Publix Supermarket History Essay

Publix Supermarkets, Inc. is the largest employee supermarket chain and fastest growing company in the United States. It was founded in 1930 by George W. Jenkins and opened the first Publix store in Winter Haven Florida is a employee- owned privately held corporation. Publix is has over more than 1,061 supermarket stores, eight grocery distribution centers, twelve brand manufacturing facilities, and 820 Publix Pharmacies. The manufacturing facilities produce its dairy, deli, bakery, and other food products. Our stores are located in Florida- 752, Alabama-51, Georgia- 180, South Carolina- 45, and Tennessee- 33. Publix built its first distribution in Lakeland, Florida and moved its headquarters there from Winter Haven in 1951. At that same time, the All American were closed and replaced with Publix Supermarkets. The donut shops in each store expanded their bakery into full- service in 1957. Each Publix store provides specific services and products in its grocery, produce, deli, floral, bakery, seafood, and meat departments; some of the stores contain sushi bars, cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s liquor store and pharmacy department. Publix created and introduced Greenwise Markets to increase awareness of nutrition providing organic and natural items. Publix mission statement is â€Å"Our Mission at Publix is to be the premier quality food retailer in the world. To that end we commit to be: Passionately focused on Customer Value, Intolerant of Waste, Dedicated to the Dignity, Value and Employment Security of our Associates, Devoted to the highest standards of stewardship for our Stockholders, and Involved as Responsible Citizens in our Communities. Publix’s slogan is â€Å"Where Shopping is a Pleasure†. We have more than 153,000 associates employed with Publix Supermarkets, Inc. A variety of services are offered by Publix. Services such as presto atms, gift card center, floral, special item request, online easy ordering, apron recipes and event planning, prescription refills, and Publix merchandise. They also have several fascinating clubs and programs; wine guide, baby club, preschool pals, family style magazine, Publix paws and upromise program. Publix states the nine reasons why you’ll feel great about working at Publix good, friends, benefits, ownership, stability, career growth, helping others, community spirit, diversity and planet earth. There are several services offered by the pharmacist to help manage your health. They offer a diabetes management system, free prescriptions on selected medications, flu and immunizations, health screenings, Medical I.D., prescription transfer, Flavorx, insurance plans, health center and generic drugs. The main competitors in the national grocery chain are Kroger, Whole Foods, IGA, and Supervalu; several regional grocery chains including BI-LO, Winn-Dixie, Ingles, Fresh Market, Sweetbay, Piggy Wiggly consolidated with warehouse and retail chains including Wal-mart, Costco, Kmart, Target, BJ’s Wholesale and Sam’s Club. Publix for 15th consecutive years has been named as one of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to work. It has never had any layoffs even though some stores have closed and new ones have opened. Each year, the company issues shares of its stock to eligible full- and part-time employees, and cash dividends earned on these shares are paid directly to employees. Publix is a highly established and successful supermarket with friendly service and an immense array of products. They offer â€Å"buy- one- get- one- free† deals which vary from week to week on several products within the store. Publix Supermarkets budget along with other facts are made available to the public. SEC documents contains several of Publix annual, quarterly, proxy, current and other reports where you can retrieve the specific report. Even through the terrible economic hardships we have had worldwide Publix has managed to make a good profit, offer promotions, still open new stores, and never layoff any employees. References http://www.publixstockholder.com/servlet/ProxyServlet?path=/stockholder/Document.do&seq=1&SECDocumentId=7958&curPage=1&selectedDocumentType=-99&selectedYear=-99 http://www.publix.com/careers/Home.do

Potential hazards Essay

Doors are being left open is a big hazard because it opens a various amounts of hazards such as the children walking through the nursery alone without supervision. Having a doors open can also allow people to come into the nursery which jeopardizes the safeguarding of the nursery. The nursery overcomes this by having code locks on all entrances of the nursery as well as all of the internal doors. Hazard number two: sharp objects. In Nursery the children have a craft area and there are pots of scissors on a top a cupboard that the children can reach, this is a hazard because event thought they are safety scissors they are still sharp and can cause harm to the children. Another sharp objects that can be found around nursery can be the knifes at dinner time, they have to make sure that they are rounded and blunt in case the children dropped them on the way to their tables. Hazard number three: sockets. As the nursery is an old building the sockets and electric works are low down so if the plug sockets do not have a safety plug in the children run the risks of shoving objects in to the sockets and electrocuting themselves. The positioning of the sockets are positioned low to the floor to prevent a trip hazard. Hazard Number four: slip hazards. With the nursery providing drinks throughout the day and liquids there is a potential hazard of the children slipping and hurting themselves. To prevent this the nursery does regular checks of the toilet because the children wash their hands they drip their hands and they monitor the children when they have a drink. Hazard number five: hot food temperatures. In the nursery they operate a self-serve lunch service so when they give the children the food they have to make sure that the food is not hot enough for them to burn them if they drop the food as well as when the children eat the food that it is not to hot that they burn themselves when eating the foods. During food preparation the food has to be heated to a high temperature to kill off any bacteria that can cause disease. Hazard number six: registers.

Bovine Spongy Encephalitis (BSE) in Japan

Bovine Spongy Encephalitis (BSE) in Japan The essay aims to investigate the issue of Bovine Spongy Encephalitis (BSE) in Japan, with particular emphasis on the meat traceability system adopted by the Japanese regulatory authorities and its implications for the Japanese food markets, its beef industry, and the hospitality industry. Presumably written in late 2005 or early 2006, some three years after BSE reared its head in Japan, the essay attempts to trace the events that led to the BSE scare in Japan and the responses adopted by the state and industry to cope with market and customer apprehensions. Essays, on specialised subjects like these, need to have reader friendly, grammatically correct structures that guide curious lay people through the complexities of unfamiliar issues in sequential logical steps; such efforts should be well researched, evidence clarity about the subject at hand, make good use of language skills and engage reader interest in the main and allied themes. BSE, better known as mad cow disease, emerged first in the UK in 1986, its manifestation in cattle being associated with a number of logical, as well as fanciful theories that included (a) force feeding of cattle, animals that are normally herbivorous, with meat or bone meal from semi-sterilised cadavers, and (b) import of meat meal, contaminated with human meat, from India (Jones, 2001)! Related to the presence of a misfolded protein called Prion in the brain tissues of cattle, BSE is known to make the brain of a cow a bloody mass of spongy tissue, followed by the certain death of the affected animal (Jones, 2001). Worryingly it is also known to infect humans who consume BSE tainted products (Jones, 2001). The disease first showed up in commercially reared livestock in the UK, and has since then been associated with more than 150 human deaths in the UK alone; its occurrence in the United States led to panic in Japan, a major importer of US beef, and thereafter to a number of protective and regulatory steps by the Japanese for ensuring the safety and quality of beef consumed in the country (Nottage, 2004). Whilst such background information would have been particularly relevant for establishing the importance of the topic, especially in light of the levels of global panic generated by the outbreak of BSE in the early 2000s, there is little of it in the essay; the author preferring to commence the study directly with the detection of the first BSE case in Japan in 2001 and the events that followed. With much effort having been given to providing technical details about Creutzfeldt – Jakob disease, (CJD) and its new variant, in the appendices to the essay, some elementary information about Prion, established to be the root cause of BSE, the substantial loss of human life, and the worldwide concern that arose, post the emergence of the disease, would have helped in driving home the need for governments to adopt stern regulatory measures and in putting the Japanese regulatory efforts in their proper p erspective. Ford’s book on the risks posed by BSE to mankind, which has otherwise been included by the author in the references, provides a graphic account of the dangers of BSE and the essay would have been well served by the inclusion of some of the highlighted risks.

How Can Organisations Ensure that Information Held within their Essay

How Can Organisations Ensure that Information Held within their Information Systems is Secure - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the business environment is highly competitive in the 21st century as free market economies, which run by the principles of supply and demand, are becoming more prevalent. While no economy is completely a free market economy without any government intervention, most economies are at least partially free market. This intensifies competition as businesses seek to attract customers based on prices, quality, and other unique selling propositions. An essential part of the business process is the processing and dissemination of information. Businesses rely upon accurate and quickly gathered information regarding markets, products, customers, ideas, and other aspects concerning the business, in order to properly plan and implement their future strategies. Businesses must also keep accurate records of their past, current, and future plans in order to function in an organized manner. As businesses must take due care of their possessions and ass ets to prevent damage or theft, businesses must also protect their information from being stolen or misused. While assets may be quite expensive and valuable for the firm, information is worth much more and has a higher risk involved. Cybercrime is at large in today’s technologically advanced world, in which thieves do not attempt to take physical assets from people, but directly aim to access intangible information, which is regarded as more valuable. Corporations keep their information safe on computers that are locked with passwords and only staff is permitted to access the information. However, often there are instances of information leaks or access to restricted records by competitors, which causes the business immense damage. Hackers and other cyber thieves access important information to commit frauds or to manipulate the business’s financial records. Many times, large amounts of cash are transferred from the business account to other accounts and they become i rretrievable. There are thousands of ways that businesses can suffer harm through the access of their personal information. Account numbers, financial information, customer records, meeting plans, and new business strategies are all recorded on computers and it is regarded as a safer place to put such information rather than in paper form where it is easily accessible to all. Unfortunately, while computers may be the safer place to put such information, saving it from ordinary people and ordinary thieves, yet it is still considerably unsafe from technologically perceptive cyber thieves and hackers. Hence, businesses must take several measures to protect themselves from cyber crimes and keep their information safe. Before the electronic means of controlling the access to data is discussed, it must also be noted that information may also be disseminated through employees and through simple discussion conducted by employees with outsiders. Businesses also take measures to protect thems elves from such situations as they are perhaps more likely to occur than even cybercrime. As mentioned above, employees are a primary source of information about a company and are the people who are given access to a company’s databases. The first and foremost method a company uses to protect its information from being openly disclosed or discussed is through a confidentiality agreement between a company and its employees. This legal document binds the employee within a secrecy agreement and ensures that the employee agrees to keep all the information regarding the company and its strategies confidential. In the case that such information is dispersed by the employee, the employee will be liable for losses and legal action can be taken against the employee.

An analysis on Alexander the Great's effect on government in Ancient Research Paper

An analysis on Alexander the Great's effect on government in Ancient Greece - Research Paper Example He has not planned well ahead in keeping his empire stable and united after his death, but during his life, he instituted changes that amalgamated his subjects, whom many treated and accepted him as their new king. He is perceived as a Machiavellian leader, acting as both lion and fox. This paper explores Alexander the Great’s effect on the government of Ancient Greece from the time he was born until the time he died. His main impacts is that he ruled as a general and as a king, with both ruthlessness and compassion, personally involved himself in designing great cities, encouraged pluralism and co-leadership in his troops and citizenry. Alexander the Great established the kind of government that is ruthless and compassionate at the same time. As an emperor, he is more of a general than a king and he left the administration of his subjugated territories to his own men and some appointed local citizens. Aristotle taught Alexander the Great and from the former’s writings, it seems that Alexander has chosen the kind of leader who is more of a general than an administrator, a king fit for the â€Å"heroic times† (Aristotle Book 3, chapter XV). Alexander is prominent for his savage treatment of male inhabitants of some conquered lands, where hundreds or thousands are slaughtered by his men (Alexander 46). Still, Alexander is also a sympathetic general. Compassion is one trait that not all generals have, but which Alexander shows with great emphasis to his men. First, he represents the kind of general who cared for equal training among officers and soldiers. Alexander himself grew not under the auspices of royal care, but under the rigorous training of his father, a tactical war genius himself, King Philip. Caroline Alexander describes the upbringing of Alexander: â€Å"Although the son of a king, his upbringing was Spartan† (46). Alexander used to express that his concept of breakfast was a â€Å"long march at night,† and â€Å"of supper, a light breakfast† (Alexander 46). Alexander grew under the eyes and training of professional soldiers and hunters, from he directly learned a cherished Iliad worldview: â€Å"Glory in war was life's highest honor† (Alexander 46). Alexander then also believes that officers and their troops must receive the same training, because the troops will follow a leader more, if he can perform what he expects from his own people. Caroline Alexander interviews Adm. Ray Smith who confirms this belief as part of the Navy SEALs regime training: â€Å"We have learned that the key to leadership under the toughest possible circumstances is that officers and men undergo the same training,† because it is reasonable that â€Å"Men know their officer is not asking them to do anything he couldn't do, or hasn't done† (Alexander 46). Alexander follows this code to the ground; he makes sure he is the best soldier himself. He leads his cavalry charge at Granicus, for insta nce, using a prominent white-plumed helmet. Second, Alexander rules with compassion to his own men. He demonstrates empathy for wounded soldiers and this empathy is part of the Macedonian warrior code (Alexander 47). Arrian, the second century A.D. Greek historian whose report of Alexander's campaigns is seen as one of the best of the ancient sources, says: â€Å"For the wounded he showed deep concern† (Alexander 47). Arrian writes: â€Å"He visited them all and examined their wounds, asking each man how and in what circumstances his

Information Security Topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Information Security Topic - Essay Example s serve to secure different aspects of Information .In the following article one such method to secure network called â€Å"Access Control List† would be studied and an attempt would be made to understand what level of security is achieved through its implementation. INTRODUCTION: Access Control list (ACL) at a very basic level set to define and control the various permissions that can be attached to an object .The object can be a software program like yahoo messenger, a network service like FTP, a file, sound card, other programs, the network, a modem, and so on and so forth. Access means what kind of operations can be done on these objects. Examples include reading a file, writing to a file, creating or deleting objects, communicating with another program, etc. Access Control List defines who is allowed to use that software/service and what operation can he perform on that software/service for example ACL would define who are the users who can use Yahoo messenger and whether they can use it to send files or albums through it or simply chat on it. At a very basic level they mean â€Å"An explicit set of permissions for users (or groups of users) detailing who can access specific items.† [2] CAPABILITY/ kind of security achieved : access control lists limit the access to information to the desired or permitted users . It also sets to establish privileges and permissions that a permitted user would have on the objects. An access control list can be visualized as a list containing permissions attached to an object . The list specifies who or what is allowed to access the object and what operations are allowed to be performed on the object. In a typical ACL, each entry in the list specifies a subject and an operation: for example, the entry (Bob, delete) on the ACL for file ABC gives Bob permission to delete file ABC. How ACL Work when a subject requests for an operation, the system first checks for the entry of the subject in the list in order to determine

3. Report - Base on Case study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

3. Report - Base on Case study - Assignment Example Cliff Lewis has been ranked the highest for providing adequate support to the employees for the growth of the department. Before appointing Cliff Lewis as a head of the Department of Town Planning, the department consisted of 55 employees. It has been identified that out of 55 employees, 35 are appointed for technical purpose, 5 are appointed as a project directors and 5 are appointed as expert coordinator. Moreover, rest of 5 employees are appointed for the administrative support. On the other hand, the Department of Economic Development is ascertained to be organised in an effective manner. Cliff Lewis has been identified to be making efforts to design the department in an organised manner. The Department of Economic Development has been restructured by Cliff Lewis by developing four business units with 25 employees. The employees are recognised to be assigned with specific job roles based on which operations are needed to be performed. The Department of Town Planning is suffering from a poor infrastructure. It has been also observed that the Department of Town Planning has failed to achieve several responsibilities within the due time. In this regard, numerous conflicts have been witnessed with the organisation for increasing complexities and lack of business effectiveness (Rochdale Borough Council, 2015a; Hickman & Banister, 2007). It is expected that after being appointed in the position of Head of Planning for South Berkshire Borough Council, Cliff Lewis has been planning to bring various changes in its operational performances as well as structural base. Cliff Lewis has decided to develop a new planning relating to Town Planning and Development Department (Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, 2000). More elaborately, it can be ascertained that Town Planning is a part of national law of the country. Initially, Cliff Lewis has been planning to develop a

Impact of culture on online consumer purchase decision Thesis Proposal

Impact of culture on online consumer purchase decision - Thesis Proposal Example The present research has identified that the advent of the internet in the business has significantly transformed the business. Organizations are making constant efforts to win the customer on multiple channels. Immense literature has been developed to explore the impact of different factors on the consumer purchase decision. The increasing role of the internet has led the researchers to explore the factors that play an effective role in driving consumer to transact online. Culture as a factor has received limited attention. Hence, the problem statement for this proposed study is an exploration of the role of culture on the whole in affecting the consumer purchase decision while making an online transaction. The aim of the study refers to the central idea around which the entire study revolves. With this definition at work, the aim of this study is to determine the impact of culture on the purchase decision of the consumer while making an online transaction. With this aim, following objectives are planned to be achieved: In the light of a specific definition of the culture, identification of a specific set of factors that determine the culture. Â  Exploration of the impact of culture on consumer decision-making process. Exploration of the difference in consumer decision making process in online and offline transaction. Exploration of different factors of culture on the online consumer decision making process.

Imaging the Shoulder and Upper Extremity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Imaging the Shoulder and Upper Extremity - Essay Example This can occur in people of all ages and can be a result of a severe fall. Standard radiographs may show the fracture but in cases where vascular injuries are present, more scans around the humerus condyles and humerus head need to be done. Distal radial- The part of radius near the wrist is known as the distal part and so the fracture of the radius is known as distal radial fracture .It is also known as wrist fracture. It occurs when there is a fall on outstretched hands or other accidents. Lateral radiographs in some cases not sufficient to identify the fracture and in some cases fractures are not visible, in such cases intense imaging such as CT scans become handy. Scaphoid fracture- Fracture of any of the scaphoid carpal wrist bones is known as scaphoid fracture. It is a result of any fall where the weight is concentrated solely on the palms. Scaphoid fractures are not easily detected and in 50% cases go unnoticed with X-rays until the fracture has advanced. Even with the help of CT scans and MRI fractures are not identifiable and the diagnosis depends on the doctor’s

Meeting the learning needs of all the children Essay Example for Free

Meeting the learning needs of all the children Essay Although these areas seem separate, they are not planned for individually. One activity may cover three or four areas of learning. In my opinion the Guidance Document is very repetitive. This can be due to the fact that one focused activity can cover many areas of the six areas of learning. Children are developing at different rates and in many different ways. Some children will be better in certain areas whereas some children may excel in other areas, and the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage (DfEE/QCA, 2000) recognises this, and therefore identifies a number of developmental stepping stones which identify the relevant knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes needed to achieve each goal. (ibid, pg. 5) In reference to my research, I have found that the Foundation Guidance document is inspired by the work of Jean Piaget and his four stages of child development. Piaget believed that children are born with the ability to think and must successfully pass through each stage of cognitive development before beginning the next stage. (Daly, M, etal, 2004, pg. 73-74) In my school and nursery experience, I found that all learning and planning begins at building from previous experiences/learning. I agree with Piagets theory that in order for children to develop their thinking they must be able to draw upon prior experiences first. Nursery settings allow children to explore and build upon a variety of different experiences through play and adult initiated activities, which provide a basis for learning when they reach school. My 3-5 placement was based in a nursery which allowed for children aged between 3-4. The nursery has two sessions, one in the morning from 9. 00am to 11. 30am, and one in the afternoon from 12. 30pm to 3. 00pm. Each session catered for a different group of children. The children are not grouped according to ability; they tend to follow friendship groups. The staff invites children to join in focused activities. The children are never forced to do anything they dont want to. Continuous provision is the principle set up that the nursery follow and the children are free to explore all areas. These include the water area, sand, dough, home, book and construction areas. A painting area is also positioned in a child friendly location set up with primary and secondary colours. The mathematics table, writing table and work shop table is set with different activities on a daily basis. Children are learning through experimentation most of the time. I was surprised to observe just how much the children were learning without even realizing. Learning through play is a simple yet extremely effective way of learning for young children. Staff promotes learning by being well organized, each member of staff has a set responsibility and work on a rota system. All the equipment and resources are at child level and nearly everything has label or has a picture for where things belong. They follow a self tidy up rule which the parents are asked to implement at home also. The teacher ensures in her planning that all six areas of learning are covered throughout all activities which I will discuss in more depth; this includes outdoor play which is also specially planned for. Well-planned play, both indoors and outdoors, is a key way in which young children learn with enjoyment and challenge. (DfEE/QCA, 2000:25) Resources are brightly coloured and are in interesting, familiar shapes. The home corner is quite realistic and the children role play families thus developing communication, sharing and turn-taking skills. I also observed that each area for learning e. g. the sand area, are set separately, with at least 100cm between them. I believe this is a good strategy as the children are less distracted when working/playing and finished what they were doing instead of leaving things half done.

Critical Analysis of Hospital in the Home Programs

Critical Analysis of Hospital in the Home Programs INTRODUCTION Health economics is linked to obtaining of maximum advantage of money spent for medical healthcare. The effectiveness of the healthcare infrastructure available needs to be linked to value of money. This is a step towards cost effectiveness with improved efficiency. Cost effectiveness is outcome of the best use of resources to achieve the desired outcome. (Haycox, 2009). Cost advantages of a ‘hospital in the home’ program The cost of healthcare services especially the acute care has increased that has compelled the governments to plan strategy for alternate methods and accordingly Hospital in the home (HITH) has been developed in response to this challenge. The studies have different views whether HITH provides cost savings compared with in-hospital care (IHC). There are differences in perception of HITH because of complexities involved in diseases. The culture also plays an important part especially while recognizing the beliefs and impact of patient’s health. The difference in view comes on surface during the interaction with health care professionals, health care practices and health care outcomes. These differences make the valid comparison with traditional hospitalization and HITH ( Macintyre, Druth Ansari 2002). Hospital at Home is an innovative model established to provide hospital level care to patient when he is at home instead of being admitted in hospital. The program has become suc cess and is adopted by health systems and home care providers mainly as a tool to reduce the cost without sacrificing the patient safety, quality of medical care and satisfaction. The patients admitted for hospital in the home need to meet the specific medical eligibility criteria. It is suggested by number of doctors that many patients would be better off being treated at home instead of in hospitals. Nothing to blame the organizations but the cost of hospitalization depends upon cost of doctors fee and salaries to other supporting staff. Though it is expensive for patients to be in hospitals but it will depend upon type of ailments and future risk of the patient. Critically, academically it seems to be expensive but if the similar amount of health care is required at home, the patient will need number of staff members spending many hours travelling from one patients home to another. That is a abnormal waste of time and money. Deloitte has conducted study wherein it has been conclu ded that there is savings of 32 per cent to treat patients at home instead of public hospitals. The inference from this study was accepted by the Australian Associated Press HITH society stating that lot of money can be saved by treating people at home. It also provide opportunity to hospitals to provide beds to needy patients and taking pressure off from emergency departments. It has been suggested that support for hospitals in the home programs can cut the odds of death and hospital readmission and save money as compared to cost of medical care in hospitals. The study has undertaken meta-analysis of 61 randomised controlled trials suggesting the reduction in mortality, readmission rates and cost in hospital in the home (HITH). This study also confirms the similar reductions in mortality for all age groups and HITH increased patient and carer satisfaction. Economically the cost of HITP was calculated as $1466 as compared to the cost of a day in the ICU (Bryan, 2012). How important is ‘hospital in the home’ in Australia and other countries – ie what percentage of total hospital admissions are accounted for by ‘hospital in the home’ patients. There has been serious concern about the healthcare systems in Australia and all the Australian governments agreed to the National Healthcare Agreement (NHA) in 2008. This agreement was introduced to improve the health outcomes of all the residents and ensure the sustainability of the Australian health system. Not only it is cost effective but it adds to other benefits for patients especially psychologically. It helps the patients to avoid exposure to serious diseases. The importance to this aspect is evidenced from the fact that Governments in Australia control the HITH Guidelines. The media reports, â€Å"The Canberra Times†, published copy of report stating that caring for eligible hospital patients in their own homes instead of hospital wards can cut costs by almost a third while delivering the same health outcomes. This publication also used research study by Deloitte. The data furnished that it was about $900 cheaper for the government if a knee replacement patient was c ared for at home rather than in hospital, $1200 cheaper for a cellulites patient and $145 cheaper for a patient with a respiratory infection (Canberra Times, 2011). It helps the service providers to have clear, standardised guidance in similarity to other Local Health Districts and Specialty Health Networks (LHD/SHN). The governments have ensured that all residents of Australia not only remain healthy but for meeting local needs they can utilize HITH services (NSW Health, 2013). To be aware of the importance of HITH, there is need to understand the estimated HITH separations in public hospitals. Same-day separations are categorised as admission and separation to total care (inpatient and HITH) occurred on the same day. It means that these separations had one day or less of HITH care. Recorded overnight separations generally involved some care delivered within the hospital followed by some care at home. The data analysed by research persons show that there were 51,279 public hospital separations with HITH care in 2008-09. Of these, 41,608 were overnight separations and 9,671 were same-day separations. The critical analysis indicate that a substantial number of HITH care separations occur in NSW. The analysis of data collected also provides information that the majority of HITH patients who are chronically ill with compound illnesses and require episodic acute care are at older ages. (DLA Phillips Fox, 2010). HITH patients who require short-term medical treatm ents are those of varying ages (Deloitte Access Economics, 2011). Three health services that could be provided in the home rather than in a traditional hospital? The best methodology used is to consult doctors and establish relationship and based on his recommendations the recovery process need to be started. This will be cost effective, save from future infections form hospitals and other miscellaneous expenses. Australian Governments has announced concession for patients with kidney disease that receive dialysis treatment at home. The concession will be given to patients and the concession is part of SA Health’s commitment under the SA Health Care Plan 2010-2017 to ensure patients throughout South Australia have the opportunity access health care, where and when they need it. The treatment at home will provide an alternative treatment option that can provide you with more independence and flexibility. There will no need to plan activities around pre-determined appointments and can receive treatment in the comfort of your own home. The concession is with effect from 2012 and will provide an electricity concession for patients who undertake dialysis at home. The concession is part of SA Health’s commitment under the SA Health Care Plan 2010-2017 to ensure patients throughout South Australia have the opportunity to access health care in the home (Govt of South Australia, 2012). Mothers and newborns, if eligible, may be admitted to HITH instead of keeping them in hospitals. The adopted healthcare unit will arrange for The Postnatal Domiciliary Grant (formerly the Variable/Maternity Services Grant) provides for post-discharge visits that cover postnatal domiciliary care to public maternity patients. The home birthing was included in HITH during the year 2010. It will provide basic postnatal health checks and appropriate lactation support. It will reduce the huge cost, if retained in hospital and it would not have given chance to other patients if bed was not made vacant (Department of Health, 2011). Deep Vein thrombosis is one of the common diseases. However, majority of the patients in this category are eligible for treatment under HITH instead of keeping them in traditional hospitalization mode. The doctors attending such patients take immediate steps but it is patients whoa re required to take future steps to avoid aggravation. They need doctor’s advice at regular intervals not at all times during the day. HITH is best suitable for them as it will ensure that blood thinners are given as directed. HITH will help the patients to look for excessive bleeding because of blood thinners or due to cuts or bruise. Taking medication for Anticoagulation during HITH is mandatory and can help patients to avoid seriousness. Can you see any disadvantages of such a program? There are disadvantages of HITH but because of number of amendments and strict regulations the risks have been mitigated to large extent. Majority of the diseases can become serious and unless immediate steps are not initiated this can become fatal. The cost effectiveness can lead to deterioration in services. Overall, do you think such a program could result in better health outcomes? The biggest advantage of HITH is providing medication to patients in their own homes instead of hospitals and reduces huge costs in this action. The special training imparted to HITH to include intravenous therapy (mainly antibiotics), anticoagulation, wound care and chemotherapy for suitable patients in their own homes. The only challenge is selection of patients that are eligible. The disadvantage is that method can include the development of complications, anaphylaxis and patient or family anxiety. However, in appropriate cases, hospital in the home is effective and safe. Above all it is highly cost effective for individuals and country as there will be less infrastructure expenses by Governments. REFERENCES Haycox Alan (2009), .Health Economics, accessed and retrieved from http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/painres/download/whatis/what_is_health_econ.pdf Bryan Amanda (2012), Hospital in home benefits confirmed, MJA in Sight, accessed and retrieved from https://www.mja.com.au/insight/2012/43/hospital-home-benefits-confirmed. NSW Health (2013), NSW Hospital in the Home (HITH) Guideline, accessed and retrieved from http://www0.health.nsw.gov.au/policies/gl/2013/pdf/GL2013_006.pdf DLA Phillips Fox 2010, Report on evaluation of Hospital in the Home Programs, report for the Victorian Department of Health, Melbourne, http://www.health.vic.gov.au/hith/final_report2008-09.pdf, accessed 23 March 2011. Deloitte Access economics (2011), Economic analysis of Hospital in the Home (HITH) Hospital in the Home Society of Australasia, accessed and retrieved from file:///C:/Users/dell/Downloads/AccessEconomics-Final+Report+HITH_310811%20(3).pdf C. Raina Macintyre, Denise RuthAndZahid Ansari (2002), Hospital in the home is cost saving for appropriately selected patients: a comparison with in-hospital care, International Journal for Quality Healthcare, Volume 14, Issue 4, Page 285-293. Canberra Times (2011), Hospital house calls could cut expenses, accessed and retrieved from http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/hospital-house-calls-could-cut-expenses-20110914-1wp67.html Government of South Australia (2012), Home dialysis electricity concession, accessed and retrieved from http://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/35452a0049fa42109057fa3a89b74631/Electricity+concession+brochure-HSP-300112.pdf?MOD=AJPERESCACHEID=35452a0049fa42109057fa3a89b74631 Department of Health (2011), Hospital in the Home Guidelines, accessed and retrieved from www.health.vic.gov.au/hith/  © Copyright, State of Victoria, Department of Health 2011

Achievement Gap Essay -- Sociology, Gender Roles, Racial Relations

The achievement gap is defined as the disparity between the performance groups of students, especially groups defined by gender, race/ethnicity, ability and socio-economic status. The achievement gap can be observed through a variety of measures including standardized test scores, grade point averages, drop out rates, college enrollment and completion rates. The Black-White achievement gap is a critical issue in modern society’s education system. Although data surrounding the issue clearly indicates that the racial performance gap exists in areas of standardized tests, graduation rates, dropout rates, and enrollment in continuing education, the causative reasons for the gap are ambiguous—therefore presenting a significant challenge in regard to the most effective way to close the gap. The gap appears before children enter kindergarten and it persists into adulthood (Jencks 1998). Since 1970, the gap has decreased about 40 percent, but has steadily grown since. Theories suggest the Black-White achievement gap is created by a multitude of social, cultural, and economic factors as well as educational opportunities and/or learning experiences. Factors such as biased testing, discrimination by teachers, test anxiety among black students, disparities between blacks and whites in income or family structure, and genetic and cultural differences between blacks and whites have all been evaluated as explanations for the Black-White achievement gap (Farkas 2004). The research that follows will elaborate on these factors as they affect the decline in academic performance of black males—particularly the literacy achievement of black males. Within the Black-White achievement gap resides a subgroup whose academic performance is distressingly ... ...disparities between the two ethnic communities that can be traced back to the legacy of slavery and other forms of oppression that blacks have suffered.† Supporters of this view felt that educational achievement correlates more strongly with economic status than with any other single variable. Since the majority of the black community lags behind whites in income and wealth, the educational inequalities are caused by the economic inequalities. They believe that once the inequalities disappear, the educational disparities will as well. Many argue that this is not a viable argument. They point to other minority groups such as Asians, some of whom are financially worse off than blacks, and they excel in school . They felt that because the civil rights legislation removed all roadblocks back in the 60’s and 70’s something else must be contributing to the large gap.

The Political Thinking and Influence of Henry David Thoreau Essay examp

The Political Thinking and Influence of Henry David Thoreau The extent and nature of Henry David Thoreau’s commitment to social reform has long been a matter of debate among scholars. Drawing on his well-know disdain for organized politics and his focus of self-reform, some have observed that "Thoreau was no social reformer" (Goodwin 157). On the other hand, such major anti-slavery statements as "Civil Disobedience," "Slavery in Massachusetts," and "A Plea for Captain John Brown," have been seen as evidence that Thoreau was deeply engaged in the "most important moral and political issues or his time" (Harding 418). How can Thoreau the solipsistic hermit for whom "the government is best which governs not at all," (Thoreau 1792) be reconciled with Thoreau the political activist "most beloved by reformers" (Cain 5), and influential in the careers of such social-minded figures as Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King? For many scholars the key to understanding this apparent dichotomy lies in an exploration of Thoreau's particular understa nding of the relationship between the transcendental self and society. In this exploration critics have most often turned to "Civil Disobedience," Thoreau's most famous and influential statement on the individual's relation to the state. As Thoreau himself points out in the opening paragraph of â€Å"Civil Disobedience†, the â€Å"war in Mexico" (1972) is an important political context. In 1836 Texas declared its independence from Mexico and began petitioning for admission to the Union. Despite abolitionist opposition on the grounds that Texas's admission would greatly increase slaveholding influence in national politics, the state was admitted to the union on December 29th, 1845. However, because Me... ...eau and John Brown: Transcendental Politics,† ESQ 25 (1979): 156-68. Gougeon, Len. â€Å"Thoreau and the Natural Environment.† The Cambridge Companion to Henry David Thoreau. Ed. Joel Myerson. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995. Harding, Walter. The Days of Henry Thoreau: A Biography. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1965. Herr, William. â€Å"A More Perfect State: Thoreau’s Concept of Civil Government.† The Massachusetts Review 16 (1975): 470-487. Rosenwald, Lawrence. â€Å"The Theory, Practice, and Influence of Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience.† A Historical Guide to Henry David Thoreau. Ed. William E. Cains. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. 153-180. Thoreau, Henry David. â€Å"Civil Disobedience.† Norton Anthology of American Literature 1820-1865. Ed. Nina Bayam et al. 6th ed. New York: Norton, 2003. 1792-1806.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT :: essays research papers

It has always been a myth that sun signs describe who you are. Most of the times, it seems unbelievable to accept the fact that the position of the sun and the planets determine the person’s character, yet we mostly identify firmly with our signs. The characters from Jane Austen’s famous novel, Emma, can be identified with their signs because of their unique personality traits. I believe the protagonist of the novel, Emma Woodhouse, is definitely a Leo. It is stated that â€Å"In grandeur of manner, splendor of bearing and magnanimity of personality, Leos are the monarch’s among humans†. This definition is clearly true for Emma for she bears the nobility in her manners and position. She has a great deal of self confidence, but she also has a great fear of being ridiculed and made to feel disgraced. Though we do not see anyone making fun of her in the novel, she is very much affected by Mr. Knightley upbraiding after she behaves impolitely towards Miss Bates. A Leo is warmhearted, generous, creative, enthusiastic, faithful, ambitious, courageous, dominant, strong willed, independent, self-confident and readily noticed whenever she enters a room. Leos think and act bigger than others would normally dare; â€Å"the ambitiousness of their schemes and idealism sometimes daunt their supporters.† Emma definitely thinks â€Å"bigger† than she should, and her imagination is much beyond the realities. She tries to matchmake Harriet with Mr. Elton, then with Frank Churchill, both who do not have any attachments towards her. â€Å"Leos’ faults can be as large in scale as their virtues, and an excessively negative Leonian can be one of the most unpleasant human beings imaginable, displaying extreme arrogance, snobbish superiority, autocratic pride, haughtiness, and excessive hastiness of temper.† At the scene with the picnic in Donwell’s Abbey, Emma puts Miss Bates down harshly when she begins to chatter continually. Emma’s sharp remark shows her cruelty, arrogance, selfishness, pomposity with the most unpleasant manner. Mostly Leos use their powers for doing good, for they are strongly idealistic, humane, and beneficent, yet they do not hesitate to use cunning, lies and trickery to discredit their rivals if they’re jealous. This becomes true for Emma about her feelings towards Jane Fairfax. She has been brought up like a princess, getting the most attention and love. However, when Miss Bates mentions Jane Fairfax’s letter or Mr. Knightley talks about Jane Fairfax’s beauty and gentleness, Emma suddenly becomes jealous of her.

To what extent does the ending of Jerusalem

To what extent does the ending of Jerusalem forcefully call Into question the Issues of happiness and forever after? Comedy Is often described as ‘a movement from one kind of society to another Conventionally, this transition results In an Improvement to the Initial society, In which the protagonist fights against a hindrance, and thus prevails, becoming the leader of this regeneration. This Interpretation can be supported by Frye who stated that the story reaches Its ‘happy ever after' once the ‘new society crystallites around the protagonist'.Here, Buttonholer uses the ending to deliberately call Into question whether Johnny was a pioneer of the newfound society therefore achieving his happy ever after', or just a mere obstacle that had to be overcome by society in order for them to achieve their ‘happy ever after. ‘ Although there is evidence to suggest that he aided the reformation of society, one must conclude that the ending of Jerusalem forcefully calls into question the issues of ‘happiness' and forever after' through the character of Johnny as he is seen to be overcome by society as they achieve their pappy ever after' through the reformation of society.This is emphasized through Johnny's initial reluctance to change as he sets about preventing it from happening in juxtaposition to suspected death at the end of Jerusalem as he becomes part of the rooster ancestors. Within Jerusalem happiness and forever after' are called into question through Johnny's reluctance to change. This is seen through Ginger's description of him; ‘once a count, always a count! ‘ This indicates Johnny's rebuttal to the prospect of change, and his active avoidance to change.This is seen through his previous use of the word count' towards the start of the play when he is describing ‘all those sorry counts on the new estate'. Furthermore, the fact that Ginger uses it to describe Johnny Is significant, as Ginger now sees Johnny as a threat In the same way that Johnny sees the ‘new estate'. This Is seen through the use of the word ‘count' as It Is the strongest profanity, therefore emphasizing the significance of Johnny as a threat to society attempt to reform.In light of this, the ending of ‘Jerusalem' therefore calls Into question the Issues of happiness and forever after, as through Johnny's refusal to change, he loses is ‘happy ever after' as society gains theirs, therefore showing that the Issue with ‘happiness' and ;forever after' Is that; as one person gains their ‘happy ever after' another persons Is lost. Include Boll quote. In addition, Johnny's presentation as the traditional trickster' aids Buttonholer in calling into question the issues of ‘happiness' and ;forever after'.A trickster is a typical comic character that is involved in manipulating the other characters for lies, which challenge and mock society (them Facet and Parsons always sending me love letters'). This is also seen through his ‘gender and form variability, such as when he takes on the role of ‘Boron's dog Sheep' in order to mock Facet and Parsons. The issues of ‘happiness' and forever after' are then called into question, as a traditional comic ending for a trickster would be reconciliation, where they are punished for their crimes, as part of the transition into a new society, showing the transition into ‘happiness' to be brutal.This is seen In Jerusalem ending, as Johnny completes his portrayal as a trickster figure by being punished for his manipulation f characters and general devious behavior towards society, in a rather brutal fashion. This is shown when â€Å"He stumbles down the steps. He has broken ribs. Wrist. He's bloodied. † The trickster is punished violently here in a brutal fashion, which is emphasized through Butterscotch's use of short sentences in order to convey his injuries in the most explicit fashion.Through John ny's barbaric punishment by society in order to achieve ‘happy ever after' one is forced to question the issues with ‘happiness' and forever after' through the lengths in which Johnny is forced, and whether one achieves ‘happiness' through doing so. Buttonholer further uses the character of Johnny to forcefully call into question the issues of ‘happiness' and forever after' through his involvement in the ‘Green world'.This is shown through his existence purely in the woods, where he is shown to be a catalyst for the challenges society faces, as he is happy in the forest, therefore showing that through society gaining their ‘happy ever after' they destroy his. This is shown in the end of the play, where he fails to prevent the unwanted shift in society and remains in a state of desperation, calling back to England's history: â€Å"Come you Italians. You fields of ghosts who walk these green plains still. Come, you giants! † There is definite ly no sign of â€Å"forever after† here.This is seen through Johnny's refusal to conform to his new society, but also his refusal to give up fighting against the likes of Kenneth and Avon. Here, Buttonholer uses the character of Johnny in order to criticize society, further bringing into question the issues of ‘happiness' and forever after', as society manipulates and muffles people in order to gain power over them and achieve their ‘happy ever after'. This is seen through Facet and Parsons instant attempts to evict Johnny from the forest in order to build the new estate, as he is the only obstacle in the way.Additionally, the rather ominous ending where Buttonholer uses an ellipsis to create a rather unsatisfying conclusion is used to point out that the â€Å"struggle between Logos and Myth's† is still occurring in society and that it has not yet reached its conclusion. ‘happiness' and forever after' through the supercilious behavior of society towar ds Johnny, This becomes apparent through the extravagant lies Johnny uses to mask his unfulfilled life. An example of this is when he describes his life in the forest, where he has ‘seen the air go still and all sound stop and a golden stag clear this clearing.However, the reference to the ‘golden stag is seen within Catholicism as a symbol for Christ, therefore showing the spiritual fulfillment that the forest brings him, similarly to the spiritual fulfillment brought through religion. The use of this sudden fulfillment within Johnny's life emphasizes the issues with ‘happiness' and forever after'. This is shown through Johnny and his happiness within the forest, and the apparent fact that society removes his ‘happy ever after'.This therefore portrays the solipsistic nature of society and their inability to allow others to reach their ‘happy ever after'. Furthermore, the fact that no one aids him furthers Butterscotch's critique of society as they are solipsistic and therefore oblivious to others needs. This is shown through the fact that Johnny is a mere obstacle to society that needs to be overcome. This can be seen through the authoritative language used by Facet and Parsons when they address Johnny at the start of the play by saying; ‘reference 4. 06. 01006' as they are dehumidifying Johnny through their use of numerical language. This therefore calls into question whether our lives are fulfilled, and therefore the idea of ‘happiness' and forever after' as Buttonholer uses Johnny to illustrate that no one is truly happy. It becomes apparent through the course of the play that the idea of ‘happiness' and forever after' are being called into question through the use of Johnny. This is shown through his failure to keep his ‘happy ever after' therefore showing that although they exist, they are not achievable.

Pros and Cons of Gender Quotas Essay

There has been a considerable improvement of female representation in many areas of life in the past century: in â€Å"2012, women took home more than a third of the medals† awarded at the London Olympics, but more importantly, â€Å"the percentage of women on the boards of the 100 largest companies has risen over the past year to a record of 15. 6%. And in the last six months, 35% of new board appointments to FTSE 250 companies have been women† (Braund). Many countries, led by Norway, have promoted female representation by implementing gender quotas for corporate boards and they do so because gender quotas increase diversity in the workplace and with increased diversity comes many derivative benefits. Increased diversity by itself is a tremendous benefit; â€Å"it is in conformity with the notions of equality and representation† (Bilkisu). By increasing diversity on corporate boards, we can â€Å"give speedy increase in women’s representation [and] guarantee ‘equality of results’ for women and men aspirants† and, in doing so, support the concepts of freedom and liberty that this country was found upon (Bilkisu). Furthermore, not only do gender quotas promote democracy through increased diversity, they also help to defeat the tendencies of groups composed of similar individuals. Corporate boards with members that â€Å"have similar backgrounds and have been through similar socialization are more likely than not to share views and presumptions and [are] less likely to engage in vigorous discussion and to challenge management† (Gratton). Sharing views and presumptions and the reluctance to debate amongst one another results in groupthink, in which group members try to minimize conflict by reaching consensus and therefore create an atmosphere of decreased creativity, uniqueness, and independent thinking. This scenario often exists in all male or majority male corporate boards because â€Å"they tend towards ‘the risky shift’ which results in them colluding with each other [and] also lack the diverse networks that are so crucial to effective information search and decision making† (Gratton). Diversity promoted by gender quotas â€Å"can provide a wider range of opinion, experience and networking but also can help prevent groupthink that can hinder innovation† (Dong-youb). By introducing more women, businesses can reate an environment that stifles groupthink tendencies and allows for a larger variety of ideas and opinions to be shared. Introducing more women to corporate boards through gender quotas can help the business â€Å"better understand the needs of diverse customers and workers† and with the increasing globalization of the world’s economy, the customer base and work force for businesses are in fact becoming more diverse (Dong-youb). A better understanding of this increasingly diverse group of people allows the business to service their markets properly and enjoy continued profitability. Additionally, â€Å"women appear to be gradually taking control of the economy†¦ women control about 70 percent of household spending† and with women making more of the economic decisions, the need for more women on corporate boards becomes even more glaringly apparent (Bart). Especially â€Å"in the consumer sector [where] the products and services†¦ are mainly bought by women,† it is obvious that appointing more women to corporate boards would support the increasing number of female consumers by promoting their interests in business decisions (Gratton). Companies that choose to ignore this shift in society would be wasting the ample amount of talent that exists already, as well as passing up the â€Å"estimated economic benefits and boost to productivity of increasing female participation in the workforce†¦ at 11 percent of gross domestic product† (Coonan). â€Å"Diversity at the board-level also provides role models at the top of the corporate ladder that encourage aspiring younger employees with non-traditional qualifications or backgrounds† (Dong-youb). There have been an increasing number of women enrolling in higher education in proportion to men and an increase in the number of women on corporate boards would provide those young aspiring women with a role model. However, despite all the benefits that implementing gender quotas could have, there has not been as much change on the makeup of corporate boards as would be expected and there is a group of people that â€Å"are becoming frustrated by a lack of progress in this area and simply want quotas†¦ as a catalyst to disrupt the inertia and stimulate affirmative action† (Jury). Cons of Gender Quotas  While there are many people who see the benefits of gender quotas on corporate boards and strongly support the implementation of such, there are also people who view a gender quota as â€Å"wrong in principle, has difficulties in practice, is tokenistic and is counterproductive to the end goal† (Jury). Much of the view that gender quotas are not the solution to the lack of diversity on corporate boards can be contributed to the belief that â€Å"the fundamental criteria for a board appointment must be talent and appropriateness† and this belief is shared by both businesses and the women that businesses employ (Gratton). Everyone prefers to be chosen for certain positions based on merit as opposed to being picked for other reasons, since being chosen based on merit acknowledges strengths and dismisses any accusations of preferential treatment, especially when selection processes are transparent. Women facing minority representation on corporate boards are especially adamant that they â€Å"don’t want to go on a board as a token gesture[, they] want to be there because it’s meritorious† (McFarland). Women, just like men, want to be recognized for their skills and achievements and not their appearance or gender; â€Å"no woman wants to be a token female[,] yet the recent call for quotas of women in the boardroom runs the risk of achieving exactly that† (Mantzarapis). Implementing a gender quota for corporate boards can affect the dynamics of the workplace negatively by promoting the perception that women are only being appointed onto boards due to gender and not ability. These assumptions and questions concerning the reasons behind the promotion of women all contribute to â€Å"undermin[ing] her ability from the start and may make it more difficult for her to prove herself† (Mantzarapis). Even if the company openly claims that its decisions are based only on merit and not gender, the existence of gender quotas alone causes questions to be asked about the reasons behind a promotion or appointment no matter what the real reasons are. Since a quota system based on gender would undermine the merits of those females who would be appointed to corporate boards, those against gender quotas believe â€Å"it would be an insult to women and a great disservice to companies if women are appointed to fill quotas†¦ as standards will inevitably be compromised when an arbitrary numerical target is set against an unrealistic timeline† (Khoo).

The Trajectory of ISIS: Political Discourse and Youth Agenda

Introduction The influence of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) is spreading fast not only in the Middle East but also across the globe. The sophistication and intensity of the ISIS’s onslaughts to expand their territory has raised questions of how they manage to accomplish their missions in the recent past. Most studies on the problems facing Middle East have focused on the immediate issues and concerns related to radical Islamic groups; however, this research seeks to investigate the future of ISIS in the dimension of youth agenda. Studies have shown that majority of the youth in Islamic states believe that Islam should play a role in the political discourse (Motadel, 2014; Sarikil, 2010). Their demand, based on theory, is that states based on Islamic principles are more desirable than one with liberal approach to governance (Motadel, 2014). Although the youth desire to have states under strong Islamic principles, history indicates that youth put more importance to their ethnic and sectarian identities than to their national identity (Jung and Raudvere, 2008). The emerging problem, among other issues, in this scenario is that the imagined ideal Islamic state is in question because there is no single Islamic identity that everyone would agree upon. Therefore, one fundamental question arises, â€Å"what is this Islamic State being advanced by the ISIS and what is it practicality in the perspective of future political discourse?† We advance this question further and ask: What do the Muslim youth believe in the purely â€Å"Islamic State† and systemIs there any single Islamic ideology among the Muslim youthsIf yes, what are these ideologiesIf no, what are the conflicting differences and what do they mean for the future of ISIS? Reference Jung, D. and Raudvere, C. (2008). Religion, Politics, and Turkey’s EU Accession. NY: Palgrave Macmillan. Motadel ,D. (2014). â€Å"The Ancestors of ISIS,† The New York Times. 23 September 2014. Internet: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/24/opinion/the-ancestors-of-isis.html. Date accessed: 25 October 2014. Sarikil, Z. (2010). Curbing Kurdish ethno-nationalism in Turkey: an empirical assessment of pro-Islamic and socio-economic approaches. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 33(3): 533-553.

Cultural Event: Pan’s Labyrinth

XI LIU Cultural Event Paper: Pan’s Labyrinth I like watching movies, and I want to learn about different cultures from different countries. So I attended the cultural event of 2012 Foreign Film Series at 7:00 pm in October 9th. I was so excited that the Art History Organization gave us a chance to watch a Spanish film called Pan’s Labyrinth. I had heard of it before, but I had never watched it. This film combined the fantasy world and the real world perfectly. That is to say, it is a film of magic realism.I was attracted by the plot of the film, and I was astonished by the director’s conception and the visual effects even though a few scenes were a little bit disgusting and scary. The background of the story was traced to 1944, five years after the end of the Spanish Civil War. Spain was shrouded under the haze of fascist dictatorship. Those who were communist party members and the democratic persons were hunted down and killed savagely by the army. The plot of t he movie develops with resistance against forces of General Francisco Franco, whose leader was Captain Vidal and who ruled Spain as dictator.The protagonist Ofelia entered a magic world with three challenges that Pan gave to her. The film opened with the sound of a faint melody which was accompanied by the sound of Ofelia’s breathing and the frames of blood streaming from Ofelia’s nose while she was lying on the ground. With the background of white words showing on the screen and the voiceover telling us Ofelia’s status of princess in underground realm, the story started. Ofelia, who was twelve years old, took her pregnant mother to the north to rendezvous with her stepfather Vidal, whose real identity was a fascist officer responsible for repression of the local guerrillas.The purpose of Vidal’s living with Ofelia and her mother was his flesh and blood son to be born, and Vidal’s only pleasure was to study all kinds of ways to torture people who w ere caught. After watching her cold stepfather doing evil for fun, her sick mother and witnessing violence, Ofelia, who was surrounded by loneliness and fear, became addicted to fantasy for consolation. She was led to a deserted mill which was the entrance to the labyrinth by an insect elf, and the labyrinth porter who had long horns with goats and transparent eyes was waiting for her arrival.Pan told Ofelia that she was actually a lost princess from the underground kingdom and she had to accept three challenges and complete the tasks in order to go back to her kingdom. The first task was to save an old tree. Because there was a huge toad living in the root of the tree, the tree was on the edge of death. She had to take out a golden key from the toad’s stomach. The second task was to use the golden key to retrieve a dagger. In that room, there was an evil creature sitting at a table with a feast of beautiful foods which she could not eat.She was within an inch of her life aft er giving in to temptation. At the same time, her stepfather began more offensive activities of killing people above ground. Ofelia’s struggling with nightmares blurred the boundaries of reality and fantasy. The third task was to use her half-blooded brother’s pure blood to open the door of underground. Ofelia refused this requirement due to her virtuous heart. She didn’t realize that her stepfather had followed her, and she got shot by him.The scene was back to the initial scene of Ofelia’s streaming blood from her nose lying on the ground at the start of the movie. The ending of the movie can be interpreted in two ways. If it was real, she rejoined the kingdom using her own pure blood and opening the door of entrance. If not, then she ended the movie happy and certain that she was going to a better place, with the dictator powerless to stop her. Pan’s labyrinth is a movie based in a real historical background. It is clear to show us the antiwar a ttitudes with the development of the two main plots.However, it combines the cruel reality and the beautiful fantasy world perfectly to indicate the damages and hurt of the Second World War from the angle of a girl’s point of view. The role of Ofelia represents the whole group of children who were the victims who suffered most at that time. They were eager to live in a world of fairy tale. However, the war destroyed their real dream, leaving despair, hate and agony. One of the director’s obvious artistic characteristics is that he did well in applying contrasts to achieve great artistic effects.He uses the nice fairy tale to contrast the cruel reality and the darkness of humanity. The scene at the end of the movie, which was the same as the beginning, gives me a deep impression of an innocence girl. Thus it clarifies the abhorrence to the war and spiritual sustenance of longing for beauty. The question at issue that Pan’s labyrinth brings to us is whether fantas ies can rescue us from fascism. Around this theme, the director set out two main lines of the plot; one is the reality and the other is the girl’s fantasy world. Three challenges that the girl aced with and the atrocities of Captain Vidal which center on the question at issue reveal that fantasies cannot rescue us from fascism finally. In terms of importance, relevance and sufficiency, a very famous writer Justin Zhang for Slant Magazine stated that this film used a large number of symbolisms of blood to unveiled Pan’s labyrinth god’s mysterious veil (Zhang 24). This movie provides us sufficient and detailed content to reflect the inhumanity of Captain Vidal and the innocence of the little girl. The military executed justice with brutality, violence, cruelty, and no respect for civil rights.The examples of Vidal executing the man that was telling the truth about hunting rabbits, the doctor without any trial, and shooting Ofelia for no real crime, in addition to the brutal interrogation methods, embodies the inhumanity of Vidal. When Ofelia’s mother was in dystocia, he chose to save his baby son’s life but not his wife. These examples are important and relevant to reflect the character of Vidal. The example of Ofelia’s giving up using her half-blooded brother’s pure blood to open the door to the underground kingdom indicates her essence of innocence.All these examples of Vidal and Ofelia are important and relevant to the question at issue and the purpose. Pan’s labyrinth is a movie with deep understanding and implications. At first, it conveys a meaningful anti-war topic. The three tasks that Pan gave to Ofelia were to see if she dared to question when she realized that she was wrong. Eating grapes without resisting temptation in the second task and her refusal of handing over her brother indicates that she was an innocent girl with a rebellious spirit. All the settings of the roles and scenes have their u nique meaning.For instance, the scene of Vidal having his mouth cut open by Mercedes is derived from a tradition of Chelsea Smile. British people will cut the traitors’ or the enemies’ mouth as the shape of smile for punishment. The painting of Saturn Devouring One of his Children which was drawn by Spanish painter Goya, hung on the wall in the room where Ofelia finished her second task, is derived from a legend of Greek Mythology. It’s a painting with dark humor to interpret anti-war means. The design of the name of the leading role Ofelia is from Hamlet, written by Shakespeare. This may imply the tragic destiny of the little girl.In short, it is a film that has deep meaning regarding anti-war believing, rebellious spirit and challenges. Not only does it set out an issue that is worth thinking, but it also eulogizes justice and bravery. All these symbolism and settings reflect on its depth and make it a perfect film. However, Pan’s labyrinth does not exi st. It was made up by the director, but it is based on a real background. It is precise in describing all the characters of the roles in detail. And, also, it describes the violent scene more directly, such as the face with bloody pile of flesh and the scene of Vidal’s sewing his own mouth which was cut open.It has a visual power to make us know the cruelty of the reality. The scenes switch with accuracy and precision so that we do not feel the movie boring and long. It arranges all three challenges which interlace with Captain Vidal’s atrocities within two hours. So, I think that the movie is a success in its precision of characterization and mysterious scenes. In all, I like this movie. It gives me both visual impact and strong emotional shock. It’s a fantasy story based on the real history. The fantasy world gives me an illusion of beauty, but the cruel reality makes me sober enough to rethink profoundly and see the history clearly.This movie arouses peopleâ €™s thinking about whether fantasies can rescue us from fascism. The director used the deep symbolism and settings to make the film more thoughtful and have anti-war meaning in depth. The film also gives me a chance to do some research on the background and analyze the implications that the director made. I wish I could watch more movies like this in the future. Work Cited Zhang, Justin. â€Å"The Esoteric Interpretation of â€Å"Pan’s Labyrinth†. †Ã‚  Slant Magzine. 06 2006: 24. print

Commanding Heights video series Reaction Paper Movie Review

Commanding Heights video series Reaction Paper - Movie Review Example Moreover, free trade has threatened emerging firm as a result of competition. This has raised concern in the United States because most of the companies are near closure contributing to increased unemployment. Nevertheless, globalization have made it possible for an increased global market and areduction in inefficiency in the production of goods and services. The story also covers the new challenges of terrorism and it effect in the developing world. For example, the attack on American on September 11 ignited a debate about how safe our top world economies are and the best way to counter the threat to investors confident (Yergin, 2012). The movie also discusses the impact of globalization and free trade to the developing world. The poor nations ought not to be a market target for the developed world, but should be incorporated into web of financial and capital flow so they can feel they are part of the system. The prosperity of the rich continues while the poor get worse off. The gap between the rich and the poor widens more as globalization takes root throughits eminent challenges. The free market has become unpredictable leading to thefinancial crisis. For this reason, a new debate has arisen in the opposition to globalization. Scholar’sdoubtwho will change the rule of the game to tame the spread of thefinancial meltdown (Yergin, 2012). The world has abandoned the old order for its failures. Communism was disillusioned, and it did not encourage or contribute to trade, commerce or the growth of capital. On the other hand, capitalism proved to motivate people to trade due to high returns. However, United States and other capitalist countries grappled with boom and burst. Moreover, the growth of democracy has been a challenge to free trade as political parties create political turmoil. To address some of these challenges, the U.S. government has embraced Keynesian theories. Keynes suggested that a free market economy was not

Management of Project Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Management of Project Organization - Essay Example This paper illustrates that although projects can be completed by a group of individuals, it is sometimes necessary to enlist the help of project organizations due to technical expertise. These contractors and service companies may also be able to complete the project more efficiently and at a cheaper rate, making it a competitive advantage to make use of these project organizations. In addition to reducing costs, project organizations can increase productivity and create better quality goods and services. Project organizations have a particular skill set that can be used in situations where either existing knowledge is not there in the firm or there is not enough scope to be able to complete the project without these organizations. Three examples are manufacturing businesses, construction projects, and non-IT organizations. The first one is more focused on reducing costs and increasing output. The second has a clear structure with a project manager in charge. The latter has specific IT project managers who are often left to do their own thing. In a project-oriented organization, you would expect to find flat structures with very few levels between project managers and the board. The reason is so that quick decisions can be made because the board is kept apprised of the latest happenings. This would be a little different for a services company because people would be hired in to conduct projects, and they would not be able to directly report to the board. In this instance, an extra layer would be added and this could slow down the flow of information between all the levels in the structure. Project effectiveness would be managed by comparing the initial plans with the final result. This could be done through checking the initial budget against the final cost, etc. A series of checkpoints along the way could also show how effective an organization is in managing projects, and alterations could be made depending on the progress (or lack of) that is occurring.

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 52

History - Essay Example are summoned to value initiative and responsibility by acknowledging the significance of courage in order to be willing to acquire understanding as a means to it. Otherwise, Kant stressed as well that, people who think themselves capable find it rather an advantage to their ends to obtain guardianship for those who become weakened either by cowardice or indolence. Further implications for the westerners include improved state of civilized affairs via public education, abolition of social classes that originally discriminated the educated from the uneducated, and cultural gain. Moreover, by virtue of enlightenment, people of the West would be taught an approach to communication that quite reduces involvement to prejudice while they could be disposed, however, to greater degree of individualism as a consequence. To achieve enlightenment according to Kant, nevertheless, they must learn to be ‘free’, for freedom apparently coincides with the power of

Research Method in E-Logistics and Supply Chain Management Essay

Research Method in E-Logistics and Supply Chain Management - Essay Example This study focuses on a specific aspect of commerce: the supply chain management; emphasis is given on the risk involved in international shipping. Appropriate methods of research have been used in order to identify and explain the various aspects of the specific aspect of commerce. The literature review and the empirical research developed for this study have led to the assumption that risk can be related with all parts of commercial activities; the limitation of this risk is a challenging target, usually depended on the tools available but also on the experience/ capabilities of the persons involved. According to the report findings the use of existing theoretical framework has been proved particularly helpful for the effective handling of risk in commerce; unexpected problems may always appear leading to the decrease of effectiveness of the relevant theories and policies. The role of the persons that involve in the various phases of this activity, i.e. international shipping, is crucial for the limitation of risk; the state also has an important role to the control of the risk involved in international shipping but this role is usually depended on its power to enforce the relevant legal rules. The expansion of globalization has caused the alteration of business priorities worldwide; having to face the increased competition firms in all industrial sectors have been obliged to adopt innovative practices and to monitor all their activities making sure that they will be able to keep their position in the local or the international market.

Business Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

Business Management - Essay Example These new people in the organization always bring in something that they give to the organization as well as learning from the organization at the same time. In today’s modern world technical skills have gained more importance and so has the need for the understanding of the behavior of these people (Kreitner, 2009). A study of organizations which encompasses different viewpoints and is based on multiple levels of analysis is termed as Organizational Behavior. The study involves the behavior of the people in the working environment (Schein, 2004). The importance of organizational behavior is seen in an organizations development. Organizational behavior is used to increase the performance of an organization wholly and individually. The role of organizational behavior is very important these days, many different types of people with varied ethnic backgrounds and cultures work together and hence its importance and popularity is increasing in the business community (Harris, 2001). It covers other fields like sociology, psychology, management and effective communication. Moreover organizational Behavior helps in the improvement of how the company can elevate its performance as well as the individuals that are working in it. Organizational Behavior covers topics like diversity of cultures, team intera ctions, and design of organization, influence, leadership and power. Organizational Behavior is all about the ability to manage as well as lead thereby increasing the output of the organization (Kreitner, 2009). The purpose of Organizational Behavior is to find out the factors that affect the company’s performance and the individuals that work in an organization are studied so as to find out the shortfalls in them that lead to the company’s downfall. The study is used to find out the factors that will increase organizations effectiveness

Knowledge Share-Human Resource Management Current Study Assignment

Knowledge Share-Human Resource Management Current Study - Assignment Example Analysis The opportunity to achieve effective potential at workplace for all the employees in an organization is now significantly recognized as one of the fundamental human rights. Over last few decades, it has also become transparent that the Canadian organizations need to pursue workplace diversity as a competitive stipulation. The pursuit of diversity at the work place is one of the major strategic responses of the Canadian organizations towards globalization (Klarsfeld, 2010). Moreover, it helps the organizations to increase their multiculturalism of marketplaces and workforces. The new diversity definition rejects the concept of mandated targets and quota system in the organizational workplace. Moreover, it minimizes the risk of much of regulatory and legislative framework that accompanied the equal employment opportunity, affirmative action and equity legislation of employment in an organization. Since last two decades the Canadian organizations are practicing this workplace d iversity as their key organizational process. Cultural Workplace Diversity The workplace diversity rests on several premises. ... All the business owners can be benefited from implementing proactive human resource strategies. This process has helped the Canadian employers to build an effective culturally diverse workplace. It is important for the organizations to eventually promote the cultural diversity awareness among all the employees of the organization in order to leverage the benefits and advantages of cultural awareness in the workplace. Workplace Diversity at IBM Employees of IBM represent diverse and talented workforce. Accomplishing the potential of the diversity is a major business priority. Effective workplace diversity is the fundamental of IBM’s competitive success. Venerable commitment to equal opportunity is the major element in IBM’s workplace diversity program. Several business activities, such as promotion, hiring and compensation are performed without regard to religion, color, race, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, genetics or expression. These specific busin ess activities, administration and design of IBM benefit the diversity plans abide by all kinds of applicable law. IBM provides workplace accommodations to qualified employees with disabilities. These are essential diversity plans that can enhance the performance of each and every employee. Giving value and respect to all the employees helped the organization to ensure an effective working environment which is free from all forms of conflicts and harassment. This policy depends upon effective business judgment strategy. Moreover, this policy anchored in the organizational values of IBM. All the managers of IBM abide by applicable laws and organizational policies of IBM. It helps the organization to fulfill their

Understanding Microeconomics Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Understanding Microeconomics Issues - Essay Example The essay "Understanding Microeconomics Issues" talks about the important role of microeconomics in the understanding of the relationship between the consumer, the producer and the trend in the market. There are important issues that must be understood in microeconomics and they include supply and demand, utility, and market failure and competition. All these issues are important to the understanding of the relationship between the consumer, the producer and the trend in the market. Their relationship provides the key to the understanding of economics. As goods and services are produced for sale, there are a number of factors that play a role in determining the prices at which the products will be sold. The backbone of any market economy and the most significant concept in economics is the supply and demand. Demand can be described as the quantity of a product or the services that are desired by the consumers. The amount of product that the people are willing to buy at a given price is the quantity demanded and its relationship with the price is referred to as demand relationship. Supply is described as the quantity of product and services that the market can offer. The amount of product that the producers are willing to supply at a certain price is the quantity supplied and its relationship with the price is referred to as supply relationship. An increase in the price of a commodity is accompanied by an inverse relationship in the quantity demanded, if all the other factors are held constant.

Themes in Romeo and Juliet Essay Example for Free

Themes in Romeo and Juliet Essay The story of Romeo and Juliet continues to interest and engage viewers and readers to the present day. One of the reasons for this may be that it explores universal themes which are still of interest and concern to everyday people. The play makes us think about issues, such as love, loyalty to one’s family and friends, authority, and fate. Each of these themes is discussed below in relation to the play. Loyalty Romeo and Juliet contains many examples of loyalty of one person or group to another person or group. Loyal actions in the play do not always have positive results and cannot always be seen to have been the best course of action. At times, as we see in the opening of the play, loyalty can lead to violence and people behaving dishonestly or wrongly. Student Tasks 1. In your groups, discuss and decide on a definition of loyalty. In your answer consider the following: What is loyalty and how does a loyal person behave? Where does loyalty start and stop? 2. Think of at least three examples of when a person or group shows loyalty in Romeo and Juliet. Write down: a. Who was loyal to whom? b. How they were loyal—what did they do that showed loyalty? c. What the result of their actions—did their loyalty have positive or negative outcomes in the end? 3. Using the scenes of Romeo and Juliet that we have studied in class, find three quotations that show that a character is feeling torn or pulled in two directions by their loyalties. Write down the quotation and explain what it shows about the character and to whom they are loyal. Authority Authority is illustrated and explored in Romeo and Juliet. In Shakespeare’s time, authority was very closely linked in people’s minds to the natural  order of the world and to the will of God. For example, the authority of the king or queen was believed to be given to them by God. Therefore, anyone who went against the authority of the king or queen would be considered to be committing a crime or sin against the wishes of God. People who went against authority were seen as going against the natural order and many people believed that this could only end in disaster. Student Tasks 4. There are many other words related to the word ‘authority’. For example: authoritarian, authorize, authoritative. Look up each of these words and find out what form of word that they are, for example, noun, adjective, adverb. Write a brief definition for each of the words including the word ‘authority’. 5. Find and write down three examples from the play where one person or group has authority over another group. 6. Describe three situations in the play when a person or group disobeys authority. What is the end result in each situation? Which of these examples of disobedience are the most serious ones in your opinion? 7. Are there any situations in Romeo and Juliet where people in authority do not do their jobs properly? For example, do the people in authority always carry out their jobs as carefully and as well as they should? 8. What message or idea do you think Shakespeare might have wanted to say in Romeo and Juliet about the nature of authority and about obeying authority? Love Love in Romeo and Juliet is presented almost as a disease that makes you physically ill and that makes you behave in a foolish way. Student Tasks 9. Read the two statements about the theme of love in Romeo and Juliet. As  a group, choose the statement that you agree with more and find quotations and examples from the play to support your opinion. Be prepared to contribute your ideas to a class discussion. a. â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† is one of the greatest love stories of all times.† b. â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† is more about passion, hate, and the importance of obedience than it is about love.† Fate versus free will In Shakespeare’s time, fate was seen as your personal fortune or destiny that was predetermined by God. You could escape or avoid it. Your fate was said to be aligned with the stars (that is why astrologers have such importance for some people). On the other hand, there is free will. This is where a person takes control and makes his or her own destiny thereby changing the will of God. This was seen as a sin. Student Tasks 10. Write down three examples of fate or free will from Romeo and Juliet. 11. What message was Shakespeare trying to convey about fate and free will?

Marketing and Micro Environment Essay Example for Free

Marketing and Micro Environment Essay Effective marketing incorporates macro and micro-marketing strategies, terms that may not be very familiar to many small businesspeople. They are important concepts, though, that when applied effectively can help to boost advertising results. Even small businesses can learn howand whyto consider the impacts of macro and micro impacts in their planning and strategy. Micro Environment The micro environment, as the name suggests, is the immediate environment that impacts a business. The micro environment includes considerations related to suppliers, customers and local stakeholders, including local government agencies or regulatory bodies. The micro environment can generally be considered the local environment where the business operates and the business owner is likely to be somewhat aware of the impacts that they are faced with. Macro Environment The macro-environment includes those things that may impact small businesses but which are outside of their control. It is the larger, external environment within which businesses operate from an industry or economic standpoint. Using Strategy Effectively In considering the micro and macro impacts on a business, internal and external factors must be considered. Businesses use a variety of tools in planning to consider these impacts, including the SWOT, which is strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats; analysis; the PEST, which is political, economic, social, technological, and Porters 5-Forces Analysis, which is the threat of new competitors, the level of competition, the threat of substitute products, and the bargaining power of customers and suppliers.

Applied Behavioural Assessment Case Study

Applied Behavioural Assessment Case Study Sophia A. Johnson Abstract Behavioral assessment involves a variety of methods including direct observations, interviews, checklists, and tests to identify and define targets for behavior change. (Miltenberger, 2012) This assessment will utilize evidence based research to clearly identify target behaviors to assist our clients in implementing a successful intervention plan that is based on a behavior modification plan that objective, clearly defined, measurable and geared to the individual’s specific needs. We hypothesize that we will be able to reduce Emily’s refusal to attend school, her crying tantrums and head banging, as well as improve and increase Mr. Smith’s employee’s attendance and restore production to normalcy. Case #1 This case study examines why 6-year old Emily is exhibiting behavior issues. Recommended by her pediatric psychologist her parents want to understand this change in behavior that started when she started first grade. It appears that Emily’s reluctance to attend school which she claims is no longer fun, often results in her having screaming tantrums in which cries and bangs her head on the floor. Her parents also noted that she has not been able to sleep in her own bed and they must take her theirs in order for her to fall asleep, but even after falling asleep if they return her to her bed she will awake and cry and scream until her parents return her to their bed. Due to these outburst she is often allowed to remain home from school. Her parents are tired and frustrated and in need of answers for this behavior change and an intervention to return their household to normalcy. Emily’s teacher reports that on most occasions she is well behaving and her basic academic skills appear to be at grade level. It is hypothesized that Emily’s behavior maybe as a result of bullying and teasing, if we could get her to address her fears we will be able to reduce the screaming tantrums and fear of going to school and return her to the normal school environment. In communicating with Emily’s parents we were able to identify the target behavior that they would like addressed. Emily’s parents would like us to address her reluctance to attend school resulting in a screaming tantrums, which includes a loud piercing cry followed by her head repeatedly striking the floor. We believe this target behavior needs to be addressed because it poses a social significant health risk which may result in bodily injury for Emily. This behavior is also being targeted because it results in a â€Å"negative reinforcement by escape from a task† (Cooper, 2007, p. 49), this behavior is inadvertently being reinforced by her parent’s reluctance to upset her so they allow her to remain home. This cannot continue as it will also affect her academic and social interaction skills, there may also be financial ramifications if the parents are missing work or having to find a sitter to care for Emily while they go to work. It is hypothesized that Emily’s overall reluctance and tantruming would decrease and that, with time, we would see her willingly wanting to attend school and interacting with others more frequently, we expect to see a decrease in the number of tantrums and head banging’s. As part of the intervention technique we will be able to create a confident rapport with Emily, where she can share her fears and concerns regarding school. Based on the information shared we will be able to change the target behavior by helping Emily adapt to her school environment. We will carry out a functional assessment on Emily using direct observation both at her home and school to assess and gathering relevant data on the target behavior, such as duration and frequency and whether or not they are preceded by a visible antecedent. The behavior modification program that will be used is operant condition using positive reinforcement. Each day that Emily goes to school without a resulting tantrum she gets to do an activity of her choosing with the family when she gets home. If she has a tantrum and refuses to go to school she has to do one hour of reading. We will be tracking her progress using a excel spreadsheet after which we will chart and graph the results on a weekly basis and do a monthly assessment. The data gathered will be reported by her family and teachers, so as to get an accurate view of her overall behavior in both environment. We chose operant conditioning using positive reinforcement because, â€Å"operant conditioning is the means by which we use reinforcement or punishment to change one’s behavior and â€Å"the goal of behavior modification is to establish desirable new behaviors or skills†. (Miltenberger, 2012), in Emily’s case we hope to increase her desire to attend school by creating a positive experience and reduce her tantruming and head banging episodes by allowing her to use her words to express herself. Once per week on a Friday a visit will be made to Emily’s school and home to collect the charts, review any discrepancies and get a verbal feedback on Emily’s behavior. We will meet with Emily as well to learn how she is doing and assess if the behavior modification is having a positive outcome. The data is analyzed by gathering the number of refusal to attend school for the week, the number of tantruming and head bang, as well as any disruptive behavior in the classroom. We will be able to identify whether or not the intervention is successful if the data reveals a decrease such as only once per week does her parents have to keep her home for refusal to attend school or if they do not have to keep her home at all. Table 1.1 After a 3 month period a review of the behavior modification program will be assessed, if it is found to be unsuccessful or not progressing as expected, we will review the data to see if there are specific days when Emily exhibits continuous refusal to attend school, we could also assess the stimulus being used to reinforce the desired behavior, changes to the program will only help to benefit and address any future needs that may arise. If however, the program is successful and we are able to cause extinction of the behavior which is â€Å"the process by which a previously reinforced behavior is no longer followed by the reinforcing consequences, and the frequency of the behavior decreases in the future (Miltenberger, 2012, p. 516), we could say the behavior modification intervention is successful, even if there is only a reduction in the number of refusal to attend school, or even a reduction of the need for positive reinforcements. The scientific method has guided this experiment by helping us to evaluate the data using frequency of measurement, resulting in accurate, reliable, and believable data to create an individualized assessment intervention plan. Case #2 Mr. Smith owns a manufacturing company which specializes in custom figure skates. He has 30 employees who has highly specialized training required for the production of these skates. Mr. Smith is concerned that over the last year his workforce seems to be suffering from a high percentage of absenteeism, which is having a negative effect on production and the health of the company. Prior to soliciting our help Mr. Smith has tried to address this behavior by offering breakfast which consists of coffee and donuts, he has also called a meeting and shared with them that the end result of continued absence will result in the company suffering a financial loss and closing. He noted that neither of these interventions has worked and seem to only increase the problem. In the case of Mr. Smith the target behavior being identified is the consistent absenteeism which is defined as unreported or unscheduled absence from work by an employee who is not on vacation or other documented leave. This target behavior is being addressed because it affects productivity and the overall well-being of the organization, employee morale and the community. The behavior also affects the social responsibility of the individuals who have contracted to work for a specific period of time and should give adequate notice or inform a manager of any absence. Antecedent: Employee shift starts, production line short. Behavior: Employee does not show up for work, does not call. Consequence: Unable to meet production quota and financial obligations. Mr. Smith previous interventions of providing breakfast of coffee and donuts or sharing the company financial perspective, may not have worked because he did not do the adequate research needed to assess the situation and offer a contingency plan that was appealing to the employees, or his overall approach could also not have been appealing to the employees. It is our job as the behavior analysis to help Mr. Smith achieve his goal by selecting target behaviors that are the most directly and functionally related to those goals of his employees. Evidence suggests that the continued absenteeism maybe due to low morale, stress or sheer employee burnout. We hypothesize that after assessing and defining the cause of the absenteeism we will be able to create an intervention plan that will improve attendance, reduce employee burnout and restore the company morale. After gathering data from HR on the persons who are habitual absentees, individual interview was schedule for one on ones to understand the reason and what can be done to assist the employee in restoring their attendance record. For ethical reasons this information will not be shared with HR. Based on the results of the interviews and questionnaires completed by the other staff, we decided that a contingency contract or a behavioral contract would be implemented to restore productivity within the organization. Each employee will have the opportunity to be rewarded for completing their 40 hour work week for 30 minutes of paid time off per week. The company will implement a time card system and HR will judge the time completed and award the time off accordingly, employees do not have to take their time off weekly but may accumulate and take as needed. Additionally, the organization will implement paid sick leave, a daycare reimbursement program, a schedule adjustment for employees need ing time off during the work hours, and a monthly health truck run to ensure staff is mentally and physically fit. To address the morale issue Mr. Smith has agreed to supplement a breakfast and lunch program as well as quarterly picnics. Each person will be given a task sheet to review and sign, this Behavioral contract will take effect the first of the month and the first review will be done a month later. We will be able to assess the success of the program by a decrease in the number of absenteeism and an increase in productivity and production, as well as employee morale. Charts representing the percentage of attendance versus absenteeism will also serve as a visual for performance. If the expected outcome is not obtained, we would reassess and try another strategy such as possibly a token economy system offering which is more tangible and is immediate in occurrence and reinforcements. â€Å"Extinction is the process that weakens behavior† (Miltenberger, 2012), Extinction/Response maintenance is ensuring that the behavior that has been reinforced for a period of time and is no longer reinforced in the future. Measures need to be put in place to maintain the success of behavior that has now become extinct. In Emily’s case the potential issue with extinction is that her tantrums may return but reinforced based on another behavior. According to (Miltenberger, 2012), â€Å"a potential issue with extinction/response maintenance is that behavior often increases in frequency, duration or intensity prior to being extinct and may undergo extinction regardless of positive or negative reinforcement.† CONCLUSION As behavior analysis we were able to determine that Emily and Mr. Smith’s employees did not need to learn a new skill related to behavior. Instead we recognized the need to make changes to their environment and preferences in order to support them and change their behavior. Since Emily experienced such distress when being prepared for school, changes were made in the environment at home and school, and reinforcers were used to encourage a positive outlook for going to school. Mr. Smith’s employees were given opportunities to not only change their attendance habits, but increase company morale and productivity. Despite these apparent drawbacks when creating an intervention plan in a controlled experimental settings, the findings largely supports both hypotheses suggesting that behavioral analysis when used in a scientific method with clearly defined target behavior, the result is an objective and measurable intervention plan. References Cooper, J. H. (2007). Applied behavior analysis. Upper Saddle, NJ: Pearson Education. Miltenberger, R. (2012). Behavior Modification: Principles and Procedures. 5th Edition. In R. Miltenberger, Extinction . Wadsworth.