Feminist Theory A Philosophical Fiction - 872 Words

Feminism is an array of political movements, ideologies, and social movements that share a common goal of achieving equal political, economic and social rights for women. Supporters of this movement are called Feminists, surprisingly not all Feminist are women. In fact, a decent amount of Feminists are male. Some argue that this a contradiction, but the men defend themselves saying that they want same equality for women, which trickles back to the reason of Feminism. Feminist theory is the attempt to make intellectual sense of, and then to critique, the subordination of women to men (Cudd, 1). Feminist theory gives authors and/or activists a chance to explain their understanding of gender inequality, it also gives them a chance to reveal their person theory on feminism. In Feminist Theory: A Philosophical Anthology, they features Judith Butler`s piece â€Å"Subjects of Sex/Gender/Desire† which describes her account of gender. Butler believes that gender behavior is not natural but that of a performance. She distinguishes her model of theory from expressive model of of gender by explaining that we often associate gender by the idea of femininity and masculinity. â€Å"Representation is the normative function of a language which is either said either to reveal or distort what is assumed† (Cudd, 145). Butler defines representation like this to illustrate the idea of femininity and masculinity. According to the expressive model of gender if a subject has a soft high pitched voice, hasShow MoreRelatedExistentialism : Simone De Beauvoir And Angst994 Words   |  4 Pagesway of life, and everything they do goes along by the rules of existentialism. Other people know what it is, yet don’t follow by it. And then there are the people w ho have no idea what it is. Nevertheless, existentialism is by definition â€Å"a philosophical theory or approach that emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of the will.† One of the most prominent people who dabbled in extistentialism would have to beRead MoreNovel and Black Africans1298 Words   |  6 Pagesfigures in the rise of the novel in the Restoration period(or The Long Eighteenth Century period) is Aphra Behn and her novella Oroonoko or the Royal slave. Although it is impossible to satisfactorily date the beginning of the novel in English, long fiction and fictional biographies began to distinguish themselves from other forms in England during this period(1). It is the first English novel to show Black Africans in a sympathetic manner. Oroonoko has been viewed now as an important marker in the developmentRead MoreThe Difference Between Right And Wrong And Good Versus Evil109 5 Words   |  5 Pagessimplified in a basic short story text. Flannery O Connor bases its concept of good versus evil in A Good Man is Hard to Find. The characters justify this theory. Flannery O Conner, as a Catholic, saw the nature of good vs. evil and centers around the literature A Good Man is Hard to Find, by utilizing the roles of these characters. O Connor’s theory is contributed to God’s work towards ordinary people. The characters in the story such as The Misfit, Harry/Bevel, and Mr. Guizac perform a form of salvationRead MoreAnalysis Of Wayne C. Booths The Company We Keep : An Ethics Of Fiction1051 Words   |  5 PagesIn the central chapter of his 1988 book The Company We Keep: An Ethics of Fiction, Wayne C. Booth uses Franà §ois Rabelais’s famous sixteenth-century comic novel Gargantua and Pantagruel as a case study for his investigation of the role of ethics in literary criticism. Through a polemics with Mikhail Bakhtin and his perhaps most influential text Rabelais and His World, Booth sets out to prove that the French novel which the Russian scholar uses as a paradigm for his definition of the carnival spiritRead MoreA Reader- Oriented Approach to Edgar Alan Poes the Tell- Tale Heart1465 Words   |  6 PagesAlan Poe’s The Tell- Tale Heart The Titular question is an old philosophical riddle for which a wide range of metaphysical and non-metaphysical solution has been offered. The answers differ based on the perspective of the interpreter. Judging these answers is neither possible nor desirable for us, but the riddle and the ensuing debates attest to the veracity of one of the most basic tenets of reader-response theory: If a text does not have a reader, it does not exist-or at least, it hasRead MoreFrankenstein and Araby Essay1469 Words   |  6 PagesThe delineation of female characters in â€Å"Frankenstein† and â€Å"Araby† is in a very passive manner. Both Mary Shelley and James Joyce urges the readers to ponder upon the then existing social status of women. The women in these works of fiction are treated as material goods and have minimal privileges with respect to the male character. In Frankenstein, Elizabeth Lavenza is depicted as an object with minimal rights and privileges. She is p ortrayed as a possession for Victor Frankenstein to protect. InRead MoreCritical Legal Studies Essay3437 Words   |  14 PagesCRITICAL LEGAL STUDIES Critical legal study (CLS) is a theory that challenges and overturns accepted norms and standards in legal theory and practice. Supporters of this theory believe that logic and structure attributed to the law grow out of the power relationships of the society. The law exists to support the interests of the party or class that forms it and is merely a collection of beliefs and prejudices that legitimize the injustices of society. The wealthy and the powerful use the law asRead MoreReading Obam Dreams, Hope, And The American Political Tradition1433 Words   |  6 Pagesdemocracy, the long unfinished project stretching from the seventeenth century establishment of English colonies through the achievements of the civil rights and feminist movements, that produced the institutions and the cultural characteristics that made possible Obama s rise. 2. America s principal contribution to the Western philosophical tradition, the philosophy of pragmatism that originated over a century ago in the writings of James and Dewey, has provided a sturdy base for Obama s sensibilityRead MoreLiterary Criticism : Not Just A Pretty Face 2609 Words   |  11 PagesDerrida, Paul de Man, and others; this, in turn, is connected to a set of philosophical theories about language and meaning. As a result of the popularity of this technique and theory, the word â€Å"deconstruct† is often used as a synonym for criticizing or demonstrating the incongruity of a position. It is a way to interpret literary, religious, and legal texts as well as philosophical ones, and was adopted by French feminist theorists as a way to make clearer the deep male bias that was embedded inRead MoreHow Assemblages Of Text And Images Can Come Together As Topographic Representations Of Space2803 Words   |  12 Pageslower paid and less secure jobs. The theoretical approach that I believe has been used for the research in this article largely follows feminist perspectives, as it relies specifically on ethnographic work of group discussions, extended interviews and participant observation. There is no one feminist perspective, and hence no one feminist methodology. â€Å"Feminist methodologists do not use or prescribe any research method; rather they are united through various methods to include women’s lives and

Ethical And Corporate Responsibility Of The Pharmaceutical...

Introduction In order for a business or an organization to be successful, the relationships between the employees, supervisors, clients, suppliers, investors and shareholders play an important role. These relationships are considered to be as one of the key areas to make the business function smoothly and efficiently. Not only it’s the responsibility of the organizations to promote and conduct responsible and ethical business practices at every level but, also they should make sure that their contractors and vendors are aware of these practices. In this paper I will analyze PharmaCARE’s ethical and corporate responsibility around its products, operations and commitment to stakeholders as well as several scenarios of the pharmaceutical†¦show more content†¦Based on characteristics such as interest, involvement, affect, level and position in the organization, stakeholders could be classified into three categories: †¢ Primary Stakeholders: Their interests are important to the success of business. They are directly influenced by the actions of the organization, either positively or negatively. Examples of primary stakeholders are clients, managers, team members and end users etc. †¢ Secondary Stakeholders: They play an intermediary role in the business and are indirectly influenced by the actions of the organization, either positively or negatively. Example of secondary stakeholders are financial consultants, administrative staff etc. †¢ Key Stakeholders: They are the individuals who can pass and enforce rules and regulations. They might belong to either or neither of the first two groups i.e. primary and secondary stakeholders. Example of key stakeholders are the director or CEO of the organization, elected government officials, funders etc. The stakeholders within the given scenario include PharmaCARE, one of the most successful pharmaceutical companies, Wellco, a large drugstore chain, CompCARE, a subsidiary of PharmaCARE, the healers in Colberia, employees of the various companies and the citizens of Colberia. Human Rights Issues The human rights issues connected with PharmaCARE’s work force in Colberia are a major concern, which they should address

Personal Reflection on Global Citizenship

Question: Discuss about the Personal Reflection on Global Citizenship. Answer: Introduction: Global citizenship involves the engagement of ethics in a more productive professional context. The concept of being a global citizen involves acceptance of various diverse communities, ethnicity and varying cultures present in the globe today. Global citizenship involve awareness as part of the main issues to be considered valid for acceptance of one as being a global citizen. It entails what an individual does to promote global citizen (Edwards and Gaventa 2014). As an individual through the analysis of the personal ethics lens created, I currently nature personal respect and have developed respect for others as a well, regardless of their background. Through critical analysis as already mentioned, I have acquired capabilities to think deeply and act appropriately on various issues I face on a daily basis. As a global citizen, I critically think about various factors that are equitable and justified in order to lessen whatever may be harmful to the planet. Through individual exploration of the global citizenship themes, as a learner I have acquired and developed courage to stand up for what I believe in as well as what others believes (Meadows 2011). Being a global citizen requires one to be more skillful in every course of action they take in their daily livelihood. As global citizen I have developed various techniques in interrogation and evaluation of ethics and the consequences which may arise from every choice and decision I make in life. In the recent past I have made decisions with deeper consideration of what may happen to the global nation as a consequence of what I have done. The global awareness is also concerned with the creation of ethical care in relation to both the profession an individual is undertaking and world care. It is therefore apparent that most of my reaction and actions classify me as a global citizen. Through a vivid check of the personal ethics lens I have reflected on my ethics journey and the knowledge I have on what global citizenship entails (Lim 2008). As a global citizen I have engaged myself in various global initiative communities who sees the need for global care. In this organizations, we advise citizens on the selection of leaders with capacities to play activists roles in building the new global community. Some of the activities I have undertaken while in these global initiatives a part from sensitization n leadership selection and elections is includes: advocating for the human rights at two stage level that is at the global and at the local level (Ibrahim 2005). Providing advocacy services has enabled me through with the help of other concerned parties to come up with policies and programmatic solutions to various factors and problems which may be dangerous to both the global community as well as the local community currently and in the future. I am also currently participating in the process of decision making concerning the global governance groups making me one of the global citizens. As one of the global citizen I am currently working on environmental preservation in order the planet a better place to live. I am working with environmental scientist conducting environment preservation sensitization, planting trees and facilitating garbage collection and recycling at the local level hoping to expand to the global level is the main aim of the group. To ensure that the efforts to preserve the global environment is a success the group and I conduct ensure that every individual is able to adopt and promote changes in each individuals behavior. In the recent past I participated and contributed as a global citizen in a broad world humanitarian relief efforts and organization of the world cultural events to celebrate the diversity of culture in terms of music, arts, cultural traditions as well as the spiritual traditions. Walking in the path of global citizenship is a journey which require open mindedness and ethical observation and preservation. As individual I cannot claim to be perfect global citizen but can still consider myself walking in the path of being a global citizen (Drache and Froese 2008). Through the journey I have opened my eyes and my raised my consciousness. Impulsively, I feel like I have developed a connection with people surrounding me as well as other parts of the world. I have a feeling as individual to make the world a better place but suffer from inadequacy of relevant resources, tools and equipment as well enough support to act on my vision and that of other people with the opinion and like minds. The mind I have developed and my way of being is still colored pat allegiances a manner of seeing things which are not considered to valid as they used to be prior. The qualities I have developed as a global citizen does not allow me to move backwards from the veil that keeps me from more clear way of seeing the world (Banks 2006). As an individual walking in the path of integrity and ethics I see a world a world different from the other world of individuals who lack morals and humanity. Together with others willing to take the same path I work to find a more sustainable ways of concerning with various organizations all over the world who share the same view of a common community of humanity all over the world (Biccum 2007). What to consider when making decision in relation to global citizenship Decision making is another important issue that an individual walking in the path of global citizenship should consider. Being a global citizen requires one to have the ability to accept other peoples opinions and respect each and every individual living around. Therefore, making of decisions wants and individual to deeply and critically think of the implications of the choices ones takes and the consequences that may arise from the taken action (Biccum 2007). As a global citizen I have been making decisions apparently aware that the independent way of my nation is not out there in the world of various individuals leaving in the global world. In my life global citizenship is part of my daily life and I am linked to others all over the world. Therefore, before making any decision I have to consider that I am linked to the whole world, socially through mass media and telecommunication services, travelling and through natural movements (Drache and Froese 2008). I have to also consider that my world is connected to several others politically via international and systems of political regulations created to serve the world political arena. Prior to making decisions as an individual who believes in global citizenship I have to understand the economic nature and take the planet as the environment that unites every being in the world. What I have learnt about other cultures different to my own As a personality walking in the path of global citizenship, I am aware of the broader world and has developed a sense of my own roles as a global citizen. One the roles I have to ensure is the acceptance of other peoples cultural practices and values. Apart from learning and mastery of my own culture I have also learnt several other important values from other communities leaving in another country (Singer and Gregg 2005). The dressing in the past time used to different even though the fashion as another way of making word one place has recently lessen dressing culture. Even though the dressing culture has been reduced I have learnt a lot from the Mexican way of dressing which is always modern and is acceptable to almost every individual in the world. I have also learnt the use of eating sticks when eating and eating manners from china. As a person I have learnt several ways of doing things from different countries. I have learnt political ideas and social way of life from various co untries. Being a global citizen has enabled me to accept and put into practice various values learnt from the other countries. Making decision in another country Making a relevant decision while living in another country requires an individual to accept, understand and acknowledge the culture and values of the people leaving in that given country. As a global citizen I do apply critical thinking while analyzing situations I have been facing while in another country. During my ethical journey, I have been able to solve and make right decisions while faced with situations in a foreign nation (Davies 2006). The first step I always take while in another country to apply the knowledge of global citizenship which involves proper understanding of how the world work. I then take into consideration the values and cultural diversity to avoid injustices which may arise as a result of the choice of action I take. Making decision in a foreign country requires the knowledge of how that country work. For example the humanitarian way of solving conflicts requires the responsible individual to understand the values of that country and respect each partys opinion (Banks 2006). The final judgment must rely to the need and values of the parties. As an individual if faced with a circumstance that requires me to make a decision I would take time to understand what both the parties value most and take an action which may not result into negative effect to the global environment as well as to the nation. How making ethical decision in another country differ from making decision in Australia Various countries in the world have a better way of dealing with situations. Making of a right decision depends on the values, cultural traditions, spiritual as well as the social life of the people living within that nation (Davies 2006). For example making decision in china concerning corruption will different from making the same decision concerning same corruption scheme. When I am faced with corruption scheme in china the decision to be made will comply with the norms of the country which strongly criticize and lay hash penalties on corruption. Therefore making of a decision in china will require the kind of the action I take to be harsh to the responsible parties unlike Australia where norms on corruption may be not that harsh compared to the Chinese. It is therefore apparent that the kind of decisions I make in Australia will be quite different from those I make as individual leaving in another country (Carroll 2004). Making of decision therefore depends on believes and unders tanding of how the world works in relation to values of each individual. It is also important to have in mind the concept of global citizenship an ethical observation when making decisions. Conclusion Through the analysis of my ethical journey I have realized that to effective global citizen, I need to flexible, be creative enough as well as being proactive. I have also learnt that I need to improve on my abilities to solve problems I face on my daily ethical journey (Isin 2013). As a global citizen, I should always employ critical thinking on every issues, communicate ideas with a lot of effectiveness as well as work well within the various organizations and team members (Isin 2013). It is also vivid that with the application of various techniques and skills of global citizenship, it is possible for an individual like me to succeed in every area in the current century. References Edwards, M. and Gaventa, J., 2014. Global citizen action. Routledge. Meadows, D.H., 2011. The global citizen. Island Press. Lim, C.P., 2008. Global citizenship education, school curriculum and games: Learning Mathematics, English and Science as a global citizen. Computers Education, 51(3), pp.1073-1093. Biccum, A., 2007. Marketing development: Live 8 and the production of the global citizen. Development and Change, 38(6), pp.1111-1126. Drache, D. and Froese, M.D., 2008. Defiant publics: The unprecedented reach of the global citizen. Polity. Singer, P. and Gregg, T., 2005. How Ethical is Australia?: An Examination of Australia's Record as a Global Citizen. Vision Australia Information and Library Service. Davies, L., 2006. Global citizenship: abstraction or framework for action?. Educational review, 58(1), pp.5-25. Carroll, A.B., 2004. Managing ethically with global stakeholders: A present and future challenge. The Academy of Management Executive, 18(2), pp.114-120. Ferrell, O.C. and Fraedrich, J., 2015. Business ethics: Ethical decision making cases. Nelson Education. Isin, E.F., 2013. Democracy, citizenship and the global city. Routledge. Ibrahim, T., 2005. Global citizenship education: mainstreaming the curriculum?. Cambridge Journal of Education, 35(2), pp.177-194. Banks, J.A., 2006. Race, culture, and education: The selected works of James A. Banks. Taylor Francis.

My commander free essay sample

The six infamous words most commonly spoken by my mom in our household are, â€Å"Your dad wants to talk you†. After this, there usually comes a sigh from me or my two other brothers-whoever’s turn it was to get this week’s â€Å"lecture†. In my family, my dad is known to give his weekly lectures to my brothers and I about school, behavior, or life, (if you’re lucky enough, you just might get by without one for the week). Throughout the years however, his words have turned into the catalyst for my success as he’s shown me to work hard and believe in myself. Now I hear my mom utter these words, â€Å"Your dad wants to talk to you†. She enters my room, smirks crookedly, and waits for me to mirror her expression as I always do as our simple exchange of humor. I cease my agitated thoughts about math equations, close my book, and exit my lively room to walk into the dark hallway. We will write a custom essay sample on My commander or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I grumpily drag my feet as I begin down the endless hall towards our living room, which now transforms into my dad’s â€Å"office†. Every time I’m called to listen to one of my dad’s lectures, it feels as though I’m being summoned to the principal’s office to receive a punishment for my delinquency. If any person receives one of his infamous lectures, they would agree with my dramatic comparison. You see, my dad isn’t the gentlest person you would meet; in fact he’s rather harsh in his words and stubborn in his ways. My mom is quite the opposite and has always explained to my brothers and me growing up, that he developed this way because of his military background. He graduated from West Point, a military academy, and after served in the U.S. army for 6 years. He told me that during this time at West Point, he learned his company motto: â€Å"Be straight or be gone†. It meant that the plebs had to have an organized unifo rm and respectful behavior towards their commanders or else they were reprimanded. My dad recalls this motto being instilled in him the very first week he arrived on campus and ever since, he’s made this motto his life style and now disciplines us in the same way. At this moment I turn the door knob, and enter my dad’s â€Å"office†. He is idly sitting on the couch watching football. I sit down next to him and wait for the awkward silence that guides him into conversation. His talks range in topics from grades (he usually criticizes that I’m not focusing enough on homework and I argue back that I need time to relax), attitude (he says I need to cooperate more with my brothers and I disagree saying they are the ones who instigate our daily fights), and responsibility (he says I need to take on more chores or school activities and I dispute that I have enough responsibilities to last a life). His words were severe at times, but his concerns behind them were full of love. Although I’ve felt his strict army-influenced ways have been too overbearing for me at times, I now can look back and understand he was just trying to raise me. And he did. He showed me how to get back up on my feet if I fell. He told me to believe in my ambitions if I alone could take on the dedication they required. He taught me to be respectful towards others because everyone deserved it. Whenever I come to a crossroad about a choice, I catch myself replaying one of my dad’s programmed sayings that were guaranteed to be repeated in his lectures. â€Å"Go above and beyond†, comes to my mind when I take on a new task like volunteering. â€Å"Only do whatever makes us proud†, pulsates in my mind if I’m put into a situation where ruthless peer pressure wants to take over. â€Å"Be brave now so there are no regrets in your future†, is the voice I hear if I’m afraid to make life decisions such as which college I want to apply to. All of these things that my dad has taught me haven’t gone in one ear, out the other; rather they’ve made it in one ear and wormed their way into a place in my heart to stay. My dad knew during those talks that I would someday thank him for his advice (in fact, his exact words were â€Å"someday you’ll appreciate my advice and thank me for it†). Today I am able to say â€Å"thank you dad† with a smile on my face, knowing that he, my commander, shaped me into his strategic soldier ready for the battle known as life.

Democratic leadership is the best leadership style for today essays

Democratic leadership is the best leadership style for today essays Democratic leadership style is the advisable leadership style which encourages participation in decision-making and it can be persuasive or consultative. However, there is no best leadership style because nothing can be absolute right and comprehensive. In this assignment, I will illustrate the successful case about GLANZ GROUP which adopted autocratic leadership style in the beginning of its foundation. Furthermore, I will also show the successful cases by adopting democratic leadership or combination the different leadership styles in their company in order to support to my opinion. The cases from the books and from internet will also be illustrated. Strong leadership, no matter how well intentioned and benevolent, can foster dependency and subvert democracy. Yet absence of any leadership will lead to confusion, drift, and tension. As many progressive activists have remarked, there can be a "tyranny of structurelessness" as well as of autocracy. Mr. Qinde leung, Chairman of the board of directors and CEO of GLANZ GROUP who built up his own factory using 300 thousand RMB in 1978: Guizhou Feather and Down Factory, the former one of GLANZ GROUP. Soon after, he quickly realized that it was more beneficial for these down stream enterprises which used their products for further dress business. He decides to do the same business without any techniques and any skillful persons at that time. It was a big risk so that a lot of employees were against this plan. But Mr. Leung insisted on his own schedule and finally he got complete success depending on his own experience and special views. It cant be denied that at the developing stage of the company, facing the complicated situation and unbalanced quality of employees, Mr. Leung had to mange his company in autarchy. With the revolution of modern enterprises system in 1990, Mr. Leung became the CEO of GLANZ GROUP, his decision was un-challenged, but luckily, he has the spe...

The Books of Homers Iliad

The Books of Homer's Iliad The Iliad, an epic poem attributed to Homer and the oldest extant piece of European literature, is conventionally divided into 24 books. Here youll find an approximately one-page summary of each book, a description of the major characters and sometimes places, and an English translation. For help identifying the topic of each book, phrases or tags follow the summary link. Books 1-4 have cultural notes to help you as you start reading the Iliad. [The Odyssey | For a Greek version of The Iliad, see ​The Chicago Homer.] I Summary.Supplication. Plague. Quarrel.Major Characters of the Book.English Translation.Cultural Notes on Iliad Book I II Summary.Greeks and Trojans get ready for battle.Major Characters of the Book.English Translation.Cultural Notes on Iliad Book II III Summary.Paris single combat with Menelaus.Major Characters of the Book.English Translation.Cultural Notes on Iliad Book III IV Summary.Quarrel among the gods.Major Characters of the Book.English Translation.Cultural Notes on Iliad Book IV V Summary.Athena helps Diomedes. He injures Aphrodite and Ares.Major Characters of the Book.English Translation. VI Summary.Andromache begs Hector not to fight.Major Characters of the Book.English Translation. VII Summary.Ajax and Hector fight, but neither wins. Paris refuses to give up Helen.Major Characters of the Book.English Translation. VIII Summary.2nd battle; Greeks beaten back.Major Characters of the Book.English Translation. IX Summary.Agamemnon returns Briseis to Achilles.Major Character s of the Book.English Translation. X Summary.Odysseus and Diomedes capture a Trojan spy.Major Characters of the Book.English Translation. XI Summary.Nestor urges Patroclus to persuade Achilles to lend him his armor and his men.Major Characters of the Book.English Translation. XII Summary.Trojans get through Greek walls.Major Characters of the Book.English Translation. XIII Summary.Poseidon helps the Greeks.Major Characters of the Book.English Translation. XIV Summary.Largely through the shenanigans of the gods, the Trojans are driven back. Hector is wounded.Major Characters of the Book.English Translation. XV Summary.Apollo sent to heal Hector. Hector burns Greek ships.Major Characters of the Book.English Translation. XVI Summary.Achilles lets Patroclus wear his armor and lead his Myrmidons. Hector kills Patroclus.Major Characters of the Book.English Translation. XVII Summary.Achilles learns Patroclus is dead.Major Characters of the Book.English Translation. XVIII Summary.Achilles mourns. Shield of Achilles.Major Cha racters of the Book.English Translation. XIX Summary.Reconciled with Agamemnon, Achilles agrees to lead the Greeks.Major Characters of the Book.English Translation. XX Summary.Gods join the battle. Hera, Athena, Poseidon, Hermes, and Hephaestus for the Greeks. Apollo, Artemis, Ares, and Aphrodite for the Trojans.Major Characters of the Book.English Translation. XXI Summary.Achilles winning. Trojans retreat.Major Characters of the Book.English Translation. XXII Summary.Hector and Achilles meet in single combat. Death of Hector.Major Characters of the Book.English Translation. XXIII Summary.Funeral Games for Patroclus.Major Characters of the Book.English Translation. XXIV Summary.Hector desecration, return, and burial.Major Characters of the Book.English Translation.

Pre-arrival policy for patient attending accident emergency by Research Paper

Pre-arrival policy for patient attending accident emergency by ambulance - Research Paper Example This results to an increased number of patients slowed registration of patients and long waiting lines. As a result, the accident emergency ambulance of the hospital in question has been under pressure. The high demand for emergency health services has had adverse effects on the physician productivity (Haraden & Resar, 2011). The emergency physicians have made efforts to fill in the gaps while stretching their ability to attend to as many patients as possible. At certain patient confines, productivity decreases and the quality of service delivery is compromised (Liang et al, 2010). It is evident from the above discussion that accident emergency situation management is cause of concern for hospitals and they need to address the problem efficiently in order to improve the quality of the service life cycle quality. In such context, the researcher has decided to go through previous research works of research scholars and identify key findings of their research paper and then evaluate the merit of the findings in context to improvement of emergency service in hospitals. This research paper is not about suggesting a new application which can improve capability of hospital to manage accident emergency situation, rather the paper is more about finding potential emergency application for hospitals by criticizing research works of previous research works of scholars. Search Strategy Searching for the articles and previous research papers on emergency ambulance and emergency care services in hospital was a daunting task for the research paper. The researcher faced number of problems while searching for the previous research papers, 1- Google Scholar was used in the initial stage for searching peer reviewed and academic research papers but in most of the cases, abstract of the research papers was given which could not serve purpose for the researcher, 2- majority of available research papers were pretty much old (prior to 2007) hence using such research papers could not he lp the researcher to understand the contemporary aspect of the research paper and 3- very few research papers were found that can exactly fit with research problem related to â€Å"Pre-arrival policy for patient attending accident emergency by ambulance.† After facing such problems, the researcher understood the fact that academic peer reviewed journals can only be found by using proper databases like Elsevier, Emerald, Proquest etc but one has to have the access of these databases in order to go through research papers. Fortunately, the researcher got the access to Emerald data base and then started searching for research papers by putting key words. The researcher put the keyword â€Å"emergency ambulance in hospital† in Emerald search engines and got 233 research papers but these research papers, literature review case studies, non-articles were not targeted for emergency services hence those research papers couldn’t be used. Then, the researcher typed the ph rase â€Å"accident emergency in hospital† and modified the search within the period 2010-2012 in order to get more recent research papers. After doing such modifications in the search process, the researcher g

Training call center personnel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Training call center personnel - Essay Example Sales made will help the company to develop better strategies for developing other sectors. The customer strategy shall include customer profiling, which involves identifying who the clients of the business are and what they need. Access channels are another consideration and for this case, the website and retail shops will stock the new products. The company also needs to determine the way of communication with customers (International Financial Corporation, 2013). The practice case will have the methods of management involved because management practices form a fundamental part of success in administration. The case will also outline the objectives of the call center department and the how personnel involved should operate. The case will also have a provision for continuous learning to ensure that the trained staff will pass the information to the untrained. Such a method will mean that the system will involve many employees, not just a few. It is necessary that the company embraces the use technology to reach and market the product. For instance, the website forms the essential component of the technological aspect of the case system. Implementation of the case will take differentiated teaching styles, but which should emphasize involvement. Participants will gain knowledge of creativity on how to tackle customer-related issues. The practice case should entail methods, approach targeted, the objectives, methods of delivery and the channels of passing information to others. For the launch of new products, both customer and product-centric approaches are essential. Involving a large number of participants gives a chance for developing untrained

The Glass Cliff Essay Example for Free

The Glass Cliff Essay Ibarra et al suggest that high-potential women often miss out on sponsorship, an element of mentoring that increases the incidence and speed of candidates’ promotion to upper management positions. Bruckmuller and Branscombe illustrate in their article, The Glass Cliff, a gender partiality that exists when companies look to hire a new executive. Companies with predominantly male executives and in stable financial states are more likely to hire another male executive, while a tanking company with male executives will favor the female candidate. Both articles contribute evidence to further back the claim that women receive fewer promotional opportunities than men and identify how our common assumptions about gender and leadership impede our movement towards gender equality. However, neither article does well to disarm the biased reader, consequently placing the transmission of an invaluable message at risk. If the authors’ underlying purpose for writing these articles is to promote equal opportunity at all organizational levels as a means to optimize the utility of available human resources, they do not effectively communicate their message. At first glance, it appears that these articles intend to increase awareness of the additional roadblocks women face on their way to executive suites. Numbers, experiments, and thorough analysis confirm that this is so. I have no doubt that a young ambitious female professional would likely feel outraged at the sight of these figures and feel compelled to join the crusade. However, a man who does not see the benefits of women in management or a woman who does not aspire to be a manager might perceive these articles as personal grievances and greet them with discord. Such an individual might contest that since every author is female, the articles are therefore biased and the integrity of the articles is compromised. In this instance, the message and potential progress towards equal opportunity is lost. To avoid this predicament, I might suggest presenting evidence that would appeal to male executives, as they occupy the majority of the upper echelon positions and thus, possess the mos t power to resist or catalyze change. Perhaps a worthy initiative would be to increase these managers awareness of the similarity–attraction principle, which explains how when given the opportunity to select another member to interact within a group, individuals have a proclivity to select persons who are similar to themselves (i.e. male). The argument could go on to explain to managers how such behavior can detrimentally serve a management team by inhibiting heterogeneity, which research suggests facilitates long-term team performance (Horwitz, 2007). Whether this is a sound argument is debatable, but this topic is much less likely to be met with resistance simply due to the nature of the subject matter. Every executive agrees that long-term team performance is a worthy pursuit. In this scenario, both parties understand the value of the message and have potential to mutually benefit from it. References Horwitz, Sujin K., and Irwin B. Horwitz. The effects of team diversity on team outcomes: A meta-analytic review of team demography. Journal of management 33.6 (2007): 987-1015.

Ethnics of Shermans March :: essays research papers fc

Your Name Teacher Name Class and Section  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Date Ethics of Sherman’s March   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  General William Techumseh Sherman’s March through Georgia and South Carolina was the turning point in the American Civil War. After heavy fighting in Tennessee and Kentucky General Sherman requested permission to take a large force of men on a campaign to the Atlantic Ocean through North and South Carolina, Georgia, then turning North back through the Carolinas and Virginia. The goal of the campaign was to divide the Confederate states by going through the middle of them and destroying anything of military value. General Sherman’s March did achieve its goal from a military standpoint but the manner his army accomplished its goal was ethically improper. Perhaps the most famous portion of Sherman’s March was his campaign from Atlanta to Savannah and then to Colombia, South Carolina.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The unique aspect of Sherman’s March was they would go without a supply line. â€Å"Sherman took from his three armies a picked force of sixty-two thousand, culling out what he called ‘the sick, the wounded, and the worthless,’ leaving the balance of his army with General Thomas to deal with General Hood.† (Kennett) Also included Sherman’s force was Brigadier General Judson Kirkpatrick’s contingent of Union cavalry. Feeding an army is a most difficult task when operating without a supply line. Thanks to Union spies Sherman found â€Å"that he would have no trouble feeding his army on what could be found locally, ‘eating out’ the country he passed through.† (Kennett) Food would be collected for the majority of the army by special foraging teams organized by divisions. This left Sherman’s wagons free to carry ammunition and other supplies necessary to military operation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  General Sherman had several objectives in mind when setting out from Atlanta aside from reaching and taking Savannah. Important objectives included destroying any buildings that could assist the Confederacy. Other valuable targets to the Union included excess livestock, railroad tracks and depots, and cotton and tobacco fields. Perhaps most critical to General Sherman was to defeat the Confederate spirit. â€Å"When requesting permission to proceed with his campaign Sherman wrote to General Grant ‘I can make this march and make Georgia howl.’† (Woodworth) Sherman’s presence in the heart of the South was an insult to the pride of local residents, and the fact the Confederate Army could do little to stop it severely belittled national unity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perhaps the most difficult obstacles General Sherman faced in his march to the sea were weather and terrain.

Medical Laboratory Technologist

Have you ever wondered what a Medical Laboratory Technologist does? Well, a Medical Laboratory Technologist performs essential laboratory testing that is critical to the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. To define the work of a Medical Laboratory Technologist, this paper will discuss the job itself and its working conditions, the skills and schooling needed for success, a salary range and pathways to advance in the field, and the further job opportunities predicted for the career area. Well, a Medical Laboratory Technologist, also known as clinical laboratory technologists they examine and analyze body fluids and cells. They look for different types of bacteria, parasites, other microorganisms, body fluids of chemical content, and many others procedures. Their conditions they are trained to work with different infectious specimens. They are to follow the Standard Precautions, which include wearing your personal protective equipment (PPE) consists of gloves, masks, goggles, and gowns. Medical Laboratory Technologist works in different sizes and employment setting. Usually medical laboratory technologist keep their areas clean, but their time when specimen solutions are being used, they spend lots of hours on their feet. And work in different hours depending of work area they in. To be a medical laboratory technologist one's usual requirements is to have a bachelor's degree with a major in medical technology or life sciences. And an associate degree and completion of accredited medical laboratory technician program. Read this  Respiratory Activity Well a medical laboratory technologist skill is to know problem solving to be able to perform plenty of tests and need to be able to assess further tests. Must be able to know how to use lab equipment to conduct performance checks and to maintain lab equipment. So they must be trained in order to be able to use the equipments. Know how to read the specimens and lab results of patients. Must have a good judgment, good communication skills, having respect of safety regulations, to work in a team, and to work under pressure at all times. The advancement that medical laboratory technologist the range is $45,700 for staff to $66,500 for managers. â€Å"The median annual wages for medical technologists were $53,500 as of May 2008. The highest 10 percent were paid more than $74,690, while the lowest 10 percent were paid less than $36,180. The middle 50 percent were paid between $44,560 and $63,430†. A different branch of medical laboratory technologist has different wages for example: Cytotechnologist in the hospital it $27. 55, a private clinic its $28. 75, and physician’s office laboratory is $26. 4. The benefit of being medical laboratory technologist is. The job outlook on medical laboratory technologist is it growing very rapidly and excellent job opportunities are very expected. It expected to grow â€Å"by 14 percent between 2008 and 2018, faster than the average for all occupations†. But it said â€Å"hospitals are expected to continue to be the major employer of clinical laboratory workers, employment is expected also to grow rapidly in medical laboratory, offices of physicians and other ambulatory health care services†. And also their jobs in molecular diagnostics, molecular biotechnology companies, in vitro fertilization laboratories, and research laboratories. The work of a Medical Laboratory Technologist is very demanding and must be focus at all times in order to get the correct results and complex. Why understanding the aspects of the career mentioned above is important for the person building a resume for success in this field, because it important for the person to understand the concept the career if he or she wishes to go into that career for long-term to get fully understanding of this jobs.

R. R. Donnelly & Sons: the Digital Division

R. R. Donnelly & Sons: The Digital Division (Case Synopsis) R. R. Donnelley & Sons was suffering with an ad-hoc technology development process. Once this process had to be changed and new technology development process had to be brought in. R. R. Donnelley & Sons with 6% share of the $80 billion print market is certainly the market leader. But the level of competition was rising rapidly as well. The printing market was going online and electronic with the online service providers and software packages were making four color images available electronically.Smaller printing companies were also building alliances with firms that had high-capacity networks for transmitting files. Despite digital division being a good idea, it was essentially outside their core business. All divisions knew the potential of digital technology but did not know enough about the markets and were scared of unproven technology. The biggest issue faced by the Digital Division was whether they would be accepted o r not by other divisions in the organization itself. The company knew that digital technology was the future.And that the company needs to improve on demand printing and delivery on time as well. But the problem was convincing the other divisions. They could not do it with their arguments or with the incentives they gave. The solution would be to accept the advantages of the digital technology by the CEO, john Walter not as a different division. This is done so that the profitability and the existence of other divisions are not affected. It should benefit the organization not as a separate division. All the divisions in the organization must work together as one to contribute to the organizational goals and growth.

Not Too Modest Purposal essays

Not Too Modest Purposal essays Racism is the combination of racial prejudice and power. Where most people look at racism as a kind of ugly brand of racial prejudice, we use this definition because it more accurately addresses the problems of race inequity in our country today. The biggest problem between the races right now is that the majority group has succeeded in keeping its economic and political power and not allowing other groups to share it. Therefore, the problem we must address is how to go about sharing power and dismantling systems, which perpetuate our social inequities. These inequities include a vast difference in income, education, life expectancy, and so on. These are the strongest evidence of racism in our country that have allowed our society to continue to have mostly segregated neighborhoods, segregated classrooms if not segregated schools, segregated churches, and segregated social institutions. Now I propose a solution that I am assured will come to pass as a new and more safer way of life for all Americans. This new structured lifestyle that all will eventually succumb to will provide those individuals the ease and comfort in which all can exist in this country. As I have mentioned above this country is mostly segregated, so why dont we complete the process and segregate all of the country. Its simply really; by segregating the country into different categories, first primarily on race, we can then generalize income, life expectancies, education, and political power. The separation of classes, or races, will in return bring a hormonal life style to those that live within those barriers or regions. This separation of certain people can help bring people with the similar problems closer together. By sharing the similar problems a society of people can overcome obstacles that would not be possible in a desegregated society. The society of people share the same weaknesses and strengths, so together they can make themselves s...

Inspirational Nelson Mandela Quotes

Inspirational Nelson Mandela Quotes We are not anti-white, we are against white supremacy †¦ we have condemned racialism no matter by whom it is professed.Nelson Mandela, defence statement during the Treason Trial, 1961. Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another†¦Nelson Mandela, Inaugural Address, Pretoria 9 May 1994. We enter into a covenant that we shall build a society in which all South Africans, both black and white, will be able to walk tall, without and fear in their hearts, assured of their inalienable right to human dignity – a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world.Nelson Mandela, Inaugural Address, Pretoria 9 May 1994. Our single most important challenge is therefore to help establish a social order in which the freedom of the individual will truly mean the freedom of the individual. We must construct that people-centred society of freedom in such a manner that it guarantees the political liberties and the human rights of all our citizens.Nelson Mandela, speech at the opening of the South African parliament, Cape Town 25 May 1994. There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find ways in which you yourself have altered.Nelson Mandela, A Long Walk To Freedom, 1994. If we had any hopes or illusions about the National Party before they came into office, we were disabused of them quickly†¦The arbitrary and meaningless tests to decide black form Coloured or Coloured from white often resulted in tragic cases†¦Where one was allowed to live and work could rest on such absurd distinctions as the curl of ones hair or the size of ones lips.Nelson Mandela, Long Walk To Freedom, 1994. †¦the only [other] thing my father bestowed upon me at birth was a name, Rolihlahla. In Xhosa, Rolihlahla literally means pulling the branch of a tree, but its colloquial meaning more accurately would be troublemaker.Nelson Mandela, Long Walk To Freedom, 1994. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for, and to see realised. But my Lord, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.Nelson Mandela, defence statement during the Rivonia Trial, 1964. Also repeated during the closing of his speech delivered in Cape Town on the day he was released from prison 27 years later, on 11 February 1990.

Germany is the largest European consumer goods market Essay

Germany is the largest European consumer goods market - Essay Example The social market economy of Germany has made it very favorable since the formation of the federal republic. The policy makers have continuously pursued the parallel national goals of export driven economic growth as well as a national social cohesion that will ensure even the foreign investors are treated well and with respect just like the nationals of that country. This has been done through the robust system of social welfare programs. There are many government funded programs which in due time reduce economic disparities and affect every person who is in Germany. The result of this is that the citizens in Germany will be well to do and their incomes are going to be higher resulting to increased consumption and sales. When the investors from the different countries have a variety of products like the consumer goods which are not in Germany, the consumers will tend to try the new products as they have the finances. The law of demand applies here in that the higher income will increase the demand of the goods and will also go for the new products which are in the market the political leaders have shown a greater concern for the economy of the country by sacrificing to see to it that the social cohesion is obtained. Germany is the largest European consumer goods market. It has a very large population that ranges beyond 82 million people. This offers a wide market for the new goods in the form of clothe as the higher population creates a greater demand for the goods. The retail trade is the third revenue generator in Germany. The high population is in the higher proportion with the young generation who has high money volatility. They have a high definition of the new clothes and will there for favor the investments in that place. Their spending is very high especially on new things and will therefore consider taking the new consumer goods and therefore this can be a very good market. Germany is experiencing a low inflation rate. This ensures that the living standards are moderate and that the goods are not that expensive from the outside world and investments in that country. The living standards are therefore very low as compared to many other countries and therefore the spending power is very h igh. The domestic purchasing power in the recent years has experienced a stable growth even considering the economic crisis in the past few years that has seen the euro go down and some economies like that of Greece suffer but Germany has remained intact and has in fact ended up being the savior to these economies. The consumption level decreased by 0.5% in 2010, from the previous year. It is this that has made Germany one of the worlds thriving private consumer markets. [Andreas Falke, 2009] There are very many retail industries. In 2009 only, the retail revenue in the country was 398 billion which brings it at the top three retail markets in Europe together with France and UK. This has made it a home to a rich and diverse market surrounding. The small and medium sized enterprises have become part of this environment and there are more than 400,000 companies and 2.9 million employees thus making the retail sector among the most

Collective Bargaining and Pay Inequity in the Public Sector Essay

Collective Bargaining and Pay Inequity in the Public Sector - Essay Example In the United States at the moment majority of the states have passed legislations that permit workers to organise themselves and bargain collectively. This is because collective bargaining is a very important way through which employees can push for their rights considering the historical discrimination that has been witnessed in America’s public sector. The laws vary from state to state, for instance, only 12 states of all who have legalized collective recognise strikes are being legal. Those states not allowing strikes have outlined various processes for resolving issues in the workforce such as mediation and fact-finding. A good number of states use interest arbitration where neutral arbitrators listen to grievances raised, evaluate facts, and follow statutory criteria to come up with decisions as to the terms of collective bargaining agreements. Nonetheless, collective bargaining through unionisation has become a very popular practice in America and the world over. Unions represent members in many different ways which include and not limited to lobbying for favourable labor laws such as protection of employees from arbitrary discharge, educating and training members on their rights and most importantly negotiating compensation directly with employers on behalf of the membership. Collective bargaining agreements also address issues of discrimination in the work place based on gender, race and even class hence attempt to force employers apply the same standards to every individual. AFSCME for instance, which is mostly concerned with women has for the past few decades managed to lobby against pay inequity that is based on gender. One negative concern about trade unionism and collective bargaining agreements has been that they tend to indirectly further the inequality gap. In particularly comes about when covered employees are

Christian scriptures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Christian scriptures - Essay Example The Christian holy scripture forms the starting point of the great majority of the doctrines and theological concepts adopted as well as disputed by the numerous denominations of the Christian faith.2 Today as much as in the past the Old Testament could be read to give the reader an indication of what Jesus Christ was expected to achieve, whilst the New Testament describes what he is supposed to have actually achieved. The New Testament also mentions how the Early Church started to spread the Christian religion whilst having debates about the best means of leading Christian lives.3 The studies of the New Testament soon came to the conclusion that there was a great deal that the Synoptic Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke held in common with each other.4 The study of holy scriptures was tightly restricted before the Reformation yet that altered with the spread of Protestantism, especially in its most evangelical guises.5 The consequences of the Protestant Reformation as well as the Roman Catholic counter - Reformation could be arguably discerned in the study of holy scriptures right down to our own times.6 The numerous Protestant sects and the Roman Catholic Church even now present their own, sometimes very different interpretations of the holy scriptures.7 Yet in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries many Biblical scholars were of the opinion that the Synoptic Gospels all shared at least shared one common source of information about Jesus before using different sources to raise the unique parts of their own gospel accounts.8 Those different understandings of holy scriptures are shaped by theological differences and how literally the text of the Holy Bible is, or is not taken to be. The Christian holy scriptures had a very strong influence over the development of many Western cultures and societies although there are convincing indications of declining religious affiliations in

The persuasive speech

The persuasive speech Persuasive Speech Did you know that 50% of kids in foster homes die from child abuse a year? There are a half of a million children in the foster care system. Many people are unaware of this hidden tragedy that happens behind closed doors and away from the public eye. We should take a stand and fight for stricter regulations with Child and Youth when children are placed in foster care. We should advocate tougher laws and guidelines for social workers, foster families and the ?system? that runs it. First, we should talk about the social workers that work for Division and Youth services. The regulations for social workers are poor and unethical. Most states do not have requirements to work in this profession only a high school diploma and the ability to pass a criminal background check. In Pennsylvania, the state does not demand a license for these workers. Social workers believe that their actions they take violates the law but say ?they are necessary to comply with ethical standards. Fredrick Reamer a PHD writes, ?social workers follow their own personal option and reasons of why they do the things they do? and ?believe that the laws are unjust and harmful? (Reamer 1). They are suppose to follow the laws that are in place by our Constitution and by the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics. What gives them the right to be above the law? In my case coming from New Jersey, the social workers came in and took us out for good reasons. In Pennsylvania, my neighbor was going to have her kids taken away because they missed so many days of school. Child and Youth came to her house and demand a reason for this. Jess, my neighbor, told me ? the lady came into my house and yelled at me in front of my kids, calling me an unfit parent and said that they were going to take the kids? (Jess, PI). Children and Family Justice Center says that technique is a criteria and ?see the bully fight as worth having, stand up for despised, demonized, brilliant and tenacious children? (Bernadine Dohrn 1). What should be done with these so called social workers? We should demand that all get a license in this field which requires a masters or a doctrine degree. We should tell the National Association of Social Workers to enforce penalties on those who do not follow the law and ethical standards that are in place to protect the families and children that are innocent. We have to come together as families and protect ourselves and know the laws in our state. Another problem we face is the foster homes and state run facilities. Agencies fail to investigate abuse reports, find permanent homes for children or track children under care. In Pennsylvania a judge wrote, ?In recent years, the system run by DHS and overseen by DPW had repeatedly failed to fulfill its mandates and unfortunately has often jeopardized the welfare of the children in its care? (Rick Thomas 1). Did you know that there are 20,000 kids in foster care in Pennsylvania and 30 percent of them have no prospect of having a permanent home? Or that ?28% of children in foster homes are abused a year and half of them die of abuse? (Donna Devane 1). There is more abuse occurring in foster homes than the general public and it is increasing each year. For example, Gilbreanie Wallace was placed in foster care because her grandmothers house became unlivable when her pipes broke and flooded her house. Instead of Division and Youth helping the family out and finding them another house, they took Gilbreanie and placed her with a family. A few months later, she was killed by the foster mother, who had several complaints against her already and a record of a troubled history. Thousands of children are removed from homes a day, mostly from non-abusive parents. Why does this occur? States receive thousands of dollars for grant money which taxpayers pay from the Federal government when they put children in State Protective Services, foster care or state run facilities. They get even more money if the parental rights are terminated after 15 months. This is destroying families and our country. Innocent families cannot afford the thousand of dollars to get an attorney to defend their rights and by that time it is too late. Even if they are proved to be innocent they are forced into treatment. Devane writes, ?falsely accused families run up the National Defense Budget by 4.1 billion dollars a year? (Devane 1). The taxpayers are left to pay for this bill. What impact does this have on the kids that go through the foster care system and are abused? Children experience separation anxiety disorder, trauma, physical and sexual abuse and sometimes death. It is a scary and traumatic experience being taken away from your family and your home. To be put in a home that sometimes are classified as unfit and not healthy for children to be in. Many states are cracking down on these homes and facilities but it is not enough. California alone had last year ? 3,000 cases of foster care facility problems that were not reported to the state? (Ben Tanzer 1). Lets put a stop this abuse in foster care settings and demand to the government to enforce stricter laws. We should advocate that every state has the same standards in foster and adoptive homes. We should fight for the right to have every person gets background checks before they let children stay with them. The government should have mandatory classes that teach these parents instead of throwing kids at their door with no prior knowledge. The law states in Pennsylvania, ?only a Police Officer is allowed to remove the children from the home and put them into protective custody when their in danger? (Rutherford Institute 1 ). Many states in this country have this law, except a few like New Jersey, where they are allowed to take the children without consent of the parents. So why does Pennsylvania allow social workers to slip through the cracks or have our homes searched without probably cause? We should crack down on the government and stand up for our children. The Federal government should have more investigations on child abuse reports that occur in foster care facilities. The states should start penalizing more homes and facilities that fail to provide promised medical and health services, and not checking children in their care. They should also change their reviews on each case. The Federal law requires a six month review for each child in foster care. We should petition for them to change that review to more frequent ones. I believe this would lessen the children that are waiting for homes. We should also demand that Pennsylvania change their adoption policy to an ?open adoption?. Right now the law states, ?adoption is a closed adoption, where you have no ties and cut from your birth family? (Adam Fleming 1). Many children in foster care do not want to have permanent homes because of them loosing ties with their birth parents. Changing the laws would encourage families and the children to move into permanent homes. The goal with the foster care system is to look after the children and defend them when abuse is at hand. I believe somewhere along the line we got off track and now the government set out to help is destroying our children. Cases that involve birth parents abusing their children should be top priority and the children should be taken out. Social workers and the Federal Government should not try to intervene with parents trying to raise their kids for something they do not like.

The Creation of Barbie as an American Icon Essay -- Exploratory Essays

The Creation of Barbie as an American Icon Barbie, at the age of 41, is one of the longest living toys in America. Analyzing her early history can give a person a look into the societal trends and culture of the late 1950's and early 1960's. There is evidence of fashion innovations in Barbie's wardrobe. Also, one can see the perception of females by society, such as what they should look like, how they should act and dress, as well as what their future goals could be. The following essay follows Barbie's history from 1959 to 1963, covering her development, her appeal to children, and her existence as a cultural artifact of the time period. History: Barbie's Debut in 1959 In February of 1959, Barbie was first introduced at the American International Toy Fair in New York (Barbie Dolls). Her creators, Ruth and Elliot Handler (co-founders of Mattel) modeled Barbie after the German doll known as Lilli. Lilli began as a cartoon character in a daily newspaper called the Bild-Zeitung (BillyBoy 19). This character, known for her large breasts and sexy clothing, was created for adult entertainment "a symbol of sex and pornography for the men of Germany" (Johnson "History"). Handler discovered Lilli while shopping in Switzerland and brought the doll home for her daughter to play with. Ruth was inspired to create an adult doll for little girls. Handler had Jack Ryan, executive of Mattel, purchase the rights for Lilli and negotiate with a company from Tokyo to create a doll like Lilli. The reason for going overseas was in order to create an inexpensive new doll. American male designers told Handler that it would be impossible to make such a doll (with stylish clothing and accessories) for an affordable price. The new doll had a s... ...Barbie's Effects on American Suburban Culture. (6 March 2000) http://www.otal.umd.edu/~vg/mssp96/ms07/cult.htm Johnson, Kristi. Evaluation. (7 March 2000) http://www.otal.umd.edu/~vg/mssp96/ms07/eval.htm Johnson, Kristi. History. (6 March 2000) http://www.otal.umd.edu/~vg/mssp96/ms07/hist.htm Kehoe, John. "Barbie." Biography 2.12 Dec. 1998. (28 Feb. 2000) http://www.ebsco.com Lord, M.G. Forever Barbie. William Morrow and Co.: New York, 1994. Origin of Barbie. (6 March 2000) http://www.nondairy.com/People/Raven/Barbie.html Riddick, Kristin. Introduction. (6 March 2000) http://www.people.virginia.edu/~tsawyer/barbie/barb1.html Weiss, Michael. Toys Were Us. (7 March 2000) http://www.discovery.com/stories/history/toys/BARBIE/shoulda.html 40 Years with Barbie. (29 Feb. 2000) http://www.barbie.com/40th_Anniv/40Years/1959.asp

Outline and evaluate the learning theory of attachment Essay

The learning theory of attachment focuses of two concepts; operant and classical conditioning. Classical conditioning as an explanation for attachment describes the baby receiving food (and unconditioned stimulus) and producing an unconditioned response (happiness) and the mother feeding the baby will be the neutral stimulus. The baby will then experience the mother giving them food (and therefore happiness) a number of times and then learn to associate the mother (now a conditioned stimulus) with the feeling of happiness (a conditioned response) and thus an attachment will form. Operant conditioning describes attachment as a reinforced response. When a baby gets food it’s discomfort will become happiness and the baby will associate this feeling with food and therefore food will become the primary reinforcer. The person feeding the baby will also be associated with the happiness and therefore become the secondary reinforcer and an attachment will form. (evaluate) Even though the learning theory of attachment provides an adequate explanation of attachment it is flawed. Research evidence, such as that of Harlow’s monkey study, opposes the idea of learning theory as an explanation of attachment. Harlow’s monkey study involved giving a baby monkey the choice of either food or comfort (food was portrayed by a wire ‘monkey’ with a feeding bottle attached to it and comfort was portrayed by a wire ‘monkey’ covered in cloth). According to the learning theory of attachment the monkey should have spent most of his time on the food ‘monkey, however the opposite was true – the monkey spent the majority of his time on the comfort ‘monkey’. This decreases the validity of the learning theory of attachment as an explanation for attachment because the findings of Harlow’s monkey study opposed what it suggested. However, the monkey study was conducted on monkeys and it could be argued that this is not an accurate representation of human attachment. Humans are a lot more complex than animals and so therefore research on animals to study behaviour cannot be applied to human behaviour. Outline and evaluate the learning theory of attachment (12 marks) A GRADE (outline)

Civil Society in Russia

The term â€Å"civil society† in Russia is rarely referred to something other than to the civic organisations and movements created during and after the break-up of the Soviet Union (start of the 1990’s). Never the less this paper will look at the â€Å"civil society† term in Russia more widely and insidely. I will talk more and discuss about our time â€Å"civil society†, which came in in the end of the 90’s with the Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin’s ascension on the presidency. Putin re-established a top-down order in Russia and has proved to be quite antagonistic both to Western foreign policy and to pro-Western civil society groups.However, both capitalism and multiparty democracy continued their uncertain paths in Russia through the last decade. After two terms as president, Putin handed over to Dmitri Medvedev and therefore he built a so called monopoly in the hidden â€Å"Dictatorship† in the Russian political sphere. Total dominat ion until the unability of being the ruling force of the country will come in but even then he has a cut back plan of Medvedev and some later chosen candidate, that will help Medvedev make same what Putin did, with getting the presidentship back in his hands as soon as possible. Looking to the future, the paper highlights two main trends.First, the continuation of Russia’s tradition of civic and political activism, seen most dramatically in the mass demonstrations in Moscow and other cities. Second, the major steps made by CSOs and local government in implementing social partnership, with new funds from the state that both replace and build on the contributions of foreign donors during 1995-2005. History. The beginnings of Russian civil society. The first stage (1760-1860) flows out of Catherine the Great’s reforms to the Russian estates and was characterized by the creation of public organizations related to science, literature, the arts, leisure and charitable activi ties.These included famous and influential associations like the Russian Geographical Society, the Free Economics Society, the Moscow Agricultural Society, the Russian Technical Society, and the Pirogov’s Association of Russian Doctors. These societies were set up with hopes for friendly cooperation with the Tsarist authorities and in the second half of the 19th century their members played a key role lobbying for social and legal reform. Civil society growth under Tsarism. Russia’s second stage of civil society development began with the Great Reforms ushered in by Tsar Alexander II in the 1860s.Serfdom was abolished, basic civil rights were established in law, and the first steps taken in the creation of a local government system. CSOs expanded gradually, became more professional, and began to provide educational and health support to vulnerable groups across the country. At the same time industrialization and urbanization gathered pace in Russia. The extension of th e railway system across Siberia to the Pacific was one of the most dramatic examples of this in the late 19th century. Though ,the development of capitalist relations in the economy was not mirrored by political changes.The period of reforms gave way to a new period of repression and political stagnation, and the state was challenged by increasingly radical political forces such as the Popularitists(Narodniki) with their â€Å"to the people† movement, culminating in the 1905 revolution. Many voluntary associations were radicalized too (including almost all the scientific societies noted above). Significantly, the only law passed in Tsarist time devoted to public organizations was issued by the Senate in the immediate aftermath of the first Russian Revolution, in March 1906.In the next few years, almost 5,000 new organizations, societies and unions were registered. However, once again this reforming, liberalizing movement ran into opposition from the state and with the crisis that was brought into the country because of the participation and taking a huge part and playing important role in World War I. Civil society in the Soviet period. The Soviet period (1917 to the mid-1980s) is the third stage in Russia’s civil society development, notable for the â€Å"nationalization of civil society institutions†.Again, there were stages when popular activity flowered. The Soviet arts, cultural and scientific avant-garde of the 1920s is well known, but less well known are the local movements, peasants’ and proletarian organizations that emerged all around the country. For example, every settlement/district had its own Peasant Mutual Society and the Central Bureau catered to the welfare needs of students much as voluntary associations had done before the revolution.However, in the 1930s this phase gave way to a period of repression and political regimentation – occasioned by the Soviet government’s decision to forcibly collectiviz e agriculture and go for rapid industrialization. This â€Å"required state-oriented CSOs which were to drive the foundation of socialism†. The voluntary associations created in the 1920s â€Å"offered alternative ways of solving social problems† but the authorities â€Å"doubted the utility of voluntary movements and the reliability of their participants. † Thousands were shut down in the 1930s and new associations set up in their stead, as part of the government machine.It was not until the late 1950s-early 1960s that citizens’ organizations of a less politicized type began to re-emerge, encouraged by Kruschev’s denunciation of Stalin and the political though that followed. Russian analysts have identified about 40 of these, operating mainly within the arts and scientific fields under the patronage of Communist Party bodies and subject to the latter’s decisions on policy and personnel matters. By the Brezhnev period, associations were acti ve among groups as varied as war veterans, professional designers and those involved in child welfare. Civil society now included the dissident  movement.Dissidents developed various modes of resistance to the Soviet state – writing and publishing artistic or journalistic critiques of the regime, creating a variety of informal circles and discussion groups, and making statements on political and human rights issues that brought down considerable persecution on themselves. But they had many sympathizers and considerable impact on the political atmosphere in the country and its reputation abroad. The dissident movement included not only western-leaning liberals, but also strident nationalists and religious activists from many of the constituent republics of the USSRTransition period to our times. â€Å"Civil society† played a huge role in dissident ideology in Eastern Europe and the USSR in the 1980s. When the communist regimes collapsed one after the other it seemed t o many people that an entirely new society was being born. Many different analyses of â€Å"newly-created† civil society in the region were built around this view. Twenty years later and with the benefit of new historical research, most experts in the region see things differently. The current stage of civil society development in Russia is a fourth stage, starting in the mid-1980s and continuing to the present day.The movement for perestroika and glasnost led by Gorbachev was designed to solve the USSR’s pressing economic crisis (caused by the arms race and economic competition with the West) and to shore up the legitimacy of one-party rule. But it led instead to the collapse of the communist system. Many of the most active civil society sectors today can trace their origins to the 1980s – not just the human rights groups, but also the environmental movement with its active networks among young people and in the regions.The adoption of a law on public associati ons in the late soviet period, supported by subsequent Russian Federation laws regulating public and charitable activity, opened the door to CSO registration for all-comers. However, under Yeltsin’s successor Putin, the environment for civil society changed significantly. On the one hand, Putin accelerated a process initiated under Yeltsin –government financing of the sector (mainly via contracting out social services to CSOs), and set up a national structure of Public Councils to dialogue with and co-opt the sector.On the other hand,  in 2006 he introduced regulations limiting the influence of foreign donors. The study’s authors call this policy â€Å"import substitution†; the replacement of foreign models and funding by national programs, self-organization and local philanthropy. Russian civil society today. General features of the sector After two decades of transition, analysts of current developments in Russia are beginning to gain a balanced view of the civil society sector. Civil society in Russia, is showing more attention to the detail, shows that elements of continuity and change, tradition and innovation, exist alongside one another.Here is what I can say on that theme: †¢ civil society activists today are â€Å"a strong minority of citizens† who deserve more support †¢ Informal networks are important for civil society, especially in rural areas because they include a large membership and their ability and readiness to provide vital daily services, plus often good links with government †¢ Foreign funding has had a positive effect in many areas (for example, it helped open up dialogue on many issues like feminism, domestic violence and others) †¢ Mafia-type groupings have had a powerful and negative effect at all levels in Russia – even â€Å"co-opting the role of civil society† †¢ The millionaires or â€Å"oligarchs† that emerged during the 1990s preferred not to work through formal or wider business associations; hence they contributed little to civil society development. So Russia surely has a civil society. The question is how to develop it further, from local to national level. Here is some thoughts on that part because there are many different opinions from different experts on that note. I will try to suggest the best possible ways of improving it and making in stronger and more vulnerable to what tries to hurt it.†¢ Civic engagement: the level of public activity in stable periods is moderate, but CSOs have shown they can mobilize quickly when the external situation demands †¢ Level of organization: Russian civil society is still in a difficult period of organizational development †¢ Practice of values: CSO members and activists refer to non-violence, tolerance and internal democracy as being among the most important for the sector †¢ Perception of impact: the general image of civil society is not equal from internal an d external points of view. CSOs themselves rate their social and political impact as higher than the scores given by external experts †¢ External environment: the majority of the population do not approve of corruption, tax evasion, and so on. These positive social attitudes could potentially act as a catalyst for further civil society development. †¢Consultative mechanisms.Set up by Putin in 2004, the national Public Chamber has 126 members, selected in equal numbers by the President, public organizations, and Russia’s regions. The aim was to develop the space for civil society and intersectional dialogue. Gradually, this model has been extended across Russia. Critics said they would prove to be mere â€Å"window-dressing to legitimize the government’s increasingly authoritarian policies†, but at local level many NGO supporters have proved willing to give them a try. (A survey found that 60% of activists would participate if asked, while 16% wouldnâ⠂¬â„¢t, 181) In all of these developments, a clear gap can be seen between advanced and less advanced elements in civil society and government.The rural areas lag behind the cities, the remote regions lag behind the industrial centres. The character of political opposition to the regime is quite different in the regions. As the demonstrations of autumn 2011 and spring 2012 showed, present-day ‘dissidents’ in Moscow and St Petersburg tend to be middle-class, liberal and western-leaning. However, in the Urals and Siberia, many of the most strident activists are from the communist and nationalist camps. Conclusion and perspectives. In December 2011, Russia was admitted to WTO (18 years after first applying) and all that remained was for the Duma to ratify the agreement. In March 2012, Putin returned as President for a new seven-year term.Thus, for the alter-globalization movement as for other dissident forces, a new period of struggle lies ahead to win a greater degree of social and economic justice and a more democratic society in Russia. On the other hand, Putin has promised to priorities social issues and CSOs are well placed to work for positive results in this area. This is a kind of â€Å"crossroads† for Russian civil society – will activists and organizations collaborate or conflict with government? None can say surely but it is likely that many will opt for the first of these strategies, so they face the challenge of how to resist incorporation and maintain their own agenda during the negotiations.Both the democracy and the alter-globalization movements face the challenge of how to coordinate their activities, combine different viewpoints, and communicate more effectively with the general public. The activists involved in social issues at local level have put energy and ideas into setting up grants contests, ensuring transparency in awarding contracts. Now they need to focus on the development, implementation and monitoring of l onger term programs – whether carried out by NGOs or government itself. Only a truly independent position will enable them to work effectively in difficult areas like anti-corruption, anti-racism or the protection of minority rights. Civil Society in Russia Introduction.The term â€Å"civil society† in Russia is rarely referred to something other than to the civic organisations and movements created during and after the break-up of the Soviet Union (start of the 1990’s). Never the less this paper will look at the â€Å"civil society† term in Russia more widely and insidely. I will talk more and discuss about our time â€Å"civil society†, which came in in the end of the 90’s with the Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin’s ascension on the presidency. Putin re-established a top-down order in Russia and has proved to be quite antagonistic both to Western foreign policy and to pro-Western civil society groups. However, both capitalism and multiparty democracy continued their uncertain paths in Russia through the last decade.After two terms as president, Putin handed over to Dmitri Medvedev and therefore he built a so called monopoly in the hidden â€Å"Dictatorship† in the Russian political sphere. Total domination until the unability of being the ruling force of the country will come in but even then he has a cut back plan of Medvedev and some later chosen candidate, that will help Medvedev make same what Putin did, with getting the presidentship back in his hands as soon as possible. Looking to the future, the paper highlights two main trends.First, the continuation of Russia’s tradition of civic and political activism, seen most dramatically in the mass demonstrations in Moscow and other cities. Second, the major steps made by CSOs and local government in implementing social partnership, with new funds from the state that both replace and build on the contributions of foreign donors during 1995-2005.History. The beginnings of Russian civil society.The first stage (1760-1860) flows out of Catherine the Great’s reforms to the Russian estates and was characterized by the creation of public organizations related to science, literature, the arts, leisure and charit able activities. These included famous and influential associations like the Russian Geographical Society, the Free Economics Society, the Moscow Agricultural Society, the Russian Technical Society, and the Pirogov’s Association of Russian Doctors. These societies were set up with hopes for friendly cooperation with the Tsarist authorities and in the second half of the 19th century their members played a key role lobbying for social and legal reform.Civil society growth under Tsarism.Russia’s second stage of civil society development began with the Great Reforms ushered in by Tsar Alexander II in the 1860s. Serfdom was abolished, basic civil rights were established in law, and the first steps taken in the creation of a local government system. CSOs expanded gradually, became more professional, and began to provide educational and health support to vulnerable groups across the country. At the same time industrialization and urbanization gathered pace in Russia. The exte nsion of the railway system across Siberia to the Pacific was one of the most dramatic examples of this in the late 19th century.Though ,the development of capitalist relations in the economy was not mirrored by political changes. The period of reforms gave way to a new period of repression and political stagnation, and the state was challenged by increasingly radical political forces such as the Popularitists(Narodniki) with their â€Å"to the people† movement, culminating in the 1905 revolution. Many voluntary associations were radicalized too (including almost all the scientific societies noted above).Significantly, the only law passed in Tsarist time devoted to public organizations was issued by the Senate in the  immediate aftermath of the first Russian Revolution, in March 1906. In the next few years, almost 5,000 new organizations, societies and unions were registered. However, once again this reforming, liberalizing movement ran into opposition from the state and wi th the crisis that was brought into the country because of the participation and taking a huge part and playing important role in World War I.Civil society in the Soviet period.The Soviet period (1917 to the mid-1980s) is the third stage in Russia’s civil society development, notable for the â€Å"nationalization of civil society institutions†. Again, there were stages when popular activity flowered. The Soviet arts, cultural and scientific avant-garde of the 1920s is well known, but less well known are the local movements, peasants’ and proletarian organizations that emerged all around the country. For example, every settlement/district had its own Peasant Mutual Society and the Central Bureau catered to the welfare needs of students much as voluntary associations had done before the revolution. However, in the 1930s this phase gave way to a period of repression and political regimentation – occasioned by the Soviet government’s decision to forcib ly collectivize agriculture and go for rapid industrialization.This â€Å"required state-oriented CSOs which were to drive the foundation of socialism†. The voluntary associations created in the 1920s â€Å"offered alternative ways of solving social problems† but the authorities â€Å"doubted the utility of voluntary movements and the reliability of their participants.† Thousands were shut down in the 1930s and new associations set up in their stead, as part of the government machine. It was not until the late 1950s-early 1960s that citizens’ organizations of a less politicized type began to re-emerge, encouraged by Kruschev’s denunciation of Stalin and the political though that followed.Russian analysts have identified about 40 of these, operating mainly within the arts and scientific fields under the patronage of Communist Party bodies and subject to the latter’s decisions on policy and personnel matters. By the Brezhnev period, associatio ns were active among groups as varied as war veterans, professional designers and those involved in child welfare. Civil society now included the dissident  movement. Dissidents developed various modes of resistance to the Soviet state – writing and publishing artistic or journalistic critiques of the regime, creating a variety of informal circles and discussion groups, and making statements on political and human rights issues that brought down considerable persecution on themselves.But they had many sympathizers and considerable impact on the political atmosphere in the country and its reputation abroad. The dissident movement included not only western-leaning liberals, but also strident nationalists and religious activists from many of the constituent republics of the USSRTransition period to our times.â€Å"Civil society† played a huge role in dissident ideology in Eastern Europe and the USSR in the 1980s. When the communist regimes collapsed one after the other it seemed to many people that an entirely new society was being born. Many different analyses of â€Å"newly-created† civil society in the region were built around this view. Twenty years later and with the benefit of new historical research, most experts in the region see things differently. The current stage of civil society development in Russia is a fourth stage, starting in the mid-1980s and continuing to the present day. The movement for perestroika and glasnost led by Gorbachev was designed to solve the USSR’s pressing economic crisis (caused by the arms race and economic competition with the West) and to shore up the legitimacy of one-party rule. But it led instead to the collapse of the communist system.Many of the most active civil society sectors today can trace their origins to the 1980s – not just the human rights groups, but also the environmental movement with its active networks among young people and in the regions. The adoption of a law on publ ic associations in the late soviet period, supported by subsequent Russian Federation laws regulating public and charitable activity, opened the door to CSO registration for all-comers. However, under Yeltsin’s successor Putin, the environment for civil society changed significantly.On the one hand, Putin accelerated a process initiated under Yeltsin –government financing of the sector (mainly via contracting out social services to CSOs), and set up a national structure of Public Councils to dialogue with and co-opt the sector. On the other hand,  in 2006 he introduced regulations limiting the influence of foreign donors. The study’s authors call this policy â€Å"import substitution†; the replacement of foreign models and funding by national programs, self-organization and local philanthropy.Russian civil society today. General features of the sectorAfter two decades of transition, analysts of current developments in Russia are beginning to gain a bala nced view of the civil society sector.Civil society in Russia, is showing more attention to the detail, shows that elements of continuity and change, tradition and innovation, exist alongside one another. Here is what I can say on that theme: †¢ civil society activists today are â€Å"a strong minority of citizens† who deserve more support †¢ Informal networks are important for civil society, especially in rural areas because they include a large membership and their ability and readiness to provide vital daily services, plus often good links with government †¢ Foreign funding has had a positive effect in many areas (for example, it helped open up dialogue on many issues like feminism, domestic violence and others)†¢ Mafia-type groupings have had a powerful and negative effect at all levels in Russia – even â€Å"co-opting the role of civil society† †¢ The millionaires or â€Å"oligarchs† that emerged during the 1990s preferred no t to work through formal or wider business associations; hence they contributed little to civil society development. So Russia surely has a civil society. The question is how to develop it further, from local to national level. Here is some thoughts on that part because there are many different opinions from different experts on that note. I will try to suggest the best possible ways of improving it and making in stronger and more vulnerable to what tries to hurt it.†¢ Civic engagement: the level of public activity in stable periods is moderate, but CSOs have shown they can mobilize quickly when the external situation demands †¢ Level of organization: Russian civil society is still in a difficult period of organizational development †¢ Practice of values: CSO members and activists refer to non-violence, tolerance and internal democracy as being among the most important for the sector †¢ Perception of impact: the general image of civil society is not equal from in ternal and external points of view. CSOs themselves rate their social and political impact as higher than the scores given by external experts †¢ External environment: the majority of the population do not approve of corruption, tax evasion, and so on.These positive social attitudes could potentially act as a catalyst for further civil society development. †¢Consultative mechanisms. Set up by Putin in 2004, the national Public Chamber has 126 members, selected in equal numbers by the President, public organizations, and Russia’s regions. The aim was to develop the space for civil society and intersectional dialogue. Gradually, this model has been extended across Russia. Critics said they would prove to be mere â€Å"window-dressing to legitimize the government’s increasingly authoritarian policies†, but at local level many NGO supporters have proved willing to give them a try. (A survey found that 60% of activists would participate if asked, while 16% wouldn’t, 181)In all of these developments, a clear gap can be seen between advanced and less advanced elements in civil society and government. The rural areas lag behind the cities, the remote regions lag behind the industrial centres. The character of political opposition to the regime is quite different in the regions. As the demonstrations of autumn 2011 and spring 2012 showed, present-day ‘dissidents’ in Moscow and St Petersburg tend to be middle-class, liberal and western-leaning. However, in the Urals and Siberia, many of the most strident activists are from the communist and nationalist camps.Conclusion and perspectives.In December 2011, Russia was admitted to WTO (18 years after first applying) and all that remained was for the Duma to ratify the agreement. In March 2012, Putin returned as President for a new seven-year term. Thus, for the alter-globalization movement as for other dissident forces, a new period of struggle lies ahead to win a greater de gree of social and economic justice and a more democratic society in Russia. On the other hand, Putin has promised to priorities social issues and CSOs are well placed to work for  positive results in this area. This is a kind of â€Å"crossroads† for Russian civil society – will activists and organizations collaborate or conflict with government?None can say surely but it is likely that many will opt for the first of these strategies, so they face the challenge of how to resist incorporation and maintain their own agenda during the negotiations. Both the democracy and the alter-globalization movements face the challenge of how to coordinate their activities, combine different viewpoints, and communicate more effectively with the general public. The activists involved in social issues at local level have put energy and ideas into setting up grants contests, ensuring transparency in awarding contracts.Now they need to focus on the development, implementation and monit oring of longer term programs – whether carried out by NGOs or government itself. Only a truly independent position will enable them to work effectively in difficult areas like anti-corruption, anti-racism or the protection of minority rights.