how many to let in has changed over time and what this change reveals about a society’s quest for national identity Changes in American immigration policies The immediate reasons for drastic changes in immigration policies are the threats fr om terrorists. 9/11 incident was a lesson for America’s immigration and naturalization department. Terrorists can enter America through legal and illegal channels. The war on terror and the disputes with the Islamic world made America vulnerable to terrorist attacks at any time. It should be noted that many of the Americans watching the Muslims in America with suspicious eyes after the 9/11 incident. It is difficult for the Muslim people to get American visa at present unless they have enough reasons to convince the authorities about their purpose of visit. Moreover, in many of the American airports, body screening is implemented especially for the Muslim people. All these policies reveal that America is not much interested in allowing Muslim immigration after the 9/11 incident. Another important issue which forced America to strengthen their immigration policies is the social problems associated with immigration. Uncontrolled Immigration can result in the identity crisis. Th e Middle East is facing such problems at present. In most of the Middle Eastern countries or the Gulf countries, the number of immigrants is more than the number of locals which created a lot of identity problems. No country would like to see more immigrants in its territory than the number of locals. The excessive number of immigrant people seen in the streets, workplaces and other public gathering places may create the sense of unhappiness among the locals. Moreover, Americans cannot keep a friendly attitude towards immigrants especially when they are struggling to get out of the recession problems. Many of the Americans lost their employment because of the recession problems and the subsequent collapse of big organizations. At the same time, they are witnessing the survival of the immigrant community in America. Immigrant community mostly has their own small-scale businesses and the recession has not affected their businesses very much. All ethnicities are not equal; all are not symbolic, costless and voluntary. When white Americans equate their own symbolic ethnicities with the socially enforced identities of non white Americans, they obscure the fact the experiences of the whites and non whites have been qualitatively different in the United States and that the current identities of individuals partly reflect that unequal history (Waters, n. d., p.201-202) Even though racism is prohibited by law in America, it can be observed in many other forms in American social life.  

Strategic Management Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategic Management Analysis - Essay Example t PESTEL analysis is generally a tool that assists the organisations to make the strategies by helping them to comprehend the external environment where they operate now or might operate in the near future. PESTEL analysis will assist Thomas Cook in understanding its environment in which it operates and will assist them to build certain strategies in order to overcome the threats that it possesses (Renewal Associates, 2003). The head of the political system of Britain is a monarch. The three arms of the state as stated in the classical political theory are the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. There are three political parties in the UK system of politics namely the Labour Party, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrat Party (Roger Darlington, 2010). The government of the UK doesn’t permits spending its money in countries abroad and prefers its citizens to spend their money in the UK itself and take their holidays in the UK instead of abroad in order to promote domestic tourism. This might have an adverse impact upon the Thomas Cook. The economic crisis of Greece had an adverse affect on the holiday booking in the country. In addition to this it was evident that the currency rate fluctuation also has an adverse impact upon the outbound as well as inbound tourist. The value of sterling or pound in opposition to another currency has an impact upon the cost of coming to the UK for the inbound tourists. The fluctuation of currency rates may affect the tourism in other ways as well. The tour operators may find out that the charges that have been decided with hoteliers as well as transporters in different nations might increase as well as decrease because of the ‘currency movements’. There has been a trend of accessing the internet and buying the necessary goods online in the UK. People of the UK love to listen to music and radio; and like to socialise by entertaining families and friends at home rather than going outside. They are more

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Accounting Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Accounting - Research Paper Example Computer systems have translated all the hand-written statements into systems that can present financial reports from individual transactions. Popular accounting systems are now also available in tailor made form for various companies and industries. This permits organizations to build individual reports easily and quickly manage decision-making. Another change effected by IT on accounting has been the improvement of functionality in accounting departments via increasing accounting information timeliness (Gelinas et al 58). Through improvement of financial information timeliness, accountants are able to prepare for operation and report analysis that can give the management an accurate vision of the current operations. It has also improved the number of financial statements, for example, market share reports, departmental profit and loss, and cash flow statements. Finally, it has allowed accountants to process large financial information data and faster processing of this data (Gelinas et al 58). This has lessened the amount of time required to close each accounting period. Shortening the time helps the organizations in cost control, which, in turn, increases the overall efficiency of the company. Cloud computing and mobile devices are going to be the most important components of Information Technology in the coming decade (Office of Technology Assessment 270). Mobile devices such as ultra-books, tablets, and cell phones, as well as cloud computing, will aid in the further integration of technology into all aspects of accounting on a regular basis. This is referred to as pervasive computing (Office of Technology Assessment 270). With this pervasive computing, accountants will utilize mobile devices in order to access applications that are cloud based, data and communications. The connectivity will aid accountants to work more efficiently and exchange information more

Strategic Management Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategic Management Analysis - Essay Example t PESTEL analysis is generally a tool that assists the organisations to make the strategies by helping them to comprehend the external environment where they operate now or might operate in the near future. PESTEL analysis will assist Thomas Cook in understanding its environment in which it operates and will assist them to build certain strategies in order to overcome the threats that it possesses (Renewal Associates, 2003). The head of the political system of Britain is a monarch. The three arms of the state as stated in the classical political theory are the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. There are three political parties in the UK system of politics namely the Labour Party, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrat Party (Roger Darlington, 2010). The government of the UK doesn’t permits spending its money in countries abroad and prefers its citizens to spend their money in the UK itself and take their holidays in the UK instead of abroad in order to promote domestic tourism. This might have an adverse impact upon the Thomas Cook. The economic crisis of Greece had an adverse affect on the holiday booking in the country. In addition to this it was evident that the currency rate fluctuation also has an adverse impact upon the outbound as well as inbound tourist. The value of sterling or pound in opposition to another currency has an impact upon the cost of coming to the UK for the inbound tourists. The fluctuation of currency rates may affect the tourism in other ways as well. The tour operators may find out that the charges that have been decided with hoteliers as well as transporters in different nations might increase as well as decrease because of the ‘currency movements’. There has been a trend of accessing the internet and buying the necessary goods online in the UK. People of the UK love to listen to music and radio; and like to socialise by entertaining families and friends at home rather than going outside. They are more

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Understand Group Dynamics Essay Example for Free

Understand Group Dynamics Essay I.Introduction To understand Organizational Behavior and Management, we must study three different levels. The first is the individual level, because every individual has its own unique perception of the world and what surrounds him. Individuals behave following how they interpret this and their environment. Each individual is different from the next one, because of its personality and characteristics. However, it’s possible to organize them by categorizing their perceptions. Categories such as Appearance, Social behavior and Status are often considered. Individual’s motivations must be analyzed to understand the next level : the Group. A Group is composed by 2 or more individuals, who come together to accomplish a particular task or goal, which is why their behavior is very important and has to be studied first. A manager leading a group will have to take into account each of the individual characteristics in order for it to work. As individuals join and create a group, shall it be a formal or informal one, we slowly change focus. The individual needs, perceptions and motivations get absorbed and the Group creates its own norms of acceptable behavior for all the individuals to follow for as long as they are part of the Group. They don’t, however, chance the individual itself when he is by himself. As Groups develop its own norms and statuses, its behavior evolves. The third level, is Organizations. That level is different from the Group one because it involves systematic efforts and organizations are engaged in the production of goods and services. It’s also different from the sum of the individuals perceptions because it can impact how individuals behave with each other, thus influencing their perception. An organization though, is comparable to an individual because each is unique and has its own culture. Moreover, if the values of the organization match the values of the individuals, they will enjoy being part of it more than if it’s not the case. The second level, Group Dynamics, is the one that will be focused on in this report. II.Group Characteristics. a)Formal and informal groups. There are different kind of groups, but they can mostly be split into two categories : Formal and Informal. Formal groups are groups officially planned and created by the organization to do a specific task. At ESSEC, we could compare them to the individuals who, in groups, did the OB presentations. They were officially planned in the course to do a presentation. In an organization, a formal group could be the Marketing (or any other) Department. In a formal group, there is a structure. Often, individuals are given specific tasks to complete within the main final task. Sometimes, there is a hierarchy and written rules. Informal groups are not official per say. They are natural social formations established by individuals rather than organizations, and unplanned. In a workplace, it could be a group of employees meeting once a month for dinner to discuss their Fishing hobby. At ESSEC, it could be an unofficial football team made especially for a tournament within the school. The purpose of an informal group can be pursuing a special interest, be social, or even just have fun. b)Group effectiveness Group dynamics concern how groups form, their structure and process, and how they function. Some groups are more successful than others. Why ? A common mistake would be to say that if your group members or employees are hard working, happy, competitive or smart, the group only can function well. But as a matter of fact, that doesn’t mean they are honest, productive, loyal or creative. However, teamwork and communication between members is capital. Managers can help increasing a work group’s performance when they create it by taking into consideration the characteristics of members they assign to particular groups. The members should have tasks assigned to them according to their domain of expertise and appropriate interpersonal skills to facilitate interaction and communication with others. Moreover, a degree of diversity among group members has shown to usually add to performance. If members are attracted to the group because they like members of the group, or the group activities/goals or just because it fills a need for affiliation, they are more likely to be productive. The size of the group also has an influence on the group’s performance. According to recent research, medium sized groups of 5 to 7 people seem to have the higher performance in organizations. If the group is smaller, there’s a chance it can highlight the individual differences and harm the group cohesiveness. If group are too large, people tend to work more by themselves (â€Å"Free riding†) rather than with the whole group, or create smaller teams within the group. c)Group norms. Norms are acceptable standards of behavior within a group that are shared by the members of the group. Norms define the limits of what is acceptable and what is not in terms of behavior. They are typically imagined in order to facilitate group survival, make behavior more predictable, avoid embarrassing situations, and express the values of the group. Each group will establish its own set of norms that may determine anything from the appropriate clothes to wear at a dinner to how many comments to make in a meeting. Groups pressure members to force them to conform to the groups standards. The norms often reflect the level of commitment, motivation, and performance of the group. The majority of the members of the group must agree that the norms are appropriate in order for the behavior to be accepted. There must also be a shared understanding that the group supports the norms. However it may happen that the norms are broken from time to time by some members. If the majority of members do not adhere to the norms anymore, then there is a chance they will eventually change and will no longer serve as a standard to study the group’s behavior. From there, group members who do not conform to the norms risk being excluded, ignored, or asked to leave the group. d)Group Roles Having a diversity of skills and ideas within a group often enriches the group process and can improve the final product. It can, however, also be seen as a challenge to work with people different from ourselves and avoid exacerbating individual characteristics. One way to structure group functioning and benefit from each other’s expertise is to assign roles to each member of the group based on individual’s strengths. It can also be a good idea to switch roles between members periodically so every member understands why those roles are important. I have found that four roles that have the potential to maximize group performance and help understanding group’s dynamics and behavior in the workplace. A group should not be composed of just those 4 people, but the others would only have tasks assigned to them. They are as follow : The first is the Leader, also called Facilitator. He’s the one who clarifies the aims of the group and helps the members set smaller tasks for themselves to work on. Leaders also make sure that all group members understand the concepts of the project and that the group’s conclusions make sense. If the group has meetings, he is the one who introduces the agenda of tasks to complete until the next meeting, mind oriented towards the final goals. Then, the Monitor, also called Arbitrator. Its key role would be to monitor carefully if the group is functioning well. Regularly, he will initiate discussions on group climate and process, especially if he senses tension or sees there could be a conflict between two or more members. During disagreements or conflicts, he will explain each sides arguments and suggests solutions to resolve the conflict. He makes sure that all group members have a chance to participate and learn from the process. There’s also the Note/Time Keeper. Note and Time Keeping are two different things, but the role could be taken by just one person. He keeps a record of what has been decided, shall it be tasks that are assigned to who or other any other information by taking notes when the group meets or when talking to group members. He makes a summary of previous discussions/decisions and makes it available for all the members to see. He also presents the group progress to the supervisor regularly to make sure the group is headed in the right direction. The Time Keeper keeps track of time during meetings to avoid spending excessive time on one topic. This is best handled by deciding how much time will be allocated to each issue in the agenda, and letting everyone know when this time is up. It is also useful to point out when time is almost up so that issues can be wrapped up appropriately. Finally, there’s the Devil’s Advocate. It’s someone who takes a position he does not necessarily agree with, for the sake of argument. In taking such position, the individual taking on the devils advocate role seeks to engage others in an argumentative discussion process. The purpose of such process is typically to test the quality of the original argument and identify weaknesses in its structure, and to use such information to either improve or abandon the original, opposing position. He must keep his or her mind open to problems, possibilities, and opposing ideas at all times. e)Group or Team ? We could say a group is just a collection of people whereas a team is that same collection of people who are working together on a common goal. Example: A group of people get in an elevator. They all have different goals and agendas for being on the elevator, they don’t even know each other, or maybe they do, it’s irrelevant. The group becomes a team when the elevator breaks down. Now they all have the same goal : figure out how to get out of the elevator. The difference between Group work and Team work can be resumed as follow. A group will focus on individual goals. Each member will produce individual work products. Individual tasks, roles and responsibilities will be assigned. Also, in a group, the manager is the one who sets up the purpose, goals, approach to work. A team is slightly different. The focus is on team goals. It also defines roles, responsibilities, and tasks but will often share and rotate them to help team do its work. The goals and approach to work w ill be shaped by the team members together.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Social Construction Of Gender Cultural Studies Essay

Social Construction Of Gender Cultural Studies Essay Nortons anthology of Theory and Criticism is a collection of influential critical statements that are drawn from the classical era to the present times. These topic areas has been contributed by different scholars who have written on wide range of issues that covers different interest that touches on the history of poetics to post modernity. One of the topics that Norton looks at is criticism of Simone De Beauviors feminist argument and that of Judith Butlers on gender trouble. Judith book, Gender in trouble is a fictional account of womens issues in the modern societies. She borrows De beavouirs feminist theory to analyze some of the issue facing women today. Social construction of Gender Butler is a radical feminist who is trying to examine some of the foundational roots of gender identity that are culturally embedded within the fabrics of the society and is now characterized by political correctness. She was very much influenced by French writers such as Mitchell Foucault, Jean Sartre but above all Simone De Beauvoir. She draws much of her theoretical thinking on about feminism from De Beauviors concept on the Sex second. Simone de Beauvior was born and grew up in Paris in a wealthy and but very religious family background. He later the family lost their wealth after World War one. Her early childhood life was very much influence by her religious faith, but later turned atheist. Even during his formatting years, De beauvior displayed signs of intellectual prowess which hugely influenced his father. She managed to study mathematics, philosophy and literature, after which he ventured into the field of education. It is argued that beauvior engaged in a romantic relationship with both men and women. In her book, Sexuality, Existentialist feminism and the Second Sex, De beauvior talks about the whole use of feminist sexuality by referring to her own sexual experiences in the mandarins. She laments how womens sexuality has been social constructed by the patriarchal system and stereotypes to belong to the lower beds of the society. Unfortunately, mens perception of women is attributed by other factors such as race, class and religion. As a result, men refer to women as weaker vessel and used sex to confine them to the lower levels of the patriarchal system. In response, De beauvior comes up with the concept of feminist existentialism which contains ideological concepts and theoretical framework that underpins these moral changes. Gender as a choice In her book gender in trouble, Butler emphasizes on the performative nature of gender is constantly trying to free itself from cultural oppression, prejudice and sex perversions. Drawing from her role model, Butler argues along the lines of gender and sex in relation to women, lesbians and gay men. From this book, Butler argues that our understanding of femininity is actually based on cultural interpretation rather than scientific examinations. As a result our perceptions of gender and sex are socially constructed or dictated to by what our societies think, say or portray to us. She refers to the term gender as choice to criticize victimization of women as purported in classical literature. We cannot choose sex or our bodies but we can clothe it according to our cultural understanding. Thus, Beauvoirs theory has radicalized our cultural understanding of gender and gender roles. Beauvoir is one of the key feminist thinkers of the 19th century. She advocate for womens freedom in choosing what is right for them and not to be dictated to by nature or conventional social laws initiated by men. She further explains that women should not allow themselves to be defined by biological gender, rather on their personhood. Beavour argues that the societys reference to female becoming a woman is used to identify them with domestic chores and duties such as cooking, cleaning or being a wife or a mother. In addition, her concept of female becoming a woman encompasses the societys obsession with beauty that is being reinforced by male dominated media which also defines what is deemed to be appropriate modes of dressing. Butler explores the relationship between that exists between power and categories of sex and gender. Through this book, she attack some of the prevailing gender assumptions on womens social roles and sexuality as dictated to by male dominated society. Butler therefore reiterates that there is need to differentiate between biological make up of female body and cultural perception of gender. She uses her dominant theme concerning gender as normative to call upon the society to tackle the gender trouble head on in order to deal with some the existing subversive concepts of women. Conclusion Womens liberation thinking of the 19th century greatly influenced thinking of many scholars including academicians and literary writers. One of those literary writers who were not spared by feminist movement was Simone De Beavouir, French intellectual who found her feet in America. Her move to America enabled her to develop a free mind as she embarked on her literary journey. De beavour used her own sexual experience to develop her feminist theory. Today, her feminism theory is being used widely by other postmodern writers an tool for developing independent feminist thinking. One of those post modern feminist writers is Judith butlers who have drawn much of her ideas from De beavour thought of feminist liberation. Through, her book Butler argues that the society in general need to come up with new ways of dealing gender and sex, by tackling what she calls gender trouble.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Themes of Prejudice and Tolerance in To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

The book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel. It is set in the 1930s, a time when racism was very prominent. Harper Lee emphasizes the themes of prejudice and tolerance in her novel through the use of her characters and their interactions within the Maycomb community. The narrator of the story, Scout, comes across many people and situations with prejudice and tolerance, as her father defends a black man. Racial prejudice is widespread in the county of Maycomb, and a prime example is the Tom Robinson case. Tom, a black man, was accused of raping Mayella, a white woman. Atticus puts forward all evidence from his witnesses that clearly proves Tom was innocent, Jem even says, ?and we?re gonna win Scout. I don?t see how we can?t? (pg 206), but Tom still received a ?Guilty? verdict. Atticus tried removing the prejudiced thoughts of the jurors by saying, the assumption - the evil assumption - that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings. (pg 208). Atticus? saying insinuated the point that all of God?s children were created equal. To the jury, the only important thing was that Tom was black and the accuser was white, he never stood a chance under those conditions. These racial tensions between blacks and whites had made their way into the courtroom, a place where everyone should receive a fair trial no matter what race or colour, but an unjust verdict was reached. The prejudice that was felt towards Tom made him lose all hope of freedom, and as a result, he died upon an escape attempt. Tom was victim of racial prejudice and loss of hope. The novel not only explores racial prejudice, but also prejudice against gender and social status. Maudie is a victim of prejudice agains... ... situation from their perspective, and in this case, Atticus reveals Mrs Dubose being a morphine addict. She wanted to die without having to rely on the drug and her escapades were what it easier. Jem and Scout understood the situation and learnt the importance of tolerance. The themes of prejudice and tolerance are conveyed strongly through the characters and their dilemmas. Jem and Scout learn of the prejudice of the town Maycomb to Atticus defending a black man, Tom Robinson. However, Miss Maudie, Calpurnia and several others show that not everyone in Maycomb are so judgemental. Jem and Scout also learn how to deal with situations sensibly from their father, they learn how to be tolerant. Thus, the novel?s characters demonstrate both prejudice and tolerance. Works Cited Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York City, NY: J.B.Lippincott Company, 2008.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Community-based Policing: The Future of Law Enforcement :: Law Enforcement Essays

OUTLINE Thesis:Community-based policing provides hope for the future of Law enforcement. I. Introduction to C.B.P. A.The roots of C.B.P. B.So what is community? II.The two elements of C.B.P. law enforcement philosophy are: A. Community partnership. B. Problem solving. III. The reaction of police to change. IV. The future of C.B.P. A. A first step in C.B.P. B. Measuring success. C. Crime prevention. V. Conclusion. INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY-BASED POLICING. "In Philadelphia, a pulsating tavern juke box that has caused irate neighbors to log 500 Police calls in six months, was moved away from a common wall with the adjoining building.@ (Author unknown US News) The calls stopped. Though it seems simple, such a move is at the heart of what we know as Community-based Policing. The movement toward C.B.P. has gained momentum in recent years. As Police and community leaders search for more effective ways to enhance the sense of public safety and the quality of life in their communities. We have accepted C.B.P in one police department after another,and we are ready now to agree that "C.B.P. provides hope for the future of Law enforcement." We can trace the seed of C.B.P. back to Sir Robert Peel, the father of the modern Police system, who said "the Police is the public and the public are the Police"(Braiden). For different reasons, the Police lost sight of that principle defining their relationship with the public. Modern historians have said that the reform era in government, which started in the 1900's to combat corruption, along with the move toward the professional image of police work, resulted in the separation of Police and Community (Kelling, Moore, pg-5) Reform style Policing emerged in the 50s and 60s with rotating shifts and frequent movement of officers, (to prevent corruption). Random patrolling (a reactive police technique) was also detrimental to the link between Police and public. The police adopted a policy of centralized control to ensure compliance with set standards, and to encourage a professional aura of impartiality. All these policies along with the use of automobiles, telephones, and other technological advances helped distance the Police more. The calls for service increased as urban population and crime awareness increased, making the police almost totally reactive. The introduction of computers only encouraged that false idea of "quick" reactive response and a statistical view toward measuring success in policing(rather than analyzing the local needs of the community.) By the late 70's the communities had become a diverse pool of nationalities, subcultures, and attitudes. People identified themselves as parts of separate groups and at times the Police was not part of what they called "us.@ During this time, a burst of new ideas and changes in the sociopolitical and economic