Climate Change and Global Warming Essay

Cause Climatologists, who predict short and long-term climate trends, believe carbon dioxide and other emissions, mainly from industrial and commercial activity over the last two centuries, have altered the Earth’s atmosphere. This change has caused a â€Å"greenhouse effect† which is rapidly warming the planet. Effects The predicted effects of global warming include the melting of polar ice caps; a significant rise in sea levels; more extreme weather events; a reduction in agricultural land; water shortages; food shortages; loss of rain forests; and more species becoming extinct. Solutions Scientists believe all nations must take immediate and urgent action to dramatically reduce carbon emissions. Technological solutions have been proposed, ranging from â€Å"carbon scrubbers† that remove carbon from the atmosphere and reduce greenhouse gases to placing giant mirrors in space to reflect enough sunlight to cool down the planet. Controversy Although an overwhelming majority of scientists accept the man-made global warming theory, a minority have questioned this consensus. They suggest that man’s impact on the climate is negligible and that global warming is wholly the result of natural cycles. David Kennedy, nd. Basic Causes of Global Warming Retrieved February 27, 2013 from http://www.ehow.com/about_5057613_basic-causes-global-warming.html Basic Causes of Global Warming Greenhouse Effect When sunlight hits the Earth some is absorbed but most is reflected. The greenhouse effect is when sunlight escaping back into space is absorbed by gases in the atmosphere and then reflected back onto the Earth’s surface. Most greenhouse gas is water vapor, but other gases that contribute to it include carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and other gases that have a less significant impact. Carbon Dioxide According to the U.S. Emissions Inventory 2004 Executive Summary, in 2002 around 40 percent of carbon dioxide emissions were the result of burning coal for electricity. Around 93 percent of the electric utility industry burns coal. Carbon dioxide emissions also come from cars and other vehicles, airplanes and buildings. New technologies, like the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle and hybrid electric vehicles, are some solutions for minimizing vehicle carbon dioxide emissions. Methane Methane is the second largest contributor to the greenhouse effect. Methane is a natural byproduct of living organisms and is produced by plants and bovine flatulence. Bacteria decomposing organic material also produce methane. According to the U.S. Emissions Inventory 2004 Executive Summary, methane levels have increased by 145 percent in the last 100 years. In the United States, all rice fields are grown in flooded areas which produce methane gases. Deforestation Deforestation is the process of clearing forests, either rainforest or temperate forests. The burning of forests is responsible for up to 25 percent of carbon dioxide emissions. This is the result of clearing and cutting nearly 34 million acres a year. Forests are also important because they convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. So while carbon dioxide emissions increase, the lack of forests is making the number increase faster. Permafrost Permafrost is a layer of land and soil that has been frozen and kept at freezing temperatures or below. In many northern climates like Alaska, Canada and Siberia, the permafrost layer of soil holds vast amounts of carbon. What researchers and scientists fear is that the permafrost will warm up and microbes will decompose the soil and release carbon dioxide. Permafrost has absorbed carbon dioxide for thousands of years, but may release it back if thawed. Timothy Sexton,.nd. Global Warming Cause & Effects retrieved February 27, 2013 from http://www.ehow.com/about_4744736_global-warming-cause-effects.html Global Warming Cause & Effects Greenhouse Effect The overriding cause of global warming is an umbrella term known as the â€Å"greenhouse effect.† As the rays of the sun reach Earth, some of the heat is absorbed and some is radiated back into the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere act similarly to a gigantic mirror and reflect warmth back to Earth that in the past would have continued being radiated into space. It is this reflection of heat back to Earth that is at the heart of the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse Gases These greenhouse gases that are responsible for reflecting back heat that would otherwise be lost include simple water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane and the infamous ozone. Unfortunately, there is no way to know exactly which greenhouse gas is most responsible for the greenhouse effect. Cause of Increased Gases The problem of global warming has been caused by the addition of more greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. The gases responsible will rise into the air whether humans are here or not; the problem is that much of basic human activity in the 20th and 21st century produced greenhouse gas at a level never experienced before. Basically, any activity that produces one of the gases listed above is a cause of global warming; everything from driving a car to using electricity. Because trees act as a natural conversion plant to transform carbon dioxide into oxygen, deforestation contributes to global warming because the fewer trees there are, the more carbon dioxide gets into the atmosphere. Effects The effects of global warming are potentially far-ranging. Increased temperatures means melting of glaciers, ice and snow around the poles, which means an increase in sea levels. Warming water will also increase the potential for hurricanes and typhoons so devastating that they will make Hurricane Katrina pale in comparison. That rise in sea levels could also mean that beachfront property will soon be found 10 to 50 miles inland from where beaches are now. Temperatures The average temperature on Earth has been steadily rising since the mid-1980s, and global warming is expected to continue this trend. In addition to longer and hotter summers, rising temperatures will affect agriculture. Indeed, the effect of a hotter Earth is already increasing the transmission of infectious bacteria that thrive under warm conditions. Hoax? There are still a great many people who believe that global warming is simply some kind of politically-created hoax. Those leading the charge against global warming tend to be industry with a vested interest. On the other hand, the list of scientific entities that have agreed on the reality of global warming include, among many others, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Royal Society of the UK.

Foxconn

Just when positive news about Foxhound's efforts in improving the working conditions of its Sheehan factories for the workers and increasing wages was heard this year, the worker's riots in September 23, 2012 at the Foxhound's Taiwan (Shania) factory sparked another global outcry (Roberts, 2012). Foxing is a multinational company based in Taiwan and is one of the world's largest electronics manufacturing company. One of the major clients of Foxing is Apple; others include Sony and Hewlett Packard (Wisped, 012).According to reports by China Labor Watch (201 2), some of the unfair treatment and exploitation carried out by Foxing factories in China include â€Å"excessive overtime hours, forcing workers to work ‘voluntary overtime, maintaining an extremely high level of work intensity by setting the daily production quotas, exercise discrimination by hiring only young and healthy workers, and creating a system in which official resignation is nearly impossible and the only way ou t is to ‘voluntarily/ resign hence forfeiting a significant amount of their final wages (China Labor Watch, 2012).Due to increasing pressures from the media coverage of the suicide cases of its workers and from its image-conscious client (Apple Inc), it was claimed that Foxing had made efforts to improve working conditions by increasing wages of workers and instituting a program called â€Å"Care-Love† (Northern, Culpa and Ghent, 2011). However, after Foxhound's suicide incidents subsided, in 23 September 201 2, it was announced that Foxing Taiwan factory had to shut down production for the day due to rioting of the workers. The event involves around 2000 workers, with more than 40 hospitalized.It was reported that he riot was sparked off by a dispute between two workers, but most likely due to tensions between the guards and workers (Roberts, 2012). This was because the originally insignificant argument between the workers escalated into a riot involving the collective rebellion of thousands of workers only after the security guards of Foxing interfered aggressively with force, causing the situation to get out of hand to the point of requiring 5000 policemen to be dispatched to control the angry workers (Pilling, 2012).This riot has raised concerns about Foxhound's harsh and heavy-handed ways in managing the errors as mentioned by Geoffrey Charcoal, Research Director at Hong Songs China Labor Bulletin. It was reported that the guards constantly monitored the workers closely and spoke fiercely to them in an authoritative manner. There were no communication between the workers and guards, whereby the workers were expected to follow orders and rules without knowing the reasons (Roberts, 2012).Also, the workers work long hours and sleep in dormitories with poor conditions (Ho and Culpa, 2012). It was suspected that the Foxing Taiwan factory workers were forced to work overtime hours to et up with the production due to the recent launch of Apple's pho nes (Pilling 2012). According to a worker interviewed, it was known that Foxing has shifted its production of phones to the factory in Taiwan (Ho and Culpa, 201 2) and its Sheehan factories were now focused on product development (Roberts, 2012).Hence, it seems like though Foxing did improve the situation in its Sheehan factories, its efforts were only limited to the two factories in Sheehan and the other in Changed that were under inspection by Fair Labor Association and under extensive media coverage, hill neglecting its other factories distributed around China. Foxing has around a million workers working in its 13 factories in China (Yen, 2012) and has been expanding its factories into provinces located in the interior of China such as Taiwan, Squeezing, Human and Cocooning (Roberts, 2012).The shift in production may be because labor is about one-third cheaper in inner provinces of China (Northern, Culpa and Ghent, 2011 Sociological Interpretations for the Foxing Worker Riots The workers' riots in Foxing Taiwan factory could be understood from many perspectives, however it all boils down to modernization and capitalism which gave rise to a complex division of labor with an exploitative nature. It all started the rise of a new international division of labor, one that was characterized by the relationship between post-industrial nations and newly industrialized nations, based on exploitation (Serene, 2006).In fact, according to Marxist theory, the underlying logic of capitalism is exploitation (Howard, 2002). While capitalists (owners of production) compete to stay competitive and to achieve the most profit, workers compete to offer the cheapest labor possible, often driven to the level of subsistence. This IS because in this global ere market economy, it is determined based on the survival of the fittest. When there are winners, there will always be losers.We can view this international division of labor as a cycle in which on one side post industrial natio ns continuously experience wealth accumulation through the services and investments they provide via products manufactured with minimum cost, while on the other side the newly industrialized nations are continuously being exploited through their provision of cheap labor and resources (Serene, 2006). However, nations are also interdependent based on modernization and dependency theories.Modernization theory states that â€Å"modernity is needed for the economy to prosper and thus nations need modern technology to break out of poverty† (Serene, 2006). Developing nations need to open up and welcome foreign capital into their market as they will bring in the needed expertise and necessary technology to prosper. Thus, newly industrialized nations compete to attract transnational companies to invest and set up factories in their nations. However, these means offering the cheapest labor possible.At the same time, dependency theory states that the poorer and newly industrialized nati ons were pendent on the post industrial nations, as they brought jobs needed for survival and capital to drive the economy, which also brought domination and exploitation (Serene, 2006). Hence, based on the case in the previous section, it can be interpreted from this international division of labor that Apple Inc seems to be the biggest winner, while Foxing is second to it and the major losers would be the China workers. Apple is the capitalist owner that owns and controls all the products under its brand such as phone 5.In order to achieve the greatest efficiency and lowest production cost, Apple adopts the dead of outsourcing based on the division of labor and national specialization, whereby every an phone is actually a global effort (Serene, 2006). E. G. The phones start out being developed and designed by Apple engineers in California, the sourcing of the components and materials stretch out to different parts of the world, using parts from nine major suppliers in five countri es and then assembled by Foxing in China (The Straits Times, 2012). Thus, Foxhound's role is simply just one of the manufacturers employed by Apple to assemble its products.Apple has the biggest share of the profits, to Foxing. Whereby Apple is the overarching power, dominating Foxing, in turn Foxing dominates the workers due to pressure from Apple to meet production demands and cost budget. In the case illustrated, the workers in Foxing Taiwan factories were rushing out the phones for Apple, due to increasing popularity leading to increasing demands since the launch of the phones. With the market mechanism driven by demand and supply, Apple had to keep up with the demands of their products by producing enough supply.Foxing had no choice but to exploit its workers by making them ark overtime hours of almost 80 hours per month, past the legal limit of 36 hours with hourly wage of around 1 Euro (Deutsche Well, 201 2), and workers were required to sign an overtime working agreement pri or to employment that claims that Foxing is not responsible for their long hours of working. This voluntary agreement was actually used to overrule Chinese State regulation (Change, 2010). The reason was due to the competitive nature bred in the capitalist system and free market economy.Adam Smith mentioned that competition drives efficiency, but Marx also mentioned that capitalism reared a continual crisis of profit for owners (Serene, 2006). Indeed, due to increasing competition from competitors such as Samsung, rising up with its Samsung Galaxy SO, Apple felt the pressure to speed up its productivity' and at the same time maintaining the affordability Of its products. Like all Other multinational corporations, Apple is constantly in search for manufacturers that would allow it to incur the lowest cost. Hence, if Foxing proved to be no longer competitive in offering the lowest manufacturing cost, it will soon be replaced.Driven by competition and desire for profit too, Foxing had to maintain business contacts with Apple and remain attractive to investors and outsourcing companies by constantly relocating its factories to cheaper venues once wages cost too high, even if it means exploiting the workers in order to stay viable. This is because it was either Foxing passing the cost of the products on to the customers like Apple which obviously will deter them away, resulting in loss of profits, or Foxing trying to reduce the cost of the product.Hence, since most production cost including distribution and physical materials are rather inelastic, the only way was to reduce manufacturing costs and this was passed on to the workers meaning lesser wages with more work done (China Labor Watch, 2012). Next, this brings us to the role of the newly industrialized countries (Nick) in this international division of labor, countries that actually compete to attract these capitalists like Apple and Foxing, to relocate their manufacturing plants in their countries with abunda nt cheap labor. One of the Nick would be China.We can try to understand this worldwide competition to be driven by the idea of comparative advantage introduced by David Richard (Serene, 2006). After China's communist leader, Eden Ixia Ping launched the open door policy in China (Chance, 201 0), China obviously had a comparative advantage over the other countries with its huge supply of low cost and unrecognized peasant workers, due to the introduction Of the household based contract system (Stating Launch Changeable Zeroing) that allowed millions of peasant workers from the rural areas to work in urban factories set up by transnational companies (Chance, 2010).China joined in the global competition characterized by the phenomenon â€Å"race to the bottom† (Serene, 2006), gather with other countries to compete to offer the lowest labor cost possible. That was also the start of the widespread labor exploitation in China by the multinational corporations (Macs). Like the other M acs, Foxing saw China's abundant cheap labor attractive. Foxing Taiwan factory is just one of the many factories Foxing has in China.According to dependency theory, China allowed Foxing to exploit its workers as the state depended on Foxing to create jobs. This can be understood with modernization theory too, whereby Foxing locating their factories in China ill bring in the technology needed to modernize, income to the state through taxation, and create jobs for their people who will help drive their economy. Modernization and dependency tend to happen side by side (Serene, 2006).Hence, the dependency between the state of China, Foxing and Apple in the division of labor as explained above and the competitive nature of the capitalist system adopted throughout the world, resulted in exploitation of the workers in Foxing Taiwan factory to be an inevitable consequence of the free market economy. Exploitation led to build up pressure in the workers causing them to riot. This can be under stood from Marxist theory of rising class consciousness (Serene, 2006).Capitalism resulted in growing divide among the people between the rich and the poor, the powerful and the powerless, the people that own and control production and those who could only obey orders silently. Hence, there was a class division in Foxing itself, a division between the exploited workers and the managers, supervisors, guards and all those who have control over the workers. These workers felt oppressed. Their every action was monitored closely by the guards who often use violence on them if they did not obey the ales and orders (Ho and Culpa, 2012).The manager criticized those that too slow and did a bad job, however good performance was never praised. Hence, workers knew they would never advance no matter how hard they work. There was no freedom of speech, only obedience. There was even a slogan hung on the factory walls, â€Å"Outside the laboratory, there is no high technology, there is only obedie nce and discipline† as a kind of corporate culture Foxing promote (Deutsche Well, 2012). However, the workers did not quit their jobs due to their position as vulnerable deskilled workers which an be understood from Marxist theory (Serene, 2006).They worked up to a minimum of 10 hours a day on their routine monotonous work at high intensity, only stopping to eat and sleep (Change, 2010). Overtime, their deskilling work makes them vulnerable as they were easily replaced. Thus, the workers were willing to get exploited rather than lose their jobs. The heavy staff turnover also makes long-lasting relationships impossible, their whole day were spent on nothing but working, left with no time to socialize at all. They came from rural parts of China and live in the on-site dormitories, far away from their families.With no social safety net, these workers have no place to turn to if they lose their jobs which makes them even more vulnerable and manipulative by the capitalists. The ass embly-line work had slowly euthanized the workers (Ramey, 2010). Slowly, a sense of alienation was developed in the workers (Serene, 2006). While the cost of living had increased, their income only managed to increase slightly. The Foxing workers were working on parts of the phone that meant nothing to them as they could not afford them at all.Overtime, these alienated and oppressed workers felt greater solidarity as they belonged to the same exploited class. It was a sense of organic solidarity among the workers, according to Druthers (Serene, 2006). At the same time, with the increased influence of communication devices, social media and increased level of education, there was growing awareness of the better lifestyle richer people around China and other parts of the world led, causing a build-up of dissatisfaction and increased class consciousness.The young workers in Foxing were generally better educated; hence they were more aware and assertive of their rights and had higher ex pectations for work (Roberts, 2012). All these feelings within he workers had contributed to the riot on 23 September 2012. When the guards of Foxing Taiwan factory used force to attempt to control the workers' dispute, it led to the outburst of the growing dissatisfaction of the workers with more than 2000 workers joining in to rebel (Ho and Culpa, 2012).Recently, there had been news that another 3,000 – 4,000 workers were involved in a strike in Foxing Squeezing factory on 5 October, 201 2, Friday afternoon. The reasons were suspected to be due to the unhappiness from the â€Å"over-exacting quality controls and demands to work through the week- Eng National Day holidays† (Reuters, 2012). Hence, it seems like it is evident that there is a growing class consciousness among the Foxing workers due to reasons as explained above. Also, probably due to uprising of riots in China that made them feel embolden and the need to rise up using collective efforts to make their rig hts known.Globalization and the Widespread Exploitation of Labor in China Globalization has allowed the boundaries of national borders to be broken down, it was no longer about individual states, and instead they have integrated into one single global economy (Chance, 2010). The resultant effect was that the global economy has divided the world into only TV classes. The powerful core, made up of wealthy nations, the state government, transnational companies that continuously experience wealth accumulation, and the neglected periphery, made up of struggling poor nations and the working class people who are exploited by the powerful core (Serene, 2006).With this phenomenon, the people could no longer find themselves being protected by the state, because in this global economy, there are only two choices: to be neglected at the periphery or to join the powerful core. Hence, with globalization and the widespread capitalism, the states have decided to join the powerful core with the othe r elites, helping the multinational companies fulfill their insatiable greed for profit, in turn helping themselves fulfill their own needs and wants, ultimately for profit too.The widespread exploitation of the China workers in Foxing all boils down to the state of China being in cahoots with Foxing to fulfill their greed for profits in this one big global economy. Hence, there is a high possibility that the problem lies in the ineffective enforcement of law by the authorities in China. The reason behind this conclusion is the question of why the state did nothing to stop the exploitation of its people, despite being aware of the situation and why no one had successfully filed a lawsuit against Foxing (Yen, 2012).China adopts a socio-political system incorporating ideas of the capitalist system, free market system and party-state authoritarianism; with different government branches integrated together to ensure the centralization of power. This is to enable easy penetration into th e judicial system to undermine justice. Hence, it is not possible for checks and balances ender the centralized system China creates, which makes it very convenient for the authorities who have close relationship with Foxing to manipulate according to their benefits (Yen, 2012).Apteral, China would not hope to force Foxing to retreat from China with all its factories and investments, when Foxing is such a major taxpayer to China and that would mean that more than a million of its people working in these Foxing factories will be unemployed. However, there is the possibility that the exploited workers could harness the power of globalization, to effectively utilize the influence of he new media to let their situation and rights be known.

Gsis Museo Ng Sining Essay

Museo ng Sining was established in April 1996. Its creation is a tribute to the creative endeavors of the contemporary Filipino. Its vision is to help define the growth and glorious flowing of Philippine visual arts. Its objectives are: To collect Philippine art and artistic expressions from the colonial period to the present . To exhibit and document Philippine and non-philippine art and artistic expressions . To heighten art appreciation among the 6SIS personnel and the general public The 6SlS Museo ng Sining functions not only as an exhibition space but as an ducational technology as well. It has the following activities: Permanent exhibition of the 6SlS Art Collection Changing exhibition in the galleries featuring cultural themes and works of new artists Art activities, lectures, workshops, and films focused on the role of art not only as an aesthetic experience but as a significant factor in everyday life 6SIS MUSEUM HELD â€Å"ME-DISINING† EXHIBIT The Government Service Insurance System (6SlS) held an exhibit in honor of the works of Toribio Herrera, one of the pioneers of Philippine painting in the 1920s who set the tone for modern day artists. The exhibit, titled â€Å"MediSining: The Art of Toribio Herrera, MD,† is held at the Upper Gallery of the 6SlS Museum of Art in Pasay City and ran up to November 30, 2009 In his lifetime, Herrera never exhibited his works to the public nor sold a painting as he did not seek monetary rewards for his art. In fact, his very first exhibition was held in 1972, four years after his death. Born in Tondo in 1892, Herrera first graduated in Medicine at the University of Santo Tomas in 1912. Later, he took a second course in Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines, and as eventually accepted to teach there. â€Å"Influenced by a deep understanding of both intricate human anatomy and the profound brush strokes and lines that make up perspective, his paintings are a Joy to behold,† said 6SlS President and General Manager Winston F. Garcia, in appreciation of the works of Herrera. â€Å"His scenes are simple yet very moving. † Herrera was part of the Amorsolo, Castaneda, Miranda Group of Filipino Genre Masters who set the tone of Philippine painting, particularly during the 1920s. We are lucky that in this country, we have our artists, who keep efining us as a country and as a generation,† Mr. Garcia added. SA AMIN MAY SINING The 6SlS Museum, in partnership with Kuta ng Sining, Inc. , also showcased the works of Quezon artists last August 7 to 28, 2009 entitled â€Å"Sa amin may Sining†. The province of Quezon is not only known for its Pahi yas festivity but also for the ingenuity and creativity of its home-grown artists. Featured artists in â€Å"Sa amin may Sining† include Noel P. Bueza, Erick Dator, Norman F. Ragudo, Monnar Baldemor, Jowell Gaela, and Efren D. Nantes. GSIS PAINTING COMPETITION cross the country, gives away hundreds of thousands of pesos each year to showcase the Filipinos’ rich talent in art. For this year’s competition, the 6SlS decided to have an open theme to encourage artists to explore their best in presenting and conceptualizing their artwork entry. The categories for this year’s competition include representational and non-representational. The 6SlS will give away Pl . 2 million this year, with the first prize winner for each category going home with P300,OOO. The second placer for both categories will each receive P200,OOO and PIOO,OOO for the hird prize. 6SlS ANNUAL ART COMPETITION The Government Service Insurance System (6SlS) believes in the Filipino artist and his invaluable role in shaping how the country thinks. For the sixth year. , the 6SlS is renewing its pledge to support artists all over the country through the Annual Art Competition, which aims to showcase the best paintings and sculptures of this generation. Beyond ensuring lives and property, the 6SlS also insures national heritage, for a nation that carries its artists is a nation that carries itself forward.

Research Paper (Ford Motor Company) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

(Ford Motor Company) - Research Paper Example The company’s customers are brand loyal and keep returning to it. Ford has also created good will in the society through its efforts in community relations. It started a breast cancer awareness campaign in which numerous celebrities were roped in. more-over, the company has extensively donated to charities and has held fund-raisers. Ford’s employee base is very strong. It offers various incentives to its employees who are motivated and deliver quality work. For instance the â€Å"thumbie† award is handed over to employees who are proficient, show strong commitment to work and to customers. The company is also known to offer high wages. As a result the staff remains content and happy. Ford has also maintained good relations and is well communicated with its current and prospective investors. The company is very prompt in its reporting’s of earnings and losses all of which can be publicly accessed. Ford’s network of distributors is very dense and has many dealers spread world over. The Weaknesses: Economic recession has worried investors at Ford about dipping sales and profits. The cash position of the company has fallen down to $4 billion from $15 billion in just a year. It also faces the possibility of a credit downgrade. As a result share-holders are not getting their desired return on investment. Ford used a â€Å"voluntary separation program† to lay off its employees during recession times. The workers were not informed about the possibility of job cuts before hand. As a result, motivation levels got affected. Even though the HR at Ford, downplayed this, but layoff hit employees hard who become insecure of their jobs. Ford also cut down on their overtime after 2001. This led to rising frustration amongst the workers for being worker and not being compensated appropriately. Around 10 plants work over time in Ford today. Ford’s relations with its customers have also been rocky. Last year it recalled around 2 mil lion vehicles which coasted the company billions of dollars. (Drucker, 1995) Performance Gaps Ford’s relationship with its customers has severed over the years. Its customer benefit program’s performance should have driven revenues home but they did not. Ford’s management was also under the wrong impression that it was handling its employees well. The performance of its employees should have improved over the years to dramatic results but it did not. Ford’s HR felt that they understood employee needs but they failed to realize that employees were more desirable of flexible benefits and communication existed within the Ford. There is a severe lack of motivation at the moment. Ford’s revenue should have been past 20 billion dollars but it is not Addressing the Gap Role of Human resource department is very important to bridge any gaps between performance expectations and performance delivered. In-order to address the weaknesses Ford needs to revamp th e morale of the employees. Conduct one-on-one performance appraisals with the employees, have a thorough understanding of employee expectations and set expectations of the company. Employees should be regularly compensated with bonuses and awards. This will automatically boost their confidence and their belongingness to the Ford. HRD should also work on good relations with the customers. For this the employees who are directly in touch with the clients should be sent through a training program on relationship management. Conferences and seminars should be conducted to groom and train the employees on this aspect. Thirdly, HR needs to hire people who are pro at their communication and bargaining skills

Analysis of the government institutions, society, political system of Essay

Analysis of the government institutions, society, political system of Greece, - Essay Example The organizational structure created by the authorities is the most significant entity in predicting the performance of the community. The consideration within the paper accords the system in Greece and the impacts of the established societal system. The government institutions and political system within Greece present a given impact on the societal setting. With the structures established under consideration, the result can offer judgement to argue for or against the established framework in offering the needed result and stable coexistence. The modern civilization and the presented aspects in Europe had been considered to have origins from the ancient civilization in Greece. Ancient Greece had been organized into stable political systems that offered the ventures to create societal systems identified through the rich theatrical presentations, culture and architecture. The organization of the Greece had been included in relation to achieve civilization within Europe. The organization witnessed Sparta depict an Oligarchy government system, democracy established in the central Athens and monarchies established within the other states to establish an organization that lacked in the majority of the other states across Europe. The stable political system established within Greece led to the origin of the stability witnessed as compared to other European nations. The transition of the political Greece system fails to be listed in the format of transformation from feudalism to anthropocentrism as in the other European civilizations. The state had been under the centralized government system that had been influenced by the rule in Rome. However, in 1974, Greece had been altered to a democratic state to alter the relationship and role of the state and civil societies. The modifications saw the transition from the centralized governing system that saw a prolonged dictatorship rule of the military. The change saw the formation of

Costing and Information Systems of the Worplestrop Essay - 1

Costing and Information Systems of the Worplestrop - Essay Example Product costs are identified with goods produced or purchased for resale in an organization. In marginal costing, the only variable cost is charged as a cost of sale and we get the contribution is which normally is given by sales revenue less the variable cost of product sold. The closing stock of goods which are work in progress or finished goods in the store is valued at variable production cost. Fixed cost are normally treated as period cost and are charged in full to the profit and loss accounts of the accounting period in which they are incurred. The principle of marginal costing of a product is that in a particular period, fixed cost will always be the same, for any volume of sales and production provided that the level of activity is within the relevant range or the budgeted range, therefore, by selling an extra item of product or service the following will happen. Similar if the volume of sale, if the volume of sales falls by one item, profit will fall by the same amount of contribution earned from the sale of items. Profit measurement should, therefore, base on analysis of total contribution. Since fixed cost relates to a period of time, and do not change with either increase or decrease in the sales volume, it is misleading to charge units of sales with a share of the fixed cost from the total contribution of the period to get the profit figure. When one unit of a commodity is produced then an extra cost must be incurred in its production as a variable cost but the fixed cost will always remain constant. Then it is true to say that it is in order to value the closing stock as a variable cost. It is sometimes called full costing, in this costing, all the manufacturing cost incurred in any particular period is accounted for, and also until the product is sold fixed overheads will remain a product cost.

Critically evaluate the concept of human security Essay

Critically evaluate the concept of human security - Essay Example The first one considers the protection of human rights and the second one focuses on the protection of human beings from economic, environmental, social and other forms of threats and aims at the well being of man’s overall livelihood; an element of social justice is visible in this conception (Williams 2008, p. 231). The third and most controversial conception considers human security in a much wider way ensuring the survival and health of individuals. It observes the concept in a global perspective and subjects such as global economic status, effects of globalization and health of the environment are considered as the essential elements of human security. This paper tries to make a critical evaluation of the concept of human security and in doing so the paper takes into account the various aspects of human security and related issues. The concept of Human Security: Debates and Definitions All the three conceptions of human security paved way for criticisms and most of the re cent debates are shaped by the wider conception of human security. ... concept of human security in a broad way and that is â€Å"the absence of threats to various core human values† whereas Alkire (2002) holds that â€Å"the objective of human security is to safeguard the vital core of all human lives from critical pervasive threats, and to do so without impending long term human flourishing† (Quoted in Williams 2008, p. 231). Alkire’s definition seems to be more positive in nature. However, a more comprehensive definition is offered by the Commission on Human Security and the report of the Commission views human security as ‘protecting fundamental freedoms’- â€Å"protecting people form critical (severe) and pervasive (widespread) threats and situations. It means using process that build on people’s strength and aspirations. It means creating political, social environmental, economic, military and cultural systems that together give people the building blocks of survival† (Williams 2008, p. 231). Even th ough there are various definitions and understandings of the concept of human security, there are many who hold that the state-centered approach to human security should give way for a more comprehensive people-centered approach to security. Tadjbakhsh, in this respect, observes that â€Å"there is consensus among its advocates that there should be a shift of attention from a state-centered to a people-centered approach to security, that concern with the security of state borders should give way to concern with the security of the people who live within those borders† (Tadjbakhsh 2006, p. 5). Therefore, it can be inferred that an individual centered human security model assumes the safety of the individual as the means to global security and any disturbances to the safety of the individual would therefore affect the international

Media Imperialism The Impacts of Global Media on Local Cultures and Research Proposal

Media Imperialism The Impacts of Global Media on Local Cultures and Identities - Research Proposal Example Although it would be very difficult to believe that any of these views are absolutely right, but nevertheless globalization and its relationship with the media should not be ignored outright. Media plays a vital role in creating the link between the different cultures and works as the fastest mode of spreading the aspects of the world cultures. This may create good or bad impacts on the local values and culture, grasped or adopted by the local people. This research is intended to develop a deep understanding of the impact of global media on local cultures and identities in the Middle East with a specific focus on the United Arab Emirates. The Research will look at the numerous theories on the impacts and critical interpretations of the global media on local cultures. Introduction Globalization is the process of integration and interaction of people, organizations and governments of different nations. It is the increased transnational movement of individuals and resources driven by gl obal investment and trade, enhanced by information technology. Globalization affects people’s culture, economic development and political systems of different societies across the world. Although globalization is not a new phenomenon, policy and development in technology over the past few decades have enhanced globalization through increase in cross-border trade and investments. Globalization has further resulted into deep changes in the very fabric of the society let alone the economy only. The globalization of culture as well as communication has further widenend the gap between the local as well as international culture. Rojecki (2005) attributes the current wave of globalization to national and international policies that have opened economies specially those countries which are willing to open for trade i.e. UAE being one of the global hubs for free trade. Today, many governments including UAE, Qatar, Sharjah and other countries continue to adapt free market economic sys tems aimed at increasing their potential for productivity and creating new opportunities for global trade and investment. Moreover, governments continue to negotiate reductions in trade barriers as they forge international trade agreements that promote trade and international integration. One of the main features that define globalization is the emergence of an international business structure that continues to gain dominance with increasing technology and international relations. Rojecki (2005) views globalization as a force that transforms the spatial organization of social relationships and transactions to generate institutionalized patterns of interactions, exchanges and interregional flows. International politics also seem to flow from this intricate network of social and economic relationships which force nations to cooperate with each other. These views are supported by Giddens (1984) who argues that globalization has power to enhance compression of space and time through imp roved communication, transportation, and information technology. Media plays a major role in globalization because it acts as a globalization force to illustrate the intersection of economic and cultural integration. (Seib, 2009) Media refers to a variety of communication technologies including the internet, radio, television, and print press among others. Van Alelst and Walgrave (2007) observe that electronic media has contributed to development of community and consciousness through its interactive role of

Native American, West African, European societies Essay

Native American, West African, European societies - Essay Example At the same time, they were charged with the responsibility of protecting the family from external aggression. Further, it is noted that major decision makings in the family among the European societies were vested upon men. In fact, men played a major role in solving any disputes arising in the family. Likewise, men in West African society were also charged with the responsibility of fending for the family as they engaged in different economic activities such as hunting, and fishing. Just as with the European societies, men of West African society were perceived as family heads and provided protection from enemies, participated in decision makings, as well as ensuring that there is discipline in the family (Brown 27). On a similar note, the Native men also shared certain roles with their European and West African men. This was due to the fact that they also participated in fending food for the family through hunting, and in most cases worked outside their homes (Calloway 16). Simila rly, they acted as family heads in which they were charged with the responsibilities of making crucial decisions in the family, as well as playing defensive roles against their adversaries. Despite there being a number of similarities, the three societies also differed in terms of gender roles in that, in the European, and West African societies, men were considered very important and dominated their women as preserve of the society’s social order. In this regard, men in these two societies wielded power almost equal to that of a monarch. For instance, the ownership of land in European societies was left at the hands of men, while women only did so when their husbands are not around. This was not so among the Native Americans were women were given rights almost equal to those of their male counterparts (Richter 65). Women in the three societies also shared certain roles. For instance, in European societies, women were charged with the responsibility of gathering of greens, be rries and firewood. They also participated in planting, weeding and harvesting of food from the fields (Albers and Medicine 65). They also participated in the processing of beans and corn. In addition, women in European societies acted as caregivers, did the work of cooking for the family, slaughtering animals. Likewise, the West African women also were also charged with the responsibility of gathering food and firewood for the family. In this regard, they moved widely across the field gathering food for the family. Like European women, they also acted as caregivers in the family, cooked food. Research has also shown that Native women also did a lot of gathering food and firewood, the same way women of West Africa did. In addition, they were responsible for taking care of children and cooking for the family according to VanSledright (22). Nevertheless, the differences in the roles of women among the three societies emanates from the fact that women of Native America had more equal r ights as those of men, which is not the case among the European and West African societies. For instance, unlike in European and West African societies where women acted as caregivers, the Native women acted as givers of life while their husband were took care of the life. In addition, women also took part in major decision makings among the Native

Target Group Analysis for Marketing Report Essay

Target Group Analysis for Marketing Report - Essay Example It is JetNet Services' goal to enable their clients to a professional positioning in the Internet which is the main access to information and communication of nowadays and the future - together with providing all support necessary in case the client wishes to purchase optimally suited hard- and software. There are four business units, offering their services and products for four different purposes but having the same management and exchanging information within the company. The advantages of this for the client are short communication paths; one contact person who manages all the contacts in the company (i.e. A case manager) and a range of in-house services and products. Research suggests that the four units do not actually have separate targets. There are primarily two broad targets: Internet Unit and IT Support Unit; Graphic Unit and Multi-media Unit targets. These groups have enough overlap that they may be broadly looked at in a similar light. There is also a primary target for all four units as a package. The first section describes the Internet-Business Unit and IT Support Unit. However, there is some overlap of target markets for the other 3 business units (graphic design, multimedia, IT-Consulting). Two main target groups exist for the Internet and It_support Units. (Shurmer 1993, p. 240) Small and middle enterprises without their own marketing departments broadly comprise the first group. The two primary sub groups of this section are differentiated by the demographic information of their business leader. Young entrepreneurs heading start-up companies are the first of these leaders. The young entrepreneur is aged 20-35 years old, and is early on in his career. The second sub-group leader is an older entrepreneur, aged 36-55 years, with an established career, and a firmly entrenched company. (Igel 2001, p.159) Small and middle enterprises with their own in-house marketing and/or technical support departments make up the second broad group. Within this category, there are also two sub groups based on the demographic information of the decision maker. Here, the first target is the marketing manager: he is typically male and manages the entire marketing department. The second is the marketing assistant: most often female and reporting directly to the marketing manager. 2.1 Young startup entrepreneur The young entrepreneur is aged 25-35 and has just founded a company. He needs professional services for designing and implementing his company's website. A website is a must have for him because several start-up consultancies recommended creating a website as the first step in marketing a new business, followed by purchasing professional stationary and business cards for Corporate Design/ Corporate Identity purposes. The young entrepreneur grew up using the Web and he is competent in the technical skills involved in using the Internet for business and personal matters (i.e. knows how to browse the Internet, search Goggle, and send email) and he also is open to the technology and knows the marketing benefits that the Web offers (such as being a cheap marketing platform, up to date information, and reaching a wide audience). (Trondsen 1996, p.571) 2.1.1 Older entrepreneur The older entrepreneur

Study Habit Problem Essay Example for Free

Study Habit Problem Essay Introduction: As we all know one of the reason why many students are not serious in studying is the modern technology. We as a student are addicted in modern technology especially on social media for example are facebook, twitter and tumblr. We can communicate to others and know’s what is going on in the world and to know what is new and what is old. The second reason is the computer games. Most of the students are playing computer games. Teenagers specially boys are addicted on Dota, Garena, League of Legends and Special Force this are the games that boys wants from their vacant hours. In the years where computers are not yet invented, students are not yet engaged in activities using technologies. Students rely on books and visit library facilities to study, read their notes and to review their school lessons. During those years, despite the lack of computers and hi-tech gadgets students still achieve high and good grades and the students are still focused on their studies. They strive hard just to attain higher and better grades in their education. As years passed, industrial evolution occurred and great changes and improvements happened. One of these changes is the invention of the computer. Some people can’t afford to buy one for themselves or for their children. But for people who have enough money to buy themselves a computer, they are lucky because they can use the computer to make things easier for them. Students can use the computer to do their home works and projects. Students who can’t afford to buy a computer just go to the library to read books, to do research works, and to make their school projects. During the years when computers were first invented, people make use of computers to help them accomplish their works and to make their tasks lighter and faster. Now in the present time, the age of modern technology, where almost everything is high-tech, computer technologies has greatly improved and has had become better. These days, the computer technology industry is rapidly growing and changing. Along with that growth and change of computer technology are the people who almost instantly adapt to the changes. The reason why computers technologies are invented is to help make people’s life easier and to improve their way of life, especially the students. Modern computer technologies make studying easier and fun to students. Answering assignments means that one will have to read chapter after chapter in their textbooks. Nowadays, vital information may be obtained by merely a click of the mouse. Everything is readily available at their fingertips, so to speak. Oftentimes, students say, â€Å"Thank God for the internet†. While this may be true, there are also harmful effects on students which may fall under the physical, psycholo gical, emotional, mental and social aspect. Basically, students make use of the internet in answering assignments and doing research work. However, students would often be making use of social networking sites while simultaneously doing their assigned tasks. This means that the student is not a hundred percent focused on accomplishing what is required. It also takes them a longer time in completing the assigned task. As a result, the student therefore, is more physically exhausted, often spending the wee hours in the morning due to the fact that he or she is actually multi-tasking. It has been observed that almost every week, more updated gadgets are being introduced in the market. For the adolescent, who is in the third plane of development, there is this need to belong to a certain group. More often than not, social cliques mean dressing alike, thinking alike, and even having similar gadgets are some of the basis in order to be part of a specific group. Hence, the adolescent is psychologically, emotionally and even mentally affected if and when an updated version of these gadgets is out in the market. There is this need to have these gadgets in the hope of being â€Å"in† with the group. It is one way of satisfying the need to belong to a social group which means that it also affects the social aspect of the student. Having seen both sides of the coin, are modern gadgets beneficial or harmful to students? We would say both there are beneficial and harmful effects not only to students but to anyone for that matter. The key is still in our hands. Remember that anything in excess could have negative results. Modern technology including modern gadgets has been invented for mankind’s convenience. Let us show gratitude to the men of the past who have painstakingly invented and devised ways to make life easier. Let us make use of modern technology effectively, wisely and responsibly. Statement of the Problem: The Researchers wish to make the study on â€Å"The Effects of Modern Technology in the Study Habit of Information Technology or IT students of UBLC†. To achieve this objective, the researchers want to determine the answers for the following question: 1. What is modern technology? 2. What are the sites that can affect most to you as an IT student? 3. You as a student, what are the main reasons why you are addicted in modern technology? Chapter II Review of Related Literature and Related Studies Accountability * Technology has given us nearly instant communication. In addition, more people are able to view information and products than ever before. The increase in communicative ability and access to data is beneficial in that it creates a certain level of accountability. For instance, members of the media are under more pressure to report accurately, since the data they report is seen by potentially millions of people worldwide. Travel * Better technology in many instances has led to better travel. Planes fly more efficiently to more places than ever before, for example. The benefit is that it is very easy to transport both people and goods from place to place. The resulting global economy keeps prices low. People do not need to work or live only in their native area. However, better travel also means that people are more likely to spread disease from place to place, and a global economy means that some inferior or unsafe products may be widely distributed. Health Improvements * For the most part, increased technology has led to improvements in health. Doctors now have ways to tell how sterile an environment or tool is. They have many different machines that can monitor vital signs or that can be used in medical procedures. Without this technology, many people would not recover from their illnesses, and disease would spread more rapidly. Health and Other Concerns * Although modern technology can improve health, there is concern that the excessive use of technology may promote some health problems. For instance, those who work in front of a computer screen or who watch a lot of television every day are more sedentary, which can lead to physical problems. There also is concern that technology is reducing the social skills held by people and that it allows for a decrease in safety, such as with child pornography posted on the Internet. Additionally, modern technology may be creating some problems in that it can be used improperly, such as with atomic bombs during war. Considerations/Regulations * Whether technology is beneficial or harmful depends largely on the way it is used and who is wielding the technology. For instance, computer email can be used to share family photographs, or it can be used to send out attachments that damage the recipients computer and steal information. Some regulations on modern technology thus are needed in order to guarantee or to protect individual and social safety. Negative Effects of Technology on Children According to a New York Times article this January, the average kid, ages 8-18, spends over 7  ½ hours a day using technology gadgets equaling 2  ½ hours of music, almost 5 hours of tv and movies, three hours of internet and video games, and just 38 minutes of old fashioned reading according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, which adds up to 75 hours a week! These statistics are not just mere numbers; they are a reflection of the way our society is heading. There is a direct correlation of amount of hours spent with gadgets and obesity, poor grades, impatience, violence, and a loss of family interest. Obesity According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in a study in 2004, 16% of children (over 9 million) that are between the ages of 6 -19 years old are overweight or obese, a number that has tripled since 1980 (mostly due to electronic usage). Being overweight can bring with it great health concerns. Many of these children have a good chance of developing Type II Diabetes, asthma, sleep apnea, social discrimination, high cholesterol and/or blood pressure. Also, according to a Stanford University of Medicine study, elementary students consume 20% of their daily calorie intake while watching television, which usually includes unhealthy snacks, largely due to advertisements for junk food and boredom. Coincidently, kids are not burning off any of these calories while they are plopped in front of the television. Academics Another area of focus is that children who spend too much time in front of the television or playing video games tend to have worse grades than those students who are active and involved in extracurricular activities. Studies have shown that since they are so used to multi-tasking they have trouble focusing all of their attention on schoolwork. Studies performed by Dr. Rosen at Cal State showed that 16-18 year olds perform 7 tasks, on average, at one time like texting on their cell phone, sending instant messages while checking Facebook with the television on. â€Å"I worry that young people won’t be able to summon the capacity to focus and concentrate when they need to,† said Vickey Rideout, a Vice President at the Kaiser Foundation. Laziness Impatience goes hand in hand with the laziness kids are starting to develop. Due to the ease of access to the internet kids now expect immediate responses and rely on the internet to give them all of the answers. They expect answers before they take time to think about solutions. According to an article in the New York Times this January, new technology is creating mini-generation gaps and are most visible in communication and entertainment choices. Dr. Rosen said that the newest generations, unlike their older peers, will expect an instant response from everyone they communicate with, and won’t have the patience for anything less. â€Å"They’ll want their teachers and professors to respond to them immediately, and they will expect instantaneous access to everyone, because after all, that is the experience they have had growing up,† he said. This is a common problem of kids of this generation and kids are losing the value of learning from their mistakes. Family Life Families are being hurt as well by all of the new technology. When a group of 4-6 year olds were asked to choose between watching TV and spending quality time with their fathers, 54% of them would rather watch TV. Also, according to the same survey reported by the A.C. Nielson Company the average parent spends three and a half minutes A WEEK having meaningful conversations with their children. Technology is creating a generation gap that makes parents feel as though they can’t relate to what their kids are doing. Violence Another controversial topic circling right now is the amount of violence kids are exposed to while playing video games or watching television. Many TV shows now posses poor role models and expose children to things that they may be too young to see while video games allow kids to play with fake guns. The same survey by A.C. Neilson Company reported that by the time a child finishes elementary school they will have already witnessed 8,000 murders. In the USA an average of 20-25 violent acts are shown in children’s television programs each hour. A significant association was found between the amount of time spent watching television during adolescence, with its exposure to violence, and the likelihood of subsequent antisocial behavior, such as threatening aggression, assault or physical fights resulting in injury, and robbery. Young children are more easily impressionable. have a harder time distinguishing between fantasy and reality. cannot easily discern motives for violence learn by observing and imitating. http://www.personal.psu.edu/djw5068/assignment%205.html http://www.orionbataan.com/component/content/article/68-education/528-modern-technology-and-its-effects-on-students.html http://www.studymode.com/subjects/effects-of-modern-technology-to-the-students-page1.html

Hotel Rwanda Term Paper Essay Example for Free

Hotel Rwanda Term Paper Essay 1. If you were in the situation of Paul, how far would you go to protect your countrymen, when you know very well that this will cost you the life of your family? Will you abandon your family to save the lives of others? = If I will put myself in Pauls situation, I think, I would help and protect my countrymen as long as I can and as long as Im living. But first Im going to ensure my familys safety before I gamble my life. If I die for the sake of others, it will looked like I abandoned my family but truly its not, because in the situation, I think they will surely understand me why am I going to sacrifice myself just to protect and save others life who only depends on me. Its not that I prefer to die than to live with my family, but I also believe that life lived for others is worth living, like our God who gave His only Son for the sake of us all. God gave me life not just for my family but also for other people. Honestly, Not only your family makes your world but also the other people around you. And I cannot take to see those people struggling and dying then I just do nothing. Especially when I know that im the only one who can protect them. I know I cannot save everyone because im just only human but somehow, i know i did something I can. 2. In the ensuing violence, the international community and the government was forced to pull its foreign emissaries to safety. This included officials providing aid and relief such as the UN and the Red Cross. Do you think that the government and the international community’s decision to remove its employees from the scene of the fight were ethical, despite the fact that the natives rely on these organizations for aid and protection? Justify your answer using one ethical theory that we’ve discussed in class. = It is true that the goverment became selfish about their decision of forcing the foreign emissaries to leave and put themselves into safety even if they know that theres no other people who can help the natives except them. But we cant deny the fact that those foreign emissaries were not involved in the war and so, their race must be saved, thats why, what they have done was ethical. By the use of the theory called Egoism, which means things or actions can be moral or ethical if it will benefit ones interest and will care about your own value, it can be proven that it was ethical to saved only the whites because theres nothing wrong of saving your own race and disregard the others even though it would be so wrong in the other peoples eyes. To better understand this situation, try to put yourself in their place and surely you will only save yourself and your race. But we can still that it is an ethical egoistic act. 3. The struggle between the Hutus and the Tutsis of Rwanda was allegedly due to the interference of the Belgian and other Western colonizers, who have created this kind of â€Å"caste system† (Hutu and Tutsi) in the first place. Do you think that the colonizers were the party to blame in the violence that occurred? Why? = Yes! no one should be blame but them because if they didnt create that caste system, the Hutus and Tutsis would only be one r ace with no insecurities and no superior. And therefore, there would be no occurence of violence. Because of that caste system, the discrimination occured between the two race by their physical characteristics,The Tustsi became superior that made the Hutus started the slaughter in their country due to their rage or fury. And so, the Colonizers were the one to be blame. 4. The genocide in Rwanda is not a unique case. In fact, it is reminiscent of the Holocaust during the Nazi era and the religious struggle between Pakistan Muslims and Indian Hindus. How do you think will genocide be prevented in the future? = Genocide usually occur because of having insecurities between different race by physical, identity or position in the society and power. And no other resolution for this but to be satisfied in yourself. You must make a change within yourself. Let us avoid discrimination that will cost anger and revenge because this simple revenge will lead to a big trouble and war. We must also face the problem that we see without using violent ways and we will somehow work it out by proper conversation. Finding peace within yourself could also help us to prevent genocide, it will help you not to bad things especially to kill lives.If you know what peace is, you will surely want it and once you want it, you will make a way to have it. We must also respect each other, know every peoples worth so that , if you are one of the soldiers or the one who is involved, you would realize that life is so important. And of course, the goverment holds the big responsibility about this, so I think they must be friend with other nation, the world must come together. And the soldiers must know where are they for, because if they are for peace, then why is there war? they must also know their limitation.

Dementia Needs, Types and Treatments

Dementia Needs, Types and Treatments Specific needs of the older person INTRODUCTION MAIN BODY Dementia is a term used to describe symptoms such as loss of memory, language, motor skills, judgment and other intellectual functions caused by permanent damage or death of the brains nerve cells. (Alzheimer’s foundation of America, 2014) Most dementias are reversible. Reversible dementias are caused by nutritional deficiencies or infection or from a bleed on the brain or the side effect of a medication; the symptoms of these dementias can be stopped or reversed as long as the underlying causes can be treated. Dementia consists of 3 stages: Early stage (difficulty concentrating, poor orientation, decreased memory, withdrawal from friends and family, poor socializing skills and denial of their symptoms) This stage usually lasts up to two years. Mid stage (major memory loss, client needs help carrying out their activities of daily living (ADLS), they can lose control of their bowels or bladder, ability to speak declines, agitation occurs, compulsions or anxiety) This stage lasts up to two and a half years. Late stage (people in this stage lose the ability to communicate or speak, they need assistance with nearly all their ADLS, they often lose the ability to walk) This stage usually lasts up to two and a half years. There are many types of dementia but I have listed the four major ones below and have given the physiological and psychological changes that occur for the older person with these dementias. Type of Dementia Physiological Psychological Client’s needs Alzheimer’s Problems with speaking. Decreased judgement. Difficulty solving problems or puzzles. Disorientation in familiar surroundings. Depression. Psychosis. Agitation. Sleep disorder. Resistance to care. Memory loss. Assess and reverse agitation factors. Memory therapy. Language therapy. Vascular Difficulty finding the right words. Confusion and disorientation. Aggressiveness. Memory loss. Depression. Slowness of taught. Hallucinations. Memory therapy. Speech therapy. Lewy body Confusion followed by alertness. Tremors. Shuffling gait. Rigidity. Fainting-loss of consciousness. Hallucinations in touch and feelings. Visual hallucinations. Sleep disorder. Aggression. Depression. Speech therapy. Physical therapy which includes gait training. Front temporal Language comprehension declines. Tongue tie occurs. Ability to read or write is impaired. Lack of co-ordination. Shaking. Balance problems. Eye twitching. Muscle spasms and rigidity. Inability to relate to people. Personality changes. Speech therapy. As a carer it is very important to understand the Lewy body dementia disease and its symptoms so that the appropriate treatments can be implemented. The carer should also act as an advocate to ensure the client with dementia Due to word limitations I will only be discussing Lewy body dementia in detail below. LEWY BODY DEMENTIA In the early 1900s scientist FREIDERICK H. LEWY discovered that the brains activities was disrupted by deposits of abnormal protein while he was researching Parkinson’s disease. The Lewy body proteins were found in the brain stem where they kill off the neurotransmitter Dopamine causing symptoms similar to Parkinson’s symptoms. In Lewy body dementia other areas of the brain are affected by these proteins and that is what creates the difference between both Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia. When the protein attacks the brain chemical acetylcholine it causes the client to suffer disruption in their thinking, behaviour and perception. Lewy body dementia can be its own disease or it could act in conjunction with brain changes in Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. This is why Lewy body disease can be miss diagnosed and the client ends up been told they have Parkinson’s disease instead. When diagnosing Lewy body dementia an experienced member of the multidisciplinary team should carry out a diagnostic evaluation of the client. This evaluation should include both physical and neurological examinations. The client should also be examined on their language skills, memory skills and their functioning skills. The client’s family should also be interviewed as they might have noticed changes in the client which would be helpful in their diagnosis. The client should also undergo a MRI or CT scan to determine what areas of the brain are affected. Blood tests may also help in the client’s clinical diagnosis. Lewy body dementia can only be conclusively diagnosed when the client has passed, through a post-mortem autopsy. Unfortunately there is no known cure for Lewy body dementia and treatment only relieves symptoms. People live up to seven years with the disease but some have lived up to twenty years with the disease. Medication is not always the best option for clients with Lewy body because what works with one client might not work for another client. It is also important to know that clients with Lewy body are extremely sensitive and may react negatively to medication. If using medication then there are different medications for the different symptoms. Cognitive symptoms Cholinesterase inhibitors (Aricept, Exelon, and Raza dyne) are used as they are drugs that increase the level of acetylcholine in the brain. Acetylcholine is a chemical which helps in memory and learning functions. These were developed to treat Alzheimer’s clients but it has been discovered they work better on Lewy body clients. Movement symptoms Levodopa is a drug which is also used on Parkinson’s clients. This medication is only used if the symptoms are severe. Visual hallucinations Antipsychotic medication (haloperidol) which are tranquillizers that block the dopamine receptors in the brain are used but only if the hallucinations are upsetting or disruptive as the side effects can be severe. Rem sleep behaviour disorder Melatonin or clonazepam medication can be used and have been proven to be very effective. â€Å"50% of clients with lewy body dementia who are treated with any antipsychotic medication may experience severe neuroleptic sensitivity, such as worsening cognition, heavy sedation, increased or possibly irreversible parkinsonism, or symptoms resembling neuroleptic malignant syndrome which can be fatal.† (Lewy body dementia association, 2014) Non-medical treatments Speech therapy This may help the client with their voice volume. It is also helpful in clients who have swallowing difficulties and may improve their facial muscular strength. Physical therapy This includes strengthening, flexibility and cardiovascular exercises as well as gait training. Occupational therapy This may help the client in promoting his independence and maintain their skills. Individual and family therapy This can be useful in managing emotional and behavioural symptoms and help with any concerns the family might have for the future. Support groups These are helpful for the client and the carers as they can help in day to day frustrations and provide emotional support for all.

What is an Education :: Teching Learning Schooling Papers

What is an Education There appears to be some writing on the note ... What is an Education How was school today, what did you learn in school today, or what did you do in school today? Those seem to be questions every parent asks their child upon their return from a day at school. Most kids answer fine, ok, or nothing. Occasionally the child will be excited about something and actually tell their parent a story. Sometimes it will involve an incident at lunch where a friend threw their bologna sandwich across the table and it hit someone else. Then there are those days where the kid tells how in class they poured vinegar onto some kind of powder and it fizzed like a volcano would. Parents should take note of something like this. This could be a sign at a young age that a child has an interest in chemistry or possibly geology. This could be useful later on down the road when the child is trying to decide which classes to take in high school. With an early expressed interest in a subject area the child may perform better in that area and that would help m ake him/her desirable to colleges. That may all be part of a bigger problem though, getting to college. There is a lot of emphasis put on college. Students are taught that they will go no where without a college education. The focus in high school isnt completing high school, its getting ready for college. When my parents were growing up, one could make it in the world without a college education. Many were expected to head off to work once they received their high school diploma. Some went on to college to get a college degree. College degrees werent necessary, but they were highly looked upon. Nowadays a Bachelor of Arts degree or Bachelor of Science degree in some subject seems to be the requirement and it is the Masters degree that is highly looked upon. With more and more people returning to educational institutions to earn their Masters degree, many students are finding that graduate school is becoming necessary to be able to compete in the job market. The Masters degree is soon on its way to becoming the requirement and the PHD will soon be what is highly looked upon. Every one is so focused on getting a good education, but no one can agree what an education is.

The Placebo Effect: How Strong Is The Power of Suggestion? :: Biology Essays Research Papers

The Placebo Effect: How Strong Is The Power of Suggestion? For years, scientists have sought to find an explanation for the placebo effect. Although many hypotheses exist, there is no one reason defining why or how the placebos work. Some researchers argue that the phenomenon doesn't even occur; that the placebo effect is merely random error and that any improvement said to be caused by a placebo is simply a spontaneous recovery in the patient's condition (2)(3). Other scientists argue that Pavlovian conditioning supports an explanation for the effect: If patients have previously shown improvement from being in a medical setting or from taking medicine, they are conditioned to experience positive effects every time they are in the same situation (1). A second explanation for the placebo effect is that any drug (or placebo) given to a patient will reduce their stress levels. Because many illnesses begin under high-stress circumstances, or exhibit more extreme symptoms under stressful situations, many of the patient's symptoms are likely to im prove (2)(4). The first question that must be answered before delving into the hypotheses behind the placebo effect is whether or not the phenomenon even exists. Certain physicians and scientists claim that "positive effects" of a placebo are, in actuality, just the body's natural ways of healing itself and the immune system's defenses kicking in soon after the placebo is taken (2). Basically, these researchers argue that improvement in a patient's condition after being administered a placebo is merely a coincidence. Negative effects that are often blamed on placebos are viewed by these researches in the same way: nausea or headaches that are claimed to be a placebo's side effects may be spontaneously occurring symptoms (3). It has been established that colds, nausea, headaches and flus will indeed go away eventually, regardless of whether we take drugs or not. But how can studies that show that placebos have an effect on more serious and chronic illnesses, or potentially fatal conditions, such as hypertension, asthma, Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia be explained? One theory comes from Pavlov's experiment on conditioned reflexes. In this experiment, Pavlov rang a bell before giving food to a dog. After a numerous trials, no food was given after the bell rang, but the dog still salivated and expected the food. This reflex was an involuntary bodily response to an outside stimulus. Similarly, many people have experienced relief after visiting a physician or taking a medication.

A Comparison of Hemingway and Frederic in A Farewell to Arms Essay

Parallels Between Hemingway and Frederic in A Farewell to Arms      Ã‚  Ã‚   "All fiction is autobiographical, no matter how obscure from the author's experience it may be, marks of their life can be detected in any of their tales"(Bell, 17).   A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway is based largely on Hemingway's own personal experiences.   The main character of the novel, Frederic Henry, experiences many of the same situations that Hemingway lived.   Some of these similarities are exact, while some are less similar, and some events have a completely different outcome.  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in Oak Park, Illinois. Hemingway worked as a reporter for the Kansas City Star after graduating from high school in 1917.   During World War I, he served as an ambulance driver in the Italian infantry and was wounded just before his 19th birthday.   Hospitalized, Hemingway fell in love with an older nurse.   Later, while working in Paris as a correspondent for the Toronto Star, he became involved with the expatriate literary and artistic circle surrounding Gertrude Stein.   During the Spanish Civil War, Hemingway served as a correspondent on the loyalist side. He fought in World War II and then settled in Cuba in 1945. In 1954, Hemingway was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.   After his expulsion from Cuba by the Castro regime, he moved to Idaho.   In his life, Hemingway married four times and wrote numerous essays, short stories and novels.   The effects of Hemingway's lifelo ng depressions, illnesses and accidents caught up with him. In July 1961, he committed suicide in Ketchum, Idaho.   What remains, are his works, the product of a talented author.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A Farewell to Arms is the stor... ...est Hemingway: The Writer in Context. Ed. James Nagel. Madison: U of Wisconsin, 1984. Bloom, Harold. Introduction. Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea, 1987. Donaldson, Scott. "Frederic Henry's Escape and the Pose of Passivity." Hemingway: A Revaluation. Ed. Donald R. Noble. Troy: Whitson, 1983. Lewis, Wyndham. Twentieth Century Interpretations of A Farewell to Arms. Ed. Jay Gellens. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice, 1970. 56-64. Schneider, Daniel. "Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms: The Novel as Pure Poetry." Modern Fiction Studies, 14 (Autumn 1968): 283-96. Spanier, Sandra Whipple. "Hemingway's Unknown Soldier: Catherine Barkley, the Critics, and the Great War." New Essays on A Farewell to Arms. Ed. Scott Donaldson. New York: Cambridge U, 1990. Young, Philip. Ernest Hemingway. New York: Rinehart, 1952.   

The Union of American Federation of Labor

Early american workers dealt with many problems. These problems ranged from child labor to unemployment. The workers also tried to set up groups, called unions, that they could call their own. The owners of the companies they worked for could not give the workers what they deserved because of their unions. Many unions also helped shape our modern US history by helping the people come together as a whole. One such union was the American Federation of Labor (A. F. of L. ). The unions of the A. F. of L. laced great emphasis on written collective agreements, including the closed shop, in which only union members are permitted to work. The A. F. of L. unions also insisted that members pay relatively high dues, and many of them established insurance and strike benefits. They became known to be job consciousness rather than class consciousness. The start of the A. F. of L. started with the beliefs of one man. That man was Samuel Gompers. He believed in organizing skilled workers ofd the same craft, build unions of plumbers, or carpenters, or cigar makers. By establishing these unions, a labor movement started to unfold. He split the American unions from the class struggle, and made it a partner to the US and not an enemy as people thought unions were. Gompers made unions respectable to the people. Child Labor The A. F. of L. was a pioneer in restricting child labor. The A. F. of L. would have a law passed by the Congress but the Supreme court would say Congress over stepped its powers. Even though this slowed the progress of child labor laws, it did not stop Gompers from trying to start the laws. The A. F. of L. held a conference in 1922 in which any union who wished to see the abolition of child labor was invited. The council worked for the restriction of child labor by writing an amendment that did not get enough votes to pass. It was not until the 1930†³s that some forms of restriction come about. Unemployment The depression in the 1930†³s gave way to massive unemployment. In 1929, 3. 2% of the workers could not find work. In 1933, it rose to over 24. 9% of the workers not being able to find work. The A. F. of L. ecognized the problem of unemployment even before it became a problem in the 1930†³s. The A. F. of L. had a plan for meeting unemployment: (1) establishment of a national employment service by Congress; (2) census of unemployment to be included in the census to be taken in 1930; and (3) regularization of employment by management to provide stable work. The plan also represented the following program as a means for relieving unemployment: (1) shorter work hours to be introduced in industry, with the five days week and vacations with pay; (2) stabilization of employment. With the effort of the A. F. of L. , unemployment was greatly reduced, but not completely and jobs for workers became easier to attain and keep. Education The A. F. of L. has always supported the education of children and the free public school. They liked the idea of â€Å"enactments that will enforce the education of children. † They supported free textbooks to the school children and the establishment of part time classes for the education of minors who were employed. Federal aid to the A. F of L. eant four items: (1) able to pay the teachers; (2) aid to protect the health of the student; (3) scholarships to help those in need to further education; and (4) support in a school building program. Extra funds would be distributed based on need. In 1920, the Workers† Education Bureau was established with the help of the A. F. of L. The bureau was to promote and assist educational work done by the unions. The bureau became an important and very functional part of the A. F. of L. Merger of AFL and CIO The A. F. of L. and the C. I. O (another strong union) saw that unions would be better able to serve their members and the community if a labor unity was reached. Talks soon started with the help of President Roosevelt but were soon halted by both sides in 1939. Talks did not resume until 1942 where an agreement was negotiated. The agreement was signed by three members of both unions who were put in charge of the agreement. But the major leaders of both unions accused the other of raiding They said that talks could not go farther until they agreed that neither side would raid and the war was over. Year after year, very little progress was made, but enough to keep the talks going. Serious negotiations were not made until 1947. Closer cooperation between both groups slowly began with the help of local groups affiliated with the two unions. In 1954, both sides agreed to the no-raiding policy. The new A. F. L-C. I. O spent time examining their differences standing in the way of finalizing their unity. In 1955, all differences were sorted out and on February 9, the Merger Agreement was signed. On this day, the American Federation of Labor finished its seventy-five years of existence. The Union of American Federation of Labor Early american workers dealt with many problems. These problems ranged from child labor to unemployment. The workers also tried to set up groups, called unions, that they could call their own. The owners of the companies they worked for could not give the workers what they deserved because of their unions. Many unions also helped shape our modern US history by helping the people come together as a whole. One such union was the American Federation of Labor (A. F. of L. ). The unions of the A. F. of L. laced great emphasis on written collective agreements, including the closed shop, in which only union members are permitted to work. The A. F. of L. unions also insisted that members pay relatively high dues, and many of them established insurance and strike benefits. They became known to be job consciousness rather than class consciousness. The start of the A. F. of L. started with the beliefs of one man. That man was Samuel Gompers. He believed in organizing skilled workers ofd the same craft, build unions of plumbers, or carpenters, or cigar makers. By establishing these unions, a labor movement started to unfold. He split the American unions from the class struggle, and made it a partner to the US and not an enemy as people thought unions were. Gompers made unions respectable to the people. Child Labor The A. F. of L. was a pioneer in restricting child labor. The A. F. of L. would have a law passed by the Congress but the Supreme court would say Congress over stepped its powers. Even though this slowed the progress of child labor laws, it did not stop Gompers from trying to start the laws. The A. F. of L. held a conference in 1922 in which any union who wished to see the abolition of child labor was invited. The council worked for the restriction of child labor by writing an amendment that did not get enough votes to pass. It was not until the 1930†³s that some forms of restriction come about. Unemployment The depression in the 1930†³s gave way to massive unemployment. In 1929, 3. 2% of the workers could not find work. In 1933, it rose to over 24. 9% of the workers not being able to find work. The A. F. of L. ecognized the problem of unemployment even before it became a problem in the 1930†³s. The A. F. of L. had a plan for meeting unemployment: (1) establishment of a national employment service by Congress; (2) census of unemployment to be included in the census to be taken in 1930; and (3) regularization of employment by management to provide stable work. The plan also represented the following program as a means for relieving unemployment: (1) shorter work hours to be introduced in industry, with the five days week and vacations with pay; (2) stabilization of employment. With the effort of the A. F. of L. , unemployment was greatly reduced, but not completely and jobs for workers became easier to attain and keep. Education The A. F. of L. has always supported the education of children and the free public school. They liked the idea of â€Å"enactments that will enforce the education of children. † They supported free textbooks to the school children and the establishment of part time classes for the education of minors who were employed. Federal aid to the A. F of L. eant four items: (1) able to pay the teachers; (2) aid to protect the health of the student; (3) scholarships to help those in need to further education; and (4) support in a school building program. Extra funds would be distributed based on need. In 1920, the Workers† Education Bureau was established with the help of the A. F. of L. The bureau was to promote and assist educational work done by the unions. The bureau became an important and very functional part of the A. F. of L. Merger of AFL and CIO The A. F. of L. and the C. I. O (another strong union) saw that unions would be better able to serve their members and the community if a labor unity was reached. Talks soon started with the help of President Roosevelt but were soon halted by both sides in 1939. Talks did not resume until 1942 where an agreement was negotiated. The agreement was signed by three members of both unions who were put in charge of the agreement. But the major leaders of both unions accused the other of raiding They said that talks could not go farther until they agreed that neither side would raid and the war was over. Year after year, very little progress was made, but enough to keep the talks going. Serious negotiations were not made until 1947. Closer cooperation between both groups slowly began with the help of local groups affiliated with the two unions. In 1954, both sides agreed to the no-raiding policy. The new A. F. L-C. I. O spent time examining their differences standing in the way of finalizing their unity. In 1955, all differences were sorted out and on February 9, the Merger Agreement was signed. On this day, the American Federation of Labor finished its seventy-five years of existence.

Four Women in American Music History

American music history has grown an incredible amount in the last hundred years. Prior to that time, there were very few styles of music that originated in America. However, with the advent of jazz and related styles, American music culture was born. Blues is one of the early styles of music that is truly American, and there are many American artists who sang or performed in that style. In fact, blues is still popular today, although it has changed over time. Blues is an important and long-term American musical style, which has had many effects on musical culture from the early 1900s through today.Bessie Smith was an early blues singer. She was popular in the 1920s and 30s, and was known as much for her hard-drinking, rough life as much as her music. She sang about what she knew. Bessie was an African American woman who indulged in sex and alcohol, and had a strong temper. She never gave up without a fight, either in her music or her life. Getting into a fight with Bessie wasnâ€℠¢t something a person wanted to do, either, because she was over six feet tall and weighed about two hundred pounds. Bessie had a history of getting into fist fights with people, male or female.She also took off after her ex-husband with a gun when she found him cheating on her, after beating up his lover. However, Bessie herself was known for sleeping with a number of both men and women (Whitney). Musically, Bessie was not really trained. She could not read music, and relied on other musicians to write her songs down for her. She did write her own lyrics, though. She was a formidable presence on stage, able to sing loudly and strongly because of her size, and her tendency to sing in the range that was easiest for her.In writing her music, Bessie tended to modify existing melodies, and sometimes create new ones, so that they lay well in her â€Å"good† range (Whitney). Here is an example of Bessie’s lyrics, which show her feelings about life plainly: â€Å"I ain't no high yella, I'm a deep killer brown. /I ain't gonna marry, ain't gonna settle down. /I'm gonna drink good moonshine and rub these browns down. /See that long lonesome road, Lawd you know it's gonna end,/and I'm a good woman and I can get plenty men† (Whitney). Bessie was also known as something of a racist.While her fans were both black and white, she was rude to both whites and lighter-skinned blacks. Even at the height of her career, when she had enough money to live as she chose (even as a white person might, in the early 30s), she chose to stay on the streets and to live the life that was familiar to her. Her lyrics here show her thinking on this matter: â€Å"Mister rich man, rich man, open up your heart and mind,/Mister rich man, rich man, open up your heart and mind;/Give the poor man a chance, help stop these hard, hard times./While you're livin' in your mansion you don't know what hard times means, /While you're livin' in your mansion you don't know what hard times m eans; /Poor working man's wife is starving your wife is livin' like a queen† (Whitney). Ethel Waters is a blues singer who began performing later in Bessie’s career. While Bessie was primarily performing and well known during the 1920s, Ethel became better known in the 1930s (her career did officially begin in 1921, though). Ethel was specifically a different kind of blues singer than Bessie, and in fact was different from her in many ways.Ethel is also of African American decent, but she grew up in the North and was heavily influenced by white performers. When she began performing professionally, Ethel joined a group of blacks who called themselves â€Å"Cakewalk singers,† which was distinctly different from the more traditional blues singers, like Bessie (PBS). Ethel’s acceptance of whites can be traced to what was a very rough beginning for her. She was born when her mother was only 12. Her mother had been raped by a white man, John Waters. Ethel, then, is half-white, and carries her father’s surname.She was raised by her maternal grandmother in poverty, and began singing at age 5. Her beginnings are much more similar to Bessie’s, but what she did with herself later differs widely (Myers). Ethel worked with a number of famous jazz performers, including Duke Ellington. In addition to her singing career, Ethel was also an actress, an area of her life that eventually came to the forefront. Her singing style was not nearly as strong as Bessie’s, but she performed very theatrically and managed to capture the audience’s interest in all of her music.This came in handy, as she continued performing through the 1960s and 70s, working at that time with Billy Graham (PBS). Ultimately, Bessie’s influence on Ethel was very indirect. Both were jazz singers in a time when African Americans were first on the rise in popularity on the stage. Bessie’s grit may have given Ethel opportunities she might not hav e otherwise had. In many other ways, though, the two were very different; attitude, style, and more. Dinah Washington is another important singer in this chain of history.Her birth name was Ruth Jones, and she was born in 1924. She is significantly younger than both Ethel and Bessie, whose careers were near their peaks when she was born. Music was in Dinah’s family from the beginning. Her mother was a church pianist, and taught her to play at a young age. She was accompanying and touring by the time she was 16, and had already won prizes. However, although her initial roots were in the church, Dinah longed to work in secular music, namely jazz (Dahl).At age 19, Dinah got her big break, singing with Lionel Hampton’s Big Band, then one of the most popular music styles. By 1945, she was recording her own solo work for the Apollo label and Mercury records, and by 1948, she was on her way to major stardom. 1959 was her biggest year, when she sang â€Å"What a Dif’re nce a Day Makes† (Dahl). In her personal life, Dinah was similar to Bessie. She had many husbands, and she drank a lot. In fact, alcohol and drugs eventually killed her at the end of 1963 (Dahl). In addition, she also loved the finer things, including fur, clothes, and cars.Her personality was known as â€Å"feisty,† and she could be snapping one minute and generous the next (Cohodas). At first glance, Christina Aguilera doesn’t look much like the other stars. For one, she isn’t black. For another, she was born after all of the other singers had died. However, it is her roots and influences that she is similar to them. Like Dinah, she is biracial, with a mom who is Irish and a father who is Ecuadorian. Her father was in the military, which meant that Christina traveled a lot as a child (Biggest Stars).Also like the other singers, Christina was interested in singing and performing from the time she was a young girl. Her family was also musical, with her mot her performing on violin and piano professionally. Christina had a brief, two-year stint on The Mickey Mouse Club when she was a child, working with other singers who later became famous, like Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake (Biggest Stars). Christina’s initial music was definitely pop, with her first number one single titled â€Å"Genie in a Bottle. † The single topped both the U. S. and UK charts in 1999.For awhile longer, Christina continued in the pop genre, recording for the movie Mulan, and singing a new version of â€Å"Lady Marmalade† with several other female pop stars (Biggest Stars). Christina’s work eventually began to seem less significant to her, and she decided to record her 2002 album â€Å"Stripped. † The album was the first that really showed her background and influences. Her comments about this album: â€Å"Coming off of the height of being a part of such a big pop-craze phenomenon, that imagery of that cookie-cutter sweet heart, without it being me, I just had to take it all down and get it away from me.And that is why I actually named the album Stripped, because it is about being emotionally stripped down and pretty bare to open my soul and heart. † This album used many different influences, including soul, R&B, rock, hip-hop and Latin (Biggest Stars). Aguilera’s influences were similar to the earlier stars mentioned. She looked to soul and R&B, both of which are styles typically recorded by African Americans. The blues aspect of R&B, in particular, is interesting to note. Aguilera was following in the footsteps of the other female jazz singers with this style.Also, similar to Dinah Washington, Aguilera sang pop (Dinah did pop in addition to her jazz roots). In general, all four of these women have things in common, and things that are different. Each grew up under similar circumstances, often with mostly maternal influences. Most had some kind of musical background at home. Most grew u p poor, and all had an early talent for music and singing. Most also had a taste for sex, drugs, and some rougher things in life, and had a hard time at one point or another. However, each was unique.Bessie was certainly the biggest and most blunt of the group, while Christina stood of the opposite end as the â€Å"sweetheart† of pop for awhile. Christina was also different in that she was not of African American decent in any way, although Ethel was also half-white. Some of the singers, namely Dinah, had their start in gospel music, while others went straight for jazz or pop. Overall, it is interesting how strikingly similar the artists are, even though there are also very big differences in their lives and styles.Their stories and backgrounds are surprisingly similar in some respects, but very different in others. These four women are just some of the amazing performers from the rich tapestry that is American music history. Sources Burns, Ken. â€Å"Ethel Waters. † J azz. Accessed on December 4, 2007. Website: http://www. pbs. org/jazz/biography/artist_id_waters_ethel. htm. â€Å"Christina Aguilera Biography. † Biggest Stars. Accessed December 4, 2007. Website: http://www. biggeststars. com/c/christina-aguilera-biography. html. Cohodas, Nadine (2004).Queen: The Life and Music of Dinah Washington. Accessed December 4, 2007. Website: http://www. dinahthequeen. com/. Dahl, Bill. â€Å"Dinah Washington. † Accessed December 4, 2007. Website: http://www. vervemusicgroup. com/dinahwashington. Myers, Aaron. â€Å"Ethel Waters. † Accessed December 4, 2007. Website: http://www. wntb. com/blackachievers/ethlwaters/. Whitney, Ross (1995). â€Å"Reflections Of 1920's And 30's Street Life In The Music Of Bessie Smith. † Accessed December 4, 2007. Website: http://bluesnet. hub. org/readings/bessie. html.