Abortion Should Be Illegal Essay Plan Essay

How would you feel if someone took away your ability to live? Imagine not having any say in whether or not you want to have a life. That is how aborted babies are treated, which is why abortion should be illegal. Abortion is the ending of pregnancy by the removal or forcing out from the womb of a fetus before it is able to survive on its own. If a woman decides to abort her baby, the baby cannot do anything about their life being taken away from them, and their entire future is demolished. Abortion is murder. The embryo is a person from the moment of conception. According to Shettles, â€Å"Scientists identify the first moment of human life as that instant when a sperm cell unites with an ovum or egg cell† (18). Most pro-choice supporters do not believe the fetus is a person until the first or second trimester. Pro-choice people do not think abortion is murder because they consider the aborted fetus a mass or cells or tissue (Shettles 20). Abortion is the taking of innocent human life, which is wrong under virtually any circumstances. See more: Basic Economic problem of Scarcity Essay An unborn baby is more than potential life. An unborn baby is meaningful human life that should not be considered expendable. After conception, no event occurs in the development of the fetus that indicates a change in the fetus from not being human to becoming one (Foster 33). Human life begins with conception. A middle-aged person, a teenager, and an unborn baby are all in stages of human life. Killing the unborn baby is no more justifiable than killing the two other people. Abortion is a practice that should be prohibited by law because it basically amounts to murder. Another reason why I don’t support abortion is because it can harm the mother as well. You are highly risking the mother’s life and affecting her. Not only does it have an effect on the USA but, it affects other countries as well like Spain. According to psychiatrist and member of the Right to Life Committee, Carmen Gà ³mez-Lavà ­n states that: â€Å"Sixty five percent of women who abort suffer symptoms of post-traumatic stress syndrome after undergoing the procedure.† Many women are regretting that choice around the world making it a controversial issue.

Employment Relations Essay

Introduction: This essay will discuss the two different management approaches towards to the recent industrial action taken against Lend Lease and identify what differentiate the two approaches. The second part of the essay will provide an argument of how applying these approaches from the upper management could potentially change the outcome of the industrial action against Lend Lease. Body: Pluralist approach: The characteristic of pluralist approach is to satisfy various interests and aspirations within their employees. The organization power was diffused among the main negotiating groups within the company in such a way that no any party will dominate others. Pluralism approach is open about employment relationships as it allows the creation of a potential structural opposition to be raised, as well as allows the workplace to generate certain conflicts with the organization. By doing so, it will prevent public interest conflict as well as to suppress the inappropriate use of power from the upper management. However, the weakness of pluralist approach is that it relies on the negotiation and bargaining process when there are disputes incurred between the management and the workforce, if in the event of the dispute cannot be resolved it will resorts to the use of law. Management in pluralist approach should not prohibit any ideas or expectations of blind obedience from the employees. Their goal is to reconcile conflicting views and keep the conflict within an acceptable range, so the conflict does not destroy the organization. Unitarist approach: The characteristic of unitarist approach are regarded that the whole organization shares a common purpose and are united in the achievement of common goal. The role of management in unitarist approach has the ability to provide leadership and expected to have good communications, while employees should be loyal to the organization and to carry out the work organised by management as directed. Worker Unions are considered competitive and is believed to destroy the loyalty and the commitments of the employees hence it is not welcomed by the managements. However, the weakness of unitarist approach is that it fails to recognise the needs of different interests between employees, and assumed that decisions made by managements are rational and contain within the interest of all employees. Unitarist approach believes that conflicts in the workplace is not inherent, in fact, it is a communication failure between the organization and the employees. For example, on the 24th July, the workers for Lend Lease has decided to walk off the site and start the 48 hours strike after the breakdown in the negosiation of better pay and condition. This shows that the employees are not accepting how the management’s lack of awareness of their needs. On the 25th July, ACTU published a media release stating the issues between Lend Lease and its employees, and suggested that Lend Lease should consider a fair working environment and pay for its contractors and sub-contractors, given that Lend Lease has made almost half a million worth of profits last year but failed to provide a fair working condition to its workers. This media release shows that the Union are trying to attract social awareness by publishing public release and in the hope of forcing Lend Lease to re-negotiate their terms. On the 27th July, CFMEU has escalated the issue to a national level and the Union has set up a picket at the Barangaroo construction site. This action has caused Lend lease sites in lockdown across the country, as stated by one of the employee Brain Parker â€Å"The company is not currently bargaining in good faith† The above event shows that if Lend Lease has followed the pluralist approach, the action may be able to be under control as Lend Lease will act by considering the words and the issues rose between the management and the employees and can act accordingly to the issue. However, according to the examples shown, Lend Lease seems to have been following the unitarist approach which has in fact, escalated the conflicts between the management and their employees as shown in the article published by green Left. The article mentioned that Lend Lease did not made a sincere approach to the negotiation and offered something that the Union consider as â€Å"a joke† which did not loosen the tension but added more stress on top of it. Identify which one of the approaches provides the better explanation. Explain your reasoning. Based on the industrial action that has been taken against Lend Lease, it shows that Lend Lease was first using the Unitarist approach to their employees by not willing to negotiate with their new proposal. This has than created an enormous negative impact on both the social and the company as the projects were likely being delayed due to the industrial actions. Conclusion: In conclusion, Lend Lease would have been able to avoid the industrial actions by having a dynamic management approach on their worker base on different situation. This essay shows how in appropriate management style could create such impact on both the social media and the company itself.

Barbados Essays - Barbados, Portuguese Colonization Of The Americas

Barbados Barbados is a small country located in the Caribbean Sea. The capital is Bridgetown with a population of about 8,789. The head of state of Barbados is Queen Elizabeth II and she is represented by General Dame Nita Barrow. The total population of the country is around 252,000. The main language is English and the predominant religion is Christianity. Their date of independence was November 30, 1966. Barbados is the eastern most Caribbean Island. It is about 200 miles North-North East of Trinidad and about 100 miles East- South East of St. Lucia. It is the second smallest country in the Western Hemisphere. The major urban centers in the area include Bridgetown, Speightstown, Oistins, and Holetown. The land is mainly flat except for a series of ridges that rise up to about 1,000 feet and then falling towards the sea. The climate of the region consists of tropical temperatures influenced by the Northeast trade winds. The average annual temperature is approximately 77 degrees Fahrenheit. The daily temperatures rarely get above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The dry season is cool, while the wet season is slightly warmer. The main rains come during the months of July, August, September, October, and November. The annual average rainfall is 40 inches in the coastal areas and 90 inches in the central areas. The net migration into Barbados is 4.82 per 1000. The annual growth rate is 0.4%, which is one of the lowest in the world. The annual birthrate is 15.45 per 1000, and the annual deathrate is 8.27 per 1000. Barbados ranks fourth in the World in population density with the overall density being 1526 per square mile. The whole island is inhabited, leaving no sparsely populated areas. The main race is Negro, which is about 92% of the population. The remainder of the population is consists of Whites (3.8%), Mulattoes (3.8%), and East Indians (0.4%). About 70% of the population is Anglican. The other 30% belong to various denominations such as Moravian, Methodist, and Roman Catholic. Barbados was once under British control from 1624. Its House of Assembly, which began in 1639, is the third oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere. By the time Britain left in 1966, the island was completely English in culture. The British influence is still seen today in quaint pubs, cricket games on the village greens, and in the common law. Barbados' government is British Parliament. The queen is the head of state and she is represented by the governor general. The governor general appoints an advisory council. The executive authority is the Prime Minister who is Owen Seymour Arthur which came into power on September 6, 1994. The Deputy Prime Minister is Billie Miller who also came into power on September 6, 1994. The democratic government works well in the country. They have had three general elections and one smooth transfer of power from the Democratic Labor Party to the Barbados Labor Party. Barbados carries on trade with other Caribbean nations and does have diplomatic relations with Cuba. Their closest relations are with the United Stated, and the United Kingdom. Barbados joined the United Nations is 1966. The economy of Barbados is one of the 35 upper middle-income countries of the world. They have a free-market economy, but the dominant sector is private. Their economy is based on sugar and tourism, but the government has encouraged a policy of diversification in order to achieve a more stable nation. They also depend on a light manufacturing industry. Their monetary unit is the Barbados dollar. The coins are made in 1, 5, 10, and 25 cents. The paper money is made in 1, 5, 10, 20, and 100 dollar bills. One U.S. dollar is equal to 2.01 Barbados dollar (1975). About 60% of the land is cropland. The agriculture industry employs 7.4% of the labor force and contributes about 8.7% to the Gross Domestic Product. Sugarcane makes up over half the acreage. Bananas are also grown, but only on a limited scale. Sea island cotton is also grown. All of the farmers are required by regulations to plant at least 12% of their arable land with some food crop. Barbados' natural resources include petroleum, fishing, and natural gas. The fishing industry employs about 2,500 people and 500 small boats. Their are no natural forests in the country. Manufacturing contributes about 11.2% to the GDP. Manufacturing and mining employ about 18.9% of the labor force. The majority of the industrial establishments are engaged in some form of sugar processing. Sugar is the principal export. The principal imports include machinery, motor vehicles, lumber, and

Assignment 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

2 - Assignment Example Freytags pyramid remains to be effectively applied in the modern literary and film studies. The aim of the current work is to analyze the film â€Å"Our time is up† from the position of its plot structure. Thus, the definitions and the main functions of exposition, inciting event, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution will be given and exemplified by the scenes from the film accordingly. Exposition is defined as â€Å"the background material that the reader or viewer needs to understand the rest of the plot. The reader meets the main characters, learns key pieces of information† (Burns, 2014), and â€Å"tells the reader WHEN & WHERE a story takes place† (Tiffany, 2010). Exposition of the film â€Å"Our time is up† shows usual routine of Dr. Sterns life. He wakes up at 7:00, chooses suit, makes coffee at 7:15, picks the daily newspaper â€Å"National Psychiatrist†, reads it while drinking coffee and starts his sessions with patients. The following scenes of the film depict these sessions. The interviews are connected with doctors ordinary impassiveness phrases such as â€Å"Well, say more about that†, â€Å"Interesting. Why do you think that is?†, â€Å"How does it make you feel?†, â€Å"This seems to cause you a great deal of distress†, â€Å"That must be difficult for you†, which indicate that doctor is not deeply involved or interested in his patients problems. The question â€Å"Why do you think that is?† is heard twice, though in reference to different clients. The exposition part of the film finalizes with the following dialogue: Inciting moment (inciting event, inciting incident) was deemed by Freytag as a part of exposition. It is defined as an event which performs the â€Å"key conflict†, which sets the story in motion (Burns, 2014). Dr. Stern receives a call from Dr. Williams, who tells him the results of CT scanning: there are only six weeks remain for him to live. The inciting event is enforced with the

Fashion analyse Christian Dior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fashion analyse Christian Dior - Essay Example The essay "Fashion analyse Christian Dior" investigates the high fashion couture of Christian Dior, and examine their production and distribution processes. The Christian Dior/ LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) global retail business in fashion wear and consumer products conduct international sales of 83.4%. It’s triad presence is 35% in its home base in the European Union, another 31.3% in Asia, and 26% in NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). The Autumn/ Winter 2009 (AW09) Couture collection from Christian Dior was presented without extravagant sets or huge crowds. The classic wasp-waisted silhouette of Dior’s New Look (Pochna 124) aunched in 1947 as Christian Dior’s first Spring-Summer collection was the basis for the new couture collection for AW09 (as seen in Figure 1. above and Figure 2. below). John Galliano, the influential fashion designer leading the creative team at Christian Dior projected the collection against a traditional background remini scent of the 1950s. Hip-emphasizing basques, girdles, lace-edged slips, and petticoats† were further enhanced to form brightly coloured adaptations. The outcome was reworked â€Å"Bar peplum jackets, draped bubble skirts, padded-hip coats, and full-skirted evening gowns†, which were highlighted with warm colours such as orange, lime, raspberry and yellow, while at the same time the flesh tones of fifties under-things formed a soothing contrast. The collection did not appear to have much novelty, and was not even mildly shocking.

Managing Cultural Diversity in the Workplace Environment Essay

Managing Cultural Diversity in the Workplace Environment - Essay Example Cultural diversity refers to people belonging to diverse cultures working in one organisation, which is rampant in Singapore because of its history of immigrants and also due to its growing economic prospects. The present discourse focuses on the way Singapore manages its cultural diversity. The topic explores various governmental initiatives as well as organisational policies towards diversity management in this region. During the process, a critical view of the policies and practices and their impact on other aspects of organisational performance would be placed to assess the effectiveness of the policies and practices. Moreover, possible recommendations to tackle these challenges would be suggested based on organisational practices. 2. Background: While the effects of globalization have been so profound that all organisations have to adapt to the changes, diversity is one of the strategies adopted for sustainability and performance. This reflects in their policies and practices wi th respect to human resources management. Though the western countries adopted this route much earlier, it is relatively newer concept in most of the Eastern nations (Mor-Barack, 2005). This does not mean that the Eastern nations did not employ people from different cultures and ethnic groups; but just that the organisations have started adopting policies and practices to encourage and, to an extent, suit multicultural and diverse populations during last few decades. The most important requirement for managing diversity comes from equal rights act and policies congruent with this act, which create favourable social, legal and organisational environment to all groups of people. Secondly, organisational policies and practices that encourage and support diversified workforce. 3. Rationale: Globalization has provided extraordinary benefits to organisations, which has enticed many organisations to enter the global market. This has further increased the numbers of people from different ba ckgrounds, cultures, races and ethnic groups to work together at different locations. On the other hand, organisations in some sectors are known to have moved to other places in order to flourish because the legislation there was more conducive to their strategies; for example, Singapore has relaxed legislation related to bioresearch, unlike in the Western countries. Many Western bioresearch organisations shifted their base to Singapore (Huat, 2011). Much before such movements, Singapore is known for cultural diversity because it was established because of immigrants from different parts of the world, which created a plural and highly diverse and ethnic society (Chen-Tung, Ong & Chen, 1980). With such high cultural diversity, Singapore is one of the most advanced and flourished nations in the Asia-Pacific region. Many reasons make Singapore as the focus of discussion related to management of cultural diversity in organisations. The immense industrial growth in Singapore suggests tha t workplace diversity, specifically cultural diversity, is being managed effectively; this fact is further reinforced by the immense movement that is continuing, and potential that still exists in this part of the world. Secondly, Singapore hosts a variety of cultural mix, which makes it even more difficult for diversity management for organisations if they have to cater to the cultural differences of all groups that are a part of them. At least these two critical reasons are enough to explore

Historical english paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Historical english - Research Paper Example Thou, as used in the play, has a meaning of the second person pronoun in the singular form. It is in its archaic form as it has been currently replaced by ‘you’. It is in the normative form. Its oblique or objective form is ‘thee,’ whereas the possessive form is ‘thine.’ The word following it in the sentence is ‘done,’ which begins with a consonant letter. ‘Thou’ was originally a singular counterpart of ‘ye’, a pronoun, which traces its origin in the Ancient Indo-Europe. Due to the language progress in the Indo-Europe, the word was later adapted and used in the expression of intimacy, disrespect, as well as familiarity. The word has been used in the inquisitive sentence by Horner to Quack. As stated, the word has been used in asking a question. It is preceded by the word, ‘hast’, which is also an archaic word. This is one of the common features of archaic words. In this case, Horner is using a commanding tone in asking the question to his colleague. This is a proof that the word is mainly used or applied in making interrogations, or in interrogating sentences. Using it in a sentence, especially in a play, implies direct approach of a particular character on the other. In general, the author of the play has used the word to succeed in the achievement of commanding tone in this section of the play. The tone is necessary for the smooth continuation or enhancement of the play’s plot. It is also a depiction of the relationship existing between the speaker, Horner and the addressee, Quack. Considering the general flow of the play and the character roles in the play, Horner is portrayed as a leader, a charismatic individual and a more aggressive person compared to many other characters in the play. Another instance where the word has been used is by Horner talking to Har. â€Å"But why shouldst thou be afraid†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Wycherley 26). The second word in the

Hospitality Industry Swott Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hospitality Industry Swott - Essay Example One of the ways is having a reflection at the SWOT analysis of individual hospitality destinations and basing on the analysis for make informed and forecasting decisions for the future. I. Future As noted in the introduction, the agenda for which a lot of people travelled has now changed (Hotel Managers Group, 2011). Today, people travel for business purposes more than for leisure and holiday. As a way of meeting the future challenge and this new changing trend, hospitality agencies has to open itself up more to target major companies who would need their facility for business meetings. If this should happen, the implication to hospitality agencies for the future is that their traditional role of accommodating visitors overnight would have to change. Though the giving out of conference rooms and other facilities for meetings was originally part of the traditional role of hospitality companies, the latter would now have to take the fore front in commanding income and revenue. In order to utilize this changing trend well, managers are admonished to focus more attention on making their meeting outlets, receptions and services more improved and advanced. Even though people travel less for tourism purposes of late, patronage of leisure activities such as the use of casinos keep rising (McCain, 2008). Because of this, hotel managers are advised to consider as future innovation, the need to incorporate the operation of casinos into their services. This is because once casinos are added there will not be the need to attract only foreign visitors but domestic users as well. It would also make the overall functionality of the hospitality facilities expanded (Knowles, 2009). Knowing what the future would hold for their company if they invested more in casinos, it was reported that â€Å"Asia’s third largest casino company is paying $236 million for the 14 acres of waterfront land surrounding The Miami Herald† (Miami Herald, 2011). Other hospitality companies are admonished to make such moves for the future of their businesses. II. SWOT Strength A major strength for the hospitality industry is that it represents a very large portion of the American labor force. For instance there are figures like 12.7 employed workers in restaurants, 50,000 operating hotels, over 4.6 million hotel rooms and 1.8 millions employees in lodging industry (NDSU Fact sheet index, 2011). The implication of these statistics to insiders of the hospitality industry is that they can always have readily available human resources to take up duties. It is recommended that as rapidly as possible, the human resources be given needed training and upgrading that will make advanced human capital for the merging markets of tomorrow. Weakness Ironically, the weakness of the hospitality industry is directly associated with its strength. Unfortunately, even though the industry employs a lot of human resource, the pay for the industry is relatively low. This situation creates e mployee turnover, which eventually affects the successful management of businesses. There is however a way out to this. It is

Life safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Life safety - Essay Example The rapid spread of fire was caused by the presence of computers and other equipments in the open spaces. There were plastic cabinets that increased the intensity of fire while the building staff took a long time to realize the cause of fire alarms, and this resulted in delayed reporting to the fire department. The building was constructed in accordance with the 1960 edition of the Los Angeles City Building Code which required automatic sprinkler system in basement areas and standpipes for high-rise buildings. Incidentally, the owners had already installed an automatic sprinkler system which was part of an extra precaution against fire although this was not required during that time by fire codes. However, since work was still in progress the system was not activated. For this reason, at the time of the fire the valves controlling the sprinklers were closed. The fire spread in the entire 12th floor including open areas and office enclosures, and then spread to the upper floors up to the 16th floor mainly through broken windows. The fire reached such a state of magnitude because of the building staff’s delayed notification to the fire department. Therefore, one recommendation was that fire needs to be detected at its incipient stage. Second, the presence of all precautions like automatic sprinklers, alarm system and emergency procedures can be effective only if there are trained personnel (First Interstate Bank Building Fire, 1988). This 2009 incident occurred on February 9 in Bejing. The fire broke out in a modern architectural 34-story building which was located in the CCTV complex. The fire was caused by high-explosive pyrotechnic devices which were set off by surrounding residents including the chief of construction hired by CCTV as part of their New Year program. According to Chinese officials, there were leftover firecrackers in the southern roof of the burning building. The fire spread over an area of 100,000

Catherines Monologue Essay Example for Free

Catherines Monologue Essay A few minutes earlier, when I was dancing with Rodolpho to Paper Doll, I started thinking. I started thinking how much my life had changed these past few months, and how much I have changed. My life has changed in that I have two new people in it, one of which I think I love. I have a job and I now feel more independent. Its a good feeling. Well thats setting the scene for you, I guess its time to let it all out. Eddie has been like a surrogate father to me. Ive always felt comfortable around him; Ive been able to talk to himbut lately, all that security has just dissolved. Its almost the opposite. We cant have a normal conversation without fighting. I mean for example, a few days ago I came home with Rodolpho from a movie at the paramount. I started telling him about movie, I was so excited. But all he did was start-shooting questions as me, Whered you go? Brooklyn Paramount? Of course I went to Brooklyn Paramount! Where else would I go? He knows that I wouldnt go to New York! Then he tells Rodolpho he wants to talk to me alone. He starts telling me how he never sees me anymore, his face looked so sad. I started to reassure him, that of course he still saw me, it was just Rodolpho wanted to do so much, see so many things, so I take him. Suddenly he asked me, Do you like him? I answered, Yes, and it all went down hill from there. He started saying horrible things like, Rodolpho was only interested in my to gain citizenship and how he was only using me and had no respect for me. That wasnt Eddie speaking. I had never known Eddie to be like that ever. Sure, he had always been slightly over-protective, but never like this before. After the incident B came and talked to me. She told me how I had to grow up. Be my own person; make him understand that I wasnt a little girl anymore. She pointed out things to me that I had never noticed before, like how I used to walk around in front of him in my slip or sit on the edge of the bathtub and talk to him while he was shaving in his underwear. I never even thought about that before. But B, she notices these things sharp. I dont know, she just seemed really eager for me to get out of the house, get married, leave. She even asked me if I thought she was jealous of me! When she said that, I had never thought about it before. But since she has said that, Ive started to think about it more and more. Could B be jealous? Of me? Its absurd! B, who is so kind, and sweet and who I love so much like a mother, be jealous of me? It just doesnt fit. I dont know why I even thought of it. I guess Im just thinkin crazy these days. And last of all, Rodolpho. I think I love him, actually I am quite sure now, I do love him. Should I marry him? What other option do I have? Like B said, I cant just stay here all my life. But the thing is, Im scared. Im scared of Eddie. I didnt think I would ever say that, but its the truth. When I say Eddie and Rodolpho boxing, and the look on Eddies face, I knew somethin wasnt right. Beatrice didnt get it, I think Marco did. Maybe hes just doing it to protect me? He protects me because he loves me; that makes sense. But sometimes I think Eddie loves me too much, and thats what scares me.

Changing The Competitive Landscape Of The Smartphone Industry Marketing Essay

Changing The Competitive Landscape Of The Smartphone Industry Marketing Essay Abstract Innovation can be defined as a process of converting opportunities into new ideas and of the wide application of these ideas in practice (Tidd, Bessant, Pavitt, 2005). The past decade saw constant innovations in ICT aimed at increasing self-efficacy of the end users of communication devices. Elements such as miniaturization and ubiquitous computing (Open Handset Alliance, 2007a) have literally brought the personal computer to the palm of the consumer, in the form of a smartphone. The smartphone is rich with features such as internet browsing, touch screens, mobile-camera, improved connectivity and entertainment with the capability to adopt new applications (Burgelman, Silverman, Wittig, Hoyt, 2009). Recent years witnessed an explosive growth in mobile subscribers, where in 2008 alone global shipments rose 28%, as the smartphone gained momentum in the mobile phone industry (Canalys, 2008). The next few years are predicted to show a compound annual growth rate of 13.5% in handset shi pments leading to 1.9 billion handsets at the end of 2012 compared to 1 billion in 2007 (DataMonitor, 2008). Today, due to its portability and versatility the smartphone is a key player that facilitates the integration of technology with modern consumerism as the end user is given the capability to engage many computational devices and systems simultaneously (Tsai, Wang, Hwang, 2008). Mark Weiser (1991) refers to this as Ubiquitous Computing. The demand for smartphone has been the key driver for innovations (such as the touch screen, internet browsing, Wi-Fi) in the mobile industry in the past decade and the Open Handset Alliance and the Android platform are recent products of such pursuits. This study analyses how the OHA and Android has and will alter the terms of competition in the mobile industry, with relation to Porters five industrial forces. The Smartphone Industry Industry Participants Analysing the industry value chain of the smartphone the key components can be identified as chipset manufactures (Intel) , infrastructure developers and platform manufactures (Microsoft, Palm, iPhone) who provide the hardware and software components for handset manufactures. Application developers produce the applications that run on the operating platform whereas content providers such as Google provide the information for these applications. Mobile operators such as ATT and T-Mobile distribute handsets and provide the subscribers with network connectivity. In 2006 the global handset market was an oligopoly dominated by 5 companies which accounted for 85% of the market where Nokia and Motorola together accounted for 58%. Traditionally manufacturers competed through design. The entry of iPhone 3G to the market in 2008 created a new standard by combining design, performance, utility and functionality (Burgelman, Silverman, Wittig, Hoyt, 2009). It is considered by some industry analysts to be a blockbuster where Apples market share increased from 3.6% in 2007 to 17.3% in 2008, making it the now second largest player. Googles Entry into the Smartphone Industry Established in 1996 as the brainchild of two Stanford University computer science graduates, Google is now considered to be a blockbuster concept that has expanded beyond its core business as a search engine to a portfolio of products and services (Bhattacharya, Gopal, Samad, 2009). Today, a vast majority of Googles revenue is generated through the companys advertising products, Adword and Adsense (99% in 2007 and 97% in 2007) (Burgelman, Silverman, Wittig, Hoyt, 2009) that provide targeted advertising on its search pages, by placing advertisements relevant to a search on the results page. Googles entry to the smartphone industry was facilitated by its acquisition of the start-up open source software firm, Android in 2005 (Business Week, 2005). This event was a result of Google identifying the future growth potential of the smartphone and its capacity for mobile advertising. Eric Schmidt, the Chairman and CEO of Google stated You carry your phone everywhere. It knows all about you. We can do a very targeted ad. Over time we will make more money from mobile advertising. (Schmidt, 2010). Open Handset Alliance and Android In November 2007 Google unveiled the Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 34 companies in the mobile industry representing the industry value chain (Fig 1), consisting of multinational companies such as T-Mobile, HTC, Intel, Qualcomm and Motorola. The objective of the alliance was to create an Open Software, Open Device and an Open Ecosystem (Open Handset Alliance, 2009b) fostering open innovation for development of mobile technology based on the open source platform. Today the OHA has expanded its membership to 65 companies. Fig. 1: The Wireless Value Chain (Hendrix, 2009) In November 2007 OHA released Android, an integrated software pack consisting of the Operating System, middleware, user-friendly interface and applications and the Android SDK free to the development community. Open Innovation and Open Source Open innovation is innovating through the collective creative input and knowledge of internal and external resources (Chesbrough, 2003). Open source technology is one method of open innovation (von Hippel von Krogh, 2006). It grants the developer the ownership of the source code without a cost of license fee or royalties giving them the freedom to further develop and distribute the product free or at a fee (Open Source Initiative, 2010). The openness of the platform creates more advance and cheaper innovations with shorter time-to-value, improving RD productivity and creating better value for money for the end user (Open Handset Alliance, 2009b). The OHA was a value network fostering open innovation by pooling of knowledge and Intellectual Property of the members. Android, was its first product built on the Linux open source kernel (Open Handset Alliance, 2007a). The Competitive Industry Forces Michael Porter (1979; 2008) defines five forces that define the competitive dynamics of an industry by shaping the interactions within that industry. These forces can be defined as bargaining power of suppliers and customers; the threat if new entrants and substitutes and established industry rivals (Fig.2). These are the figures that drive the profitability of the industry in the short and long terms (Porter, 2008). Analysis of these competitive forces and their drivers will provide insight into the basis of the industrys profitability and future growth potential. The entry of Android and Google into the smartphone industry has significantly affected its competitive landscape. Through the creation of an open ecosystem and a wide developer community it has created a sustainable competitive advantage against non-Andriods. Fig 2: The Five Forces that Shape Industry Competition (Porter, 2008) The Five Forces of the Smartphone Industry Bargaining Power of Suppliers There are a number of players in the smartphone Operating Systems (OS) market, led by Nokias Symbian, followed by Apples iPhone OS X, RIMs (Research in Motion) Blackberry, Microsofts Windows mobile, Linux and Palm (Hashimi Komatineni, 2009). These OS developers charged a license fee from handset manufactures, which was usually a variable cost of $0.50 to $25.00 per handset shipped. Further, in order to build applications on a specific OS, developers required SDK (Software Development Kit) and an API (Application Developer Interface), essential support tools for which they paid expensive certification and at times high membership fees (Burgelman, Silverman, Wittig, Hoyt, 2009). Due to the high bargaining power of these OS developers the cost to handset manufacturers was significantly high. Porter (2008) identifies standardization as an avenue of reducing the bargaining power of suppliers, and it is essential for innovation in the mobile telecommunication industry (Tilson Lyytinen, 2006). In the past collaborative RD and sharing of intellectual property were means of standardization in this industry (Bekkers, Verspagen, Smits, 2002). Android was developed to achieve an industry-wide standard in open source code making it freely available to all. By establishing OHA for this purpose creates an environment for open innovation reducing development, distribution and time costs of parallel innovation. The open nature of the Android platform makes it fully adaptable on any handset which triggers a high demand for the Android OS, which in turn reduced the bargaining power of the suppliers of OS. Bargaining Power of Distributers In the smartphone industry the distributers mainly consist of the network carriers who sell the phones to subscribers as a part of a mobile service plan. The bargaining power of the distributers is high since they have a large variety of handset manufactures with different features to select from. Although the failure of the Google Android may be due to a multitude of factors one key reason was their decision to sell the phone in their own web store independent of a carrier, in an attempt to shake up handset retailing . They changed this strategy by introducing the Nexus One in Vodafone (UK) in April 2010 (Parker Waters, 2010). Handset manufactures try to gain leverage through branding, networking and advertising to generate brand loyalty. iPhone for example has a very strong brand community. However the entry of the Android phone has created a new buzz word among subscribers, which gives members of the OHA a higher bargaining power over other handset manufactures. Another key aspect that affects carriers is the new avenue of voice communication that is available in the smartphones due to the Wi-Fi capabilities and applications that are provided such as Skype and Google Voice. With time this would reduce talk time over the carriers network impacting their revenue. Recently iPhone blocked Google Voice on its platform (Menn, 2009). Through collaborative innovation OHA has built a standard platform (Cusumano, 2010) and reduced RD costs of parallel innovation and increased time efficiencies. These economies will eventually flow to the end user creating higher value for money giving Android phone makers a better bargaining power over their subscribers compared to their competition. Rivalry between Incumbents Within a few years of entering into the market the mobile phone became a commodity due to the competition in the market and the fast innovations that resulted in similar phones competing on price. When the smartphone entered the market it required a premium price for the added functionality of the phones. Now the creation of a standardized OS platform through Android has the potential to commoditize the smartphone. Since it was introduced to the market Android has emerged as a strong brand whereby every smartphone running on the Android platform is co-branded as an Android phone. The very 1st Android the T-Mobile G1, Motorola Droid and the latest HTC Magic are few such examples. This creates a convergence in branding between the members of the OHA further consolidating the smartphone industry through the alliance. The value network and open ecosystem that is OHA has a large potential for future developments in the smartphone industry due to the knowledge pool they have created. This is a critical asset for the members of the OHA over the other players in the industry. Further, having Google as a strong leverage in terms of branding, information and human resources adds to the benefit of the OHA. By introducing a standard platform for smartphones Android has reduced any competition between handsets over the OS, opening a new avenue of competition, which is applications. One of the key issues that arise between incumbents in the industry is the Intellectual Property violations. Apple recently sued HTC for 20 patent infringements over HTCs Android phones (Gelles , 2010). Barriers to Entry The main barrier for the smartphone industry for a new entrant was the significant fixed costs of RD and advertising. The introduction of Android has reduced these barriers significantly. First, by freely providing the SDK to the development community any new entrant can use this OS without a cost. Further the applications that are developed for the Android phones are highly adaptable and open. Therefore they can be adapted by any new entrant. Similar Apples Apps Store, there are multiple applications that are available with no cost. Further the Android brand is a powerful platform upon which new entrants can leverage their marketing. References Aguero, J., Rebollo, M., Carrascosa, C., Julian, V. (2009). Does Android Dream with Intelligent Agents. In J. M. Corchado (Ed.), International Symposium on Distributed Computing and Artificial Intelligence 2008. 50, pp. 194-204. Berlin: Springer. Bekkers, R., Verspagen, B., Smits, J. (2002). Intellectual Property Rights and Standardization: The Case of GSM. Telecommunications Policy, 26(3), 171-188. Bhattacharya, M., Gopal, B. S., Samad, S. A. (2009). Googles Android A Threat to Mobile Giants. IBS Research Center. UK: ecch. Burgelman, R. A., Silverman, A., Wittig, C., Hoyt, D. (2009). Googles Android: Will it Shake Up Wirelss Industry in 2009 and Beyond? Standford Business School. USA: ecch. Business Week. (2005, August 17). Google Buys Android for Its Mobile Arsenal. Retrieved April 14, 2010, from http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/aug2005/tc20050817_0949_tc024.htm Canalys. (2008, November 6). Global smart phone shipments rise 28%. Retrieved April 13, 2010, from http://www.canalys.com/pr/2008/r2008112.html Canalys. (2009, November 3). Worldwide Smartphone Market in Third Quarter. Retrieved April 13, 2010, from Canalys.com: http://www.canalys.com/pr/2009/r2009112.html Carter, N. M., Stearns, T. M., Reynolds, P. D., Miller, B. A. (1994). New Venture Strategies: Theory Development with an Empirical Base. Strategic Management Journal, 15(1), 21-41. Carton, P., Crumrine, J. (2010, January 4). New Survey Shows Android OS Roiling the Smartphone Market. Retrieved April 2010, 2010, from ChangeWaveResearch: http://www.changewaveresearch.com/articles/2010/01/smart_phone_20100104.html Cusumano, M. (2005, February). Google: What it is and What it is not. Communications of the ACM, 48(2), 15(3). Cusumano, M. (2010). Technology Strategy and Management The Evolution of Platform Thinking. Communications of the ACM, 53(1), 32-34. DataMonitor. (2008, December). Global Mobile Phones: Industry Profile. Datamonitor. Fortt, J. (2010, March 11). Top 5 moments from Eric Schmidts talk in Abu Dhabi. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from CNN Money: http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/03/11/top-five-moments-from-eric-schmidts-talk-in-abu-dhabi/ Gelles , D. (2010, March 2). Apple sues HTC over iPhone patents. Retrieved April 14, 2010, from The Financial Times: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/a49b2000-261b-11df-aff3-00144feabdc0.html Grotnes, E. (2008). Standardization as an Arena for Open Innovation. In G. Leon, A. Bernardos, J. Casar, K. Kautz, J. DeGross (Eds.), Open IT-Based Innovation: Moving Towards Cooperative IT Transfer and Knowledge Diffusion (Vol. 287, pp. 343-359). Boston: Springer. Hashimi, S. Y., Komatineni, S. (2009). Pro Android. New York: Springer-Verlag. Helft, M., Hansell, S. (2008, September 24). Google Introduces an iPhone Rival Open to Whims. The New York Times, p. C4. Hendrix, P. (2009). Research on Emerging Market and Disruptive Technology. Retrieved April 14, 2010, from IMMR Institute for Mobile Markets Research: http://www.immr.org/1/About/about.htm Menn, J. (2009, July 29). Apple Bans iPhone Applications based on Google Voice Service. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from The Financial Times: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/686dc586-7bd7-11de-9772-00144feabdc0.html Nuttall, C., Waters, R. (2010, April 8). Apple to battle with Google for mobile ads. Retrieved April 13, 2010, from The Financial Times: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9b1476de-434a-11df-9046-00144feab49a.html Open Handset Alliance. (2007a, November 12). Open Handset Alliance Releases Android SDK. Retrieved April 14, 2010, from Open Handset Alliance Press: http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/press_111207.html Open Handset Alliance. (2009b, November 12). Open Handset Alliance Press. Retrieved April 14, 2010, from Industry Leaders Announce Open Platform for Mobile Devices: http://www.openhandsetalliance.com/press_110507.html Open Source Initiative. (2010). The Open Source Definition. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from http://www.opensource.org/docs/osd Park, Y., Chen, J. V. (2007). Acceptance and Adoption of the Innovative use of Smartphones. Industrial Management Data Systems, 107(9), 1349-65. Porter, M. (1979). How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy. McKinsey Quarterly, 4(2), 34(17). Porter, M. (2008, January). The Five Competitive Forces that Shape Strategy. Harvard Business Review, 1-18. Schmidt, E. (2010, March 11). Innovation. In Keynote Speech at the Abu Dhabi Media Summit. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GMjtOSvMDsfeature=PlayListp=DC59D0AB0DDD8478playnext_from=PLplaynext=1index=53. Schmidt, E., Tseng, E., Neven, H. (2010, February 16). Googles Vision of the Mobile Future. In Speech at the Mobile World Congress. Barcelona, Spain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClkQA2Lb_iE. Tidd, J., Bessant, J., Pavitt, K. (2005). Managing Innovation Integarating Technological, Market and Organizational Change. Chichester, West Sussex, England: John Wiley Sons. Tilson, D., Lyytinen, K. (2006). The 3G Transition: Changes in the US Wireless Industry. Telecommunications Policy, 30, 569-586. Tsai, S., Wang, C., Hwang, R. (2008). Ubiquitous Phone System. In F. E. Sandes (Ed.), Ubiquitous Intelligence and Computing (Vol. 5061, pp. 201-215). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer. Vance, A., Bilton, N. (2010, April 12). After iPad, Rivals Offer Variations on a Theme. The New York Times, p. B6. Waters, R., Menn, J. (2010, August 2009). Googles Schmidt quits Apple board. Retrieved April 13, 2010, from The Financial Times: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/33ed1d7e-802e-11de-bf04-00144feabdc0.html Weiser, M. (1991). The Computer for the Twenty-First Century. Scientific American, pp. 94-104. reprinted in IEEE Pervasive Computing, 19-25 (2002).

Essays - Capital Punishment is Our Best Solution for Unwanted Criminals :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Essays - Capital Punishment is Our Best Solution for Unwanted Criminals      Ã‚  Ã‚   Have you been wondering where all our tax dollars are going to these days? A large amount of it is going towards maintaining murderers, rapists and thieves, and for what reason, to live the good life?   The average prisoner costs the federal government one hundred and fifty dollars a day which amounts to fifty- three thousand four hundred dollars a year.   Now, ask yourself this question, Is it worth all this money to keep these savage criminals in jail? Do you really want these brutal criminals after release from prison roaming freely in our streets near our homes?   The ultimate answer to these questions is only too evident, we must control the situation, we need to enforce an alternative... we need Capital Punishment.      Ã‚  Ã‚   For all of the murderers, thieves, drug lords, rapists and any other severe law perpetrator, there must be some form of control and it must be capital punishment.   Any person who kills people with no regrets or rapes innocent victims continuously, does not deserve to live in a luxurious North American penitentiary or anywhere for that matter, they deserve nothing but the death penalty.   When the words ‘death penalty' or ‘capital punishment' are heard, they obviously are disturbing and uncomfortable, but so are their crimes.   There is no hope for criminals with this kind of behavior and mentality. I believe that capital punishment is the key necessity.      Ã‚  Ã‚   If capital punishment was enforced for severe crimes, it would eliminate a fair amount of tax money going towards the judiciary system.   If a prison were to maintain a deadly criminal sentenced for life starting at the age of thirty and living to seventy, it would cost tax payers an unbelievable amount of two million one hundred and thirty-six thousand dollars.   It is hard to believe but it is true, and imagine, if that is the cost of just one criminal, imagine the astronomical amount of five hundred criminals each costing that amount of money... something must be done.   Capital punishment would eliminate those figures and leave you and me a whole lot happier.      Ã‚  Ã‚   When a murderer kills a person and goes to court, he expects to get around thirty to fifty years in jail, and if he behaves well in prison, he could very well get out in half the time.   It is also a fact that after the criminal has been released from prison, he will most likely perform the same acts that rendered him there in the first place.   Society can't handle these brutal

The Most Important Element in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay

The Most Important Element in Frankenstein      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When reading a novel or watching a play, most people are deceived into believing that the plot is the most important element.   Many people believe that the characters, setting, and situations simply exist to develop the plot.   It can be argued, however, that the theme is the most important aspect of a given work, and that the plot exists merely to solidify the underlying messages that the author actually intends to communicate.  Ã‚  Ã‚         Theme is the most important element in Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein.   In this novel, Victor Frankenstein's passion for scientific progress leads to the birth of a horrific monster that, in turn, seeks revenge upon Victor and his family.   This is simply the plot.   This plot is used to develop the themes of the potential evil inherent in technological advancement, human prejudice, and the universal desire for love and acceptance.      The novel has deservedly been named "the first true work of science fiction," alluding to the inherent absurdity of the theme of the dangers in technological advancement ("Visions of the Future, 5).   Moreover, since the novel's introduction in 1808, many writers of this genre have built gripping stories around scientific and technological capabilities and the consequences of misusing them.   Nevertheless, in this instance, it is Victor Frankenstein's interest in natural philosophy and chemistry that compelled him to create life and thereby "play God."       In turn, Frankenstein's being, composed of rotted corpses, obviously causes incredible evil and the consequences to man's attempt to master life and death are made evident when, the monster counteracts man's... ... Goodall, Jane.   "Frankenstein and the Reprobates Conscience."   Studies in the Novel.   Spring 1999: 19-44.    McKie, Robin.   "The Week that Dolly Shook the World."   Guardian Weekly.   March 9, 1997: 7.    Mellor, Anne K.   Mary Shelley: Her Life, Her Fiction, Her Monster.   New York: Methuen, 1988.    Patterson, Arthur Paul. A Frankenstein Study. http://www.watershed.winnipeg.mb.ca/Frankenstein.html Shelley, Mary.   Frankenstein.   New York: Modern Library, 1984. Smith, Christopher. Frankenstein as Prometheus. http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/class/sf/books/frank/papers/FrankCS.html Spark, Muriel. Mary Shelly. New York: Dutton, 1987. Williams, Bill. On Shelley's Use of Theme. http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/class/sf/books/frank/papers/FrankWJW.html "Visions of the Future."   Literary Cavalcade.   January 2001: 5-6.      

Lunch Lady Blues Essay -- Nutrition

In recent years America’s health and economy have become a hot topic of debate in legislative offices. Recent legislation concerning the food served in schools nationwide has undergone changes that have cause widespread debate on the role of the federal government in students’ lives, the possible effects on the industry that supply food to schools and the effects on the schools and students themselves. In some cases the debated changes are welcomed with open arms and are merely formalities, in others the changes are reasons to lobby congress to convince them that pizza is counted as a vegetable because it has tomato paste. In the long run some of the changes will make a positive impact on the health of children, and businesses will find ways to adapt to the new regulations and succeed. As of 2008 an estimated 17% of children between the ages of 2-19, are considered obese. This statistic has tripled over a 30 year period beginning in the mid 1970s (CDC). The greatest concern for children in this category is the risk for coronary heart disease from the consumption of trans fats (CDC). The life long affects of obesity are one main reason the federal government has recently adopted changes to the National School Lunch Program nutritional requirements. Trans fats were created by scientist to replace the saturated fats found in some processed foods; they are commonly used to prolong the shelf life of foods (CDC). The fact is the consumption of artificial trans fats affects cholesterol levels negatively and increases the risk for heart disease (CDC). The National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program serve a combined 40 million or more meals per day to students nationwide (CDC). The risk of heart disease is not the only... .../FR-2012-01-26/pdf/2012-1010.pdf> Salk Institute. "How Obesity Increases The Risk For Diabetes." ScienceDaily, 21 Jun. 2009. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. â€Å"Schwan’s Food Service, Inc. Redefines School Pizza, Offering Healthier Choices for Children in More Than 72,000 U.S. Schools† Businesswire. businesswire.com. 7 Mar. 2011. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. Simon, G.E., et al. â€Å"Obesity, depression, and health services costs among middle-aged women.† nih.gov, 28 Jun. 2011. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. United States Department of Agriculture. â€Å"Notices†. usda.gov, 25 Mar. 2011. Web. 3 Apr. 2012.

Balagtasan Essay

The Dynamic Crust, Earthquakes and the Earth’s Interior Why is the Earth’s crust described as being dynamic? Crust- solid rock outer zone of Earth The crust is part of the lithosphere. The Earth’s crust is dynamic which means constantly changing. Earthquakes Volcanoes Crustal movements along fault zones Other evidence indicates that parts of the Earth’s crust have been moving to different locations for billions of years. Describe pieces of evidence that suggest minor changes in the Earth’s crust. Displaced & Deformed Rock Strata Sedimentary rocks appear to form in horizontal layers. However, observations of the Earth’s surface indicate that the original formations of rock have changed through past movements. Tilting Earth movement resulting in a change in the position of rock layers, â€Å"rocks at an angle† Folded Strata Bend in the rock layers produced during the mountain building process Faulting Movement of rock along a crack (fault) in the crust Displaced Fossils Displaced means â€Å"moved.† Marine fossils- remains or imprints of once living ocean organisms such as coral, fish, etc. found in sedimentary rock Marine fossils found in layers of sedimentary rock in mountains, often thousands of feet above sea level. These marine fossils found at high elevation suggest past uplift of rock strata. Sinking or settling of rock strata Rock layers that have been moved. Horizontal Displacement (Faulting) Earth shifts sideways along a transform fault in the crust Vertical Displacement (Faulting) Portion of Earth’s surface is either uplifted or subsides along a fault or crack. Benchmark Permanent cement or brass marker in ground indicating a measured elevation. Isostasy Condition of balance or equilibrium in Earth’s crust. Since the upper mantle acts like a very dense fluid, the crustal plates float on top of it. Any change in one part of the crust is offset by a corresponding change in another part of the crust. Example of Isostasy If a piece of crust loses some of its material due to erosion, it becomes lighter and floats higher in the mantle. When the eroded material gets deposited, the crust is weighted down causing that area to sink lower into the mantle. Another isostatic example. The deposition of 2 miles thick ice on NY during a glacial ice age caused the area to subside slightly. This forced other areas to rise higher in response to the settling under the ice. Later after the ice receded or melted, the region responded with gradual uplift causing minor seismic activity or earthquakes. Give examples of crustal activity and explain where the zones of crustal activity are located. Areas of Crustal Activity Crustal activities such as earthquakes and volcanoes occur for the most part in specific zones or regions of the Earth. These regions are usually along the borders of continents and oceans. These zones mark boundaries or edges of large pieces of the Earth’s crust called crustal boundaries. ESRT p.5 What is an earthquake? Explain the difference between an epicenter and a focus of an earthquake. Describe properties of the 3 types of earthquake waves and tell the difference between a seismograph and a seismogram. I. Earthquakes Sudden trembling or shaking of ground usually caused by movement along a break or a fault releasing built up stress When an earthquake occurs, seismic waves are created and move out in all directions from the focus or point of origin. The earthquake’s focus or point of origin is usually deep below the Earth’s surface. The point on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus is called the epicenter. Describe properties of the 3 types of earthquake waves and tell the difference between a seismograph and a seismogram. II. Earthquake Waves Seismograph: Instrument that detects and records seismic waves. Earthquakes generate several kinds of seismic waves that can be detected by a seismograph. 3 types of seismic waves are p, s, & l waves. L waves Long waves Do not pass through the Earth. Ripple along the surface of the Earth Create the damage associated with earthquakes P waves Primary waves Also called compressional because they cause the material through which they pass to vibrate back and forth (compress) in the same direction as the wave is traveling. Called primary because they move quickly through the Earth with a greater velocity than secondary waves and therefore are the first waves to reach a distant location. S waves Secondary waves Also called shear waves because they cause the material through which they pass to vibrate at right angles (up & down) to the direction in which the wave is traveling III. Velocities of Waves When traveling in the same material, primary waves travel at a greater velocity than secondary waves. So a seismograph will read the primary waves before the secondary waves arrive. A single seismogram showing the arrival times of p & s waves may be used to determine the distance to the earthquake and its time of origin. The greater the difference in arrival times of the primary and secondary waves, the greater the distance to the earthquake epicenter. Finding the Distance to an Earthquake’s Epicenter To find out how far an epicenter was away from a location, a seismograph reading or seismogram is necessary that shows the arrival of both p and s waves. Determining the Exact Location of an Earthquake’s Epicenter Epicenter location is found by the comparison of differences in travel time of p & s seismic waves. Knowing the separation time between arrival of both p & s waves gives the distance to the point on the Earth’s surface directly above the earthquake called the epicenter. Since only the distance to epicenter and not direction is known, a circle is drawn with the radius equal to the distance. The epicenter is on the circle. To find the actual location of the epicenter you must find the distance from 3 different seismograph stations. Why not 2? Draw 3 circles around the 3 seismograph stations and where they intersect is the earthquake’s epicenter. The earthquake occurred at a point somewhere below the epicenter and that internal point is called the focus. Scientists wanting to improve accuracy of finding the true epicenter will find the distance from more than 3 seismograph stations. Compare and contrast the 2 scales for determining the strength of an earthquake. a) The Modified Mercalli Scale Based upon the damage inflicted by an earthquake. This intensity scale ranges from I to XII with I being felt by few people to XII resulting in total devastation. Modified Mercalli Scale Continued Although this scale is still used, it is not very precise. Why? Damage inflicted by earthquakes depends on many factors besides the strength of the earthquake such as location, type of land, building design & structure, etc. b) The Richter Scale A Magnitude scale used to describe the amount of energy released by an earthquake. Richter scale magnitudes range from 0 to 9. Each number step up the scale indicates a release of 32 times more energy than the previous step. Earthquakes that are less than 2.5 are not usually felt by people. Approximately 20 major earthquakes in the magnitude 7.0-7.9 occur every year and each 5-10 years an earthquake of 8.0 or more will devastate a portion of Earth. Give examples of dangers to humans from volcanic and earthquake activity. Dangers to Humans from Earthquakes and Volcanoes Tell at least 4 of these hazards. Fires (Ruptured gas or power lines) Collapsing buildings/Falling Debris Broken bridges and roads Tsunamis (Seismic Sea Waves) Lava flows melt and burn Volcanic ash & poisonous gases make it difficult to breathe Large submarine (under water) earthquakes or those that occur along a coastline may result in tsunamis or seismic sea waves. Describe differences between p and s wave transmission through the Earth and how it creates a shadow zone. VII. Transmission of Earthquake Waves The velocity of an earthquake wave varies according to density of the material through which it is traveling. The greater the density of the material, the greater the velocity. As seismic waves travel through materials of different densities, the velocity of the seismic waves will change. This change in velocity of the wave causes the wave to be bent or refracted. Since the density of the Earth gradually increases with depth, seismic waves tend to increase in their velocity and continually refract (bend) as they travel down into the Earth. Difference in P and S Wave Transmission Compressional or p waves are transmitted through all phases of matter; solid, liquid or gas. However, shear or s waves are only transmitted through solids. This difference provides valuable information for scientists about the composition and interior structure of the Earth. S waves that penetrate the Earth to the depth of the outer core disappear. Since these waves are not transmitted by the outer core, the material of the outer core is assumed to be liquid. Earthquakes generate p & s waves that move out from the earthquake through the Earth in all directions. Seismographs that are located within 102 degrees from the epicenter record both p & s waves. Those seismograph stations that are farther away than 102o do not record any s waves because they are not transmitted through the core. A band that runs approximately 102o to 143o away from the epicenter records neither p nor s waves. Describe a model of the Earth’s crust and interior. Describe characteristics of both the crust and interior. Crust & Interior Properties There are 4 major Earth zones, three solid ones and one liquid. The 3 solid zones are the crust, mantle and inner core. The only liquid zone is the outer core. See ESRT p.10 Crustal Thickness The crust of the Earth compared to other zones is relatively thin, only a few kilometers in average depth. The average thickness of the continental crust is greater than the average thickness of the oceanic crust. Crustal Composition The continental crust is composed mainly of felsic igneous rock like granite that is low in density. The oceanic crust is composed mainly of mafic igneous rock like basalt that is high in density. Interior Structure Crust sits on top of mantle. Mantle accounts for the greatest part of the volume of the Earth. The crust-mantle boundary is called the Mohorovicic Discontinuity or the Moho. Below the mantle is the liquid outer core and the solid inner core. Interior Composition Evidence from the behavior of seismic waves and metallic meteorites suggests that the inner portion of the Earth is a high density combination of the metallic elements iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni). Characteristics of Earth’s Interior The density, temperature and pressure of the Earth’s interior increases with depth. (ESRT p.10). The density ranges from 2.7g/cm3 for the continental crust and 3.0g/cm3 for the oceanic crust to 12.7 g/cm3-13.0g/cm3 for the inner core. Compare theories of continental drift and plate tectonics. Give evidence that support the idea that continents have moved. I. Plate Tectonics Theory Theory that Earth’s lithosphere is made of a number of solid plates that move in relation to each other. ESRT p.5 Continental Drift Theory that continents are now, as well as in the past, shifting positions. Wegener noted that the present continents appear to fit together as fragments of an originally larger landmass, much the same way the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle fit together. This is especially true if the edges of the continental shelves are used as the boundaries. However, over the years new evidence has been collected that indicates that approximately 200 million years ago, the major continents were connected and since that time the continents have been moving generally apart. The following diagrams show the Inferred Positions of the Continents over the last 458 million years. Label the Geologic Period for each diagram. Diagrams found in ESRT on page 9. Evidence to Support Idea that Continents Have Moved Many rock layers and fossils can be correlated across ocean basins. Rock types along with mineral composition and the fossils found in those rocks match up. A good example of this are rocks and fossils found on the east coast of South America match those found along the west coastline of Africa. Diamonds found in eastern Brazil are very similar to those found in western Africa. More Evidence for Continental Movement Some mountain chains appear to be continuous from continent to continent. Example: Appalachians and Caledonian More Evidence for Continental Movement Rock and fossil evidence indicates ancient climates much different from those of today. Examples: glacial deposits in tropical regions or coal deposits in Arctic More Evidence for Continental Movement Rocks of the ocean basins are much younger than continental rocks. The most conclusive evidence comes from the ocean basins. Explain evidence for sea floor spreading from both igneous ocean rocks and the reversal of magnetic polarity. Evidence to Suggest Sea Floor Spreading There is much evidence to indicate that the ocean floors are spreading out from the mid-ocean ridges. The two major pieces of evidence are related to the age of igneous ocean materials and the reversal of magnetic polarity. a) Igneous Ocean Rocks The ocean crust is made up mainly of basalt that is formed when magma (molten rock) rises, cools, solidifies and crystallizes into igneous rocks of the mid-ocean ridges. Evidence shows that igneous rocks along the center of the mid-ocean ridge is younger (more recently formed) than the igneous rock found farther from the mid-ocean ridge. The age of igneous rock has been accurately determined using radioactive dating techniques. This suggests that as new ocean crust is generated at mid-ocean ridges, the ocean floor widens. Reversal of Magnetic Polarity The strips of basaltic rock that lie parallel to the mid-ocean ridge show matched patterns of magnetic reversals. Check out this animation! Over thousands of years, the magnetic poles of Earth reverse their polarities. The magnetic north pole changes to the magnetic south pole and vice versa. When the basaltic magma flows up in the middle of the ridge and begins to cool, crystals of magnetic minerals align themselves with the Earth’s magnetic field. This alignment of minerals in the rock leaves a recording of magnetic polarity for the Earth at the time of rock formation. When the Earth’s magnetic field is reversed, the new igneous rocks formed during the reversed polarity period have their minerals aligned in an opposite direction from the previously formed rocks. These changes in magnetic orientation are found in rock on both sides of the mid-ocean ridge, indicating that the development of the ocean floor is form the center of the mid-ocean ridges outward. Describe the 3 types of plate motion. Identify plate boundaries. Lithospheric Plates and Plate Boundaries Three kinds of plate motion are associated with plate boundaries; convergent, divergent and transform. a) Convergent Plate Boundaries Convergent Plate Boundaries- plates collide with each other Ocean Plate Meets Continental Plate If an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate, the denser ocean plate made of basalt dives down (subducts) into the mantle forming a subduction zone with an ocean trench formed at the surface. At the subduction zone, old crust is consumed by the mantle to create more molten material. The overriding continental plate made of granite forms mountains. An example is the Andes of South America. Ocean Plate Meets Ocean Plate If two oceanic plates converge, the older, denser plate will subduct also forming a trench on the surface along with a chain of islands called an island arc. An example of this convergent subduction zone is the Northern and Western boundaries of the Pacific Ocean. Continental Plate Meets Continental Plate If a continental plate collides with another continental plate, the edge of both plates are crumpled up forming folded mountains. An example of this type of convergent boundary is the Himalayas of India. b) Divergent Plate Boundaries Divergent Plate Boundaries- plates move apart A divergent boundary allows heat and magma to flow up from below forming parallel ridges made of new crustal material. An example of a divergent plate boundary like this is any mid-ocean ridge. c) Transform Plate Boundary Transform Plate Boundary- plates grind slowly past each other At this type of boundary, crust is neither formed nor consumed. An example is San Andreas Fault in California. Shallow focus earthquakes are very common at transform boundaries. Plate Tectonic Map (ESRT p.5) Although plate motion is only a few centimeters a year, the interactions of the boundaries result in earthquakes, volcanoes and mountain building on a grand scale showing that the Earth is a dynamic system. Explain how mantle convection cells are thought to be the method for moving crustal plates. Mantle Convection Cells Although forces exist within the Earth that are powerful enough to move the lithospheric plates, the scientific community is not in total agreement on the specific mechanism (method) involved. Convection cell- stream of heated material that is moving due to density differences Evidence suggests that convection cells exist within a part of the mantle called the asthenosphere because of the occurrence of heat flow highs in areas of  mountain building and heat flow lows in areas of shallow subsiding basins. These convection cells may be part of the driving force which causes continents to move. What are hot spots? How are they formed? Hot Spots Hot Spots- places on Earth’s surface with unusually high heat flow Most hot spots occur along active plate margins but some are found within the plates. Hot spots are thought to be caused by magma rising up from the mantle producing sites of active volcanism. Wow! That was Dynamic! Prepare for Chapter Test†¦Good Luck!!! * EartHquakes * Sub-topics: * How strong is an earthquake? Do you live near an active fault? Earthquake and tsunami What is inside the earth? * What is an Earthquake? * An earthquake is a shaking of the ground caused by the sudden breaking and movement of large sections (tectonic plates) of the earth’s rocky outermost crust. The edges of the tectonic plates are marked by faults (or fractures). Most earthquakes occur along the fault lines when the plates slide past each other or collide against each other. * The shifting masses send out shock waves that may be powerful enough to alter the surface of the Earth, thrusting up cliffs and opening great cracks in the ground and †¢ cause great damage †¦ collapse of buildings and other man-made structures, broken power and gas lines (and the consequent fire), landslides, snow avalanches, tsunamis (giant sea waves) and volcanic eruptions. * How strong is an Earthquake * Earthquakes are measured in two different ways: 1.) Magnitude 2.)Intensity * Earthquake magnitude * Earthquake magnitude is a measure of the energy released by an earthquake, or its â€Å"size†. Because earthquakes vary a lot in size, earthquake magnitude scales are logarithmic. For a one-step increase in magnitude the amount of energy released increases about 32 times. So a magnitude 7 earthquake is 32 times bigger than a magnitude 6 earthquake, and a magnitude 8 earthquake is 1000 bigger. * Earthquake intensity * Earthquake intensity describes how much ground shaking occurred, or how â€Å"strong† an earthquake was, at a particular location. Earthquake waves weaken as they travel away from the earthquake source, so an earthquake generally feels less strong the further away from the source you are. * Earthquake intensity * The intensity of an earthquake is determined by observing the effects of the earthquake in different places. Houses, buildings, and other structures are inspected. People are interviewed about what they saw (the cabinet fell over), how they felt (I was frightened), or what they did (I ran out of the house). * The Modified Mercalli (MM) intensity scale * MM 1Not felt. * MM 2Felt by peeple at rest on upper floors of buildings. * MM 3Felt indoors, like a small truck passing; hanging objects swing slightly. * MM 4Felt indoors by many, like a heavy truck passing; hanging objects swing, windows rattle. * MM 5Felt outdoors, sleepers awakened, small objects and pictures move. * MM 6Felt by all, crockery breaks, furniture moves, weak plaster cracks. * The Modified Mercalli (MM) intensity scale * MM 7Difficult to stand, noticed by car drivers, furniture breaks, weak chimneys break at roof line, plaster, loose bricks and tiles fall. * MM 8Driving is difficult, ordinary masonry is damaged, chimneys and towers fall, some liquefaction. * MM 9General panic, poor masonry destroyed, ordinary masonry and foundations damaged, liquefaction and landslides. * MM 10Most masonry structures destroyed. Some well-built wooden structures and bridges destroyed. Dams and embankments damaged, large landslides. * MM 11Few buildings left standing. * MM 12Damage nearly total. * FAULTS * What is a fault? * A fault is a break in the rocks that make up the Earth’s crust, along which rocks on either side have moved past each other. * The direction of movement along the fault plane determines the fault type. * 3 Major Faults * Normal * Reverse * Strike-slip * Do You Live Near an Active Fault? * An active fault is one that has moved in the past and is expected to move again. Put in another way, an active fault has generated earthquakes before and is capable of causing more in the future. * Scientists use different ways to find out if a fault is active. One is by checking the country’s historical records. Historians always write about destructive events such as earthquakes. * Another is by studying the vibrations, past and present, that come from faults. Still another way is by observing the surroundings. For example, a fault may cross a road and because of that, the road is displaced. * Do You Live Near an Active Fault? * Or a fault may cut across a stream and the stream channel is then shifted. Or a fault may slice through mountains and form cliffs. This is not to say that anyone can spot an active fault. Scientists need a lot of training to do that. * But along some faults, the effects may be dramatic. Suppose a house was built on a fault. As the ground shifts little by little, parts of the house will be affected. The floor will crack, doors will not close, and the roof may start to leak. * Obviously, it is important to know the location of active faults. As far as possible, no important structures should be built near or on them. Tsunami * What is a tsunami? * A tsunami is a series of waves usually caused by an undersea earthquake that displaces the ocean floor. But a tsunami is not really a â€Å"wave† that moves up and down; it’s actually the ocean moving sideways as a massivesurge or a wall of water. It’s also knownas a tidal wave. The Japanese word tsunami means â€Å"harbor wave.†A tsunami can generate waves for 12 to 24 hours. And the first wave is not always Japan, 2011 The Boston Globe the biggest! A tsunami travels across the open ocean at over 500mph, the speed of a jet airplane. As it reaches shallower water and approaches shore, it slows down but grows in height. A tsunami can happen at anytime of day or year. How do earthquakes generate tsunamis? * Tsunamis can be generated when the sea floor abruptly deforms and vertically displaces the overlying water. Tectonic earthquakes are a particular kind of earthquake that are associated with the earth’s crustal deformation; when these earthquakes occur beneath the sea, the water above the deformed area is displaced from its equilibrium position. Waves are formed as the displaced water mass, which acts under the influence of gravity, attempts to regain its equilibrium. When large areas of the sea floor elevate or subside, a tsunami can be created. * What is a Tsunami Earthquake * A tsunami earthquake is an earthquake that triggers a tsunami of a magnitude that is very much larger than the magnitude of the earthquake as measured by shorter-period seismic waves. Such events are a result of relatively slow rupture velocities. They are particularly dangerous as a large tsunami may arrive at a neighbouring coast with little or no warning. a tsunami earthquake is that the release of seismic energy occurs at long periods (low frequencies) relative to typical tsunamigenic earthquakes. Earthquakes of this type do not generally show the peaks of seismic wave activity associated with ordinary events. A tsunami earthquake can be defined as an undersea earthquake. * What is inside the Earth? * Earth’s Layers * CrustThe crust is the first layer of the earth. It is split up into two parts the continental crust, and the oceanic crust. * Mantle The mantle is the second layer of the earth. It is split up into two different parts, the lithosphere (which is the top part) and the asthenosphere (which is the bottom part). * Earth’s Layers * Outer coreThe outer core is a liquid made up of iron and nickel. The depth of the outer core is 2, 890. This is one of thethree layers that is putting pressure on the inner core. * Inner coreThe Inner crust is the second thinnest layer. The inner core is hotter than the surface of the sun. The inner core is made out of iron and nickel. It is 5159 to 6378 km thick. * Earth’s Layers * The Earth is formed of three concentric layers: the core, the mantle and the crust; these are separated by transition zones called discontinuities. * Mohorovicic discontinuity * Gutenberg discontinuity * How the seismic waves travel * The shaking starts from the focus and spreads out. You can get an idea of how this happens by throwing a pebble into a pond. See the ripples that move out in circles? The vibrations from the focus are something like that. * The vibrations are more properly called seismic waves. As seismic waves travel through the body of the Earth, they behave in different ways, depending on what they encounter along way

Employee Discipline Essay

In keeping with the Mission of the Sisters of Providence, which requires respect, honesty, and justice in dealings with employees, PSJMC directs its disciplinary and corrective action efforts towards developing and coaching employees to achieve and maintain satisfactory conduct and performance. Although PSJMC may terminate the employment relationship at will without following any formal system of discipline or warnings, PSJMC exercises its discretion to use a progressive discipline to ensure a fair method of disciplining employees. The progressive discipline process is intended to give employees advance notice, when appropriate, in order to provide them an opportunity to correct any deficiencies in job performance or conduct. PSJMC is committed to providing a workplace that is free of harassment and discrimination (PROV-HR-4036 Policy). PSJMC does not tolerate any kind of unlawful discrimination or harassment, including sexual harassment, or harassment based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, pregnancy, citizenship, ancestry, gender, marital status, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. Unlawful harassment, in any form including verbal, physical, or visual harassment will not be tolerated. The policy defines the procedure for reporting any occurrence of sexual or other unlawful harassment and applies to all employees and agents of the company as well as to nonemployees , including physicians, vendors, contractors, and others doing business with the company. Any employee or agent of the company who is found to have violated this policy will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including the possibility of immediate termination. This is an HR policy and is enforced by HR. PSJMC is committed to maintain a safe and productive work environment and expects employees to be reliable and punctual in reporting for scheduled work (PROV –HR 4687 Policy). Absenteeism and tardiness place a burden on the hospital and on other employees. In the rare circumstances when employees cannot avoid being late to work or are unable to work as scheduled, they should notify thei r supervisor as soon as possible in advance of the anticipated tardiness or absence as required by policy. Excessive absenteeism and tardiness is disruptive and may lead to corrective action, up to and including termination of employment. The policy does not apply to employees on an authorized FMLA leave, including intermittent FMLA leave, or other leaves protected by state or federal law including verified occupational injury or illness. This is an HR policy and is enforced by HR. PSJMC ensures and maintains a work environment that promotes the interests of employee safety, efficiency, health, and productivity. It also recognizes that employee involvement with drugs and alcohol can be extremely disruptive and harmful to employees, patients, and the public. It adversely affects the quality of work and the performance of employees, poses serious safety and health risks to the user and others, and has a negative impact on work efficiency and productivity. All job applicants receiving offers of employment shall be required to submit a drug-screening test as a condition of employment. Further, any employee observed with perceived impairment will be subject to a drug screening test when reasonable suspicion has been determined. The purpose of the policy is to provide a safe, healthy, productive and efficient working environment for employees, patients and the public. This is an Occupational Health and Safety policy and is enforced by HR (PROV-HR-4065 Policy). PSJMC complies with its ethical and legal obligations surrounding the appropriate use of social media. The policy aims to clarify what constitutes official Providence use of social media, to establish guidelines for the official use of electronic social networking, and to clarify the personal responsibilities and legal implications of personal use of electronic social networking while at work or while posting information about Providence (PROV-CE-1098 Policy). Social media may be used by Providence for business-related purposes and its employees for business and other purposes subject to the restrictions set forth in the policy. The policy is established to assure compliance with legal and regulatory restrictions and privacy and confidentiality agreements. This policy was created by the Office of the CEO and enforced by HR. Based off my research, PSJMC does an excellent job of ensuring that it has the appropriate policies in place to avoid legal litigation. That said, it is important that PSJMC look for more effective measures to educate employees about new or revised policies. The medical center relies on their intranet policy library as the policy depository and expects all employees to self educate. Most leaders and all of the employees I spoke to were not aware of several policies and did not know where to find them—resulting in a huge liability for the hospital as a result of poor implementation. When policies are violated or a manager needs to modify undesirable conduct after attempts of coaching, progressive discipline may need to be applied. The type of disciplinary action depends upon the nature and history of the employee’s misconduct. These disciplinary actions often include verbal warnings, written warnings, suspensions without pay, and demotions. Progressive discipline does no t mean that PSJMC does not fire an employee for a first offense; some misconduct is of such a serious nature that no second chance is warranted. Most undesirable behavior, however, does not result in immediate discharge, but rather in imposition of some lesser sanction. If the behavior is repeated, progressively more severe disciplinary action is taken, ultimately leading to termination. Managerial coaching is a growing alternative to formal discipline that attempts to get the employee actively involved in addressing performance slippage. Using company disciplinary procedures to address employee issues puts the ownership of the issue on the manager and human resources department. The employee will be asked to react to whatever course of action the manager and human resources group decides to take. A coaching approach puts ownership of the problem with the manager and employee. Any process of resolution is created between the manager and employee and it becomes the employee’s responsibility to find ways to solve the issue under the guidance of the manager. The manager-employee relationship is important in creating a productive workplace. Coaches try to work with their employees to improve employee performance and find the deep-seated reasons as to why conflict exists. This kind of interactive process can work to improve the manager-employee relationship. If a manager turns to official disciplinary action without attempting to interact with the employee, then that can damage the manager-employee dynamic and create a division that results in a decline in morale, loss of productivity and an increase in employee turnover. Union representation protects union employees from unfair discipline, wrongful discharge and preserves workplace rights. Unless circumstances warrant severe actions, PSJMC utilizes progressive discipline to address union employee disciplinary issues also. The progressive steps are specified in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and include, verbal counseling, written counseling, disciplinary suspensions without pay , and termination of employment. Union employees may request to have a union representative or steward present at any meeting if the employee believes that the meeting may result in disciplinary action. Copies of all written counseling(s) and all documentation are kept in the employee’s personnel file along with rebuttals. Corrective action or any reference to disciplinary action cannot be used against the employee for any purpose after twelve months—so, in essence progressive discipline has a twelve month window. If, the disciplinary action is grieved or arbitrated and the charges of the offense are determined to be without merit, all records are placed in a confidential envelope in the personnel file and cannot be used for progressive disciplinary action purposes. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is a processes used for the purpose of resolving conflict or disputes informally and confidentially. The ADR Office at PSJMC offers all employees a resource that is informal, non-escalating and impartial . The goal is to identify possible strategies to resolve concerns before utilizing the traditional processes such as grievances and arbitrations. Although ADR does not displace those traditional processes it does reduce the number of grievances and formal complaints received by human resource and legal departments. Some of the ADR activities include serving as a sounding board, providing and explaining policies and rules, how to address or report unacceptable or illegal behavior from a coworker or supervisor, offering referrals to other resources, helping people help themselves around communication styles, help collect and analyze information, helping to draft a letter about their issues, coaching and role-playing. The activities handled by the ADR Office are vast and diverse. Overall, employees see this service as a benefit and the hospital executives view the ADR as a proactive measure to protect and mitigate risk. In addition to the ADR, PSJMC offers Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to assist employees with personal challenges that may affect their on the job performance. These challenges may fall into many categories including: drug and alcohol abuse, legal, marital, relocation, grief, abusive households, financial, childcare, eldercare, and outplacement services. Since all employees face serious problems at one time or another in their lives, and it is important to provide help during those times. EAP is structured to provide access to quality service providers. Participation in this plan is voluntary, and does not use information that impacts the employee’s chances of future employment or promotion. All contact, participation, and treatment remain confidential. All EAP services provided are available to employees free of charge. The cost of long-term treatment or rehabilitation services is provided as defined under the health care plans. To reduce liability requires that employers have solid policies in place, utilize coaching and progressive discipline consistently and know how to properly document disciplinary actions. The importance of effective documentation of disciplinary actions cannot be overstressed. Apply disciplinary actions is at times uncomfortable but is absolutely necessary in order to help defeat frivolous claims of discrimination and promote a healthy workplace. References Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center. (2012). Mission. Retrieved from https://california.providence.org/Saint-Joseph/pages/About-Mission.aspx Providence Health & Services. (2009). Attendance and Punctuality, PROV –HR 4687 Policy| Providence Health & Services. (2012). Counseling and Corrective Action, PROV-HR-4053 Policy Providence Health & Services. (2012). Sexual and Unlawful Harassment, PROV-HR-4036 Policy Providence Health & Services. (2012). Drug Free Workplace, PROV-HR-4065 Policy Providence Health & Services. (2012). Social Media, PROV-CE-1098 Policy

Feminism And Gender Equality In The 1990’s

Overall, the rights and status of women have improved considerably in the last century; however, gender equality has recently been threatened within the last decade. Blatantly sexist laws and practices are slowly being eliminated while social perceptions of â€Å"women's roles† continue to stagnate and even degrade back to traditional ideals. It is these social perceptions that challenge the evolution of women as equal on all levels. In this study, I will argue that subtle and blatant sexism continues to exist throughout educational, economic, Women who carefully follow their expected roles may never ecognize sexism as an oppressive force in their life. I find many parallels between women's experiences in the nineties with Betty Friedan's, in her essay: The Way We Were – 1949. She dealt with a society that expected women to fulfill certain roles. Those roles completely disregarded the needs of educated and motivated business women and scientific women. Actually, the subtle message that society gave was that the educated woman was I remember in particular the searing effect on me, who once intended to be a psychologist, of a story in McCall's in December 1949 called â€Å"A Weekend with Daddy. A little girl who lives a lonely life with her mother, divorced, an intellectual know-it-all psychologist, goes to the country to spend a weekend with her father and his new wife, who is wholesome, happy, and a good cook and gardener. And there is love and laughter and growing flowers and hot clams and a gourmet cheese omelet and square dancing, and she doesn't want to go home. But, pitying her poor mother typing away all by herself in the lonesome apartment, she keeps her guilty secret that from now on she will be living for the moments when she can escape to that dream home n the country where they know â€Å"what life is all about. † (See I have often consulted my grandparents about their experiences, and I find their historical perspective enlightening. My grandmother was pregnant with her third child in 1949. Her work experience included: interior design and modeling women's clothes for the Sears catalog. I asked her to read the Friedan essay and let me know if she felt as moved as I was, and to share with me her experiences of sexism. Her immediate reaction was to point out that â€Å"Betty Friedan was a college educated woman and she had certain goals that never interested me. My grandmother, though growing up during a time when women had few social rights, said she didn't experience oppressive sexism in her life. However, when she describes her life accomplishments, I feel she has spent most of her life fulfilling the expected roles of women instead of pursuing goals that were mostly reserved for men. Unknowingly, her life was controlled by traditional, sexist values prevalent in her time and still prevalent in the nineties. Twenty-four years after the above article from McCall's magazine was written, the Supreme Court decided whether women should have a right to an abortion in Roe v. Wade (410 U. S. 113 (1973)). I believe the decision was made in favor of women's rights mostly because the court made a progressive decision to consider the woman as a human who may be motivated by other things in life than just being a mother. Justice Blackmun delivered the Maternity, or additional offspring, may force upon the woman a distressful life and future. Psychological harm may be imminent. Mental and physical health may be taxed by child care. There is also a distress, for all concerned, associated with the unwanted child, and there is the problem of bringing a child into a family lready unable, psychologically and otherwise, to care for it. In other cases, as in this one, the additional difficulties and continuing stigma of unwed motherhood may be involved. I feel the court decision of Roe v. Wade would not have been made in 1949. Even in 1973, it was a progressive decision. The problem of abortion has existed for the entire history of this country (and beyond), but had never been addressed because discussing these issues was not socially acceptable. A culture of not discussing issues that have a profound impact on women is a culture that encourages women to be powerless. The right of abortion became a major issue. Before 1970, about a million abortions were done every year, of which only about ten thousand were legal. Perhaps a third of the women having illegal abortions – mostly poor people – had to be hospitalized for complications. How many thousands died as a result of these illegal abortions no one really knows. But the illegalization of abortion clearly worked against the poor, for the rich could manage either to have their baby or to have their abortion under A critic of the women's movement would quickly remind us that omen have a right to decline marriage and sex, and pursue their individual interests. However, I would argue that the social pressure women must endure if they do not conform to their expected role is unfair. The problem goes beyond social conformity and crosses into government intervention (or lack thereof). The 1980's saw the pendulum swing against the women's movement. Violent acts against women who sought abortions became common and the government was unsympathetic to the victims. There are parallels between the Southern Black's civil rights movement and the women's movement: Blacks have long been ccustomed to the white government being unsympathetic to violent acts against them. During the civil rights movement, legal action seemed only to come when a white civil rights activist was killed. Women are facing similar disregard presently, and their movement is truly one for civil rights. A national campaign by the National Organization of Women began on 2 March 1984, demanding that the US Justice Department investigate anti-abortion terrorism. On 1 August federal authorities finally agreed to begin to monitor the violence. However, Federal Bureau of Investigation director, William Webster, declared that he saw no evidence of â€Å"terrorism. † Only on 3 January 1985, in a pro-forma statement, did the President criticize the series of bombings as â€Å"violent anarchist acts† but he still refused to term them â€Å"terrorism. Reagan deferred to Moral Majoritarian Jerry Falwell's subsequent campaign to have fifteen million Americans wear â€Å"armbands† on 22 January 1985, â€Å"one for every legal abortion† since 1973. Falwell's anti- abortion outburst epitomized Reaganism's orientation: â€Å"We can no longer passively and quietly wait for the Supreme Court to change their mind or for Congress to pass a law. Extremism on the right was no vice, moderation no virtue. Or, as Hitler explained in Mein Kamph, â€Å"The very first essential for success is a perpetually constant and regular employment of violence. (See This mentality continued on through 1989 during the Webster v. Reproductive Health Services (109 S. Ct. 3040 (1989)) case. â€Å"The Reagan Administration had urged the Supreme Court to use this case as the basis for overturning Roe v. Wade. † (See Endnote #5) It is disturbing that the slow gains achieved by the women's movement are so volatile and endangered when conservative dministrations gain a majority in government. To put the problem into perspective: a woman's right to have an abortion in this country did not come until 1973. Less than two decades later, the president of the United States is pushing to take that right away. It seems blatant that society is bent on putting women in From the above examples, it appears American culture prefers women as non- professional, non-intellectual, homemakers and mothers. This mentality is not easily resolved, because it is introduced at a young age. Alice Brooks experienced inequality on the basis of her race and her sex. In her autobiography, A Dream Deferred, she recalls the reaction of her father when she brought up the idea of college to him: I found a scholarship for veterans' children and asked my father to sign and furnish proof that he was a veteran. He refused and told me that I was only going to get married and have babies. I needed to stay home and help my mother with her kids. My brother needed college to support a family. Not only was I not going to get any help, I was also tagged as selfish because I wanted to go This is another example of women being labeled as selfish for wanting the same opportunities as men. Alice Brooks is a very courageous woman; seemingly able to overcome any oppression she may encounter. During her presentation to our class, she said that â€Å"women who succeed in male dominated fields are never mediocre – they are extraordinary achievers. Her insight encapsulates much of the subtle sexism that exists today. I feel that no one can truly be equal in a society when only the â€Å"extraordinary achievers† are allowed to succeed out of their This attitude of rising blatant and subtle attacks on women's civil rights is further exemplified in recent reactions to affirmative action plans. These plans have been devised to try to give women and minorities an opportunity to participate in traditionally white male dominated areas. However, we see the same trends in legal action for the use of affirmative action plans as we saw in the 1980's backlash against the Roe v. Wade decision. A few interesting points were presented in the case, Johnson v. Transportation Agency, Santa Clara (480 U. S. 616 (1987)). Mr. Paul E. Johnson filed suit against the Santa Clara County Transportation Agency when he was denied a promotion, feeling the company's affirmative action plan denied him of his ivil rights. Some interesting facts were presented in this case: Specifically, 9 of the 10 Para-Professionals and 110 of the 145 Office and Clerical Workers were women. By contrast, women were only 2 of the 28 Officials and Administrators, 5 of the 58 Professionals, 12 of the 124 Technicians, none of the Skilled Crafts Workers, and 1 – who was Joyce – of the 110 Road Maintenance Workers. (See Endnote # 7) The above statistics show women have been considerably underrepresented at the Santa Clara County Transportation Agency. These numbers are not uncommon and are found throughout business. It is interesting to note the current popular perception is that affirmative action precludes white males from finding employment with companies that implement these plans. The truth is in the numbers, however. The fact that Mr. Johnson felt he was denied his civil rights because an equally qualified woman was given a promotion, instead of him, is just a small window into the subtle sexism that exists today. Most critics of affirmative action do not consider the grossly unequal numbers of men in management and professional positions. Secondly, it never seems an issue of debate that a woman may have had no other previous life pportunities in these male dominated areas. I do not intend to argue that affirmative action is good or bad, but only wish to point out that the current backlash against these programs is heavily rooted in sexism and racism. Often blatant violence or unfair acts against a group of people will cause that group to pull together and empower themselves against their oppressors. The women's movement has made large steps to eliminate many of these blatantly sexist acts in the last century. Now the real difficulty is upon us: subtle acts of sexism and the degrading social roles of women in today's onservative culture. Alice Brooks so eloquently described her experiences with inequality, stating, â€Å"the worse pain came from those little things people said or did to me. † As these â€Å"little things† accumulate in the experience of a young woman, she increasingly finds herself powerless in her relationships, employment, economics, and society in general. The female child has as many goals as the male child, but statistically she is unable to realize these goals because of the obstacles that society sets in front of her. Society and media attempt to create an illusion that women have every right that men enjoy.