Mental Duality Essay

Everyone is familiar with the famous Rubin face-vase drawing, a black and white print in which one can simultaneously perceive faces by focusing on the black ink or a vase by focusing on the white. If I announce that this is a picture of a vase, am I right? However you announce you see a picture of two faces, are you right? Who’s right? Are we both right? Or are we both wrong? Is it right and wrong; good and evil? I believe neurobiological research, as well as personal anecdotal study; have demonstrated that dichotomous thinking, (mental duality) is an appropriate expectation for developing brains. However an evolved adult brain has developed the ability (free will) to reconcile their emotional reactivity with reality to understand that there are very few absolutes in life. The picture is both face and vase. You and I may only see one figure; however that does not mean the other does not exist. To see the truth one must integrate the entire picture, black and white, good and evil. In studying Roger Sperry and A.L. Wigan’s work on mental duality, Roland Puccetti believed there were two people inside each human organism. By saying there were two people; Puccetti believed there were two minds with separate streams of consciousness that were therefore capable of separate volitions, or courses of action. Puccetti was attempting through science to justify dichotomous thinking, and therefore indirectly justify dichotomous concepts of good and evil. Critics of Puccetti often pointed to an introspective argument to counter his ideas. This argument was based on someone looking within oneself and realizing they had only one mind because they did not feel two streams of consciousness or separate volitions. This was based on the idea that at one exact point in time, a person seemed capable of realizing and reacting to only one stream of thought. Likewise, there was also a behavior-based argument to reject Puccetti’s hypothesis. This objection, unlike the introspective, asked the reader to examine the behavior, more specifically the volition, of others. In looking at others, it appeared fairly simple for the reader to reject dual minds, because, anecdotally, it never seemed like people behaved with two different minds and decision-making centers. To the onlooker, it never seemed that a person had one decision-making center fighting to act over the other. Ultimately, these introspective and behavioral arguments created a lot of doubt about the idea of dual mindedness and by extrapolation cast doubt on simplified concepts of good and evil. There is reassurance in the certitude of a definitive right and wrong. People, including myself, like to believe they are right and good. Ironically, it is in the believing that I am right that makes me wrong! We mortals have the capacity (free will or volition) to be infinitely right or wrong. However, if God is right and evil is wrong, and this dichotomy exists, then I (and Pucetti) want to be â€Å"right†. In response to the introspective argument, Puccetti looked to the distinction between persons and human organisms to explain his reasoning. He defined a person as a complex minded entity that actually had experiences, whereas a human organism was the combination of the biological substrate of two persons, each of which had one mind. In his view, the human organism did not see or experience anything so therefore the human organism was incapable of being conscious. Puccetti, however, believed there was interconnectedness between the left and right hemisphere in which the left hemisphere received a stream of stimuli or experience from the right side of the body and through the corpus callosum this signal went to the right hemisphere. This connectedness worked both from the left hemisphere to the right hemisphere and also right to left. The two hemispheres were able to create their own consciousness through the unique capabilities of each hemisphere once this stream of experience was shared from one side to the other. This idea ultimately allowed each person and corresponding mind to know what was happening to the other side of the body, without being conscious of the experience in the other. While introspection argued that we only received one stream of experience or stimuli at a time, this idea put forth by Puccetti offered a union of two streams of experience before the conscious state. Therefore, while introspectively it seemed there was only one stream, there quite possibly were two conscious streams that joined together through the complex network of commissures. While Puccetti was convinced of dual mindedness, Thomas Nagel suggested that our idea of â€Å"single mind† precluded this possibility in normal functioning humans. Nagle believed that if a single mind did not apply to ordinary individuals with intact brains then the idea of a single mind should be scrapped altogether. For his argument, Nagle relied heavily on paradigm, or model, examples. Nagle compared how the mind was defined to the idea of how colors were assigned. When we were all young, we learned the concept â€Å"red, the color† likely by being shown an object that was red and taking it as fact. However, the world presents with much more complexity. Even when examining color, few things are absolutely 100% red. The human eye sees red when it looks at light with a wavelength between 620-740 nanometers. In the 1600s, people were wrongfully accused of being witches (evil) after people (presumably people who were struggling with mentally duality) went out looking for them and pointed them out. They were identified as witches, and therefore 100% evil. The definition of a witch implied evil, magical powers, and witchcraft; however, the identification of these individuals was made on an emotional and unfortunately finite basis. Similarly, in ancient times, an element was thought to be the most basic material that could not be broken down. Examples of such eleme nts were earth, wind, fire, and water. We now know, however, that this was not true and that these elements were not the most basic building materials. Seen through both witch and element, dichotomous thinking or mental dualities are extremely difficult to support by simple paradigm example. These two examples hardly defined themselves because they were not correct examples only perceptions. In these cases the examples did not match what they were intended to; they were misapplied concepts. Likewise, this idea would be useful in describing a â€Å"single mind†. Just like the aforementioned examples, one could be drastically misapplying the concept of what a single mind is. While we may see what appears to be a single mind and call it a single mind, the question of whether or not we know what that concept truly encompasses comes to issue. Nagle showed the complexity of the mind as he somewhat contradicted himself when he described simultaneous attention to two incompatible tasks; perhaps similar to our vase and our faces. The threat to the absolutes implicitly calls into question our perception of our internal absolute. Are we good, intelligent, strong?, absolutely? As he threatened assumptions about the unity of consciousness, he also hindered understanding and empathy of another individuals. Puccetti’s belief of â€Å"no-creation-by-splitting† implied that if Sperry’s split-brain patients were thought to have two minds, then one must also assume normal functioning individuals had two minds. If we assumed that brain-splitting could not create two minds, however, and believed that Sperry’s patients actually had two minds, then we needed to conclude that normal functioning humans with intact brains still had two minds. While Puccetti did not provide concrete reasoning to why he believed splitting a brain could not create two minds, he did believe it made more sense to assume the two minds existed prior to surgery. To Puccetti, it is more believable that such a condition was present to begin with than gained through such a procedure. As put forth by Nagle, however, an explanation of mental unity, a capacity to accept the co-existence of complexity, helped to explain the â€Å"split minds†. Nagle stated that we subtly ignore the possibility that the unity of our mind was not actually absolute, but rather another case of integration to one’s control system. Nagle believed the unified brain was made through numerous functional connections across itself. These connections ultimately could be rerouted and cut to create separate minds. Modern research on brain plasticity certainly validates portions of Nagle’s premise. Therefore, while we often think of this unity as numerically absolute, the number of minds was likely relative and performance a function of integration. Through this thought of unity, it was clear why Nagle believed that it was possible to create separate minds through brain splitting and disconnection. †¦ And when I was a child, I thought that God was the God who only saw black and white. Now that I am no longer a child, I can see, that God is the God who can see the black and the white and the grey, too, and He dances on the grey!†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ― C. JoyBell C. There are not two minds. While I do believe there are two parts of the brain connected by certain commissures and connections, I do not believe there are two separate streams of consciousness. Never have I seen someone strain and fight between two different minds. However, often have I witnessed and felt the strain between good and evil and the struggle to understand the grey. Name one premise that every single person in the world would absolutely agree is absolutely positive and has absolutely no negative consequences? There is scientific research to show the interconnectedness of the brain. In previous articles the brains were often manipulated to act independently from one another. Current science details physiological processes and peripheral cues between the two parts of the brain resulting in one conscious mind and an individual in full control of his decisions. I believe much of the search for the dual-minded, was to alleviate the discomfort of moral ambiguity and organic comp lexity.

Operah

Winfred The individuals Pathway to Leadership- Born into a broken home in rural Mississippi on January 9, 1954 Opera Wineries troubled adolescence and life experiences made her the amazingly influential woman she is today. Testing her circumstances and blossoming into an inspirational young actress, producer and highly powerful host of the popular ‘The Opera Winfred Show, the power of media enabled her to enlighten millions of viewers and develop into a â€Å"global media leader,† while her accomplishments and charitable endeavourers have established her as a respected leader in the public eye.However none of this was without, tremendous suffering, trauma and struggle. As an unwanted child raised by her grandmother, Opera experienced a childhood of constant insecurity and after moving in with her mother (Veranda Lee) at the age of 6 became a victim of sexual abuse by male relatives. Suffering from this trauma Opera turned rebellious and at the tender age 14 gave birth to a premature baby that died. After choosing to move in with her father (Vernon Winfred) as a teenager her life changed completely.With her father insisting on discipline and control Opera gained the ability to find tidiness and motivation to excel in school and change her life. Wining a college scholarship that allowed her to attend Tennessee State University, in 1971 when she was, she began working part time as a radio announcer in Nashville where she became the first black female and youngest news anchor at the station. In 1973, Opera moved to Baltimore, where she hosted the TV chat show People Are Talking. The show became a hit and 8 years later she was recruited by a Chicago TV station to host her own morning show, ‘AM Chicago.The very first episode aired on the 2nd January 1984 and within few months, Winery's open, warm-hearted personal style and willingness to help others had had taken her show from last place to first in the ratings. Furthermore due to the success of th e television show, it was renamed ‘The Opera Winfred Show, which broadcasted nationally on the 8th September 1986. This made Winfred the first African American to host a talk show that was nationally syndicated. ‘The Opera Winfred Show broadcasted for twenty-five years from the 8th September 1986 to 25th May 2011.After taking every conflict she experienced as a hill and using it in a positive way, throughout Opera Wineries pathway to leadership she became possibly one of the most powerful and influential women in television.. The leadership style- Leadership relates to the guidance and direction an individual gives to others in order to attain a goal. A leader has capabilities that enable them to communicate and inspire group members in order to fulfill a task. Opera Winfred encompasses a number of different leadership styles to effectively touch, inspire and communicate with her audience.Her leadership style is a collaboration of task-orientated, people orientated, coll aborative, transformational and cultural values. Transformational Leaders are those who are highly inspiring and motivational. They are effective at addressing groups who require stimulation and encouragement. Transformational leaders are often highly respected by the audience/group members benefiting from their leadership. Generally, they focus of individual development and in turn, group development Opera is possibly one of the most inspiring women in television.With the struggle of her upbringing that she openly expresses to her audience on her how too her tremendous accomplishment today, it's easily seen that individuals are greatly inspired by her. She is persuasive and compelling, coaches her audience to take on greater obstacles and praises them for their efforts. Wineries inspirational way of leadership makes her the unique leader she is known as today. Cultural Leaders are those who represent the values and standards of specific cultures in their leadership approach.They in corporate the cultural beliefs and practices of the various cultural groups they are leading. In upholding this definition, as Winfred was rough up as a deprived African American she relates especially easily with the African culture of America and has become a major role model for the under privileged African Americans who watch and take guidance from her television show. Winfred furthermore possesses the ability to empathic with other African Americans due to her first hand knowledge and experiences making her such the unique and powerful leader she is.Task orientated leaders are those who are focused on the task at hand and are ambitious to complete the Job as proficiently and successfully as possible. Their ability to communicate to ensure a task is achievable is typically phenomenal. Opera Winfred, as shown in her show is capable of achieving individual's dreams by constantly giving. Her generosity is absurd and her willingness to meet other people's sufficient needs is incredi ble. This is shown in her show where in each week we observe generous amounts of money and luxurious gifts being given away.People orientated leaders focus on ensuring group members are content and satisfied with their role and function within the group. Opera says ‘my team is my family. Majority of her success has been from her great ability to organize and manage her â€Å"family' also known as her production team. Without those around her, helping her to create such a highly successful and beneficial television show and her ability to keep each and every one of them satisfied the show would not run near as smooth nor be as victorious as it is today. Collaborative leaders are democratic in their leadership style and look to guarantee equal group involvement.They greatly value teamwork and group effort and share common goals with others. Collaborative leaders look to ensure all members feel valued which in turn reduces conflict with a group. This is shown in Operas TV show w hen she collaborates with her guests such as Ellen Designers. It is also seen, as mentioned above in her concern and longing to work cohesively and keep her crew happy as not only did the nurturing of each of these relationships inform her success in the present, it set up her future and the future of her show.Opera combines various characteristics of each of these leadership styles to effectively communicate and empathic with her audience which is exemplified in her ability to look at issues from various perspectives and relate as well as help so many different individuals, making her such an influential and successful leader today. Effectiveness of the leadership Throughout the last two-and-a-half decades Opera has built an incredible empire; the key to her success and the effectiveness of this being her incomparable personality traits.Her message and example of positivist to â€Å"live your best life† endears her to everyone around her. Opera continuously is held in the hi ghest esteem because of her humor, reliability and optimism. Compassionate, humble, wise, unbiased and generous, Opera invited a world of strangers into her life – and we let her into ours. In doing this, her powerful message and leadership became relied on by people of all religious and cultural backgrounds. She effectively built a community based on that shared experience as well as her personal attributes that became too lovable and charming to resist.Her accomplishments as a global media leader and humanitarian have established her as one of the most respected and admired public figures today. One of Opera's main strengths as a leader has been creating a vision of her success, communicating that vision to those around her and being resolute in its doing what she set out. Step by step Opera crafted a focused brand and then slowly built it out by branching its distribution. After the success of her show came her company, the production of movies and other TV shows, multiple charitable foundations, a magazine, a radio channel and a website.In April 2000, Opera and Hearst Magazines introduced O, The Opera Magazine, a monthly magazine that has become one of today's leading women's lifestyle publications. With inspiring messages and compelling stories, Opera's union became bigger and better. In April 2002, Opera launched the first international edition of O, The Opera Magazine in South Africa, extending her live your best life message to another broad audience. Opera soon after launched â€Å"Opera & Friends† satellite radio channel in September 2006, which was renamed â€Å"Opera Radio† in 2009.Effectively more people now became able to take from Opera's leadership. Through her private charity, The Opera Winfred Foundation, she has awarded hundreds of grants to organizations that support the education and empowerment of women, children and families in the United States and around the world. Amongst her various humanitarian contributions, sh e has donated millions of dollars toward providing a better education for children in order to ensure their upbringing did not parallel hers.She also created â€Å"The Opera Winfred Scholars Program,† which gives scholarships to students determined to use their education to give back to their communities in the United States and abroad. Her exceeding generosity fails to cease with gifts and money given away every show. Three of the main foundations that she donates to are The Angel Network, The Opera Winfred Foundation and The Opera Winfred Operating Foundation. Not only does she gift with money and expensive gifts but also achieves aging dreams come true for individuals throughout the world.

Poverty in the UK Essay

In 1886, Charles Booth investigated the extent of poverty in London. His was the first systematic sociological study of poverty in the UK. The results, presented in 1902-3, documented the living and working condition of the London poor. Adopting a relative approach to poverty — which was defined as the inability to meet the usual standard of life — Booth estimated that the level at which poverty set in for a family of two adults and three children was 21 shillings per week (? 1. 05 today). Booth estimated that 30. 7 per cent of London’s total population were in poverty. Around the same time, adopting an absolute perspective on poverty, Seebohm Rowntree investigated the state of the poor in the city of York in 1899. He highlighted the minimum standard of living which fulfilled people’s biological needs for food, water, clothing and shelter. This is also referred to as the subsistence level. Rowntree subsequently drew up a list of those minimum personal and household necessities required for survival and established two categories of poverty. Primary poverty is when the person is unable to acquire the minimum necessitates, secondary poverty is when a portion of the person’s total earnings is absorbed by other useful or wasteful expenditure such that it is not possible to maintain the minimum standard. Poverty can be defined in several ways, Booth took a relative approach and Rowntree took an absolute approach. In the post-war era, there has been a more pronounced shift from viewing poverty as predominantly a monetary and economic phenomenon to regarding and acknowledging its more qualitative and subjective aspects. By the end of the 1950s, the period of rationing and shortages was over and, with almost full employment, the UK seemed ‘never to have had it so good’. Yet, by the 1960s, a number of social policy academics close to the Labour Party (such as Tawney and Townsend) raised the issue of the continuing existence of poverty in a period of greater prosperity. Townsend questioned absolute definitions of poverty (such as those of Rowntree) which were outdated and failed to take account of the problems some people had in fully participating in society. Townsend’s definitive work on poverty in the UK in 1979 (Townsend 1992) went beyond an absolute definition based on physical needs, to view poverty in relation to a generally accepted standard of living, in a specific society, at a particular time. Individuals can be said to be in poverty when they lack the resources to obtain the types of diet, participate in the activities and have the living conditions and amenities which are customary, or at least widely encouraged and approved, in the societies which they belong. (p. 31) Townsend suggested a definition that was closer in tune to the concept of citizenship — poverty constituted a lack of resources that would enable a person to able to participate in the normal expectations and customs of a society. This kind of definition also would imply that the indicators of poverty can change over time in order to embrace changes in society. In the 1960’s, Townsend used the example of not being able to afford a proper Sunday lunch as an indicator of poverty. The idea of a Sunday roast meal might not be so relevant today because of changes in family life and the way people gather together, and therefore is not so much an integral aspect of what people can be expected to do normally. On the other hand, Townsend’s indicator of giving presents to near members of the family for birthdays or Christmas still holds. In his 1979 work, Townsend identified twelve items he believed were be relevant to the whole population, and gave each household surveyed a score on a deprivation index. The higher the score, the more deprived was the household. Townsend calculated that 22. 9 per cent of the population fell under the threshold of deprivation (Giddens 2006). When talking about poverty, researchers usually base their work on measures of deprivation rather than the identification of poverty by itself. The existence of deprivation is taken as a surrogate for the existence of poverty. People are said to be deprived materially and socially if they lack the material standards (diet, housing ad clothing) and the services and amenities (recreational, educational, environmental, social) which would allow them to participate in commonly accepted roles and relationship within society. The compass of poverty is complex, embracing the unemployed, those on low pay or in insecure work, the sick, the elderly, and the unskilled. Some minority ethnic groups also come into the picture, for example, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis in the UK have, in general, high rates of poverty compared to other groups (Giddens 2006). Absolute poverty assumes that it is possible to define a minimum standard of living based on a person’s biological needs for food, water, clothing and shelter. The emphasis is on basic physical needs and not on broader social and cultural needs. Rowntree’s studies of poverty in York in 1901, 1936, and 1951 used such an approach to poverty. But another way of viewing poverty is of relative poverty, which goes beyond biological needs, and is not simply about a lack of money but also about exclusion form the customs of society. Relative poverty is about social exclusion imposed by an inadequate income. Social exclusion is a broader concept than poverty encompassing not only low material means but the inability to participate effectively in economic, social, political and cultural life, implying alienation and distance from the mainstream society (Giddens 2006). Social exclusion may both be a precursor to poverty and an important consequence of it. In 1984, Mack and Lansley study established that the poverty threshold covered not only the basic essentials for survival (such as food and shelter) but also the ability to participate in society and play a social role: for the first time ever, a majority of people see the necessities of life in Britain in the 1980s as covering a wide range of goods and activities, and†¦ people judge a minimum standard of living on socially established criteria and not just the criteria of survival or subsistence. (Mack & Lansley 1985 : 55) In the 1980s, the discussion of poverty turned increasingly to the notion of polarisation and to the shrinking portion of the UK cake held by the poorest. Poverty and wealth are not simply the ‘bottom’ and ‘top’ of the income distribution, they are polarised social conditions (Scott 1994). Income polarisation was also compounded by a number of policy measure introduced in the 1980s, such as a reduction in the level of income tax for high earners and increasing use of indirect taxes. Academics showed that polarisation and social disparities were growing between those who had benefited from the measures of the successive Thatcher administrations and those who had lost out, while the Thatcher government as the time tried to deny the excesses of Thatcherism. According to an analysis of the Child Poverty Action Group, in the regime of Margaret Thatcher, more than 63 billion has been transferred in subsidies from the poor to the rich (Oppenheim and Harker 1996) Research in the 1990’s on the distribution of wealth and poverty in the UK has been produced under a Joseph Rowntree Foundation research initiative. This research highlighted that the number of people living in households with under half the national average income fell between the early 1960s and 1970s from five million to three million, but then rose to eleven million in 1991, to a point where one in five households were living on under half the national average income. The number of individuals under 60 living in households without paid work has more than doubled – from 4.1. million, or 8 per cent, in 1979, to 9. 4 million, or 19 per cent by the mid 1990s. This has been accompanied by a widening gap in the incomes of households in paid work and those out of paid work. In 1997, 12 million people in the UK (almost 25% of the population) lived below the poverty line, defined as under half the average wage, and two out of five children were born poor. Today, according to OECD (Organisation for Economic cooperation and Development), Britain has one of the worst poverty records in the developed world (Giddens 2006). According to the latest available statistics, nearly 1 in 4 people in the UK – amounting to 13 million people – live in poverty. This includes nearly 4 million children – signifying a shocking 1 in 3 ratio (Oxfam GB 2003). The explanations that have been offered as causes of poverty fall under two categories, individualistic theories and structural theories. Here we will focus on the former. Individualistic theories identify the main causes of poverty within individuals themselves. Social and cultural factors are not entirely discounted, but more emphasis is place on inappropirated individual behaviours. There are three main types of individualistic theories. Orthodox economic theory: This theory proposes that poverty can be explained by the economic deficiency of the individual . Harold Lydall argues that the general abilities of men in the labour force determine the distribution of incomes. These abilities are assumed to be created by genetic, environmental and educational factors. To reduce poverty, policies need to target individuals’ own value systems, to develop their own personal qualities in a manner that makes them more capable and efficient. The individual is poor because he has not maximised his true potential in the labour market. Minority group theory: Minority group theory originate from the earliest studies of poverty based on the findings of Booth and Rowntree. These pioneering social scientists did not attempt to discover the causes of poverty, merely the characteristics of certain groups of poor people. Minority group theory has largely constructed its explanation for poverty through examining the characteristics of the poor – for example, being old, being married with dependent children. Going beyond such demographic indicators, the theory implicates alleged ‘faulty’ characteristics. The classification of ‘ar-risk’ groups has prompted policy makers to implement a benefit system to ensure that the most basic of needs are met, without encouraging idleness or apathy. The poverty policies of successive governments have often informed by minority group theory. Subculture of poverty theory: Subculture of poverty theory is derived form a number of anthropological and sociological studies, particularly, the work of Oscar Lewis. It was Lewis who in 1959 introduced the term ‘the culture of poverty’ in an effort to draw an analogy between the Mexican lower class families and those in other parts of the world. He attempted to explain the phenomenon of the persistence of poverty in different countries. The basic idea has its roots in the Chicago School of Sociology and the work of Robert E. Park. According to Park the patterns of the neighbourhood, and the slum in particular, once they come into being, take on a life of their own and are to a great extent self-generating and self-perpetuating. A sociological process known as labeling also underpins this phenomenon. Labelling somebody negatively may also lead to increased surveillance or segregation from the wider community which further increases (and even creates) the predicted behaviour (Fulcher and Scott 2001). These processes, whereby people tend to live up to the expectation of others are known to be self-fulfilling. Oscar Lewis implies a similar understanding in his formulation of the notion of the culture of poverty. Lewis claimed that poverty affected the very personality of slum dwellers. The poor tend to be at once apathetic yet alienated, happy-go-lucky yet miserable. Other negative characteristics that mark the psychological orientation of poor people include laziness, being unambitious, being disorganised, and fatalistic. To fight poverty at its roots, such psychological tendencies need to be gradually eroded, with more positive attitudes taking their place. Much work also needs to be done on making the destitute people more attractive to their potential employers, in terms of skills and educational qualifications. Substantial and sustained reductions in poverty depend on raising the level of qualifications among older teenagers and young adults in the bottom quarter of educational achievement. Lack of progress here is a major concern for longer term progress on reducing poverty. (Joseph Rowntree Foundation 2006) References: Giddens, A. (2006). Sociology. Cambridge : Polity Press Fulcher, J. & Scott J. (2001). Sociology. Oxford : Oxford University Press Joseph Rowntree Foundation. (2006). Monitoring poverty and social exclusion in the UK 2006. Retrieved 20 March 2007 from http://www.poverty. org. uk/reports/mpse%202006%20findings. pdf Mack, J. & Lansley, S. (1985). Poor Britain. London : Unwin Hyman Oppenheim,C. & Harker, L. (1996). Poverty: the Facts, 3rd ed. London : Child Poverty Action Oxfam GB. (2003). The facts about poverty in the UK. Retrieved 20 March 2007 from http://www. oxfamgb. org/ukpp/poverty/thefacts. htm Scott, J. (1994). Poverty and Wealth: Citizenship, Deprivation and Privilege (Longman Sociology Series). London : Longman Group United Kingdom Townsend, P. (1992). Poverty in the UK. Berkeley : University of California Press

Strategic human resource management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Strategic human resource management - Essay Example Huge amount of change also leads to uncertainty in the mind of its employees. Another problem that might arise is the resistance to change from the current situation to the new. With the informal means of communication being replaced by more formal communications, it is possible that the efficiency of the employees might decrease who have been used to communicate in a particular way. In addition, the inclusion of new product lines lead to a requirement of new skills. These skills can be obtained either through training and development of the current employees or through recruitment from outside, both of which will lead to increased costs. Steps to develop an effective HR Plan The company is going to undertake a large number of changes in the near future and it is important that an effective HR plan is defined to manage this change. In order for the plan to be successful, it is important that the organization involves all the related stakeholders. There are four major areas where the organization needs to work: Leadership alignment and stakeholder engagement, Training & education, Communication & branding and Organization redesign. The diagram on the next page shows the various activities that shall be done along with the project: Figure 1: The change management plan for Natural Knibbles Role of the HR plan in achieving its new strategic objectives The HR plan developed above will enable Natural Knibbles to achieve its strategic objectives. With the leadership alignment, the key executives will be well prepared to lead the change and cascade initiatives within the organization. All other employees will be kept involved in the change process through stakeholder engagement. Training and education throughout the change process will educate the employees on their new roles, responsibilities, the benefits of the change being undertaken and the usage of various tools that might be required after the implementation of change. It is also important that proper informatio n passes to all the relevant stakeholders of the process. Proper communication and branding will enable the management of the organization to inform the employees of how the change being implemented helps the organization achieve its mission, vision and goals. Communication is also necessary once the change has been implemented to ensure proper feedback from the employees. With the introduction of new product lines, the organizational structure needs to be redefined with new roles, responsibilities and hierarchies. It is necessary that the employees are communicated about the same clearly. The organization is envisaging large change in the way it operates and it is necessary that they implement this HR plan to make it successful. Data to be included in HRIMS and its advantages An HRIMS is intended to manage employee data in an electronic format. The organization will like to store employee information like personal details (family details, dependent details, date or birth etc.), pro fessional details (competencies, qualifications, previous employment details etc.) and payroll related data (bank account no. earnings and deduction details, tax details etc.). Implementation of HRIMS at Natural Knibbles will allow the organization to keep all its employee data at one consolidate location thereby reducing data inconsistency and receptiveness. HRIMS will also allow the organization to reduce the paperwork and the related administrative effort that is required for the same. Storing personal details will

Green Mountain Resort Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Green Mountain Resort - Assignment Example His style of managing change include his innate desire to do what is good for the future of the organization but that there are diverse factors, both internal and external, that are beyond his control. According to Palmer, Dunford & Akin (2009), change managers who are caretakers have â€Å"little influence over the direction of change† (p. 30); likewise, as a nurturer, he recognized the ability of the organization to facilitate projecting a positive self-organizing development, by harnessing the organization’s strengths. When Gunter aimed to address the turnover as a problem, he sought other sources of credible information to assist him in solving it through validating the perspectives of the hospitality literature and by seeking the advice of a consultant. As such, he did not impose any form of coercion or autocratic control to steer change; nor did he allow indifference to set in. As such, since it was initially noted that Gunter, as part of the initial management an d now, a property owner, he had genuine intentions for envisioning Green Mountain as a first-class mountain resort. The hospitality literature? The hospitality literature exemplified the image of an interpreter, by â€Å"creating meaning for other organizational members (such as Gunter), helping them to make sense of various organizational events and actions† (Palmer, Dunford, & Akin, 2009, p. 31). ... As emphasized, change managers as coach do not direct action towards members of the organization, but â€Å"relies upon building in the right set of values, skills and â€Å"drills† that are deemed the best ones that organizational members, as players, will be able to draw on adeptly in order to achieve desired organizational outcomes† (Palmer, Dunford, & Akin, 2009, p. 31). By treating turnover as an asset, instead of a liability, the consultant capitalized on the strengths of training that has been consistently accorded by Green Mountain personnel as a means for recruited personnel to develop enhanced knowledge, skills, and competencies in their areas of endeavors. As noted, the turnover issues or problem, as it was initially pegged, was dissolved; and therefore, there is no evident need to solve it. 2. How did these assumptions influence prescriptions for dealing with â€Å"the turnover problem?† These assumptions enabled Gunter to see the turnover issue from different perspectives and by seeing potentials for change using the six images, as proposed. When taking roles and images of change managers from these points of view, Gunter was able to turn what initially was identified as a problem, into an opportunity and as an asset and strength of Green Mountain Resort. In so doing, there was no problem to solve, in the first place, and instead, these assumptions opened a new way of seeing things, of thinking outside the box and thereby classified the scenario as a second-order change: where â€Å"the change interventions are directed at the solution† (Palmer, Dunford, & Akin, 2009, p. 42). 3. Choose another change image and apply it to â€Å"the turnover problem.† To what new

Philosophy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Philosophy - Assignment Example This argument is structured around an analogy. Identify what is being compared in this analogy and explain why Cleanthes believes he is justified in this comparison (Hint: Support Cleanthes position by pointing to some relevantly similar characteristics between the two analogues). Philo offers a rebuttal to Cleanthes argument that is based on the analogical structure of Cleanthes’ argument. What is this rebuttal (Note: You need not recreate Philo’s entire argument; a description of how to evaluate an analogical argument and the problem Philo sees with Cleanthes’ argument will suffice)? Finally, I built upon Philo’s rebuttal to Cleanthes using the theory of evolution. Why does evolution present a problem for the â€Å"Argument from Design†? An Empiricist philosopher David Hume in his â€Å"Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion† justifies the presence of God via rational truths like death, birth, illness, healing mechanism and spiritual being o f living beings. He firmly believes that humans accept the rationality of an idea/theory only when they experience it. Hence, the belief mechanism is always supported by realism. Hume gathers enough evidence for his readers to identify the presence of God via his attributes in the universal facts. ... Simultaneously, the intellectual capacity (divine intellect) of the developer God cannot be measured, as he has endowed humans with limited intellect, who can comprehend their beliefs on the bases of their experiences. Moreover, he also differentiates between impression and ideas which develop the theory of belief. However, several phenomena like life after death are a belief which requires experience and in such a scenario humans can only rely on provided notions of different religions. Hence, one accepts orthodox notion of life after death according to his understanding or acceptance of such facts according to his invisible faith. Humans cannot evaluate, debate or weigh religious notions on the bases of their intellectual comprehension as God has provided humans with limited intellect (an attribute God encircles himself) through which they can only understand fewer signs of his being. Yet, this is the attribute (intellect) which is similar to him that brings humans to a level highe r than the other living beings he developed. The skeptic Jewish philosopher Philo Judaeus, denies the design/ machine analogy Cleanthes presents. He bases his argument against it and on the fact that universe or any entity on it does not depict the true nature of God (Hume & Stanley, 5). They are his creations/ innovations, but his attributes cannot be assumed through them. They are mere signs of his presence, his attribute like infinity, immensity, eternality, astuteness and aptness are few qualities which are only his. Therefore, Philo argues that to assume God’s nature from his creations is an unrealistic idea. Moreover, he argues that if universe is a

Self Assessment Exercise Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Self Assessment Exercise - Personal Statement Example This accounted to the integrity that I developed as an individual and as a professional. One common factor that I saw in all the mentors whom I was exposed to right from the childhood was their intense respect towards their counterparts. Interestingly, I found them many them being able to respect professionals who even opposed their ideology. This is one core value I always wanted me in me since then and I continuously ensure to live up to this value. In my professional life in running a law firm I consider these core values very important. I believe that a law firm without professional integrity would be a threat to the society and the profession as such. Being a profession with stakeholders ranging from client base to opponents, to respectfully deal with all stakeholders will help me leave a mark in the profession. Eventually, integrity and respect for stakeholders, be it clients or opponents which are my core values will become a brand identity of my law firm. I have had good professional experience as a real estate paralegal. This has exposed me extensively to various legal frameworks and professional systems which exist within the industry. The scope of professional training and qualification as a lawyer has been realized all through my experience being a paralegal. I have understood the gaps in the industry and it is these gaps which I would like to fill in being an entrepreneur. With the technical knowledge acquired from the classes, I have improved this aspiration of starting up a law firm. Liptak (2008) relates entrepreneurship with the person’s freedom and attitude aligned with work. With reference to this approach, I see my entrepreneurial prospects as quite bright. My previous work experience always urged me to be independent and self driven. The learning which I acquired from the work has been seen by me as foundation for my own law firm. Along with this my core values give me right attitude to take

The north and south labour systems and effect on American Civil War Essay

The north and south labour systems and effect on American Civil War - Essay Example According to Levine (2005), southern secession happened because they wanted to fight for the maintenance of the slavery institution in the United States of America. This is because their economy largely depended on the labor that was provided mainly by slaves. The northern part had grown economically because of the increased immigration from Europe. Therefore, they had enough labor for their production activities. There were many industries in the north and people enjoyed liberty and freedom that was characterized by the availability of land for everyone. On the other hand, the south depended on bonded labor for production. Few people owned large parcels of land in the south with many people owning small pieces of land. Many others were slaves and had to work on the large farms owned by few. In the years before the start of the civil war, Americans in the North and Northern west had different economic interests with the Americans living in the South and Southwest America. Despite the fact that the civil war in America was caused by a combination of other factors, the divergent economic interests contributed to the animosity that existed between the North and the South. They contributed to the establishment of the confederacy and the victory achieved by the union. The United States of America was an agricultural hub before, during and just after the civil war. Three quarters of the population in America lived in rural areas. The rural areas comprised of farms and small towns. Despite the fact that factories were established in the North and South, the establishment of industries and industrial manufacturing activities took place in the North. In 1860, the South had an estimated 25 percent of free population but only accounted for 10 percent of the capital of the country. The development of industries in the North was five times more that of the South. The number of factory workers in the North exceeded that of the South by ten times. Ninety percent of the skilled labor in the United States of America was in the North (Levine, 2005). The above information shows that the labor characteristics in the North and South were remarkably different. Labor in the North was expensive and laborers were not tied to a particular station. Workers were very active and mobile. The competition in the labor market was intensified by the immigration from Europe and Asia. This influenced the rising of wages in the sense that wages remained relatively constant (Levine, 2005). The economy of the south was founded on the labor provided by African Americans who worked as slaves. They were exploited, oppressed and forced to provide cheap labor. Mo st white families did not own slaves. Out of 1.6 million families, about 384,000 owned slaves. Most of the families who owned slaves had about 20 slaves or less. However, those who owned many slaves were about 10,000 and owned large plantations. When Eli Whitney invented cotton gin, southern planters and farmers

The impact of animation for children's psychological development in Essay

The impact of animation for children's psychological development in finding their identities - Essay Example Text Resources that will be consulted 14 13. Conclusion 14 14. References 16 What are animations and what forms they may adopt Since man has the ability to clearly distinguish between thirty frames at maximum over a second, an animation refers to a display of up to thirty images a second which model an illusion of movement. This optical illusion occurs due to persistence of vision and has been used successfully over centuries in the benefit of animation and other movie makers. Animation for kids refers to all the cartoons and other fun movies whose main targeted audience is the kids. Fairy tales are one of the most prized possessions of a kid, often so, because they are said to belong to the children world. As Andersen(1991) says, the fairy tales speak to a child in a language he understands. They are vibrant and colorful, the music is often loud and don’t need a serious voice over because the video alone conveys the message. Beck (2005) believes that animations may also conve y a message. They don’t necessarily have to end with a prince charming falling head over heels with a princess who has it all. It can also convey important messages such as effects of global warming, importance and need of conserving energy, basic human rights etc. At the tender age when children normally enjoy these animations, they are forming their perspective of the world. Obviously what they see will reflect on their personalities hence the animation makers need to ensure that the message conveyed is positive and important. Grant (2006) exclaims that we often see banners promoting positivity and a revolution in the world but then, animation have a much a greater impact than mere pictures and words. Ghertner (2010) exclaims that animations are not just for kids, they entertain the elders just the same. For example, who hasn’t watched ‘Lion King’ or ‘ The Lord of the Rings’? There are so many such epic animations that one wonders if there w ould ever be an end to storytelling; and the answer is no! Animated stories have been there since centuries and there will always be new stories evolving. Bessen (2008) says that one can only hope that this art gains a greater meaning and insight as it progresses since storytelling affect the psyche of young kids and adults alike who watch them and often consider themselves to be the heroes of the story. Picture credit: http://www.dandare.org/FreeFun/Images/CartoonsMoviesTV/LionKingWallpaper1024.jpg Animations Sharpen the Human Brain Over the last two decades one sees the popularity of the use of animations and other graphics increasing by leaps and bounds in the instructional media. Almost all schools rely on animations to teach the kids the basics and the teachers then add on to it. As Gilland (2009) correctly points out, around twenty years ago, one could not have imagined but now robotic schools are well thought for idea. This intrigues one to explore how animations are more eff ective than the teachers themselves. Block (2007) exclaims that it has been experimentally proven by various researches that animations on subject matters really improve a child’s retention and inference abilities. Instead of a teacher telling how Red Riding Hood got scared of the wolves, if a student gets to see it, he is able to infer it better and not only that, he retains the images better than words. The reason why animations Some of these reasons are associated with the affective role that graphics can fulfill. For example, animations may be aesthetically

Loyalty and Rome Essay Example for Free

Loyalty and Rome Essay The Roman Empire lasted so long due to various things. These include the establishment of a hierarchical government that enabled a system of checks and balances, the implementation of laws and taxes, a strong army, creation of institutions, and many different privileges and incentives for not only the people of Rome, but also those who were conquered and wished to become Roman. Amongst these things, there was an underlying commonality: loyalty. With loyalty came many personal relationships. A loyal government, a loyal army, and loyal people equates to a great empire. When that loyalty disappears, the effects can be disasterousl. Julius Caesar one of Rome’s most notable emperors depended heavily on loyalty and personal relationships. Within Caesars War Commentaries Julius Caesar describes how his personal relationships with people within and outside played a major role within the empire and influenced many of his decisions. From â€Å"Caesar’s War Commentaries† it is clear to see that he was a very practical emperor and planned his every move carefully with a great deal of consultation. To quickly summarize, in this particular excerpt, Caesar needs to feed the army in time, but food is being held away and people within and outside the empire are resisting to aid as they would usually do. He calls a meeting and to his surprise it is revealed that someone close to him and the government has been opposing him. Being the kind of Emperor Caesar is, he made the wise decision to privately question Liscus about what he had just informed him. Liscus of course is someone close to him and that he trusts. He discovers it is Dumnorix, brother of Divitiacus. Caesar wrote about his relationship with Divitiaus. He wrote â€Å"I had come to realize the very high regard which his brother Divitiacus entertained for Rome and his personal devotion to me. He was a man of unswerving loyalty.† Caesar worried that â€Å"there was a possibility that the execution of his brother might alienate his goodwill.† Being that they were close, Caesar goes to him personally and gives him options to choose from concerning the actions to take against his brother. Divitiacus, when expressing his apologies asked for nothing to happen to him. Because of Caesar’s â€Å"high regard for him his prayer should be granted and the insult to Rome as well as my personal grievance forgiven.† If it were not for the personal relationship that Caesar with Divitiacus, and the loyalty that Divitiacus had for Rome and Caesar, surely the situation would have played out differently. Other situations to point out within this excerpt, is that with Domnorix trying to rise to power, the people who were loyal to Caesar and trusted him, were now going against him. Not only was loyalty lost, but also respect and a sense of power for the Romans. Caesar’s excerpt can be used as an example as to what can happen, when these relationships are tarnished. This is why the Romans, while conquering and expanded made sure to secure loyalty. The loyalty was secured in many different ways, which included the system of checks and balances, institutions within the Roman and non-Roman cities, and privileges for its people. To conclude, Rome as an Empire valued the loyalty and the personal relations acquired. Julius Caesar one of Rome’s notable emperors used this as he ruled and this is seen in â€Å"Caesar’s War Commentaries.†

New Zealand Oral Health Practitioners Preparedness

New Zealand Oral Health Practitioners Preparedness Title: An update on New Zealand oral health practitioners preparedness for medical emergencies Running title: Medical emergencies Authors: C L Hong, A W Lamb, J M Broadbent, H L De Silva, W M Thomson Corresponding author: C L Hong, Department of Oral Rehabilitation, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, PO Box 647, Dunedin 9054. Abstract Background and objectives: To update information on the preparedness of New Zealand general dental practitioners (GDPs) and other oral health practitioners (OHPs) for medical emergencies. Methods: Electronic and paper survey of a sample of 889 OHPs (comprising GDPs, specialists, hygienists, therapists and clinical dental technicians) randomly selected from the Dental Register. Results: The response rate was 39.7%. About half of the respondents (43.3%) reported encountering at least one emergency event during the last ten years. Vaso-vagal syncope was the most commonly reported emergency event, followed by hyperventilation. The mean ten-year incidence of emergency events (excluding vaso-vagal syncope and hyperventilation) was 2.6 events (SD, 7). Dentists were 6.8 times more likely to experience emergency events than other OHPs (p Conclusion: The majority of New Zealand OHPs were equipped in training, and equipment for medical emergencies, and New Zealand appears better than many other countries in this respect. However, some OHPs still lacked some of the required emergency equipment, drugs, and training. Introduction The New Zealand population (as with other developed countries) is ageing (Statistics New Zealand, 2015). This means that oral health practitioners (OHPs) are (and will continue to be) providing care for an increasing proportion of elderly patients. This demographic shift towards a greying population is not without its dental implications. Ageing is accompanied by chronic diseases, disabilities and poly-pharmacy (Hung et al., 2011), all of which are risk factors for the occurrence of medical emergencies in dental practices. Thus, the risk of medical emergency events is likely to be increasing. Most medical emergencies can be anticipated, and all OHPs should be well-versed in their prevention and management. Training in the provision of basic life support is considered an essential and fundamental component of dentistry. Despite this, studies have shown general dental practitioners (GDPs) to be inadequately trained for medical emergencies (Alhamad et al., 2015; Arsati et al., 2010; Chapman, 1997; Muller et al., 2008). Only about half of German GDPs were able to provide basic life support (Muller et al., 2008). About two in five Belgian dentists had never had adult basic life support training following graduation, and four in five never had pediatric basic life support training (Marks et al., 2013). Some years ago, only half of New Zealand GDPs had a current CPR or first-aid certificate, and one in five lacked an emergency equipment kit (Broadbent and Thomson, 2001). Overseas studies have indicated that the incidence of medical emergencies in dental practice (excluding syncope) is between 3.3 and 7.0 emergency events per practitioner during a ten-year practice period (Arsati et al., 2010; Atherton et al., 1999; Atherton et al., 2000; Chapman, 1997; Girdler and Smith, 1999). A 2001 study of 314 New Zealand GDPs reported a mean 4.5 emergency events per dentist during a ten-year practice period (Broadbent and Thomson, 2001). While this falls within the reported range, most of those studies are dated, and there is a need for more contemporary information, particularly in light of the ageing population (and its greater tooth retention). Published studies also tended to focus on GDPs. There is a lack of published data on the preparedness of other OHPs for medical emergencies. Only one study investigated the incidence of medical emergencies among both dentists and dental auxiliaries. Atherton et al. (2000) noted that dentists experienced more emergency events than dental auxiliaries (nursing staff, hygienists and radiographers). This suggests that other OHPs also encounter medical emergencies, but evidence for this within the New Zealand dental workforce remains unknown. Moreover, in September 2014, the Dental Council of New Zealand (DCNZ) updated its Codes of Practice for Medical Emergencies in Dental Practice (Dental Council of New Zealand, 2014). In this updated standard, the New Zealand Resuscitation Council Certificate of Resuscitation and Emergency Care (CORE) certification level required of OHPs was updated, along with the period of recertification. Little is known about the adherence of OHPs to this updated practice standard. Accordingly, this study investigated the preparedness of New Zealand GDPs and other OHPs for medical emergencies in dental practice. Methods This study was approved by the University of Otago Ethics Committee. Data were collected between March and July 2016. OHPs were randomly selected from the 2015-2016 Dental Register, obtained from the DCNZ. The 896 randomly selected OHPs represented 20% of the source population for each OHP type (GDPs, dental specialists, hygienists, therapists, and clinical dental technicians). A small number (7) who did not have a clinical role or were not practising in New Zealand were considered ineligible and were excluded from the sample, leaving 889 eligible participants. The electronic survey used Qualtrics TM software. A link to the online questionnaire was emailed to each participant in March 2016. Participants who failed to respond within two weeks were sent a reminder email. Those who did not respond to the electronic survey were then sent a questionnaire with a cover letter and reply-paid envelope. Questionnaire The questionnaire sought information on the respondents socio-demographic characteristics (specifically gender, age, ethnicity, year of primary dental qualification, and practice location), experience and preparedness for medical emergencies. The frequency of specific medical emergencies was also assessed. To maximise the accuracy of recall, the question on the incidence of vaso-vagal syncope and hyperventilation was limited to the past practising year, while other medical emergencies events to the past ten practising years, or as long as the practitioner had been practising if less than ten years. Information on the availability of emergency equipment and drugs (and confidence in administering these) was also sought. The list of emergency equipment and drugs was derived from the DCNZs practice standard (Dental Council of New Zealand, 2014) . Statistical analysis Data were entered electronically and analyzed using version 21 of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (for Windows) (IBM).The level of statistical significance was set at p Results Responses were received from 353 of the 889 invited practitioners giving a response rate of 39.7%. Dentists (GDPs and dental specialists) represented 65.7% of respondents, while the remainder were other OHPs. Comparison with the 2011-2012 Workforce Analysis suggested an over-representation of New Zealand qualified dentists and dentists aged above 50 years within the sample (Table 1). For analysis purposes, the respondent age was dichotomized to less than 50 years old and 50 years or older. Similarly, the year in which practitioners obtained their primary qualification was also divided into two groups for analytical purposes: before 1990 and after 1990. More than half of the respondents (64.4%) listed their ethnicity as New Zealand European. The mean number of patients seen by a dentist in a week was 49 (SD, 26), and 44 (SD, 23) for other OHPs. Most dentists (96.6%) reported treating patients with local analgesia (mean, 49 per week; SD, 26); 36.2% reported using intravenous sedation (IV), oral sedation (OS) or relative analgesia (RA) (IV: mean, 0.6; SD, 3, OS: mean, 0.3; SD, 1, RA: mean, 0.2; SD, 1); and 8.0% reported treating patients under general anesthesia. The use of local analgesia during dental procedures was reported by 74.4% (n=90) of other OHPs (mean, 19; SD, 14). Almost half (48.7%) of OHPs reported updating each patients medical history at every visit; 45.8% did it at every new treatment plan/check-up, and the remaining 5.4% updated the medical history only occasionally. Vaso-vagal syncope was the most commonly reported emergency, followed by hyperventilation. Excluding hyperventilation and vaso-vagal events, there were 828 emergency events reported, corresponding to a mean of 2.4 events per respondent during the ten-year period (range, 0-62; SD, 7). Nearly half of respondents (43.3%) reported encountering at least one medical emergency during the last ten years. Dentists experienced a mean of 3.4 events (range, 0-62; SD, 8) and other OHPs a mean of 0.5 events (range, 0-11; SD, 1). Dentists were significantly more likely to experience more emergency events. Other significant emergency events reported were 78 episodes of tachycardia, five episodes of allergic reaction to latex, four episodes of Bells palsy, four episodes of vomiting and three episodes of bleeding (Table 2). Most respondents (96.9%) reported having a medical emergency kit available. Only 38.1% reported checking their medical emergency kit more than twice annually. Details of the emergency equipment and drugs kept by respondents are shown in Table 3. Most respondents reported having an ambubag and airway (82.1%), breathing apparatus for oxygen delivery (82.9%), an oxygen cylinder and regulator (82.3%) and a basic airway adjunct (77.2%) available. Among those who reported keeping these items, fewer than three in four were confident in using them. Dentists were further asked to provide information on the availability of a spacer device to deliver salbutamol and disposable hypodermic syringe and/or needles. Of the 70.1% who reported having a spacer device to deliver salbutamol, 82.6% were confident in using the device. A higher proportion of dentists reported having a disposable hypodermic syringe and/or needle available (82.5%), and 76.7% of dentists were confident in using it. A majority of dentists reported having adrenaline (91.3%), glyceryl trinitrate spray or tablets (86.9%), aspirin tablets (82.1%) or a salbutamol inhaler (79.0%) available in their emergency kit. Most respondents (92.9%) reported holding a current NZRC certificate. The majority (97.2%) of dentists who did not use sedation reported holding a NZRC certificate of level 4 or above. Three dentists did not provide information on their NZRC certificate level and one dentist reported having NZRC certificate level 3. For dentists who reported using any form of sedation excluding RA, 76.1% had a NZRC level 5 certificate or above, 22.5% reported having a NZRC level of 4, and 1.4% did not provide information on their certificate level. Most other OHPs (90.2%) had a NZRC level of 4 and above. Four other practitioners had a NZRC level of 3 and two reported having a NZRC level of 2. Five other OHPs did not provide information on their certification level. Data on the emergency items available among dentists who uses any form of sedation (including no sedation) are presented in Table 4. Just over one in four dentists using sedation (excluding RA) reported having an opioid antagonist. Excluding opioid antagonists, dentists who reported not using IV sedation were significantly more likely to have these emergency items than dentist not practicing sedation. The mean number of emergency events reported by dentists over the past ten years by the use of varying modes of sedation (including no sedation) are presented in Table 5. A statistically significant difference was observed in the frequency of angina pectoris, respiratory depression, allergic reaction to a drug, acute asthma and prolonged epileptic seizures between dentists who reported using sedation and those who did not practice sedation. Dentists using GA sedation reported significantly higher occurrence of angina pectoris than dentists used other form of sedation or did not use sedation, and those using RA reported more episodes of acute asthma than those who did not use sedation. Discussion This survey aimed to investigate the preparedness of New Zealand GDPs and other OHPs for medical emergencies. It was found that dentists were significantly more likely to encounter emergency events than other OHPs and that the majority of New Zealand OHPs were adequately prepared to manage a medical emergency. The response rate of 39.7% was higher than that reported by Muller et al. (2008) but lower than other studies (Atherton et al., 2000; Broadbent and Thomson, 2001).This may be attributed to the use of an online survey, which are less likely to achieve responses rates as high as surveys administered on paper (Shih and Xitao Fan, 2008). As with other self-administered survey, there is a tendency to under- or over-report the incidence of medical emergencies. Certain characteristics of the study respondents and differed significantly from the wider New Zealand dental workforce (Table 1). Dentists aged under 50 years and those who qualified overseas were under-represented. Such a difference may affect the generalizability of the findings. Despite these limitations, this is the first cross-sectional survey study which attempts to evaluate the incidence and preparedness of all New Zealand OHPs for medical emergencies in dental practices. Vaso-vagal syncope is the most commonly reported emergency by OHPs, followed by hyperventilation. This is in accordance with previously published studies (Alhamad et al., 2015; Marks et al., 2013; Muller et al., 2008) with the exception of Broadbent and Thomson (2001) who reported hyperventilation as the most common emergency event. Comparison of the findings of the current study in respect of GDPs to those of Broadbent and Thomson (2001) found that while the percentage of GDPs reporting vaso-vagal syncope and hyperventilation was lower than the 2001 study, the overall mean number of events per reporting participant in this study was higher. The incidence of respiratory depression reported by GDPs was 1.5 times lower than in the 2001 study (Broadbent and Thomson, 2001). This may be due to greater awareness and preparedness among GDPs, combined with stricter regulations imposed by the DCNZ. The use of sedation in dentistry has a positive influence on patients, but while it reduces anxiety and fear, it also increases the risk of respiratory depression. This was reflected in this study. Dentists using IV sedation reported a significantly greater incidence of respiratory depression than those who did not. This is, perhaps, unsurprising, as airway complications are the greatest threat to the safety of sedated patients (Tobias and Leder, 2011). However, the overall incidence of hypoglycemia reported by OHPs in our study was higher than that reported by Arsati et al. (2010) and Broadbent and Thomson (2001). Proper diagnosis of hypoglycemia is dependent on the observation of the Whipples triad; elevated plasma glucose concentration, hypoglycemic symptoms and relief of symptoms following carbohydrate administration, (Nelson, 1985). It is possible that any one of these symptoms may be overlooked by the practitioner when making a diagnosis resulting in over-diagnosis. Excluding vaso-vagal syncope and hyperventilation, the overall rate of medical emergency events among OHPs in New Zealand was lower than reported in previous overseas studies (Table 6). Comparison with Broadbent and Thomson (2001) suggests a decrease in the incidence of emergency events reported by GDPs, dipping from 4.5 to 2.9 emergency event per practitioner over a ten-year period in this study, pFigure 1). Dentists were 6.8 times more likely to experience an emergency event than other OHPs. This is consistent with findings of the 2000 United Kingdom survey, which also reported a greater frequency of emergency events by dentists than ancillary staff (Atherton et al., 2000). Several factors could contribute the latter difference. First, dentists are more likely to provide more complicated treatment than other OHPs. Second, patients who have more complex medical problems (or who are more anxious) may be more likely to attend a dentist than other OHPs for dental treatment. Being prepared with the proper equipment and drugs for the management of an emergency event is important, and most OHPs did have access to an emergency kit. With respect to GDPs, an 18.2% increase over 2001 was observed in the proportion of GDPs with an emergency kit (Broadbent and Thomson, 2001). The four basic emergency pieces of equipment meant to be contained within an emergency kit (regardless of practitioner type) are an ambubag and airway, breathing apparatus for oxygen delivery, oxygen cylinder and regulator, and basic airway adjuncts. The majority of GDPs (85%-89%) had these items, which was a marked improvement from the 2001 study where it ranged between 24% and 81%. Other OHPs were lacking in the availability of an ambubag and airways (30.3%) and basic airway adjunct (35.2%). The drugs required by the DCNZ practice standard were available to the majority of GDPs, but a relatively high proportion of specialists lacked some drugs, namely glyceryl trinitrate spray or tablets (21.9%), aspirin tablets (40.6%), and salbutamol inhaler (34.4%). The availability of oxygen was not specifically asked about in this survey, instead, the availability of an oxygen cylinder and regulator was assessed. We did not specifically asked OHPs whether the oxygen cylinder was filled. It was assumed that, if respondents had this equipment, oxygen would available. Dentists using sedative agents would be expected to be best prepared with appropriate medications and equipment. While they were well equipped (>86%) with the four basic pieces of equipment (listed in the previous paragraph), they were not well equipped with the additional equipment required for sedation, especially in the availability of an opioid antagonist (27.6%). This study found that overall, dentists practising sedation were better prepared with these additional items than those who did not. It is likely that some practitioners may be using a form of sedation that negates the use of these equipment. However, regardless of the form of sedation used, the requirement set by the DCNZ should always be followed. Proper training in the management of medical emergencies is important. A majority of dentists not using sedation (97.2%) and other OHPs (90.2%) had the appropriate NZRC CORE Level 4. Comparison with other overseas studies found OHPs in New Zealand to be better equipped in this area. Arsati et al. (2010) showed that only 59.6% of Brazilian dentists had undergone some form of resuscitation training, while only 47.5% of Belgium dentists (Marks et al., 2013) and 64% of Australian GDPs had undertaken basic life support trainings or CPR courses (Chapman, 1997). However, additional reinforcement is necessary to ensure that all OHPs have the appropriate NZRC CORE level, and thus the skills required to manage medical emergencies. For dentists using sedation, NZRC CORE Level 5 as outlined by the DCNZ guideline (implemented in 2014) is mandatory. However, almost one in four dentists using sedation (excluding RA) did not have a NZRC Level 5 or above certificate. This may be a concern because these practitioners are likely to undertake more complex procedures, possibly in patients with complicated medical conditions. We observed that they were more likely to experience emergency events in their practices. Conclusion Most New Zealand OHPs were equipped in training and equipment for medical emergencies, and New Zealand appears better than many other countries in this respect. However, the different groups of OHPs were still lacking some of the required emergency equipment and drugs. Our findings also clearly show that while there has been a marked improvement from the 2001 study, some OHPs still lacked training (NZRC CORE), and so, it is possible that these practitioners may lack competence in treating medical emergencies. References Alhamad M, Alnahwi T, Alshayeb H, Alzayer A, Aldawood O, Almarzouq A, Nazir MA(2015). Medical emergencies encountered in dental clinics: A study from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. J Fam Community Med 22(3):175-179. Arsati F, Montalli VA, Florio FM, Ramacciato JC, da Cunha FL, Cecanho R, de Andrade ED, Motta RHL (2010). Brazilian dentists attitudes about medical emergencies during dental treatment. J Dent Educ 74(6):661-666. Atherton GJ, McCaul JA, Williams SA (1999). Medical emergencies in general dental practice in Great Britain. Part 1: Their prevalence over a 10-year period. BDJ 186(2):72-79. Atherton GJ, Pemberton MN, Thornhill MH (2000). Medical emergencies: the experience of staff of a UK dental teaching hospital. BDJ 188(6):320-324. Broadbent JM, Thomson WM (2001). The readiness of New Zealand general dental practitioners for medical emergencies. NZ Dent J 97(429):82-86. Chapman PJ (1997). Medical emergencies in dental practice and choice of emergency drugs and equipment: a survey of Australian dentists. Aust Dent J 42(2):103-108. Dental Council of New Zealand (2014). Medical Emergencies in Dental Practice Practice Standard. Wellington: Dental Council of New Zealand. Girdler NM, Smith DG (1999). Prevalence of emergency events in British dental practice and emergency management skills of British dentists. Resuscitation 41(2):159-167. Hung WW, Ross JS, Boockvar KS, Siu AL (2011). Recent trends in chronic disease, impairment and disability among older adults in the United States. BMC 11(1):1-12. Marks LA, Van Parys C, Coppens M, Herregods L (2013). Awareness of dental practitioners to cope with a medical emergency: a survey in Belgium. Int Dent J 63(6):312-316. Muller MP, Hansel M, Stehr SN, Weber S, Koch T (2008). A state-wide survey of medical emergency management in dental practices: incidence of emergencies and training experience. EMJ 25(5):296-300. Nelson RL (1985). Hypoglycemia: fact or fiction? Mayo Clin Proc 60(12):844-850. Shih T-H, Xitao Fan (2008). Comparing Response Rates from Web and Mail Surveys: A Meta-Analysis. Field Methods 20(3):249-271. Statistics New Zealand (2015). 2013 Census QuickStats about people aged 65 and over. Wellington: Statistics New Zealand. Tobias J, Leder M (2011). Procedural sedation: A review of sedative agents, monitoring, and management of complications. SJA 5(4):395-410. Author details: C L Hong BDS. Department of Oral Rehabilitation, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, PO Box 647, Dunedin 9054. A W Lamb BDS. Dental and oral health department, Level 10, Wellington Hospital, Riddiford St, Newton, 6021. J M Broadbent BDS, PGDipComDent, PhD. Department of Oral Rehabilitation, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, PO Box 647, Dunedin 9054. H L De Silva BDS, MS, FDSRCS, FFDRCSI. Department of Oral Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, PO Box 647, Dunedin 9054. W M Thomson BSc, BDS, MA, MComDent, PhD. Department of Oral Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago, PO Box 647, Dunedin 9054. Table 1. Comparison of respondents sociodemographic characteristics with those of the New Zealand (NZ) dental profession. Dentist (%) Dentists in NZ dental profession a (%) Other OHPs (%) Other OHPs in NZ dental profession a (%) Sex Male Female 140 (60.6) 91(39.4) 1347 (64.6) 738 (35.4) 9 (7.4) 112 (92.6) 54 (4.3)c 1191 (95.7)c Age Less than 50 50 and over 104 (45.6) b 124 (54.4) b 1220 (58.5)b 865 (41.5) b 68 (56.2) 53 (43.8) 881 (61.1) 561 (38.9) Country of qualification New Zealand Other 184 (81.4) b 42 (18.6) b 1456 (69.8) b 629 (30.2) b 112 (92.6) 9 (7.4) NR NR a Dental Council of New Zealand (Workforce Analysis 2011-2012) b p c Excludes clinical dental technicians NR: not reported Table 2. Incidence of medical emergencies by practitioner type. Emergency event Number of GDPs reporting during a one-year period (%) Number of specialists reporting during a one-year period (%) Number of other practitioners reporting during a one-year period (%) Mean number of events for per reporting practitioners (sd) Total number of events reported (max) Vaso-vagal syncope a 71 (36.0) 10 (37.0) 1.5 (12.8) 3.3 (6.0) 313 (50) Hyperventilation a 40 (20.3) 3 (11.1) 1.2 (10.3) 3.5 (5.1) 185 (25) Angina pectoris (chest pain) 2.4 (12.2) 5.0 (18.5) 1.0 (0.9) 1.7 (1.3) 51 (5) Swallowed foreign body 2.9 (14.7) 3.0 (11.1) 1.2 (10.3) 1.8 (2.2) 79 (12) Epileptic seizures (grand mal) 1.7 (8.6) 4.0 (14.8) 3.0 (2.6) 1.8 (2.0) 43 (10) Hypoglycemia 4.4 (21.3) 7.0 (25.9) 3.0 (2.6) 3.7 (3.7) 192 (15) Myocardial infarction 0.3 (1.5) 1.0 (3.7) 0.0 (0.0) 1.3 (0.5) 5 (2) Respiratory depression 1.0 (5.1) 5.0 (18.5) 0.0 (0.0) 6.0 (6.4) 90 (80) b Allergic reaction to a drug 2.8 (14.2) 5.0 (18.5) 2.0 (1.7) 3.2 (4.6) 112 (20) Anaphylaxis 9.0 (4.6) 4.0 (14.8) 0.0 (0.0) 1.7 (1.4) 5 (5) Overdose (eg of anesthetic) 4.0 (2.0) 2.0 (7.4) 1.0 (0.9) 1.4 (0.8) 10 (3) Circulatory depression or collapse 4.0 (2.0) 2.0 (7.4) 2.0 (1.7) 2.1 (1.6) 17 (5) Stroke (cardiovascular accident) 3.0 (1.5) 1.0 (3.7) 0.0 (0.0) 1(-) 4 (1) Inhaled foreign body 2.0 (1.0) 0.0 (0.0) 1.0 (0.9) 1 (-) 3 (1) Acute asthma 7.0 (3.6) 1.0 (3.7) 2.0 (1.7) 1.8 (1.3) 18 (5) Hyperglycemia

Alkali Aggregate Reaction in Concrete

Alkali Aggregate Reaction in Concrete Concrete is one of the most construction material composed of water, coarse and fine aggregate and cement (binder)which fills the space between aggregate and stick them together. Concrete production is time-sensitive. Concrete become stronger and capable of bearing loads with the initiation of hardening process. There are two types of concrete, ready mix plants and central mix plants. A ready mix plant is the mix of all ingredients except water, while a central mix plant is the mix of all ingredients with water; this method needs more quality control than ready mix (Neville, 1996). After mixing all ingredient and place it, curing the concrete is absolutely essential to achieve best strength and hardness. For achieving the strength, cement needs a moist and controlled environment. Good concrete elements are the elements which has a good durability. Durability is defined as the ability of concrete to resist chemical attack, abrasion and during its life time. If the concrete elements have factors below, they will remain durable; The cement paste has low permeability Its better to made with well graded aggregate. The ingredient should have minimum impurities such as Sulphates, Chlorides, alkali and etc. So in the absence of one or more of these factors, the concrete will face with the durability problem. Two major types of durability problem are: (ACI 201.2R-08, 2008) Durability against physical action Durability against Chemical action Physical durability consists of: Temperature stresses Freezing and thawing action And chemical durability consists of: (Neville, 1996) Sulfate attack Chloride ingress Corrosion Alkali Aggregate Reaction 2.2 Alkali Aggregate Reaction 2.2.1 Background Thomas Stanton (Munn et. al., 2011) at California Department of Transportation detected cracking in concrete which was occurred due to certain aggregate reacting with cement alkalis for the first time; therefore he called this phenomena Alkali-aggregate reaction (AAR). Since then, several scientists continue researching on AAR, with the main areas of focus as: (Fournier Berube, 2000) Better understanding of mechanism of AAR in concrete. Identification of reactive aggregate and developing test methods to assess the reactivity of aggregates. Developing new method to prevent initiation of AAR in new structures Developing remedies for rehabilitation of existing structures affected by AAR. 2.2.2 Alkali Aggregate Reaction (AAR) When a highly basic fluid which consist of alkali hydroxides ions like (K+, Na+ Ùâ‚ ¬Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â€š ¬ OH) fill the pores in concrete and the aggregate in concrete are chemically unstable in the high pH environment, the concrete encounter with distresses such as cracking, losing serviceability, and etc. (Fournier Berube, 2000). This internal chemical reaction is recognized as alkali aggregate-reaction (AAR). The source of alkalinity in these phenomena is from cement and aggregate but some external sodium or potassium can contribute the reaction (Munn et. al., 2011). The reaction cause the formation of a gel which absorbs water and then expands, due to this internal pressure, the micro cracks gradually appear. (ACI 221.1R-98, 1998) Two types of AAR are generally recognized: 1) Alkali- carbonate reaction (ACR) and 2) Alkali Silica reaction (ASR) . 2.2.2.1 Alkali-Carbonate Reaction (ACR) Argillaceous dolomitic limestones are susceptible to this reaction. Two mechanisms contribute to the carbonate reaction: 1) Crystallization of brucite and calcite during the dedolomitision and 2) Sorption of alkalis by clay. The dedolomitision causes expansion CaMg(CO3)2 + 2 (Na,K)OH à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Mg( OH )2 + CaCO3 + ( Na,K )2CO3 Dolomite This reaction is known to not to occur frequently to this phenomenon are less common and suitable for using in concrete industry (Fournier Berube, 2000). The aggregate sensitive to ACR have characteristics texture which can identify by some tests such as ASTM C 441 or ASTM C586-11. The dedolomitisation involves the reaction of alkali carbonates with portlandite in concrete and yield to reform alkali hydroxides (Fournier Berube, 2000). (Na,K)2CO3 + Ca (OH ) 2 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ CaCO3 + 2 ( Na, K) OH No gel is produced as a result of this reaction. Recently the theory which was introducing by Katyama (Katyama, 2010) in the early of 20th century suggests that ACR is the combined reaction of dedolomitisation of dolomitic aggregate and expansive ASR of cryptocrystalline was confirmed by using tests like SEM observation, polished section and etc. (Katayama, 2010) 2.2.2.2 Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR) Alkali-silica reaction is relatively more common and it has negative effect on the mechanical properties of concrete (Marzouk Langdon, 2000) this reaction is between alkaline pore solution and silica mineral like cryptocrystalline quartz and opal. Higher solubility of silica mineral in high pH solutions means higher likelihood of reaction occurrence. The reaction yields the formation a gel that absorbs water and expands in moist areas (Munn et. al., 2011). The expansive pressure by the silica gel causes crackings and deteriorations in concrete. The quantity of gel depends on the amount of silica; if the amount of silica increases, the expansion will be increased. The composition of this gel has been studied by several of researchers (Lindgard et al., 2012); they stated that, this gel has high contents of silica and low contents of calcium and alkalis. The formation of silica gel depends on composition and the texture of the aggregate but the composition of silica gel doesnt depend on the nature of aggregate. Two categories of ASR are recognized: Quartz- bearing rock which reacts slowly in the early ages and then the expansion and cracks start to appear from 10 to even 25 years of concrete, when concrete is exposed to conditions favoring the reactions The rocks incorporate with Silica. This type of rocks contributes to extensive expansion and cracking on the early age of concrete when concrete is exposed to conditions favoring the reactions ASR damages both macroscopic and microscopic properties of material, for instance; for macroscopic damages, the changes in length can be mentioned, as Hayman et.al.(Hayman et al., 2010) stated that deleterious of concrete is when the expansion greater than 0.040%. For microscopic damages, significant difference between modules of elasticity of the gel and cement paste or aggregate can be mentioned (Chen et al., 2010).

The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir Essay -- Second Sex Simone Beauvo

The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir In the chapter of her book The Second Sex entitled â€Å"the Woman in Love,† Simone de Beauvoir characterizes the romantic ideal of the relationship with a man as a woman’s purpose as a form of self-deception (translated here as â€Å"bad faith†). The self-deception de Beauvoir describes is based in the thesis of The Second Sex. This is the idea that women have been deceived into believing that they are second-class humans. Western culture, according to de Beauvoir, teaches us that women are missing some elusive element of the self that endows men with freedom- a concept essential to the existentialist definition of the conscious being. Therefore, a woman can never find fulfillment as a thinking person as long as she believes that men are free beings and women their dependents. This state of affairs is reinforced through an all-encompassing system of thought that posits man as subject and woman as object, â€Å"doomed to dependency.† (In this chapter, de Beauvoir writes about the â€Å"modern woman† whose consciousness of her self has not yet matured. Therefore, when â€Å"woman† is referred to here, this is merely shorthand for the self-deceiving woman. The independent woman is another matter entirely.) De Beauvoir postulates that the reason why women’s idea of love is so much more intense than men’s is because the woman, unable to become a whole person in and of herself, thinks that by attaching herself to a man she can transcend her position in life. She can move from object to subject through osmosis- the ultimate expression of â€Å"being for the other.† She can claim a share of his activities and his accomplishments in the public realm which she is prohibited to enter. Giving herself wholly to the man ... ...that many women cling to even after they give up hope that â€Å"he† will ever come. Is there a solution to this paradox, this Catch-22 that de Beauvoir describes? Yes, she says, but only when certain conditions are met. First, a woman must have a solid sense of herself as an existentialist â€Å"free being† before she goes looking for love. Second, the love relationship must be a freely chosen association of equals committed to respecting each other’s freedom. As de Beauvoir writes on p.667: â€Å"Genuine love ought to be founded on the mutual recognition of two liberties; the lovers would then experience themselves both as self and as other; neither would give up transcendence, neither would be mutilated; together they would manifest values and aims in the world. For the one and the other, love would be revelation of self by the gift of self and enrichment of the world.†

Custom Written Term Papers: Othello’s Feminine Perspective

Othello’s Feminine Perspective  Ã‚        Ã‚   The audience finds in Othello, Shakespeare’s tragic drama, the feminine perspective on life in general and on various aspects of life. These feminine perspectives from the three lady-characters are not consistent and uniform among the ladies. Let’s consider them in this paper.    Alvin Kernan’s â€Å"Othello: an Introduction† explains the protagonist’s delayed conversion to the feminine perspective:    His willingness to speak of what he has done – in contrast to Iago’s sullen silence – is a willingness to recognize the meaning of Desdemona’s faith and chastity, to acknowledge that innocence and love do exist, and that therefore The City can stand, though his life is required to validate the truth and justice on which it is built. (81)    At the outset of the play only the male perspective is given: Iago persuades the rejected suitor of Desdemona, Roderigo, to accompany him to the home of Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, in the middle of the night. Once there the two awaken the senator with loud shouts about his daughter’s elopement with Othello. In response to the noise and Iago’s vulgar descriptions of Desdemona’s involvement with the general, Brabantio arises from bed. With Roderigo’s help, he gathers a search party to go and find Desdemona and bring her home. The father’s attitude is that life without his Desdemona will be much worse than before:    It is too true an evil: gone she is;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   And what's to come of my despised time   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Is nought but bitterness. (1.1)    Brabantio is the old father, and he hates to lose the comforting services of his Desdemona. The daughter’s husband Othello expresses his sentiments to Iago regarding his relationship... ...llo: A Tragedy of Beauty and Fortune.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint from â€Å"The Noble Moor.† British Academy Lectures, no. 9, 1955.    Heilman, Robert B. â€Å"Wit and Witchcraft: an Approach to Othello.† Shakespeare: Modern Essays in Criticism. Ed. Leonard F. Dean. Rev. Ed. Rpt. from The Sewanee Review, LXIV, 1 (Winter 1956), 1-4, 8-10; and Arizona Quarterly (Spring 1956), pp.5-16.    Kernan, Alvin. â€Å"Othello: and Introduction.† Shakespeare: The Tragedies. Ed. Alfred Harbage. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1964.    Muir, Kenneth. Introduction. William Shakespeare: Othello. New York: Penguin Books, 1968.    Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.   

An Annotated Bibliography Essay

Chin, Jean Lau. (2004). The Psychology of Prejudice and Discrimination. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group This book discusses the effects of prejudice and discrimination on the psyche and one’s participation in society as a whole. The relevant section in this book discusses the unique plight of gay or bisexual black men that have to contend with homophobia as well as racism. Of special note is the section in which sexual orientation often has a negative effect on the career development of many gay black men. This is an interesting resource since most of the material on the subject does not address the secondary sub-category of sexual orientation (Chin, 2004). Daniels, C. (2004). Black Power Inc. : The New Voice of Success. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons C. Daniel’s Black Power Inc. is a book of medium length that explores the phenomenon of black people placing a growing emphasis on economic rather than political power. The book is geared toward young to middle-aged black professional men and women, who are Working While Black (WWB). C. Daniels writes for Fortune magazine with an extensive history in writing about the social dynamics inherent in big business—especially as it relates to the unique issues black men and women face in the corporate world (Daniels, 2004). Davis, G. & Watson, G. (1982). Black Life in Corporate America: Swimming in the Mainstream. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press Although written twenty-seven years ago, this account by Davis & Watson (1982) is still relevant in chronicling the early stages of Black integration into corporate American life. The book describes the upstream struggles of educated black professionals as they attempt to make a living commensurate with their skills. While also observing the lesser tolerance of open bigotry in the workplace, certain â€Å"jokes† and comments are often alienating to black men (Davis & Watson, 1982). Gates, Henry Louis. America behind the Color Line. New York: Warner Books, 2004 This book contains interviews from several powerful African-American men including Russell Simmons, Quincy Jones, Vernon Jordan, Colin Powell and Morgan Freeman. Written by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. , one of the premier scholars of African-American studies today. This book shows the diversity of successful Black men from the corporate and political arenas to the performing arts and community activism, and discusses triumphs and challenges. A very good read for anyone studying black achievement (Gates, 2004). Livers, A. & Caver, K. A. (2002). Leading in Black and White: Working across the Racial Divide in Corporate America. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons This book by Livers & Caver (2002) describes the challenges faced by Blacks who occupy a higher level on the corporate ladder (i. e. managerial positions). They challenge the popular assumption that black leaders have the same issues as white leaders, and underscore the problems of trust many black men have with their white colleagues because of lack of common experiences. This book was intended for black managers that need help in continuing to navigate the system (Livers & Carver, 2002). Merida, K. (2007). Being a Black Man: At the Corner of Progress and Peril. Washington: Public Affairs This is a collection of essays about the personal and professional struggles of black men in America. Many points of view deal with identity intersections of different roles—husband, father, employee, and businessman—as well as dreams and ambitions. This book generated a great deal of interest in the reading public as it offers a personal glimpse of the realities of black life. K. Merida is a reporter for the Washington Post, and was thus able to use his credentials to find many contributors to this volume (Merida, 2007). Van Horne, W. A. (2007). The Concept of Black Power: Its Continued Relevance. Journal of Black Studies, 37(3), 365-389 This is a study of the growth of Black Power in America as the middle-class grows slowly and quietly. Even though over time, black people have gained more civil rights in America, there is still a significant lag between them and the white majority. However, W. A. Van Horne notes that the black underclass often overshadows the slow, but inexorable growth of the black middle class. He also raises questions of whether the black power movement is still relevant (Van Horne, 2007).

A study of reading habits Essay

The theme of journeys is present in Philip Larkin’s poem, A Study of Reading Habits. However, it is not a physical journey that we see, but a metaphorical journey about the speaker’s life progression through his changing escapisms created by books. The title is a mock, serious title for it sounds like a piece of academic research Larkin uses first person persona to give expression to things he would prefer not to have attributed to himself. The structure of the poem divided into three stanzas; school years, adolescent years and the present. The tone is sarcastic and colloquial, that along with the shorter lines, creates a less serious poem from Larkin. In the first part of his journey, the persona is imaginative and loves to read, so much so that is it ‘ruining [his] eyes’. He imagines a fantasy world where he could be cool and ‘deal out the right hook to his bullies’. The alliteration of ‘dirty dogs’ is symbolism of the persona’s bullies, which portrays them as the villains. It is the stories, which makes him believe he is invincible, like that of the heroes he reads about. The stories provide an escapism to which he can be brave, hero, and not the bullied kid to which he is in reality. There is a smooth, harmonious quality in the beginning stanza due to Euphony. This underscored how easygoing and fantasy-like childhood can be. The second part of his journey represents his adolescent years. We now see him with ‘inch thick specs’, which is ironic to him previously stating his compassion for reading was ‘ruining [his] eyes’. We see the persona become more gothic and dark, with his new love of Horror Fiction. ‘Cloaks and fangs’ sounds dangerous and eerie, which is his new escapism. Some critics suggest that ‘ripping’ could be vampire vocabulary but it also can refer to being posh. Through his journey through stanza two, we see him move on to more lustrous novels, where his escapism is him being a womanizer. Larkin use borrowed language of ‘clubbed with sex’ and ‘broke them up like meringues’ to create the poet’s whimsical world. The similie refers to his lust for sexual encounters with women. The phrases are quite cheesy and some suggest it is bad writing on Larkin’s behalf, but some argue it is Larkin trying to sound like a bad guy. Larkin is trying too hard to sound like Raymond Chandler’s character, Marlowe, but it just doesn’t work. In the final part of the persona’s journey, which leads him up to the present tense, we see a completely conflicting view of reading. In the final stanza the speaker comes to terms with reality; he can no longer hide behind books. He realizes that his world is less fulfilling than the fantasies portrayed in books, and says ‘don’t read much now’. He feels betrayed by books and his tone becomes bitter. The ‘yellow’ figure evokes the sense of weakness and represents cowardly characteristics. This metaphor produces the effect of a cowardly character, which evidently relates to the persona. This means he can no longer fantasice for the characters he looked up to are weak. With no more escapism, the persona no longer wants to read. In the penultimate line of the poem Lark says ‘Get stewed’, which is said in a light hearted jokey way. Some suggest it refers to getting drunk, which may be his alternative escapism, but some argue it means get lost, referring to the disappointment. On the contrary, the final line represents the persona’s new feelings towards books. He believes they are a worthless â€Å"load of crap†. The theme of the poem is that escapism and ignoring reality only makes life less fulfilling, which is illustrated through the theme of a journey.