Saturday, August 31, 2019

Money Bring Happiness

â€Å"It is not money that brings up happiness but what we do and how we do it† 309 Money is most often cited as a crucial material for people to satisfy their needs ranged from the simplest to the most complicated desire. Hence, many people spend their whole life seeking for money which offers them utmost happiness and super power. In contrast, I honestly believe that it is not money that brings up happiness but what we do and how we do it.Speaking of mentality, money is not necessary and sufficient condition leading us to happiness. What is happiness? Simply speaking, happiness is the way people feel satisfied with what they have. Let’s me back it up by some illustrations. A poet will definitely feel sublimated when he finishes composing a masterpiece of poem. A stamp collection will obviously happy with looking and treasuring his stamps. Even an old man can smile for whole day if he wins a game of chess.Doubtlessly, in such cases, money plays no role in the humans fe eling. Hence, I completely believe that people can feel extremely pleased and happy without any interference from money. Moreover, to tell the truth, being absorbed in earning money can result in the loss of happiness of the people in life. In the materialized world, people keep on intending which is the best way to invest their money, what the most profitable market segment is worthy to be put money in and who is the most suitable person who will control the portfolio.The people obsessed with money can easily forget their actually meaningful tasks such as caring for their families, having time with their friends†¦etc. They trap themselves in the materialized ambition and lose what are important to their life. How can they feel happy? To wrap up, in my perspective, happiness can’t be built up solely on money. That’s the reason we should care for many facets of life rather than money.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Bamboozled: Black People and White Man Essay

In 2000, Spike Lee wrote and directed the film Bamboozled. When discussing his satirical film, Spike Lee claimed, â€Å"I want people to think about the power of images, not just in terms of race, but how imagery is used and what sort of social impact it has – how it influences how we talk, how we think, how we view one another[. . . ]how film and television have historically[. . . ]produced and perpetuated distorted images. † Spike Lee certainly conveyed this message in Bamboozled. Images are powerful and carry massive social impact. They should never be misrepresented. Are all African Americans either lazy or dim-witted or â€Å"happy servants†, always ready and willing to please the White Man? The short answer is, no. However, throughout the 1800s and early 1900s, many people believed this. The ultimate question is, why? As explained in the film Ethnic Notions, this false perception grew and grew, even past the time of slavery, due to images. Derogatory images of African Americans as â€Å"happy servants† or â€Å"savages,† were everywhere; they were published in children’s books and slapped on cans of food to be used as a marketing tool. People bought into this perception of African Americans, as they became acclimatized to it. Today, our society likes to believe that times have changed and there is no longer an issue of race or false perception of African Americans in the media. However, Spike Lee argues, â€Å"A new â€Å"phenomenon† has emerged in film in recent years, in which an African-American character is imbued with special powers, filmmaker Spike Lee told a student audience ? This new image is just a reincarnation of â€Å"the same old† stereotype or caricature of African Americans ? Lee cited four recent films in which there is a â€Å"magical, mystical Negro† character ? in â€Å"The Legend of Bagger Vance,† a black man â€Å"with all these powers,† teaches a young white male ? how to golf like a champion ? â€Å"How is it that black people have these powers but they use them for the benefit of white people? † Spike Lee seems to be under the impression that African Americans are still misrepresented in the media. They have only improved their ability to mask the fact. False image is still there, but it is subtle. His film Bamboozled ripped viewers’ eyes wide open. The film explored and demonstrated two images of African Americans. The first image, is the Black Man who is just like the White Man or the Asian Man or the Middle-Eastern Man; a man who can be rich and successful like Pierre Delacroix in Bamboozled; a man who can be poor and when without money will do almost anything for it like Manray and Womack. However, when Pierre Delacroix pitched television shows about a Black Man living in an upper-middle-class white, suburban neighborhood, his superior, Thomas Dunwitty turned them down, â€Å"they definitely don’t want to see dignified black people [on television]. † However, the network would allow Pierre Delacroix to create a show which blatantly degrades African Americans; a show which goes back to the 1900s, to the time of black face and minstrel shows; a time when black people were considered subhuman. This is where Spike Lee demonstrates the other image of the African American; an image that the media has gently forced down viewer’s throats. Spike Lee, however, did not do so gently. The fictional television show in Bamboozled, â€Å"Mantan’s New Millennium Minstrel Show†, starred African Americans in â€Å"black face† acting like buffoons. It might as well have been an authentic minstrel show in the 1900s. There was dancing and singing. The two main characters hid from the White Man in a chicken coup, saying â€Å"ain’t nobody in here but us chickens! â€Å"4 The creator, Pierre Delacroix’s initial intention with this show was not to degrade his own race. It was to â€Å"break the stereotypes. â€Å"5 He figured the nation would be shocked and outraged! Instead they ate it up. The studio audience dressed in black face. Children trick-or-treated in black face. It was the latest craze of the nation. Black face is an act which digs back to a time of slavery, a time where African Americans were considered inferior. It was now socially acceptable to publicly highlight a moment in history that pained African Americans. People figured it’s on TV, it’s OK! The black man was degraded, as he has always been, but in Bamboozled no mercy was spared. Spike Lee used the film in a variety of ways. He attacked today’s media and the way in which it portrays African Americans. He explored the wide scope of African American’s lives, which is no different than the lives of any other race. He demonstrated the consequences of greed and sacrificing one’s dignity. Furthermore, he exposed society for what it really is: mindless. The majority of a population does not question the media. Instead it swallows images whole, even if those images are as false and misleading as a painted black face.

Christianity in the Philippines

The Philippines proudly boasts to be the only Christian nation in Asia. More than 86% of the population is Roman Catholic, 6% belong to various nationalized Christian cults, and another 2% belong to well over 100 Protestant denominations. In addition to the Christian majority, there is a vigorous 4% Muslim minority, concentrated on the southern islands of Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan. Scattered in isolated mountainous regions, the remaining 2% follow non-Western, indigenous beliefs and practices. The Chinese minority, although statistically insignificant, has been culturally influential in influencing Filipino Catholicism with many of the beliefs and practices of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism (Miller, Religion in the Philippines) Politically speaking, laws in the country give all Filipinos the right to choose their own religion based to what their faith believes accordingly. Filipinos choose Christianity as their religion. Why is it so? Christianity is the name given to that definite system of religious belief and practice which was taught by Jesus Christ in the country of Palestine, during the reign of the Roman Emperor, Tiberius, and was promulgated, after its Founder's death, for the acceptance of the whole world, by certain chosen men among His followers. At present, it is the largest religion not only in the Philippines but also in the world with approximately almost two billion people believing. It is difficult to trace the origin of such religion especially when we know that it has already given a great impact to many Filipinos all over the country. Many are devoted doing unbelievable things just to prove their faith. Even our politics is having such controversy with the Church at some points in our lives. The aim of this research paper is to find out how Christianity spread in the Philippines knowing how great its impact is to us. As you go further reading, you will know the effects it had brought and their results to the Filipino race.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Business Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 4

Business Environment - Essay Example This lies solely as a theoretical benchmark of measuring performance of companies operating under perfect competition. In practice, one of the many deviations may be the possibility and that the firms and customers may not have perfect information about the market. Some firms operating in the market may not have access to information that older firms do (Rees et al, 2005). Similarly, customers in emerging markets may also be at a lower access to information about the products and the industry than already developed and mature markets. This will lead to a change in structure of the theoretical perfect competition structure. Moreover, the imbalance in perfect information may also affect other factors such as the firms being price takers and barriers to exit and entry may persist for some firms while others may not face the same consequences. Firms may not exactly be operating on the floating prices as many market prices may be either exaggerated or deflated due to an overall nature of the industry at a given time. Many firms may drastically lower their prices in order to beat upcoming competition and if a new entrant takes the floating price at that time to try to equate marginal cost to marginal profit- it may lead to a long run closure of that new entrant (Worthington, 2006). Furthermore, pessimism and optimism in the market may also lead the market to deviate from the perfect competition theory as the cost of factors of production along with the floating price in the market may be perceived by the customers and firms in a different way both in the long and the short run. Many firms, therefore, may (along with the industry as a whole) may start functioning as a price setter rather than a price taker as generally assumed by the theory of perfect competition (Rees, 2005). Building upon supply and demand of the factors of production and the supply and demand of the product itself, the

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Print and TV Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Print and TV Media - Essay Example Television, or TV, literally means the unit that is used to receive broadcast signals from a network, and, in this case, refers to the actual use of TV-a means to get information on a regular basis. Shows on TV also vary in frequency, usually within minutes, hours, days, and weeks. Take a regular newspaper, roll it, tuck it under your arm or toss it in your bag, and you can read it whenever you've got the time-unless you want to get the information right here, right now. Such is the essence of the newspaper; news and information delivered through the convenience of compiles sheets of paper that one can carry around, as well as the corresponding affordability. On top of that, the availability of space in its environment allows print journalists to write lengthy news and feature articles, giving the reader access to more information that can be referred to anytime. The downside of it is the amount of time spent producing a single issue-a process that produces hundreds and thousands of copies-and how it measures against other sources. In this day and age, where everything can be accessed in one click, the speed afforded by print media is no longer up to par with the rest. This is particularly true for news-based publications, because this obstacle relegates them, by default, to last place in terms of relevance. On the other hand, if relevance is the is... A news anchor can be on air in seconds, and can announce breaking news even from remote locations via satellite right where and when it happens. Best of all, TV is visual-all the better to narrate in 30 seconds what a newspaper story will do with only words to rely on. Most people are inclined to TV than print, precisely because of this attribute. But TV can only be TV, at least for the mass market, if one has an actual TV. Compared to the print production process, the broadcasting system is far more complicated, requires more people to run it, and necessitates equipment that can never be called cheap. Plus, unlike newspapers, one can never read back what has been reported-unless a replay is run. III. Content is King, Distribution is Queen What a reader or viewer gets from both TV and print is almost identical. The reason for this lies in the preferences of its targets-the regular reader and the frequent viewer-whose loyalty the two media are always after. This resulted in the creation, development, and innovation of the material each features, known as content. News articles and breaking news. Coming from the same source, using the same methodology, but using different executions, these two form-specific materials naturally provides for the same need-that of knowing what is happening of significance at the moment. Magazines and variety shows. These two forms are actually several parts joined together to produce a printed material, or an hour-long show. They aim to cover certain interests, and, with the objective of making things fresh and upbeat, rely on the novelty of each section or segment. Dear Abby letters and drama programs. Many people are fond of emotional revelations,

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Writing Truly Is Re-Writing Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Writing Truly Is Re-Writing - Personal Statement Example The exercises are particularly interesting because they cater to arousing critical thinking. I have to be more aware of everything that may indicate something in the comprehension of the text. It requires more than just shallow reading or scanning through the words. It is very much like being a detective and looking through the words to find out clues to solve a mystery. Critical thinking was among my favorite task to do because it is particularly interesting as it stimulates the brain. I have learned to be analytical in figuring out what the paper is all about and in trying to make sense of all that I read. The hardest part is trying to put thought into the paper. This, I learned, is an arduous task that requires time and effort. Writing truly is re-writing. The way that I see it, even the best of writers have editors. Being accepting of criticism and taking what you have learned from it to apply it in the future is the true measure of humility. Because it is next to impossible to say that your own piece of writing is perfect. If anything, to say so is either downright arrogant or foolish. Others are born with the talent to write and they only need very little editing as it comes naturally. But I have learned that it is also something that can be acquired. The secret to this is organization. One must first organize his thought as they may not make sense at first glimpse.  

Monday, August 26, 2019

Pathophysiology of hyperglycemia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pathophysiology of hyperglycemia - Essay Example This occurs as a result of increased production of Adrenocorticotrophic Hormone (ACTH) as a stimulus to stress; this has the effect of stimulating the production of cortisol which triggers glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis, therefore, increasing the blood glucose levels (Fowler, 2009). This stimulus to stress has been called a life saving mechanism to reset the normal optimum conditions in the body. Pathological conditions may also increase blood glucose levels by increasing the level of cortisol. These include Cushing’s syndrome due to adrenal hyperplasia and adenocarcinomas of the adrenal gland (Miller, 2010). Administration of exogenous steroids like prednisone leads to hyperglycemia. The pituitary gland secretes hormones which stimulate the production of other hormones that have a role in carbohydrate metabolism (Nikolic & Jovanovic, 2009). Any lesion in the pituitary gland that increases the levels of these tropic hormones also increases the levels of blood glucose increases. For instance, ACTH secreting adenocarcinomas increases ACTH levels in the blood, which, in turn, increases blood glucose levels via the actions of cortisol (Ruderman, 2010). Conditions that lead to an increase in Thyroid Stimulating Hormone levels (TSH) levels induce to an increase in absorption of glucose from the intestinal tract and basal metabolic rate via the actions of thyroid hormone. Growth hormone produced in the anterior pituitary has anti-insulin effects and any condition that increases its levels during acromegaly, thereby increasing blood glucose (Marino, 2008). Catecholamines such as epinephrine and norepinephrine increase blood glucose level via beta and alpha receptors and inhibit the secretion of insulin via alpha receptors. Conditions that cause increase in the levels of these amines are adrenal gland tumors (Miller, 2010). Pancreatitis is another condition that causes hyperglycemia (Pfaff, 2008). This

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Components of a research article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Components of a research article - Essay Example Formulating a good research question is a job half done as the paper follows the research question and hence the research question has to be posed in a structured manner. 3) Both the articles one and two attempt to answer the research question related to the generation of anxiety among the participants before a major competition. The first article proposes the question to â€Å"examine retrospective perceptions and causal beliefs about temporal experiences of competitive anxiety and related symptoms in the lead up to competition† (Hanton, 2002) whereas the second article attempts to answer the question about â€Å"To investigate the symptom responses associated with competitive anxiety through a fine grained measurement approach† (Hanton, 2004). 4) The rationale provided by the authors of the first article has to do with examining the precompetitive anxiety responses is critical to the understanding of the symptoms as effective interventions can be provided if the symptoms are understood. In other words, the rationale for the first article is about finding ways to relieve the stress in sportspersons before a major competition. 5) The rationale for article two is to find out the frequency of manifestation of symptoms so as to provide effective and timely relief as well as lasting relief. The rationale for this flow in a similar manner to article one and the emphasis is on providing treatment before major competitions. 6) A hypothesis is a tentative conclusion that the authors posit as a way of reaching the solution. A hypothesis is usually proposed without empirical and quantitative data and later it is tested against the data for validation. 7) The hypotheses that the authors were testing in Article two relates to, â€Å"In addition to examining anxiety perceptions as responses that may change over time, there is scope for researchers to consider a frequency component to the response† (Hanton, 2004). Hence the authors of article two were testing the

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Care of Patients with Dementia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Care of Patients with Dementia - Research Paper Example Environmental factors play a major role in the development of aggressive behaviour in a patient with dementia and contribute to distress and dissatisfaction. Nurses handling elderly patients must be aware of the fact that the environment of the hospital is new to the patient, the surrounding is filled with noise and the individual can feel uncomfortable in the surrounding (McCloskey, 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first and foremost step in appropriate management of patients with dementia in health care setting is identification of the disease process and careful assessment of the various factors in environment of the patient that contribute to stress. Identification of factors helps in the modification of future care whereas lack of understanding of these aspects leads to frustration, inappropriate care and stress not only for the patient but also for the nursing staff. It is due to such a lack of understanding that many physical restraints are employed in   handling dementia patient s and these contribute to patient mortality and increased burden of work for the nurses (McCloskey, 2004). One of strategies to prevent distress due to physical restraints is adoption of alternatives to physical restraints (McCloskey, 2004). Some such alternatives include adoption of door knob covers instead of doors, employment of various electronic devices like wandering system, bed alarms, door alarms and electronic monitors to monitor the movements of the patient, change in the regimens of medication in such a way that they offer comfort to the patient. and cause minimal disturbance and distress, placing the patient in strategic regions which are compatible to the patient and are familiar to the patient, place safety mattress on the floor to enable safe locomotion, remove tubes and drains in a prompt manner, assist and pursue routine toileting, decrease scope for environmental hazards, prevent falls, employ various aids for seating and positioning and usage of lower beds and emp loyment of split side rails (McCloskey, 2004, table-1). Other alternatives include involvement of volunteers, family members, sitters and hospice workers

Friday, August 23, 2019

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Fair Trade Coffee Essay

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Fair Trade Coffee - Essay Example Since Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is also known for investing in small coffee enterprises, their target market is therefore the main focusing on the business owner who like to entertain their consumers by providing them with the best brewed coffee so that they can understand the quality of their consumer satisfaction and hence go ahead in having business transactions with them. Even, for the employees it is very refreshing to have coffee with a good brew. Apart from the business owners, when we look towards the consumer’s point of view, it is essentially meant for the families who like to have occasional get together and plan to drink coffee during those quality moments (Rudarakanchana, 2013). The young professionals who have the aspiration to start up with their own enterprises and be professional with their approach is also a target customer for them. Based on the target market, GMCR should also look forward to tapping the regions where there do not have their presence li ke the developing nations such as India and China. The demographic profile of the normal Green Mountain coffee consumer is not promptly accessible by means of market asset information; then again, a few industry patterns may be relevant to the GMCR target consumer. It is accepted that the target consumer is Caucasian and in their initial 20s and/or mid 40s. This consumer drinks a normal of 2-4 containers of coffee every day, which is a perfect focus for a solitary mug blending framework. Coffee inclination has a tendency to change by salary, with higher wage consumers inclining toward premium coffee products. Higher wages are additionally connected to a higher ability to pay for more manageable product characteristics. Considering this, GMCR offers a few lines of natural and reasonable exchange K-Cups and entire bean/ground coffee choices and more maintainable bundling alternatives. GMCR

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Social Computing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 2

Social Computing - Essay Example Directing the customers from these pages to the actual scholarly articles. This will increase the readership of the ‘Educated People Society’ website. It will help them gain various sponsors to run the website and fund actions related to environmental activities and scientific research. Checking the level of awareness created through the social media tools by conducting a questionnaire survey among them and involving in the qualifying youngsters in projects related to their interests. Creating an environmental awareness is the main objective. Be it a laptop the youngsters use or a leather jacket, they should be educated regarding the way it is created, the core technology and the various political and economical facts associated with it. This knowledge is important to make them valuable citizens in future. A youngster who changes his mobile once in year will stick to one smart phone for years if they realize how much e-waste they are creating. A person who knows how the plastic covers thrown around affects the environment will never use them again. Providing such information in an interesting format is the main objective of the social media tools used. The aim of the social media campaign is to advertise about the same by entering their territory. It is hard to make youngsters visit a science related site or lecture them about environment. But, taking the site to tools like Blogger and Twitter where they use will make them peek at it automatically. The blog and Twitter page explains about the animals and the photography site in Nat Geo. The technology blog related dwells with various subjects shown as documentaries in NatGeo, WWF and Green Peace websites. So youngsters with diverse interests will be directed towards these sites from their favourite pastime areas in the internet. The info presented will be mostly in the format of quizzes, puzzles and

Defining Culture Essay Example for Free

Defining Culture Essay How can you define culture? What is intercultural communication? How much does the same language used by native and non-native speakers vary? This paper would attempt to answer. Three sources on the subject matter will be used. These are: Jan Blommaert’s â€Å"How much culture is there in intercultural communication? †, â€Å"Talking a Person into Interethnic Distinction: a Discourse Analytic Case Study† by Volker Hinnenkamp and â€Å"Rapport Management Theory and Culture† by Helen Spencer-Oatey. In the first article, Blommaert focused on what theory or theories in the science of linguistic would be most useful to obtain an accurate analysis of intercultural communication as well as the role to the study of linguistics plays in the study of intercultural communication. The author began the article with the thesis that the study of intercultural communication will pose challenges in the science of linguistics due to two reasons. One of these reasons is that each communication by two parties from two different cultures would have certain features that would make it unique that it would need a specific methodology and theory to be elaborated for every communication that occurs. The second reason is that the study of intercultural communication would need the knowledge of other branches of the social sciences such as social psychology and anthropology for it to be properly analyzed (13). Two concepts were used by the author in order to answer the questions stated in the article. The first is that culture is fundamental in the study of intercultural communication, and the primary cause for communication conflicts that may rise in intercultural communication. The author coined this as the â€Å"culture collide perspective. † This is because when two parties belonging to different culture groups meet, their cultures also come across and eventually collide with each other. One example provided by the author to support this is the conflict present in politics. The author considered this perspective as a crude approach in understanding intercultural communication since this concept follows that intercultural communication only occurs when conflict is present in the process and in order for the communication to be successful; the culture of any one of the parties involved would need to be managed. The concept is also seen by the author as ethnocentric in nature in that it assumes that one culture in the intercultural communication process is more superior to the other. Furthermore, it fails to take into consideration the fact that one or both parties involved will try to adjust to the situation prevent intercultural communication conflicts (Blommaert, 14, 17-20). The second concept analyzed in the article is that culture is incorporated into the communication process, depending on the circumstances surrounding the parties involved and represented clearly and without reservation during the process. This makes culture as not only a vital component to the identity of the parties involved, but the situation surrounding the communication in general (Blommaert, 21-22). Based on the information obtained, Blommaert concluded that the non-objective approach is the most appropriate linguistic method to be used in the analysis for intercultural communication. Furthermore, the study of linguistics in intercultural communication should be able to represent a collaborative accord between parties from different cultures (30). The second article is a case study an intercultural communication scenario between a Turk and a German. The case study aimed to show how communication problems arise when two parties communicate using a language which the native to one party and foreign to another as a result of on how the experiences of each party affect how they interpret the message being sent (Hinnenkamp, 91). According to Hinnenkamp, the culture of an individual affects various aspects of the communication process such as the degree of interaction permitted, how often will an individual will allow the other to respond, what topics to discuss, how direct he or she can be in addressing or questioning the other party, and their obligations in reference to their status. Should any of these aspects are not met; one or both parties would attempt to â€Å"repair† the communication by neutralizing and restoring the normative order as dictated by culture who considers the language being used as its native language. This is most exemplified in intercultural communication when an individual speaks in a language that is not native to him or her where the individual tries various methods like mimicking in order to make himself or herself understood (106, 108). The third article focused more on the reactions of the receiver of the message in a communication process. The article aimed to identify factors that affect the judgment of an individual involved interpersonal communication (Spencer-Oatey, 336-337). Spencer-Oatey defined culture as an indistinct collection of attitudes, beliefs, assumptions and values shared by a group of people which influence an individual’s behavior and how the individual views another’s behavior which has a major impact in scenarios where intercultural issues are present (338-339). Contrary to Blommaert’s statement, the author believes that culture is not always manifested depending on the situation when intercultural communication is present. She stated that on some occasions, certain very deep-seeded cultural traits will manifest itself in the intercultural communication process regardless if the situation makes it conducive or not (340). This is because individuals have the freedom to choose whether to uphold, modify or abandon his or her cultural practices when communicating. Culture, then is not manifested in a single encounter. Rather, it becomes only apparent when patterns in communicating develop (342). She did, however, agree that what goes on in an intercultural communication cannot be accurately predicted (345). In the article, John Gumperz specified the variation that occurs in intercultural communication between a native and non-native speaker are the â€Å"different conventions of communication, different speech styles, narrative patterns, in short, the deployment of different communicative repertoires† (qtd. in Spencer-Oatey, 343). The author concluded the article stating that more research is needed in order to fully understand intercultural communication. Unlike Blommaert who recommended that further research must concentrate in being able to gain an agreement between parties in the communication process to occur (30), Spencer-Oatey stated that in order to understand the process, the research should be continuous since intercultural communication occurs in relationships that have spanned for a long period of time (346). To summarize, intercultural communication refers to the interaction between two parties belonging to two different cultures where the culture of each party is manifested in the communication process depending on the length of time the interaction has been taking place and the situation surrounding the communication activity. Culture was defined in the texts as a vague group of attitudes, beliefs, behavioral principles, assumptions and values shared by a group of individuals that influence their conduct as well as how they interpret the behavior another. Finally, certain variations occur in intercultural communication between a native to the language being used and a non-native using the same language in order to be understood by the other. These variations include mimicking, speech styles and narrative patterns. Works Cited

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Over The Counter Drugs And Paracetamol Advertising Economics Essay

Over The Counter Drugs And Paracetamol Advertising Economics Essay Over the past few decades advertising has been an important marketing strategy. Advertising is always subjected to change because taste of the people, demographic, cultural and socio economic factors change always. Consumers changing response to advertising is essential to develop more effective and efficient marketing strategies. Chanjin (2000) developed a varying-parameter advertising model specifying advertising parameters as a function of advertising strategies and the market environments to explain the varying nature of the advertising responses. The model is applied to New York City fluid milk market and he concludes his findings that advertising strategies and market environment play important role in determining advertising effectiveness and he further concludes that demographic factors are more important than economic factors(Chanjin, 2000). Companies change their advertising strategies time to time to attract customers as well as keep the existing customers with their produ cts. But in some developed countries they have their own self regulatory system in order to stave off the government intervention. Harker(2003) states in his published article that sometimes advertising has its own self regulatory system despite claims of social and economic benefits. In general, when dealing with unacceptable advertising, considerable advertisers in developed countries use their own self regulatory mechanism since they consider the intervention of the government or regulatory bodies for their product marketing are not good for their brand image. The recent breakdown of one of the worlds longest established advertising self-regulatory programmes in Australia has reopened the 20 years old debate concern with enhancing understanding of such regulatory system(Harker, 2003).Though he states like that , even in some developed countries the advertising misleading consumers significantly sometimes very badly. To face to the race of businesses, companies use varies marketing strategies to attract and retain consumers with their products. Advertising is one of the most efficient marketing tools that most widely used in the world. The issue is it has become a main tool or a media where consumers are misled for products or services. Expressing the finding of the result of his research paper, Howard (2005) says over half of the sample viewed most or all mail and telephone advertising as misleading, and that 38 percent of the respondents regarded most or all television advertising as misleading. Also, findings for the Age groups indicate that two out of three respondents regarded most or all advertising directed at children as seriously misleading (Howard, 2005). Advertising has become a powerful emotional promotion method and now there is a trend of sending advertisements via mobile phones even without prior permission. But Melody(2004) points out those consumers generally have negative attitu des toward mobile advertising unless they have specifically consented to it(Melody, 2004). Generally in most countries attitudes toward the quality and information containing in advertisements are not in a good scale. Richard (1993) explains in his paper that a comprehensive model of attitudes toward advertising includes three personal utility factors (product information, social image information, and hedonic amusement) and four socioeconomic factors (good for economy, fostering materialism, corrupting values and falsity/no-sense). He tested these seven factor model on two independent samples and found most respondents exhibited conflict between an appreciation of the personal uses and economic value of advertising and an apprehension of cultural degradation(Richard, 1993). False information in advertisements significantly decreases the credibility of the product. That is why some standard organizations validate their advertisements before broadcast or expose to general public. Ste phen (1998) conducted a study to investigate whether consumers who are exposed to an advertisement containing a deceptive environmental claim have significantly different attitudes about the advertisements than those consumers exposed to a similar non-deceptive advertisement. He concludes the study mentioning that higher levels of perceived deception were associated with lower level of perceived corporate credibility, less favourable attitudes towards the advertisement, less favourable attitudes toward the advertised brand, and decreased purchase intention toward the product in the advertisement(Stephen, 1998). Marketing Pharmaceuticals-Increasing trend Marketing pharmaceuticals are very dynamic and innovative subject especially in this current business arena. Pharmaceutical industry is one of the most profitable businesses in all over the world. Kesic(2008) states the pharmaceutical market has been changed significantly especially in last decade with dramatic improvement. There are many factors directly affected for these new trend and developments particularly concentrated globalization, huge competitiveness and many more factors influence directly or indirectly for new challengers for pharmaceutical companies. Not only in pharmaceutical industry, but also in most of the business entities, profit maximization is a core objective. However, Chandra(1999) points out that pharmaceutical product companies are completely different from other companies since their product directly deal with human health not like most other companies in the business world. Reinhardt(2004) highlights that it is not clear that the current allocation of the pharmaceutical industrys revenue dollars to marketing and research development is efficient for societys point of view(Reinhardt, 2004). Kesic(2008) concludes in his paper that research and development(RD), mutually with other marketing and profit earning activities are two main operative and prioritized strategies of the global pharmaceutical industry. Having analysed these figures he has found that the biggest, inventive world pharmaceutical companies invest, on average, approximately 16% of their sales into RD and even more, about 26% or more into marketing and sales activities(Kesic, 2009). Drug companies really spend ample amount of money for marketing especially for direct-to-consumer advertising. Lisa(2008) says according to the IMS health report in 2006 in America, drug companies have spent nearly 5 billion on direct advertisements to consumers, and 80 percent increase over what they were spending in 2002(Lisa, 2008).Likewise Chiu(2005) explains that according to the Nationa l Institute for Health Care Management, U.S consumers spent $154.5 billion on prescription drugs in 2001.This amount to 10% of total health spending, which account for 14.9 % of the U.S GDP as of 2002.In a publication Parker(2003) states that there is a little doubt that the pharmaceutical industry is a major force in todays economy as measured by both over-the-counter(OCT) and prescription drug sales and further more he says that it seems clear that there have been rather dramatic increases in advertising expenditures by pharmaceutical companies in the past few years. It also seems clear that these expenditures have coincided with significant increases in sales of both OTC drugs and prescription drugs(Parker, 2003). Promoting drugs to consumers directly has become a new trend in all over the world and many pharmaceutical companies have experienced it as a very effective way to market their products. Wilkes et al(2000) points out that direct to consumer drug(DTC) marketing makes some kind relationship of patients, doctors as well as with pharmaceutical organizations. He further points out that drug companies have increased their budget for advertisements and at the same time the number of drugs advertised also increased. Wilkes et al (2000) further state that several news sources had suggested that drug manufactures earnings have directly benefited from this new promotional strategy(Michael, 2000). According to Moynihan et al(2002)drug companies earn lot of money from healthy people and he interprets it as disease mongering. Director of research and policy at the National Institute for Health Care Management, Findlay(2000) concludes that Advertising works and pharmaceutical companies have success fully promoted their product to doctors for decades. They are now bringing that marketing survey to the consumer market place. The question is whether -over time-the benefits of raising consumers awareness of specific drugs and the conditions the medicines treat will outweigh the danger that consumers will bring to demand and use some medicines inappropriately(Findlay, 2000). Over-The-Counter Drugs and Paracetamol Advertising Over-the-counter drugs can be purchased any amount without a prescription anywhere in the world. But some researchers have pointed out having some sort of mechanism for issuing these drugs to consumers may reduce misuses. Trends towards greater availability are paralleled by increase in its use for both non-fatal overdoses and suicide. Gunnel(1997) says in France mobidity and mortality was considerable less due to the regulatory action taken to reduce the quantity of paracetamol in a single purchase. Although non conclusive, these data add to a body of evidence which suggest that restrictions in the quantity of paracetamol available as a single purchase in other countries can reduce suicide and liver failure related to paracetamol(D Gunnell, 1997).Most of these over-the-counter drugs are advertised frequently in mass media to get and keep attention of consumers on those products. Ashish(1999) in his research paper states that manufactures may attempt to familiarize consumers with bra nd names in hopes that the consumer will purchase product. The consumer may think that he has heard of this product and assume that it is somehow better than competitive product(Ashish, 1999).In his research paper Hawton(2004) clearly states that suicides and hospital admissions due to paracetamol poisoning reduced after change in legislation which is limiting the size of the available pack of the paracetamol for consumers and in his study he concludes that legislation reducing pack size of analgesics in the United Kingdom has been beneficial and further reduction in pack size could prevent more deaths(Hawton, 2004). Over the counter drug usage among children is very common. Allotey(2004) mentions in his recently published paper Research on the medication of preschool-aged children has suggested that the use of OTC medication is substantial. Kogan et al for instant, found that 54% of three year olds in the United States has been given OTC medications in the 30days preceding the study. In a common survey in New York, 22% of children have taken OTC medication in the preceding 3 day period. Studies in United Kingdom also indicated high rate of OTC medication use among children, ie,28% during a 2-week period and 66% during a 4-week period(Allotey, 2004). Wazaify(2005) emphasizes that increasing availability of non prescription medicines may encourage patients to believe that there is a drug treatment for every ailment. Furthermore, he explains the use of such products may delay/mask the diagnosis of serious illness, with increased risks of interactions and adverse reactions and of self treatment being undertaken when medical aid should have been sought. There is also the potential for misuse and abuse of such products(Wazaify, 2005). According to the Sri Lankan context there are many proprietary products under one generic product. Senarathna(2008) in her thesis of master of philosophy points out that there are around forty registered product of paracetamol in Sri Lanka(Senarathna, 2008).Weerasuriya(1993) points out there were 63 registered paracetamol products in the country in 1993 and paracetamol was the commonest drug registered in the OTC category(Weerasuriya, 1993). Ethics of Advertising OTC drugs It is clear there is an increasing trend of usage for OTC drugs in all over the world. Wazaify(2005) states that in recent years there have been an increasing trend in self-medication with non prescription drugs available in pharmacies and retail outlets and in parallel, more products have been deregulated for purchase without a prescription(Wazaify, 2005). At the same time Solhaug(2006) concludes in his recent abstract publication that only half of the information presented in drug advertisements was correct and clinically relevant and relatively few statements were fault, but a considerable proportion of statements gave an excessively positive picture of the product; hence, in general, this kind of information has no value as a source of information(Solhaug, 2006).Among the publications those point out that drug advertisements are not up to the standard especially OTC drug, Ashish(1999)states in his publication that in reality, it has been observed that pharmaceutical product adver tisers often promote their products to achieve their own goals at the potential risk of having an adverse effect on the consumers health and this type of advertising is most often seen in OTC drug product advertisements(Ashish, 1999). Wazaify(2005) points out that the deregulation process has been championed by the pharmaceutical industry, the pharmacy profession and government health policy makers and is supported by the view that patients wish to have a greater role in their treatment choices. Almost all countries in the world have not allowed to pharmaceutical companies to advertise their product to consumers directly. Stremersh(2009) states in his research paper that so far only two countries, New Zealand and the United States, allow pharmaceutical marketers to advertise directly to consumers and in the same paper he further explains that due to this reason patient requests are often accommodated by physicians mainly because they affect physician visit satisfaction and show patients that the physician cares(Stremersch, 2009). Drugs are categorized into few groups and essentially there are two categories which are OTC drugs and prescription drugs. What is categorized as OTC varies from country to country and i s dependent on the local legislative framework according to (Buckley, 2004). Many researchers have pointed out over-the-counter drugs have become a public health problem due to misuse, disease mongering and drug abuse and wrong, in appropriate or inadequate information given in the promotional program may have an impact of this health issue(Ashish, 1999, Allotey, 2004, Fernando, 2008, Buckley, n.d.). While there are government agencies charged with monitoring the marketing of medicines, typically this is one of many briefs for these agencies and is often only in a reactive fashion. In other words such monitoring as does occur, occurs only in response to complaints, and even then is often very slow and cumbersome(Buckley, n.d.). Buckley(n.d.) urges that two things should happen to put this issue in a correct track which are establishing independent monitoring bodies to police marketing codes of practice with real penalties and paying increased attention to the education of the consumers of pharmaceutical advertising, in particular those with prescribing powers (Buckley, n.d.).In Sri Lanka also the situation is almost same like most of the countries in the world. The government has imposed rules and regulations for promoting and advertising pharmaceuticals within the country. In a paper published by the Sri Lanka medical associations ethics committee recently says that Advertisement to the general public should help people to make rational decision on the use of drugs which are legally available without a prescription. They should take account of peoples legitimate desire for information regarding their health, but should not take undue advantage of their concern for their health. Drug advertisement should neither portray nor be directed at children. Advertisement may claim that a drug can cure, prevent or relieve an ailment only if this can be substantial. They should also indicate, where applicable, limitations to the use of the drug When lay language is used, the information should be consistent with the scientific data sheet or other legally determined scientific basis for approval. Language, pictures or sounds, which bring about undue fear or distress, should not be used. The following list illustrates the type of information that advertisement to the general public should contain The name of the active ingredient, using either international non-proprietary names or the approved generic name of the drug The brand name Major indication(s) for use Major precautions, contraindications for warning Name and the address of the manufacturer or the distributor Information to the consumer on price should be accurately and honestly portrayed(Committee(SLMAEC), 2003). Though the guidelines are clear, there is a doubt of implementing and practicing the guidelines in many countries including Sri Lanka. There is a big challenge and responsibility for the government authorities and regulatory bodies in terms of providing correct information to the consumers. Techniques, methods and effective advertising Pharmaceutical industry is in a pressure and Kesic(2008) states that fast globalization is the main factor of the strategic development of the world pharmaceutical industry. There are so many challengers in pharmaceutical industry and drug companies running after many strategic moves to have sustainable competitive advantage. Direct marketing products to consumer have become one of the innovative methods to win the market comparatively. Buckley(n.d.) states that in United States all drugs may be promoted to consumer, but in practice direct to consumer advertising focuses on OTC and common ailment targeted prescription drugs(Buckley, n.d.). But some authors support to this argument and they mention direct to consumer advertising makes consumer better understanding and make more informative for drugs available to them(Leonard, 1999, Weissman, 2003). On the other hand some researchers like Maguire(1999) points out that American physicians are being asked to rubber stamp self diagnoses a nd self-prescriptions by patients. That is how some advertisements have been influenced on consumers. Kesic(2009) explains in his paper that the biggest multinational companies spend more than 25% of their sales into marketing activities especially for promoting, introducing their products and competing for global market share. Supporting to the argument of Kesic, Michael adds that drug companies spend ample number of money for number of drugs advertised increased, not only that they spend considerable amount of money for quality, attractiveness and particularly for sophisticated advertising (Michael, 2000). A paper published in Thailand in 2005 on Radio drug advertisement situation and regulation in Thailand says advertising has a strong influence on the sale volume of any goods. Drug advertising covers media such as television, radio, newspaper, magazines, internet and printed materials. It further says that radio advertisements can easily mislead people in rural areas because of socioeconomic and educational status(Kittisopee, 2005). Allotey(2004) mentions that OTC medications pro moted through television, radio and print advertising directly targeted at women, housewives or working mothers, encourage them not only to self medication but also to dispense OTC medications to their children, because it is important to establish a lifelong pattern of sensible (drug)use'(Allotey, 2004), Ashish(1999) explains that all pharmaceutical advertising is not bad but advertisements should be considered what they are promotions. Drug marketers should always try to follow the unwritten rules of marketing ethics and consider what is best for their consumers before developing a particular advertising strategy. Nowadays the issue is consumer can purchase any kind of drug online. Buckley(2004) highlights in his paper that thre is no restrictions for purchasing all kind of drugs online without a prescription and the issue is most of these internet pharmacies very low or poor quality information(Buckley, 2004). Moynihan(2002) expresses that inappropriate medication carries the dangers of unnecessary labelling, poor treatment decisions, iatrogenic illness, and economic waste, as well as the opportunity cost that result when resources are diverted away from treating or preventing more serious disease(Moynihan, 2002). How consumers are misled -Reliability, Relevance and adequacy of Advertisements Many research papers point out that drug advertisements mislead consumers in many ways directly or indirectly (Sidney, 2002, Michael, 2000, Ashish, 1999, Findlay, 2000). Though it is a common phenomena in all over the world, a practical guide on understanding and responding to pharmaceutical promotion published by the world health organization recently explains clearly how information is given to consumers in advertisements in developed and developing countries. It says while advertisements from developed countries typically contain nearly all of the information listed in the box, this is not always the case in developing countries(WHO, n.d.). The table below published by Hawkins(1993)in his research paper support to the above argument strongly and in the discussion he states that indications were mentioned more often than the negative effects of medicines. Important warnings and precautions were missing in half of the advertisements while side effects and contraindications in about forty percent. Price tended to be given only in countries where a social security system pays for the medicines(Herxheimer, 1993). Nowadays there is a trend of promoting drugs through internet. Buckley(n.d.)mentions on his research paper that most of the internet advertisements provide less information or poor quality information. Many pharmaceutical companies mislead consumers in many ways. A United States Food and Drug Administration(FDA) has issued 88 letters accusing drug companies of advertising violations from August 1997 to Aug 2002(Buckley, n.d.). Most of the time drug companies overstated the effectiveness of the promoting drug and they always keep attention not to highlight its risk. Some companies disseminate advertisements misleading advertisements even after they were warned or cited for violations(Gottlieb, 2002). Some drug companies stimulate consumers to buy expensive or new drugs which has high profit margin and it raises the health care cost of consumers as well as of the country ultimately. Some drugs promoted by pharmaceutical companies have limited Medical beneficiaries but those are heavily advertised because of the high profit margin. Rebecca(2010) says its almost impossible for the public to actually parse the ads and come to their own independent conclusions(Rebecca, 2010). But Weissman(2003)states in his research paper that industrys argument is that patients are highly motivated to seek the best available treatment for their condition and they need and deserve more and better information on which to base their judgement(Weissman, 2003). It is true if the pharmaceutical advertisements provide proper, balance and correct information to their consumers. A research done in Thailand, sharing the findings says that 22% radio advertisements have misled consumers and only 7% of the advertisements have recommended an appropriate dose among studied advertisements. Further more a warning message was found in only 3% of the advertisements and name of the manufacturers were present only 20% of the advertisements collected(Kittisopee, 2005).Weil(2009) is really against the trend of this drug advertisements. He says almost a ll highly advertised drugs have many complications either short term or long term basis and in general these drugs are ineffective and some serious side effects are not considered or neglected by the manufacturers. Because most pharmaceutical companies give priority for their profit margin and such vast profit potentials may be obtained from this kind of heavy drug advertising (Weil, 2009). Now there is a trend of using popular characters for marketing advertisements of drugs and sometimes they are neither reliable nor relevance. In a paper published by Michael(2000) says that Now advertisements enlist well-known personalities to endorse pharmaceutical products (Michael, 2000). Lot of people imitate and follow famous personalities and it help pharmaceuticals to reach consumer quickly and in a familiar manner. Criticizing this promotional tactics Weil(2009) says in his report that Sally Field is a talented actor, But what qualifies her to promote Boniva, an osteoporosis drug that is of limited benefit, has worrisome side effects, and for which there are natural alternatives that merit careful consideration?.(Weil, 2009) Drug companies are in the process of promoting their product to consumers in many ways. Sometimes they may use health care professionals to reach consumers because they know that consumer believe professionals who have background knowledge about treatments. Wazaify(2005) points out in his recent published paper that The main factor found to influence the publics choice of OTC medicines was pharmacist recommendation. This is reassuring especially with increasing availability of potent medications without prescription and the increased potential for interactions(Wazaify, 2005). It is one of the indirect marketing methods that the pharmaceutical industry uses. On the other hand people have a belief that over the counter drugs like paracetamol do not have serious side effects. Some over the counter drugs have serious side effects when consumer uses it with some other medications. A very good example is Viagra used for erectile dysfunction. If consumer uses it while using nitrate as a treatment of blood pressure, it causes severe drop of blood pressure which is difficult to treat. Buckley(n.d.)says it has mentioned on advertisements but in a much smaller font, it is You must not take Viagra if you are using any nitrate medication including amyl(poppers). It may lead to a severe drop of your blood pressure that may be difficulty to treat. As sexual activity may be a strain on your heart your doctor will need to check whether you are fit enough to use Viagra(Buckley, n.d.). Buckley points out the ordinary people do not know what is nitrate medications and they cannot recognize from this statement that the combination of these two drugs will en ough to kill them more often. Supporting to this argument Wazaify(2005) mentions that consumers generally believe that only safe medicines are permitted to be sold without prescription and OTC medicines do not usually have serious side-effects(Wazaify, 2005). Some giant pharmaceutical companies have their own physicians, independent monitoring committees and analytical groups etc. They make public aware of some new drugs which are effective treatment for some diseases which are common among current generation and they suggest through advertisements, that it may be effective to use their drugs or supplementary product to prevent from those diseases. This is another current trend in the world and basically what they do is label healthy people that they are sick. Supporting to this arguments Moynihan(2002) express his view in this paper stating that sometimes the issue is informal alliance engage, including doctors, drug company staff and consumer groups and this kind of alliance is being used by the drug companies in raising public awareness about some new drugs which are not scientifically proven. On the other hand theses groups conduct some health campaigns and awareness programmes about undiagnosed and untreatable problems and view of th is kind of problems are treatable because these disease awareness programmes are directly connected to drug companies and their marketing strategies. In general drug companies use this type of marketing strategies to promote their new pharmaceutical products (Moynihan, 2002). Extensive advertising and promotion has put on higher price on pharmaceuticals. Consumer has become the victim of those expensive pharmaceuticals. Dave(2010)says Promotion may affect price through two difference processes. First, promotion may increase demand and/or reduce the absolute magnitude of the demand price elasticity (that is, reduce the price responsiveness of purchasers), which may raise price. Second, the increasing operation cost due to high promotional spending may be shifted to purchasers in the form of higher price. Concluding his findings he states that in addition to potential misuse, the cost of direct to consumer advertising result from increased drug price and increased use of expensive drugs in place of equally effective lower-price drugs(Dave, 2010). Effect of Misleading Many researchers have pointed out that misleading consumer due to unprofessional advertisement of the pharmaceutical industry has created considerable issue to the society in many countries(Herxheimer, 1993, Dave, 2010, Leonard, 1999, Ashish, 1999). There is a reasonable doubt whether consumers spend money for their real requirements of treatments. Moynihan (2002) says drug companies earn lot of money from healthy people and it is better to describe as disease mongering. He further says some practices in medicine and pharmaceuticals are questionable particularly on the subject of disease mongering and its impact on public health, medical practices, public awareness and financial budgeting(Moynihan, 2002). There are people who count this criticism and say Direct To Consumer Advertisements (DTCA) fosters rapid detection of disease and promote grater compliance with treatment regimes. Further more they suggest that DTCA is simply part of a wider social trend whereby consumers take great er responsibility for their health care(Hoek, 2002). Pharmaceutical industry may grab ample amount of money from consumers through unprofessional promotions and advertising drugs. Most of the time heavily promoted drugs may have less clinically importance considering the price as the generic drug provide almost similar clinical effect at a cheap price. Parker(2003),supporting to this argument says Prescription drugs such as Celebrex and Vioxx are heavily promoted and cost the consumer just over $2per pill, while generic ibuprofen, which cost the consumer pennies per pill, often work just as well(Parker, 2003). Effective and attractive advertisement can attract consumer towards the product some times without considering the quality or the value of the product. Ashish(1999) states in his publication that Advertising is thought to contribute to the economy as well. By effective promoting increase in promotion of goods and services may occur, which in turn can result in increase in sales and the flow of money within society(Ashish, 1999). But some researchers expresses a different idea about the relationship between drug price and drug advertisements. They point out when drugs are advertised, the market is more competitive and due to that the price of the particular drug reduces. Research has generally found that advertising tend to reduce price, rather than increase them, primarily because advertising makes markets more competitive(Calfee, 2002). Sometimes drug advertisement give wrong information due to many reasons for consumers and it is affected for less dose or overdose usage of drugs. A general problem associated with drug advertisements is that it is a powerful influence which may motivate consumers to select overly expensive, overrated, or less than optimum medications for their particular needs. More specifically, it is possible to identify numerous individual problems associated with the promotional practice(Ashish, 1999). Our culture very much believes in the More in Better principle and consumers sometimes even ho

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Conflict between the Functions of Human Resources :: Human Resources Essays

What is conflict? Conflict is a natural disagreement resulting from individuals or groups that differ in attitudes, beliefs, values or needs. Conflict exists in organisations because, by their very nature, organisations require social interaction between people with different goals, values, and backgrounds. Recent structural, economic and philosophical changes in the world of work have escalated the likelihood and level of conflict within the workplace organisations. Distinctions must be made, though between positive and negative aspects of conflict in the workplace. If constructively managed conflict may lead to clearer ideas and increased organisational effectiveness. If unchecked, however conflict may become unduly disruptive. Human Resource Planning: Human resource planning is concerned with getting the right people, using them well and developing them in order to meet the goals of the organisation. Conflict may arise when deciding who are the right people to chose, and the skills and competences they will need to help the company to meet their objectives. Especially if there is more than one person involved in the decision making peoples opinions may differ and this may cause conflict over the final decision. They are also concerned with strategies and future plans for the organisation again people may feel their strategy is more suited to the company while others feel the opposite and again conflict arises. This department is linked with recruitment and selection because as pointed out this dept needs the right people to carry out their task of getting employees to meet the organisations goals. Conflict between these departments may arise if recruitment and selection are not recruiting the right person which wastes time and money and disables this department because this dept cannot go on to develop people if they are not right for the job in the first place. Recruitment and selection: This department can incur quite high costs and conflict may arise when decisions are made on how much of the budget should be spent and the most appropriate and cost effective way to spend it. For example ‘advertising’ decisions are to be made on how and when to advertise. Also when deciding on what the jobs that are to be recruited for will entail, judging which applications best meet the criteria set down for the post and finally selecting the best candidate for the post all of these factors include decision making and decision making between a group of people can often lead to conflict when disagreements between them arise. Performance management: Conflict may arise when deciding the best techniques to use to manage employees also how much employees should be paid in relation to performance – related pay. Also after hearing feedback from employees should and what requests they have made be granted.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Creating A Just Society for Children :: Sociology Essays Research Papers

Creating A Just Society for Children News reports lately suggest that children who have been having meal with their family everyday commit less misdemeanor and crime than children who have not. According to the news report, children who have meal with their family grow up to be strong and stable mentally. They are able to adapt a society very well. Recently we see many teenagers’ committing crimes. At first glance, these teenagers seem to be average. However their actions are cruel. Those children are suffering from the influence of their environment that they have been brought up in, and can not solve their problems by themselves. Some of them are trying to ask their parents help, but the parents do not take it seriously or misunderstand it. Some parents try to solve the problem by supplying everything children need. It is difficult to foster a good environment through material things only. A good spiritual home is also important. I wonder how we can create a just society not for children but a lso for all and whether the day-care is really important for children or not. The case of the article about the okinawan, which we discussed in the class, is a very sensitive topic. In Japan, there is a tendency that mothers always stay next to their baby and take care of them very well. Even when they go to bed, they take the baby to their bed and let him or her sleep next to them. On the other hand, in the United States, the parents let their baby sleep on the baby’s bed. When the baby is born, they give a room to their baby. Some parents let a babysitter take care of their baby. While the babysitter is taking care of the baby, the parents are working or going somewhere. For some parents, having a babysitter is very helpful. They are able to work and live financially independent. They also have more time for themselves instead of taking care of their baby. However, there is a problem about letting the babysitter take care of the baby. The problem is whether the babysitter takes care of the baby properly or not. I have seen a lot of news on the TV.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Ecosystems and Environmental Discourse :: Essays Papers

Ecosystems and Environmental Discourse What is an ecosystem? At first glance, this seems to be a straightforward question, one to be answered by environmental scientists. However, the concept of an ecosystem, or more specifically, the action that posits the existence of an ecosystem, raises a series of questions that challenge some basic assumptions about the environment. For instance, is an ecosystem a concrete object in the same way that a stone or a tree is? Or instead, is an ecosystem a set of interactions between such objects? While ecosystems do indeed exist, it is not without dramatic changes in our epistemology that we can speak of such objects without contradiction. Most importantly, we must acknowledge that the existence of ecosystems is contingent on human society. Environmental scientists certainly play an important role in describing ecosystems and in prescribing correct management of these systems, but we miss an important aspect of humanity’s role in the environment if we see ecosystems as discrete objects that exist independent of human society. Then what is an ecosystem? An ecosystem is a concept constructed by human society that aids us in perceiving an amazingly complex structure of interactions. This construction is rooted fundamentally in our language and the discourse that surrounds environmental issues. As such, the concept of discourse and the practice of discourse analysis are vital to understanding what an ecosystem might be. While there are advantages to seeing ecosystem as concrete objects, it is my intention in this section to describe an alternative view of ecosystems that is rooted in postpositivistic, postmodern analysis of reality. Hopefully, such analysis will also be useful in analyzing other concepts pertinent to environmental issues. To approach this alternative view, I will outline the concept of discourse as formulated by Michel Foucault, summarize the views and extension of post-Foucauldian discourse analytic theorists, and finally, apply these concepts to the question of ecosystems. Throughout, I will address the epistemological changes implicit in discourse analysis. A discourse is an institutionalized way of speaking that determines not only what we say and how we say it, but also what we do not say. Originating in the field of linguistics, the term discourse initially referred to whole units of speech (conversations) and the speech community in which these units were communicated. William Labov (1972) and other sociolinguists have used discourse analysis primarily as a descriptive tool, leaving epistemological and postmodern considerations aside.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

History of Punishment

According to (Seiter, 2011) Cesare Beccaria is known as the founder of the classical school of criminology, the first organized theory of crime causation linked to appropriate punishments. According to (Seiter, 2011) Beccaria suggested that the purpose of punishment is utility or the prevention of crime. According to (Seiter, 2011) Jeremy Bentham is the creator of the hedonistic calculus suggesting that punishments outweigh the pleasure criminals get from committing crime.According to (Seiter, 2011) another way to remove offenders from society was through transportation or deportation. Transportation started in England and was used throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to send undesirables to the colonies in America. According to (Seiter, 2011) the first response to crime in the American colonies was based on the English criminal codes and incorporated the Puritans linking of crime with sin in developing a rigid and strict system of punishments.Violations of expected co mmunity behavior were death with severely using corporal and capital punishment carried out in public to deter both individual offenders and the broader community. According to (Seiter, 2011) whipping at the town center whipping post or placement in stocks and pillories was common punishment for minor offenses such as drunkenness, slander, or stealing something of minor value. Pillories were wooden frames with holes for offender’s hands and head. According to (Seiter, 2011) historical punishment were both painful and shameful.Stocks and pillories were used both as physical punishment and to ridicule offenders in front of their fellow towns people, in the hopes that they would end their criminal ways. Branding was also a way of punishment. They branded criminals with letters, on their hands and face. Prison did not exist in the colonial times. According to (Seiter, 2011) colonist did use jails copying English system of gaols, for holding defendants awaiting trial of those alre ady convicted and waiting for their corporal or capital punishment to be carried out.These jails according to (Seiter, 2011) had deplorable conditions in which poor men, women, and children all lived together in filth, with little food or sanitary conditions. According to (Seiter, 2011) the most famous jail reformer was John Howard, who was the sheriff of the Bedfordshire, England. Howard himself, while on an English ship, was taken captive by a French privateer and subsequently imprisoned. He later was paroled to England, but never forgot the horrendous conditions resulting in the death of several English prisoners.According to (Seiter, 2011) as soon as he became the sheriff he was responsible for the operation of the jail and was disturbed over the conditions and the fact that some people were there for weeks because they were unable to pay the fee required for release. According to (Seiter, 2011) he also pushed for the passage of the English penitentiary act of 1779 to require mi nimum standards for jail conditions. According to (Seiter, 2011) as a result of the brutality and extensive use of corporal and capital punishment, some were dissatisfied with these methods of responding to criminal behavior.William Penn and the Quakers were hardworking and economical people. They realized that the criminal codes were both inhumane and inefficient in that judges often did not follow the criminal codes because they did not want to inflict more severe punishment on relatively minor offenders. According to (Seiter, 2011) the abolition of capital punishment for all crimes other than homicide, the substitution of imprisonment at hard labor for bloody corporal punishments, the provision of free food and logging to inmates the replacement of the stocks and pillory with houses of detention.The Walnut street jail was the first penitentiary in the United States according to (Seiter, 2011). According to (Seiter, 2011) the Pennsylvania system was known as the separate and silen t system with silence enforced and inmates not allowed to see or talk with each other. Through this approach, it was believed that offenders would not be morally contaminated and be trained in crime by other prisoners.According to (Seiter, 2011) the Auburn system became known as the congregate and silent system as officials continued to reduce the spread of criminals ideas by inmates through silence and strict discipline they wanted inmates to march with their eyes looking down at the ground. They did not want the inmates to give other inmates ideas. According to (Seiter, 2011) the emphasis was on having inmates work and produce products that could help make the prisons economically self- supporting using there free labor, prisons became very successful at this prison management emphasized production as much as security and ehabilitation, and the volume of prison made products sold on the open market increased considerably. According to the industrial prison era from 1910 to 1935, l ed to the first major interest in the management of prisons by external parties. According to (Seiter, 2011) as time went on the Ashurst- summers act was amended in 1940 , that severely limited the sale of prison made products on the open market. Seiter, R. P. (2011). Corrections:An Introduction Third Edition. Prentise Hall.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Cells: from Earthlings to Martians

Daniel Petrov 8e Cells: From Earthlings to Martians? Mr F. Ade-Davis Science Our model of the cell developed from a lot of good scientists such as Robert Hooke and many others. Robert Hooke discovered cells when he looked at a slice of cork in a microscope. And he had also found out that it was made of many tiny cells. Furthermore, a Dutch scientist had discovered a large variety of red blood cells and sperm cells and egg cells. Cells are the basic building blocks of all living things.A cell is something really tiny that could not be seen with a naked eye but only using a microscope. They also take in nutrients, convert these nutrients into energy, carry out specialized functions, and reproduce as necessary. Cells have many parts that each do a large variety of different things. Some of the things a cell contains is a cytoplasm and a nucleus. A cytoplasm is a jelly-like fluid that surrounds the nucleus and a nucleus controls the activities that the whole cell does.Cells also act toge ther to form and create everything that exists in this world today. One type of cells are known as Bacteria cells. Bacteria were among the first life forms to appear on  Earth, and are present in most  habitats  on the planet, growing in soil, water,  acidic hot springs, radioactive wasteland and deep in the  Earth's crust, as well as in organic matter and the live bodies of plants and animals. The vast majority of the bacteria in the body are rendered harmless by the protective effects of the  immune system, and a few are  beneficial.However, a few species of bacteria are  pathogenic  and could cause some serious infectious diseases, including  cholera,  syphilis,  anthrax,  leprosy, and  bubonic plague. They contain a well developed  cell  structure. Bacterial cells are fairly small cells that come in many different types such as spheres, rods and spirals. Bacteria cells do not have a nucleus unlike early all of the other cells. They also contain a cell wall, cyptoplasm, a cell membrane and ‘Free’ DNA.A meteorite had been found on mars that contained many unusual things and forms of life inside it. The objects in the mars meteorite could have been either cells , unknown animals or even Martians. The evidence for this information being true could be that when scientists had examined the marvellous rock , the gas trapped inside it matched the atmosphere on mars. Also, the rocks that fall on earth every day are not usual types of rocks, but rocks that are often very hard to be recognized. Scientists could and hould share their findings with other scientists so they can link the things that they have found out. By sharing your findings, not only would they learn new and interesting things from each other, but they would also see if the information is correct and very accurate. Furthermore, Peer review could be a good thing to do because people would learn a great deal about their writing, they get good feedback from f ellow scientists and they are able to improve their findings by using other peoples information.On the other hand, peer review could not be such a positive but a negative thing because they could not like for other people to see their findings and work, or the information given could not have strengths but weaknesses. In conclusion, I personally think that the objects and gasses found inside the meteorite could be real because scientists have observed the rock and have also found out that gasses the rock contained matched the whole of the atmosphere on Mars.Also, peer review is a good thing to do because you share you findings with other scientists and get positive feed back and how you could improve the things you have found out by being more accurate. This also links to the development of cells because Robert Hooke had found out that the strip of cork he was observing using the microscope contained and was made up of many small cells, and he had shared this with many the other sci entists and thats how the understanding of the cell has been improved through these many years.

Observational research Essay

Observational research, also known as field research, pertains to a research approach that engages in the direct recording of a phenomenon as it occurs in its natural condition (Zechmeister et al. , 2003). This research approach is distinct from the other research methods because it employs a quasi-artificial scenario that is comprised of a number of factors, of which some could be controlled. The capacity to control at least one of the factors in the environment allows the researcher to perform the scientific method that would answer the developed hypothesis. Observational research could be performed using any of the three classified types of observational techniques. The covert type of observational research involves unidentified researchers that directly interact with the study participants and remain undetected until the completion of the investigation. In other cases, the researchers are positioned at a distance from the study participants, yet are still capable of direct observation of the actions and interactions that each of the study participants engages in. One advantage of this type of observational research approach is that the study participants are not required to cooperate with the researcher. The anonymity of the researcher in the scenario provides study participants to freely express themselves and to liberally make decisions without being influenced by the researcher. Unfortunately, it is also possible that certain ethical violations could be related to this type of observational approach, mainly as a form of deception that is associated with the researchers’ anonymity. The overt type of observational research allows the researchers to identify themselves to the study participants. In addition, the researchers are also required to fully disclose the purpose of their investigation to the study participants. One disadvantage that is strongly associated with the overt type of observational research is the impact of the disclosure on the behavior of the study participants during the entire experimental period. It is actually natural for an individual to be watchful of their actions when they are aware that at least one individual is observing their behavior. As such, the study participant exerts effort in projecting the ideal personality that is acceptable to the eyes of the beholder and definitely not reflective of the actual personality of the study participant. However, it should be understood that in this type of observational research approach, there would be no ethical issues related to deception of the study participants because the identity and the goals of the investigator have been disclosed early on. Researcher participation is another observational type of research approach that engages the investigator in the scenario that is being studied. One advantage of this type of observational technique is that the investigator is allowed to directly interact and to directly appreciate an incident that is being studied. Aside from taking notes of the effects and reactions of the study participants, the researcher also interacts with the rest of the scenario and regards himself as another study participant in the investigation. One disadvantage of this observational type is that the investigator may lose track of the goals of his research study because he becomes extremely engrossed in the activities occurring in the study scenario. In the observational study described in this unit, the covert approach was employed, wherein the investigator directly interacted with 50 study participants with their knowledge of his role and his goals in the interaction. In addition, the study participants are unaware that they are being observed in terms of their attitudes and responses to a specific stimulus or setting. The investigator thus chooses to project a smiling stance as he talks to 50 individuals and he takes note of the response of each of the study participants during his exchange with them. The investigator then rates the response of each of the study participants as very friendly, friendly or neutral.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Resistance coursework Essay

My Investigation: I choose to do a nichrome wire because during my preliminary work nichrome shows more resistance compared to nickel and copper wire. This is because the electrons collide with the material of the nichrome wire. Measurements: The things I will have to measure are: the volts and amps and on each interval I take to take readings. I will have to take 5 reading of each volts and amps, so I can work out the resistance, and then I will have 5 resistance readings, from this I will work out an average resistance. Also I will be measuring the wire from 100cm down to 10cm. Diagram: This is how I will set up my circuit: There are particular factors that we have to keep the same in order not to alter the correct results.   Do not alter the positions of the devices during the experiment.   Make sure the total length of wire is exactly 1m.   Record the current and voltage accurately, using the correct units. Always place the crocodile clips on the right measurement.   Before you start the experiment, test the devices being used. If any are faulty, change them.   Leave the power pack set at the same voltage for the whole of the experiment. The surrounding room temperature must be kept, otherwise the particles in the wire will move faster (if the temperature increases). Therefore, this will have an effect on the resistance.   The wire along the metre ruler must be straight and exactly 1m long. Bends in the wire may affect the resistance. The reading of the voltage should be taken promptly after the circuit is connected. This because as soon as a current is put through the wire, it will get hotter. I want to test the nichrome wire when heat is affecting it the least. Safety: This experiment is not too dangerous but it could be if not handled with caution and care. Make sure that the electricity is off at the plug socket when connecting and altering the circuit.   Be careful of any sharp edges on the crocodile clips or on the wire cutters or on the wire once cut. If you cut your self make sure you wash the wound and see a medical nurse if needed. If a fire breaks out switch off the power and use a near by fire extinguisher that is not H2O (because of the electricity) to safely stop the fire.   Make sure the coils in the resistance wire don’t touch and short circuit because this will ruin the experiment and may heat up the wire and catch fire. Do not set the power pack voltage to more than 2V. This is a safety hazard.   If you smell burning, promptly switch off the power pack from the mains.   Make sure that when the power pack is switched on, the near by taps are switched off. If there is any water spilt near by the sockets or surrounding areas, wipe it before you start the experiment.   Make sure the power pack cable or the conducting wires aren’t frayed. Reliability and Accuracy: Reliability: I can rely on my results because I have taken 5 different readings and then taken an average. This is so if one of my results goes wrong then I have four other ones to compare it with so I know if a result is abnormal. I am using an Ammeter to get an accurate current reading and not relying on the approximate readings on the power packs variable controls. Accuracy: I will coil the wire so that there are no short circuits in the wire. I will do this by spacing out the coils and checking it regularly throughout the experiment. This is because if the wire does short-circuit then you will be measuring the resistance of the length of that short-circuited piece of wire and not the whole length of wire. I will also take the reading on the voltmeter as soon as possible so the heat does not affect the resistance. Obtaining My Evidence: During the investigation, I changed the length of the wire by 10cm to see if it affects the resistance and the amount of current I was going to use. Initially I had decided to use 2 amps but I changed it to 1 amp because I felt by using a low current I may not get a very good reading voltage and resistance. The Analysis: Explanation of results- As the length of wire increased, the current decreased. As the length of constantan wire increased, so did voltage. Resistance increased as the length of wire did. The longer the length of the wire, the higher the resistance because of the amps. The current flowing the p. d. across it providing the temperature is constant. V=Ii R or I=V/R or R=V/I From the graph which I have produces I conclude that the higher the length of the wire the higher the resistance. The thin wire in 1 amp tends to resist the movement of electrons init. We say that the wire has a certain resistance to the current. The greater the resistance the more voltage is needed to push the current through the wire. The resistance is calculated by Resistance-P. d across the wire/Current through the wire (1) I conclude that as the length of a wire doubles, the resistance also doubles (provided the thickness of the wire is kept constant0. I also conclude that as the cross-sectional area of the wire doubles; the resistance halves (provided the length of the wire stays constant. I conclude this because my graph shows that resistance is inversely proportional to 1 (thickness2) so the theories behind these conclusions are: As the length doubles the resistance doubles. Resistance is caused by electrons bumping into ions. If the length of the wire doubles, the electrons bump into the ions twice as much so the resistance will double. In my investigation I found out that as the length of the wire increased the resistance and voltage increased as well. The only thing that decreased was the current. I think this because the resistance and the voltage has no longer a distance to travel so more volts/amps are needed where as the current has a shorter distance to travel each time so as the same amount of amps are being used they are building up more. From the graph that I have done, I have found a pattern. This pattern draws me to a conclusion that the higher the length of the wire the higher the resistance. I had also stated this in my prediction, in the earlier stages of my experiment, so this means that my prediction was correct. The thin wire I (amps) a lamp tends to resist the movement of electrons in it we say that the wire has a certain amount of resistance to the current. The greater the resistance the more voltage is needed to push a current through the wire. The Ohms law calculates the resistance of a wire by: Resistance (R) = potential difference across the wire (V) Current through the wire (I) There is a resistance in a wire because the electrons bump in to each other in the nichrome wire. So the high resistance is because of the high length of the wire and because of the electrons bumping in the wire. My predictions match my results because I predicted that resistance would increase as the length of the wire increased and that is what happened. I worked it out by using my head. I started to think about this experiment then I thought that the current would have a longer distance as the length increased and that would make the resistance longer. I also found out that the resistance of one amp carries a current of one amp if there is a potential difference of one volt across it. Judging from my results, I can safely say that the majority of my prediction was right. The resistance did change in proportion to the length of wire. This is because as the length of wire increased, the electrons that made up the current had to travel through more of the fixed particles in the wire causing more collisions and therefore, a higher resistance. A thinner wire also means more resistance. Resistance is known to be inversely proportional to the cross- sectional area (diameter). I. e. if the diameter is increased, the resistance decreases. A wider wire means less chance of the free electrons having collisions into atoms and losing energy. Another point of my prediction was that as the length of wire doubles so does the resistance. This proved to be true. I can show this in my graph. The straight line indicates it. I can also see these in my results. E. g. 30cm=0. 95? and 40cm=1. 124 ?. The theories behind these conclusions are: As the length of the wire doubles, the resistance also two folds. Resistance is caused by electrons bumping in to ions. If the length of the wire doubles, the electrons bump into the ions twice as much so the resistance will double. I also want to state the fact that as the length of a wire doubles the resistance also doubles, however providing the thickness of the wire is kept constant. I conclude that, as the cross sectional area of the wire doubles the resistance halves providing the length of the wire stays constant. Evaluating my Evidence: I believe I carried out my investigation very well. I used all the equipment I was supposed to. I set the experiment correctly. Most of my results are accurate. I managed to get reading off both the volt meter and ammeter for each length five times and I used the correct safety precautions. I believe most of my results are accurate. Not all of the readings are correct as at the end the wire got very warm and gave faulty readings. After studying my results, I realise there is one anomalous result. It occurs in the voltage on the sixth voltage. It looks as if the volt meter had some interruptions such as the heat of the wire or the heat of the surrounding area. However this did not affect my predictions as I predicted the longer the wire the higher the resistance and this is what had happened but it had less resistance for that particular one than I had expected. It did not alter the increasing pattern in resistance. I believed that my investigation and the results are mainly accurate because my investigation was carried out very well. I believe that if I had to use my results as evidence I think they show that the longer the nichrome wire the more resistance and the shorter the less. I assume this because my graph shows at 10cm of nichrome wire there is 0. 592(ohms) and at 100cm of nichrome wire there is 2. 386(ohms) there is a difference of 1. 794(ohms) which proves longer the wire the more resistance. I can prove that my experiment was successful because of the graph I drew. It showed length of wire against resistance. If I had to further improve my investigation I would carry it out again and I would do it with a much longer piece of wire at a higher current. If I had to do this experiment again I will probably measure the wire every 5cm’s instead of 10cm’s to make sure it’s accurate and use a more accurate volt meter to get the best and accurate results. . I could also investigate how the diameter of a wire affects the resistance. An extra investigation I can carry out or perform to receive more proof and evidence would be to investigate and look into is the thickness of a wire and evaluate or match up with the length of the wire. Also I could examine if the specific metal materials or properties makes a change in the resistance. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Electricity and Magnetism section.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Obesity Debate Essay

In the five section article, â€Å"Rethinking Weight† by Amanda Spake, the author outlines the conflict surrounding whether obesity classifies as a disease. Spake discusses the prevalence of obesity in America and sheds light on the idea that obesity may contain genetic roots. The article continues with the author’s insights into whether weight or fitness retains the most importance. Spake concludes the article with thoughts on the growing concern of insurance coverage and obesity treatment. The author claims that â€Å"At the heart of this obesity epidemic is a debate over whether obesity is a biological ‘disease’ and should be treated like any other life-threatening illness – cancer, heart disease – or whether it is simply a risk factor for these killers† (282). Spake successfully supports the claim by incorporating a narrative account, explaining the biology, psychology, and scientific research of obesity, and stating how society may already classify obesity as a disease, but Spake strays from the idea of obesity qualifying as a disease when she describes the role insurance companies play when paying for obesity treatment. The article begins with a narrative account of Maria Pfisterer. Spake uses Maria Pfisterer’s story to reveal the struggles obesity and dieting inflict upon a person. According to the author, Pfisterer’s many attempted diets, in terms of weight â€Å"All resulted in a little lost and more regained,† which supports the idea of weight and dieting inflicting a constant burden in the lives of many Americans (282). Spake also included in the story of Pfisterer’s weight battle the idea that no matter how hard Pfisterer tried to lose weight or what method Pfisterer thought to try, the weight never permanently disappeared, which in turn supports the concept of obesity being more than just a physical ailment. The author also discusses the possible treatment of gastric bypass surgery for Pfisterer, which remains unavailable to Pfisterer due to the high cost and specific criteria an individual must possess in order to receive the surgery. The narrative story provides an appeal to emotions by showing one woman’s struggle with weight and the effect that struggle embodies in Pfisterer’s life. The story also provides a persuasive element, influencing a want for Pfisterer to achieve her personal weight goals. The author pinpoints a person’s biology and psychological state as possible factors in the development of obesity. Xavier Pi-Sunyer from the Obesity Research Center at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital suggests â€Å"†¦obesity is a biologically determined process† (282). Many weight researchers also believe that â€Å"obesity is controlled by a powerful biological system of hormones, proteins, neurotransmitters, and genes that regulate fat storage and body weight and tell the brain when, what, and how much to eat† (284). Rudolph Leibel, a Columbia University geneticist, also states, â€Å"I believe there are strong genetic factors that determine susceptibility to obesity† (285). The given beliefs demonstrate how obesity qualifies as more than a personal decision. A person’s biology resists changes; therefore, the idea of obesity as a biological condition contains validity for Spake’s claim. The author also includes Brian Wansink’s perspective, â€Å"†¦obesity is not just biology; it’s psychology† (286). The brain plays a key role in how obesity operates differently in individuals. The author continues to explain how, psychologically, obese individuals hold no control over the eating habits the overweight display. Spake’s inclusion of biological and psychological ideas presented by reliable professionals persuades critical audiences to agree with the author’s claim. Scientific research also plays a part in the obesity debate. Spake uses a variety of logos and ethos information to support the claim of the ongoing debate over the classification of obesity. The article incorporates the use of statistics from various studies on weight and obesity to solidify the author’s beliefs. The author gives a shocking statistic that â€Å"A majority of Americans—now 64   percent—are overweight or obese and struggling to conquer their expanding waistlines before their fat overtakes their health†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (282). A study done of twins showed that 20 to 70 percent of weight issues developed through inheritance. Another study conducted by RTI International and the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions stated, â€Å"the nation is spending about $75 billion a year on weight-related disease† (283). Spake even includes the statistic saying that, â€Å"Simply eating with one other person increases the average amount eaten at meals by 44 percent,† which refers to the psychological aspect of obesity (286). The author’s use of statistical information provides a strong backing for Spake’s claim about the obesity debate. Although not officially categorized as a disease, some organizations in society already list obesity as a disease. Spake chooses to include examples of situations in society where obesity may already encompass similar characteristics to a disease. The diseases that result from excessive amounts of weight embody a prominent situation described by the author. â€Å"Almost 80 percent of obese adults have one of these conditions, and nearly 40 percent have two or more,† Spake suggests when referring to diseases, such as heart disease, Type II diabetes, and high cholesterol that relate to the presence of obesity. Another example the author mentions confirms that, â€Å"The WHO has listed obesity as a disease in its International Classification of Disease since 1979.† Spake raises concern as to why obesity still remains uncategorized as an official disease when large quantities of overweight individuals contract other diseases due to the affliction of obesity and when a substantial organization already includes obesity in a database of diseases. Another statistic included in the discussion reads â€Å"About 325,000 deaths a year are attributed to obesity† (283). This shocking statistic sparks the question of why obesity lacks the definition of a disease even further. However, the author strays from her claim when insurance problems come into the article. Bringing the topic of insurance into the discussion provides no backing for any of the author’s claim. Spake chose to incorporate that â€Å"The health insurance industry argues that obesity treatments  can’t be covered†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (287). The claim refers to whether obesity classifies as a disease, not the effect of insurance coverage on those affected by obesity. Also, the author included that â€Å"the cost†¦of treatment and health insurance will escalate† (288). The price tag of treatment and rising insurance costs gives no support to the debate of obesity classifying as a disease that Spake claims as the purpose of the article. The inclusion of the insurance debacle distracts from the key issues the article puts forth, leaving readers to question the main idea of the article. In summation, Spake successfully supports the claim by incorporating a narrative account, explaining the biology, psychology, and scientific research of obesity, and stating how society may already classify obesity as a disease, but Spake strays from the claim when she describes the role of insurance companies in paying for obesity treatment. Works Cited Spake, Amanda. â€Å"Rethinking Weight.† Writing and Reading for ACP Composition. Comp. Thomas E. Leahey and Christine R. Farris. New York: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2009. 285-88. Print.