Advancing Physical And Psychological Conditions Of The Work Environments

Agenda Item A ;Occupational Safety And Health ; Advancing Physical And Psychological Conditions Of The Work Environments Working in a safe and healthy environment is among the cardinal human rights of all working people in the World. In this respect, occupational safety and wellness issues, protection schemes every bit good as national and international events are of critical importance for employees, endeavors, societies and economic systems.Occupational Safety and Health is straight related to human life. Therefore, it is extremely of import to forestall work-related jeopardies and making safe workplace for the international community. In a on the job topographic point where comprehensive protective and preventative schemes have been developed, figure of work related accident and occupational diseases will diminish. Therefore, purpose should be minimise unintended jeopardies. These workplace jeopardies can be named as followerss ; Physical and mechanical jeopardies, Biological and chemical jeopardies, Psychosocial jeopardies. Especially workers who work on the Fieldss of building, agribusiness, servi ce and Mining and oil & A ; gas extraction sector, have much inclinations to meet with these jeopardiesInternational Organizations such as InternatAÂ ±onal Labour Organization, World Health Organizations and United Nations etc. have been working to progress the conditions of work environments by coercing conventions and Acts of the Apostless. Since it’s constitution ILO has attached specific importance to the issue of OHS and regarded it as one of the edifice rocks in accomplishing societal justness. The ILO has so far adopted a series of conventions and recommendations in order to extinguish hazards and jeopardies in working life and in this context, to protect both workers and endeavors. The most relevant ILO Conventions sing OHS are No.155 on OSH, No.161 on Occupational Health Services, No 81 on Labour Inspection and No.187 on the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health. The ILO Constitution sets rules that workers should be protected from illness, diseas e and hurt originating from their employment. Yet for 1000000s of workers, the world is really different. Some two million people die every twelvemonth from work-related accidents and diseases. An estimated 160 million people suffer from work-related diseases, and there are an estimated 270 million fatal and non-fatal work-related accidents per twelvemonth. Harmonizing to latest ILO information every twelvemonth 337 million people fall victim to work accidents. El Salvador’s economic system was preponderantly agricultural until industry quickly expanded in the sixtiess and ’70s. Despite its traditional concentration on agribusiness, after that epoch province industrialized rapidly and although it’s the smallest state in Central America geographically, El Salvador had the 3rd largest economic system in the part. This sudden alteration caught province unbalanced about workers’ protection so that Occupational Health and Safety measurings hadn’t been taken so far decently. Because of the fact that a big portion of the population was engaged in risky activities such as agribusiness, deceases and hurts took a peculiarly heavy toll. With Mauricio Funesgovernment, El Salvador made some legislative agreements in order to run into the demands of labor market. Being and continuity of the balance in working life and good existences of workers at work depend on back uping nice work and increasing registered employment. The Ministry of Labour and Social Prevision in cooperation with related ministries and representatives of work force played the cardinal function in bettering occupational wellness and safety in the state. To find the prevalence and nature of occupational hurts among workers in Latin America, every bit good as to place factors that predict these work-related hurts, El Salvador participated in a joint plan with other Latin America provinces. With this construct, II Hemispheric Workshop on Occupational Health and Safety was initiated by the Ministry of Labor and Social Prevision of El Salvador. It was co-organized by the Department of Social Development and Employment of the Organization of American States ( OAS ) , the Pan-American Health Organization ( PAHO ) , the International Labor Organization ( ILO ) and FUNDACERSSO, and it was funded by the Labor Program of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. Yet, kids workers are still the chief job on the field of OHS. Between 5,000 and 30,000 Salvadoran kids, some every bit immature as 8 old ages old, are working in El Salvador ‘s sugar cane plantations where hurts, peculiarly terrible cuts and cuts, are common, harmonizing to theHuman Rights Watch ( HRW ) study even tough Salvadoran jurisprudence indicated that 18 is the minimal age for unsafe work. For a long clip guaranting widespread consciousness on OSH has been the chief aim for El Salvador. El Salvadoran authorities puts a great attempts to diminish work-related hurts and causalities. Programs, to accomplish this thought, have been developed really late and some of them are still ongoing. Harmonizing to us, progressing multidimensional conditions of workplaces would be accelerated by manner of back uping attempts on these issues at national and international platforms by sharing patterns via international plans and events. Agenda Item B ;Elimination of Discrimination in Workplaces Discrimination is a negative judgement toward a individual ‘s gender, age, faith, race, nationality, sexual penchant or tallness and is a immense job that can be found worldwide inside and outside of the workplace. On history of the fact that a big figure of authoritiess base on ballss Torahs that make favoritism illegal, employers must follow these Torahs when engaging employees and employees must move in these law’s model. But even with regulations in topographic point, many people still fall victim to favoritism at workplaces. There have been legion legislative motions to censor discrimination’s every form. One of the most of import act was Civil Rights of Act 1964 which outlawed and prohibited favoritism by covered employers on the footing of race, colour, faith, sex or national. International organisations such as International Labour Organization and United Nations have been puting their dockets by sing favoritism, particularly favoritism in workplaces. While everyone is a possible victim ; adult females, LGBT’s, cultural minorities, migrators, individuals with disablements constitute bulk of favoritism victims in workplaces. As a protagonist of this statement, Human Development Report in 2011 revealed that 52 per centum of non-Hispanic Whites expressed anti Hispanic attitudes towards their colleagues in U.S. Deriving independency from Spain in 1821, El Salvador’s more recent history has been marked by a acrimonious civil war in the 1980s which left more than 75,000 people dead and 500,000 displaced. The state was so hit by a series of natural catastrophes in the 1990s and 2000s, which left more than a million people stateless. These happenings made the province impotent and unstabilized. Therefore, Salvadoran governments have non adopted the findings and recommendations made by UN and ILO organic structures in the field of favoritism in workplaces between those old ages decently. But after 2000 to show, El Salvador has shown an unbelievable betterment to censor all signifiers of favoritism, particularly during presidential term of Carlos Mauricio Funes Cartagena. As a first measure on this country on August 19, 1981, El Salvador ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women ( CEDAW ) , which defines favoritism and establishes an docket for national action to stop such favoritism. In 1996, prior to the Committee ‘s reappraisal of El Salvador ‘s conformity with CEDAW, the authorities of El Salvador established the Institute for Development of Women. The Institute seeks to guarantee that action programs created by the authorities to protect adult females are implemented efficaciously. Yet these amendments were non plenty. Althoughwomen in El Salvador enjoy equal protection under the jurisprudence, they were frequently at a disadvantage relation to their male opposite number harmonizing to Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 2001.Also as indicated in Human Development Report the female labour force engagement rate in El Salvador was 45.9 per centum, co mpared to the male rate of 76.7 per centum. Lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT ) individuals inEl Salvadorhad been confronting legal challenges in workplaces. No national jurisprudence does be to forbid favoritism on the footing of sexual orientation, although the jurisprudence prohibited favoritism on the footing of HIV/AIDS position, in pattern, favoritism was widespread. All in all, there was favoritism against adult females, individuals with disablements, sapphic, homosexual, bisexual, and transgender individuals, and autochthonal people at workplace and there weren’t equal commissariats or codifications to extinguish favoritism. When calendars showed 2001, El Salvadoran President and his authorities started to take stairss to anticipate any legal or constitutional challenges to decide the jobs highlighted in a UN general assembly study on favoritism at workplaces. Besides ensured those rights would beef up the fundamental law of El Salvador. The Secretariat for Social Inclusion, created in June 2009 by President Funes, who named the first lady Vanda Pignato as secretary, made attempts to get the better of traditional prejudice in all these countries. The fundamental law provided for the right of workers. In 2009 the authorities amended the fundamental law to allow legal position to public worker brotherhoods. The jurisprudence established sentences of one to three old ages in prison to individual who discriminate in the workplace. There were no authorities plans dedicated to battling favoritism but now The Vida Digna ( Life with Dignity ) plan has been adopted to El Salvador to contend against favoritism bas ed on HIV. Besides on the footing of sexual orientation, in pattern favoritism was widespread, particularly against transgender individuals. In January the new disposal approved the legal enrollment application filed in August 2009 by the homosexual rights NGO Entre Amigos. This is the first NGO focused on sexual minorities registered by the authorities whose primary declared work was other than the bar of HIV/AIDS. Although it’s considerable headroom, El Salvador will non be satisfied with this agreements and for certain, countenances and ordinances will better bit by bit to make international standards. As clearly seen favoritism in workplaces is widespread in many states. In our sentiment, such systematic homo rights misdemeanors can merely be deterred by the humanly will of authoritiess, employers and employees in taking resolute action against people who discriminate at all degrees.

Marriott Corporation Essay

While management was correct in some aspects of measuring debt capacity for Marriott Corporation, the method used to obtain the ratio of 6.64 did not include the debt from the previous repurchase, grossly overstating the ratio and leading to believe that Marriott Corporation had a large unsused portion of debt capacity. This is shown in Exhibit 5. After thorough analysis and a different approach to finding the debt capacity, it is concluded that the actual debt capacity for Marriott Corporation is 3.94 EBIT-adjusted/net interest. To come up with the actual debt capacity for Marriott Corporation, the EBIT-adjusted/net interest ratio was still used, but the numbers supporting the ratio were altered. From Exhibit 5, we get the total debt of Marriott at the end of 1979. Total debt is defined as the sum of short-term loan, current portion of long-term debt, senior debt and capital leases. The average market price of Marriott in 1979 was $14.9/share, and the interest rate for Baa corporate debt was 12%. It was assumed that Marriott repurchased stock at the price of $15/share using 12% debt financing. Using the net interest before the repurchase, which was $27.8 million, it is concluded that adjusted EBIT was $184.59 million. In 1979, additional debt from the repurchase of stock $159 million, adding this to the debt of the original figures, the new debt is totaled at $583.83 million. Using a 12% interest rate from the new debt and finding the new numbers for the ratio, the new adjusted EBIT-adjusted/net interest ratio is 3.94. This figure hits below Marriott Corporations benchmark of 5. Returning Shareholders’ Capitol A. New Debt Capacity And Repurchasing Shares If the firms stock is in a position to be affected by dilution, repurchasing shares may be a solution. This would allow Marriott Corporation to maintain its ability to make decisions utilizing all the available resources. This was previously one by Marriott in 1979 with the repurchase of 5 million shares. With the new debt capacity ratio at 3.94, a repurchase share alternative is not recommended as Marriott Corporation does not have the excess debt capacity previously thought to carry out this alternative. Performing a secondary scenario analysis, suppose Marriott had just enough debt capacity, which means new adjusted EBIT/Net interest ratio equals 5. Using this number, the repurchase price should be $7.17 so that Marriott Corporation could utilize its debt capacity fully. Using this number, only 10.6 million shares could be purchased resulting in the repurchase of stock alternative not taking place as expected. This would result in investors to believe that Marriott Corporation has hit its growth limit, as the repurchase strategy would not have enough depth to persuade investors through EPS and ROE that Marriott Corporation is still a growing company. It is concluded that repurchasing shares is not the correct alternative, even with a benchmark debt capacity of 5. B. Increasing Dividends While increasing dividends would be a good alternative to satisfy investors, it is not without its repercussions as well. If dividends were to be paid out, a gradual steady increase over many years would be the best alternative, as one lump sum payment does not resolve the debt capacity issue, as well as signify to investors negative signs if Marriot Corporation were to one year pay a high divided and the next decrease that same dividend. Typically, when a firm increases dividends, that level of dividends must be maintained to satisfy shareholders, as well as institutional investors and prospect investors. Another factor to consider when analyzing this alternative, is that although Marriott Corporation has had high growth is recent years, compared to competitors, the stock price, return on equity, as well as earnings per share are low, as seen in Exhibit 11 and Exhibit 12. Although paying dividends in conjunction with a more value creating alternative could be used, solely paying out dividends is not recommended. Promote Growth A. Diversify Through Acquisition Marriott also has the alternative to invest in a new firm. Marriott  Corporation has a competitive advantage that could be passed along if they were to acquire existing companies. This competitive advantage is obtained through their competitive expertise of the industry, as well as proven higher occupancy rate than their competition. The company’s assets are mainly real-estate based which means that they should put a premium on the land that they can get by acquiring a new firm. There is relatively little risk in acquiring another firm as well, because their sales can be seen and analyzed before Marriott Corporation makes an offer. According to Exhibit 10 there is a very high price to be paid for a new hotel. Prices paid for hotels, however, did not rise at all from 1975-1978 and number of offers stayed relatively reasonable. From 1977-1978 acquiring another hotel chain actually became a better deal at several data points. Market price/book value dropped considerably meaning that hotels became a much better value for the amount of assets they had. Market price/cash flow is lower as well, with average return on equity rising as well. One caveat is that buying hotel chains in the market value of $25-$250 million had a much higher tender offer/ market value in 1978 up from 39.64% to 60.05%, while hotel chains over 250 million dropped by almost as much. Although there is a risk involved with buying any company or hotel, hotels which are thoroughly analyzed beforehand could be excellent ways to promote growth in the Marriott Corporation. Hotels that would be purchased would be proven to succeed in their respective locations. B. Accerlerate Expansion of Existing Business Marriot has two options about the operation of hotel chains. First, it can own the hotel and enjoy the profit margin. Second, it can sell the hotel but retain management contracts so it controls the operation of such units. Following is the detailed decomposition of costs associated with two options. According to Exhibit 9, in 1978 the typical cost for a hotel room consists of improvement cost, furniture, fixtures and equipment cost, land cost, pre-opening cost and operating cost. For an owned hotel, Marriot had to pay the total cost for running the property, but if it is managed, Marriot only had operating cost because the buyer was responsible for the maintenance. In an attempt to emphasize more on return on invested capital rather than margins, Marriot sold some of their existing hotels and retained  management contract to free up capital. Managed hotels had operating margin of 8%-10%, while owned had 15%. We assume 10% margin for managed hotels and 15% for owned hotels. To deci de when to sell the property, we analyze the remaining present value of future cash flow of a hotel at different point of time in its life cycle. We further assume that when the hotel is sold, the selling price is set so that present value of future cash flow equals the 10% margin. We assume $50 revenue per room night of a typical 150-room hotel, and one year has 360 days. Sales level for each year in the life cycle connects to the occupancy rate. From the graph in Exhibit 9, we get different occupancy rate for the whole life cycle. It reaches the peak 100% at year 8, and after year 10, it declines almost linearly to 10% in year 30. We can see that if Marriot sells the hotel before opening, the selling price would be $1.63 million at time 0. After the peak, assuming year 9, the selling price would be $ 1.55 million. The max value of PV is at year 4, which has $2.85 million in PV at 15% margin. Marriot Corporation would free up more capital if it sells the hotel before opening, but instead it would lose more operating profit. If Marriot is short of capital, it could sell the hotel up-front so that the freed up capital can be invested in other profitable projects. Selling after the peak is a good choice if Marriot wants to enjoy the increasing operating profit before the peak. Shareholder value can be added if the return on freed-up capital exceeds the profit loss from selling the property. Recommendation After the analysis of the different alternatives, and correctly measuring debt capacity, it is concluded that Marriott Corporation does not return shareholder capital but instead promotes growth of the existing company. This provides benefits in a couple of ways. By promoting growth, Marriott Corporation can signal to investors that the firm is still growing, providing incentives for institutional investors as well as individual investors, resulting in a positive market outlook for Marriott Corporation. Also, with the actual debt capacity measured, it is shown that Marriott Corporation does not have the additional capacity to undertake those alternatives, resulting in even more negatives in the future. By promoting the existing business, Marriott Corporation has more control over their financial prospects, through the possibilities of merging or opening or  building more hotels. This would provide positive NPV for Marriott Corporation, and perhaps in the future when cash flows continue to be positive as well as debt continues to shrink, Marriott Corporation can look into returning shareholders’ capital.

IT Management Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IT Management - Article Example They also provide storage for these files. Computers will also improve file and data management at the Opera House. With digital storage, access and editing of files and data is also easier. A printer is also an important piece of hardware.It is essential for printing output from the computer. The most required software for the PC’s is the operating system. This provides a platform for the user’s to interact with the systems’ hardware (Anderson, p 112). This interaction interface is essential to help the staff to manage their PC’s. An antivirus is also important because it protects the computers from malware attacks. These attacks can have devastating effects, such as data loss. Some applications that are required for the House to run effectively vary according to the functions to be performed. Microsoft Outlook is the most common mailing management software. It will help the users when corresponding through emails. A web browser will used by the staff to access web pages during their browsing sessions. QuickBooks and Sage are the common applications used in finance management, and they are considered the best in the field. These applications will help the finance department ease the burden of manual management of financial activities. Sage Human Resource Management System is the most effective human resources software available in the market. It provides solutions for payroll management and it handles other activities related to the human resources department. The use of IT is a powerful tool in the marketing strategy (Englander, p 107). It provides gateways for the Opera House to advertise its events. This can be achieved by posting the events in the most visited websites in the related field. This involves creating of e-banners, advertisements and posters with details about the events and posting them on thesites with the most traffic. The use of social media and networks is also an effective way to create awareness about the events. This can be

Buying Decision Making Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Buying Decision Making Process - Essay Example Of those self-purchases, nearly 20 percent would likely buy diamond stud earrings, right-hand rings and other diamond fashion rings for themselves. Jewellery purchase is primarily by women and most of them are self-purchased and this makes the women a prime target segment required to be convinced to make the purchase. This has served as an eye-opener for the industry that sidelined women in their target advertising. The power of the female consumer has changed the way many companies are branding and positioning their products in the marketplace. Recognising the purchasing power of women has changed consumer marketing into a revolution that even traditionally male consumers in areas such as financial services, home improvement and automotive are wooing women buyers. In order to reach their target segment, companies are starting to seriously examine the lifestyles of women and come up with solutions that cater to their desires and needs. Today, it's all about individualism and personal style, wearing what works for you. It's an attitude of casualness, instead of looking too polished or too studied. Women do cater their cultural originalities and like subtle deviations from it rather than complete diversifications. Similarly, a trend is set and becomes popular and those designs and specifications reign until something else becomes the norm and the whole cyclic process is repeated. Jewellery trade is all about catering to current demands and trends, vintage designs come and go in seasons and demands are cyclical and move with the times. Jewellery purchase is a very personal decision by an individual consumer. The consumers may be of three buying types. The Impulsive Buyer who purchases products quickly, often the purchase is not premeditated and there is little or no analysis involved. Impulsive purchases are generally lower in value compared to premeditated ones. The easiest way to conclude them will be to make available products where they visually catch the eye. Point-of-service displays that attract the eye, instant discounts, sale prices and mass advertising often help in the sale of these products. This is probably attuned to the less-than-J500 impulsive shopper for whom it is an on-the-spot decision to make a purchase and does not involve too much analysis. The Patient Buyer purchases the product after some comparisons and has put in some thought to the purchase. Analytical Buyers do substantial research before buying and the purchase is definitely premeditated. The shopping done may be Utilitarian, meaning with a purpose or Hedonic, for just fun purposes. In the case of jewellery, the patient and analytical buyers who are mostly by women, mostly for self and, a good percentage of them end in high-end sales. This makes it important for the jewellery shops to lure the women into making purchases at their store by using the right marketing gimmick. The major process in decision-making would primarily begin with need identification. This may be a genuine demand for a special occasion like weddings etc, or a simple need for indulgence, a gift or a simply an impulsive buy. This may vary depending on age, ethnicity, education, and purchasing power and price of the product. It could also be influenced by word-of mouth, by friends and family, by the advertising campaigns, branding, social or economical

Non-Malignanat Palliative Care Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Non-Malignanat Palliative Care - Assignment Example Introduction Certain incurable conditions like advanced malignancy and end-stage organ diseases are a challenge to health professionals like nurses for several reasons. Besides instituting treatments to manage their symptoms like pain, the nurses also need to take care of other aspects like emotional support, spiritual care and psychosocial interventions (Arolker and Johson, 2007). Patients who are in terminal stages of life need to be managed in a holistic manner keeping in mind the emotional distress they are going through. Such a care is known as palliative care. Extension of palliative care services to all patients, including those suffering from non-malignant conditions is a much discussed topic in many countries all over the world. Infact, there is a lot of pressure among health service circles for the provision of palliative care to patients based on their need rather than diagnosis. However, at the same time, there is paucity of practical skills and information as to how supp ort must be provided to patients with non-malignant diseases (Cochrane et al, 2008). In this essay, a critical analysis of provision of palliative care services by those specialists providing palliative care for cancer patients will be done. 2. Overview of the needs of people with non-malignant conditions for palliative care According to the World Health Organization (2009), palliative care is â€Å"an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual." Historically, palliative care services by specialists were provided to only cancer patients (Addington-Hall et al, 1998). But, actually, even non-malignant patients in terminally ill stages require palliative care services and pressure to service these patients is mou nting enormously (Cochrane et al, 2008). According to Addington-Hall (1995), palliative care must be provided to patients based on the need rather than on the diagnosis. This means that even non-malignant patients who quantify for palliative services will need palliative care services. Palliative services for those with non-malignant conditions are sparse when compared with those with malignant conditions (Cochrane et al, 2008). Several needs assessments have proven that those with certain non-malignant conditions in the the long term develop some physical symptoms which burden the patients and their family members along with certain psychosocial needs that are unmet. Some such conditions include certain chronic neurological conditions like multiple sclerosis, end-stage renal disease, chronic respiratory problems like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic heart problems like dilated cardiomyopathy (Cochrane et al, 2008). The end-stage of life, when the patient and his/he r family members know about the proximity to death, evokes certain feelings and emotions like rage, denial, bargaining, envy, depression and acceptance (Aranda, 2008). According to DOH (2008), "the challenge for the NHS and social care services now, is to extend this quality of care from the minority of patients (mainly those with cancer) who currently come into contact with hospices and specialist palliative care s

Business Level Cooperative Strategy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business Level Cooperative Strategy - Term Paper Example According to the study findings  strategic alliances can be defined as co-operative agreement and arrangements between the two or more partners, and hence, the co-operative relationship management is one of the prime requirements in strategic alliances.   The strategies aim to meet this requirement are known as the business level co-operative strategies. Co-operation is one of the basic attributes of the strategic alliances and the partners must have a clear understanding of this attribute for framing a set of business level co-operative strategy. Kwok and Hampson have identified the very specific parameters to measure and frame the co-operative strategies in case of strategic alliances. Firstly, the level of co-operation should be out of any kind of mutual desire or need. Secondly, a partner must co-operate for sharing risk. Thirdly, partners’ co-operation should determine a strong foundation for business growth. Finally, the co-operation must aim to minimize â€Å"the l ikelihood of opportunistic behavior†.This paper highlights that  the need for greater consolidation within the highly capital intensive aerospace and defense industry segment has paved the way for greater alliance and collaboration among various organizations for an effective supply chain management.  The need to develop high-end research has also promulgated the need to have greater strategic alliances with international partners.  For example, the NATO partners are actively trying to enter into greater collaborations and strategic alliances with the US and European companies in a bid to improve upon the efficiency of the companies.

Rewriting the Fairytale Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rewriting the Fairytale - Essay Example She put on her old but clean dress, wore a pair of torn down sandals, straightened her hair, and left for the party. At the party, the prince did not seem to be interested in any of the ladies. He looked at Cinderella, and offered her to dance with him. She was felling triumphant and looked at the step-sisters with pride. When the clock struck twelve, she decided to leave but when she was running down the stairs, she threw one of her shoes at the staircase, and returned to her home. When called upon by her step-mom, she replied that she was not going to suffer anymore. The next day, the prince’s men came over their place and asked Cinderella if that shoe was hers to which she replied in affirmative. Thus, they got married and lived happily ever after. Analysis The issue that was in my mind while modernizing the story of Cinderella was that: why, in this modern world, a woman should be treated like an inferior person by others. â€Å"Cinderella's story is a classic story of di scrimination† (Angie). In the original story, when she hopes that she will be offered to be taken to the ball, this means that she wants herself to be treated on an equal basis as her step-sisters.

Explain how blood diamonds have helped prolong conflict in Africa Essay

Explain how blood diamonds have helped prolong conflict in Africa - Essay Example mer Zaire (now conveniently known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC-Kinshasa) and from Sierra Leone to Liberia, diamonds have fuelled civil wars by armed insurgents seeking both revolutionary social change and vast riches through the illicit diamond trade. According to the United Nations, conflict diamonds are used to fund military action on behalf of insurgents and the trade of said diamonds is illegal. Seeking to explore the linkages between diamonds in Africa and modern insurgency, this essay will provide a holistic analysis of the conflict diamond phenomenon and will begin by defining conflict diamonds as well as explore historical antecedents to this trend. This will be followed by a brief discussion of the role of conflict diamonds in modern instances of civil war, including in Liberia, Angola, the DRC and Sierra Leone. Our case analysis will focus primarily on Sierra Leone and the role of diamonds in perpetuating civil war in one of the poorest countries on the plan et. We then turn to an exploration of the international response to conflict diamonds, including the Kimberly Process, and in the case of Sierra Leone, the establishment of international criminal tribunals to bring the perpetrators of armed conflict and extreme violence, often funded through the illicit diamond trade, to justice. By exploring efforts to curb the illicit trade of conflict diamonds, we hope to shed light on the international efforts and will conclude with questions regarding the future of armed conflict in Africa and the role that diamonds and other precious resources may play in fuelling future conflict (Goldsmith, 1987) The exploitation of Africa is a historical fact with its roots in the colonial enterprise and Western encroachment onto the continent. Colonialism has had a lasting impact on many countries of the developing world. Few countries of the world were immune to colonial penetration and the enduring influence of the colonial legacy can be found in

Technology vs Man Essay Example for Free

Technology vs Man Essay Technology versus man is not only a theme found in literature, such as when the scientist, Frankenstein, created the monster who came alive and turned on the scientist, but is also a theme found in the real-life world of American economy. The Economist is a weekly newspaper focusing on politics and business news and opinion. It ran an article called â€Å"Into the Unknown† which put forth the idea that changes in technology that destroy jobs can also create new ones. The machine (created by man) will not necessarily turn on the man to destroy him by taking away his means of making a living. Though the machine may eliminate one means of making a living, in so doing it may create a number of new means. When technology starts to eliminate jobs, it also creates an opportunity to profit from the creation of new jobs. â€Å"Into the Unknown† says the fear that a rise in technology would cause a decline in jobs is not a new one. In 1929 American economist Stuart Chase in his book Men and Machines, made the prediction that the creation of machines to do the work that man once did would soon destroy the American economy. The machines would go on producing the same amount of product, but jobless people would not have the money to buy the product. He felt that this economic disaster was just around the corner. Time has proven him wrong according to this article. What Chase didn’t understand was that the machine that destroyed one job set the course for the creation of new, possibly unthought-of jobs. Economic predictions are often wrong and short-sighted. Even short-term labor-market predictions can be wrong as seen in the 1988 example of the twenty occupations that the government predicted would suffer the most job losses between 1988 and 2000. Half of those occupations gained jobs instead of lost. The fear of out-sourcing jobs to other countries is another modern day economic fear according this article; but the author feels out-sourcing could be a way of getting rid of less valuable jobs and then using those workers to do more valuable jobs. Retraining workers and remembering that human desire for new technology will help keep Americans working. The idea that changes in technology that destroy jobs can create new ones is not accepted by everyone. Two hundred years ago in England a group called the Luddites – 19th-century English textile workers – revolted against industrialization by sabotaging mechanical looms. They felt these looms made it possible to replace them with less-skilled, low-wage workers, leaving them without work. An English economist of that day, David Ricardo, was the first to predict that technology would result in unemployment. There have been many others that have agreed with that prediction – economists such as John Maynard, Wassily Leontief, Pater Drucker, and Stuart Chase. Yet despite massive mechanization and automation, the U.S. economy has kept creating jobs. These fears are still being advanced today by people such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology professors, Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew P. McAfee. If Stuart Chase thought economic disaster was just around the corner, these men believe we have turned that corner. They believe automation is replacing people faster than the economy can create jobs. Catherine Mann, who is quoted in The Economist article, disagrees with this assessment. She says that Information Technology (IT) jobs have risen from 1999-2003 (Behrens 246). IT jobs, such as health information experts, machine-to-machine communications enablers, and outsourcing/offshoring managers, are increasing. Ms. Mann actually predicts an IT labor shortage (Behrens 246). Is America on the brink of economic disaster due to IT replacing men with machines, or is IT actually producing more jobs than it is taking away as the theme states? History would cause one to believe that the economy will adjust as it always has, and new jobs will be generated; yet a new variable could prove that wrong. America’s gross domestic product has grown 75% since 2009, yet unemployment has hovered above 9% since the same date. This would indicate that Stuart Chase and his kind are right. The new variable is Moore’s Law – microprocessors double their performance every eighteen months. They have been doing this ever since they were introduced in 1958. To illustrate this growth, if one grain of rice was placed on a chessboard square and then doubled on the second square and then that amount was doubled on the third square, by the time all sixty-four squares were filled, the amount of rice would be equal to Mount Everest. Simply put, computers have grown far more powerful over the past fifty years. An example of this is the technological advancement in pattern recognition which now surpasses human capability. This is seen in autonomous vehicles and voice recognition software. Over time, a well-functioning economy should adjust to technological unemployment, but it’s important that workers learn new skills and new business models be invented. As the article states, computer professionals have learned that maintaining standard business-software packages is no longer lucrative, but tailoring business software and services is. There is not a big supply of IT graduates to recruit and train in America. Therefore, companies have to retrain their employees in these sought-after skills (Behrens 246). When technology starts to eliminate jobs, it also creates an opportunity to profit from the creation of new jobs. Even though it is a possibility that we have actually turned the corner in our economy and that technology is actually eliminating jobs faster than they can be created, it is not the time to throw hands in the air and give up. It would be good to remember that technology has created jobs today that would not have been dreamed of twenty-five to fifty years ago. Who knows what jobs will be available twenty-five to fifty years from now?

Economics Markets Essay Example for Free

Economics Markets Essay The most probable result if the minimum wage for teenage workers in Australia will increase is that the employment rate will decrease. The effects on employment on the workers on the increase in the minimum wage of teenage workers will lose their job. This is because employers must retain their profit. Increasing the minimum wage of the workers will result into decrease profit of the company, thus employers will lessen their employers also decreasing their labor costs to retain their profit (Kennan 2007). Take for example a company that aims to maximize its profit. Currently, the companys labor force is n and the minimum wages for its employer is w. Consider a case when the company increases the minimum wage to W with no changes to other factor like profit. If this happens, the profit will decrease because of n*(W-w). The only way to regain the losses of the company that is brought by the increase in the minimum wage is to lessen its labor force n to compensate the losses. Drastic change will occur on the employment of teenage workers in Australia because employers will consider first the adult or the professionals. Companies that need personnel with expertise on the said company will be hired first because these professional are more equipped in producing profit for the company. The figure below illustrates how employment is being affected by the increase in the rate of wage of the labors. As the wage increase, so also the gap thus increasing the rate of unemployment (David Tuerck and Paul Bachman 2005). There are other possible outcomes when minimum wage rate will increase among teenage workers in Australia. Though many employee will be attracted on the high wage rate in Australia, there is a big possibility that companies will go to other places where there is low wage rate. Most companies now are finding their personnel on places where there is a low wage rate. This is to lessen other expenses incurred by the companies (Haussamen 2007).

The Morality Of Mercy Killing

The Morality Of Mercy Killing Why is there such a thing in our world that is called mercy killing?, why? In this report I will discuss about euthanasia or mercy killing. Euthanasia is the deliberate killing of a person for the benefit of that person. In most cases euthanasia is carried out because the person asks to die, but there are cases where a person cant make such a request. A person who undergoes euthanasia is usually terminally ill. Euthanasia can be carried out either by doing something, such as administering a lethal injection, or by not kill a person even if they are terminally ill because this person needs a chance to live along and see his life, but there are people that disagree. Introduction Mercy killing, also known as mercy killing or assisted suicide is an act of murder which are usually to end the life of a person suffering from severe pain or terminal illness. An individual who is tormented by a disease you want to plant at the end of his life, but do not have the ability to do so. In such a case, and may request assistance from another person. This is illegal in most, but not all, areas of the world. Allow certain languages, provided that they are to follow strict guidelines and the procedure is by a doctor, the patients request. In the United States, assisted suicide is legal in only two states Oregon and Washington. And others have created, such as the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg are also rules for legal mercy killing. Rules of practice in areas where the law allows assisted suicide voluntary. That regulations governing the work of doctors allowed to put an end to the suffering of patients who choose voluntarily to physician assisted suicide. The case of terminally ill, which creates severe physical pain may require assistance. In areas where it is permitted by the physician assisted suicide is generally not legal for any person other than a doctor to help in the death of the last, however. Mercy killing and assisted suicide is a controversial issue in the community and among medical professionals in general. Some doctors believe that the practice of assisted suicide is incompatible with the teaching profession does not hurt. On the other hand, others argue that extending the life of a person who wishes to die is a violation of human rights harsh. One of the most popular activities assisted suicide is an American pathologist Dr. Jack Kevorkian. She helped illegally in the death of more than 100 patients in the United States, was convicted of second-degree murder in late 1990. In 2007, he was released from prison. Since then, Dr. Kevorkian appeared in several universities in the talk shows to promote his beliefs and theories about the patients right to die. While it is more common, and not all of mercy killing with the help of a doctor. Although it is a criminal act, there are many reported cases in one family member or other non-medical staff until the life of another, usually at the request of the patient. In some cases this is done by removing or cutting the life-saving device. At other times, the act was committed by administering a lethal overdose of drugs. If convicted, the person who can send mercy killing is illegal to prison Classification of mercy killing And mercy killing can be classified according to whether the person giving informed consent in three types: voluntary and non-voluntary and involuntary. There is controversy in the medical literature and bioethics about what if it can be considered as non-voluntary (and by extension, it was accidental) killing patients, mercy killing, regardless of the intentions or the circumstances of the patient. In the definitions offered by Beauchamp and Davidson, and then by the Wreen, and consent by the patient which are not considered to be one of the criteria, although it was asked to justify mercy killing. However, others see the agreement as necessary. Voluntary mercy killing Mercy killing was carried out with the consent of the patients so-called voluntary mercy killing. And active voluntary mercy killing is legal in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Voluntary passive mercy killing is legal in the United States Cruzan V. Director of the Department of Health and the state of Missouri. Is often used when the patient brings about his death for the assistance of physician-assisted suicide instead. Suicide is legal in Switzerland and the United States from Oregon, Washington and Montana. Non-voluntary mercy killing The implementation of mercy killing if the patients consent is not available so-called non-voluntary mercy killing. For example, mercy killing, which is illegal in all parts of the world, but in the criminalization of certain specific circumstances in the Netherlands with the Groningen Protocol. Involuntary mercy killing Performed mercy killing against the wishes of the patients so-called non-voluntary mercy killing. Procedural decision Can be divided into voluntary and non-voluntary mercy killing and involuntary to more variables, passive or active. A number of authors to consider these conditions to be misleading and unhelpful. Passive mercy killing Passive mercy killing involves the rejection of common treatments such as antibiotics, which are necessary to sustain life. Last mercy killing Last mercy killing involves the use of lethal substances or forces to kill the most controversial. Sense of medical The poll comes in the United States more than 10000 doctors to the conclusion that it was thought about 16% of the doctors to stop life-sustaining treatment because the familys request, even if he believed it was too premature. About 55% do not, and the rest 29% depends on the circumstances. This study also noted that California. 46% of doctors agree that he should be allowed to physician-assisted suicide in some cases 41%, no, and the remaining 14% think it depends Discussion Even some who accept and we can say the above principles, there is no real difference between allowing someone to die and the status of the person suffering in a coma until his death, in order to alleviate the suffering. Then you have to choose not to remove life-support systems. After all, as they say, and the result is the same in both cases. Also, if you remove your old age or treatment of a patient dying, the patient dies because of this procedure. Thus, they contend, by removing life-prolonging treatment is. A case of murder in the mercy killing as the cause of death is the direct intervention by the person injecting the performance or act of violence after death. Although the two procedures, euthanasia, and allowing to die, is similar in the result, are not the same in process or in the grounds next. In the case of allowing to die, it is true that the patient usually dies on the removal mechanisms of aging or treatment, but the cause of death is a condition that there is now allowed to have a natural effect. For example, the device is removed the ventilator and the patient died because of disease, cardiovascular system and lungs. Mechanism or treatment that prevent the removal of this life-threatening disease because it is more useful cognitive function and emotional, are not allowed to be a disease that affects the natural. Allows nature to take its course. In euthanasia, and the cause of death is a disease caused by a mercy killer. Can cause disease by direct interference with the normal activity of the physiological system of the patient or to withhold specific treatment for the system that should be provided. Can therefore be achieved by withholding the necessary euthanasia drug, as well as a pistol. In one way or another, therefore, euthanasia is an act of violence committed in the physiology of the person concerned and which caused the disease. In addition, at least an implicit justification of euthanasia is to exercise total domination over the human life. Some argue that the ultimate justification for euthanasia, and to liberate the suffering, is enough to justify this action. In this way, as they say, Roswell Gilbert, and others who wish to put an end to the suffering should not lead to the imposition of moral or legal. Unfortunately, there are many ethicists today to justify any action until the last reason is good. But such thinking ignores the reality. Actions that lead to achievement motivation and one that will eventually be a reason to be morally justified. For example, if the final was my motivation may be to collect money to send my children to university, and I do not have the right to steal the money of widows and orphans. Conclusion Mercy killing can and do not go hand in hand. According to Buddhism, can not justify mercy killing. Mercy killing can and do not go hand in hand. Some people kill pets because they do not like seeing animals suffer. Some try to justify mercy killing with the misconception that if the motive or reason for this is good, then the act itself is a good thing. Then that the claim to kill pets, they have the intention to alleviate the suffering of the unfortunate animal, and so a good job. There is no doubt that the original intent or motive is good. But the act of killing the evil that is done during the second idea would certainly help in achieving health outcomes. final thought: To determine the value or not intended in any business and we realize that may be the person who conducted the work of a self-satisfied with any sense of moral guilt. In the case of Roswell Gilbert and all the others in this same position, and we will be more interested in the discussion of the support system that would allow him to achieve his pain more humane way to discuss what could be a just punishment.

Gun Control is Racial Discrimination Essay -- Gun Control Essays

Gun violence is one of the most serious problems in the United States. Each year in the U.S., more than 35,000 people are killed by guns, a death rate much higher than that in any other industrial nations. In 1997, approximately 70 percent of the murders in the United States were committed with guns. However, ironically, the United States also is the country that has the most gun control laws. Gun control laws generally focus on passing legislation—by local state, or national government—to restrict legal ownership of certain firearms. Seemingly, gun control laws may decrease criminals’ access to guns, but in fact the same laws also have their negative effects. Thus, the controversy over gun control is always heated. But my paper is not about whether guns should be controlled or not. From another angle, looking closely at those gun control laws and their enforcement, we can not only see the criminal problem in America, but also another important social problem in America—racial discrimination. The racial problem of gun control has raised attention of some American scholars in the U.S. For example, a black man, General Lancy, who is the founder of a little organization known as the National Black Sportsman’s Association, often called â€Å"the black gun lobby† said when asked his opinion of gun control: â€Å"Gun control is really race control. People who embrace gun control are really racists in nature. All gun laws have been enacted to control certain classes of people, mainly black people†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Some white men have said almost the same thing. Investigative reporter Robert Sherrill concluded in his book The Saturday Night Special that the object of the Gun Control Act of 1968 was black control rather than gun control. Congress passed the act... ...ontrol certain classes of people†¦Ã¢â‚¬  References: 1. Sam B. Girgus, 1981, The American Self. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. 2. Michael Golay and Carl Rollyson, 1996, Where American Stands. Canada: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 3. Seymour W. Itzkoff, 1994, The Decline of Intelligence in America. London: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. 4. Don B. Kates, Jr., 1988, Restricting Handguns. Durham, N.C.: Duck University Press. 5. Jonathan Rauch, 1994, Demosclerosis: The Silent Killer of American Government. New York: Time Books. 6. James D. Wright, Peter H. Rossi, and Kathleen Daly, 1988, Under the Gun: Weapons, Crime, and Violence in America. Colorado: Sage Books. 7. Zhu Yongtao, 1991, Essentials of British and American Cultures. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. 8. http://www.handguncontrolinc.org/history.htm

Urban Myths Essay example -- Rumors Myths Lies Essays Papers

Urban Myths It can all start with an e-mail or a couple of phone calls, and it can escalate into a possible international rumor or myth. According to About.com an urban myth is a â€Å"term used to describe an apocryphal – and actually false – story that plays on a general assumption or feeling shared by many, usually of fear or distrust, and that usually claims to expose a public danger (1). Urban myths usually push the lines of believability, and when one really tries to piece the story together and figure out the origin, he finds that it definitely does not prove to be true. They also appear to come with an endorsement like the FCC, the police department, the FBI, or even a newspaper. Urban food myths are no different from any other urban myths. They all start with lies about some sort of food or food company. The people who start these myths are either trying to make a bad reputation for the company or food, trying to scare people, or even trying to get a good laugh out of someone. For example, an urban food myth began to circulate about Kentucky Fried Chicken when they changed their name to KFC in 1991 because the FDA ordered them to change it because they were not using real chicken for their products (Emery 1). Supposedly the fast food chain had engineered a more efficient way to manufacture their chicken by growing it without heads, beaks, and feathers. The chickens would then be hooked up to mechanical tubes and be fed the exact ration of food that would make them grow the most and best meat. According to the myth, the FDA forced Kentucky Fried Chicken to change their name to KFC because the chickens they served were really not chickens at all because they were headless (Weise 1). They sup... ...05 http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/weekly/aa030701a.htm Rosenblum, Larry. â€Å" The Indian on the Tootsie Roll Pop.† Road Trip America. 2005. Road Trip America. 3 April 2005 http://urbanlegends.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site= http://www.roadtripamerica.com/mttul/indian.htm Chandler, Diana Lyn. â€Å" Urban Myths Melted.† The Equinox. 25 September 2003. Keene State College. 4 April 2005 http://www.keeneequinox.com/news/2003/09/25/Features /Urban.Myths.Melted-474861.shtml Mikkelson, Barbara. â€Å"The Death of little Mikey.† Urban legends reference page. 22 Jan 2005. 3 April 2005 http://www.snopes.com/horrors/freakish/poprocks.htm Mikkelson, Barbara. â€Å"Indian Giver.† Urban legends reference page. 31 December 1998. 3 April 2005 http://www.snopes.com/business/redeem/tootsie.asp

“Immigrant” becomes dirtiest word as Americans are told to speak English

A recent article from the Independent Newspaper's correspondent in New York brings to our attention â€Å"the current mood of xenophobia† in the USA. After approximately two centuries of welcoming immigrants from around the world, it would seem that the Americans have begun to mistrust and to some extent, even fear the very people that have historically given them such a dynamic and diverse country, namely, foreign immigrants. There are several reasons for this recent shift in perspective, two of which are, recent terrorist attacks on American servicemen in Saudi Arabia and an explosion on an American airline flight, that foreign terrorists caused some people suspect. Historian, Arthur Schlesinger has spoken on â€Å"the tribalization of American life† and appears to be suggesting that the different ethnic groups in America are arranging themselves into their own groups and not crossing ethnic boundaries. One symptom of this seems to be the gang culture that exists, where each gang is alleged to be made up from members of the same ethnic group. A key factor in this is language, generally people who only speak one language find it difficult to mix with other ethnic groups or cultures, or indeed find it difficult to understand other cultures viewpoint. As a result of all of these difficulties, the government has introduced a bill called â€Å"The English Language Empowerment Act† the main purpose of which is to make English the official language of America. It is perceived by Republicans, that this Act will encourage immigrants to learn English, as it will be difficult, if not impossible for them to understand federal documents that are written in English. The Act has already been criticised for infringing on American's right to free speech and making it difficult for non-English speaking Americans to receive or even understand information or ideas. It is a safe assumption to make, that if people can't speak English, then they will be unable to understand written English. This argument would seem to carry a significant amount of weight. People have put forward the argument that this Act is connected with attitudes towards Immigrants. This argument seems to be borne out by the fact that there is nothing in the Act that will help to actually teach people how to speak or read English, rather it seems to punish those who can't by denying them access to written information. It has also been pointed out by opponents to the Act, that ninety seven percent of Americans speak English already and a very small proportion of government documents (around one percent,) are actually written in a foreign language. Some people looking at these statistics, would argue that there is no need for this Act, unless it were to force people into becoming â€Å"more American† and punishing those who preferred to stick to their own language and culture. This argument seems to be borne out further by another piece of Republican proposed legislation, the welfare reform Bill. One provision of this Bill would be that, immigrants who are in America quite legally, but are not yet citizens, would not be eligible for state welfare benefits, yet another form of â€Å"immigrant bashing† some might say. Hot button as mentioned in the article; a controversial thing of the moment, it is a happening now situation. Enduring canard, a lasting ongoing issue, to accept with a certain amount of tolerance regarding political correctness, in this case a probability that it has come about in the course of sensationalism and cock-and-bull story of this report in America's newspapers. Polyglot America Speaking, reading and writing many different languages, in this case America.

Organizational Structure Essay

Organizational structure is very important to any company, it guarantees longevity and efficiency. Apple Inc. was incorporated in California on January 3, 1977 (Apple, 2013) and first came on the scene with the release of Apple I. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were the creators of this cutting edge technology and both men were seemingly college dropouts (No Stop Technology – The Apple Fan Site, n. d). The company is a publically traded company listed on the NASDAQ and in 2013 they are number 6 on the list for Fortune 500 companies. Apple Inc. s mission statement is â€Å"Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices. † (About. com, n. d. ). Their mission statement implies that they have a flexible structure that allows for unlimited growth within the technology industry. Structure Apple Inc. ’s organizational structure has enabled the company to keep a barrier free structure and remain competitive. Apple realizes that their expertise is in the innovation of new technology and in order to gain access to many industries they partner with other organizations with different specialties. An example of this is Apple and Nike. Apple took the initiative to create a product for Nike to put into their shoes which allows the consumers to calculate their running distance, keep track of the steps they take, and overall work out progress (Apple, 2013). This is helping them become very diverse and has a constant interest and loyalty among consumers. Other companies like Hewitt-Packard have the same organizational structure as Apple Inc. , by wanting to give the best products to their consumers. In Hewlett-Packards press release in October, 2011, â€Å"Launched in the United States in April 2000, the HP Digital Village program aims to bring the tools for learning and competing in the digital economy to communities that need them most† (Hewlett-Packard, 2011). Being prepared for today’s digital marketplace has given HP an advantage over other corporations that are not prepared to take on the more digital and global economic environment. Another company that has similar structure to Apple is Samsung. They state â€Å"At Samsung Group and Samsung Electronics, we uphold a belief in shared responsibility – to our people, our planet and our society. Across the company, we hold ourselves to the highest standards so that we can more effectively contribute to a better world† (Samsung, 2013). They are also dedicated to developing innovative technologies and being efficient, which allows them to be a digital leader as well. Functions Organizational functions have a role in the development of the company as well as the growth. The different departments that are within Apple Inc. carry a heavy weight of responsibility to ensure that they are consistently driving the company forward. Whether speaking in terms of the retail department, the marketing department, or the human resources department, all have to strive and work to accomplish the goals of gaining profit for the company. Being a leader in new technology has given the company the upper hand on allowing them to have the products free, to use within the business before they are produced at the mass level for consumers. Each product that is produced from Apple has its own team that inspects and maintains the product, which allows Apple to hold accountability for each department and does not allow too many individuals to be involved in the process. This is an example of how divisional structure is involved in an open barrier organizational style. Apple also makes a point to focus on staff engagement level, by having their employees be actively engaged and connected to their work. Employees are given the opportunities to advance in their field and the opportunity to continue to learn new skills within the company. The human resource department is in charge of hiring new employees as well as maintaining the structure of the entire company which is vital to the profitability and the internal organization of the Company. Design Geographical location of the company has been a strong suit for Apple. Apple has over 300 retail stores located all over the world and is continuing to grow based on consumer demand. Apple, Inc. ’s main headquarters are in Cupertino, California, but they also have headquarters in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. By having various headquarters throughout the world, Apple is able to oversee the quality of their products and productivity of retail stores. The number of Apple jobs based in the U. S. has more than quadrupled over the past decade, from less than 10,000 employees in 2002 to more than 50,250 today. They offer their part-time employees the same benefits as full-time employees, including health insurance and the employee stock purchase plan (Apple, 2013). The organizational design of Apple Inc. has been quite challenging to obtain because Apple has very high security when it comes to the internal structure of their company. Apple has to maintain the integrity of their business plan because other organizations would take their ideas and structure and use it to their gain. Apple does everything to prevent this from happening because the technological field is a very competitive market and they do not want to give competitors any insight, which would then result in decreased profits for Apple. Apple’s current CEO is Tim Cook who is in charge of the company’s worldwide sales and operations. Mr. Cook has not always been the CEO of Apple. He was previously employed with Compaq and was the Vice President of Corporate Materials, where he was responsible for procuring and managing Apple’s inventory. This prior experience has given him the knowledge necessary to run such a successful company and the ability to encourage and oversee innovation within the company. Conclusion Apple is a successful company in the innovation of new technology. Apple has the leading edge with technology and has loyal consumers all over the world. It is a company that is primarily known for its products such as the iPhone, iPod, iPad and the MacBook. The company also offers consumers the ability to have Apple create software and hardware specific for a Corporation’s needs. The organizational structure of this organization has allowed for the innovation of products that have changed the world. With these continued business practices, Apple has created an environment with unlimited growth potential and amazing customer loyalty. By being so flexible and diverse in so many different ways, this has allowed Apple to become so successful in such a short time and they will continue to grow into the future. This ability to be a leader in such a competitive market has paved the way for Apple to reap continued profits for many years to come.

Primary and Secondary Socialization Essay

Introduction Socialization is the communication or interaction process in which the norms and values of a culture are learnt, whereby the individual gains knowledge to adapt his or her behavior to that of a social group (Groenman et al., p.202). It is significant to re-emphasize the idea of interaction in the above definition. Where there is interaction, influences are reciprocal and socialization is not merely a one-way process. Parents discover from children just as children do from their parents. In the same way, teachers learn from pupils, heads of departments from students, etc. The socialization process is not restricted to the uncomplicated social skill required in contacts with others. Within the idea of socialization, a difference is made between primary socialization and secondary socialization. Body Primary socialization is a technical term signifying the practice whereby norms and values are obtained (and by the way, has nothing to do with the nationalization of industry or going out to parties). Primary socialization is an exchange of communication between infant and others, but in the first instance, and for quite a time thereafter, it is an exchange in which information in dominates: if we know who we are, it is because, a long time ago, beyond the reach of the conscious recall, other people told us (Jenkins, p.64). Primary socialization is the realm of categorization, and sets patterns for our receptiveness to being categorized in the life that follows. As a child or as an individual, I had always been dreaming of achieving a higher status or class in the society. I always sought perfection in the things that I do, and really did my best to achieve it. Sometimes, because of this quest for perfection, I tend to see the faults or errors in things, as well as in my personality. As such, I began to question the way I was raised (in a positive manner) and asked my parents how they took care of me while I was a baby. My mother recalls that she always had to play classical music for me and kept watching scientific and political news or documentaries. She also told me that she lectures about being a role model in the society while I was still in her womb, before she went to bed. Primary socialization may be informal and it may denote the elementary education that takes place mainly inside the family circle. The explicit gender roles and behaviors are primarily learned at home. When I was a child, I remember myself being curious as to what my parents were doing. I noticed that my mother usually takes care of the laundry, cooking (including the preparation of the dining table), washing of dishes, cleaning the house and planting of small plants, flowers and herbs. My father on the other hand, busies himself with the repairs in the house. He fixes or repairs the busted electric bulbs, leaking water pipes, clogged sink, damaged roof and whatever appliances which were not properly functioning. At first, I thought that these tasks were only performed in our home. However, by observing my grandparents, our neighbors and my classmates’ parents, I learned that generally, most of the males performed the tasks which my father was doing, while most of the females were doing the tasks which my mother was doing. As such, I began to understand and realize that someday, I’ll be doing tasks which are similar to the tasks done by my father. On the other hand, I had the idea that my sisters would be, someday, doing the same tasks which my mother was doing. In primary socialization, a developing child learns what behavior is â€Å"usual†, â€Å"right† or â€Å"natural† according to the norms that are present in the group in which he grows and it may be in an informal manner. This course of action points to the child’s adjustment to social life, whereby the child develops from an instinctual being to a competent and disciplined social actor who has learned to take the expectations of others into consideration. Upon growing up, emulating my father, I was able to have similar voting habits like him. During my childhood days, he was able to tell a story about his childhood life, where he usually faints in a difficult situation or get asthma instead of expressing anger. Somehow, I noticed that I am expressing the same ways of being ill as my father. I had a fight with a schoolmate once and the last thing I remember was I was already resting in a bed in the school clinic with an oxygen mask. I was not hit or physically attacked, however, the pressure or idea of getting into troubled rushed in my head causing me to panic and faint (in addition to the point that I had asthma during my childhood days). Fainting during a fight was embarrassing for a guy like me and I had to search books in order to cure which I thought before as an â€Å"incurable disease of fainting†. From my father and from the books, I learned that my response or the behavior which I exhibited earlier was normal and that it happens to most of children who are in the same situation as I do. After learning this, I was able to develop self-confidence and learned to protect myself against other children’s insults during that time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Primary socialization can also be formal, as in a school where a child is trained or educated the norms and values of those running the school (Tuckett, 2001, p.15).   Recalling the past, I learned that as long as I am doing things which are right (based from school laws and regulations), I do not have to fear my perpetuators and that I have the right to argue my ideas. Somehow, I was able to strengthen my mental and emotional abilities and soon after, my social life had gained a favorable position in the school. I was also able to gain the respect of my teachers and some school administrators. Because of this respect, I told myself to study harder and see to it that I excel academically. Education became really important to me that I devoted most of my time studying and learning things from the book, as well as from my teachers. Primary socialization includes, for example, the learning of language, the learning of relatively controlled behavior, and the learning of the ability to give and receive trust (things which I have learned from my parents or within my family). This form of socialization takes place in primary groups, for example, a family. A primary group is often defined as a group with close and diffuse relationships. The group members know each other as whole persons, and their relationships are close and emotional, although not necessarily free of conflicts (Furseth and Repstad,   2006, p.115).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     In addition to primary socialization, sociologists also consider of a secondary socialization process which functions all through a person’s life. As a new member of a medical school or of a particular medical â€Å"firm†, or as a visitor to his fiancà ©e’s parents, an individual may be socialized formally (as when a new recruit to an undergraduate society undergoes a beginning ritual or when a new patient in hospital is formally admitted to the ward).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Just like in primary socialization, secondary socialization can also be informal, by gradually attuning himself to the subtleties of meanings and actions in the new situation. The way in which recruits to occupations in medicine, the law, the army, sociology, or the administrative grades of the civil service are socialized so that they come to think, act as, and indeed â€Å"are† doctors, barristers, officers, sociologists or permanent secretaries, is a special form of secondary socialization termed professionalization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Due to my profession, I learned to practice the professional ethics or exhibit the behaviors which are expected from a person of my status. In addition to this, it seems as if society often keeps an eye to the things which I did. My performance and my achievements (as well as some failures) were often noted by other people (especially our nosy neighbors) which made me learn or understand that I have to perform better and show a better performance. It also made me perform actions which conforms to the norms of the society and see to it that I do not violate any law which the society has set in my path.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The norms and values that exist within social groups are maintained by processes that sociologists conceived of as social control. Again, social control goes on informally as well as formally. Informal processes range form the uncomplicated fact that is generally easier to get along in a social group if deviance from norms, in what has been regarded as both a profound and a trivial demonstration. In addition to this, the concept of secondary socialization is used to illustrate groups characterized by more targeted and restricted social relations in, for example, in schools, in the office or the place where I was assigned to work in and volunteer organizations where I belong. Again, secondary socialization often takes place in secondary groups, mainly outside the family circle, which provide more limited knowledge and skills that are used to fulfill specific social roles. In these groups socialization is generally more formal, even if secondary groups also offer a great deal of informal learning. Besides receiving instruction on how to do their job according to the work description, just like when I was a newcomer in the office, I had to learn, for example, where to sit during the lunch break, in order to keep up with the role they have been assigned.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sometimes secondary and primary socialization are in conflict. This may occur in situations. This occurred when the secondary socialization in my peer groups introduced me to sub-cultural norms which were incompatible with the norms which present in my family through primary socialization. However, often more fundamental socialization processes are carried through from primary socialization into secondary socialization. One such instance, pertinent to my profession was gender socialization. Franzini et al., (1978, p. 313-314) illustrate how modeling and conditioning influences are brought to bear on young people, both within the family (primary socialization). Boys and young men (where I am included) learn to be more dominant and aggressive, and aspire to â€Å"male† occupations such as business, engineering and the sciences. Girls and young women learn to be more passive and nurturant, and aspire to â€Å"female† occupations such as teaching, social work and nursing. In this area, there is a difference between sociology and at least some disciplines within psychology. Some schools of psychology have emphasized the effects that primary socialization have for our choices later in life. Several sociologists will argue that socialization during the adult phase has a great effect. This view will allow us to claim that not only do parents socialize their children, but children also socialize their parents. For example, may religious parents have changed their views on issues such as marriage and morality, especially cohabitation and homosexuality (observed from the siblings of my neighbors), and the agents of socialization have often been their own children. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Socialization is the communication or interaction process and can be categorized as primary and secondary socialization. Primary socialization implies the practice whereby norms and values are obtained, and can be learned formally or informally. Primary socialization consists of the learning of language of relatively controlled behavior, and of the ability to give and receive trust within the family circle. Secondary socialization on the other hand is learned outside the family and usually in schools and workplaces. Just like the primary socialization, secondary socialization can be acquired formally and informally. Primary and secondary socialization may sometimes be in conflict, where the norms and values learned in schools and in the workplaces are different from those learned within the family or inside the house. References FRANZINI, L. R., LITROWNIK, A. J. & BLANCHARD, F. H. (1978) Modelling of sex-typed behaviours: effects on boys and girls. Developmental Psychology, 14, 313-314. FURSETH, I. & REPSTAD, P. (2006) An Introduction to the Sociology of Religion, England, Ashgate Publishing Limited. GROENMAN, N. H., SLEVIN, O. D. A. & BUCKENHAM, M. A. (1992) Social and Behavioural Sciences for Nurses, Edinburgh, Campion Press Limited. TUCKETT, D. (2001) An Introduction to Medical Sociology, London, Routledge.      

Separating of Compounds

We can use many of Technique or methods for separating of compounds or mixtures and we can by that methods studying of kinetic for reactions ,determine of reaction rate and reaction order . some of those methods are : mass spectrometric , spectrometric ,Chromatographic and Conductance Methods . But in this paper I just talk about chromatographic method . exactly, gas chromatography .Chromatography:A method of separating and analyzing mixtures of chemicalsThe separation, especially of closely related compounds, by allowing a solution or mixture to seep through an adsorbent (such as clay, gel, or paper) so each compound becomes adsorbed into a separate, often colored, layer. Chromatography is a common name for techniques based on the partition of the molecules to be analyzed between a mobile and a stationary phase. Separation is the result of different partitions of molecules between the two phases. Because the best separation of any solutes can be obtained under equilibrium conditions, analytical chemists prefer to use chromatographic systems that are as near to the equilibrium state as possible. However, in the case of preparative chromatography, where the main objective is not the optimal separation of solutes but the maximum yield of one or more solutes at a given purity, the situation is entirely different. Preparation chromatographic separations are generally not equilibrium processes. The high sensitivity, selectivity, and reproducibility of chromatographic methods have been extensively exploited in food and nutrition science and technology.Gas chromatography methods that are used for studying first-order reaction kinetics by gas chromatography : (1) classical kinetic methods where samples of batch-wise kinetic studies are analyzed by enantioselective gas chromatography, (2) stopped-flow methods performed on one chiral column, (3) stopped-flow methods performed on an achiral column or empty capillary coupled in series with two chiral columns, (4) on-flow method performed on an achiral column coupled in series with two chiral columns, and (5) reaction gas chromatography, known as a dynamic gas chromatography. The following procedures have been developed to determination peak areas of reaction constituents in such complex chromatograms:methods based on computer-assisted simulations of chromatograms where the kinetic activation parameters for the interconversion of enantiomers are obtained by iterative comparison of experimental and simulated chromatograms,stochastic methods based on the simulation of Gaussian distribution functions and using a time-dependent probability density function,approximation function and unified equation,computer-assisted peak deconvolution methods.Fast reaction :Reaction between metal carbonate and acid.- Reaction between calcium carbonate and hydrochloric acid :CaCO3 + 2HCl -> CaCl2 + H2O + CO2Reaction between reactive metal and water .-reaction between lithium and water :2Li + 2H2O -> 2LiOH + H2Combustion .-combustion of magnesium in oxygen . 2Mg + O2 -> 2MgOPrecipitation (double decomposition )-precipitation of silver (I) chloride :AgNO3 + HCl -> AgCl + HNO3 Rate :The rate can be measured using apparatus on the rightrate of reaction = d[CaCl2] / t ,or d[CO2] / t or d[H2O] the rate can be decrease or increase with change of temperature , concentration , pressure , surface area or size of molecules . Concentration : when the concentration is decrease the rate decrease .example : 3 g of calcium carbonate react with 5 g of hydrochloric acid to produce 3 g of carbon dioxide in 10s at 25C and 1atm. rate = -d [CaCO3] / t = -d[3] / 10 . but we decrease of concentration of calcium carbonate to 2 .rate = -d[2] / 10 . Pressure and temperature : also when decrease the pressure or temperature the rate decrease .example : 3 g of calcium carbonate react with 5 g of hydrochloric acid to produce 3 g of carbon dioxide in 10s at 25C and 1atm. rate = -d [CaCO3] / t = -d[3] / 10s . but the time is increase to 20s , because the pressure decrease to 0.5 and temperature decrease to 15 , so the rate = -d [3] / 20s . in a chemical reaction the reactant decrease over time and product increase over time . The rate will decrease over time as the hydrochloric acid is used up (its concentration decreases)The graph in after page shows the volume of gas produced over time in the reaction between HCl and CaCO3 .All three reactions result in the same amount of CO2 gas being produced; however the higher the concentration of HCl, the faster the rate of reaction, thus the less time it takes for the reaction to be complete . The table below shows the time taken to produce 50cm3Â  of CO2Â  for each concentration of HCl :Rate of reaction / cm3 of CO2 s-1 Time take to produce 50 cm3 of CO2/1s Concentration of HCl /mold m-30.86 58 2.00.42 120 2.00,21 235 0.5From the results in the table above, it can be worked out that the rate of reaction is directionally proportional to the concentration of hydrochloric acid, so if you halve the concentration of HCl will be halved, if you quarter the concentration, the rate will be quartered . rate = k [HCl]1 Order :The order of a reaction is not necessarily an integer. The following orders are possible :Zero: A zero order indicates that the concentration of that species does not affect the rate of a reaction .Negative integer: A negative order indicates that the concentration of that species INVERSELY affects the rate of a reaction .Positive integer: A positive order indicates that the concentration of that species DIRECTLY affects the rate of a reaction . Non-Integer: Non-integer orders, both positive and negative, represent more intricate relationships between concentrations and rate in more complex reactions.So, in The reaction of calcium carbonate with hydrochloric acid is said to be first order with respect to hydrochloric acid .This is because the rate depends upon the concentration of hydrochloric acid to the power one . Technique :we can measure of rate of carbon dioxide by gas chromatography , gas chromatography can separating of compound by boiling point , and you can analyze results on your computer and measuring of rate of CO2 .and you can determine of rate by flow reaction that may be is easer method .

Analysing The Characters Of Hedda Gabler English Literature Essay

Analysing The Characters Of Hedda Gabler English Literature Essay We are introduced to Hedda Gabler as the daughter of the venerated General Gabler, and as a woman born into an extremely wealthy aristocratic family. Though having lived a pampered life, she believed her time as a single woman was growing thin, leading her to marry George Tesman, a man she clearly no longer has feelings for – if indeed she ever did. Throughout the rest of Henrik Ibsen’s play Hedda Gabler, we observe how Hedda’s obsession with freedom and free will conflict with the norms of nineteenth-century society which surrounds her, leading her to manipulate those around her, and eventually her own death. It would seem that Hedda’s greatest asset throughout the play is her ability to manipulate the individuals around her. The tediousness of monogamy is most likely the largest driving factor for her scheming all through the play: â€Å"How mortally bored I’ve been†Ã‚   [ 1 ]   as she conveys it to Judge Brack. The deception of others i s one of her solutions to the suppressed life she must lead under the nineteenth-century societal standards. We witness her feign friendship in the conversation between her and Miss Tesman, all the while deviously making remarks about her hat: â€Å"Look there! She has left her old bonnet lying aboutà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦fancy, if anyone should come in and see it!†.   [ 2 ]    We witness her clandestine motives when she burns Eilert Là ¸vborg’s manuscript and convinces her husband that she did it because she â€Å"could not bear the idea that any one should throw you [George] into the shade†.   [ 3 ]   We also see evidence of her suppressed emotions as she â€Å"walks about the room, raising her arms and clenching her fists as if in desperation†.   [ 4 ]   Her greatest skill however lies with her ability to extort information and secrets from others; as Eilert remarks about their past relationship: â€Å"[I] told you about myself, things that no on e else knew†.   [ 5 ]   She frequently displays her talent of asking questions without actually answering any on her part; soon after, Eilert asks: â€Å"What was the power in you that forced me to confess these things?† to which Hedda replies elusively: â€Å"Do you think it was any power in me?†.   [ 6 ]   Hedda feels as though she can suppress the boredom in her life by obtaining power over others. When asked by Mrs. Elvsted why she is manipulating Eilert so, she replies: â€Å"I want for once in my life to have power to mould a human destiny†.   [ 7 ]   Although Hedda is wealthy, she considers herself lacking in influence, and thereby poor. If Hedda cannot attain any sort of power – whether it is political, authoritative, or pecuniary – then she must find power through the lives of others. Because Hedda is proscribed from carrying out the life that she wishes to live, she finds that she must live vicariously. However, the life of another woman – namely Mrs. Elvsted – would not suit Hedda’s criteria, for she is just as subdued as any other woman during that time. We come across this notion when Hedda asks to Là ¸vborg:

How was the ideology of the Progressive Era different from that of the Essay

How was the ideology of the Progressive Era different from that of the Gilded Age Compare the two, consider business regulation - Essay Example The American industrial revolution peaked during the Gilded Age as large labour pools were available. Miners, ranchers, farmers and African Americans moved to the cities and provided cheap and abundant labour. Innovators such as Bell and Edison saw rapid progress and innovation. This led to the formation of companies that could not be overseen directly by a business owner. The railroad industry’s expansion demanded that a formal, well regulated management system be put into place. New large corporations began to emerge. Banking and stock selling were utilised to generate the large revenues required to finance the new industrial mammoths. The railroad industry expanding into the West required $16,000 per mile of track. This level of financing could not be met with by one investor or a group of large investors. Finance was generated using new corporate structures. Corporate organisations such as â€Å"gentlemen’s agreements†, trusts and holding companies began to d ig deeper into the market for monopolistic control. Eventually the holding companies overran the trusts. A new class of robbers barons emerged who were robbing the common man but presented themselves as devout philanthropists. Industry slipped into the hands of the financing wizards. Finance gurus such as J. P. Morgan utilised oversold stock to reinvigorate businesses and Morgan eventually became â€Å"America’s greatest financier† representing his power of the field of finance. Monopolistic associations began to emerge such as Morgan, Schwab and Carnegie’s steel business, Rockefeller’s oil business and the American Tobacco Corporation. Wealth began to accumulate in the coffers of a select few. Labour was both abundant and cheap. Women and children were the least paid and overworked. While the average pay was just 400-500 USD but the minimum sustenance was 600 USD. Working conditions were unsafe, working hours long and job security absent. A wave of immig rants from Asia and China exacerbated matters. Trade unions could not be materialised because the diverse ethnicities found it hard to work together for their rights. Multiple small and ineffective labour unions emerged. Events such as small, sparse and uncoordinated protests were the only achievements of the early trade unions. On the other hand, the Progressive era was dominated by the wish and will to reform the corrupt and discriminatory system. The Progressive surge was led by the rising middle class. Professional development in specific fields in urban centres encouraged a class of organised and determined people to emerge. Professionals such as doctors, lawyers, professors, teachers and architects formed organisations to defend and project their interests. The enrolment in college went up by some 400% between 1870 and 1920. Similarly, the ranks of the professional class rose from 750k to some 5.6 million people. The emergence of a professional class with their own organisatio ns presented the emergence of new interest and pressure groups. However, these groups were actively lobbying for reform in the government and industry which they saw as corrupt and discriminatory. Most progressives were looking for ways to clamp down on â€Å"laissez faire† so that governmental control could be introduced. Large corporations were seen as an active threat. The hoarding of half of the nation’

Paraphrasing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Paraphrasing - Essay Example What was the level of difficulty of the performed surgery? Was the doctor not able to execute the surgery without causing the accident? Or, may be, was the risk involved in the surgery so high that death was inevitable under all circumstances? Almost 1750 US partners of Andersen are worried that many people who were not involved in the company’s proceedings for the Enron Corp. were also held liable through the spoiled audit. Many of them are seeking legal advice to know the extent to which their limited-liability partnership makes them protected from the liabilities. The limited-liability partnership has not been tested for the sort of challenges that Andersen is now encountering since this corporate structure is relatively new. However, this testing may just be carried out as the workers, shareholders and creditors of Enron are making effort to retrieve their lost hundreds of thousands of dollars from somebody. It is expected that the partnership and bankruptcy lawyers will closely follow the matter because there is very subjective knowledge of the extent of protection they Andersen partners can get from the LLP structure. The law professor from the George Mason University, Larry Ribstein said that the strength of LLP’s protection has been tested for litigation and the number of cases of LLP regarding liability is very low. The LLP was created almost ten years ago in an attempt to provide the protect the members of partnerships against the firms’ tendency to wipe them out because of their claims. The LLP structure makes the partners’ share in the company fair for the creditors. Theoretically, no partner can lose his/her share in the company. A professor from the University of California Los Angeles law school, Lynn LoPucki said that the conventional practice disallows the removal of corporate veil to follow individual partners unless special circumstances. However, there is a lot of subjectivity

The Forest of Hands and Teeth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Forest of Hands and Teeth - Essay Example The people of the village are controlled by fear of the Unconsecrated who continually try to infiltrate the village in order to satisfy their need for human flesh. The villagers live with the constant fear that the village could be breached at any time and they all would be infected which would turn the village into a world of zombies. Every day life is ruled by this fear, for instance, those villagers who were not of the Guard had to stay away from the fences in case of being bitten. Thus, it can be said that this fear was a form of social control; for, it forced the villagers to live in a certain way and adhere to certain rules. The villagers have limited options as what to do with their lives. Mary explains that â€Å"In my village an unmarried woman has three choices. She may live with her family; a man may speak for her, court her through the winter and marry her in the spring ceremonies; or she may join the Sisterhood.† The only real option the men have is to join the gu ard which patrols the fences, ensuring that no unconsecrated breach them. These options leave no room for free will and places duty above any personal wishes. These restrictions show how the villagers are obliged to live within these restrictions which tightly control their social lives. Ryan seems to be pointing at those social structures which limit our choices and free will. For instance, it is the common belief that has been passed down over generations that it is a woman’s duty to marry and have children. The Sisterhood of the village which is the religious mothers of the village so to speak also practices social control over the villagers. The Sisters believe in religious order, and tell the villagers that they are the only humans left on earth. Therefore, they are to protect their society whatever the cost, even if it means killing a loved one who has become infected. They also enforce the belief that God’s word is not to be questioned. On each door in the villa ge, a scripture is carved into the right of the door. Before, anyone is to enter or leave a building they have to place their hand on the scripture. Mary tells us that â€Å"It is our habit and duty to press a hand against these words†, demonstrating how easy it is to simply obey and get caught up in social control. The sisters have taught that this practice will protect the villagers and make God aid them. Whereas, if they do not follow these religious practices, God’s wrath would descend on the village. When Mary is forced to join the sisterhood she discovers that she has no choice but to abide by the sisters’ laws or else she would be cast out into the forest to join the ranks of the unconsecrated. Mary’s belief that there is a world beyond her village and the forest is bolstered by the arrival of the outsider, Gabrielle. Mary then realizes that the sisterhood has been keeping secrets from the villagers in order to force them to follow the edicts laid out by them. When Mary discovers that Gabrielle has become an unconsecrated, she explores the forbidden section of the Cathedral and learns that the sisters had caused Gabrielle to turn as part of an experiment. This completely shatters Mary’s belief in the sisterhood and all that they represent. The sisterhood created the Guard which Mary later finds out also kept certain secrets, such as placing stocks of food, water and weapons on the two fenced paths that lead away from