Thursday, October 31, 2019

Human-wk7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human-wk7 - Essay Example I would think that educators would help students identify goals for their education. As an example, students may want to set a goal that would bring them a better life. They may see this type of gal as long-term and may find another way to identify shorter term goals but they may first need to be exposed to education that helps them identify what they want. Self-regulation comes into play as children would reflect on their wants and needs. Reeve (2009) suggests that this happens as people begin to define goals and work towards them. As they begin to move towards their goals, they also begin to identify whether the goals they have set are working or need to be changed. In educating teens, I would think that educators would also set goals for what they wanted children to learn. Reeve also talks about self-regulation as a skill that must be developed. I would facilitate self-regulation with teens by exposing them to people from Liberia who had set goals and realized them. Plans-- my plans were to begin my Masters and continue it once I began. I think my plan was too big at the time because I did not take into consideration that raising a family and working full time would be difficult. Goals -- I set several goals in my head but I never wrote them down. I wanted a Masters degree because I felt it would bring more money but it was too difficult trying to do school, work full time and take care of my family. Smaller goals would have been better and would have stopped me from feeling so overwhelmed. Personal strivings--I always wanted a Masters degree in counseling because I wanted to help people. I wanted the goal to be completed quickly and I thought I could do it while working full time. I was not able to do it in that way. Implementation intention -- I did not have a specific plan for my Masters degree. I only wanted to have one. If I had set specific goals for completion like I have now, I may have been

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Big Five Personality Theory Essay Example for Free

Big Five Personality Theory Essay Psychology refers to study of human mind and behavior. The main aim of psychology is to gain an intricate understanding of all and why individuals behave the way they do and what are the causes of their behavior. The ultimate aim is to understand a man in order to benefit society at large. There are many theories that discuss and try to explore different aspects of human behavior. The big five personality theory has been revolutionary and is currently the most accepted model in the scientific community. It consists of five traits – Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional stability, and openness and can be remembered by acronym – Ocean. One of the best ways to access a trait is to directly ask a person about the trait ( self report ) and then get an observer to confirm the trait ( observer report ). Me and my husband scored me on various traits as detailed above separately. We scored the answers, the scores and details of each trait are as below: Extroversion: My extroversion scores were (41- 41). This suggests I am talkative, outgoing, seek adventure, and excitement. Introverted people are quiet and reserved, though some researchers have shown that introverts can be as gregarious in social situations as extroverts but the key is in the source of energy. Extroverts gain energy from social interactions where as introverts from solitude. This is so true in my case. I have never been comfortable being alone. Openness: I scored (78-65) in openness, which is characterized by imagination, broadmindedness, originality. People low in this trait traditional, stick to familiarity, follow tested paths. It’s true in my case. I love challenges, trying new things adds new dimension and meaning to my life. In fact I would go ahead and say not doing different things disappoints me. It is this trait that got me my boyfriend who is now my husband. I guess this need comes because I lived 22years of ritualistic and traditional life. Thanks to a strict father. Conscientious : I scored (33-36) on conscientious which is characterized by dependability, efficiency and persistence. I love order in anything. Be it my wardrobe, gym routine, doing my laundry on Saturday or cleanliness of the house. Being on time to appointments, keeping order in life, I believe speaks volumes about a person and I intend to have a positive one. Guess, I get that trait from my father. He was always prompt with bills, early for appointments even informal ones. I did not know one could live any other way. Agreeableness: I scored 30(me)-43(husband) in agreeableness. It is characterized by less negative emotions, like jealousy, revenge and more empathy. People low in this trait look to win arguments not people, lean more towards excitement and dominance. I guess my husband sees me as being as agreeable because he himself is a agreeable person and sees positive in others always whereas I am more critical of myself. I am supportive of friends and family and empathize a lot with people to an extent that I feel angry if my close ones are insulted. But at the same time if someone does something wrong even if it is my mother I will not stop myself from confronting her. So, I must say I agree with my score of 30. Emotional stability: I Scored 16(me)-29(husband) in Emotional stability. It is characterized by stability in emotions in various situations in life and they are calm, free from persistent negative feelings. People rating low on this trait show negative emotions like anger, anxiety, depression, low tolerance to stress, mood swings and pessimism, Both me and my husband have scored me low on this scale. The reason is I do get stressed easily. Exams, major decisions in life get me on my nerves. At those times I am a different person – angry, not approachable and irritable. But once I find solution to the problem in my mind, I immediately get back to being myself. I guess, I need to work on being more stable. The big 5 theory helps shed light towards formation of human personalities and why different individuals exhibit different emotions and reactions when dealing with different social situations. Human behavior just like psychology itself is a broad specialty and having all the answers is virtually i mpossible. However having different theories give innumerable details that helps form a bigger picture of causes and variables that shape a human. Anju Priyadarshini

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Human resource practices at Tesco

Human resource practices at Tesco Identification of the organisations business strategy, mission and goals Tesco is, as Brand Finance (2014) notes, the largest retailer in UK, as well as being a highly significant retailer globally. As of 2014, Tesco is operating in 12 countries globally, and there are presently 6,780 Tesco stores. In addition, the company employs approximately 500,000 people worldwide. In addition to its core business in the grocery sector, Tesco has also diversified to offer a range of other products and services, such as personal finance and mobile phones. It has developed its ‘bricks and mortar’ business model to include an increasing emphasis upon modern day technology, through Tesco Direct (Ma, Ding and Hong, 2010) and the customer relationship management programme, Clubcard (Felgate, Fearne and di Falco, 2011). Business strategy Tesco’s has, as Schiraldi, Smith and Takahashi (2012) comment, a well-established and consistent business strategy that has enabled the company not only to strengthen the core UK business but also to expand successfully into a range of new markets. Those markets that were not successful, such as the US Fresh Easy stores, have been off-loaded in order to limit group-wide losses (Tyrell, 2014). Tesco’s business strategies mainly focus, as Wood and McCarthy (2014) further postulate, on the huge UK domestic grocery market, along with financial services, and telecommunications. Evaluating its business strategy, Schiraldi, Smith and Takahashi (2012) assert that one of the main objectives of Tesco’s business strategy is to create sustainable, long-term growth. According to Tesco plc (2014), this will be achieved by world-wide expansion. With this goal in mind, the company initially focused on expanding its business enterprises into Asia and central Europe. Tesco primarily focuses, according to Metzger (2014), on five key market sectors: 1) its core UK business, 2) the communities in which it operates, 3) non-food products, both within and beyond those offered ‘in store’, 4) retailing services, and 5) international markets. The company has, as this essay discusses, separate strategies for each of these aspects. The major objectives of Tesco’s business strategy include being a successful retailer internationally, facilitating the continued growth of the core UK business, being strong in the non-food market, the further development of various retailing services like telecommunications, Tesco personal finance and Tesco.com, and giving to the communities in which it operates, so as to strengthen brand loyalty (Piercy, Cravens and Lane, 2010). Tesco’s core UK business is the most important part of the entire business and accounts for 70% of group sales (Tesco, 2014). There are, as already noted, almost 3,400 Tesco stores employing around 310,000 people in the UK; these people are employed in five main, distinctively different, types of store, in order of size format: Tesco Extra, Superstore, Express, Metro, and One Stop. In addition, there are other format stores, such as Homeplus, Dobbies, and internet shopping options. There are presently 247 Extra stores, 482 Superstores, 195 Metro, 1,672 Express, and 722 One Stop stores, which, quite literally, give Tesco a presence in almost every town within the country (Tesco, 2014). In commenting upon how Tesco has developed its business model in light of lessons learned from the current global recession, it is suggested by Piercy, Cravens and Lane (2010) that the primary realisation has been that people want more value for their money but they do not want to compromise on product quality. This message can be seen to have been acted upon by Tesco in a number of ways. First, Tesco has enhanced promotion of its ‘Value’ range, coupled with less advertising of its premier ‘Finest’ range. Secondly, the rewarding of customer loyalty has led Tesco to create a world-leading customer loyalty programme called ‘Clubcard’. According to Tesco (2014), fulfilling corporate responsibility and creating value within the communities it operates are crucial for achieving growth. Tesco believes, as Blythman (2012) further notes, that each and every strategy that it designs has an impact on the community. Tesco’s strategies regarding corp orate responsibility include providing active support to local community, providing good jobs to locals, and taking care of the environment. In addition, the company is aiming to create zero carbon stores in the future (Rosethorn, 2009). The main objective of Tesco’s non-food strategy is to become as strong in this arena as it is in the food category. Tesco’s Dobbies, Homeplus and Extra stores are the three store formats where non-food products are available, the latter in addition to food. In 2000, Tesco Direct, the company’s online store where more than 125,000 products are available, was launched. The company has 25 distribution centres, out of which six deal with clothing and non-food products (Tesco, 2014). Cumulatively, these distribution centres deliver goods to an estimated 500,000 customers per week in the online sector only (Tesco, 2014); this division of the company has experienced rapid growth, showing the importance of diversification to the continued growth of the company (Ma, Ding and Hong, 2010). Tesco’s various retail services include Tesco Bank, Tesco.com and Tesco telecommunications. In the UK, Tesco Bank is the most successful supermarket bank (Scuffham, 2014), which once more shows how invaluable diversification has been to the continued success and growth of the group as a whole. Furthermore, developing Tesco.com was a strategy of keeping pace with modern trends in shopping which may result, in the future, in fewer resources being applied to traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ strategies, and more being routed towards on-line consumers. Identification of the organisations overall HRM strategy and goals This section discusses the overall human resource management (HRM) strategy and goals of Tesco. Given the global reach of the chain, it is imperative that managers make a complete and feasible HRM plan and use different strategies to manage employees. This will include changing strategies to account for local customs and variations (Brennan, Moore and Mughan, 2013). The human resource strategy presently utilised at Tesco’s revolves, as Merkel, Jackson and Pick (2010) discuss, around the training and development of employees, communication and consultation, and rewards and benefits linked to achieving targets. This triple-headed approach to HRM has been successful over the years and has helped the firm to retain and recruit well-motivated staff who present a professional appearance to customers and are proud to work for Tesco. The most significant part of the HRM strategy of Tesco is training and development in terms of both time and money (Tesco, 2014). Every year, Tesco emplo ys a large number of staff and a critical component of this, in addition to ‘front line’ shop staff, is the recruitment of high quality graduates from leading universities (Rosethorn, 2009). It is imperative, given the academic background of these recruits, that they are trained in ‘the Tesco way’ and introduced as quickly as possible to the corporate structure and mentality of the firm. This is why the training of graduates through specific recruitment programmes is essential (Merkel, Jackson and Pick, 2010). Tesco does not merely, however, favour graduates. It values all its staff as important resources and promises each of its employees that they will have a chance to develop their skill set and progress through the company (Fernie and Moore, 2013). This implies, in the opinion of the author, that each employee has the same opportunity to acquire essential skills relating to their work and the same opportunity to develop themselves to learn new knowledge . In the UK, skilled specialist employees in traditional occupations, such as fishmongers and bakers, can attain recognised qualifications during their careers at Tesco and, in 2008, 97.4% of shop-floor and 99.9% of Tesco.com employees in the UK were trained to bronze level (competent); 94.2% of shop-floor employees achieved silver level competence (expert or experienced). Such data suggests, as Ma, Ding and Hong (2010) comment, that Tesco realises the importance of investing in its staff and is keen to retain and develop a large number of skilled workers. In addition to the training programme evaluated above, Tesco has an Options development program. In this program, staff can select and learn skills that they need to grasp so as to progress to the next work level within the firm – this is, therefore, a form of self-guided career professional development. One in 30 employees of Tesco in the UK participate this programme, according to Tesco (2014). Mindful of its success, Tesco expanded this programme into Central Europe and Asia in 2009 (Brannen, Moore and Mughan, 2013). This suggests that different parts of the company can benefit from positive innovations trialled elsewhere. The second major part of its HRM programme is tied into issues pertaining to communication and consultation. Tesco wants to know the views of employees on problems which affect them and the wider company. This form of ‘bottom-up’ feedback is common in companies with a global presence, as Brannen, Moore and Mughan (2013) note. Managers are now encouraged to use different types of communication to gather feedback that can be used to develop the company further. This includes, according to Fernie and Sparks (2014), staff question times, face-to-face interviews, and use of the in-house internet. In addition, Tesco undertakes an annual staff survey and ‘Viewpoint’, which are anonymous and confidential (Tesco, 2014). Tesco uses these approaches to find the problems in working processes as soon as possible, so that it can address them and ensure that it responds to them in a manner so as to maximise returns. The third part of Tesco’s HRM strategy relates to rewards and benefits (Merkel, Jackson and Pick, 2010). Tesco tries to keep a competitive HRM edge over its major supermarket rivals by offering a basic wage that is as high as possible. This is enhanced by long-term reward plans and share bonuses (Tesco, 2014). Analysis of the various components of Tesco HRM Human resource management at Tesco involves various activities, including recruitment talent analysis, provision of a good working environment, programmes aimed at retaining employees who have good performance, and ensuring that all are treated equally (Rosethorn, 2009). These divergent trends within HRM are all important as, without them, employees may not feel valued. Increasing employee self-worth is, as Merkel, Jackson and Pick (2010) note, a valuable tool in the arsenal of the successful HRM practitioner because those who feel valued are likely to outperform less enchanted colleagues. In addition, a highly motivated workforce has been shown, by Fernie and Sparks (2014), to maximise the potential for high profit returns within a firm. It is also worth considering that ensuring equality in the firm is an important legal consideration given the right of all people to work in a safe environment that is free from bullying and respects human rights (Tushman and O’Reilly, 2002). For good employee relations the company also encourages its workers to work near their homes, which, as Piercy, Cravens and Lane (2010) observe, is a ‘green’ initiative that helps cut down on fuel costs and also reduces the time that individuals spend travelling to work. The company also gives their employees freedom of transfer, thus encouraging employee retention (Metzger, 2014). In addition, the use of shift work maximises the ability of people to work hours that suit their own timetables; thus, for instance, a student may be able to obtain an evening shift that does not interrupt his or her studies, whereas a mother of young primary school-aged children may be able to work during the day whilst the children are at school. This flexibility of working patterns, which is also important for the exchange of ideas and for the promotion of equality of faith (such as the need for Orthodox Jews not to work on Saturdays) are all factors that help Tesco to build a wide multicul tural team of workers that are attune to the attitudes of the individual communities that they serve. Indeed, as a result of the UK being a truly multicultural society, HRM can be seen to play a critical role in working towards the creation of a healthy work environment. Tesco also ensures that every employee knows his or her rights in the organisation, which can also be seen as a way of ensuring that employee unions are supportive of the market aspirations of the company (Rosethorn, 2009). That Tesco also embraces health and safety regulations and training may be seen as a further bonus. In addition, Tesco trains its employees on disaster management, which is not only a positive for staff but also for the shoppers who frequent Tesco (Blythman, 2012). That staff receive such training means that members of the public can shop in safety in the secure knowledge that in the event of a fire outbreak the staff are trained, and responsive. With regard to the use of human resource models, Tesco can be evaluated as using a range of different models to ensure that it meets it core business goals (Fernie and Moore, 2013). This is important to note within the confines of this essay because no two people are identical (in terms of their behaviour and personality traits), thus calling for different HRM approaches to be adopted to ensure that there is, within the workforce, harmony in the company (Merkel, Jackson and Pick, 2010). Tesco has, as Rosethorn (2009) notes, has resolved to u se a commitment-based model which does not force employees to meet frameworks. Rather, the achievement of goals is looked at as possible through respect, provided that there is co-ordination and self-control. This model calls for motivation and reinforcement in order to achieve the objectives of Tesco management and, as Tushman and O’Reilly (2002) suggest, employee opinions are taken into consideration and are used even during problem-solving processes. This model puts the employee at the forefront and helps to sustain motivation. Identification of areas that could be improved Tesco knows that it, in order to keep competitive in an increasingly cut-throat market, it has to keep sound strategies and build upon them (Wood and McCarthy, 2014). It is critical therefore, in accordance with the view advanced by Tushman and O’Reilly (2002), that human resource management continues to develop, identify, and strengthen the capacities of its staff. Tesco has a lot of employees who have substantial experience, and it follows that there is a key role for them to play in the training of new employees. In addition the company needs to train employees with expertise and ensure that they are kept up-to-date with regards to their key skill sets. The training concepts mentioned within this assignment work together to ensure that the organisation benefits from the increased competence of its staff. For rewards and wages Tesco is in line with existing laws and regulations and pays salaries according to the minimum wage law (Tesco, 2014). Nevertheless, further benefits could be accrued by making a more explicit linkage between performance and reward, especially with regard to the firm’s overall profits (Metzger, 2014). This would mean that when annual profits increase, there should be an increase in the salaries and rewards enjoyed by employees. Such rewarding of talent will have a positive impact on both workers and the company (Fernie and Sparks, 2014). Conclusion The human resource management department plays an important role in any organisation. Tesco has a well-documented, forward-thinking HRM department which is in tune with its overall business aims. Through the recruitment and retention of first rate staff and ensuring that all employees can perform to the best of their ability, Tesco increases the chances that its staff will be a positive asset (Merkel, Jackson and Pick, 2014). In addition, as Tesco increasingly diversifies its business portfolio, there is a need to ensure that all employees in each country in which it operates learn from best practice elsewhere (Brannen, Moore and Mughan, 2013). Indeed, if Tesco is to attain its global objectives, it is imperative that its HRM department continually evaluates its own performance (as well as that of employees), so that the company’s most important asset – its staff – can continually adapt to the changing needs and expectations of the company’s customers to h elp ensure that it retains its existing position of primacy within the UK supermarket sector (Metzger, 2014). Bibliography Blythman, J. (2012). Shopped: The shocking power of British supermarkets. London: HarperCollins. Brand Finance (2014). Global 500 2014: The world’s most valuable brands. Available at: http://brandirectory.com/league_tables/table/global-500-2014 [accessed 10 September 2014]. Brannen, M.Y., Moore, F. and Mughan, T. (2013). Strategic ethnography and reinvigorating Tesco plc: Leveraging inside/out bicultural bridging in multicultural teams. Ethnographic Praxis in Industry Conference Proceedings, London, September 16-18, pp. 282-299. Felgate, M., Fearne, A. and di Falco, S. (2011). Analysing the impact of supermarket promotions: A case study using Tesco Clubcard data in the UK. Kent Business School. Working Paper 234. Fernie, J. and Sparks, S. (2014). Logistics and retail management (4th edn). London: Kogan Page. Fernie, S. and Moore, C. (2013). Principles of retailing. Abingdon: Routledge. Ma, Y., Ding, J. and Hong, W. (2010). Delivering customer value based on service process: The example of Tesco.com. International Business Research, 3(2), 131. Merkel, J., Jackson, P. and Pick, D. (2010). New challenges in retail human resource management. In Krafft, M. and Mantrala, M.K. (eds) (2014). Retailing in the 21st century (2nd edn). Springer: Berlin, pp. 257-270. Metzger, K. (2014). Business analysis of UK supermarket industry. Master’s dissertation, Loughborough University. Piercy, N.F., Cravens, D.W. and Lane, N. (2010). Marketing out of the recession: Recovery is coming, but things will never be the same again. The Marketing Review, 10(1), 3-23. Rosethorn, H. (2009). The employer brand: Keeping faith with the deal. Farnham: Gower. Schiraldi, P., Smith, H. and Takahashi, Y. (2012). Estimating a dynamic game of spatial competition: The case of the UK supermarket industry. LSE Working Paper. Scuffham, M. (2014). Tesco takes on UK banks with current account launch. Reuters [online]. Available at: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/06/09/uk-tesco-bank-account-idUKKBN0EK24H20140609 [accessed 10 September 2014]. Tesco plc (2014). Annual report 2014. Cheshunt: Tesco plc. Tushman, M.L. and OReilly, C.A. (2002). Winning through innovation: A practical guide to leading organizational change and renewal. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business Press. Tyrell, J. (2014). Introduction to socio-cultural influences. In Mutum, D.S., Roy, S.K. and Kipnis, E. (eds) (2014). Marketing cases from emerging markets. Heidelberg: Springer, pp. 9-11. Wood, S. and McCarthy, D. (2014). The UK food retail ‘race for space’ and market saturation: A contemporary review. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 24(2), 121-144.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Best Man :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ayanna Ganges   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Critical Thinking Honors   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ms.McCue The Best Man One of the leading characters, Lance Sullivan, is portrayed very differently from the average black males in movies up until the end. Number one he is rich and he is a professional athlete. His income doesn't come from drug dealing or anything of that nature. Lance being an athlete in another perspective is also a common stereotype. Black males are commonly portrayed as drug dealers or killers unless they are rich, then they are professional athletes. This makes it seem as though black males don't have intellectual thinking capabilities. He doesn't get killed and he doesn't kill anyone during the course of the movie, although thoughts of it do cross his mind. By the end of the movie Lance ends up in a neutral position. Meaning his decisions reflect the outcome of his situation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The only thing that was a shame about any of the black characters is that when Lance finds out that his best friend, Harper, had slept with his now fiancà ©e, Mia, he beat the crap out of him, but never even mentioned it to her. This is so typical not only in movies, but in life in general with people of all races, people take their anger out too often on the wrong party. It was his girlfriend that did the dirty deed as well. Not to mention it was a long time ago. He had every right to be upset, but I think the fighting was a bit extreme even if it did make the movie more enjoyable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The male/female interaction was put together well because Jordan was a best friend with the other four male characters.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Theory of Data Communication

Btec National Unit 8 – Communications Technologies |Hand-in date |Return date | |Assessment No: 8. | | | |Assessment Title: The theory of data communications | | | |This assessment has been internally verified by: Edexcel | | | |Hand out date: 21/10/10 Hand in date: 21/11/10 | | | |On going assignment used as a delivery tool | | | This assessment provides the opportunity to meet the grading criteria for the unit as indicated in the grid below. Student Name: Learner Authentication Statement If you copy from someone else or allow another candidate to copy from you, or if you cheat in any way you may be disqualified from at least the assignment concerned. Any help or information you have received from people other than your subject teacher must be clearly identified in the work itselfAny books, information leaflets or other material (eg videos, software packages or information from the internet) which you have used to help you complete this work must be clearly acknowledged in th e work itself. To present material copied from books or other sources without acknowledgement will be regarded as deliberate deception. Declaration by learner I have read and understood the above statements. I have produced the work without help except for help from my subject lecturer and the help which I have declared in the work itself. I have acknowledged all source material in the work itself.Write suitable materials for Chapter 1, section 1 which explains the purpose and workings of basic communication devices and the principles of signal theory. Task 1b M1 Explain techniques that can be used to reduce errors in transmissions Add a section 2 to your guide (entitled ‘Error detection and correction’) which explains the techniques that can be used to reduce data transmission errors. Task 2 and grading criteria covered TASK 2 P3Describe communication protocols used and explain why they are important D1Critically compare the OSI seven layer model and the TCP/IP model W rite section 3 (entitled ‘Communication protocols’), which should include a description of the communication protocols in common use and explain why protocols are important.Write a detailed comparison of the OSI seven layer model and the TCP/IP model, commenting on the approach taken and the suitability of each of the models. Guidance notes THIS ASSIGNMENT IS VERY MUCH ABOUT EXPLAINING THE BASIC THEORY THAT LIES BEHIND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY. THERE ARE LOTS OF SOURCES FOR THIS INFORMATION IN BOOKS AND ON THE INTERNET, BUT REMEMBER WHAT YOU WRITE MUST BE IN YOUR OWN WORDS; YOU CANNOT COPY MATERIAL DIRECTLY FROM THESE SOURCES.For Task 1a you will need to list the various types of communication devices and explain how they are used. Note that the unit content makes a distinction between ‘general’ communication devices, network components (servers, workstations, NICs, etc. and interconnection devices (hubs, routers, switches, etc. ). For this task (covering P 1) you should be describing general communication devices, not specific components which are covered in Assignment 3. In practice, it might be quite difficult to make this distinction, but don’t spend too much time describing network components in this assignment. In terms of communication devices, the unit content mentions wired devices, such as DTE devices (e. g. , a computer) and DCE devices (such as a modem), and wireless devices (such as mobile phones, PDAs and laptops, etc. ). You need to explain in outline the way these devices can be connected to a network.To cover P2 an explanation of digital signal theory is required. Refer again to the unit content to see the issues you must cover. For Task 1b you need to write an explanation of the techniques used for error reduction. The only technique mentioned in the unit content is checksums, but other simple techniques such as parity might also be covered. For Task 2 an explanation of what protocols are, why they are importan t and examples of ones in common use are required. To achieve D1 you will need to write a detailed comparison of the OSI and the TCP/IP models. This will need to point out the similarities and differences between the two models. LEARNER INSTRUCTIO The theory of data communications | |By Olateju Famuyiwa | | This book gives details of the basics of communication devices and methods of communication used within networking and the | |internet environment. | Table of Content Data Circuit-terminating Equipment (DCE)4 Wireless Devices4 The principles of signal theory5 Data5 Denary to Binary5 Data Packets5 Asynchronous and Synchronous Transmissions6 Bandwidth (Analogue)6 Bandwidth (Digital)6 Section2 Error detection and correction6 Parity (Odd and Even)6 Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC)7 Chapter 27Section3 Communications Protocols7 Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP)7 Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)7 File Transfer Protocol (FTP)8 Open Systems Interconnection (OSI)8 OS I Seven Layer Model9 TCP/IP Four Layer Model10 Critical Comparison10 The Session Layer (OSI)10 The Presentation Layer (OSI)10 The Application Layer (OSI)10 How OSI builds up applications10 How TCP/IP builds up applications11 Transport Layer (OSI)11 Transport Layer (TCP/IP)11 Comparing Transport for both Models11 Network Vs. Internet. 11 Data Link/Physical Vs. Subnet11 Assignment 8. : The theory of data communications I recently just got a job as a junior technician at NetCo; NetCo is a company that manufactures networking hardware such as switches, routers, etc†¦ They’re planning to start up a networking academy (rather like the Cisco Network Academy) and create related qualifications. The project manager has approached me so as to prepare some learning materials for ‘Chapter 1’ of the online course. Chapter 1 is entitled ‘The Theory of Data Communications’. The chapter will be subdivided into a number of sections. And I’ve decided that t he materials shall be produced in the form of a Word document. Chapter 1 Section1Identify and explain types of communication devices There are different types of communication devices; Communication devices are electronic hardware that interacts (communicates) with each other to perform specific tasks. The technologies that are used to communicate are data terminal equipment (DTE) and data circuit-terminating equipment (DCE). Another type of communication devices would be Wireless devices. I plan to explain all the above in detail. Data Terminal Equipment (DTE) DTE is a form of expression for a device that is at the end of the line. Examples of this could be a modem, network interface card (NIC), mobile phone or Bluetooth.DTEs differ depending on its purpose, for example, with Bluetooth, size and range are an important feature and with mobile phones, the quality and bandwidth are more important. Network cards and modems exist in a range of formats that are designed for a wide range of speeds i. e. bandwidth depending on the type of network being used. Data Circuit-terminating Equipment (DCE) DCE and DTE work together by the DTE connecting to the Internet or network service offered by the DCE. This is network equipment which controls the communication. Some examples of these are: †¢ A Bluetooth dongle in a PC, which is used to synchronise a mobile phone or PDA. †¢ A switch in a communications/server room at school, college or work, which will connect all the computers to the Local Area Network (LAN) and the InternetWireless Devices Wireless devices are devices which transmit their data over the air. Types of mobile communication devices would be third (3G) and (2G) group of mobile phones, wireless laptops and wireless PDAs. Wireless networks use the 802. 11x standard. This is the IEEE standard (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) which defines the speed of the network and its range. The mobile phone network is a large connection of stat ions throughout the nation and internationally which allows subscribers to the service to communicate through low bandwidth voice system. The principles of signal theory Data The smallest portion of data is a bit.The word bit comes from Binary Digit which is either a 0 or 1. 0 or 1 means Off or On. This controls hardware within communication devices to perform operations. When bits are grouped together the can become more useful. For example, 8 bits of data will form 1 Byte. Denary to Binary Denary means 10 numbers. In our standard number system we have 10 numbers. These are: 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9. Now to convert Denary to Binary, you must know the base 2 rules. These are similar to units, tens, hundreds that primary school children are taught. So for example say†¦ I want to convert the denary number 37 into binary. I would do this by taking the number and dividing it by 2 each time: Divide by 2 |37 |Remainder | |Divide by 2 |18 |1 | |Divide by 2 |9 |0 | |Divide by 2 |4 |1 | |Div ide by 2 |2 |0 | |Divide by 2 |1 |0 | | |0 |1 | Now what I do is take the remainders from the bottom of the table going up: 100101. With this I will now do 2 to the power of X, X being 0,1,2,3,4,5,6 etc. 25 24 23 22 21 20 – This is the 2x 1 0 0 1 0 1 – This is the binary for 37 32 16 8 4 2 1 – This is the base 2 ruleNow to check that the binary is correct I will take the base 2 numbers where the binary is a 1 and add them together. I should get the denary number: 32+4+1=37 This is how denary is converted to binary. Data Packets In networking, data must be formed in a package to be able to be transported over a network. Package formats vary for different types of networks. However the term data packet is always used to describe a package. A packet will contain a minimum of the foundation address, the destination address, data and error control. The foundation address is sent so the destination knows who sent the data. The destination address is used to find the r ight destination.Data is the actual information being sent. Error control is sent to help identify problems with the data once it has arrived at its destination (see chapter 1b for error detection techniques). Asynchronous and Synchronous Transmissions Asynchronous transmission means that the receiving device must accept the receipt of data before the source device will send more data. In synchronous transmission, both devices will synchronise with each other before any data is sent. Bandwidth (Analogue) Analogue signals are sine waves which look like the waveform in image 1. Sine waves are known as analogue signals is because they are an analogy of sound waves which travel in the same way.Analogue bandwidth is the number is cycles that occurs with the sine wave over a period of time, for example in image 1, the wave is 1Hz and occurred within 20ms so the bandwidth is 1Hzpms (1 Hertz per millisecond). So, finally, the bandwidth of an analogue signal is the difference in frequency be tween the highest and lowest frequencies contained in the signal. Bandwidth (Digital) Digital bandwidth is different to analogue bandwidth because digital signals are either 0 (off) or 1 (on) and look like squares (see image 1. 2). Digital bandwidth is the quantity of data that can be sent through a transmission over a specified period of time. These are generally measured in Bits per second (bps), Kilobits per second (kbps), Megabits per second (mbps) and Giga bits per second (gbps).Section2 Error detection and correction Parity (Odd and Even) Even  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Parity checking is usually used for Bytes of data. A parity bit is added to every Byte of data transmitted, whether the ninth bit is ‘0’ or ‘1’ depends on the combination of the other eight bits. If there is an uneven number of ‘1’s then the parity bit will be a ‘1’, if there is an even number of ‘1’s the parity bit will be a ‘0’. There should alway s be an even number of ‘1’s in the data. For example: 1011001 Parity bit = 0 Odd  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ This works the same way as even parity checking, however, instead of the ‘1’s equalling an even number, they should equal an odd number.For example: 1011001 Parity bit = 1 Parity checking is easy to apply and can detect errors, however, it cannot correct errors, therefore, if an error is detected the data would need to be transmitted again. This method does not always work, this is because only an odd number of bits in error can be detected, if there is an even number of bits but there is still an error, this will not be detected. For example: 1011001 could be transmitted as 1100011. This is not the way that the data should have been transmitted but the error would not be detected because the data has an even number of bits in error. Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) Cyclic Redundancy Check is an error-detecting system. It performs a long division equation where the ans wer is thrown away and the remainder becomes the result.The data is then transferred and the same equation is done at the other end, if the remainder of the equation isn’t the same as the receipt, the data is corrupt and therefore rejected. Chapter 2 Section3 Communications Protocols Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) Hyper Text Transfer Protocol is a set of rules that order the distribution of information over the internet. Its use to retrieve hypertext documents, which are interlinked text documents, led to the development of the World Wide Web. HTTP is a request and response made by the client and server, the client being the end user and the server being the web site. A client that makes a HTTP request using a web browser is known as a User Agent.The server, which stores resources such as HTML files or images, is called the Origin Server. Between the User Agent and the Origin Server may be intermediaries i. e. a negotiator who acts as a link between parties and examples are proxies, tunnels and gateways. HTTP is not controlled by the TCP/IP model and is the most popular application on the internet. Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) The Internet Protocol Suite (or TCP/IP) is a set of protocols for communication used for the internet and similar networks. Its name derives from the two most important protocols in it, Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP), which are the first protocols in the Internet Protocol Suite standard.The Internet Protocol Suite may be viewed as a set of layers that work together in the transportation of data from one place to another. The TCP/IP model consists of four layers, from lowest to highest they are the: †¢ Link Layer †¢ Internet Layer †¢ Transport Layer †¢ Application Layer File Transfer Protocol (FTP) File Transfer Protocol is a protocol that is used to transfer data from one computer to another computer or device. FTP is a protocol for file transfer which allows the transfer and change of files over a TCP network. A FTP client connects to an FTP server and the client can then make changes, add or delete files on the FTP server. An example of an FTP client would be the webpage upload feature on Microsoft FrontPage.FTP has been designed so files can be transferred to any FTP server regardless of operating system type or version. Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) The Open Systems Interconnections Basic Reference Model (OSI Reference Model or OSI Model) is a description for layered communications and network protocol design. This was developed as part of the Open Systems Interconnection intelligence. Basically, network architecture has been divided into seven layers. From top to bottom, these layers are: †¢ Application †¢ Presentation †¢ Session †¢ Transport †¢ Network †¢ Data Link †¢ Physical This is known as the OSI Seven Layer Model. Each layer is characterized by their formation. These provid e services to the layer above and receive services from the layer below it.An example of this would be a layer that can provide error free communications across a network provides the path needed by applications above it. It then calls the next layer below it to send and receive packets that make up the contents. Comparison between the OSI seven layer model and TCP/IP model OSI Seven Layer Model The OSI Seven Layer Model is a model for data transfer through layered communications allowing data from one PC to be able to be read by another PC anywhere in the world. This model packets the data into many layers, an example would be the layers of an onion, so it then transfers itself to another computer where it goes through the same seven layers but in the opposite direction to unwrap those layers.See image 6 for the structure of an OSI Seven Layer Model. These layers don’t communicate across to their ‘doppelganger’ layer on the other computer. If they wish to commun icate, they have to go through all the other layers that stand between them and their ‘doppelganger’ layer. This table to the right is basically explaining what each layer’s job is. (Table obtained from www. humanreffence. com under the download section) TCP/IP Four Layer Model The TCP/IP model captures data to provide idea of protocols and services. Data is captured in the same way as data is within the OSI Seven Layer Model, so data has to be captured on each level in the same way.The OSI Seven Layer model and the TCP/IP model are both similar in that they both use layers to perform tasks. They also have 2 layers that are very similar, the Transport and Network layers. The TCP/IP internet protocol suite has a wide range of protocols working at each layer of the OSI and TCP/IP models. Critical Comparison OSI and TCP/IP are both similar in a few ways, these being that they both work with layers to communicate, they are both a set of rules and they were also devel oped alongside. The Session Layer (OSI) In the OSI model, the Session layer allows two devices to hold on going communications called a session across a network. This is not found in TCP/IP.In TCP/IP, these characteristics are found in the Transport layer. The Presentation Layer (OSI) In the OSI model, the Presentation layer handles data format information for communications across a network. This is done by converting the information into a common format that both sides can understand. This is provided by the Application layer in the TCP/IP model. The Application Layer (OSI) In the OSI model, the Application layer is the top most layer of the model. It provides a set of interfaces for applications to gain access to services within a network as well as access to network services that support applications directly e. g: OSI – FTAM, VT, MHS, DS, CMIP TCP/IP – FTP, SMTP, DNS, SNMPAlthough the idea of an application process is common within both, their approach to the task of constructing application entities is very different. How OSI builds up applications OSI demands that distributed applications operate over a strict hierarchy of layers and are constructed from a tool kit of standardised application service elements, making them compatible. How TCP/IP builds up applications In TCP/IP, each application is created on whatever set of functions it needs beyond end to end transport to support a distributed communications service. Most of these processes build upon what it needs and assumes that only an underlying transport method (such as a datagram or connection) will be provided. Transport Layer (OSI)In OSI, the Transport layer takes the data that is going to be sent and breaks it down into individual packets that are sent and then reassembled by the Transport layer at the destination. It also provides a signalling service which tells the sender that the destination had received the data has been successfully received. Transport Layer (TCP/IP) In TC P/IP, the Transport layer introduces two transport protocols, TCP and UDP. TCP implements reliable transportation of data whereas UDP doesn’t. The reason this is, is because TCP required acknowledgement to ensure that data is sent correctly and successfully. If an error is detected, the packet can be resent. UDP just broadcasts the data without any need for a reply from the destination therefore data transportation will be faster but will be less reliable as errors can occur.Comparing Transport for both Models Transport for both models is very similar as they both contain transfer protocols that required acknowledgement that data has been received by the destination. While this would be slower, this is more effective as data will always end up being sent correctly. Network Vs. Internet. Both OSI and TCP/IP support a connectionless network service. OSI’s CLNP is practically identical to the Internet’s IP. Both are best-effort-delivery protocols. They are virtuall y identical but the one major difference that sets them apart is that CLNP supports variable length addresses whereas IP supports fixed, 32-bit addresses.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Health Insurance Matrix Essay

Origin: When was the model first used? What kind of payment system is used, such as prospective, retrospective, or concurrent? Who pays for care? What is the access structure, such as gatekeeper, open-access, and so forth? How does the model affect patients? Include pros and cons. How does the model affect providers? Include pros and cons. Indemnity In 1932 the American Medical Association (AMA) adopted a strong position against prepaid group practices, favoring instead indemnity-type insurance that protects the policyholder from expenses by reimbursement (Jones & Bartlett, 2007). As one of the first health policies in the U.S., indemnity plans are considered traditional health plans. Indemnity insurance plans have three options. Two of them are reimbursement plans (Howell, R., 2014). One typically covers 80 percent while the patient covers 20. The other option covers 100 percent. The third option pays the insured a certain amount each day for a maximum number of days. Indemnity plans are fee-for-service plans (retrospective). With an indemnity plan the patient pays for care. Afterwards the patient must submit a claim in order to be reimbursed. Indemnity plans are non-network based plans with open-access. This gives insured individuals flexibility when choosing doctors, hospitals, and health care facilities. No primary care physician (PCP) is necessary. No referrals are needed. Indemnity plans provide patients with flexibility and control over their medical care. No PCP must be selected. No referrals are needed to obtain services. The drawback however, is that patients must submit claims in order to receive reimbursement for services. This can take time. Indemnity plans  only reimburse services covered by the insurer. Services not covered will require full payment from the patient. Providers can require the costs for services up front to guarantee they are getting what they charge. Providers are not required to help patients with the necessary paperwork needed for reimbursement. This potentially saves providers time and resources if they decide to ask for funds in full before service. The drawback to indemnity plans is that patients may not have all the funds required to front the bill. Expensive services can detour patients from seeking care. Consumer-directed health plan Consumer-directed health plans (CDHP) were the result of public backlash against managed care and the rise in health care expenditures (Bundorf,K. M., 2012). CDHP’s were first introduced in the late 1990s. CDHP’s aim to control costs by putting responsibility for health care decisions into the hands of patients. Patients with a CDHP are required to pay for medical services in a fee-for-service type payment plan (retrospective). Patients pay for costs out of pocket until a maximum out-of-pocket limit is met. The insurance company covers additional costs after the maximum limit is reached. The insurer fully reimburses the medical provider. Unless a claim is submitted (AET), in which case only a portion is reimbursed. With a CDHP the patient is required to pay 100 percent of the pharmaceutical and medical expenses. Once the yearly deductible is met, the patient will is only required to cover a certain percentage of costs. The percentage varies depending on the provider. Of course, there are plans that cover 100 percent of their in-network costs. Patients with a CDHP gain access to a network of providers that their insurance company contracts with. The patient is not required to choose a primary care physician, and is not required to obtain a referral to see a specialist for medical care (Aetna, 2012). CDHP’s offer increased consumer control over health care dollars (Furlow, E., n.d.). Patients have better support tools (online, phone). They also have more power to make decisions. Alternatively, increased decision making  ability allows patients to forgo care. This can delay diagnosis and treatment. Ultimately, reducing the effectiveness of the plan altogether. Potential for higher payment amounts at time of service. Alternatively, there is a potential for greater debt amounts. Larger debts will make it necessary for health care providers to be more aggressive for collections. Providers will also encounter increased staff costs in order to follow-up with patients in advance of treatment, as well as in subsequent collection efforts (Fifth Third Bank, 2008). Point-of-service HealthPartners of Minneapolis pioneered point-of-service (POS) plans in 1961, but the concept took 25 years to get off the starting blocks (Dimmit, B., 1996). In 1986 CIGNA Healthcare launched Flexcare, the first POS plan. By 1995 forty percent of employers with at least 200 employees offered POS plans. Providers within a point-of-service network are usually paid a capitated fee. The fee is fixed and does not alter regardless of services rendered. POS plans operate using a prospective payment system. Insurance companies reimburse providers an agreed amount that is decided before a patient receives services. Patients are responsible for paying a co-payment when visiting a doctor. After the patient is seen, the provider submits claim forms to the insurer for the services rendered. Once the claims are processed the insurer will reimburse the provider (Austin & Wetle, 2012). If a patient goes out-of-network, they are required to pay the provider in full. Afterwards the patient can submit a claim for reimbursement. Point-of-service insurance plans utilize gatekeepers. This is the primary care physician for the insured individual. Patients are not required to obtain referrals from their primary care physician to seek medical care services from an out-of-network provider. Although it is recommended. If a patient goes out-of-network they’ll typically have to pay the majority of costs. Unless the primary care provider makes a referral to an out-of-network provider, in which case, the medical plan will pick up the tab (Small Business Majority, n.d.). Patients can easily go out of network. They have geographic flexibility that allows them to access doctors virtually anywhere. Compared to an HMO, patients have more choices. On the other hand, deductibles can be costly (Gustke, C., 2013). Provider’s in-network require a small copay. Out-of-network providers require patients to appease a high deductible. POS’s might not be worth it if you never use out-of-network providers. Out-of-network care requires patients to submit their own claims. Reimbursement can takes months to recover. POS’s are very similar to HMO’s and PPO’s. POS plans may have restrictive guidelines for health care providers. Some POS plans require the use of a primary care physician (PCP). PCP’s are responsible for routine care, all referrals, obtaining precertification for in-network services, and filling out paperwork for in-network care. Preferred provider organizations Preferred provider organizations (PPO) originated in the 1970’s. PPO’s were created from the rules of fee-for-service care. PPO’s steer employees to cooperating doctors and hospitals that have agreed to a predetermined plan for keeping costs down (Kiplinger, 2014). PPO’s negotiate a contract with providers, specialists, hospitals, and pharmacies to create a unified network. The providers within the network agree on a set rate to provide health care services at a lower rate than they normally charge for services (Kiplinger, 2014). PPO’s use a prospective and retrospective system. This is to ensure that the provider is only doing medically necessary tests and treatments for the injury being claimed, rather than trying to gain a larger reimbursement. With a PPO the insured pay a deductible to the insurer. After the deductible is paid, the insurer then covers any additional medical expenses incurred. Preventative care services are not subject to the deductible (Kiplinger, 2014). Some patients are required to make co-payments for certain services, or are required to cover a percentage of the total cost for medical services  rendered. PPOs are open-access plans. PPOs allow patients to seek medical care with any provider, whether in-network or out-of-network. Patients are not required to obtain a referral, they are also not required to select a primary care physician. Patients with a PPO plan have the freedom to choose almost any medical provider or facility they want for their medical services. If a patient seeks medical care within their network, their costs will be relatively low. Patients are not required to choose a primary care physician. They are also not required to go through their primary care physician to see a specialist if said specialist is in the PPO network. On the other hand, when a patient receives care from a provider outside of their PPO network, costs can be higher and sometimes not covered at all. For in-network providers, PPO’s guarantee a large amount of patients. Most patients would rather receive care in-network opposed to paying more for out-of-network. The prospect of a larger amount of patients enrolled in the PPO can generate more income for the provider. On the other hand a provider can lose money if they are not fully reimbursed for medical services rendered, because they are not paid a capitated fee. Health savings account Health savings accounts (HSA) were signed into law in December 2003. HSA’s were created by a provision of the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act (Stevens, S., 2005). HSA’s are used in conjunction with high-deductible insurance plans to help offset the costs of medical expenses. Health savings accounts use a fee-for-service type payment plan (retrospective). When a patient receives medical care they are responsible for paying for the medical services. Once their high deductible insurance maximum is met, the insurance company will then cover any additional medical expenses. With a HSA the patient is responsible for medical expenses. Since the patient is required to have a high-deductible insurance plan in order to qualify for a health savings account, their own personal money is used to pay for the coverage. On average a high deductible begins around $1,100 for individuals  and $2,200 for family plans. Money inside of an HSA is used to pay for expenses. This money is tax free and can be used to cover many other additional qualified medical services. Health savings account plans are open-access. The patient has the freedom to choose their medical provider and facilities are their own discretion. Referrals are not required and there are no networks from which a patient must choose from. Patients with a HSA have the freedom to manage their accounts and finances themselves. Patients control how money is spent, and have the freedom to choose their place of care. Any money deposited into a HSA is theirs, even if an employer contributes to it. The patient is not required to pay taxes on any money that is in their HSA, or any money used on qualified medical expenses. Potential disadvantages for patients include unpredictability of illness and budget. If money withdrawn from the HSA is used for nonmedical expenses it will be taxed. Fines can also occur. A high deductible can be difficult for some to afford. Providers benefit from direct payments received from patients. Eliminating the middle man saves time and resources. On the other han d, this makes patients more consciousness about the services they use. Some patients may opt out of treatment to avoid expense. References Austin, A. & Wetle. V. (2012) The United States Health Care System, Combining Business, Health, and Delivery. (2nd ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Barsukiewicz, C.K., Raffel, M.W., & Raffel, N. K. (2010) The U.S. Health System: Origins and Functions. (6th ed.) Mason, OH: Cengage Learning Bundorf, K. M. (2012) Consumer-Directed Health Plans: Do They Deliver? Retrieved from http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/farm/reports/reports/2012/rwjf402405 Aetna. (2012). Summary of Benefits and Coverage. Retrieved from http://www.aetna.com/health-reform-connection/documents/SBC-Plansponsorflyer-Self-funded.pdf Furlow, E. (n.d.) Exploring Consumer-Directed Health Care. Retrieved from https://www.ciab.com/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=318 Fifth Third Bank. (2008). The Impact of Consumer-Directed Health Care on Providers. Retrieved from https://www.53.com/doc/cm/rc-cdh-provider-impact-10012008.pdf Stevens, S. (2005). Pros and Cons of Health Savings Accounts. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/feeds/mstar/2004/04/08/mstar1_11_14978_132.html Kiplinger. (2014) What to Know About Preferred-Provider Organizations. Retrieved from http://www.kiplinger.com/article/insurance/T027-C000-S001-preferred-provider-organizations.html Dimmitt, B. (1996). Can Point-of-Service Go The Distance? Retrieved from http://av4kc7fg4g.search.serialssolutions.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Can+point-of-service+go+the+distance%3F&rft.jtitle=Business+and+Health&rft.au=Dimmitt%2C+Barbara&rft.date=1996-08-01&rft.pub=Medical+Economics+Inc&rft.issn=0739-9413&rft.volume=14&rft.issue=8&rft.spage=42&rft.externalDocID=10005483 ¶mdict=en-US Small Business Majority. (n.d.) Group Coverage Options. Retrieved from http://healthcoverageguide.org/part-one/group-coverage-options/#Point-of-Service+Plans+%28POS%29 Gutske, C. (2013) Pros and Cons of Health Insurance POS Plans. Retrieved from http://www.bankrate.com/finance/insurance/pros-cons-health-insurance-pos-plans.aspx

A Changing America essays

A Changing America essays The 1920s, one of the most important eras in American history. It carried high prestige because of the fact that the 1920s changed everything, from the way people thought about themselves to the way people had fun and kept themselves entertained. It was an era that had drastic changes in political attitude, economic attitude, and cultural values. The topics addressed in chapter 12 reflect a changing America in that American values and attitudes all changed due to the new wave thinking brought on by the 1920s. The first major change in American society was the change that occurred in Americas political attitude. The most major change in political attitude was due to Americans newfound hatred of immigrants. Because the 1920s instilled a sense of national pride and nationalism many Americans were against immigrants. People did not like immigrants because of the fact that they felt they were un-American and gave America a bad name. Since the 1920s made people feel important because of new found income and entertainment, it made people believe that any time there was a problem in America it was not because of an American. Therefore a lot of the blame was placed on immigrants. So in order to keep America American the government put heavy restrictions on immigrants. One of these restrictions was the Act of 1921, which limited the amount of immigrants entering the United States from Europe. Then in 1924 the American government decided to lower the amount of European immigrants and exclude all Asian immigrants. Another occurrence in the 1920s that explains the changing political attitude was Prohibition. Prohibition was a law that was passed through a new Amendment that outlawed the consumption and sale of alcohol. This was yet another attempt by the American government to eliminate all things that they felt brought America down. Even though Prohibition decrea ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Chemical Composition of the Human Body

Chemical Composition of the Human Body Many of the elements found throughout nature are also found within the body. This is the chemical composition of the average adult human body in terms of elements and also compounds. Major Classes of Compounds in the Human Body Most of the elements are found within compounds. Water and minerals are inorganic compounds. Organic compounds include fat, protein, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids. Water:  Water is the most abundant chemical compound in living human cells, accounting for 65 percent to 90 percent  of each cell. Its also present between cells. For example, blood and cerebrospinal fluid are mostly water.Fat: The percentage of fat varies from person to person, but even an obese person has more water than fat.Protein: In a lean male, the percentages of protein and water are comparable. Its about 16 percent  by mass. Muscles, including the heart, contain a lot of muscle. Hair and fingernails are protein. Skin contains a large amount of protein, too.Minerals: Minerals account for about 6 percent  of the body. They include salts and metals. Common minerals include sodium, chlorine, calcium, potassium, and iron.Carbohydrates: Although humans use the sugar glucose as an energy source, there isnt that much of it free in the bloodstream at any given time. Sugar and other carbohydrates only account for about 1% of body mass. Elements in the Human Body Six elements  account for 99%  of the mass of the human body. The acronym CHNOPS may be used to help remember the six key chemical elements that are used in biological molecules. C is carbon, H is hydrogen, N is nitrogen, O is oxygen, P is phosphorus, and S is sulfur. While the acronym is  a good way to remember the identities of the elements, it doesnt reflect their abundance. Oxygen is the most abundant element in the human body accounting for approximately 65% of a persons mass. Each water molecule consists of two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom, but the mass of each oxygen atom is much higher than the combined mass of the hydrogen. In addition to being a component of water, oxygen is essential for cellular respiration.Carbon is contained in all organic compounds, which is why carbon is the second most abundant element in the body, accounting for about 18% of body mass. Carbon is found in proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids. Its also found in carbon dioxide.Hydrogen atoms are the most numerous type of atom in a human, but because they are so light, they only make up around 10% of the  mass. Hydrogen is in water, plus its an important electron carrier.Nitrogen is about 3.3% of body mass. Its found in proteins and nucleic acids.Calcium accounts for 1.5% of body mass. Its used to build bones and teeth, plus its important for muscle contraction. Phosphorus is about 1% of body mass. This element is found in nucleic acids. Breaking bonds connecting phosphate molecules is a major component of energy transfer.Potassium is around 0.2-0.4% of the mass of a person. Its used in nerve conduction. Potassium is a key cation or positively-charged ion in the body.Sulfur is found in some amino acids and proteins. Its about 0.2-0.3% of body mass.Sodium, like potassium, is a positively-charged ion. Its about 0.1-0.2% of body mass. Sodium helps regulate the electrolyte balance in the body and maintain homeostasis with respect to the volume of water in the blood and cells.Although aluminum and silicon are abundant in the earths crust, they are found in trace amounts in the human body.Other trace elements include metals, which are often cofactors for enzymes. Trace elements include iron, cobalt, zinc, iodine, selenium, and flourine. Element Percent by Mass Oxygen 65 Carbon 18 Hydrogen 10 Nitrogen 3 Calcium 1.5 Phosphorus 1.2 Potassium 0.2 Sulfur 0.2 Chlorine 0.2 Sodium 0.1 Magnesium 0.05 Iron, Cobalt, Copper, Zinc, Iodine trace Selenium, Fluorine minute amounts Sources Anke M. (1986). Arsenic. In: Mertz W. ed., Trace elements in human and Animal Nutrition, 5th ed. Orlando, FL: Academic Press. pp. 347-372.Chang, Raymond (2007). Chemistry, Ninth Edition. McGraw-Hill. pp. 52.Emsley, John (2011). Natures Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide to the Elements. OUP Oxford. p. 83. ISBN 978-0-19-960563-7.Subcommittee on the Tenth Edition of the Recommended Dietary Allowances, Food and Nutrition Board; Commission on Life Sciences, National Research Council (February 1989). Recommended Dietary Allowances: 10th Edition. National Academies Press. ISBN 978-0-309-04633-6.Zumdahl, Steven S. and Susan A. (2000). Chemistry, Fifth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 894. ISBN 0-395-98581-1.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Analyzing an image Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Analyzing an image - Essay Example An ad persuades or turns off potentials buyers. Toyota Camry commercial entails strong, credible, and attractive message for the probable target market. Largely, the message crafted in the ad is effective. The ad involves different photos, clear messages, events, and geographic features that appeal to the relevant customer senses. For example, the advert encompasses the entreaties to pathos, logos, and ethos. The selection of language and phrases in the ad significantly influences the viewer’s emotional appeal, emotional response, thus enhancing the efficiency. Particularly, broken bridge and phrase, which highlights that a single bold choice opens other opportunities for advancement, is effective, context specific, and provides motivation for the buyers and users of the car. The ad involves the use of clear structures, colorful pictures, and information that offers consistency for the audience. Furthermore, the interplay of the highlighted events such as dog rescue, bridge, and escape with evidence offer distinctive claim and enable the buyers to make logic reasons. The broken bridge, relaxed female and the rescued dog supports the precision of Toyota products in all terrains across the world. By observing and reading, the bold letters emphasize importance of the vehicle. Hence, the ad provides a clear message of dependability, sincerity and durability of Toyota Camry spells out. Besides, ethos emanates the posters appealing style of dispatch and tone. Thus, the ad provides viewers with opportunity to visualize the actual car and make comparisons of the past, present and future replicas. The approach suggestively guides sound decision-making process when purchasing the car. In this context, the picture of the girl shows audacity in pursuit of a beneficial outcome. Hence, the picture translates that Toyota Camry improves livelihood and performs better than competing car

Friday, October 18, 2019

Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development Essay - 2

Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development - Essay Example However, the concept is accepted to be widely different from the philosophy of entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs, although it was derived from the term entrepreneurs. The philosophy of ‘Social Entrepreneurship’ gained its existence in the world of business and innovation in the past centuries and is still practiced in the modern phenomenon by the youth, the women, and other business representatives as well. In the present century, social entrepreneurs, unlike other entrepreneurs, opt to eradicate a level of the social limitations by utilising the available resources in their community. Therefore, the term stands for those innovative and creative representatives who can identify social demands and obstacles, and provide an answer to the problem as well. Additionally, social entrepreneurs are also known for one of their major characteristic, i.e. to bring a change in the community they participate. As stated by David Bornstein, "Social entrepreneurs identify resources where people only see problems. They view the villagers as the solution, not the passive beneficiary. They begin with the assumption of competence and unleash resources i n the communities theyre serving." 1 With a given perspective of the 21st century, social entrepreneurs have multidimensional features. Such as, the social entrepreneurs have to satisfy the social needs along with their personal needs using an unbiased perception. They also need to engage themselves into a never ending improvement. In this regard, they need to identify the present resources in an efficient manner. Therefore, social entrepreneurship has evolved as the way to social entrepreneurs who play a crucial role in bringing a revolution in the social aspect. 2 According to J. Gregory Dees, Social Entrepreneurs have features which are incomparable to that of the entrepreneurs. One major difference is that entrepreneurs are the construction heads of profit seeking concerns while the social entrepreneurs are the

Organisational Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Organisational Behaviour - Essay Example An informal group is defined as an association of individuals pooled toward the objective of sharing knowledge and views. Secondly, organisational culture in a broad sense refers to the ‘character’ of an organisation. Informal Groups Generally, an informal group belongs to a work group in an organisation and it may not possess a formal structure. Despite its unorganised feature, the group members will have common interests and attitudes. To define, an informal group is not just a collection of people but indicates an internal social structure that gives emphasis on friendship relations rather than official relations (Employee motivation). Obviously organisations contain lot of informal groups. Even big issues can be easily tackled by people working together informally if they are very responsive to events. While dealing with urgent local issues, informal groups can be the best ones since they can easily recognise the actual cause of the issue. According to Bassy (2002, p.27), the idea of informal group came to light at the Hawthorne plant of the Western Electric Company in Chicago. This study was conducted by Elton Mayo, Roethlisberger, and Dickson. Functions of an informal group An informal group carries out functions both for individual workers and their employing organisation. The informal group conducts group discussions in order to come with the group’s vision, mission, and set of goal (Informal groups). After setting certain set of goals, they are broken down into short term and long term goals as this strategy assists the group to evaluate ideas and thereby add value to group performance. As Chaneta (2006) points out, the informal groups mainly functions to deal with employee issues. The most important function of an informal group is to meet the worksite security needs of its members. Every employee has the right to get satisfactory and safety worksite environment. There are certain situations when an employee is forced to work under dangerous worksite conditions. For instance, sometimes employees are compelled to work without safety equipments in a factory where there is a chance of chemical exposure. Under such circumstances, the employees ar e at higher risk of adverse worksite conditions. However, this type of issue can be effectively resolved if organisation contain active informal groups. Here, the group members discuss their problems and inform their suggestions to top management; the group power drives the management to respond to the issue immediately. Similarly, solving conflicts among the employees is another major function of informal groups. Nowadays, due to tough market competition, organisations tend to make the worksite atmosphere more strict and productive. This management policy may impose additional stress on workers and naturally it would lead to workplace conflicts. However, informal groups can more effectively deal with worksite conflicts than the management. Likewise, the informal groups serve organisational interests also. Every organisation aims at making its workers maximum productive and thereby increases the profitability. The informal groups functions to encourage its members to be innovative. Although the group’s fundamental objective is the betterment of employees, ultimately it contributes to organisational efficiency. For instance, employees’ innovative ideas may assist the organisation to reduce its cost of production or to more efficiently deal with day to day operations. Although informal groups also try

Chemicals and Nanotechnology in Water Purification Essay

Chemicals and Nanotechnology in Water Purification - Essay Example As a result, various industries and other interest groups have hugely invested in nanotechnology researchers as this technology is predicted to be a better alternative to the existing chemical treatments. One of the major issues is that the world has been facing severe water pollution and paucity issues over the last two decades. The existing chemical treatments for water purification have been outdated due to their complexity and higher cost. This paper identifies that nanotechnology is a better alternative to the existing chemical treatments as this technology is more cost efficient and eco-friendly. Contents Abstract Introduction 1 1. Chemical treatments for water purification 2 1.1 Advantages 2 1.2 Disadvantages 3 2. Nanotechnology for water purification 5 2.1 Advantages 6 2.2 Disadvantages 8 3. Discussion 8 Conclusion 10 Reference 11 Introduction Freshwater is essential for human survival and it is a crucial component in many key industries such as electronics, pharmaceuticals, and food. The world is facing potential challenges in meeting the mounting demands of freshwater due to population growth, extended droughts, increased consumption, environmental pollution, and stringent health-based regulations. Hence, in order to meet the growing freshwater needs of a huge global population, new methods of water purification have to be invented. Traditionally, industries have been using a variety of chemical treatments to purify water. Recently, nanotechnology has emerged as an alternative to the traditional way of water purification. To define, â€Å"nanotechnology is the systematic manipulation, production or alteration of structures, systems, materials, or components in the range of atomic or molecular dimensions with/into nanoscale dimensions between 1 nm and 100 nm† (Sepeur 2008, p.14). In addition to water purification, the nanotechnology has a wide variety of applications. Major applications of nanotechnology include diagnostics, drug delivery, cryon ics, reduction of energy consumption, efficient energy production, nuclear accident cleanup, information and communication applications, aerospace technologies, construction, foods, household, optics agriculture, and sports. While evaluating the nanotechnology developments to date, it seems that this technology will be widely used for water purification in the near future as this method has numerous competitive advantages over traditional chemical treatments.This paper will critically compare the efficiency of chemical methods and nanotechnology in water purification with specific reference to advantages and disadvantages of both the techniques. This paper will also explore the future scope of nanotechnology in water purification. 1. Chemical treatments for water purification Various industries have been using different methods with different degrees of effectiveness to purify water. Main chemical treatments for water purification are coagulation and flocculation, sedimentation, slu dge storage and removal, dissolved air flotation, filtration, and disinfection.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Critical Theory Today - Critical Analysis Paper Research

Critical Theory Today - Critical Analysis - Research Paper Example Hence each individual has a difference story to tell especially if we belong to different groups. The reason why group membership is important to Delgado is because primarily two kinds of groups exist, the In-Group and the Out-Group. The In-group is loosely defined as mainstream society but more importantly, the in-group is the group in power and the group that runs the show. Consequently, the out-group is the group that is marginalized from mainstream society as well as the group that faces the brunt of social discrimination and is often subject to patterns of social hegemony and oppression (Crenshaw et al.). Delgado’s work on the Homo-Narran was a huge achievement for not only critical race theorist but postmodernist as well. He helped define how humans act on others. While postmodernist such a Foucault believes that we act on ideologies, Delgado helped define where ideologies develop and thus how we deconstruct them (Crenshaw et al.). This sort of social stratification is s een in modern America today, as the media portrays the boundaries of the in-group through its idealization of â€Å"what is cool†. This means that individuals who do fit the criteria of cool are marginalized and pushed to the boundaries of the social sphere. To summarize the main concepts or Critical race theory, there are three main characteristics. First, that racism is ordinary, not aberrational (â€Å"normal science†), the usual way society functions, the frequent, everyday experience of most people of color (Crenshaw et al.). Second, most would concur that our system of white-over-color ascendancy serves important purposes, both psychological and material. The first feature, ordinariness, means that racism is difficult to cure or redress. Color-blind, or â€Å"formal†, conceptions of equality, expressed in rules that insist only on treatment that is the same across the board can thus remedy only the most blatant forms of discrimination such as mortgage redl ining or the refusal to hire a black Ph.D. rather than a white high school dropout (Crenshaw et al.). The second feature, sometimes called â€Å"interest convergence† or â€Å"material determinism†, adds a further dimension. Because racism advances the interests of both white elites and working-class people, large segments of society have little incentive to eradicate it. Consider Derrick Bell’s proposal that Brown v. Board of Education, considered a great triumph of civil rights litigation, may have resulted more from the self-interest of elite whites than a desire to help blacks (Crenshaw et al.). Lastly, the third theme of critical race theory, the â€Å"social construction† thesis, holds that race and races are products of social thought and relations. Not objective, inherent, or fixed, they correspond to no biological or genetic reality; rather, races are categories that society invents, manipulates, or retires when convenient. People with common ori gins share certain physical traits,

Human_Resource_Development_in_UAE 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human_Resource_Development_in_UAE 2 - Essay Example This shall help generate ideas about the significance of employee retention in public and private organizations in UAE in regard to HRD. This would also serve as a practical guide for managers working in different sectors in UAE. While examining these concepts of HRM, it is important to instill an understanding, whether if these elements of Human Resource Development are an integral part of UAE or not. Due to increasing number of foreign workers in UAE, the concept of training and development is not seen incorporated by the public and private sectors. This argument is debatable and is subject to scrutiny. Research indicates that Human Resource Development is serving as a challenge in many sectors in UAE but the Strategic Plan, 2015 that was instilled by the government is focusing on the shortcomings in the management practices (Data Matrix Group, 2014). This plan hopes to cater all private and public sector regarding organizational policies and growth. It is also seen that UAE has taken initiative in incorporating a strategic plan to overcome skills shortages and promote training and development in organizations (Sinha, 2004). In order to develop the concept of HRD in the country, the employers of public and private sectors are required to first impart awareness regarding training and development and then initiate such programs that address this concept. According to Storey & Sisson (1993), training makes an employee more motivated to work pro-actively in their workforce as it polishes their cognitive, technical and interpersonal skills. According to Bateman & Strasser, (1984, p. 95), training gives rise to organizational commitment which is an important part of an organization which is multi-dimensional and demonstrates an employee’s loyalty to the organization. An employee who is committed to attaining organizational goals is supposedly more satisfied with his performance. Moreover, he also makes an effort to maintain this relationship by working

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Chemicals and Nanotechnology in Water Purification Essay

Chemicals and Nanotechnology in Water Purification - Essay Example As a result, various industries and other interest groups have hugely invested in nanotechnology researchers as this technology is predicted to be a better alternative to the existing chemical treatments. One of the major issues is that the world has been facing severe water pollution and paucity issues over the last two decades. The existing chemical treatments for water purification have been outdated due to their complexity and higher cost. This paper identifies that nanotechnology is a better alternative to the existing chemical treatments as this technology is more cost efficient and eco-friendly. Contents Abstract Introduction 1 1. Chemical treatments for water purification 2 1.1 Advantages 2 1.2 Disadvantages 3 2. Nanotechnology for water purification 5 2.1 Advantages 6 2.2 Disadvantages 8 3. Discussion 8 Conclusion 10 Reference 11 Introduction Freshwater is essential for human survival and it is a crucial component in many key industries such as electronics, pharmaceuticals, and food. The world is facing potential challenges in meeting the mounting demands of freshwater due to population growth, extended droughts, increased consumption, environmental pollution, and stringent health-based regulations. Hence, in order to meet the growing freshwater needs of a huge global population, new methods of water purification have to be invented. Traditionally, industries have been using a variety of chemical treatments to purify water. Recently, nanotechnology has emerged as an alternative to the traditional way of water purification. To define, â€Å"nanotechnology is the systematic manipulation, production or alteration of structures, systems, materials, or components in the range of atomic or molecular dimensions with/into nanoscale dimensions between 1 nm and 100 nm† (Sepeur 2008, p.14). In addition to water purification, the nanotechnology has a wide variety of applications. Major applications of nanotechnology include diagnostics, drug delivery, cryon ics, reduction of energy consumption, efficient energy production, nuclear accident cleanup, information and communication applications, aerospace technologies, construction, foods, household, optics agriculture, and sports. While evaluating the nanotechnology developments to date, it seems that this technology will be widely used for water purification in the near future as this method has numerous competitive advantages over traditional chemical treatments.This paper will critically compare the efficiency of chemical methods and nanotechnology in water purification with specific reference to advantages and disadvantages of both the techniques. This paper will also explore the future scope of nanotechnology in water purification. 1. Chemical treatments for water purification Various industries have been using different methods with different degrees of effectiveness to purify water. Main chemical treatments for water purification are coagulation and flocculation, sedimentation, slu dge storage and removal, dissolved air flotation, filtration, and disinfection.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Human_Resource_Development_in_UAE 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human_Resource_Development_in_UAE 2 - Essay Example This shall help generate ideas about the significance of employee retention in public and private organizations in UAE in regard to HRD. This would also serve as a practical guide for managers working in different sectors in UAE. While examining these concepts of HRM, it is important to instill an understanding, whether if these elements of Human Resource Development are an integral part of UAE or not. Due to increasing number of foreign workers in UAE, the concept of training and development is not seen incorporated by the public and private sectors. This argument is debatable and is subject to scrutiny. Research indicates that Human Resource Development is serving as a challenge in many sectors in UAE but the Strategic Plan, 2015 that was instilled by the government is focusing on the shortcomings in the management practices (Data Matrix Group, 2014). This plan hopes to cater all private and public sector regarding organizational policies and growth. It is also seen that UAE has taken initiative in incorporating a strategic plan to overcome skills shortages and promote training and development in organizations (Sinha, 2004). In order to develop the concept of HRD in the country, the employers of public and private sectors are required to first impart awareness regarding training and development and then initiate such programs that address this concept. According to Storey & Sisson (1993), training makes an employee more motivated to work pro-actively in their workforce as it polishes their cognitive, technical and interpersonal skills. According to Bateman & Strasser, (1984, p. 95), training gives rise to organizational commitment which is an important part of an organization which is multi-dimensional and demonstrates an employee’s loyalty to the organization. An employee who is committed to attaining organizational goals is supposedly more satisfied with his performance. Moreover, he also makes an effort to maintain this relationship by working

Afghanistan Taliban Regime Essay Example for Free

Afghanistan Taliban Regime Essay The motion picture Osama really has the capacity to move anyone’s heart. Unsurprisingly, it garnered awards and commendations from several award-giving bodies in the film industry (Ebert 500). However, the bonafide intention of this motion flick is for the world to know the story of women under the Afghanistan Taliban regime. Moreover, women and young girls suffered so much misery under the sadistic governance of Taliban people. Real life story such as this reflects that women from some parts of the world have little freedom or truly there is no liberty at all. We are on the era where everything seems so easy to achieve and women have the power to rule things within their hands. However, many female individuals including Afghan women take so many years before they can do something for their own welfare. Afghanistan is severely devastated from the past hostilities and so as the Afghan women. No doubt that Afghanistan is one of the most poverty-stricken countries on earth. Nevertheless, the mortality rate of both maternal and child are extremely below par which is considered to be the second highest among nations in the world. Women’s literacy is beyond acceptable rate for the reason that they are not given enough education. So to speak, only few female individuals are given the chance to study and participate in building the nation. During the Taliban’s dictatorship, female population is strictly discriminated in many aspects. Women and girls do not have enough access to employment, education and most especially to health care facilities. Inadequate medical assistance worsens the circumstances of pregnant women and newborn child. Malnutrition among Afghan people also increases every month and the unacceptable governance of the Taliban regime aggravates the present condition. There is a very small portion of female population who are lucky enough to receive informal primary education. Even the education system of the opposite gender is also affected by the prohibition of female employment because most of the educators are women. Since the Talibans take charge of the Afghan government, education system starts to descend. Apparently, fewer educated individuals mean lesser chance of getting a descent job. Women are not able to travel or wander alone so those widowed women and single women who participate as the head of the family are well affected. A male relative must accompany a female family member at all times or else the latter will be captured and put into jail. Another thing that disregards women’s contribution in building a nation is when a decree was issued by the Taliban regime banning women from driving vehicles in any form. Women’s seclusion in their homes is an obvious chauvinism of the Taliban government. Several reports of harassments and physical assaults are also perceived among Afghan women. The closing stage of Osama breaks my heart. As I see the finale, my mind starts to contemplate what would happen to Osama now that she has to be a wife of an old man. Osama’s so young to live through things which are not really meant to be. She must not be in that situation. Moreover, she must still be studying or perhaps enjoying her life as a kid. Women are not objects that can compensate a person’s debt to other people. Women are part of this world, they give life. Their presence is very significant in each and every one. Without these women, there will be no tomorrow. Mr. Siddiq Barmak, the director of the film leaves the viewer to hang into something that would strengthen one’s hope and faith. He believes that life is a journey and each road leads us to a situation where we need to choose what we think what’s best for us. He clearly reminded the spectators that though we’re on the side of the world where we only see how the sun shines and sets, there is also another half of the world who could not get a glimpse of the sun until now. He effectively strikes a chord to wake up the other side of world to lend a hand to let the dying Afghan women and children to experience freedom and live a normal life. Warfare among women and children must be ended and democracy among people must win to end this kind of battle. The battle to raise children and women’s welfare isn’t over. This is just the beginning – when realization takes place. Work Cited Ebert, Roger. Roger Ebert’s Movie Yearbook. Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2008.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Pushing Boundaries in Film and Literature

Pushing Boundaries in Film and Literature Assessment Task: Identify and discuss how literature and film are tools of transgression in Tropic of Cancer (novel), Lolita (novel) and Modern Times (film). To discover the complete horizon of a societys symbolic values, it is also necessary to map out its transgressions, interrogate its deviants, discern phenomena of rejection and refusal, and circumscribe the silent mouths that unlock upon underlying knowledge and implicit. ~Marcel Detienne, Dionysos Slain (cited in Oberoi 1992, p.363) Pushing boundaries have always been a major concern in art, whether it is literature, film, music, or painting. This paper will focus on two of the major art forms which are literature and film. They are used by two of the greatest authors of the twentieth century, Vladimir Nabokov and Henry Miller, and one of the most significant figures in the film industry, Charlie Chaplin, as tools of transgression that interrogate the boundaries and constraints created by society. According to Julian Wolfreys (2008, pp.1-3) transgression is the very pulse that constitutes our identities. Transgression is the act of breaking a law, committing a crime or sin, doing something illegal, or otherwise acting in some manner proscribed by the various forms or institutions of Law in societies, whether secular or religious, all of which have histories and which themselves are mutable, self-translating. Additionally, Wolfreys explains that the transgressive actions or attitudes of a character can frequently be worked out not through the characters identity solely, but also in the form (or let us call it identity) of the literary text in question. In Vladimir Nabokovs novel Lolita and Henry Millers Tropic of Cancer, sexuality is used as a tool of transgression to challenge the limits of socially accepted convention. In Charlie Chaplins film Modern Times, the industrialization is used to emphasize the danger that modern technology brings upon people by transforming them into working units, and that machinery is used solely for profit. The conflation of Millers sexually saturated novel, Nabokovs seductive composition, and Chaplins instigative film form the perfect study object to explore the nature of transgression, which is perceived in both novels and the film not as intentionally morally corrupt, but as an opposition to social convention. The tools used by Miller, Nabokov, and Chaplin, in order to convey their visions, are the language and the power of imagery. In Lolita (1955), the readers are tempted, seduced, and simultaneously threatened by Humberts manipulation and aesthetic transcendence where he has only words to play with (Nabokov 1980, p.32). Humberts story is a confession composed of words that are able to seduce the reader in the same way as he seduces Lolita. The threat of Humberts words is that, unconsciously, the reader may fall for his confession which, as Vanity Fair (LA Times 1998) argues, is the only convincing love story of our century. Moreover, the readers can take part in the novels action through its imagery when Humbert invites them to participate in the scene (Nabokov, p.56) where he is about to seduce his nymphet. Lolita nonchalantly places her legs across Humberts lap while showing him an image of a surrealist painter relaxing, supine, on a beach, and near him, likewise supine, a plaster replica of Venus di Milo, half-buried in sand (p.58). As Humbert perceives everything through the lens of art, including and esp ecially his Lolita, she can be associated with Venus di Milo who is Humberts ideal of beauty; not as a mature woman though, but as a young girl whom Humbert loves so much that he desires her sexually. Karshan (Boyle Evans 2008, p.98) argues that Lolita exposes the sinister potential of the cult of the child in post-Romantic art: that it protects children by making them lovable, but by making them too lovable risks making them desirable, and so places them in danger. While Lolita sits in his lap, Humbert cannot resist the urge to masturbate, himself admitting that he was in a state of excitement bordering on insanity (Nabokov, p.58). Although no explicit language was used to portray the actual scene, it should not be forgotten that the reason of Humberts delicious distention (p.59) is a twelve year old girl. Humberts assertion that he had done nothing to her [Lolita] [and that] Lolita had been safety solipsized (p.59), moreover, that nothing could prevent him from repeating the scene, comes in direct opposition to Karshans observations that children who fall prey to adults pervert desires, are in great danger. Wolfreys (p.14) points out that the novels, plays or films seek to work through the paradox that one transgresses because ones survival is threatened by what, to many, is convention or normative behavior. That which is considered to be an important feature of the nature of transgression is the way in which it affirms the limitlessness into which it leaps (Foucault 1977, p.35), in this instance, of seducing the reader and the viewer where, if [they] do not watch out, the real murderer may turn out to be, to [their] disgust, artistic originality (Nabokov 1980, p.311). In Lolita, originality is the one that annihilate convention therefore artistic originality can be referred to as destroyer of convention. AlthoughHumbert is a murderer and a paedophile who, besides words, uses also physical violence to subjugate Lolita: In fact [I] hurt her rather badly (ibid, p.203), and rapes her countless times, he is identified with artistic originality. Through originality and artistic innovation, Humbert succeeds to project his techniques of rhetorical seduction not only on Lolita, but on the reader too: I faked interest by bringing my head so close that [Lolitas] hair touched my temple and her arm brushed my cheek as she wiped her lips with her wrist (p.57). The affiliation of originality with criminality can be seen as a tool of transgression. Furthermore, the reader is invited to raise ethical questions, though, at the same time they are rejected through parody in the same way as physical comedy is used and parodised in Humberts struggle to open the pharmacys door: [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] in front of the first drugstore, I saw with what melody of relief! Lolitas fair bicycle waiting for her. I pushed instead of pulling, pulled, pushed, pulled, and entered (p.204), as well as romanticism and romantic love is: [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] my Lolita [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] stretched towards me two bare arms, raised one knee: Carry me upstairs, please. I feel sort of romantic tonight (pp.205-206). The role reversal of the seducer it actually blindfolds Humbert into following Lolitas machinations for their second journey. In this scene, Lolita is empowered hence she transforms into a twelve year old girl-temptress and thus putting an entirely new spin on the nightmare of child rape (Winchell 2002, p.329). At this stage, Lolita holds complete power not only over Humberts lustful body, but over his imagination too. In his mad love for Lolita, Humbert, a thirty-seven year old adult does not realize that not the role that she played in the school play has trained her into certain affectations, but Humbert himself and her longing to escape from him. Millers Tropic of Cancer (1934)breaks with the English literary tradition (Shapiro 1961, p.xii), its tools of transgression being the obscene language as well as the imagery used to portray the chronicle of a man who is happy (p.xi), who reaches his aspiration of becoming an artist. The novel is considered an important milestone in the development of the autobiographical novel (Shute 2002, online) from the point of view that the artist who, through the power of graphic descriptions, can shock and push the reader out of the literary complacency (ibid). Frequently, at a first glance, the ideas presented in the novel may seem trivial: We have evolved a new cosmogony of literature, Boris and I. It is to be a new Bible-The Last Book. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] After us not another book (Miller 1961, p.26), though through a close reading the depth of their meaning have a tremendous impact with a new sort of understanding. The suggestion that a whole new world could be created through the power of t he written word signifies the idea of an apocalypse and the rebirth of the world itself. As Foucault (1977, p.30) argues, Profanation in a world which no longer recognizes any positive meaning in the sacred-is this not more or less what we may call transgression? The creation of a new Bible which instigates to rape, to murder (Miller 1961, p.27) may appear as a criminal offense to the humanity itself, though it is rather a direct affront to the contemporary way of life. Miller does not write about the world, Miller is showing the world as it exists (Bursey 2015, p.164). The sacred was and still is considered to be that which the profane should not reach. On the whole, sacred is associated with religion, therefore sacredness [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] denotes religiosity (Jenks 2003, p.29). However, in a world where the form of the sacred has become more diluted thus less recognisable, transgression as the nature of the social reaction is just a mere attempt to restore the common values and n ormative constraints. In Tropic of Cancer it is more than obvious that obscenity which most often connotes excess, violence and transgression (Mavor cited in Mey 2007, p.5) is used as a violation of the aforementioned normative constraints, thus obscenity can be seen as a violation of the societal boundaries. In Tropic of Cancer Miller reveals and implies sexual purity not as real eroticism rather he divulges sexuality just as it is: a bone in [his] prick six inches long [to] ream out every wrinkle in [Tanias] cunt (Miller 1961, p.5). Throughout the novel Miller does not try to conceal the events that take place in his life, contrariwise he writes his real life experiences of how he walks the streets, how he tries to find money, food, how he meets his friends, how he sleeps with whores, and even getting an erection looking at the dumb statues (p.16). Millers literature juggles on a string between sexuality and civilization, his literature it transgresses the limits of decency and it takes the freedom to s ay that which is considered to be taboo. Society does not allow openly expressed sexuality through words, as such expression of freedom might undermine the societys authority and thus societys structure itself. Although there have always been huge controversy on the sexual topics of Tropic of Cancer, the relationship of its author with the traditions of literature and art cannot be denied. The development of the artist is one the novels major themes, thus art is implied as being the artists way of living, and if sex and sexuality smoothes the artists path to fulfilling his destiny, then so be it, Nabokovs (p.257) words that sex is but the ancilla of art might be the a reasonable solution when trying to understand Millers world. Modern Times (1936), with the foreword: A story of industry of individual enterprise ~ humanity crusading in the pursuit of happiness (min. 1.07) is considered to be a comedic masterpiece written and directed by Charlie Chaplin. Although it is a fusion of slapstick, which is comedy based on deliberately clumsy actions and humorously embarrassing events:slapstick humour (Oxford Dictionaries), and satire, the film deals with major themes that encompass the turmoil of the 1930s American society, such as The American Dream, the effects of the Great Depression, mechanization and mass production, anarchy and rebellion, poverty, food, and hunger. By 1936Chaplin was already well known for his film directing, some of his most important films are The Kid (1921), The Gold Rush (1925), City Lights (1931), though Modern Times is Chaplins first overtly political film with dangerously meaningful (Nugent 1936) intertitles and imagery. Chaplin is using intertitles, the sound being substituted by the exaggerated character of the gesture and the reliance on miming that leads to an emphasis on acting. The opening scene of the film is showing a flock of white sheep being guided by an unseen force (min. 1.20) towards an unseen location, with a single black sheep among them symbolising The Tramp, the anarchist of the society who resents control. The scene is complemented by the marching music that leads to the next scene of the film showing a mass of people going to work (min. 1.30), driven by the same unseen force. The metaphor implemented by the association of people with domesticated animals that obey their master has a great impact on viewers, its statement being that people are controlled by industrialization and mechanization therefore they must accept, obey, and let themselves be controlled by the ruler, and that is the minority of the system that creates the rules. On the concept that, in order to provide for a living, humanity is forced to adjust to mechanization and machines, in the same way the tyranny of the technology is forcing people to become robotic machines themselves. The theme of mechanization that enslaves the man is emphasised in the first section of the film where the workers are being monitored (min. 2.39) by the President of the Electro Steel Corp. factory through giant monitors. Furthermore, the people must work at a pace imposed by nothing else than a machine, though the one who commands the speeding up of the working pace is the factorys Director: Section five, speed her up! 401 (min. 2.59). The working scene is filled with comedy, though when The Tramps tool gets stuck on a nut he cannot manage to release it on time, thus his coworker, by mistake, hits The Tramps hand with the hammer. At this point the whole working process must be stopped, the supervisor intervenes, and when The Tramp reports his bulky colleague, the latte r kicks him as a punishment. It is worth mentioning that The Tramp does not show any fear, contrariwise he hits his colleague back (min. 4.35), his gesture signifying him fighting not only his coworker, but the whole system too. Once again the Director orders the speeding up of the working pace (min. 4.46) which results in The Tramp having a sort of a breakdown and begins to screw everything he sees, from the secretarys skirt buttons to even the comic scene when he chases a woman who has buttons on her dress, on the street (min. 16.15). Bibliography Primary sources: Modern Times,1936 [film]. Directed by Charlie CHAPLIN. USA: United Artists MILLER, H., 1961. Tropic of Cancer. USA: Grove Press, Inc. NABOKOV, V., 1980. Lolita. England: Clays Ltd. Secondary sources: BURSEY, J., 2015. Cartography of the Obscene. In: DECKER, M. J. and I. MÄNNISTE, eds. Henry Miller: New Perspectives. (p.164). New York: Bloomsbury Publishing Inc. [online] [viewed: 27 Dec 16]. Available from: https://books.google.co.uk FOUCAULT, M., 1977. A Preface to Transgression. In: FOUCAULT, M., eds. Language, Counter-Memory, Practice: Selected Essays and Interviews. (p.30). USA: Cornell University Press. [online] [viewed: 22 Dec 16]. Available from: https://books.google.co.uk JENKS, C., 2003. Transgression. (p.29). London: Routledge KARSHAN, T., 2008. Vladimir Nabokovs Lolita and Free Play. In: BOYLE, E. and A.-M. EVANS, eds. Reading America: New Perspectives on the American Novel. (p.98). Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. [online] [viewed: 22 Dec 16]. Available from: https://books.google.co.uk MEY, K., 2007. Art and Obscenity. (p.5). London: Tauris Co. Ltd. [online library] [viewed: 02 Jan 17]. Available from: http://site.ebrary.com/lib/solent/reader.action?docID=10178014ppg=11 OBEROI, H., 1992. Popular Saints, Goddesses, and Village Sacred Sites: Rereading Sikh Experience in the Nineteenth Century. JSTOR (p.363). USA: The University of Chicago Press. [online] [viewed: 19 Dec 16]. Available from: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1062800?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents ONLINE OXFORD DICTIONARIES. [viewed: 3 Jan 17]. Available at: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/slapstick WOLFREYS, J., 2008. Transgression: Identity, Space, Time. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. [online] [viewed: 19 Dec 16]. Available from: https://books.google.co.uk/books Online articles: NUGENT, F. S., 1936. Heralding the Return, After and Undue Absence, of Charlie Chaplin in Modern Times. The New York Times. [online] [viewed: 3 Jan 17]. Available from: http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9403E3DE153FEE3BBC4E53DFB466838D629EDE SHATTUCK, R., 1998. The Alibi of Art: What Baudelaire, Nabokov and Quentin Tarantino Have in Common. Los Angeles Times, (p.4). [online] [viewed: 20 Dec 16]. Available from: http://articles.latimes.com/1998/apr/26/books/bk-42992/4