My Ideal Government System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

My Ideal Government System - Essay Example For example, monarchy system will lessen quarrels of its people since there is only one person ruling such as a king. There will be an ideal government system if people can just forget the disadvantages of each system. My ideal system will be the making of a system that does not have rebellion, conflict, crime, corruption and discrimination. By only then it can be called the ideal government system. An ideal government system ensures that the aspects of discrimination conflicts discrimination rebellion and crime are absent (Behrouzi 10). In discrimination, the people face prejudice due to their gender, race, or sexual orientation. An ideal government looks into these issues, and makes sure that every citizen lives a comfortable life (Behrouzi 12). An ideal government should be a democratic government that respects the ideas of citizens. All citizens regardless of race or gender should be allowed to participate in matters that concern the government. For example, the regime that allows voters to elect leaders without the presence of election anomalies is an ideal regime. Looking into the platforms of Obama and Romney; it is evident that Obama supports gay marriages thus; the government that Obama intended to form does not discriminate the gay community (Behrouzi 15). The platform respects abortion rights. The platform is in line with the Supreme Court ruling that declared abortion as a legal right. In contrast, the Romney platform abhors gay marriages. This is evident as the party platform gives the rights to states plus the federal government to decline same sex marriages. Romney’s platform supports constitutional changes that would refer the aspect of marriage as unification between a man and woman. The aspects found in Romney’s platform cannot lead to an ideal regime (Becker and Michael 23). This is because the platform discriminates gays plus lesbians and fails to respect the decision of a woman concerning abortion. Obama’s

Security Threats In Cloud Computing

Security Threats In Cloud Computing What is cloud computing? To explain Cloud computing in simple words, lets just say it is Internet computing, if we observe closely the internet is basically the collection of cloud; thus, the cloud computing word can be elaborated as using the internet, to its full potential, to provide organization and people, technology enabled oriented services. Cloud computing let consumers access, by the help of the internet, resources online from any corner of the world without the need to worry about physical/technical maintenance and management issues of the real original resources. What is cloud computing security? To keep it in simple words, cloud security actually points out to a broad set of rules/regulation or policies, maybe set of technologies, or controls deployed solely for the sake of, to protect application data, and the linked infrastructure of cloud computing from the malicious intruder. If all seems good how come security threat became an issue? The cloud computing technology is on the verge of peak. Its really a wonderful news for enterprises and organization who want to get things done with more quickness and easiness as compared to past times but one need to keep their vision open to the possibility of data hijack. The famous Company IBM lies on top of companies providing cloud security with many options in hand to reduce risk. The 9 biggest threats right now according to a report that was released, on 29 February, from the Cloud Security Alliance are: Security Breach in terms of data The companies providing cloud environment face more commonly the same threat i.e. traditional corporate, yet due to the huge amount of data stored on their private servers, they are more vulnerable to the eyes of hackers or intruders. The information being leaked from their servers or exposed becomes headline showing the drawback of the security area. Disaster occur when information such as trade secret, health information or intellectual property data are breached If such event occurs in which hacker or intruder outrun the security checks of cloud environment and data breach occur, then the organization providing the facility may end being washed up on the shore just like a broken ship because they may be filed or sued by the potential customers. To protect their environment, normally cloud owners, deploy security protocols in their services field but in the cloud organizations are responsible for protecting their own data Broken authentication Compromised credentials The most common reasons for data breach are weak passwords, poor key lax authentication or certificate management. Companies often strive with identity management, as they try to give or deny permissions as defined to the users job role. More important, keeping in view, they sometimes dont or forget to remove access of user when a job function changes or when a user leaves the environment of organization. The ways of multifactor authentication systems such as phone-based authentication, one-time passwords smartcards tends to protect cloud services because this make it quite harder for attackers, hacker to log or go in to access with stolen passwords. Many developers dont realize the danger of embedding credentials in source code and make such mistake and upload the source code on famous site where source code is easily accessible such as GitHub and bit bucket. APIs Hacked interfaces Normally every cloud application and service now gives APIs access to its users. IT teams use APIs and interfaces to organize and connect with cloud pool, including those that offer cloud management, provisioning, monitoring, and orchestration. The availability and security of cloud services from authentication to encryption and access control and activity monitoring depend on the security level of that particular API. Risk level increases with commonly third parties that tends to rely on APIs and build an infrastructure on these interfaces, as organizations may feel the need to expose or portray more credentials or service, the CSA warned. Weak APIs and interfaces expose company to security concerns related to integrity, confidentiality, accountability, and availability. APIs and interfaces are the most exposed and weak part of a system because theyre usually accessible and easily gained access from the open Internet. Misuse system vulnerabilities Exploitable bugs, or system vulnerabilities in application and programs, are not new, but theyve become rapidly a huge problem with the inclusion of multitenancy in cloud computing services. Organizations handshake databases, memory and other resources in close range to one another, giving chance to new possible attack surfaces. Hijacking of Account Software exploits, fraud and phishing are still the most successful way for intruders for back door gain access. Above all that, cloud services add a whole new level of dimension to the possibilities of threat because hackers can eavesdrop on various activities, modify data and manipulate transactions. Not only that, hackers may also use cloud application for their advantage to launch various other attacks. Cloud service provider should prohibit user from sharing of account security credentials between services and users Malicious insiders The threat from inside has many faces: a former or current employee, a contractor, system administrator, business partner or a contractor. In a cloud system scenario, a malicious insider can destroy or burn the whole infrastructures to ground or manipulate system data. Systems that solely depend on the various cloud service provider for security implementation, such as data or key encryption, are at huge risk. The parasite Advantage persistent threat (APT) APTs normally and blend in normal traffic move through the network, so it becomes difficult to detect. The major cloud service providers make sure to apply advanced encryption techniques to prevent threat such as APTs from infiltrating or entering their building infrastructure. Common points of entering in the system include direct attacks, spear phishing, USB or pen drives loaded with malware injection, and third-party compromised software networks. Totally Permanent loss of data With the day to day enhancement and cloud services of getting matured, reports of permanent loss of data due to error from provider have vanished into thin air. But intruders or malicious hackers are famous to white wash cloud data just to harm businesses and bring the service provider to ground, and cloud data provider centers are at risk to natural disasters as any common facility. Cloud service providers advice or recommend their user to distribute their data and applications across various multiple layers of zones for much more added protection. Abuse of cloud service power The disaster that can occur from the misuse of cloud service power can never be mapped of any graph scale. It has the tendency to supportÂÂ   various criminal activities such as using the resources of cloud technology to break in to gain encryption key in order to launch various attack such as sending phishing email, messages or filling mailbox with spam mails, launching famous DDoS attack to shut down server or hosting malicious content.

Literary Review: Hedda Gabler Essays -- essays research papers

Title: Hedda Gabler Author: Henrik Ibsen Setting: Un-named city in Norway (probably Christiania - the Norwegian capital then) Time Period: 1890 Major Characters Hedda Gabler - (married name: Hedda Tesman) Daughter of an aristocratic general who spoiled her. She’s used to a life of luxury in which she gets anything she wants. She is bored with her life because there’s nothing new for her to see or experience. She marries George Tesman so that she won’t be an oddball in society. She’s nearly thirty and realizes that she’s not getting any younger or desirable. He’s the only one of her suitors who grovels for her hand in marriage, so she chooses him. She immediately sees that she will be able to manipulate him into giving her anything she wants. She puts up with the fact that he’s only interested in past civilizations and he doesn’t satisfy any of her needs. She wants the power to shape the lives of others, and her obvious ennui wrecks not only her life, but the lives of all who come in contact with her as well. George Tesman - very kind and intelligent man. He was raised by his aunts, Juliana and Rina. He remains devoted to them, even though Rina is an invalid. He does everything in his power to give Hedda the life she’s used to. He annoys not only characters in the story, but readers as well. After almost all his sentences he asks the question â€Å"Eh?† (or â€Å"What?† depending on the translation). He is a gentleman and serves Hedda as if he were her slave and not her husband. He even accepts financial support from his aunt Juliana so that he can provide the kind of life Hedda is used to, and to pay for the house he though she really wanted. He even depends on becoming the professor of history so that she’ll be proud of him and they’ll have more financial security. He doesn’t realize Hedda is manipulative, despises him, and doesn’t even want to have their child. He believes her lies that she burnt the manuscript for him as an act of love. Judge Brack - likes to gossip and be know everything going on in people’s private affairs. He has connections around the city and uses that to provide information to Tesman about his candidacy for professorship in history. He informs them of the competition from Eilert Lovborg for the professorship, and also of his death. Brack shares an intimate relationship with Hedda, and she confides in him about her boredom she has with he... ...straight ahead of her and comments, â€Å"So that pretty little fool has had her fingers in a man’s destiny.† Lovborg asks Hedda, â€Å"Was there no love in your friendship for me either? Not a spark--not a tinge of love in it?† In this he expresses that he truly felt love for her, and that is what gave her power over him. Hedda asks herself, â€Å"Oh, why does everything I touch become mean and ludicrous? It’s like a curse!† This comment emphasizes the fact that her ennui is affecting all of those around her. It has caused her to become nihilistic and wreak havoc on the lives of others for her own amusement. Hedda comments, â€Å"I think I have a natural talent for boring myself to death.† She realizes that much of her boredom is self-inflicted, just like when she told Judge Brack that â€Å"as you make your bed so you must lie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lovborg tells Hedda, â€Å"It wasn’t secret knowledge you wanted. You wanted life.† They were discussing her curiosity in the past about his sinful life. She replies, â€Å"I want to have the power to shape a human being’s destiny.† Hedda says, â€Å"Yes, there’s something in [the house] of the odor of death†¦Oh, my dear Judge--you can’t imagine how horribly I’m going to bore myself here.†

Colgate-Palmolive International Business Strategy Essay

1. Introduction What a â€Å"Colgate Smile† is a phrase commonly used as a compliment about one’s smile. It has been popularized throughout the whole world, due to Colgate’s good reputation as a successful business. Colgate, today being one of America’s most successful Fortune 500 companies, has a long history of evolution and complex adoption of various business strategies, which led to its current solid powerful position. As representatives of the Colgate-Palmolive Company, we are pleased to tell you more about the success story of our company through this report. In the first part, we will show how CP slowly internationalized and expanded globally by adapting various strategies to become one of the most powerful MNC’s, to then in the second part, give you details from an academic point of view with regards to the Bartlett and Ghoshal’s transnational strategy framework which the firm ended up adopting in order to most efficiently survive in and take over t he very competitive market. 2. Internationalization Strategy of Colgate-Palmolive 2.1 The assesment of the internationalisation of the company In 1806, William Colgate started a starch, soap and candles company in New York City and, after 207 years, Colgate-Palmolive stands as one of the oldest and truly  global consumer product company. Colgate-Palmolive owns 75 wholly owned subsidiaries in 75 different countries, and operates in more than 200 (Colgate.com, 2013). Colgate had a slow start – after founding the company in 1806 they remained in the American market for more than 100 years. During that time, they were expanding their operations and developing their strategies for the local market, and then in 1914, Colgate opened their first international subsidiary in Canada, a neighboring country, with both geographical proximity and cultural similarities. The company’s international growth was slow during the 1800’s but with all the technological developments that took place during the 1900’s and with the need to enlarge their global market share, Colgate went on its internationalization process. To mention briefly; in 1920 Colgate established operations in Europe, Australia, Asia and Latin America, eight years later, Colgate merged with Palmolive-Peet, and became Colgate-Palmolive-Peet, thus joining forces with another company aspiring for global dominance. In 1985, Colgate-Palmolive entered into a joint venture with Hawley & Hazel in Hong Kong, and ten years later, in 1995, after the end of the communist regime, Colgate entered Central Europe and Russia, thus expanding its operations into the fast growing countries of the region (Colgate.com, 2013). Figure 1. The expansion and internationalization timeline of Colgate-Palmolive As we can see from Figure 1., Colgate internationalized slowly at the beginning, but picked up a faster pace in the following years. Penetrating geographically close regions or markets that have similar culture and then expanding within that region identifies the company’s pattern for internationalization. First, they entered into Canada. Canada is the closet country to the USA, which is very similar culture wise. In addition, after the Canadian market, Colgate went to Europe and Australia. Europe presented a challenge since each country there had a completely different cultural preference. Thus, Colgate went on with the strategy of â€Å"think global, act local†. This gave the company an added advantage, thus enabling Colgate to understand the market needs, and therefore develop suitable products, different logistics/distribution chains, and different production systems than what originally they founded in their home country. Moreover, Colgate was acquiring different companies that presented a competitive advantage, or had products that Colgate thought were innovative and had a selling potential in different global markets. In addition to mergers and acquisitions, Colgate went for joint ventures, especially in the countries to Far East; these countries are China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and India. Therefore, Colgate-Palmolive has slowly progressed in its internationalization process, starting from neighboring countries, moving to farther geographical locations that had similar cultural preferences, and expanded accordingly. 2.2 The assessment of geographical characteristics of internationalisation Colgate-Palmolive’s geographic segmentation is formed mainly on the basis of each region’s economic, cultural and climatic conditions. Approximately 75% of Colgate-Palmolive’s sales derive from international operations; therefore succeeding in markets outside of the United States is of great importance. The first country outside the US borders, where CP decided to launch their operations and sales was the closest, both geographically and culturally, Canada. The next step in their internationalization process was to reach more distant countries, yet still of cultural and economic similarity – Australia and Western European countries, such as France, Germany and the United Kingdom (Colgate.com, 2013). After acquiring a strong market position in these markets Colgate recognized that the competition between the three main business actors in the field, which are Unilever, Procter & Gamble, and Colgate (Hauser Furstace, Inc., 1994), is becoming extremely fierce, that is why CP decided to shift the focus of their competitive advantage and target the, internally so called, ‘high growth markets’ (CP Annual Report, 1996). High growth markets, according to CP’s understanding, are the developing countries that possess a potentially high customer base. Colgate-Palmolive decided to enter Latin America (Mexico, as the geographically closest high growth market), expanding then to Asia (India in 1937, after the country’s independence from the colonization by the UK in 1930s, and Philippines – currently the 5th biggest Colgate market in Asia), Africa and Central and Eastern Europe (Poland, Baltic States). Colgate was one of the pioneers in recognizing that following the multi-domestic or international strategy of internationalization is not enough to maintain  their competitive advantage and that the company has to allow a certain degree of adaptation in order to comply with each country’s customer needs. Colgate-Palmolive is extremely dedicated to their worldwide brand, and does broad research in order to introduce the most accurate products into the right countries. For instance, in the 90s Polish CP product developers came up with the idea of the Colgate Herbal toothpaste and the Palmolive Naturals series after finding out that Polish customers prefer more natural cosmetics – after a successful introduction to the Polish market, CP decided to expand these lines of products further internationally (Broniewicz, 1997). Currently CP sells sixteen different kinds of toothpaste in the US, while in the UK they are selling twenty-two distinctive varieties (Colgate.com, 2012 ). 2.3 The outline of the main foreign market entry modes employed by the company As mentioned in previous paragraphs, after developing the business into a successful one in the US, Colgate decided it is time to become a MNC and conquer the market internationally. The first international cooperation was made in 1914 (Economictimes.indiatimes.com, 2013), over a hundred years after the company was first established, with a neighbor country, Canada. The choice was a safe one given the fact both countries are very similar culturally, politically, and are known to have the largest trade relationship in the world, hence there wasn’t much risk in this move (Kafchinski, 2013). Next, after the company’s first successful installation in a foreign (although similar) country, they got hungry for the success and wanted to continue the expansion. However this time, given the present strong competition in the industry in North America, CP decided to target other, mostly less developed countries in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa in order to take advantage of the â€Å"new entrant’s† position (New York Times, 2013). The 20’s were the years of considerable expansion into other continents. The first country was France, oldest ally of the US to its role in the American Revolutionary War, plus presenting an attractive and economically similar market. Perhaps the Canadian experience with Quebec, which is a French speaking/cultural province, enticed Colgate to move to France, where the firm’s second subsidiary was opened in 1920. Further that year, now having  the courage to enter further (for the moment westernized) markets, CP expanded to Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Mexico (Answers.com, 2013). We can observe that Colgate opted in expanding in culturally or economically similar countries in the first place (which reflects the Uppsala Model) to then have the strength and courage to enter further countries lik e Mexico. After the successful moves, they finished the year by expanding to more distant (physically/economically/culturally) countries: the Philippines, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, and waited till 1937 to move to India. It is clear to see that location, culture and economy, were essential criteria in deciding which countries CP would enter. In addition, Politics have also played its role as one of the main determinants of entry choices. For instance, Poland and other eastern European countries have been entered in the late 80’s, due to political reason that strongly affected the market’s availability in previous years. In 1995, CP entered Russia and other central European/fast growing markets (Colgate.com, 2013). Taking the example of Poland, Jerzy Starak, an energetic entrepreneur played a key role in developing the business in that new part of the world. He agreed to set a Joint Venture with CP (Starak initially owned 49% of shares, whereas CP owned 51%) as he thought th e business had a huge potential. Colgate-Palmolive chose to set a JV in Poland as it didn’t have much knowledge and social ties in the eastern European market, rather than going for a WOS, which would have been risky due to the lack of familiarity with the market, lack of information about the cultural and business practices, and very different turbulent, still communistic political and economic system. This strategic move allowed CP to gradually attain the necessary skillset to further penetrate the CEE countries – when CP decided to enter the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), the company was able to establish a wholly owned subsidiary in Riga, Latvia and then export CP products to Estonia and Lithuania through local distributors – all this could be possible due to the learning process of operating in the eastern European region (Ludzie.wprost.pl, 2013). 2.4 The overview of the enterprise structures and controls used by the company Colgate-Palmolive has a hierarchical organizational structure. In the top of this organizational structure is the chief executive officer, Mr.  Ian Cook, who has a bird eye view of the organization in all parts of the world. Five continental senior executives follow the CEO. These executive officers are in charge of different continental block Market, which are European, North American, African, Asian, and South American. Below the continental managers are the country managers who are in charge of respective countries in which Colgate-Palmolive has a presence. The company’s organization structure has also the human resource managers and the information technology executives. The justification that Colgate-Palmolive has a hierarchical organization structure is that all decisions are made by the strategic managers at the top of the organizational structure. The graphical analysis of CP’s organizational structure is presented below. Figure 2. Colgate-Palmolive’s Organizational Structure Colgate-Palmolive has a divisional organizational design. The international divisions of Colgate-Palmolive face diverse legal and cultural constraints in different continents of the world. Grouping international divisions develops specialized skills and abilities for dealing with international questions that do not arise in domestic operations. This divisional organizational design helps Colgate-Palmolive respond and adapt to differences in product types, product marketing and cultural differences of its various international locations. Divisional organizational design emphasizes people’s decision-making autonomy throughout the organization. An individual at various levels can become more involved in organization’s basic activities. Organization by following this structure puts more demands on individuals to deliver the highest level of business performance. On the other hand, the divisional organizational design has its shortcomings – it very often leads to repetition of services like local marketing and international marketing, local finance and international finance. This puts more financial pressure on the organization as it leads to greater operational costs and higher complexity of the entire system within the company. Based on the internal materials from CP’s employee workshop on the company’s strategy it can be stated that Colgate-Palmolive has harnessed a control analogy in five main areas, which can be further divided into two parts namely Strategic Thrust and their Management Process. The depiction of CP’s control structure is presented in Figure 3. below. Figure 3. Control Structure of Colgate-Palmolive 3. Evaluation of academic strategy frameworks for Colgate-Palmolive 3.1. Overview of the Bartlett and Ghoshal’s generic strategies framework In order to facilitate the understanding of the internationalization strategy of Colgate, it is essential to get oneself familiar with the Bartlett and Ghoshal’s generic strategies framework. According to the theory, in order to survive firms must do all that they can to respond to cost pressures affected by global integration and to the diverse customers needs which affect the demand for a greater degree of the local responsiveness. Bartlett and Ghoshal emphasize that the core competencies and skills of a company do not necessarily have to reside within the company’s home country; instead, multinational enterprises should develop their strategies from any of the worldwide operations (Hill, 2011). The two scholars developed four distinct strategies of entering a foreign market, which are: multidomestic, international, global, and transnational. Multidomestic strategy focuses on high level of local responsiveness and low level of global integration, whereas the global st rategy has an opposite approach of focusing on maintaining high level of global integration without taking into account the local responsiveness aspect. The international strategy does not require a great need for neither global integration nor local responsiveness. International strategy can bee seen mainly in the paper, textiles and machinery industries (Hill, 2011). Figure 4. Bartlett and Ghoshal’s generic strategies framework (Hill, 2011) Part of Bartlett and Ghoshal’s theory on multinational enterprises strategies, which we would like to focus on is the transnational strategy model. This model is an organized approach to internationalize into global markets while the firm works very hard to be responsive to local demand  while holding necessary central control over the global operations to ensure efficiency and learning within subsidiaries (Hill, 2011). 3.2 Evaluation of the Bartlett and Ghoshal’s framework on the company’s example After a thorough analysis of the internationalization process of CP, it has been found that the company followed in overall three out of four generic strategies, namely international, multidomestic, and transnational. At first, CP operated within the international strategy. CP entered markets which were of geographic or cultural proximity (Canada, France, Australia, etc.) in order to reduce the cost pressures, benefit from adapting and leveraging parent company competencies and have greater control over the foreign subsidies. The level of local responsiveness was relatively low, since the foreign customer base had similar taste and preferences, as well as the economic, legal and political structure of the host countries did not differ significantly from the ones in United States. As the competition in the industry was growing, CP realized that in order to maintain their strong position on the market they had to tap the market of high growth countries instead of focusing only on the developed ones, thus the shift of strategy towards greater localization and adaptation of offerings became inevitable. At that point CP focused on developing a more multidomestic approach to sense and exploit the local opportunities by building flexibility through resourceful and adjustable national operations. At the same time, Colgate-Palmolive never resigned from their international approach and headed slowly towards being a truly transnational business entity. After Colgate’s initial development in foreign markets through the international and multidomestic strategy, they eventually followed the transnational strategy where the company tried to achieve low costs through location economies, economies of scale, and learning effects, thus differentiating their products within different geographic markets and supporting the flow of information and skills between subsidiaries within the firm’s global network (Hill, 2011). CP recognized that entering the high growth markets is more challenging and simply replicating the company’s  products will not suffice, but a huge MNC like Colgate-Palmolive could not allow a complete shift from international to multidomestic strategy, that is why in order to develop global efficiency Colgate-Palmolive had to adapt the transnational model. We can observe that strategy in the degree of flexibility given to country managers and the fact that the company is always encouraging employees to share their ideas. A good example of that are the Colgate Herbal toothpaste and the Palmolive Naturals series introduced by Polish specialists on the Polish market and then introduced further worldwide. Figure 5. Bartlett and Ghoshal’s strategy framework of Colgate-Palmolive To conclude this part, in Bartlett and Ghoshal’s model the transition of expansion theory is basically from multidomestic to transnational OR international to transnational or global. In Colgate-Palmolive’s case the situation presents itself differently. The transition of CP’s internationalization strategy started from the shift from international strategy to the multidomestic one and then transformed naturally to the transnational strategy. Even though the company did not follow exactly the same scheme as presented in the Bartlett and Ghoshal’s framework, we can still assume the validity of the theory and present Colgate-Palmolive as one of the best examples of how to pursue the idea of ‘thinking globally, acting locally’ through the implementation of the transnational strategy. 4. Conclusion Colgate-Palmolive can’t be seen as a simple business, but more as a symbol of a successful MNC, where generations have struggled throughout history with changes in the market, politics, and different economies, in order to adopt the most suited strategy that permitted the company to get where it is now. We saw that Colgate didn’t just apply one model and succeeded straight away, but started by developing a solid base for the company in the US, and then slowly expanded internationally to similar countries where they could replicate their initial western products, to then expand further into other countries and continents by adopting a more locally aware strategy. After the second expansion phase, the company couldn’t just replicate it’s  products internationally as the cultures, and political systems of the other nations were too different; CP had to sense and exploit local opportunities. The production and management demanded more local awareness, hence the shift towards a multinational strategy. After over almost 200 years of developing the business and taking over the market internationally, CP seems to have found the â€Å"golden strategy†; Transnational. The national units contribute to the world wide integrated operations, and knowledge is developed by all actors, and shared amongst them. Global efficiency has been slowly but safely reached by Colgate thanks to its flexibility and reflex in capturing the market’s demands and opportunities, while staying cautious about cultural and political risks throughout history. 5. List of Figures Figure 1. The expansion and internationalization timeline of Colgate-Palmolive (page 4) Figure 2. Colgate-Palmolive’s Organizational Structure (page 7) Figure 3. Control Structure of Colgate-Palmolive (page 8) Figure 4. Bartlett and Ghoshal’s generic strategies framework (Hill, 2011) (page 9) Figure 5. Bartlett and Ghoshal’s strategy framework of Colgate-Palmolive (page 10) 6. Bibliography 1.Answers.com. 2013. Colgate-Palmolive. [online] Available at: http://www.answers.com/topic/colgate-palmolive-company#ixzz2l6GNWWiX [Accessed: 19 Nov 2013]. 2.Broniewicz, M. 1997. Nowe Szampony Palmolive Naturals. [Internal Memo]. Colgate-Palmolive, Pl. Inwalidà ³w 10, 01-553 Warsaw, Warsaw. 3.Colgate-Palmolive. 1994. Colgate-Palmolive: New Product Finder, GBD Report – 2nd Quarter 1994. [report] New York, New York: Hauser Furstace, Inc., pp. 30-35. 4.Colgate-Palmolive. 1996. Annual Report ‘Growing Everywhere’. [report] New York, New York: Colgate-Palmolive Company. 5.Colgate-Palmolive. 1998. Annual Report ‘Colgate’s Growing Success’. [report] New York, New York: Colgate-Palmolive Company. 6.Colgate-Palmolive. 2012. Annual Report ‘Growing in a Fast-Changing World’. [report] New York, New York: Colgate-Palmolive Company. 7.Dividendmonk.com. 2013. Colgate-Palmolive: A Strong International Position. [online] Available at: http://dividendmonk.com/colgate-palmolive-a-strong-international-position/ [Accessed: 19 Nov 2013]. 8.Letto-Gillies, G. 1996. Global Business Strategy. Cengage Learning EMEA. 9.Information, C. 2013. Colgate-Palmolive Company | Company Profile from Hoover’s. [online] Available at: http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/company-profile.Colgate-Palmolive_Company.f033ced43b10cea5.html [Accessed: 19 Nov 2013]. 10.Ludzie.wprost.pl. 2013. Ludzie Wprost – Jerzy Starak. [online] Available at: http://ludzie.wprost.pl/sylwetka/Jerzy-Starak/ [Accessed: 19 Nov 2013]. 11.Hill, C. 2011. International Business. 8th ed. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. 12.E. Champoux, J. 2010. Organizational Behavior: Integrating Individuals, Groups, and Organizations. Taylor & Francis. 13.Scribd.com. 2013. Organizational Chart. [online] Available at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/99390213/Organizational-Chart [Accessed: 20 Nov 2013] 14.Colgate.com. 2013. Colgate-Palmolive Company History: Creating Bright Smiles for 200 Years. [online] Available at: http://www.colgate.com/app/Colgate/US/Corp/History/1806.cvsp [Accessed: 20 Nov 2013] 15.Economictimes.indiatimes.com. 2013. The Economic Times. [online] Available at: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/colgate-palmolive-(india)-ltd/infocompanyhistory/companyid-13873.cms [Accessed: 20 Nov 2013]. 16.Kafchinski, J. 2013. Foreign Trade: Data. [online] Available at: http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/top/dst/current/balance.html [Accessed: 20 Nov 2013]. 17.Unknown. 2013. [online] Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/1992/05/08/business/company-news-colgate-to-expand-into-developing-countries.html [Accessed: 20 Nov 2013]. Published: May 08, 1992 18.Answers.com. 2013. Colgate-Palmolive. [online] Available at: http://www.answers.com/topic/colgate-palmolive-company [Accessed: 20 Nov 2013]. 19.Company, T. 2013. HISTORY OF BUSINESS: The History of Colgate Company. [online] Available at: http://historyofbusiness.blogspot.com/2011/06/history-of-of-colgate-company.html [Accessed: 20 Nov 2013]. 20.Ludzie.wprost.pl. 2013. Ludzie Wprost – Jerzy Starak. [online] Available at:

Impact of Globalization in Africa Essay

Globalization is the global interconnectedness of economic activities. It is characterized by new technologies, new structures, new economies and new cultures. All these are structured around global financial flows that are based of computer simulations and speculations. The resulting global economy is very turbulent due to non-linear feedbacks and it is easily influenced by political events and influential analysts’ projections. These is seen when there is instability in the stock markets in certain countries like the United States of America. The instability affects all other stock markets in the world. But is globalization global? The global economy sees some areas as invaluable and politically irrelevant and often such areas are excluded from this global economy. The idea of globalization was conceived by leading capitalist countries, global financial institutions (World Bank, International Monetary fund (IMF) and World Trade Organization (WTO)) and transnational co-operat ions. The minds behind this idea of globalization thought that this was one way of improving the livelihoods everybody in the globe but as we shall see later on, the models used to come up with globalization had major loop holes. Global information communications and new technologies have played a big role facilitating globalization. This is through the computers, Internet and mobile phones. This has made business transactions easy such that by the click of a button, a lot of money circulates around the globe. New innovations have resulted in increased productivity and competition. These technological advances have lowered the costs of transport and communication. Computers have made it possible to handle large amounts of data in a short time and information storage and retrieval has been made very easy. On a positive note, the new technologies have in one way or another helped in growth of economics  through sharing of ideas. On the other hand, these advances in technology have led to homogenization of cultures. Globalization has increased the profits and productivity of multinational corporations. With free trade rules, some few people, the global elite has become richer and others who are the majority have become poorer. The free trade rules has enabled multinational companies invest their money in emerging economies and removing their money once they speculate that that economy is not doing well. This has wrecked the economies of many countries. Another issue is that this big multinationals have swallowed the small companies leading to losses of jobs. Capra, 2002, in his book ‘hidden connections’ says that most of these multi national companies always try to evade taxes and benefit from subsidies. As a result, their products are cheap and this outcompetes the local companies, which can result in more job losses. But on the other hand, globalization can become a scapegoat for failed national policies. Embezzlement and mismanagement of public resources and corruption deeply rooted in some countries should not be blamed on globalization. In any case, a government should be able to provide the needs of its people. According to the 2002 report on the international forum on globalization, the free trade rules set by the World trade organization consolidate power to a small corporate elite. Globalization has erased political and economic boundaries such that power has shifted from the people and communities to financial speculators, global corporations and leading capitalist countries. As a result, currency markets have made governments unable to control their economic policies because it is this markets that determine the values of national currency. According to Capra 2002, large economies are able to absorb these turbulences but for developing countries, this is a big problem. This financial crisis has led to developing countries to seek for aid and as a result, they have sunk to end less debts. It is important to note that aid is basically a tool for manipulating developing countries. It is important to note that in globalization, capital is global while  labour is local. This means that the globalized capital has the economic power leaving labour disintegrated. Labour itself can be divided into professionals and unskilled workers. Globalization seems to favour the professional laborers while the unskilled laborers can be fired anytime. This has led to social inequality and polarization. Many jobs nowadays are on contract basis and forming labor organizations to bargain for better working conditions is not easy because of fear of loosing jobs. People working in multinational companies operating in their countries fear bargaining for better terms of employment because they fear loosing jobs as the company can move to another country. As a result, people have to put up with poor working conditions and wages. Increased trade as a result of free trade by the World Trade organization has led to increased pollution of the environments. Trade has also resulted to introduction of invasive alien species to new environments. From the ecological perspective, trade, which has increased in the recent past, is the major route in which invasive alien species are introduced to new environments. According to the Convention for Biodiversity, invasive alien species are the major causes for the loss of biodiversity. The environmental impacts are heavily felt in the countries in the south. The free market idea by the World Trade Organization has resulted in constant search for access to natural resources, and this has led to so much pressure on the Earth’s limited natural resources. Another bit is the destruction of the environment, which has led to floods, droughts and other catastrophes. Increased shipping has lead to pollution of waterways. Globalization has also favored monoculture to enhance a nation’s competitiveness in the global market. This has put more pressure on the limited natural resources and use of chemicals to enhance production, which further exacerbates the problem of pollution. Globalization has also penetrated into power and politics. Most of these multinational companies and lobby groups normally finance political candidates in countries of interest  so that if the person gets into power, he/ she may create favorable conditions for their activities. So in a way, these companies and lobby  groups control a country’s economy. Rise of globalized criminal gangs is another problem that stems out of globalization. Boosted by easy communication networks, criminals have found it easy to conduct their businesses. Recently, a drug cartel involving Mexicans, Kenyans and the Dutch was uncovered and this is a classic example of criminal gangs operating on a global scale. WAY OUT. With Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) press release of 2010 estimating that 925 million around the globe are undernourished, something must be wrong somewhere. As already noted, globalization is to blame social inequalities which can be seen from the widening gap between the rich and the poor. Borrowing from title of the first annual World Social Forum held in Porto Alegre in Brazil, another world is possible. First, change should first start with the ruling elite. With the help of international nongovernmental organizations there should be a power transformation from the global elite to the human society. These global elites together with World Bank, IMF and World Trade Organization should be more transparent in decision-making. In is also very important to include various non-governmental organizations representing interests of social justice, human rights environmental interests and democracy in the decisionmaking processes. Most of the countries affected by globalization are developing countries and most of these countries have very huge debts. It seems impossible for these developing countries to put tight rules on international organizations in order to protect the local companies. But with the help on lobby groups, it is possible for government to remove subsidies and exemptions offered to these multinational corporations. These multinational corporations should also be held responsible for any wrongdoing like destruction of the environment. Cancellation of debts will help developing countries grow economically but these countries too should have leaders who are accountable to the citizens. On that note, corruption and lobbying should be dealt with at every level. This is to ensure fair competition of business deals. It is important to empower workers so that they can bargain for better working conditions. National governments can also protect their people by defining working conditions to investors setting up enterprises in the country. Finally, it is important we practice ecological sustainability. Proper waste disposal, use of alternative fuel sources (scientifically proven to be sustainable), efficient and ecofriendly technologies, sustainable farming practices and strict environmental practices are some of the ways of making the world sustainable. The most important part of sustainability is educating everybody on the importance of conserving the environment so it’s important to take environmental movements deep down to the grass roots. Remember, it starts with me and you and the future generations will be thanking all of us. REFERENCES A better world is possible: Alternatives to Economic globalization Report summary 2002 International forum on Globalization. Capra fritjof, 2002. The hidden connections Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations: Economic and Social Development report, September 2010 http://anticap.wordpress.com/2011/03/14/what-globalization-paradox/ (Website I downloaded the cover picture).

The US Ethnic Groups the Hispanic Americans

The US Ethnic Groups the Hispanic Americans Currently, the total number of Hispanic Americans is about 41 million, which is approximately 15 percent of the total US population. There are several ethnic groups which constitute the Hispanic Americans including Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and Cubans among others.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The US Ethnic Groups: the Hispanic Americans specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More All the Hispanic ethnic groups are linked by a common language and a unique culture. Of all the Hispanic Americans ethnic groups in the US, the Mexican is the largest, followed by Puerto Ricans, and then Cubans. Different ethnic groups of Hispanic Americans came to the US in varied ways. The Mexicans for instance, came to the US as immigrants and were the first Hispanic group to cross the US border. The American Southwest was part of the Mexico territory before the battle of 1848. After the war, the Mexicans who were living in that regio n were absorbed into the US. Puerto Rico became a territory of the US in the year 1898 following a war and the dwellers were absorbed in the US. The Cubans have come to the US as legal immigrants during the past four decades. On the other hand, Dominicans have also migrated to the in the last two decades. The population of the Hispanic Americans has increased rapidly and is now the fastest growing minority groups in the US. In addition to the increasing population, the Hispanic Americans have a high number of its population comprising of the young people. The current statistics reveal that the number of middle-aged Hispanic is approximately 27 percent compared to the 40 percent of the white population. However, despite of the growing numbers of Hispanic Americans, most of them are concentrated in only a few states. In terms of social status, the Hispanic Americans occupy the middle position. They are slightly below Euro-Americans, but above African-Americans. Lower education level, discrimination in the work place, and working in least-skilled and low paying jobs are some of the factors that have caused Hispanic Americans to have low income wages.Advertising Looking for essay on ethnicity studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, the Cubans have adapted well and are placed at a better position than any other ethnic group of the Hispanic American. Cubans are more educated and their income is relatively high. The reason for their success is because some of the Cubans who came earlier to US were skilled and well educated. The government should encourage equal distribution of resources. In terms of politics, the Hispanic Americans have not acquired strong influence in the society. With the majority of the population being under 18 years, they cannot vote and, therefore, have less say in the political arena. As such, the political power of the Hispanic Americans has not been realized. The go vernment should set aside certain posts for minority groups so that they can exercise their democratic rights. Because the Hispanic Americans are a minority group in the American society, they continue to face discrimination in the society. However, they do not receive a lot of discrimination as compared to African-Americans. Definitely, the future survival and success of Hispanic Americans will fully depend on the kind of adaptation this group will make so that they can easily be integrated in the American society. It is clear that Hispanic Americans population is growing rapidly in the US. Although this group is, it is slowly adapting into the American system and is now trying to establish itself in the social, economic, and political spheres. However, lack of education, discrimination, and issues of immigration have continued to affect this group negatively. The Americans should embrace culture diversity to comfortably live with others regardless of race or ethnicity. The governm ent should develop strategies of empowering minority groups so that they can easily be assimilated in the system. This will promote social change in America.

Comparing Keats Odes Essays

Comparing Keats Odes Essays Comparing Keats Odes Paper Comparing Keats Odes Paper KEATS: COMPARITIVE STUDY OF THE TWO ODES: Keats’s odes, on the level of superficial reading can be seen as a brilliant rendering of a scene, a season or a mood; the final perfection of English landscape poetry. The two odes, namely, â€Å"Ode to a Nightingale† and â€Å"Ode on a Grecian Urn† appeal directly to the physical senses through a recognition of the physical reality of experience. However, such simplified conclusion is misleading as it disregards the poet’s complex thought process- where sensuousness and contemplation get unified. The central themes of the two poems are neither a nightingale nor an urn, but, the poet’s eternal search for a center of refuge in a world of flux. It is through such a conception that Keats sets to resolve the dichotomy between the world of the ideal and that of reality within the order of experience. In â€Å"Ode to a Nightingale†, the poet addresses a bird which appeals to his physical senses and seeks to unite with it. In the beginning, the poet is seen in a state of trance, happy beyond human endurance in his empathy with the bird’s song. Yet, he oscillates between the world of imagination and reality unable to reconcile them. At this moment, the wine, â€Å"cool’d a long age in deep delv’d earth† becomes an agent to carry him to the platonic ideal state of perfection but ironically fails to make him win over his mortality. His desire to escape grows and seems almost fulfilled in the fourth stanza- he feels himself placed with the nightingale- amidst the forest which is so dark’ that even the presence of a throned moon is conjectural. â€Å"Already with thee†- he exclaims in recognition of an identification of himself with the spirit of the bird. However, the very same statement presupposes â€Å"I† and â€Å"Thee† and indicates that this is not a true union, since, in a perfect union, the individual entities fuse to form a whole. The poet fails to become one with the bird, he can only â€Å"accompany† the bird (be with it). He realizes, as he returns to reality and relates his enrapturing experience with it- that man with his quality of transience cannot participate in the world of Imagination forever. He mentions, â€Å"fancy† and calls it â€Å"deceiving elf†, perhaps as a foil to Imagination. The experience of merging with the nightingale is based on sensual physicality and lacks the elevation of spiritual awareness. He is left perplexed regarding his state of consciousness while the receding music discards him from the world of ideal at a moment when he is not ready to confront reality. This conflict is carried on to â€Å"Ode on a Grecian Urn†, where Keats acknowledges that â€Å"heard melodies are sweet but those unheard are sweeter†. In the beginning of this ode there is recognition of permanence in art. The poem is a sober and disciplined work of art, where passion and intellect fuse in a rounded perception, just like the urn which it talks about. He uses a series of imagery inspired by the carvings on the urn. Interestingly, he reflects on the presence of â€Å"absence†- the music unheard, the empty streets waiting for the people to return, the unfelt communion of the lovers who never unite. Thus, despite recognizing the superiority of Imagination over reality, he is troubled by the â€Å"cold pastoral† lifelessness of the moment frozen on the urn. In both the odes, Douglas Bush observes, â€Å"†¦ is a belief that whereas the momentary experience of beauty is fleeting, the embodiment of that moment in art, in song or in marble†¦ is an imperishable source of joy. † However, this embodiment is not infused with life. The beauty of the maiden is eternally true, but equally true is the lack of satiation of the lovers. Keats’ sensuousness reaches a greater level of perfection through this recognition of absence. Therefore, one might feel that it is easy to bring all the senses in ones poetry. However, as far as Keats is concerned it is not just how he mentions various sensations of sight, sound, touch, taste and smell- it is about the flowers that he â€Å"can not see†, the music that he can not hear, the mystery that he can not unravel. His negative capability does not remain just a means to achieve objective distance from his own self, by negating himself to experience the world from a different viewpoint, but also to attempt to understand these sensations that even the inhabitants of that â€Å"different† point cannot experience. This conflict between the present sensation and â€Å"absence†, fancy and imagination, transience and permanence is finally resolved in â€Å"To Autumn†. In this poem Keats understands that true fulfillment does not come from permanence but from maturation: â€Å"Ripeness is all†. However as he pens down the first two odes, this recognition does not dawn on him. He is still unable to solve the riddle of reality but his sensuousness makes him understand the disparity between the ideal and real and his contemplation makes him all the more eager to solve the riddle.

3 Most Common Reasons Women Have an Abortion

3 Most Common Reasons Women Have an Abortion For some, its an inconceivable act, but for others, abortion seems to be the only way out of an unplanned pregnancy and an impossible-to-negotiate future. Numbers show that nearly one in four U.S. women will choose to have an abortion before age 45. According to the Guttmacher Institute, a handful of studies over the years have indicated consistently similar answers from women who identify why theyve chosen to have an abortion. The top three reasons these women cite for not being able to continue their pregnancies and give birth are: Negative impact on the mothers lifeFinancial instabilityRelationship problems/unwillingness to be a single mother What is the rationale behind these reasons that would lead a woman to terminate a pregnancy? What are the challenges and situations women face that make giving birth and raising a newborn an impossible task?   Negative Impact on the Mothers Life Taken at face value, this reason may sound selfish. But a pregnancy that occurs in the wrong place at the wrong time can have a lifelong impact on a womans ability to raise a family and earn a living. Less than half of teens who become teen mothers before age 18 graduate from high school. College students who become pregnant and give birth are also much less likely to complete their education than their peers. Employed single women who become pregnant face an interruption of their jobs and careers. This impacts their earning ability and may make them unable to raise a child on their own. For women who already have other children at home or are caring for aging relatives, the reduction in income resulting from pregnancy and subsequent birth may bring them below the poverty level and require them to seek public assistance. Financial Instability Whether shes a student in high school, paying her way through college, or a single woman earning just enough to live independently, many expectant mothers lack the resources to cover the staggeringly high costs associated with pregnancy, birth, and childrearing, especially if they do not have health insurance. Saving for a baby is one thing, but an unplanned pregnancy places an enormous financial burden on a woman who cannot afford to care for an infant, let alone pay for the necessary OB/GYN visits that will ensure healthy fetal development. Lack of adequate medical care during pregnancy places the newborn at a higher risk for complications during birth and in early infancy. The cost of average hospital birth is approximate $8,000 and prenatal care provided by a physician can cost between $1,500 and $3,000. For the nearly 50 million Americans who do not have insurance, this would mean an out-of-pocket expense of $10,000. Thats if things go well and if its a single, healthy birth. Problems from pre-eclampsia to  premature birth  can send costs spiraling. If those births are included in the average, a birth can cost well over $50,000. According to a 2013 study published by advocacy group Childbirth Connection and reported in  The Guardian, the U.S. is the most expensive place in the world to have a birth.   That figure, coupled with the cost of raising a child from infancy through age 17 (estimated at over $200,000 per child), makes giving birth a terrifying proposition for someone who is still in school, or lacks a steady income, or simply does not have the financial resources to continue a pregnancy with adequate medical care and give birth to a healthy baby. Fear of Being a Single Mother The majority of women with unplanned pregnancies do not live with their partners or have committed relationships. These women realize that in all likelihood they will be raising their child as a single mother. Many are unwilling to take this big step due to the reasons described above: interruption of education or career, insufficient financial resources, or inability to care for an infant due to caregiving needs of other children or family members. Even in situations involving women cohabitating with their partners, the outlook for unmarried women as single mothers in discouraging. Among women in their 20s living with their partners at the time of birth, one-third ended their relationships within two years. Other Most Common Reasons for Abortion Although these are not the primary reasons women choose abortion, the following statements reflect concerns that play a role in influencing women to terminate their pregnancies: I dont want more children or Im done with childrearing.Im not ready to become a mother or not ready for another child.I dont want others to know about my pregnancy or that Im having sex.My husband/partner wants me to have an abortion.There are problems with the health of the fetus.There are problems with my own health.My parents want me to have an abortion. Combined with those reasons previously cited, these secondary concerns often convince women that abortion - albeit a difficult and painful choice - is the best decision for them at this time in their lives. Reasons for Abortion, the Statistics In a study released by the Guttmacher Institute in 2005, women were asked to provide reasons why they chose to have an abortion. Multiple responses were permissible. Of those who gave at least one reason: 89 percent gave at least two72 percent gave at least three Nearly three-quarters said they could not afford to have a baby. Of those women who gave two or more answers, the most common response - inability to afford a baby - was most frequently followed by one of three other reasons: pregnancy/birth/baby would interfere with school or employment.reluctant to be a single mother or experiencing relationship problems.done with childbearing or already have other children/dependents. Women specified these reasons that led to their abortion decision  (percentage total will not add up to 100, as multiple answers were permissible): 74 percent felt having a baby would dramatically change my life (which includes interrupting education, interfering with job and career, and/or concern over other children or dependents).73 percent felt they cant afford a baby now (due to various reasons such as being unmarried, being a student, inability to afford childcare or basic needs of life, etc.).48 percent dont want to be a single mother or [were] having relationship problem[s].38 percent have completed [their] childbearing.32 percent were not ready for a(nother) child.25 percent dont want people to know I had sex or got pregnant.22 percent dont feel mature enough to raise a(nother) child.14 percent felt their husband or partner wants me to have an abortion.13 percent said there were possible problems affecting the health of the fetus.12 percent said there were physical problems with my health.6 percent felt their parents want me to have an abortion.1 percent said they were a victim of rape.0.5 percent became pregnant as a r esult of incest. Sources Finer, Lawrence B. Reasons U.S. Women Have Abortions: Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives., Lori F. Frohwirth, Lindsay A. Dauphinee, et al., Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 37(3):110–118, The Guttmacher Institute, 2005. Glenza, Jessica. Why does it cost $32,093 just to give birth in America? The Guardian, January 16, 2018. Jones, Rachel K. Population Group Abortion Rates and Lifetime Incidence of Abortion: United States, 2008–2014. Jenna Jerman, The Guttmacher Institute, October 19, 2017. Wind, Rebecca. Why Do Women Have Abortions? The Guttmacher Institute, September 6, 2005.

Mediation Critique Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Mediation Critique Case Study - Essay Example The environment of the mediation room is deemed to be the most crucial factor for ensuring the success of mediation conducted between Randy and Brett. Apart from the physical setup of the room, the less tangible factors also contribute into influencing the decision-making of the parties as well as the mediator. From the mediation conducted, it can be understood that the environment was calm as well as safe for the parties with respect to negotiation (00:14). Besides, in order to ensure the success of the mediation plan, only three people were present at the conference room including the mediator, Randy and Brett (00:47). Furthermore, the comfort of both the parties involved in the mediation was deemed to be crucial and thus the environment was kept peaceful to facilitate proper communication and create a problem-solving atmosphere (00:25; 01:02).  In the opening statement, the mediator introduced herself and presented a brief idea about the tasks that will be performed for reaching into a common agreement between the involved parties (00:08). The mediator stated that the main objective of the session conducted was to reach a mutual agreement between Randy and Brett so as to evade any sort of conflicting situation further (01:19).  Besides, the mediator also highlighted the fact that full confidentiality of the information will be maintained. In addition, the mediator also mentioned that partiality will be avoided on both the sides in order to bring out favorable or positive outcomes.  

Is Global Warming Skepticism just Smoke and Mirrors Essay

Is Global Warming Skepticism just Smoke and Mirrors - Essay Example Those who argue that global warming skepticism is just smoke and mirrors contend that global warming is very much real. They further insist that global warming is a phenomenon caused by man’s destructive and indiscriminate activities. They cite greenhouse gas emissions as one of the primary causes of global warming. Studies conducted by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration established that computer models based on man-made emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) matched present manifestations of changes in the Earth’s climate (Henderson, 2005). Greenhouse gas emissions come primarily from our oil-powered vehicles and industries, and these emissions are ultimately causing the greenhouse effect responsible for climate change. Chlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride are compounds created by man. The chlorofluorocarbons are used as coolants in refrigerators and air conditioners, and these are also released in the manufacturing of alumin um. Hydrofluorocarbons are a by-product of foam and other manufacturing processes. These carbon emissions are trapped in our atmosphere for prolonged periods of time; and while they are trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere, they also trap the sun’s heat. They damage the ozone layer that protects the earth from the ultraviolet rays of the sun (Ygoy, 2007). And as more industries are being developed, more pollutants are expected to be introduced into our environment to further contribute to global warming. Many environmentalists fiercely argue against global warming skepticism because there are various scientific proofs indicating the veracity of this phenomenon. Since the start of the 20th century, the global surface temperature has increased by 0.74C.

Equity law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Equity law - Essay Example Practically, Hudson (2009) avers that modern equity is limited by both procedural and substantive rules, with legal writers tending to focus on prevailing technicalities. From these are drawn the twelve ‘vague’ ethical statements, referred to as the maxims of equity. The ethical statements further guide in the application of equity according to civil law (Hudson, 2009:24). The concept elicits criticisms that are traceable to historical conceptualization, during its development. This is mainly based upon its lack of fixed rules, further augmented by the fact that it later on lost a majority of its flexibility. The law on perfectly constituted trusts and perfect gifts has been ‘tolerably clear’ since 1862 (Halliwell, 2003:192). This is traceable to the authoritative statement by Turner during the Milroy v Lord case (4 De G.F. & J. 264; 45 E.R. 1185; [1861-1973] All E.R. Rep. 783). Use of the term ‘tolerably clear’ is necessitated by the presence of exceptions, which were previously articulated by courts previously. Influential in this regard is interpretation of the Privy Council’s advice, during the Court of Appeal’s hearing of the Pennington v *Conv. 193 Waine case (Halliwell, 2003:192). Subsequent interpretation of the court’s ruling was viewed as providing courts of equity the unfettered discretion, concerning whether voluntary trusts or gifts should take effect. This is with regard to the role of ‘un-conscionability in Equity’, which requires principled reasoning. Pundits are thus of the view that courts of law need to utilize principled approaches, as opposed to the exercising of unfettered discretion that is based on individual notions of judges pertaining to what is fair or not (Halliwell, 2003:194). The presence of ‘unfettered discretion’ potentially has far reaching consequences, with regard to voluntary property dispositions. Thus, the presence of voluntary settlement can occur by way of

English Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English Paper - Essay Example This can be forced or voluntary and can often have severe effects on the minority culture. Such effects may include the loss of unique traditions and or other cultural aspects. The assumption that assimilation may be considered necessary or even desirable demonstrates an ethnocentric view of the minority culture – that is, that they are judged according to the standards of the dominant culture. In the case of the Australian Aborigines, assimilation was initiated largely as a result of such ethnocentric views, as will be explained. The British colonists who arrived in Australia towards the end of the 18th century saw the Aboriginal people and their lifestyle as lazy and degenerate. Partly due to the unpredictable climate of their environment, the Aborigines had long ago chosen not to adopt an agricultural style of subsistence, instead opting for a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. (Clarke 17) As a second consideration, agriculture is more demanding than the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, because cultivation and animal husbandry take up significant amounts of time. It never occurred to the British settlers that the natives had chosen their lifestyle for specific reasons. They simply saw the Aborigines as lazy people because they did not work all day. This label has persisted in the national consciousness of Australia and is still not completely eradicated in the present day (Clarke 18). Lingering attitudes such as these indicate that the incomplete understanding that began in the 18th century is still a part of modern Aus tralia. In the nineteenth century the welfare of the natives was not an issue in the minds of settlers, and they were often exploited as well. The following passage highlights not only practices of kidnapping and mutilation, but also the prevailing attitude of the settlers towards the natives: Aboriginal men and women were routinely kidnapped to

Role of the judiciary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Role of the judiciary - Essay Example Thesis Statement: The American constitution stipulates that the main function of the nation’s foreign policy is to protect and reinforce the position of the United States as a sovereign and independent state. The history of the American constitution in terms of Foreign Affairs The U. S. constitution, as documented by the nation’s Founding Fathers, stated that it was the nation’s aim to assume ‘the earth’s powers, equal to the rules of nature as were intended by God’ (Chomsky, 2004). Essentially, all other rules, including those that dictate foreign policy, have to observe this objective in all attempts to adopt stances of foreign policy as well as shared power. All regulations concerning the American foreign policy are formed through consultations between the nation’s Commander-in-Chief, executive and legislative branches. Even in the days of the first president of America, George Washington, there were difficulties in creating a releva nt, consistent, and practical foreign policy. Theoretically, the creation of foreign policy ought to correspond with the objectives of national interest. The federal government’s position, as one of the factors that contribute towards the formation of foreign policy, stems from the Supremacy Clause; which stipulates that Federal law is the supreme law in America and even precludes state law. The American constitution was first formed by the founding fathers as a contract of a revolutionary tobacco democracy which was led by an enlightened pseudo-government made up of merchants, paramilitary planters, and lawyers (Murray, 2013). The first American government, which was headed by George Washington, wanted to ensure that the new young nation would be able to survive in spite of the existence of powerful opponents in the European continent. In those early years, American foreign policy was aimed towards ensuring that the new nation avoided potential conflicts with European superp owers while also establishing itself as an autonomous member of the then group of free nations. This would be hard to accomplish as the nation was crafted out of a bloody conflict with the then greatest power, the United Kingdom, and had a weak and disorganized army. The United States also came into existence at a time when there was no organization, such as an international court, to arbitrate between warring nations. War was considered as being the only honorable method of solving serious disputes. In the late 1700s, only the self-interested sovereign nations were recognized as the major principalities on the international stage. When it was first formed, the American constitution worked alongside congressional powers to standardize commerce with other states, to sustain the armed forces, and create government regulations to oversee immigration and naturalization clauses. The ‘Articles of Confederation’ was America's primary constitution, and was confirmed in 1781. Th is was a time when the nation was merely a disorganized confederation of thirteen states, each of which were conducting themselves as nations in their own right (Brzezinski, 2004). America’s national government was made up of a congress and a singular legislature. The Articles of Confederation allocated to congress the abilities to oversee the running of foreign affairs, the regulation of national currency, and determination of all issues to do with war. Moreover, these activities were limited

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION &COMPETITIVE BENCHMARKING Research Paper - 1

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION &COMPETITIVE BENCHMARKING - Research Paper Example Revinate as a secondary data that holds information from third parties with most social media reviews including trip advisor, yelp, expedia and others. The data was collected through the consideration of Palomar hotel and the categorization of information in different fields such as the rooms, the bathroom, bed and others. Determination of the positive, neutral and the negative results provide a specific result as desired. The horizontal axis indicates the side that the customer’s performance levels get weighed on while the vertical axis represents the customers that showed satisfaction, dissatisfaction and neutrality in the service performances. Through the same, the competition for the business class is stiff between the two hotels and so the maintenance of the customers and the levels of improvement will determine how the retention aspect plays in keeping each participant in the market. The level of performance in service terms of Palomar Hotel is poor. The staff weighed in low on their service delivery and the customers were much satisfied by the cleanliness of the rooms and the bathrooms. The staff that the hotel has employed remains unsatisfying to the customers. The areas of strengths that the Palomar hotel has are in their room cleanliness and their bathrooms. The areas that need improvement include the areas of staff majorly. In the hotel business, the staff matter much and if their efforts and work does not much the expectations of the customers then the business gets affected. It is therefore wise for the hotel to consider reviewing their staff to ensure that the required quality of staff work in the hotel. The staff proves vital due to the fact that the better skilled the staff the more customer satisfaction achieved that could lead to more business and hence improved performance of the business. The level of staff has a huge impact on the customers in the business class. The consideration of

Role of the judiciary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Role of the judiciary - Essay Example Thesis Statement: The American constitution stipulates that the main function of the nation’s foreign policy is to protect and reinforce the position of the United States as a sovereign and independent state. The history of the American constitution in terms of Foreign Affairs The U. S. constitution, as documented by the nation’s Founding Fathers, stated that it was the nation’s aim to assume ‘the earth’s powers, equal to the rules of nature as were intended by God’ (Chomsky, 2004). Essentially, all other rules, including those that dictate foreign policy, have to observe this objective in all attempts to adopt stances of foreign policy as well as shared power. All regulations concerning the American foreign policy are formed through consultations between the nation’s Commander-in-Chief, executive and legislative branches. Even in the days of the first president of America, George Washington, there were difficulties in creating a releva nt, consistent, and practical foreign policy. Theoretically, the creation of foreign policy ought to correspond with the objectives of national interest. The federal government’s position, as one of the factors that contribute towards the formation of foreign policy, stems from the Supremacy Clause; which stipulates that Federal law is the supreme law in America and even precludes state law. The American constitution was first formed by the founding fathers as a contract of a revolutionary tobacco democracy which was led by an enlightened pseudo-government made up of merchants, paramilitary planters, and lawyers (Murray, 2013). The first American government, which was headed by George Washington, wanted to ensure that the new young nation would be able to survive in spite of the existence of powerful opponents in the European continent. In those early years, American foreign policy was aimed towards ensuring that the new nation avoided potential conflicts with European superp owers while also establishing itself as an autonomous member of the then group of free nations. This would be hard to accomplish as the nation was crafted out of a bloody conflict with the then greatest power, the United Kingdom, and had a weak and disorganized army. The United States also came into existence at a time when there was no organization, such as an international court, to arbitrate between warring nations. War was considered as being the only honorable method of solving serious disputes. In the late 1700s, only the self-interested sovereign nations were recognized as the major principalities on the international stage. When it was first formed, the American constitution worked alongside congressional powers to standardize commerce with other states, to sustain the armed forces, and create government regulations to oversee immigration and naturalization clauses. The ‘Articles of Confederation’ was America's primary constitution, and was confirmed in 1781. Th is was a time when the nation was merely a disorganized confederation of thirteen states, each of which were conducting themselves as nations in their own right (Brzezinski, 2004). America’s national government was made up of a congress and a singular legislature. The Articles of Confederation allocated to congress the abilities to oversee the running of foreign affairs, the regulation of national currency, and determination of all issues to do with war. Moreover, these activities were limited

The Drink of a Real Man Essay Example for Free

The Drink of a Real Man Essay What makes a man? Is it ruggedness and toughness? Is it dominance and patriotism? Does a man drink only the hardest liquor to prove his manhood? Jim Beam thinks so. In the depths of this Jim Bean Bourbon advertisement lies a stereotype in American society that is inaccurate. Through the language of colors, font, and actual text, men get an idea of what a real man should be. A â€Å"real man† should have the qualities of bravery and toughness. Men are constantly pressured by society to act tough for people to respect them. A real man would drink Jim Beam Bourbon rather than a flavorful drink that tastes good. The real definition of a man, in Jim Beam’s case, is a dominant, strong human being. The message the advertisement promotes constrict men by denying the variety of qualities any man might possess and further advocates the stereotype of how men have to be tough in order to be considered a real man. At first glance, you notice the massive, bold, white font in the middle of the compelling advertisement. It is near impossible to avoid this writing because the letters pop out at you. On the left side of the advertisement, the bold lettering reads â€Å"President Truman Drinks a Glass of Bourbon Every Day, and on the right side of the ad continues, â€Å"Then He Kicked The Commies Out of South Korea. These words imply several different meanings in the text itself. The advertisement refers to President Truman as a symbol of patriotism and independence. The ad condones â€Å"kicking the commies out of South Korea† because Jim Beam is patriotic and wants independence. The text illustrates a cause and effect chart; President Truman drinks bourbon every day, the effect is he gained manhood and patriotism, and kicked the communists out of South Korea. This advertisement purposely chooses to promote the â€Å"good† qualities of manhood, which include masculinity, sturdiness, and toughness. The colors in the advertisement display masculinity as the background has an aged wood look mixed with some colors of brown, white, black, copper, and sea green. These colors are dull and attract the male eye because of its manly color scheme. On the left half of the advertisement there is a picture of an eagle carved into a wooden slab. The wood is very uneven and rugged, to symbolize how a man is also rugged and emotionally rough. The eagle is America’s national bird; it represents a symbol of freedom and patriotism. Through this eagle alone, the advertisement promotes patriotism and the idea that real men who drink Jim Beam Bourbon are patriotic, just as President Truman did. The eagle is also a symbol for strength and courage, two characteristics that a â€Å"real man† must possess. The right side of the page displays a Jim Beam bottle of bourbon with a wall of old, antique pictures hanging up slightly faded in the background. The picture that most stands out is the one of the owl on the far right, which symbolizes perfect wisdom, in this case, the wisdom for a man to pick Jim Beam Bourbon over any other alcohol brand. The picture of the actual bourbon bottle is slightly hidden behind the text that reads â€Å"Then He Kicked The Commies Out of South Korea†, and is placed in the middle of a wooden table. The placement of the bourbon bottle could represent stability and strength, which is what America was built on. This advertisement is very pleasing to men because it makes them feel strong and patriotic and Jim Beam bourbon can define them as â€Å"real men†. This advertisement appeals to almost every American man old enough to drink, specifically the men who love this country and the idea that American men can conquer any situation. The subtext under the bottle on the right half of the advertisement reads, â€Å"Bourbon is America’s official native spirit. Jim Beam is the number one bourbon in the world. Maybe that’s because since 1975 we’ve been about the stuff inside. TheStuffInside.com†. The text comforts you because it claims bourbon is the official native spirit of America and Jim Beam is the number one bourbon in the world providing a sense of security. This allows Americans to drink Jim Beam and know that their country made this and allows them to appreciate the patriotism that comes with it. For this reason, the words â€Å"We’ve been about the stuff inside,† are significant as well because they have a double meaning. They can mean the actual bourbon contained in the glass bottle itself, or the strength and the characteristics of what makes a man on the inside. Jim Beam will help men feel strong because they are drinking the bourbon that President Truman drank to beat the communists. Men who see this advertisement will think that drinking Jim Beam bourbon will make them feel more important, more patriotic, and more masculine. What these men will not see is the advertisement is not only selling the item for consumption, but also selling ideas about American culture. Underneath the colors, underneath the font, underneath the pictures, this advertisement is essentially selling the idea that the perfect man must be strong, patriotic, aggressive, and dominate. This ad reinforces this stereotype of men, insisting that there is only one kind of man that can actually be called a real man. This real man is forcibly strong, patriotic, and tough. Overall, the advertisement conveyed it’s message about how strong, patriotic American men drink Jim Beam Bourbon, but it does not take into consideration the remaining population of American men who are not strong or patriotic.

The Sociology of Dentistry

The Sociology of Dentistry Sociology as applied to dentistry is an essential part of training for dentists. The case for asking, even requiring, medical and other students of the health professions to engage with the multiple ways in which health-related phenomena, from individual behaviours through classifications of and strategies for coping with medically defined disease to the funding of healthcare systems, are embedded in the social world remains undeniable (Scambler 2008). He or she needs it at the very least for protection against the very real hazard of frustration and unhappiness when it proves difficult to implement medical measures; but above all it is needed if the medical and other health-related professions are to make their greatest potential contribution to the welfare of the populations they are privileged to serve (Margot Jefferys 1981, in Scambler 2008) Sociology is the study of how society is organized and how we experience life (British Sociological Association 2010). It seeks to provide insights into the many forms of relationship, both formal and informal, between people. Such relationships are considered to be the  ´fabric ´ of society. Smaller scale relationships are connected to larger scale relationships and the totality of this is society itself (British Sociological Association 2010). It is a relatively new addition to the dental curriculum, having been initially introduced in the 1980s. An increasing recognition of the importance of social factors associated with various illness states has ensured medical sociology a continuing place in teaching and research endeavours (Reid 1976). The General Dental Councils learning outcomes for the first five years specifically states that as part of the undergraduate curriculum, students should be be familiar with the social, cultural and environmental factors which contribute to health or illness (GDC 2008) and many of the other learning outcomes have a sociological approach at their heart. The General Dental council highlight six key principles that dental professionals are expected to follow (GDC 2005). The first two of these principles regard a patient centred approach to dentistry. They specifically state that dentists should be putting the patients interests first, acting to protect them and that as dentists we have to respect a patients dignity and choices. In order to fulfil these standards it is imperative that we understand that each individual will experience a number of different influences on their health, and how that individual will react to each influence will depend greatly on what has come before and what will come after. Without this basic understanding, dentists will fail to ever understand their patients or provide them with the best care. How a patient will act in any given situation will very much depend on several factors that have influenced their life. What is accepted as normal to one patient may be completely different to another patients view. With particular reference to health and illness, social and cultural variables have a significant part to play. Aukernecht showed this in 1947 when studying a South American tribe. The tribe had a skin condition that according to biomedical standards was a disease. But this disease was considered normal by the members of the tribe, so much so that if they did not have it they were not allowed to marry! (Aukernecht 1947). Although this might be regarded as an extreme example, if you consider some of the data from the most deprived areas of the UK, our view on what is regarded as normal may be challenged. In the most recent childrens inspection, it was shown that 52.1% of primary seven children in the most deprived category showed obvious signs of decay experience (Scottish Dental 2010). Similarly if we look at the most recent adult dental health survey, it was shown that over half the people living in the most deprived areas (DEPCAT 6 7) were reliant on either full or partial dentures (ADHS 1998). It is normal for people in deprived areas to experience dental decay. What the people in this group in society regard as disease may be entirely different than our perception. The world health organisation defines health as the complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (WHO 1948). It is important that dentists receive training in the sociological influences that determine what health means to different people in order that they understand that this definition is unattainable for the majority of the population. The medical model of disease causation as localisation of pathology is flawed. There should be a change away from our focus on disease. Shifting dentists perceptions away from a disease orientated view that dental diseases are the result of discrete pathology, to the view that health or illness occurs as a result of complex interactions between several factors including genetic, environmental, psychological and social factors is key (Tinetti Fried 2004). Our focus should be shifted to a view of health that encompasses an individuals ability to be comfortable and function in a normal social rol e (Dolan 1993). It is essential that dentists are trained to have a holistic approach to the care of their patients, and are able to acknowledge the impacts that socio-environmental factors have on health. As described by Dahlgren and Whitehead in 1991, patterns of oral health and illness cannot be separated from the social context in which they occur (Figure 1). http://www.nap.edu/books/030908704X/xhtml/images/p20008090g404002.jpg Figure 1. Main determinants of Health (Dahlgren Whitehead 1991) Even with this knowledge, dentists must be able to relate this to their patient. The world is not an equal place and dentists must be trained to acknowledge the effects that inequality can have on health. As previously discussed, socio-economic status has a major influence on the health status of an individual. As early as 1842, Edwin Chadwick looked at life expectancy of those in different social classes (Chadwick 1842). This showed that the average age at death in Bethnal Green at that time was 35 for gentry and professionals but only 15 for labourers mechanics and servants. Although life expectancy has improved for all classes in Britain since this time, inequalities have remained. The Black Report, published in 1980, showed that there had continued to be an improvement in health across all the classes (DHSS 1980). But there was still a co-relation between social class and infant mortality rates, life expectancy and inequalities in the use of medical services. In 1998 The Acheson Report again highlighted the growing gap between the richest and poorest in society in relation to health and life expectancy (Stationary Office 1998). Regardless of whether you look at mortality, morbidity, life expectancy or self- rated health status, the gradients remain the same and the health of those at the bottom of the class system is worse than that of those at the top. When looking at Oral Health a similar pattern emerges. Social inequality in oral health is a universal phenomenon (Peterson 2005). More deprived areas have higher levels of disease in the industrialized and non-industrialized world alike. The inequalities between groups are relatively stable and persist through the generations. In the 1998 Adult Dental Health Survey, dental health was reported to be worse in the lower social classes and that there was a clear gradient between the rich and poor. Between 1978 and 1998, big improvements in the numbers of edentate adults were detected. However, the gap between those in the lower and upper classes was still apparent. By 1998, those in social class IV and V had only reached levels of oral health found in social classes I, II and IIIm in 1978. In a more recent survey of childrens oral health in 2003 (Childrens Dental Health Survey 2003), similar patterns were found. Those in lower social classes were more likely to experience tooth decay, were more likely to have teeth extracted due to decay and were twice as likely to have unmet orthodontic need than their wealthier peers. Access to dental services has also been shown to vary between social classes. The 1998 adult dental health survey showed that people from a higher social class were more likely to use dental services, and that middle class adults were more likely to attend for preventive treatment whereas working class adults were more likely to attend for relief of symptoms. Working class adults were also most likely to experience problems in paying for dental treatment, and more likely to attend irregularly. Socio-economic inequality shows no signs of reversing, quite to the contrary. In the last 20 years the gap between rich and poor has widened. According to the office for national statistics, data shows that the top 1% of the population own 21% of the wealth. Perhaps more staggering is the fact that approximately half the population share only 7% of the total wealth (ONS 2003). This has a major impact on how we deliver dental services. Dentists have to be aware of the financial restraints that face a large portion of the population. With a limited budget to hand, dental treatment or indeed preventive measures such as toothpaste and floss may become a luxury that they cannot afford. There is also a need for dentists to be trained to recognise the effects of other inequalities such as gender, ethnicity and age on health. There are key differences between men and women that not only determine their position within society, but also their position in the health spectrum. Women are less likely to hold a position of power and are paid less than their male counterparts (Scambler 2008 p134-140). They are also more likely to suffer ill health, although perhaps surprisingly they outlive their male counterparts, so much so that women from social class 5 live significantly longer than men from social class 1- ? this ref, in notes but cant find elsewhere! (ONS 2000- ? 2004). There is debate about the effect that gender has on oral health, with some studies suggesting that gender does effect oral health, with women experiencing poorer dental health than their male counterparts (Todd Lader 1991)(Downer 1994). Other studies suggest that the reverse is true (Scambler 2002). Th e issue appears to be related to the inability to draw a conclusion on whether it is gender alone that is causing the inequality, or if it is by virtue of the fact that women are in lower social classes than men and are currently living longer. Age is the single biggest reason for the decrease in sound and untreated teeth across the population as a whole, with the next most important factor being region of the UK, the more deprived the area, the more disease. Older people are more likely to be living in poverty than any other sector of the population. In 2007/08, an estimated 2 million pensioners in the UK were living in poverty (ONS 2010). As seen in the discussion on social class, this will have obvious implications for their oral health. Whilst life expectancy is increasing this does not necessarily mean that people are living longer in good health and there is some debate about the idea of healthy life expectancy (in notes). It can be surmised that perhaps an aging population will bring with it a catalogue of dental disease as they are not only more susceptible to disease by living longer, but by virtue of them falling down the social ladder. Older people currently experience higher levels of poor oral health than other groups and overall they make less use of dental services and receive poorer care than other groups (in notes). However, the older population is changing. More people are retaining natural teeth into their old age, and are more likely to make regular use of dental services. Dentists have to be aware of the changes that are going to happen with their patient demographic over the next few years. This group of patients will require more restorative and cosmetic treatments but will be further down the soc ial ladder and less able to pay for such treatments. Poor socioeconomic status is also thought to account for the differences that are seen in oral health of ethnic groups (Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology 2007). Programmes have been designed to improve dental students understanding of and attitudes to patients, such as Wagners cross-cultural patient instructor programme to improve dental students understanding of and attitudes towards ethnically diverse patients (Wagner et al 2008). But what this type of programme fails to address is that the biggest factor in determining the health of an individual is their socio-economic status (Watt and Sheiham 1999). Not only do people in the lower socio-economic groups experience more ill-health, they also are more likely to perceive a lack of control over their health. Cornwell (1984) found that people in low socio-economic groups would go to great efforts to prove lack of responsibility if they became ill. In addition to this, Blaxter (1982) found that people in lower socio-economic groups tended to define health in a functional way. These two points are crucial for dentists to grasp. On the whole, dentists by nature of their profession fall into a traditional middle class status. Middle class people are more likely to take a moral responsibility for their health and to feel that they can do something about it (Scambler 2002). Given that the majority of the population in the UK view themselves as working class (BBC 2006), it is highly likely that the dentist and the patient will have very different views on not only how they define health but also on their personal ability to change their heal th status. The differences between dentists and their patients do not stop there. Recent research suggests that the lower the socio-economic status the less likely that a patient will attend health services in the first place. Several barriers have been suggested including fear (Todd and Lader 1995), availability of dentists (get ref), cost and dissatisfaction with care. It is worth noting that the presence of barriers increases the lower the socio-economic status of the individual. Even when people recognise that they are experiencing symptoms, they do not necessarily seek medical help (Zola 1973). Decisions about help-seeking are intricately bound-up with the social circumstances that people find themselves in. Evidence clearly demonstrates that there is a significant amount of unmet need in the community and that many people who experience symptoms do not seek help from medical or dental professionals. By far the most common illness behaviour is self treatment with over-the-counter medicines such as pain relief (Wadsworth 1971 in Scambler pg 49) Others have indicated the presence of a lay referral system, whereby the whole process of seeking help involves a network of potential consultants from the intimate confines of the nuclear family through successively more select, distant and authoritative laymen until the professional is reached (Friedson 1970). A situation in which the potential patient participates in a subculture which differs from that of doctors and in which there is an extended lay referral system would lead to the lowest rate of utilisation of medical services (Scambler 2008:48). This all adds fuel to the fire of the inverse care law which states that those in need of the most healthcare have least access to it (Tudor-Hart). Consulting behaviour has also been seen to not be solely related to the experiences of symptoms, with as many as 48% of those experiencing severe pain not consulting a dentist (Locker 1988- in notes). The type of symptom (i.e. pain) is only one factor and the effect that the symptom has on day-to-day life is also an important consideration. It is essential that dentists are educated in sociology as applied to dentistry in order that they are able to treat their patients effectively. Without an insight into the bigger picture, dentists will effectively be tidying the deckchairs on a sinking ship. The society in which a person lives shapes the health, illness, life expectancy and quality of life of those within it. In order to make any change on an individual level, then changes have to occur on a societal level. From work done by Wilkinson and Picket (2009) it would seem that the best way of reducing health inequalities would be to reduce the income inequalities that exist in the UK. Their work showed that there is a very strong tendency for ill- health and social problems to occur less frequently in the more equal countries. With increasing inequality, the higher is the score on our index of health and social problems. Health and Social problems are indeed more common in countries with bigger income inequalities. The two are extraordinarily closely related- chance alone would almost never produce a scatter in which countries lined up like this. Dentists have to be aware of this problem. There is a need for dentists to push for government to implement policies that will tackle these inequalities. Dentists (and other health professionals) need to work together to try to encourage government change. There has to be a move away from dentists accepting disease at face value, dentists have to be trained to realise that no amount of restoration placed within a patients mouth is going to bring about the change that is needed to help that individual have a healthy life. Every mouth we see is part of a person, which is part of a family, which is part of a society. Dentists should be taught to think sociologically (Scambler 2008). By thinking sociologically we can start to realise that whilst we are all knitted together in the rich tapestry which is society, we are also co-creators of the blueprint for that tapestry. Dentists need to take a more active role in the creation of that blueprint, a role that is essential if we hope to achieve a more equal society. Unit 1- Health, Disease and Society Aim: To introduce the relationship between health, disease and society and to define and explore key models within health and oral health. Objectives: Define Disease, Illness, Health and Oral Health Disease- a biomedically defined pathology within the human system which may or may not be apparent to the individual Illness- the lay interpretation of bodily or mantal signs or symptoms as somehow abnormal Illness and disease exist in a social framework and indices of disease and illness produced by dental and medical professionals do not always make sense to the lay population. Understandings of health and illness are constructed through the interplay between the symptom experience and the social and cultural framework within which this experience occurs. Health is a multifaceted concept that can be experienced in different ways by different people at different times and in different places Oral health- a comfortable and functional dentition that allows individuals to continue their social role. Describe key historical variations in disease patterns- Knowledge about the body, about disease and about medicine, are products of their time; they are socially constructed by what is known or thought to be known at any point in time. Diseases themselves are socially constructed and can change over time. Describe key theories of disease causation- monism and localisation of pathology Monism- all disease in due to one underlying cause (usually one of balance) in the solid or fluid parts of the body. Balance distrupted, illness will occur. Restoration of balance, cure and illness irradicated Localisation of pathology- Medical science developed this theory. Cases Discuss the changing nature of dental disease patterns in adult populations Unit 2- social structure and health- inequalities Aim: To introduce the nature of social structure and how this relates to patterns of oral disease in the UK population Objectives: Introduce and discuss the meaning of social structure and social stratification Describe ways of measuring inequalities Discuss the relationship between social class and health Discuss the relationship between social class and oral health Discuss explanations for social class related differences in health/oral health Unit 5: Social Structure and Health II Gender; Ethnicity; Ageing and Oral Health Aims: To describe social differences between the genders in relation to such factors as equality, work, marital roles, and health behaviour. To examine the health and oral health of ethnic minority groups in Britain today. To look at the impact of ageing and the lifecourse on health experiences, incorporating expectations of old age and differential treatment of older people. Objectives: Define gender, ethnicity and ageing. Understand the mortality and morbidity differentials for men and women. Understand gender differences in health behaviour. Outline and discuss gender differences in oral health. Be aware of the inequalities in the general health and oral health of ethnic groups. Have knowledge of some of the major dental health problems of older people. Be aware of the social impact of ageing on dental health. Unit 5: Health and Illness Behaviour and the Dentist- Patient Relationship Aim: To introduce the concepts of health and illness behaviour and assess the range of factors which influence what happens when people become ill. Objectives: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To outline and discuss different perceptions of health and illness. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To discuss the clinical iceberg in populations and its implications for dental health. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To introduce and discuss the core variables Influencing illness behaviour. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To discuss the concept of triggers for seeking dental care and their implications for the dental treatment experience. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To introduce the concept of access to health care. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To discuss the nature of the dentist -patient relationship. In order to begin to look at these inequalities, individuals can be stratified into different groups, according to specified criteria and resulting in a hierarchy with those at the lower end suffering in comparison with those at the top of the system. Social stratification involves a hierarchy of social groups. Members of a particular stratum have common identity, similar interests and a similar lifestyle. They enjoy or suffer the unequal distribution of rewards in society as members of different social groups. (Haralambos and Holburn 2000). Webber devised a hierarchical model, in which class relates to occupational standing. Occupational type is considered along with social status and power. This model forms the basis for the two models of social class which are most often used within research in the UK: Registrar Generals Model of Social Class and National Statistics Socio-economic Classification. Social Class has long been associated with levels of health.