The Privatization of Social Security essays

The Privatization of Social Security essays Social Security was implemented in 1935 as part of Roosevelt's "New Deal" following the Great Depression and the collapse of the American economy. It was enacted to be a fully funded retirement plan, meaning its benefits are paid out of a fund built up over the years from contributions made by Social Security taxpayers. The program's first step away from this was in 1942 when it began to pay out its first pension. There is a crisis within the program that we speak of today which deals with the impending lack of funds we will have in the near future. It is predicted that the so-called "Social Security trust fund" (a bunch of Treasury Department IOU's, in actuality) will be depleted somewhere around 2027. This is a concern because Social Security has been turned into a pay-as-you-go system. Today, workers outnumber retirees with a ratio of around 3.4:1. iOnce the baby boomer generation begins to retire and causes a reduction in the workforce, the worker to retiree ratio will be close r to 2:1 by 2040. This is distress to our nation because we will not be taking in enough money to pay out the pensions of the retirees. Our government has already tried to reduce the impact of the Social Security problem by raising the percentage of taxes taken out of individuals' paychecks, by raising the maximum level of income taxed, and by raising the retirement age to be 67 in the year 2022. According to Social Security's activists, the most likely picture implies that the payroll tax would need to rise from 12.4% to more than 19% in 2075 to pay future pensions ("Straight Talk"). The chart portrays this situation. This solution and others have not and will not be enough to solve our problems. These are only short-term fixes and the problem reaches far beyond the baby boomers generation. There must be other steps taken and one main possibility is to privatize Social Security, whether in whole or just partially. It is this privatization issue and i...

Earl Warren, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

Earl Warren, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Earl Warren was born on March 19, 1891, in Los Angeles, California to immigrant parents who moved the family to Bakersfield, California in 1894 where Warren would grow up.   Warren’s father worked in the railroad industry, and Warren would spend his summer working in railroading.   Warren attended the University of California, Berkeley (Cal) for his undergraduate degree, a B.A. in political science in 1912, and his J.D. in 1914 from the Berkeley School of Law. In 1914, Warren was admitted to the California bar. He took his first legal job working for Associated Oil Company in San Francisco, where he stayed for one year before moving to the Oakland firm of Robinson Robinson. He remained there until August 1917 when he enlisted in the United States Army to serve in World War I. Life After World War I First Lieutenant Warren was discharged from the Army in 1918, and he was hired as a Judicial Committee Clerk for the 1919 Session of the California State Assembly where he stayed until 1920.   From 1920 to 1925, Warren was Oakland’s Deputy City Attorney and in 1925, he was appointed as Alameda County’s District Attorney. During his years as a prosecutor, Warren’s ideology concerning the criminal justice system and law enforcement techniques began taking shape.   Warren was re-elected to three four-year terms as Alameda’s D.A., having made a name for himself as a hard-nosed prosecutor who fought public corruption at all levels. Attorney General of California In 1938, Warren was elected to California’s Attorney General, and he assumed that office in January 1939.   On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Attorney General Warren, believing that civil defense was a main function of his office, became the leading proponent of moving Japanese away from the California coast. This resulted in more than 120,000 Japanese being placed in internment camps without any due process rights or charges or any kind officially brought against them.   In 1942, Warren called the Japanese presence in California â€Å"the Achilles heel of the entire civilian defense effort.†   After serving one term, Warren was then elected as California’s 30th Governor taking office in January 1943.    While at Cal, Warren became friends with Robert Gordon Sproul, who would remain close friends throughout his life.   In 1948, Sproul nominated Governor Warren for Vice President at the Republican National Convention to be Thomas E. Dewey’s running mate.   Harry S. Truman won the Presidential election.   Warren would remain as Governor until October 5, 1953 when President Dwight David Eisenhower appointed him to be the 14th Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Career as Supreme Court Chief Justice While Warren did not have any judicial experience, his years of actively practicing law and political accomplishments placed him in a unique position on the Court and also made him an efficient and influential leader.   Warren was also adept at forming majorities that supported his views on major Court opinions. The Warren Court rendered a number of major decisions. These included:   Brown v. Board of Education, which declared segregation policies in public schools unconstitutional,Loving v. Virginia, which declared anti-miscegenation laws (laws that enforced and/or criminalized racial segregation in marriage and intimate relationships) unconstitutional,Griswold v. Connecticut, which stated that the Constitution contains a general right to privacy,Abington School District v. Schempp, which prohibited mandatory Bible readings in schools,and Engel v. Vitale, which prohibited official prayer in schools. Also, Warren used his experiences and ideological beliefs from his days as District Attorney to change the landscape in the arena. These cases included:   Brady v. Maryland, which requires the government to provide exculpatory evidence to a defendant,Miranda v. Arizona, which requires that a defendant being questioned by law enforcement must be informed about his rights,Gideon v. Wainwright, which requires that legal counsel be provided to indigent defendants during Court proceedings,Escobedo v. Illinois, which requires that legal counsel be provided to indigent defendants during interrogation by law enforcement,Katz v. United States, which extended Fourth Amendment protection to all areas where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy,Terry v. Ohio, which allows law enforcement officer to stop and frisk a person if the police officer has a reasonable suspicion that the person has committed, is committing, or is about to commit a crime and has a reasonable belief that the person may be armed and presently dangerous.   In addition to the number of major decisions that the Court released while he was Chief Justice, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed him to lead what became known as â€Å"The Warren Commission† which investigated and compiled a report about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. In 1968, Warren tendered his resignation from the Court to President Eisenhower when it became apparent that Richard Milhous Nixon would become the next President.   Warren and Nixon had a mutually strong dislike for each other stemming from events that occurred at the 1952 Republican National Convention.   Eisenhower attempted to name his replacement but was unable to have the Senate confirm the nomination.   Warren ended up retiring in 1969 while Nixon was President and passed away in Washington, D.C., on July 9, 1974.

Smoking Cessation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Smoking Cessation - Research Paper Example Some other things that the author did was making observations in the field, which included paying close attention to the conversation between the patients and the nurses, making observation of the signs that were placed within the walls of the wards that were in relation with the tobacco restrictions as well as taking of notes of resources that addressed cessation. Some of the documents that were collected during this study included; patient care forms, admission forms, referral forms, and patient’s referral materials. Areas like designated smoking zones were also observed and further photographed. At some point, unstructured questionnaires were presented to the nurses, which lasted for between 10 to 30 minutes. The ethnographic analysis used a process known as non-linear inductive. This included sorting, coding, theorizing as well as reflection upon analytic process. The data set in this study included documents, hand recorded conversation, field notes as well as the photographs that were captured designated smoking zones. At first, several data sets were reviewed. After that, the data was coded with the help of key concepts that facilitated retrieval as well s comparison between two sites. Other more reviews were conducted, which was then used to conceptualize the whole concept. The use of conversation in observation presents some bias. This is because the individuals involved in the process may assume different roles when they realize that they are being studied. This is one of the challenges that the ethnographer faced while collecting data. Taking of photos presented a good opportunity for the ethnographer to find the information they needed in their natural setting. Use of unstructured questionnaire was a good attribute to ensure that the qualitative analysis was conclusively done. The ethnographer noted that while the nurses were talking about tobacco in hospital environment, struggle was made to make

Human Resource Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Human Resource - Essay Example As s result, the future of personnel functions will demand skills in managing a diverse work force that includes coaching, ethical decision making, and employee motivation. The bottom up communication in the organization encourages employee participation. This involves participation in decision making, idea generation among other benefits. This when adopted will come in hand to mitigate the common problems that are associated with autocratic management and top bottom way of communication. The organization should focus on the employee relations so that the employer- employee relationship is enhanced or strengthened. This can be achieved through implementing a performance management system. As such the employees are able to receive feedback, understand the expectations of their employers, and meet their obligations of achieving high performance. This should also involve a regular schedule of performance appraisals. As a result there will be reduction in employee turnover and the employees will be committed to achieving excellence. The recruiters should be held accountable for the far employment practices. As such the process should be above board to ensure a focus is laid on experience, skills, expertise and other relevant

Prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Essay Example for Free

Prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Essay Throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, many different prejudices are revealed. The most prominent being the racial prejudice between the white people and black people in Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s. However, there are many more subtle and discreet prejudices against other people in Maycomb, also. One of the first prejudices to become known is against the Cunninghams. The Cunninghams are a very poor farming family who were hit hard by the Great Depression. The Cunninghams never took anything they cant pay back no church baskets and no scrimp stamps. They never took anything off anybody, they get along on what they have. They dont have much, but they get along on it. Scout explains to Miss Caroline, their first grade teacher, on page 20. The Cunninghams were hit hardest by the Depression and because of their level of poverty the Cunninghams are discriminated against. The thing is, you can scrub Walter Cunningham till he shines, you can put him in shoes and a new suit, but hell never be like Jem. Aunt Alexandra explains to Scout on page 224. Aunt Alexandra does not want Scout associating with Walter Cunningham simply because of his class. Aunt Alexandra is discriminating against the Cunninghams because they are below the Finches on the social strata. Probably the most prominent prejudice in the novel is the racial prejudice. Tom Robinson was a black man who was accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white girl. When Tom was put in jail awaiting trial, Atticus, his lawyer, went down one night and sat outside the jailhouse. A mob showed up that night with the intent to beat Tom Robinson but with Atticus there, the mob was stalled and eventually left. This mob was consumed with racial prejudice against the black people. Even Calpurnia, the black housekeeper for the Finches, is discriminated against. Although Calpurnia is treated fairly, it is obvious Calpurnia is considered to be on a lower social level than the Finches. Calpurnia calls Scout maam and Jem sir, although these are titles usually reserved for elders. An example of this is on page 207. Calpurnia addresses Jem after they have been missing at the trial all day with Hush your mouth, sir! When you oughta be hangin your head in shame you go along laughin. If Mr. Finch dont wear you out, I will get in that house, sir! Though it seems that the blacks are the ones who are prejudiced against, when Jem and Scout are taken to Calpurnias church, (their black house-keeper) the black people show hostility towards Jem and Scout. Lula, a black woman at the church confronts Calpurnia on page 119. You aint got no business bringin white chillun herethey got their church, we got ourn. Because the whites shun the blacks the blacks are prejudiced in return. Another prejudice that comes to light is the prejudice against Dolphus Raymond. Dolphus is a wealthy white man but is a victim of isolation because of his relationship with a woman who is black. When Scout meets Mr. Dolphus Raymond during the trial Scout becomes aware that Dolphus is a victim of prejudice and has become an outcast. Dolphus pretended to be a drunk so he didnt have to explain the fact that he was simply in love with a black woman. The alcohol, Dolphus said, gave the people an excuse to say that Dolphus didnt know what he was doing. On page 200, Dolphus says to Dill and Scout When I come to this town, which is seldom, if I weave a little and drink out of this sack, folks can say Dolphus Raymonds in the clutches of whiskythats why he wont change his ways. He cant help himself, thats why he lives like he does. The people of Maycomb are intolerant of the way Dolphus chooses to live. Dolphus is discriminated against because he lives his life with a black woman. This is thought to be wrong in society in Maycomb. Yet another prejudice in Maycomb was that against Arthur Radley. Arthur Radley could see the segregation of the people of Maycomb and the prejudice. Therefore Arthur isolated himself; Arthur didnt want to be a part of Maycombs intolerance. By doing this Arthur became one of the outsiders and was still a victim of the prejudice, as Arthur was different. There were wild rumors circulating the town and the children made up stories and games about Arthur. Because he was virtually unknown, Arthur Radley was discriminated against. The theme of prejudice is explored many ways throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The different kinds of prejudice explore how deep peoples  hatred of each other can go. It gives the reader good insight as to what makes people intolerant and why people shouldnt be prejudiced just because others are different. From discriminating against the poor to racial prejudice to silly rumors fueling intolerance, very few realize that everyone is different but also equal.

Defense Mechanisms Unruly Id and Neddy Essay example -- Essays Papers

Defense Mechanisms Unruly Id and Neddy The Swimmer The idea of the human mind being composed of both a conscious and unconscious has been around for quite some time. Not until Sigmund Freud elaborated on these structures though were the ideas so popular and accepted. Freud described our conscious mind as what we are aware of in any present situation including our thoughts, ideas and perceptions. Freud also introduced us to the idea of the preconscious mind, which is closely related to the conscious in that it holds thoughts and ideas that are easily available to be brought to the conscious. The most important aspect of the mind, as Freud would tell us, is that of the unconscious realm that holds information not readily available to us. It is proposed that much of the information in the unconscious is stored there because we cannot bear to think about it. Closely related to the conscious, preconscious and unconscious minds are structures Freud believes determine our behavior: the id, ego, and superego. When reading a piece o f literature the main focus is almost always on the characters. We try to understand their thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and drives. In The Swimmer, John Cheever forces us to ask ourselves what it is that compels Neddy to push himself beyond his limits and forget such critical aspects of his life. By analyzing Neddy’s id, ego, and superego, we begin to see a clearer picture of what drives his strange behavior. The id, located in the unconscious, is thought to be the primitive part of our psyche and the source of our motivations that drive us to fulfill our needs immediately. Freud believed that the id consisted of two parts: one driven by the life instinct, or pleasure principle, and the other driven by the death instinct. The life instinct promotes life of the individual and species by motivating him to eat and procreate. The death instinct refers to our desires to be still, at peace, and have no more needs. This instinct manifests itself by alcohol and drug abuse, getting lost in a book, craving sleep, or sometimes as seriously as suicide. Throughout the whole story of The Swimmer, we are constantly asking the question â€Å"why?† We first wonder why Neddy is pushing himself to the point of exhaustion while undertaking this journey, then we begin to wonder what it is that happened to Neddy and his family,... ...his family were probably too much for him to think about. This more than likely led to the unconscious repression of the event, person, or situation. The repression of these things into his unconscious is why he cannot recall anything relating to the situation. After first reading The Swimmer, I was confused as to why Neddy was behaving as he did. After applying Freud’s theories of different levels of consciousness and the id, ego and superego, we start to see a clearer picture of this disturbed individual. Neddy’s problems run far deeper than houses, money, or work related problems. His inability to cope with reality and its stressors is more troubling than any material possessions that he may be lacking. Neddy’s out of control id combined with his overwhelmed ego and resulting abuse of defense mechanisms seem to be at the route of his problem. Neddy’s ego has done a wonderful job of totally distorting his reality in an attempt to reduce stress. I think at at least one time in our lives we have all wanted to forget about some horrible, embarrassing, or troublesome event. The story of The Swimmer allows us ponder if this â€Å"easy way out† is really so easy after all.

How does Alan Ayckbourn make use of comic resources in the play? Essay

From â€Å"A Small Family Business† a play in which people work together as a team, united to reach to the same goal and sharing values, the author Alan Ayckbourn exposes atmospheres of humorous situations to cut with tension and make the scene weird and funny at the same time. Various comic resources are used in this first scene where Jack is coming back from work and his wife, Poppy, waits for him with a great welcome surprise where family and friends are gathering together too. He makes use of ironic situations, sarcasm, visual and black humor, dramatic and embarrassing situations also, to make up this scene a humorous scene. The first situation of humor in this scene is between the dialogue of Yvonne and Ken: Yvonne: â€Å"Jack is here, Mr Ayres. He has just arrives† Ken: â€Å"Jack who? † Ayckbourn is using black humor in this situation as a comic resource. We can interpret this because it’s obvious of which â€Å"Jack† Yvonne is talking about, and Ken is trying to call the attention asking what Jack, Yvonne is talking about. Ken knows the answer, but he makes the situation funny by asking that question, and as an objective he wants to cut with the tension they were all passing through while they were hidden in the dark silence. As another comic resource, we can stand out the visual humor, because of the ridiculous situation of when Poppy moves into the kitchen, and pretends to be busy herself at the sink so that Jack doesn’t suspect anything out of the ordinary when he sees her, while on the next room, the whole family is hidden in the dark and giggling for silence. Everyone knows from where Jack is going to arrive, and in which moment, but Jack doesn’t have a clue of what’s going on. Here, the author makes use of visual humor because of the actions that the characters are making; they make quite a comic scene. Sarcasm is also state in this scene when Jack refers to the Fond farewells: â€Å"Cheering me through the gates, they were. Goodbye, you old bugger, goodbye† The author is making this phrase sarcastic because in a way, Jack is exaggerating the situation and he knows it was not really like that. He is in a way, telling Poppy that they wanted to get rid of him and he is making them seem like bad persons, when they didn’t really said or done something wrong to him. We can also see an atmosphere of humor, when Jack says to Poppy â€Å"thanks god for that. I don’t want to see anyone else. Not today†. Here, a dramatic irony is used as a comic resource because the reader understands the whole funny situation of the family hearing this dialogue hidden in the same house, but the character who in this case is Jack, does not. Also irony, because again, Jack uses exaggeration, disparity of expression and says something he doesn’t really mean. In this first scene, Ayckbourn has also made moments of embarrassing situations. Poppy: â€Å"Oh God, I want to die. I really want to die† Here Poppy is very embarrassed because she knew the whole family was listening to her dialogue with Jack, who was quite intimate and she doesn’t know how to fix it. This also makes the situation humorous because the character actions are seen as embarrassing by the audience because they know the consequences. As a conclusion, Alan Ayckbourn does use of many comic resources to break with the tension, the nervousness, and to give a funny atmosphere to the scene which is a bit anxious, at first, and uncomfortable at the end not only for Poppy but with the family also.

Usc Sosw 503 Assignment 1 Systems and Ecological Theory

SOWK 503 – Fall 2012 Assignment #1: Article Critique 9/26/12 Julie Emmer LCSW CAP Abstract The purpose of this paper is to critically critique and evaluate the study: Parenting a Child With a Disibility: The Role of Social Support for African American Parents, written by Jung – Hwa Ha, Jan S. Greenburg, & Marsha Mallick Seltzer. This paper will critically apply the Ecological Perspective and Systems Theory, to the social concern as it addressed in this study.This paper will accomplish this critique by assessing the hypothesis, evaluating the method of study, and critically discussing the results of the study in question by using the key concepts of the fore mentioned theories. Upon the completion of this paper, the reader will have a full understanding of the study, and how it may relate to field of Social Work using a Systems Theory perspective.Critique of: Parenting a Child With a Disability: The Role of Social Support for African American Parents Key Concepts of stud y The study Parenting a Child With a Disability: The Role of Social Support for African American Parents, was conducted as an expansion of the findings of previous studies. There have been a many studies that have examined the racial impact of the parents of disabled children; however, few have examined the influences that may affect an African American family raising a disabled child.Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the following two areas of interest: (a) the impact of having a child with a disability on parents’ mental and physical health among urban-dwelling African Americans and (b) the extent to which positive and negative social interactions with family members other than the spouse moderate the impact of child’s disability on parental adaptation (Ha, Greenberg & Mailick Seltzer, 2010). The authors’ motivation for this study is to provide empirical evidence to assist professionals in addressing possible needs when, supplying social servi ces to this population or environment of lients. Important facts and concerns related to the social concern. The authors of this study referenced several previous studies that supported their theory of; family support from other than a spouse will attribute to wellbeing and equal homeostasis of the parent. Previous studies â€Å"suggest that extended families constitute a core social network for African Americans and provide important financial and instrumental support (Ellison,1990). Furthermore, support from kin is related to happiness and life satisfaction among African Americans (Ellison, 1990).In addition, it is also suggested in this study that negative entropy (interactions) or lack of supra system (extended family) involvement may impact the parent in a negative manner. The reasoning of the focus on African American parents, is to assess the influence of having a disable child, and how it may affect the negative energy that is already experienced in the family system by opp ression and discrimination. This study was conducted in urban areas in Milwaukee county Wisc. as a continuance of the Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS; Brim, Ryff, & Kessler, 2004).The African American Milwaukee sample provided a unique opportunity to address within-racial group differences in the impact of having a child with a disability. (Ha, Greenberg & Mailick Seltzer, 2010). The sample group of the study was a group of 48 families with a disable child that is afflicted with one of the following disorders: autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, or intellectual disability, or was ever afflicted with a long-term serious mental health problem. The comparison group of 144 was families consisting of at least 1 child and no children in the family system have a disability. Theory ConceptsThe systems approach attempts to view the world in terms of irreducibly and integrated systems. It focuses attention on the whole, as well as on the complex interrelationships among its constituen t parts. The systems theory sees all of the aspects of a person and their environment as an individual system and an interrelated system. A social system is a special order of systems†¦ composed of persons or groups of persons who interact and influence each other’s behavior. â€Å"Within this order can be included persons families, organizations, communities, societies, and cultures† (Robbins, Chatterjee & Canda, 2011).The systems theory allows us to examine the focal system from a micro, meso, or macro perspective. Keeping all of the individual systems autonomous, while still being able to conceptualize the interrelatedness of the systems together. Similar to the systems theory, the ecological theory embraces many of the same concepts, but has narrowed the focus, so that it does not include such a broad view of the system. The Ecological theory is an adaptive, evolutionary view of human beings in constant exchange interchange with all elements of their environme nt (Germain & Gitterman, 1980, p. 5).The idea that person and the environment are inseparable and must be considered jointly, is primary assumption of this theory. The person and his or her environment form a unitary system in which each is dependent on the other and directly shapes each other. Application of theory and key concepts The sample of population of this study was derived from a population in the urban areas of Milwaukee. Even though this study did not disclose evidence concerning the ecosystem and the environment of the subjects, it would be fair to assume that they are victims of coercive and exploitive power.The reasoning for this assumption is the geographical location of this study, is known for having a high number of production plants and heavy pollution. The coercive power that is being afflicted is quantified in the study, with the fact, that the subjects do not reside in close proximity to any social services. This study was conducted to measure the affect of ra ising a child with a disability this environment. Further focus was placed on the effects of synergy from a supra system (family) on the focal system (parents), and the possible negative health effects derived from the lack of synergy.The results of this study were divided into two sections. The first section was to assess the effects having a child with a disability (sub system) has on the focal system. The negative energy from a sub system with a disability did have a negative effect on the focal system’s physical health, and homeostasis. The negative impact on the homeostasis of the focal system was attributed to physical impairments of the subjects. However, this was seen only in the older population that was studied and may have been caused by the rise in physical activities that is needed to care for a child with special needs and aging.This aspect supports the concept of adaptation of the focal system to achieve the goodness of fit in their habitat. The lack of mental health disorders in the focal system, may also indicate that entropy from resources in the environment or supra system, may cause the same amount of mental distress in the focal group as a whole. The second purpose of this study was to examine the effect of transactions between the supra system and the focal system. Specifically how the focal system’s homeostasis is affected by the exchange of positive, and negative energy, or entropy.The results of this study partially supported the hypothesis that positive energy transactions between the focal, and supra system is a predictor of the homeostasis of the focal system. The positive and negative mental affect is less when a system has positive energy transactions with the supra system, and in turn, leads to a balanced homeostasis and goodness of fit. In turn, the systems with entropy or negative energy transactions from the supra system are more likely to have reduced coping measures, and a reduced goodness of fit. Emerging patt erns.Examination of this study from a systems perspective did yield an emerging pattern. I was able to access the importance, and interrelatedness of a system. This study provided empirical evidence that systems are interconnected. The transaction of energy from a sub or a supra system will affect the homeostasis of the focal system. This effect may be positive or negative, but none the less, it will affect the focal system. This study also provided evidence that a system will adapt to its environment to achieve a goodness of fit and equal homeostasis.The systems theory was able to help me assess the interrelatedness of the study; however, it did also help me to recognize the limitations of study. One such limitation is narrow focus of the study. I believe for the study to be effective, the authors would have needed to address social concerns, coercive power, and exploitive power, which may be affecting the focal system as a whole. Compressive summery Upon completion of this study I did possess a new knowledge and enlightenment concerning the African American parents of disabled children.This study demonstrated the negative effect on homeostasis and physical health, that is derived from negative energy transactions with the supra and sub systems. However, I am still left with questions concerning the effectiveness of this study. This study was performed in a nondiverse community on a very small sample size. Therefore, I believe that further study is needed, with the focus group living in diverse communities and being subjected to different environmental influences.Furthermore, this target sample was limited to children with mental disabilities, and to effectively assess this subject, the sample must be expanded to include physical disabilities. This study was in an environment that may be oppressed and suffering from systematic discrimination. I was amazed to read that the persons with disabled children were not afflicted with more mental disorders than the pe rsons without disabled children. This aspect raises concern about the environment of the sample group. This study stated that this population is isolated from resources, and has a high unemployment rate as well.All of these factors will affect the wellbeing and homeostasis of a person. Therefore, I believe that further exploration is needed to assess the community stressors and influence on the overall wellbeing and homeostasis of the community. These influences should not be explored only for this study, but to also access need, and provide resources for this population. Resources Ha, J. , Greenberg, J. S. , & Mailick Seltzer, M. (2010). Parenting a child with a disability: The role of social support for african american parents. The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 92(4), 405-411.Robbins, S. , Chatterjee, P. , & Canda, E. (2011). Contempory human behaivior thoery. (3rd ed. , p. 38). Sadddle River, NJ: Allyn & Bacon. Ellison, C. G. (1990). Family ties, Friendships, and Subj ective Well-Being among Black Americans. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 52(2), 298–310. Germain,C. B. & Gitterman, A. (1980) The Life Model of Social Work Practice. New York: Columbia University Press. Green, R. (1999) Ecological Perspective an eclectic theoretical framework for social work practice (2nd ed. , p. 259-308). New York: Aldine DeGruyyer

PGLO LA1 Essay

PGLO LA1 Essay PGLO LA1 Essay PGLO TRANSFORMATION LAB 04/12/14 IDP4U Submitted to: Mrs. Bellissimo Submitted by: Barento Abdushekur Jalani Bennett Daniel Casalinovo Rebecca Fadoju Simon Wong Background Information: Genetic transformation is taking genes from one organism and putting them into another. Genetic transformation is also when a cell takes up (takes inside) and expresses a new piece of genetic material. Genetic transformation literally means change caused by genes and involves the insertion of one or more genes into an organism in order to change the organism’s traits. A gene is a piece of DNA that gives the instructions for making a protein. This protein gives an organism a certain trait. A gene is inserted into an organism in order to change the organism’s trait. This new genetic information often provides the organism with a new trait which is identifiable after transformation. Genetic transformation is used in many areas of biotechnology. In agriculture, genes coding for traits such as frost, or drought resistance can be genetically transformed into plants, therefore allowing the plants to take on those traits. In bioremediation, bacteria can be genetically transformed with genes enabling them to digest oil spills. This was used to great effect during the Gulf Oil Spill. In medicine, genes are treated with gene therapy, genetically transforming a sick person’s cells with healthy copies of the defective gene that causes their disease. Genes can be taken out of many sources, such as human, animal, or plant DNA, and placed inside bacteria. For example, a healthy human gene for the hormone insulin can be put into bacteria. Under the right conditions, these bacteria can make authentic human insulin. By doing this, scientists have created a viable treatment for diabetes. Although this cannot cure diabetes, it is a highly effective management of diabetes. In this lab bacteria will be transformed to contain a gene that codes for Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP). The real-life source of this gene is a jellyfish called Aequorea Victoria. GFP causes certain areas of the jellyfish to glow in the dark. The gene for GFP was originally isolated from the jellyfish, Aequorea victoria. The wild-type jellyfish gene has been modified by Maxygen Inc., a biotechnology company in Santa Clara, California. After transforming the bacteria, they will express their new jellyfish gene and produce the fluorescent protein. It causes them to glow a brilliant green color under ultraviolet light. Plasmid DNA usually comprises genes for one or more traits that may be useful to bacterial continued existence. In nature, bacteria can transfer plasmids in and out of a cell, therefore allowing them to share these beneficial genes. The plasmid is a circular, autonomously replicating piece of DNA. Purpose: To transform E. coli bacteria by adding plasmids that allow the bacteria to glow green under UV light in the presence of arabinose sugar and grow in the presence of the antibiotic, ampicillin. Hypothesis: The bacteria with +pGLO plasmids are resistant to the antibiotic ampicillin and have the gene for GFP, therefore they will survive and grow on the transformation plates that have LB/amp. +pGLO bacteria on a plate with LB/amp/ara will grow and glow green under UV light because of the inclusion of arabinose. Materials Student Workstation E. coli HB101 K–12, lyophilized 4 poured agar plates (1 LB, 2 LB/amp, 1 LB/amp/ara) Transformation solution LB nutrient broth 7 Incoculation loops 5 Pipets Foam microtube holder/float Container full of crushed ice (foam cup) Marking pen Copy of quick guide Materials at Instructor’s Workstation 1 vial of Rehydrated pGLO plasmid 42 water bath and thermometer 37 incubator Lesson 1 Focus Questions 1. To genetically transform an entire organism, you must insert the new gene(s) into every cell in the organism. Which organism is better suited for total genetic transformation–one composed of many cells, or one composed of a

Group Polarization and Competition in Political Be Essays

Group Polarization and Competition in Political Be Essays Group Polarization and Competition in Political Behavior On Tuesday, November 14, 1995, in what has been perceived as the years biggest non-event, the federal government shut down all "non-essential" services due to what was, for all intents and purposes, a game of national "chicken" between the House Speaker and the President. And, at an estimated cost of 200 million dollars a day, this dubious battle of dueling egos did not come cheap (Bradsher, 1995, p.16). Why do politicians find it almost congenitally impossible to cooperate? What is it about politics and power that seem to always put them at odds with good government? Indeed, is an effective, well run government even possible given the current adversarial relationship between our two main political parties? It would seem that the exercise of power for its own sake, and a competitive situation in which one side must always oppose the other on any issue, is incompatible with the cooperation and compromise necessary for the government to function. As the United States becomes more extreme in its beliefs in general, group polarization and competition, which requires a mutual exclusivity of goal attainment, will lead to more "showdown" situations in which the goal of good government gives way to political posturing and power-mongering. In this paper I will analyze recent political behavior in terms of two factors: Group behavior with an emphasis on polarization, and competition. However, one should keep in mind that these two factors are interrelated. Group polarization tends to exacerbate inter-group competition by driving any two groups who initially disagree farther apart in their respective views. In turn, a competitive situation in which one side must lose in order for the other to win (and political situations are nearly always competitive), will codify the differences between groups - leading to further extremism by those seeking power within the group - and thus, to further group polarization. In the above example, the two main combatants, Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich, were virtually forced to take uncompromising, disparate views because of the very nature of authority within their respective political groups. Group polarization refers to the tendency of groups to gravitate to the extreme of whatever opinion the group shares (Baron & Graziano, 1991, p.498-99). Therefore, if the extreme is seen as a desirable characteristic, individuals who exhibit extreme beliefs will gain authority through referent power. In other words, they will have characteristics that other group members admire and seek to emulate (p. 434). Unfortunately, this circle of polarization and authority can lead to a bizarre form of "one-upsmanship" in which each group member seeks to gain power and approval by being more extreme than the others. The end result is extremism in the pursuit of authority without any regard to the practicality or "reasonableness" of the beliefs in question. Since the direction of polarization is currently in opposite directions in our two party system, it is almost impossible to find a common ground between them. In addition, the competitive nature of the two party system many times eliminates even the possibility of compromise since failure usually leads to a devastating loss of power. If both victory and extremism are necessary to retain power within the group, and if, as Alfie Kohn (1986) stated in his book No Contest: The Case Against Competition, competition is "mutually exclusive goal attainment" (one side must lose in order for the other to win), then compromise and cooperation are impossible (p. 136). This is especially so if the opponents are dedicated to retaining power "at all costs." That power is an end in itself is made clear by the recent shutdown of the government. It served no logical purpose. Beyond costing a lot of money, it had no discernible effect except as a power struggle between two political heavyweights. According to David Kipnis (1976, cited in Baron & Graziano, 1991), one of the negative effects of power is, in fact, the tendency to regard it as its own end, and to ignore the possibility of disastrous results from the reckless use of power (p. 433). Therefore, it would seem that (at least in this case) government policy is created and implemented, not with regard to its effectiveness as government policy, but only with regard to its value as a tool for accumulating and maintaining power. Another of Kipnis's negative effects of power is the tendency to use it for selfish purposes (p.433). In politics this can be seen as the predilection towards making statements for short term political gain that are either nonsensical or contradictory to past positions held by the candidates themselves. While this may not be the use of actual power, it is

BUSINESS ANALYSIS - JOHN LEWIS PARTNERSHIP Essay

BUSINESS ANALYSIS - JOHN LEWIS PARTNERSHIP - Essay Example Initially started as a draper store in Oxford Street London, the firm has been able to make critical progress over the period of time by making acquisitions of strategic nature. The very structure and organization of the firm therefore provides it a unique identity and organizational culture which has allowed it to develop and grow over the period of time. A closer analysis of the financial performance of the firm would suggest that it has been able to continuously register an increase in its profitability and revenues. Such consistent performance of the firm therefore indicates that it is one of the leading businesses with stable revenues and profitability. This report will analyse the strategic position of John Lewis Partnership, making direct reference to the key challenges and opportunities for the organistaion and the capabilities which John Lewis can utilise in addressing these issues besides critically evaluating the current strategy of John Lewis and comment on their appropri ateness to the competitive position. A Brief History of John Lewis Partnership John Lewis Partnership started as a draper store in Oxford Street, London in 1864 by John Lewis. The store later on went on to become the departmental store when Mr. Lewis started to purchase other stores and started to expand his business. The store thrived on the promise that the prices will be low as long as long as the prices of the neighborhood stores are low. This strategy seems to have worked for the store and store soon started to grow and generate higher levels of sales. In 1905 John Lewis purchased Peter Jones and made a change towards becoming a departmental store. It was during 1914 that John Lewis gave control of Peter Jones to his son who started the store on more modern footings and implemented new organizational changes including making employees as partners in the firm. 1 During 1955, firm opened first Waitrose store and the management also changed from Lewis family to Bernard Miller. How ever, after the retirement of Miller, the management of the firm was transferred back to the family. Management again changed during 1990s when Peter Lewis retired as Chairman of the firm. John Lewis’s major strategic change occurred with the launch of its online store during 2001 and the establishment of Ocado. Ocado was opened in order to deliver the grocessories purchased on Waitrose. (Wilson & Reynolds, 2006). John Lewis is now in the top 10 list of retailers in the country with more than 30 John Lewis Stores and 246 Waitrose supermarkets.2 SWOT Analysis SWOT Analysis of the firm is as follows: Strengths 1. Rich history of successfully operating for more than 200 years. 2. Overall organizational structure and democratic nature of the firm. 3. High level of employee motivation because of employee partnership in the business. (Russell, 2010). 4. Large and diversified network of stores and web stores. 5. Efficient and effective supply chain management system. 6. High brand r ecognition and value in the eyes of customers Weaknesses 1. Only caters to the mid and high end customers. 2. Privately owned partnership therefore restricting itself to procure cheaper funds from capital markets. 3. Largely concentrated into UK with no or very little presence abroad. 4. Too few departmental stores across the country i.e. less than 30 considering 200 years history of

Vulnerable population-Mentally Ill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Vulnerable population-Mentally Ill - Essay Example According to Stanton (2001), Alzheimer’s disease is a manifestation of dementia which occurs between ages 30-40 but common for 65 years old and older individuals. This disorder gets worse as time passes and it is a â€Å"degenerative disease that attacks the brain and results in increasingly impaired memory, thinking, reasoning, and behavior† (Stanton, 2001, n.pag.). The Department of Psychiatry New York University School of Medicine (n.d.) stated that United States has 4 million cases of AD on the aged. This paper will tackle on designing a program for elders having Alzheimers Disease and justifying whether home care or nursing home care is the most effective way on promoting wellness of these individuals. This is significant to gain focus as to which of the two health care setting would provide the most effective way of caring for the elderly and especially those with AD. This program starts from little pieces of ideas, goals and plans in combating Alzheimer’s Disease. This centers a simple community with an average number of population. The city of Colton under San Bernardino County is a community of close family relations, and known to be one of the developed dominions in the United States (â€Å"Demographics,† n.d.). Colton has 52,154 population as of 2010 (â€Å"Colton, California,† 2011). Colton’s history of having rich family ties sets them as perfect focus in extending programs of wellness of the aged, prevention and specific care for those having Alzheimer’s Disease within the family. Aside from support systems, it is important that an institution and program fit the standard needs of their client. The community as a whole needs to contribute to this as well by providing support and means of development. A 2010 study revealed that there are 2,153 under the 65 to 74 age bracket, 1, 277 for ages 75- 84 and 503 for ages 85 and above (â€Å"Colton CA,† n.d.). Estimated â€Å"median household income by age†