Environmental assessment Essay

This paper has been written to analyze in-depth, the pollution, covering air, water, chemicals, and other such related issues in the United States. Further, I would also be developing an environmental health teaching plan to address one of these issues. Environmental issues are becoming very prevalent in today’s world. The question is why the environment and its concerns are becoming more prevalent, important and famous now. For this, we will need to look at the history. For decades we have neglected this seemingly dangerous issue due to which it has been going unnoticed. The reason we never before paid heed to this concern or issue is because this issue’s repercussions were not evident in the previous years. As no such notice regarding this issue was taken into consideration, it could not even be rectified. (Abel & McConnell, 2007). However, with the advent of global warming and other factors such as acid rain, prevalence of carbon dioxide and the ever increasing penetration of green house gases has put many lives at stake making many people fear that this world will not continue to exist or survive for more than 10 years from now on that means that by 2018 this world will have used most of the resources and this is basically due to the wastages of resources available to us. The basic thing that we have to consider here is to think hard about the issue as to how we can prevent our precious resources from depletion, disappearance and from vanishing. To answer this question we can simply say that we should use our resources optimally. (Kemp, 2007). It is believed that the next war that would be held would be for the sole purpose of resources. The 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre highlights the hidden objective of the resources. Although this act would be illegal and an immoral thing or practice, therefore many countries other than the one going for the war would object to this act for spoiling the world peace. U. S is a super power of the world and it is always trying to get hold of the resources. They are doing this by capturing resources, snatching them and raiding the countries that have abundant of these resources such as O. P. E. C countries and countries with no or minimal problems of the water shortage or the countries thave abundant of resources like the crude oil, natural coal and the natural gas. (Harris 2004). The reason why some countries have been the target of the United States is because although these countries might have some kinds of resources, however they do not have any resources that can be used to combat the threat or the attack coming from the super power such as the US and countries that are the allies of the U. S. such as European Union that also includes Turkey. Furthermore, these countries have a very weak defence and military, but the most important two factors that are responsible for their vulnerability are mentioned below. †¢ Lack of Decisive and Prowess Leadership. †¢ Ignorance to the current affairs and the intelligence. This is one of the major problems that might create huge problems for the countries US has their eyes on. With all the afore mentioned details to the problem, now let us go deeper in to the affects of the ignorance this problem environment exploitation that is also supported by the fact that he next war expected to take place is on the resources. The mere resources which were once used with out any fear of them being depleted once are now being depleted all because of the lack of the knowledge and the lack of the far sightedness of the problem. Now this problem has become very prominent and inevitable. The depletion of resources is not a small problem but it is vice versa. It is a very big problem that can greatly affect our future generations and if this problem goes unsolved today then our generations will have no future or to put it more realistically our future generation is going to be at the mercy of an unsafe future with lots of pollutants in the air. Therefore, if this problem goes unrectified then its repercussions can be innumerable, our future generation is at stake and now is definitely the time to act upon. (Horner, 2007). The United States of America, in past many years have taken initiative to contribute towards environment uplift and betterment of the environment. Environmental hazards do not have any boundary. The boundaries separating the countries subordinate to environmental impacts. Global warming, green house gases, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide penetration know no boundary and their impact is much due to which there is a dire need now is to prevent exposure to these hazards. However, the US cannot alone can not take any initiative to combat this seemingly deadly hazard and so it requires input and the cumulative effort to prevent this penetration in to our lives and body but as the US is one of the major super powers of the world, it must take the initiative. Furthermore, US is well equipped with resources and can lead the world to save the environment. (Houghton, 2004). US has repeatedly been warned of the repercussions of the gases from chimneys that their factories and companies are producing and how their industrial wastage is discarded. Furthermore, US have broken many protocols and pacts on this regard and continue to exploit environment. US can also be given the name of one of the world‘s biggest pollutants. The environments can also affect international marketing decisions and the planning system of the countries. This is because two different states have two different governments and thus having different polices and laws. Therefore, the marketing decisions that are taken in a country are different from each other according to the social, economic and political environment that exists in the country. (Kitchen & Schultz, 2000). Reference Abel,D. C. & McConnell,R. L. (2007). Environmental Issues: An Introduction to Sustainability. 3rd Edn. Prentice Hall, Paperback. Horner,C. C. (2007). The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming and Environmentalism. Regnery Publishing, Inc. , Paperback. Kemp,D. D. (2007). Exploring Environmental Issues (Kindle Edition). 1st Edn. Taylor & Francis. Kitchen,P. &Schultz,D. (2000). Communicating Globally: An Integrated Marketing Approach. London, Macmillan Business. Scorecard. (n. d. ). More Facts on Pollution. January 3rd, 2009. Retrieved from: http://www. scorecard. org/

The Day the Earth Stood Still

The movie â€Å"The Day The Earth Stood Still† is more of a propaganda film with themes than a science fiction film because its sci-fi characteristics almost feel like an afterthought. The movie is set in the early 1950’s, when American's showed deep concern towards Communism. Fear of the unknown, which was associated with Communism, is also a major point of the film and it exploits this theme with knowing veracity. In most respects, Klaatu is the epitome of this fear, and the characters of the film react to the alien with fright, due to our perceptions of the unfamiliar. The scene where Klaatu is shot because the soldier doesn’t know what the unknown device in his hand was is an example of fear in America at that time. Another theme the movie seems to deal with is religious symbolism. The arrival of a spaceship in Washington D. C from the sky carrying a celestial being that wishes to speak to the world but is denied doing so He is wounded and taken to the hospital where he escapes and assumes the identity of a Mr. Carpenter. It is after performing a â€Å"miracle† this Mr. Carpenter finds himself persecuted and executed by the powers-that-be for trying to deliver a message of peace and universal brotherhood. It is only after the Mr. Carpenter is resurrected and ascends into the heavens that his message is allowed to spread amongst the peoples of the world. This whole movie is taken from the bible and is a parody of Jesus Christ, right down to the usage of the name â€Å"Carpenter†, which was the job Jesus took during his lifetime. The movie also predicts what the military thinks like and the power it has and how it cannot always be good. The part of the movie where Klaatu speaks to the scientists about atomic power is an example. He speaks about using it for good like in his space craft, not for making weapons to destroy each other. He goes on to say that continuing to use it that way will only lead to earths destruction. Klaatu is informing the military to think on how they use the science that is given to them and to clean up their act. Another revelation that the film creates about the military is that they are everywhere. When the ship first lands the military had been tracking it and now has posted soldiers around the ship. Later when Klaatu escapes, the military leads the manhunt instead of the police through the city. Finally even after Klaatu’s death the military commands the police to let no one in or out to see the body. All these factors suggest to the viewer that the military is there for them, that if the Communists or another type of threat where to arrive in the United States the military would act at once for the protection of its citizens. The Day The Earth Stood Still remains on of the most significant science fiction movies ever made, and it has lost none of its impact, even after more than fifty years. Its themes can still be applied today because of the fear we have of terrorism and the threat of nuclear attacks from them.

An argument in support of using abortion in extreme cases Essay

Across America, the topic of abortion is still something that is regarded as taboo to speak about. Even in today’s society where it is more commonly brought up, the stigma surrounding the medical procedure has not gone away. There’s a rift between those who are pro-life and pro-choice, and each group has their own reasoning why or why not abortion should or should not be criminalized. The controversy about abortion is mainly rooted in the pro-life group believing that a fetus has the same rights as a born child and the mother. This stems into our government as well, where we have staunch republicans and democrats arguing back and forth over abortion. This also includes people who are incredibly religious and believe that it would go against God’s wishes, as humans are made in his image. Those who are pro-choice believe safe, legal abortions are a right and should be a readily available option to any woman who chooses to have one, no matter the circumstance. Abort ion should definitely be an option and that it should be a woman’s right whether or not to get one, and that she should be the only one to make that decision, not the government. There are many reasons why abortions should be an option, and some of those reasons are that they would help end surprise and unwanted pregnancy, end pregnancy that was caused by rape or incest, and help women who are not in a place to be able to support a child financially or otherwise. Abortion should be a viable option for women without having to worry about government involvement, on the state or federal level, or the social stigma surrounding the procedure. Abortion is able to help end surprise pregnancy safely without going to extreme, dangerous lengths. Based on a survey, the percent of women who got an abortion due to unintended pregnancy in 2008 was incredibly low, at under 5% (Finer, et al. 89). Those who argue While having sex, there’s no guarantee that protection will be effective, as condoms can break and birth control does not promise to work 100% at the time. While the average break rate of condoms while being used in a relationship is a mere 7.4% (Althaus 191), there is still that looming risk of it failing. On the other hand, birth control pills are roughly 91% effective, with just a 9% rate of failure (plannedparenthood.org). In the case of either of these contraceptives not working, the risk of pregnancy is high. When people use contraceptives, they are typically trying to avoid becoming pregnant at all costs, and when the methods of prevention fail and one becomes pregnant, it is going against their overall plan. E specially when thinking about teenagers or young adults, this can cause a problem with their future and goals. In 2014, 249,078 babies were born to women between the ages of 15 and 19 (CDC), and while the number is down compared to previous years, it’s important to acknowledge that teenage pregnancy is still an issue around America. While some would argue that an unplanned pregnancy is a miracle, it should be left up to the woman who is pregnant if she wants to keep the baby or not. In the case that she doesn’t, she should be able to turn to Planned Parenthood or another doctor to help assist her with an abortion without any worry about having to do it illegally. Those who argue that they don’t want their tax dollars going towards abortion don’t really have anything to worry about. While Planned Parenthood receives around $500 million in public funding, none of it can legally go towards funding abortions (Kliff). This is why Planned Parenthood and the ide a of safe abortions are such a crucial element of the pro-choice movement. In the state of Florida, health plans cannot cover abortion costs, so if a woman wanted to get one, she would have to purchase a rider at an additional cost (Jerman, et al). While abortions are not covered by health plans, Viagra is and that contributes to the rampant sexism that plagues the United States. In the most extreme cases, women who are raped or forced into an incestuous relationship should have an option to end the pregnancy. Even if a woman does not get raped and just experiences an unplanned pregnancy, she should have control over her body autonomy (Cohen). Pro-lifers tend to forgo giving the mother any sort of value in regards to her interests and reasons why she would give up her fetus. They give the fetus’ rights precedence over the mother’s (Cohen). If a woman gets raped and it results in an unwanted pregnancy, she should not be forced to carry the baby to full term. Some may argue that she should give birth and then just put the child up for adoption, but in a society where so many children are already part of the adoption system, that would not be the most effective idea. In addition, making a woman carry a baby that is her rapists’ is unethical and detrimental to the woman’s mental, and possibly physical, health. Incestuous relationships are not as common as rape, but should still be considered when discussing safe abortions. Chances are, a woman in an incestuous type of relationship would have been raped, which ties into how unethical it would be to have her give birth to the baby. Not only is there the risk of biological defects, but the woman would endure incredible amounts of stress. Forcing a woman to carry a baby after she was raped, either by a stranger or a family member, is torture. The woman would go through her pregnancy reliving the rape repeatedly, remembering the horrible event which would create extreme emotional trauma. Some women just are not capable of supporting a child at the time they become pregnant, whether it’s accidental or purposeful. Different factors can contribute to why a woman cannot support a child, including the environment they are in. Over one in seven women are living in poverty in America (NWLC), and if a woman cannot properly support herself, she cannot provide for a child. If a girl is living in an abusive household, it would be unreasonable to bring a child into such an environment. If it’s an unsafe place for a woman, it would definitely be unsuitable for a child, let alone a baby. While the environment is a contributing factor to why a woman cannot support a child, money is a big reason why as well. A woman is financially unstable and can barely support herself, and she gets pregnant. If she can’t support herself, she will not be able to provide for a child. Despite there being an act that was passed to protect abused women, the Violence Against Women A ct (Kandaswamy), it, unfortunately, doesn’t put a stop to domestic abuse across the country. It does, however, provide more shelters and services to protect women, which gives them another option aside from abortion if they aren’t comfortable with receiving one. While some would suggest putting the child up for adoption in this scenario as well, most women would not want to go through the process of carrying a child and paying for doctors’ appointments if they’re not going to keep the child in the end. The adoption and foster care system in America has over 400,000 children in it (Argys, et al), and while some children get adopted quickly or even reunited with biological parents, many children are stuck in a never-ending cycle of foster families. Adoption, while a good idea to some, could be detrimental to the child in the long-run. If money is already an issue, the cost of being pregnant would take a toll on the girl throughout the nine months. Abortion needs to be a safe option for women, no matter the circumstance of their pregnancy. By the government getting involved in a woman’s decision to get an abortion, or other people protesting to try and get Roe vs. Wade overturned, it presents a question of whether women have the right to do what they want with their bodies. In 2010, anti-abortion activists shifted their rhetoric from the federal government to state governments to force restrictions regarding abortion (Hopkins Tanne), even though 22 out of 50 states had some form of restrictions on the procedure. Most abortions that are performed are done within the first trimester, though there are statistics that say that about 13% of abortions in the United States are done during the second trimester (Boland). Interestingly, Florida abortion laws as of 2017 are more restrictive than many other states (Jerman, et al). Women can only receive abortions 24 weeks after their last period, and even then, they may only choose to get an abortion is their life is in danger (Jerman, et al). A woman’s life should not have to be endangered before the option of abortion is presented to her. Those who believe that is unethical and murder should think about repercussions of forcing a woman to carry a baby they do not want. Pro-life organizations believe it is not morally right to abort a baby, but by making a woman carry out a pregnancy against her will is just cruel, and by definition, unethical. Providing options for safe abortions for women should be included in health care in all states, and unfortunately, that’s not how it is. Using healthcare to back up why abortion should be dealt with better in America is a popular argument, and seems to be the root of arguments on both sides of the topic. While more people are coming around to be accepting of abortion, there are still groups of people vehemently against it for one reason or another. A popular reason for disagreeing with the procedure is based on religious beliefs and support of a traditional family (Johnson, et al. 40). Despite claiming to be religious and in support of all life, their ideas fall short when they oppose abortion, as they could be potentially putting another human life at risk by wanting to deny access to abortion. A good example of claiming to be saving lives, but in the face doing the opposite, rests in a case from Kansas where an anti-abortion activist shot an abortion doctor (Tanne 285). The shooter, Scott Roeder, defended his actions in court by claiming he was really saving lives (Tanne 285). The doctor he shot happened to provide late-term abortions (Tanne 285) for those who needed it, and he was one of the only doctors in the country to provide that service, which creates a new problem of taking away someone who could have saved lives. The idea that killing someone who was an abortion doctor saves lives in the end is nothing sort of ironic An interesting connection to this idea is that those who are at the highest level of moral thinking consider all lives to be special and worth saving, but those who neglect to realize that abortion can save someone’s life fall out from that theory of moral cognitive thinking. That being said, laws restricting abortion are not on a national, federal level but rather on a state by state basis (Tanne 1051), which leaves room for people to protest abortion easier than if it was strictly at a federal level. For many anti-abortion activists, they prohibit abortion because they hold the belief that a baby starts at conception, and that a fetus can feel pain (Tanne 1051). In order to get their views out there, often anti-abortionists will resort to violence. The type of violent acts committed range from arson to bombings and butyric acid attacks (Jacobson, et al. 189). This violent rhetoric they hold has some irony to it considering they yell about how all lives are important, and then they turn and cause loss of life by committing these terrorist acts (Jacobson, et al. 190). In addition to the loss of some life, the attacks caused property damage, the need for more security around the abortion clinics that were attacked, and increased stress on those who worked at the clinics (Jacobson, et al. 190). While those who participate in the violent acts feel like they’re in the right because they’re fighting for a cause they care about, they are really just causing terror and wreck ing havoc around cities. Anti-abortion in the United States has been an ongoing issue for a long time now, and recently the Trump administration have begun working on cutting back support of the UN and the World Health Organization (Vogel 287). The first and possibly biggest problem that arose with this bill is that it brought back a Reagan-era policy that bans nongovernmental organizations that are funded by the United States from providing abortions, informational, referrals, or even advocating for more liberal abortion laws in whichever country the NGOs are in (Vogel 287). It’s been brought back into action throughout every Republican administration since it was initiated when Reagan was in office, and it’s known as a Global Gag Rule. America deciding to revoke funding means that nongovernmental organizations will lose between 8 and 9 billion dollars worth of their funds (Vogel 287). Despite abortion being left on a state to state basis here in the States, the country will now not help other countries that are in need of help of abortion access. The last time this rule was implemented, more than 20 developing countries lost all access to contraceptives, which in turn led to higher abortion rates (Vogel 287). In addition to losing contraceptives, this rule also causes health care services to be completely shut down and cut off in some areas, meaning all citizens lost their health care (Vogel 287). As of this moment it isn’t known how much the rule will affect other countries now, but over time the effects will be seen, whether in lack of access to contraceptives again or having women turn towards unsafe methods to receive an abortion. As far as social paradigms go, the abortion conflict aligns most with the ideas of functionalism and symbolic interactionism (Keirns). Abortion and symbolic interactionism go hand in hand, as that social paradigm is viewed on a micro level, and abortion happens to only affect certain groups of people. One way abortion can be looked at through this lens is by looking at the anti-abortion groups, such as the religious ones and general pro-life crusaders, and examining their views. People’s views are shaped by interactions with other, not counting socialization that they may have experienced growing up. Those who are pro-life are passionate and adamant that the fetus developing is a human and deserves rights of its own, while those who are pro-choice argue that the woman who is carrying the fetus’ should have the decision to terminate her pregnancy if she so chooses.   The conflict between these two groups of people could also align with the conflict theory, however, it doesn’t happen within all of society, which makes abortion better suited for micro theories as opposed to macro. The idea of people who are against abortion and believe that women should carry the baby whether or not she wants it is rooted in sexism, as it reduces a woman down to a baby-carrying stereotype while also neglecting her opinion on the situation. From a structural functionalist point of view (Keirns), those who subscribe to that sociological paradigm could view abortion as something that is negative for family, as the family is viewed as the center of society. This theory is a macro-level theory, which differentiates it from the symbolic interactionist view of abortion, as functionalists would look how abortion works throughout the entire society. To some degree, a functionalist could be pro-choice, if only looking at the potential benefits it could have for society, although, as the family is central to this paradigm, this isn’t as likely as a pro-life functionalist. Functionalism and abortion don’t go as well together as symbolic interactionism do, but functionalists could examine abortion as a way of gauging if a family is no longer the center of society or not. Speaking generally, other sociological ideas that surround the abortion debate include poverty, gender, and culture (Keirns). Poverty is involved when thinking about abortion as it affects so many people, and if someone cannot afford to raise a child, they may turn to abortion as an option or get help from Planned Parenthood. The entire abortion problem is rooted in gender (Keirns), as it is predominantly a woman’s problem, and gender plays a large role in why some are anti-abortion. As stated earlier, many people believe in the notion that a woman should carry a baby no matter the circumstances. In addition to that, women are often shamed for getting abortions and are called derogatory slurs in the process. Whenever that happens, sexism is brought to the forefront of people’s arguments, as calling women by slurs is once again rooted in sexism. When women do get abortions for whatever reason, they could be considered deviant in some eyes, as she is straying away from th e norm some people hold about keeping the child. Finally, culture also plays a role in abortions, as culture influences everything around the world. In the United States, there is a divided culture over abortions, and there’s still a taboo surrounding talking about it sometimes. While it is more openly discussed in modern times, the taboo is still there, which is why some people are uncomfortable to talk about such a thing. While it is still considered controversial to speak about in today’s society, abortion should be a topic that’s freely discussed and improved upon as time goes on. Providing safe abortions for women across the country ensures that they can end surprise pregnancies, not be forced to carry a baby as a result of rape or incest, and give women an option if they are not able to support a child. This debate has gone on for decades now, and there is a very harsh divide between those for and against the medical procedure. Both those who oppose abortion and those who are outspoken advocates of it have strong opinions that frequently clash together. With the current way the country’s politics are, it appears more and more people are being outspoken about their view of it, whether it’s pro-choice or pro-life. In the past few months, there have been marches for and against abortion, and it’s clear that the American people are passionate about this hot topic. Fr om a sociological perspective, the interactions between the pro-life and pro-choice seem to be increasing as new generations emerge and form their own ideas on the topic of abortion. Culture continues to affect abortion, and as time goes on, the abortion fight will continue on with the development of society, whether for worse or for better. However, in the end, it should be a woman to decide on what to do with her body, and not the government, or other Americans.    Works Cited â€Å"About Teen Pregnancy.†Ã‚  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 26 Apr. 2016. Web. 15 Mar. 2017. Althaus, F. â€Å"Study Finds Low Condom Breakage Rate, Ties Most Slippage to Improper Use.†Ã‚  Family Planning Perspectives, vol. 24, no. 4, Jul/Aug92, pp. 191-192. EBSCOhost, db02.linccweb.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9212211758&site=ehost-live. Web. 13 Mar. 2017. Argys, Laura, and Brian Duncan. â€Å"Economic Incentives and Foster Child Adoption.†Ã‚  Demography, vol. 50, no. 3, 2013, pp. 933–954., www.jstor.org/stable/42919906. Web. 13 Mar. 2017. Boland, Reed. â€Å"Second Trimester Abortion Laws Globally: Actuality, Trends, and Recommendations.†Ã‚  Reproductive Health Matters, vol. 18, no. 36, 2010, pp. 67–89., www.jstor.org/stable/25767363. Web. 11 Mar. 2017. Cohen, I. Glenn. â€Å"Are All Abortions Equal? Should There Be Exceptions to the Criminalization of Abortion for Rape and Incest?.†Ã‚  Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, vol. 43, no. 1, Spring2015, pp. 87-104. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/jlme.12198. Web. 14 Mar. 17. Finer, Lawrence B., and Kathryn Kost. â€Å"Unintended Pregnancy Rates at the State Level.†Ã‚  Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, vol. 43, no. 2, 2011, pp. 78–87., www.jstor.org/stable/23048865. Web. 11 Mar. 2017 Jacobson, Mireille, and Heather Royer. â€Å"Aftershocks: The Impact of Clinic Violence on Abortion Services.†Ã‚  American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, vol. 3, no. 1, 2011, pp. 189–223., www.jstor.org/stable/25760251. Web. 16 April 17. Johnson, Stephen D., and Joseph B. Tamney. â€Å"Factors Related to Inconsistent Life-Views.†Ã‚  Review of Religious Research, vol. 30, no. 1, 1988, pp. 40–46., www.jstor.org/stable/3511839. Web. 15 April 17. Jones RK and Jerman J, Abortion incidence and service availability in the United States, 2014,  Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2017, 49(1), doi:10.1363/psrh.12015. Web. 15 Mar. 2017. Kandaswamy, Priya. â€Å"‘You Trade in a Man For the Man â€Å": Domestic Violence and the U. S. Welfare State.†Ã‚  American Quarterly, vol. 62, no. 2, 2010, pp. 253–277., www.jstor.org/stable/40664735. Web. 15 Mar. 2017. Keirns, Nathan J., et al.  Introduction to Sociology 2e. Houston, TX, OpenStax College, Rice University, 2015. Kliff, S. 2015. â€Å"A Government Shutdown Fight is Brewing. This One is Over Planned Parenthood.† Vox, September 10. â€Å"NWLC Analysis of 2014 Census Poverty Data.†Ã‚  NWLC. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2017. â€Å"Planned Parenthood Controversy Revives Abortion Debate.†Ã‚  Penn Bioethics Journal, vol. 11, no. 2, Fall2015, p. 7. EBSCOhost, db02.linccweb.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=117725282&site=ehost-live. Web. 15 Mar. 2017. Parenthood, Planned. â€Å"What Is the Effectiveness of Birth Control Pills?†Ã‚  What Is the Effectiveness of Birth Control Pills?  N.p., 27 Dec. 2016. Web. 16 Mar. 2017. Tanne, Janice Hopkins. â€Å"Killer of Kansas Abortion Doctor Is Convicted of Murder.†Ã‚  BMJ: British Medical Journal, vol. 340, no. 7741, 2010, pp. 285–285., www.jstor.org/stable/25673930. Web. 17 April 17. Tanne, Janice Hopkins. â€Å"US Anti-Abortion Activists Use State Laws to Reduce Access.†Ã‚  BMJ: British Medical Journal, vol. 340, no. 7755, 2010, pp. 1051–1051., www.jstor.org/stable/40702011. Web. 15 Mar. 2017. Vogel, Lauren. â€Å"US Anti-UN, Anti-Abortion Orders Threaten Global Health.†Ã‚  CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal, vol. 189, no. 7, 21 Feb. 2017, pp. E287-E288. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1503/cmaj.1095390. Web. 16 April 17. Yung, Corey Rayburn. â€Å"How to Lie with Rape Statistics: America’s Hidden Rape Crisis.†Ã‚  Iowa Law Review, vol. 99, no. 3, Mar. 2014, pp. 1197-1256. EBSCOhost, db02.linccweb.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=94993552&site=ehost-live. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.

Is the US government acting ethically towards detainees with regards Essay

Is the US government acting ethically towards detainees with regards to confinement, access to legal representation, torture methods - Essay Example But the ethical consideration in acting towards detainees with regards to confinement, access to legal representation, torture methods etc remain the most pertinent issues of the contemporary times in America. The widespread cases of in-house torture and in-human treatment of wartime prisoners and civilian detainees have brought to the fore the need for more effective measures of ethical paradigms and human rights. The Guantanamo torture of detainees and Abu Ghraib, unlawful detention of civilians and other such cases expose the human rights violations of American forces and homeland security. The aftermath of 9/11 has brought out ‘war on terrorism’ where torture of innocent has become a by-word for preemptive and preventive actions against future terrorist acts. The post 9/11 scenario has seen a marked paradigm shift in the outlook of the racial and religious background of the people and has especially been traumatic for persons of Moslem origin and Asians. The general motives of the terrorists in this country and abroad involve coercive tactics and unlawful intimidation of the government bodies to force the government to accede to their vested interest regarding political, ideological or religious demands. To safeguard people’s interests, new strategies and plans were required to be developed and enforced. US Patriotic Act was amended and renamed ‘USA Patriot and Terrorism Prevention Reauthorization Act’ (USPA). It was made more stringent and extra statutes included with wide ranging terrorists relating offences like deliberate and destructive activity against the state or its people resulting in loss of life or property, money laundering, surveillance and detention of people under suspect of terrorist activities etc. with capital punishment introduced. Jane Mayer asserts that ‘United States made terrible decisions in the pursuit of terrorists around the

Hotel design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hotel design - Essay Example ading Hilton designer Larry Traxler states â€Å"we wanted guests entering the space to experience the same tranquility and freedom they feel at the beach.† (Schiowitz, 2011) In this case white recomposed stone and white oak are used to recreate the light colors of sand and pebbles. This reflects also a trend towards sustainable and low carbon solutions, in order to meet increasing concern with environmental issues. Niche hotels are also in demand, and they aspire to have the high quality standards that global travelers expect, along with the ability to reflect the particular landscape and culture that surrounds them. Hospitality designer Tony Chi remarks that the industry has become too focused on â€Å"fabricated formality† (Straczynski, 2011) and detects a trend back towards meeting the patron’s aspirations for a personal experience with human contact, rather than just appreciation of the spaces. The global financial crisis has meant that design costs are an important factor in current design trends, but inventive use of recycled and local materials, as for example in the Green Leaf Niseko Village in Hokkaido, Japan with its â€Å"rehabbed ski gondolas† and rooftop beer garden with wraparound wood benches (Alati, 2011) demonstrate that style can be achieved within tight budgetary constraints. Straczynski, S. (14 September 2011) Beyond Delivering Aesthetics: Interview with Hospitality Designer Tony Chi. Contract Magazine. Available at:

Monopoly Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Monopoly - Term Paper Example The company has unlimited market power even influencing how they charge higher prices. This may be confused with the ability to possess or own big businesses. Size is not all the characteristics of a monopoly in an enterprise, because a small business venture may also possess ability control market more than a big and existing companies. Body Characteristics of Monopoly An enterprise that enjoys monopoly exhibits a number of characteristics in the market or economy of operation. First, it maximizes profits. This is a value through the sales of the company’s services or goods to its consumers. For example in most of the third world countries and also in developing economies, most of the services or goods which have overall public consumption give way for the providing company to be a profit maximize (Lele, 2007). If it is only providing the electrical services for example, maximizing its profits is an easy feet to reach. This comes simply because there is or if any little compe tition from any other providing company. A company enjoying monopoly carries the tag of a price maker. Through this, the interpretation is that the company has the veto powers to decide and price goods or products, which it sells. For example, if the quantity is well in place for adequate market supply, the company therefore goes ahead and demands the price they desire as a firm (McKenzie& Lee, 2008). The characteristic of an institution enjoying monopoly is that one which creates high barriers to entry. This proposition aims at making sure that other sellers are unable to enter the market of the monopoly. For example, a company that may afford to offer promotional campaigns or motivating enticement to a publicly consumed good or service sets the standards of its customer preferences upon its competitors. In a situation where a communication company provides free minutes at a given point to its customer, a newly established competitor may find this a high level of barrier to counter given the minimal number of its customers in the same market. Being a single seller is yet another characteristic of a company enjoying monopoly in a given economy. A single seller dictates the supplies and influences the market trend with minimal interruptions (Kennedy, Waltzer & Atlantic City Historical Museum, 2004). This kind of the market brings out the existence of one seller of the good and it produces all the output. This means the whole market or region sings the tune or consumes the products of a single company. Finally, price discrimination is another characteristic that accompanies a company practicing monopoly. A monopolist does not need any outsider’s mind when choosing or changing the price of goods or service that it provides. For example, a company can sell more quantities at a relatively lower price than the competitors can even though there is minimal competition. The same case can apply when the company may decide to sell less quantities and charge high p rices in a less elastic market. Merits of monopoly Certain monopolies exhibit various advantages for consumers, and social welfare. One of the advantages is that these companies are the investment in research and development. It is a common understanding that the monopolies make supernatural

Provide a viral marketing plan that uses blogs and social media tools Essay

Provide a viral marketing plan that uses blogs and social media tools to generate interest in the Courier - Essay Example In order to ensure the credibility of local news, the Courier should use a blog that is frequently updated and one that allows for the general public to comment. This blog will be more effective when it is attached to the Courier’s website. It can also be uses to share opinions of people and their reactions to different news items. High school students and institutions are the main target market for high school sport results. According to Bregman (18), the most effective way to reach out to students is through social media. Many students spend a large portion of their time on social media. Organizing campaigns that target them on social media platforms will create interest in the courier. The courier should engage the students by posting pictures of the sporting activities and commenting on the. Social media campaigns can also include competitions for students. This will increase the flow of students to the site and enhance the visibility of the Courier The courier should use social media presence to post topics that command attention of the reader. These topics should be linked to the main feature stories in the Courier’s website and blogs. Once the readers click on the topic, they should be automatically redirected to the Courier’s website to get access to the full story. This will increase the flow of customers to the Courier’s website and generate more interest in it. According to Andrews (6), using blogs and linking it to the website will optimize the website and make it easier to be traced by the search engine. In order to attract the interest of gardeners, home repair agents, crafts men and their clients who love functionality and beauty in their homes and places of work, the Courier will need to dedicate a blog spot on the Courier’s website that is linked to a social media page. This will act as a one stop shop for

A Narrative Inquiry Qualitative Research Approach Proposal

A Narrative Inquiry Qualitative Approach - Research Proposal Example Given that this minority group has been inadequately covered in research, their challenges have lacked the necessary attention that is crucial in ensuring that they make wise choices in their life. Research has pointed out that these students are inclined to face more challenges unless there is an intervention to streamline their decision making process. As this population continues to increase, it is necessary to provide research driven recommendations to help them overcome their challenges and resolve their problems. The main purpose of this research is to investigate the factors that lead to First Generation Students (FGS) in obtaining multiple graduate degrees; undergraduate, masters, PhD and Doctoral programs. By interviewing FGS persons who have acquired post graduate education, it is possible to obtain their experiences and assess the factors that have contributed to their achievements. With this information, the research will assist in the generation of viable motivational approaches that can assist other FGS students to earn success in their education. The principle behind this study is that enhancing educational development is one of the best ways to impact community advancement in the contemporary society. The research will follow a narrative inquiry approach in the synthesis of the fact underlying the academic achievements of the FGS. With this interpretive approach, it will be possible to obtain the experiences of the selected samples and synthesise possible way in which to encourage other FGS to follow suit. In the recent past, the topic on First Generation students has generated a lot of heat in the area of research that is concerned with academic development. Ward, Siegel & Davenport (2012) define First Generation college students as those students entering college and originate from a family where none of the parents or siblings have attained have graduated

Organisational Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 8

Organisational Behaviour - Essay Example Human relations approach resulted in greater production through humanization of an organization because it strove for greater understanding of people’s social needs. Classical approaching in understanding organizations considers an organization in terms of its function as well as the formal structure. The classical approach believes organizations emphasis on planning work, technical requirements for the organization and the assumption of rational as well as logical behaviour. The approach believes that a clear understanding of the functions of an organization is essential in understanding the way the organization works as well as the steps necessary in improving the method of working. Moreover, the classical approach considers the identification of goals as essential in clarifying purposes together with responsibilities in the various levels of an organization. The approach gives attention to the allotment of work, apparent definition of tasks and maintaining specialization an d coordination. Recently, attention shifted to understanding of organizations in terms of systems where a number of interrelated subsystems are linked. The systems approach tries to combine the classical and human relations approaches since attention in this approach focuses on the work organizations as well as the interrelations of structures and behaviour as well as the various variables in the organization. The system approaches persuades managers to consider an organization both as a whole and as portions of a larger environment with the notion that activities in any part of the organization influence other parts. Classical theory emphasized the need for improving the organizational structure as a way of increasing efficiency by emphasizing principles of design in the logical structure of an organization. According to Donaldson (2000), there are various common principles that relate to every form of organization with particular attention in principle of

China in Africa Essay Example for Free

China in Africa Essay In brief the NAI Policy Dialogue questions the World Bank recommendations for large scale agriculture to solve the productivity and equity problems in African agriculture. The whole issue of property rights is intimately linked to the question about agriculture and development. The contribution by Benjaminsen and Sjaastad on aspects of property rights formalization in Africa draws on recent processes in Mali and Tanzania. A general conclusion is that the formalization of property rights in rural areas is a very complex and problematic issue. There is a high risk of the process being co-opted by officials and a wealthy elite, if necessary provisions are not made. Finally, Kjell Havnevik draws our attention to the relationship between inequality and climate change. This contribution is based on a presentation he made in Berlin in June 2007. Decoding the evolving China–Africa relations is the theme of an article written by NAI Research Director Fantu Cheru. He suggests that policies and programmes to deal with the present imbalances between China and Africa require us to revisit and redefine the NEPAD agenda. A regional approach will, in his opinion, help African countries to negotiate from a stronger and better platform. During 2008 researchers at NAI will continue to devote attention to this topic. In our interview section we present one interview with Martha Qorro, professor in English language, on the question about the language of instruction in Tanzania. She is of the opinion that the best way to teach English is not to use it as the language of instruction. She also responds to the question why the question of language of instruction has become such a sensitive political issue in Tanzania. In our second interview Jerome Verdier, chairman of the Liberia Truth and Reconciliation Commission, points to the fact that the TRC’s part of the conflict resolution is nothing new. Liberia has a history of resolving community conflicts at the round table. But in the past there were no prolonged conflicts, such as the recent 4 year period of massive human rights violation. In the research section we present the result of a conference which took place at NAI, Uppsala, in September 2007 regarding the ongoing discussions between EU and the ACP countries on Economic Partnership Agreements. The discussion at the conference highlighted the lack of connection between the poverty alleviation goal and the reality of the negotiations, despite numerous political declarations on both the EU and ACP sides. Key decisions on EPAs will soon be made by EU and ACP ministers. The Africa Europe Group of Interdisciplinary Studies, AEGIS, of which NAI is an active member, is presented through three contributions. Photo by Susanne Linderos News from the Nordic Africa Institute 3/2007 First, we bring you an interview with the AEGIS Chair, Professor Patrick Chabal of King’s College, London.

The story of Reggie Kelsey

The story of Reggie Kelsey Problem Background While reading the true story of Reggie Kelsey it appeared that there were many psychological, biological, and social aspects that lead to his final outcome, death by suicide. This paper will focus on the sociological aspect of what led Reggie to decline in society, was simply that Reggie aged out of foster care. Three and a half months after he aged out of foster care Reggie was found dead in Des Moines River. Foster care, though a temporary placement for youths, until they reach eighteen years old was the one conclusive factor that kept Reggie alive. Foster care, a social agency, was involved in providing social services that were to ultimately prepare Reggie for transition into dependency; these transactions should be viewed as a macro systems problem. Reggie was pushed out into the world without possessing the skills that would have kept him alive because there was a time allotment on how long he could use the services of foster care. Though Reggie had a helping network it was weak, and he lacked several resources that would have kept him from being homeless and from death. Though youths who age out of foster care are seen as regular teens, most of them lack the stability of family, food, and shelter that a normal teenager would have. In stage five of Eriksons psychosocial development, which involves the transition period from childhood to adolescence where they establish their identity; it is clear that Reggies inability to integrate his role into his new environment after aging out, suffered and left him uncertain about his identity. Aging out of foster care when not developmentally ready left Reggie without power, coping skills to adapt, structure, and strict supervision needed for survival, especially for a person with an IQ l evel that considered him to be mentally delayed. Literature Review Imagine one day having a strong, well connected supportive network that kept you living and the next day that system abandons you. According to Atkinson (2008) approximately 20,000 youth age out of and exit foster care each year, and the majority of them face challenges because they have been abandoned by the only support system they know (p. 187). Avery and Freundlich (2009) reported that many youth lack social support, economic resources, and independent living skills which cause them to be less inclined to become successful adults. Avery and Freundlich further noted that foster care support, which provides housing, financial support, and a range of health, education and other needed services, typically ends when youth are developmentally unprepared to assume full adult roles and responsibilities (p. 248). Youth like Reggie Kelsey who age out foster care because of some type of neglect or abuse are more likely to have problems forming positive interpersonal relationships, reduced e ducational attainment, increased delinquent behavior, and engage in high-risk behavior (Atkinson, 2008, p. 183). They simply find it difficult transitioning from one social environment to another, with significant problems impeding their way to becoming successful adults. When aging out of foster care, youth experience challenges such as homelessness, unemployment, and lack a support system. All the challenges from aging out of foster care generated Reggies symptoms that led him to become suicidal. Atkinson (2008) explained that maintaining successful housing presents a significant barrier for youths after emancipation from foster care placing them on an often irreversible path to failure (p. 188). Since Reggie did not have stable housing when he aged out of foster care, he was not under a constant supervision that could have kept him alive. Being homeless is not an ideal situation for any persons, but for adolescents particularly it leads to having identity diffusion, where they suffer from a serious lack of direction and ability to make sound decision. Chronic stress has been found to negatively impact learning, memory, and executive functioning (Avery and Freundlich, 2009, p. 251). Homelessness can also viewed as great stressor and coupled with psychological variables are aspects that lead to suicide in adolescence. Unemployment plagues youths that age out of foster care significantly to where they end up involved in criminal activity, in poverty, or on public assistance. Being unemployed can be a blow to an adolescence ego because they are not able to support themselves they result to criminal activity to take care of themselves, or feel like life is not worth living. Living more independently was the most common living situation for young people who remained in the foster care system after age eighteen years. According to Atkinson (2008) Close to two-thirds of adults in their twenties receives economic support from their parents (Atkinson, 2008, p. 193). In the case of Reggie, he had no support financial support from parents, he was on his own, and with little to no employment skills it would shows that the odds were truly stacked against him. Avery and Freundlich believed independent living is simply not a feasible option for the majority of youth in foster care who lack the social scaffolding of stable family and community networks (p. 253). Reggie may have had a helping network that worked within the social service system but he lacked the connections that a state based system provides. In the absence of a distinct social network for foster youth aging out of care decisively infer unacceptable subsequent foster care outcomes. Youth that age out of foster care already feel sense of powerlessness, and hopelessness, and as they move towards independence they still need a social environment to fall back on; they can not do it all by themselves especially at eighteen. Discussion 1- Ethics Though aging out foster care youths when they are not independently developed violates several NASW codes of ethics, the two that principally led to Reggies demise are sections 1.14 and 1.16. In section 1.14 it states when social workers act on behalf of clients who lack the capacity to make informed decisions, social workers should take reasonable steps to safeguard the interests and rights of those clients. By aging out Reggie, who was mentally disabled, the foster care system took away his basic right to thrive. The process of aging out foster care youths who are unable to make sound decisions without providing extensive care after is unethical. In section 1.16 it categorizes when it is acceptable to terminate services for a client. There is one significant factor that correlates to all youth aging out of foster care, and in this factor, b, it states that social workers should take steps to avoid abandoning services, withdraw only under unusual circumstances, and carefully consider all factors making sure to minimize adverse effects. With this statement it can be visualized that when deciding to age out a youth there is no consideration taken to counteract any of these factors. The fatal determinant that youth face when aged out is that the youth have to face several adverse factors. In Reggies situation there could be minimal responsibility placed on him resulting in his final outcome, but only if someone was trying to advert attention from their unethical mistakes. In section 1.14 vehemently relates to Reggie and sets aside those minimal mistakes, because as a mentally disabled child he relied heavily on the states decisions to safeguard his life. In the end the state aged Reggie out at eighteen which is not unusual; this is not an age that necessarily attest to the fact that a person is ready for all that accompanies adulthood. Discussion 2- Practice A 2007 article in the journal, Child Adolescent Social Work, examines the practice issues for teenagers aging out of foster care (Scannapieco, Connell-Carrick, Painter, 2007). The foster youth stated, foster youth and sub-systems involved with foster youth after they age out discussed three very important practice themes that should be addressed. The first theme was to have a youth focused practice; here foster youth thought the change needed was that they wanted to be involved in the decision-making. They expressed how they thought it was disrespectful to them because they were not asked what they thought they were just told; unlike an adult who has the ultimate say in their own lives. The next theme that youth expressed was a challenge was communication and collaboration. There is a break down in communication when it came to the sub-systems, with missing important information and lack of accurate knowledge about supports and services available. Everyone identified a solution of a need for one individual responsible for facilitating the coordination of planning amongst the sub-systems. The last important theme suggested was the need for more skill building opportunities. The youth focus group felt they were unprepared for independent living and what training they got they were unable to practice them before being aged out. They wanted better understanding of their own health and mental health needs, also advocacy for better educational setting. Recommendations There were many different actions the foster care system could have taken to prevent Reggie Kelseys outcome. The actions that would have helped Reggie even if they still aged him out would have been intense independent living training, strict follow up meetings with caseworker and a monitor, or buddy-system release could have been incorporated. For an adolescent like Reggie with a mild level of mental disability training is important; there needs to be practice of everyday situations so issues that arise are not uncommon to him. This action helps because if he gets into a situation that he has had training he will know the best option, but depending on the situation he could be overpowered or influenced by another component. A second action of follow up meetings and a monitor could have helped because the caseworker could have been in tuned to the needs of Reggie. A weekly schedule, then bi-weekly, then monthly, up until he was stable would have been best. Also the monitor anklet, or bracelet would give the caseworker a constant notation of where Reggie was. This the best plan of action for a person like Reggie even though they may feel like they are on probation it keeps them under strict supervision and needs are easily accessed. The last option of a buddy-system where foster youth are age out in pairs is a good option, each person is has a peer to relate and talk with. This would be helpful though the two are in the same boat and neither is a professional, and one may abandon the other. References Atkinson, M. (2008). Aging out of foster care: Towards a universal safety net for former foster care youth. Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, 43(1), 183-212. doi: Article. Avery, R. J., Freundlich, M. (2009). Youre all grown up now: Termination of foster care support at age 18. Journal of Adolescence, 32(2), 247-257. doi: doi: DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2008.03.009. Code of Ethics (English and Spanish). (n.d.). . Retrieved November 2, 2009, from http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp. Scannapieco, M., Connell-Carrick, K., Painter, K. (2007). In their own words: challenges facing youth aging out of foster care. Child Adolescent Social Work Journal, 24(5), 423-435. doi: Article.

Knorr Soup Marketing Analysis

Knorr Soup Marketing Analysis Knorr product is sold in 87 countries their punch line is Good Food Matters only soup in India which has 18%growth.It holds a majority of market space {55%}.Maggi is one of the main brand of Nestle Knorr nearest competitors .It was first company to launch package soup in India in 1989.New punch line of maggi Taste Bhi Health Bhi after relaunching its brand. QNo.1 which segments are being targeted and strategies used to influence the target segment Target Segment:-Here we can devide the soup brand into two segment 1. Demographics 2. Psychographics Demographics:- Density Urban Same Age 30-35 8-15 Gender Female Male /female Lifecycle stage Married with children Kids early teens Minimum Income 25000 N/a Education Graduate Primary /secondary school Psychographic:- Social class Upper middle ,Low upper and upper- upper class same Life styles Believers, achievers Personality Ambitious , trendy Extrovert, Confident Marketing Strategy (both knorr and Maggi soup) Knorr Maggi soup Product strategy Good food is their main priority Responsible for good and healthy food Categorized soup in three user friendly names Relaunched with what the consumer want Producing tasty and healthy soup for consumers They are also mainly focus on taste and health. Pricing Strategy Knorr soup range between Rs 29 to 33 ,34gm to 65 gm. Maggi range between 29 and 30,40gm to 70gm pack Marginal price increase increase in past few years that effect customer base. Marginal price did not increase so much that help to increase brand loyality. Place strategy Available in almost in all supermarket and departmental stores Maggi soups are available mostly in supermarkets and very few stores No presence in the rural market Very -very less presence in the rural market Promotion strategy Effective advertisement of Knorr as compared to maggi. Less advertisement than Knorr soup Offering new India flavor according to customer demand Offering same flavor approximately three Does not believe in more discount offer Providing various offer and schemes. Recently they are offering maggi noodles with soup pack and 20%extra on some pack. Both are spending huge in promotional activities,both have different strategy to target the market but both have same target market.I compared both the brand because it helps us to give clear picture of both companies strategy. QNo.2 Different promotional tools used and the strategy behind using these tools Promotional tools and strategies:- Besides the proliferation of convenience-driven lifestyles and the array of variants, advertising and marketing too have played significant roles in enlarging the category. Extensive deployment of ATL( Above The Line ) and BTL(Below The Line) tools by manufacturers and marketers have certainly pushed awareness and demand for ready soup mixes. Nestle India, for instance, has been aggressively promoting its Maggi soups through high-frequency television spots, which have played a great role in not just communicating the benefits of the product to target consumers, but its Taste Bhi, HealthBhi tagline has also helped elevate the profile of the category other hand, are positioned as wellness meal solutions. HUL has been banking extensively in employing various mass media to promote its Knorr range of soups. It was due to the creative and intelligent positioning of the brand in mass media that Knorr developed into the leader of the category in India. Its aggressive marketing strategies, strong distribution system and the wide range of flavors make knorr the market leader in this category. Hindustan Unilever further benefited from a realignment of its flavors of Knorr soups under the Snacky, Oriental and Classic ranges, to make it easier for consumers to make buying decisions, as they were now less confused about the different flavors. The company has focused on distribution channels to popularize its new range by ensuring that its up market international flavors in the Oriental and Snaky ranges gain greater visibility in modern outlets, while its Classic range is more visible at kirana stores and in smaller towns and cities. In terms of media promotions, both Knorr and Nestle have been focusing on conveying the taste and health aspects of their soups for the entire family. In 2008, Hindustan Unilever introduced a new advertising campaign, which turned the conventional middle class Indian household image on its head .The campaign for Knorr featured Aman( Actor) making Knorr soup for dinner for the entire family, but mainly to lift the spirits of his wife. With this advertisement, the company not just pitched Knorr as a feel good food, but also promoted its user friendliness. Capital Foods has also been very active and persuasive in promoting its brand. The advertising strategy Nestle and Maggi both promoting health with taste. All the nutritional information and health aspects are mentioned on the packs but they are promoting the range purely to offer something that will gratify the demand for soup. At the retail end, employing strategic merchandising strategies and in store promotions to endorse the product features are also essential. So what is happening in the store? Well, merchandising at the retail end is certainly important as the category is still not the part of shopping list of Indian housewives. Smart merchandising at the retail end can also generate interest and impulse purchase. The soup category is still evolving, it is important to drive penetration and induce trials. Merchandising is the key to drive this category. You would see lots of cross promotions, bundled offers and other kind of promotions in soups. Product features / USPs can be communicated through in store communication. Companies also use especially designed outer cartons as a communication medium; this serves the dual purpose of visual merchandising and stocking on shelf. Q.3.Which strategy out of Pull or Push is used and why? Push Strategy:-A push promotional strategy makes use of a companys sales force and trade promotion activities to create consumer demand for a product. The producer promotes the product to wholesalers, the wholesalers promote it to retailers, and the retailers promote it to consumers. Pull Strategy:-A pull selling strategy is one that requires high spending on advertising and consumer promotion to build up consumer demand for a product. If the strategy is successful, consumers will ask their retailers for the product, the retailers will ask the wholesalers, and the wholesalers will ask the producers So this is clear from the definition this is pull strategy because both Nestle and HUL are spending heavily on promotion activities. Due to that activities consumer demand product from retailers of own choice. QNo.4 Critically Appraise the Promotional strategy of your selected brand. I compared Knorr and Maggie soup both are using aggressive marketing strategy to promote the product . .But if we have to chose one product than Knorr has better promotion and place strategy. But maggi has fewer prices and healthier but need to focus on more promotion. Recently knorr took Kajol as a brand ambassador but Maggie is focusing on small artist. Both companies are not focusing rural area. So they have to focus on rural area because rural area has large potential market. For they can introduce new flavor and new pack with less price. In India there is large potential market for soup so they have to focus on enhancing that maket.Knorr soup has more prices as compared to Maggie soup if they want to increase the market share and want to stand as a market leader they have to provide various promotional offers with knorr soup pack. Knorr brand is more serious about its soup than Maggi. It has connotation of functional brand and after coming into the levers fold, its visibility and presence has been noticed more by consumers. Soup has still a small market and for its consumption to become habit, companies need to invest heavily. Unlike the rest of categories where some amount of efforts may be required. They are targeting women and children for soup because women are caring about children health as well as family health. So they do purchasing most of the time.So it is necessary for that companies to target the segment carefully by giving their benefits about health.This is a very lucrative and conscious market.Women are emotionally attached with the family where as children always believe in masti and mazza while doing eating.They believe in eating those thing which prepare in less time and good in taste.Both the company doing very well for targeting those market with greater spending on promotional advertisement.

Feminist Reading of Thomas Grays Elegy (Eulogy) Written in a Country C

Feminist Reading of Thomas Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard  Ã‚   While Thomas Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" overtly deals with the distinction between social class and the opportunity for greatness, the poem also contains a subtle yet strong message against the dominant role of men over women in society. Gray's tone throughout the poem is permeated with regret and a sense of something lost, voicing his opinions clearly against social class prejudice. This emotional tone, when applied to the stereotypical roles of differing sexes discussed throughout the poem, portrays the injustice of inequality between males and females. Gray begins with his argument by explaining the roles of women and men, both in lower class families and in the noble houses, focusing on their submissive roles. "The busy housewife [plies] her evening care," minding the children until "their sire's return" from a hard day of work (lines 22-23). Gray depicts the work of a lower class male as a ploughman, working from morning until night at his useful toil, without ambition and wit... Feminist Reading of Thomas Gray's Elegy (Eulogy) Written in a Country C Feminist Reading of Thomas Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard  Ã‚   While Thomas Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" overtly deals with the distinction between social class and the opportunity for greatness, the poem also contains a subtle yet strong message against the dominant role of men over women in society. Gray's tone throughout the poem is permeated with regret and a sense of something lost, voicing his opinions clearly against social class prejudice. This emotional tone, when applied to the stereotypical roles of differing sexes discussed throughout the poem, portrays the injustice of inequality between males and females. Gray begins with his argument by explaining the roles of women and men, both in lower class families and in the noble houses, focusing on their submissive roles. "The busy housewife [plies] her evening care," minding the children until "their sire's return" from a hard day of work (lines 22-23). Gray depicts the work of a lower class male as a ploughman, working from morning until night at his useful toil, without ambition and wit...

Free Yellow Wallpaper Essays: Oppression of Women :: The Yellow Wallpaper Essays

The Oppression of Women in The Yellow Wallpaper The Yellow Wallpaper is a story, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Although the work is short, it is one of the most interesting works in existence. Gilman uses literary techniques very well. The symbolism of The Yellow Wallpaper, can be seen and employed after some thought and make sense immediately. The views and ideals of society are often found in literary works. Whether the author is trying to show the ills of society of merely telling a story, culture is woven onto the words. The relationship between the narrator and her husband would be disagreeable to a modern woman's relationship. Today, most women crave equality with their partner. The reader never learns the name of the narrator, perhaps to give the illusion that she could be any woman. On the very fist page of The Yellow Wall-Paper, Gilman illustrates the male dominated society and relationship. It was customary for men to assume that their gender knew what, when, how, and why to do things. John, the narrator's husband, is a p rominent doctor and both his and his wife's words and actions reflect the aforementioned stereotype: "John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage," (9). This statement illustrates the blatant sexism of society at the time. John does not believe that his wife is sick, while she is really suffering from post-partum depression. He neglects to listen to his wife in regard to her thoughts, feelings, and health through this thought pattern. According to him, there is not anything wrong with his wife except for temporary nerve issues, which should not be serious. By closing her off from the rest of the world, he is taking her away from things that important to her mental state; such as her ability to read and write, her need for human interaction, her need to make her own decisions. All of these are important to all people. This idea of forced rest and relaxation to cure temporary nervous problems was very common at the time. Many doctors prescribed it for their female p atients. The narrators husband, brother, and their colleagues all feel that this is the correct way to fix her problem, which is practically nonexistent in their eyes. Throughout the beginning of the story, the narrator tends to buy into the idea that the man is always right and makes excuses for her feelings and his actions and words: "It is so hard to talk to John about my case, because he is so wise and because he loves me so," (23).

Realism in “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens Essay

Realism was developed by the middle of the 19th century as a response to the idealistic world of romanticism which had dominated for the past half century. It was an aesthetic movement which attempted to hold up a mirror to its society to show a true reflection of reality. Although claiming to offer a slice of life by emphasizing chiefly in the importance of the ordinary amongst the middle and lower classes, realism is a relative concept, a representation of reality which adheres to a loose collection of conventions. Many of these are offered in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, which follows the life and struggles of the protagonist and narrator, Pip. Dickens uses techniques such as a chronological linear narrative, an omniscient narrator, the celebration of the ordinary, and the resolution of the enigma to drive the moral undercurrents of Pip’s everyday existence. This constructed realism is essentially a representation of reality based on Dickens ideology, offerin g social commentary and reflecting the values and attitudes of nineteenth century England. see more:old age home article The basic structure of Great Expectations follows a chronological development of Pip’s life; from his childhood innocence, to his disillusioned expectations, finally his rejection of the high life and a circular succession ending back at the beginning. This chronological structure of which Dickens narrates exemplifies Pip’s learning process through his moral and emotional turmoil and complies with the opportunity to generate a realistic setting. For example, Pip’s description of London, â€Å"a most dismal place; the skylight eccentrically patched like a broken head, and the distorted adjoining houses looking as if they had twisted themselves to peep down at me through it,† creates an archaeologically realistic description of London, and hints a sense of foreboding, foreshadowing the futility of Pip’s expectations. This ideology developed through Pips learning process is created through a carefully crafted linear plot in order to present fiction as reality. Reflected by the matured Pip in the perspective of the omniscient narrator, Great Expectations’ first person narration employs the wisdom of hindsight to define the events and characters of the story. Dickens imbues the voice of the matured Pip to make judgments on his past actions, at the Christmas  dinner for instance, Pip experiences a deep desire to tweak Mr. Wopsle’s large nose–to â€Å"pull it until he howled.† The older Pip narrates this encounter comically and sympathetically, conveying his youthful innocence through the perspective of a child. This convention of retrospect produces a sense of psychological depth and compassion, given access to Pip’s feelings, thoughts and motivations. As the newly democratic age finds importance in the individual, essentially Great Expectations is both an external novel in Pip’s commentary of the society around him and an internal novel in the development of his perspective. By evoking consciousnes s of Pip’s character, Dickens coaxes the audience to enter the illusion of reality. Furthermore, in parallel to the importance of the individual, realism tends to concern its interests in the commonplace and ordinary everyday lives among the lower classes. Through the characters of Great Expectations, Dickens celebrates the commonplace, employing Pip, the most ordinary of subjects, as a central vehicle instilled to investigate his social reality and to express ideological views on society. Biddy, for instance â€Å"was not beautiful – she was common, and could not be like Estella – but she was pleasant and wholesome and sweet-tempered.† Despite her humble position in society Biddy emerges with admirable values, which contrasts to the cold beauty, cruelty and deception of Estella. In accordance to realist conventions concerned with rejecting the ideal, Dickens portrays the upper class with great malice, greed and corruption as Miss Havisham encourages Estella to torment Pip, whispering â€Å"Break their hearts!† Ideologically driven, realism is deliberate in rejoicing in the ordinary, and condemning the supreme. Moreover, realism is largely concentrated on ideologically driven values as the central issues of life tend to be ethical. Dickens paints the lower class to embody a high moral ground and rejects the false values of the upper class. Drummle, for instance, is an upper-class lout, while Magwitch, a persecuted convict, has a deep inner worth. This concept is developed with greater depth in the character of Joe, of which despite his position in society, his unrefined and uneducated qualities, is identified as the epitome of goodness. As a true ‘gentleman’, â€Å"It was not because I was  faithful, but because Joe was faithful,† Joe contrasts to the aspirations Pip seeks to become, of which Dickens shows as corrupt and materialistic. It was Joe’s â€Å"quiet goodness† stemming from honestly, empathy and kindness, which compelled Pip, as he reflects in retrospect, to reject the values of this society in favor of an inner morality. Additionally, a sense of ending is invested in Great Expectations which resolves the plot. The learning process Pip embarks on educates him on the futility of his expectations, and his hopes to return as a gentleman is a complete failure: Estella reminds him coldly that she has â€Å"no heart.† In Pip’s case, closure is restored through his moral development and growth, epitomized in his reconciliation with Joe and Biddy. His maturation toward adulthood is symbolized by his desire to rectify his behaviour toward his lower class loved ones. Pip has at last learned that love, loyalty and morality hold more value than social class and wealth. On a different vein, at times Great Expectations does not remain faithful to the conventions of realism. Dickens tends to slip in and out of reality, deviating from realism to social satire, using hyperbole to satirize the pretentiousness of Pumblechook’s social improvement â€Å"a large hard-breathing middle-aged slow man, with a mouth like a fish, dull staring eyes†¦looked as if he had just be all but choked.† The gothic genre is also apparent in Pip’s first description of Miss Havisham, â€Å"†¦ought to be white, had lost its luster, and was faded and yellow. I saw that the bride within the bridal dress had withered like the dress†¦Now, waxwork and skeleton seemed to have dark eyes that moved and looked at me.† The audience’s first impression of Miss Havisham is thus one of darkness, mystery and terror. With these constructed implications, realism is considered a loose convention as Dickens deviates between reality and the conventi ons of other genres. It can be seen that Great Expectations exhibits aspects of realism as it assumes that reality inheres in the here and now, in the everyday. Dickens employs themes including accurate descriptions of specific setting, the chronological structure of the story, the omniscient narrator, the importance of the ordinary, the pedestrian, and the middle class with  tendency to reject the ideal and the resolution of the enigma. Dickens also tends to deviate between different genres in contrast to the realistic portrayal of certain aspects in society. When these constructs are applied in literature, a set of conventions emerges, however in order to mimic reality they only offer an abstraction of reality reflecting the values and ideology of the composer’s context. With that said, literary realism is essentially a representation of the world based on the attitudes of the composer, carefully constructed to a set of conventions.

Honesty Versus Justice and Due Process Versus Crime Control

Honesty versus Justice and Due Process versus Crime Control Lisa Moore University of Phoenix Ethics in Justice and Security CJA 530 March 07, 2010 Roger Long JD Honesty versus Justice and Due Process versus Crime Control The criminal justice system is built on a foundation of honesty and justice. For justice to work, the justice system, and criminal justice professionals must be honest. The word honesty, describes an individual that doesn't lie, cheat, steal, or abuse to get ahead for personal or professional gain. The word justice describes the concepts of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality and fairness. How can there be justice if the guilty go free or if the innocent pay for crimes he or she never committed. â€Å"In order for this to occur, our legal system must be one that demands absolutely honesty, such as when someone is called to testify he or she is asked, Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? If false accusations and false evidence are presented against the innocent, they will be punished as if they are guilty† (RealPolice, 2000). The place of honesty in a system that promotes justice has sparked a controversial issue among the Criminal Justice world, that honesty could be put on the back-burner when pursuing justice. For example when officers present false evidence to prosecutor in order to have a case against the accused when they believe he or she will not be found guilty. A good example of deception by law enforcement occurred in 1993, when â€Å"Craig D. Harvey a New York State Police trooper was charged with fabricating evidence. Harvey admitted he and another trooper lifted fingerprints from items the suspect, John Spencer, touched while in Troop C headquarters during booking. He attached the fingerprints to evidence cards and later claimed that he had pulled the fingerprints from the scene of the murder. The forged evidence was used during trial and John Spencer was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison† (New York Times, 1993. ) It is â€Å"important that the officials within the justice system be held to higher standards in moral and ethical behavior. As the law enforcement arm of our legal system, Law enforcement officers take a front-line role in activating the laws our legislators create. If they arrest those they know are innocent, create fake evidence against the innocent, or otherwise undo the requirement of honest and honorable behavior, they undo the processes of the justice system from the very beginning, and therefore corrupt the whole process† (RealPolice, 2000). Honesty and justice are the entities that we depend on to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil, legal and illegal. We depend on justice to keep us safe from evil and allow us to live our lives in harmony and peace, without chaos. According to John Locke (1690), we, as citizens, give up sovereignty to a government or other authority in order to receive or maintain social order through the rule of law under the Social Contract Theory. Crime control and due process models are â€Å"two competing systems of values operating within criminal justice, the tension between the two accounts for the conflict and disharmony that now is observable in the criminal justice system† (Hoffman, p. 12, 2000). Although they are both different systems both impact the way our judicial system is ran. â€Å"When comparing the due process and crime control models, it should be kept in mind that proponents of both models embrace constitutional values† (Hoffman, p. 11, 2000). The concept of Crime Control Model is to get the criminal off the street and to protect the innocent. â€Å"The Crime Control Model could perhaps be seen in a negative mannerism due to the fact that it assumes the alleged criminal is guilty even before they step foot into the court, this model supports those actions of the police and prosecutors to the fullest extent† (Zalman, p. 3, 2002). This â€Å"model moves the alleged criminal through the system with the forethought that everyone is guilty until proven otherwise, and also limits the amount of plea-bargaining and appeals. The main objective of the criminal justice process should be to discover the truth or to establish the guilt of the accused† (Hof fman, p. 11, 2000). The â€Å"Due Process Model resembles an obstacle course† (Zalman, p. 13, 2002). â€Å"This system is far more realistic in the fact that it leaves room for error. It does not automatically assume that the alleged criminal is guilty before the case is proven. This system does not want to risk prosecuting an innocent person† (Zalman, p. 13, 2002) it â€Å"demands the prevention and elimination of mistakes to the extent possible. The Due Process Model is said to be â€Å"suspicious of those who are power hungry and merely looking to convict. The difference between the two models in this sense is that the Crime Control Model is based upon factual guilt and the Due Process Model is based upon legal guilt† (Zalman, p. 14, 2002). â€Å"Due Process is also based upon equal treatment of the defendant. The reason that this is believed is because it is felt that errors are the cause for an invalid conviction. While the Crime Control Model strongly contradicts this view it can sometimes hinder a person’s rights within the system† (Zalamn, p. 14, 2002). In the case of Charles Manson, the crime control model, was swift and took the criminal off the streets. â€Å"Manson was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the Tate and LaBianca murders, carried out by members of the group at his instruction. He was convicted of the murders themselves through the joint-responsibility rule, which makes each member of a conspiracy guilty of crimes his fellow conspirators commit in furtherance of the conspiracy's object† (Linder, 2002). The case of â€Å"Roe v. Wade is a good example of the due process model, making it a crime in under Texas law to assist a woman to get an abortion violated her due process rights. The Court held that a woman's right to an abortion fell within the right to privacy protected by the Fourteenth Amendment. The decision gave a woman total autonomy over the pregnancy during the first trimester and defined different levels of state interest for the second and third trimesters† (Oyez Project, 2010). Both models have been opposing each other for years, the crime control model used by law enforcement is based on the assumption that the evidence in a case is reliable and factual not fabricated. Under the due process model the individual charged with a crime will have his or her rights protected To determine that one model is better than the other one would have â€Å"to make a value judgment. Crime control reflects conservative values, whereas due process model reflects liberal values. In my opinion the due process model is unbiased, and follows the principles of the Declaration of Independence† (Hoffman, p. 1, 2000). Too bad the two models cannot come together to form a model that would work for everyone. References (1993) â€Å"Police Investigation Supervisor Admits Faking Fingerprints† The New York Times Retrieved March 7, 2010 from http://www. nytimes. com (2000) â€Å"Honesty in the Justice System† RealPolice Retrieved March 7, 2010 from http://forums. rea lpolice. net Hoffman, D. (2000) â€Å"Great Debate in Criminal Justice: Should the Crime Control Model or the Due Process Model Prevail† Criminal Justice Cliff-Notes pgs. 1-12 Retrieved March 7, 2010 Linder, Doug (2002) â€Å"The Charles Manson (Tate-LaBianca Murder) Trial† UMKC Law Retrieved March 7, 2010 from http://www. wikipedia. com Locke John (1690) â€Å"Two Treatises Government† Project Gutenberg (10th edition)Retrieved March 7, 2010 from http://www. gutenberg. org/dirs/etext05/trgov10h. htm The Oyez Project, â€Å"Roe v. Wade, 410 U. S. 113 (1973)† Retrieved March 7, 2010 from http://oyez. org/cases/1970-1979/1971/1971_70_18 Zalman, M. (2002) â€Å"Analysis of the Crime Control and Due Process Models† Criminal Procedure: Constitution and Society Retrieved March 7, 2010 from http://www. associatedcontent. com

Hank Williams

Hiram King Williams, also known as Hank Williams, was born on September 17, 1923 in Mount Olive, Alabama. His dad was Lon Williams, a locomotive engineer. His mom was Lillie Williams, a church organist. Hank spent most of his childhood in Georgiana and Greenville, Alabama. Hank Williams was a key person in the development of modern country music. He caused a shift in country music from a regional, rural phenomenon to a nationwide, urban acceptance in the late 1940’s. He turned â€Å"hillbilly† music into country music. He became interested in music at a very early age. He learned to play the organ from his mother. He could also play the harmonica. His mother gave him his first guitar when he was eight. His father walked out on the family when Hank was a young child. It became the responsibility of his mother to raise Hank and his siblings. She was a very strong willed woman. He attended Sidney Hanier High School in Montgomery. He quit school when he was 16 years old. He was raised as a fundamentalist Baptist. The music and sermons from his childhood had influenced him. â€Å"My earliest memory† Rolling Stone writer Ralph J. Gleason (as quoted by William’s biographer Colin Escott) â€Å"is sittin’ on that organ stool by her and hollerin’. I must have been five, six years old and louder’n anybody else. † In 1937, Hank’s mother opened a boarding house in Montgomery. Hank helped the family income by shining shoes, selling newspapers, and peanuts on the street. This is where he met Rufus Payne, a black man, known as Tee-Tot. He taught Hank to play the guitar. He would follow him around on the street begging him to teach him to play. He would pay him 15 cents or whatever he had for a lesson. Payne also helped him overcome his shyness. He is the one that the blues influence came from. He made his very first radio performance at the age of thirteen. He formed his first band when he was fourteen years old. I was called Hank Williams and his Drifting Cowboys. He began wearing cowboy hats and western clothes. He sang without amplification and above the sounds of the band. He developed a full throated style of singing. It was similar to Roy Acuff from the Grand Ole Opry. Hank was turned down for the military service because of his back problems. Near the end of the war he began pursuing his musical career again. He started performing at dances nd local events. He also started playing at â€Å"honky tonks†. These were rough and rowdy beer joints that the city’s new comers went to. Williams began abusing alcohol. This problem haunted him the rest of his life. It was partly because of him trying to self medicate the terrible back pain that was caused by a congenital spine disorder. When Hank was 20 years old he met Audrey Mae Sheppard. She was a single mother and separated from her husband. She and Hank married after her divorce was final. They were married by a justice of the peace at a gas station near Andalusic, Alabama in December 1944. They had a child Hank Williams, Jr. in 1949. Hank and Audrey visited Nashville to meet Fred Rose, the head of Acuff-Rose Publishing. The meeting resulted in the recording of â€Å"Never Again† and â€Å"Honky Tonkin’†. This led to signing a contract with MJM. Rose became his manager and record producer. â€Å"Lovesick Blues† became Hank’s trademark tune. It began with a yodel. It spent a year on the charts, including sixteen weeks at the top. He suddenly found himself on a roll. He quickly recorded two more songs, including â€Å"Mind Your Own Business†. They say this song was aimed at his wife. Audrey began to push for more of her own spot in the stardom as he became more famous. They had recorded several sets and she had played with the band some. It was said that her voice was shrill and tuneless. They also said that she didn’t have a very good sense of time. In 1950, he had more successful songs. He also released a series of religious songs with his wife. He used his connections to get a recording contract for her with DECCA. They were not as successful. H recorded his religious narrations talking blues under the name â€Å"Luke the Drifter†. Luke the Drifter walked with Hank Williams and talked through him. These recordings were the closest Hank Williams came to bearing his soul. Hank’s musical career was very successful, but his personal life was falling apart. This was mostly caused by his alcohol abuse that was intensified by his rocky relationship with his wife. This found its way into the words of his songs about heartache, heartbreak, and the break- up of relationships. Hank and Audrey divorced in 1952. As he began to earn more money and spend longer periods of time away from home he began to drink more frequently. While on a hunting trip in Tennessee, he tripped and fell re-hurting his back. He began taking morphine and other painkillers to help control the pain. He quickly became addicted. Following a short tour in Texas, Hank, returned to Montgomery in December to rest before going to Canton, Ohio on January 1, 1953. He was scheduled to play in Canton. Charles, a friend and his driver, was stopped for speeding on their way to Canton. The police officer saw Hank in the car and thought he looked like a dead man. He was then taken to a West Virginia hospital and was declared dead at 7:00 a. . He had died in the back seat of a Cadillac on his way to the concert. He was buried three days later in Montgomery. There was a record crowd attending. His last single released before he died was â€Å"I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive†. It reached number one immediately after his death. In 1953, they continued to release his records that hit number one including â€Å"Your Cheatin’ Heart† Hank Williams was a recording artist for only 6 years and recorded 66 songs under his name (more under Luke the Drifter and with Audrey). Out of the 66 songs 37 of these were hits. Bibliography http://www.allmusic.com/artist/hank-williams-p138231/biography http://britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/644353/Hank-Williams?sections=644353

Medication Errors: Causes and Problems Reporting Essay

In the early morning hours of a 12-hour night shift, a nurse gives the patient an incorrect medication. The aspirin given was ordered for the patient in the next room. Medication errors are common in the hospital setting and especially by a nurse who is fatigued from working a 12-hour shift. In the situation described, should the nurse report the error or assume that the incident is not worth reporting since it was only aspirin? Surprisingly, according to Covell and Ritchie (2009) most medication errors are simply overlooked. â€Å"Nurses estimate that only between 25% and 63% of medication errors are actually reported† (p. 287). This estimation may seem low to some; however, other researchers estimate that the voluntary reporting of medication errors may be even lower. In 2009, Jones and Treiber found that less than 5% of medication errors are reported. Medications are typically ordered by physicians, but it is ultimately the nurses’ responsibility to administer the correct medication. There are several steps in this process and unfortunately when one step is altered, a medication error can occur. Preventing errors has been and continues to be an important aspect of nursing. I believe that in order to provide patients with the best possible care it is important for nurses to understand the common reported causes of medication errors, problems in reporting errors, and their role in medication prevention and reporting. Throughout this paper I will discuss the medication error issues described above and their importance and impact on the nursing profession. Topics discussed in this paper include the common causes of medication errors, perceived problems with reporting medication errors, and the importance of medication errors to the profession of nursing. Common Causes of Medication Errors Nurse Correlated Causes Even though preventative measures are taken, nurses are often still the cause of medication errors. Medication administration is a major intervention in nursing and when distracted or fatigued it is easy for simple mistakes to occur that normally would not have happened. The five rights are taught to all nurses at some point in their education as the basic technique to help reduce the occurrence of medication errors; however, many nurses fail to consistently and accurately utilize these measures. According to a study of 775 nurses conducted by Jones and Treiber (2010), 79% of participants believed that failure to follow the five rights of medication administration causes the majority of medication errors. Other nurse-correlated causes identified by Jones and Treiber (2010) include distractions and interruptions of the nurse, high patient nurse ratios, and lack of proper education along with fatigue and exhaustion. Types of factors that are directly related to nurses are considered internal causes of medication errors. However, literature shows that a combination of internal and external variables within the nursing environment contribute to medication errors. Unfortunately, actions by nurses and failures to follow common nursing protocols directly place the responsibility of medication errors on the nursing profession. Other Associated Causes It is also important to consider causes of errors other than the common internal causes directly correlated to nurses. A common external cause of medication errors is miscommunication. Miscommunication can occur in several different ways, but it often involves miscommunication from the initial prescription by physicians. Brady, Malone, and Fleming (2009) found that, â€Å"ineffective written and verbal communication in relation to prescriptions contribute to medication errors, particularly between nurses and physicians† (p. 692). Quite often, handwriting is not legible when prescriptions are written which results in medication errors. Since many drugs look and sound similar, it is easy for nurses to confuse handwriting. An example involves the medications, Vioxx, Ziox, and Zyvox. These medications sound very similar; however, they are used for very different treatments. Confusion by the nurse in writing a verbal order or in reading the order related to one of these three medications could result in immense consequences. In a survey of 983 registered nurses, Brady et al. (2009) likewise concluded that poor handwriting ranks among the top three causes of medication errors. In addition, there are many other factors that have been shown to contribute to medication errors including incomplete patient information, use of abbreviations, unavailable drug information, lack of appropriate packaging and labeling of meds, and environmental factors such as bad lighting. Understanding the cause of medication errors is an important step to decrease the occurrence and prevent future errors from occurring. Unfortunately, reporting of errors is still a large problem among the nursing profession. Perceived Problems with Reporting Barriers to Reporting Most nurses would agree that medication errors should be reported when they occur, yet medication errors are still underreported. A survey conducted by Jones and Treiber (2010) found that among nurses, â€Å"94% either strongly agreed or agreed that medication errors should be reported even when no harm resulted to the patient (p. 243).† Based on these findings, it is obvious that there is some inconsistency between actual occurrence and reporting. These findings also suggest that there may be barriers to reporting. Barriers to reporting can be broken down into four major groups according to research from both Koohestani and Baghcheghi (2009) and Covell and Ritchie (2009). The major groups are inadequate definition, fear, reporting process, and administrative process. Surveys conducted by Covell and Ritchie (2009), determined that fear ranked as the highest barrier to reporting since â€Å"participants indicated that they were most fearful of adverse consequences from reporting medication errors† (p. 289). Findings by Koohestani and Baghcheghi’s (2009) regarding barriers to reporting by nursing students also demonstrated fear as the strongest perceived barrier. Their research indicated that among nursing students the fear of, â€Å"decreasing evaluation score and introducing educational problems† along with â€Å"instructor’s reprimand† ranked as the highest barriers (p. 70). Surprisingly, both studies ranked the process of reporting, time to fill out proper forms and time to contact physician, as having the least impact on reporting. Increased Reporting The large number of medication errors and the lack of reporting suggest a need for change among the nursing profession. According to research findings from a study conducted by Drach-Zachavy & Pud (2010), â€Å"Approximately every third patient, on average, is exposed to some sort of deviation from the regulations when receiving medication. Yet, when nurses were confronted with these findings, they tended to dismiss their gravity and argued that they were trivial in the hospital context† (p.801). One way to improve the problem of medication errors is to draw attention to the issue. This can be done by increased reporting of errors among the nursing profession. However, due to the barriers of reporting described by nurses, establishing a concrete system to improve reporting has been difficult. Most nurses are aware that underreporting of medication errors does occur; however, they still fail to report. Education about proper reporting and awareness of the issue has been shown to increase reporting among nurses. Research shows that the major barrier to reporting medication errors is fear; therefore, reducing fear is a major component to increase reporting. Strategies to reduce fear include procedures to, â€Å"ensure that the processes used for reporting medication errors are respectful† (Covell & Ritchie, 2009, p. 295). It is also important for administrators and nursing managers to create a working environment conducive to reporting, one that encourages and supports reporting of errors (Koohestani & Baghcheghi, 2009, p. 73). Another strategy to improve reporting deals with the process of reporting. Although the process of reporting was considered the lowest barrier to reporting, research still suggests that improving this process can lead to better reporting of outcomes. Brady et al. (2009) suggest that electronic reporting systems improve reporting. This type of system improves the reporting process by making it easier. There is significantly less paperwork required, and the fear associated with reporting is significantly reduced. In order to change the lack of reporting of medication errors, the perceived problems with reporting need to be improved. The first step in this improvement starts within the nursing profession. Recognizing that nurses play an active role in preventing and reporting medication errors will help to decrease the number of errors. However, the distinct role of nurses in reporting medications errors needs further discussion. Importance to the Nursing Profession Role of Nurses The major role of nurses in the process of medication errors is first and foremost prevention. To help prevent errors, nurses must first recognize why medication errors occur and make an effort to eliminate the source. They must also strive to actively follow implemented guidelines and procedures. For example, consistently practicing the five of rights of medication administration has been shown to decrease the occurrence of errors. According to Brady et al. (2009) the major role of nurses is to, â€Å"take appropriate steps to develop and maintain competence in relation to all aspects of medication management† (p. 694). Education plays a key role in maintaining nursing competence; therefore, it is imperative to remain up to date with current knowledge, evidence based practice, and skills. Once a medication error occurs, the most important role of the nurse is to report. Brady et al. (2009) concludes that, â€Å"reporting medication errors is pivotal in improving the medication management process† (p. 694). Reporting is critical for nurses because it is a legal and ethical concern in the nursing profession. Nurses must consistently report all errors and also encourage other health care professionals to report as well. Overall, the most important roles among nursing professionals are to administer medications safely and accurately, report errors consistently, and adhere to the American Nurses’ Association Code of Ethics. Concluding Integration Reconsider the medication error discussed at the beginning of this paper. As the nurse in the situation, I might not have initially reported the medication error. I might have only informed the charge nurse of my mistake. After researching this topic, my views on medication errors and reporting have changed. I now have a greater understanding of the impact that an active nursing role can have in reducing medication errors. I believe that the implications of medication errors are important because medication administration is a key nursing role. Throughout my nursing career I will administer medications to thousands of patients. Unfortunately, I will likely be the cause of at least one medication error. According to the literature, medication errors do occur. Therefore, it is important to recognize causes so that steps can be made toward preventing medication errors. I believe that measures such as proper training and additional education are the best methods to preventing medication errors. It is also very important for nurses to actively practice safe medication administration by taking a â€Å"back to basics† approach and utilizing simple techniques such as the five rights. Furthermore, I believe that the best way to improve reporting is to reduce the fear surrounding reporting. One way to do this would be to initiate online reporting systems. In my future nursing practice, it will ultimately be my responsibility to administer the correct medication to patients. In order to provide patients with the best outcomes, it is important for nurses to understand the implications of medication errors. References Bradley, A. M., Malone, A. M., & Fleming, S. (2009). A literature review of the individual and system factors that contribute to medication errors in nursing practice. Journal of Nursing Management, 17, 679-697. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2834.2009.00995.x Covell, C. L., & Ritchie, J. A. (2009). Nurses’ responses to medication errors: Suggestions for the development of organizational strategies to improve reporting. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 24, 287-297. doi: 10.1097/NCQ.0b013e3181a4d506 Drach-Zahavy, A., & Pud, D. (2010). Learning mechanisms to limit medication administration errors. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 66, 794-805. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-26482010.05294.x Jones, J. H., & Treiber, L. (2010). When the 5 rights go wrong: Medication errors from the nursing perspective. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 25, 240-247. doi: 10.1097/NCQ.0b013e3181d5b948 Koohestani, H. R., & Baghcheshi, N. (2009). Barriers to the reporting of medication administration errors among nursing students. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 24 (1), pp. 66-74. 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