Gender as a Social Structure

The question of gender does not depend on the society and the prevailing context-constituting elements, including space and time. In other words, gender is an aspect of society and forms a social structure. Any attempt to redefine and reconstitute gender has its limits. Although the â€Å"changes† are judged based on how they deviate from the traditional thoughts, there is still much evidence of a salient gendered psychology of society.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Gender as a Social Structure specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This phenomenon is best seen and understood by observing social contexts in which men and women interact. A social context is what Hochschild refers to as â€Å"magnified moment†, and is a metaphorical ‘society’ (4). One such context is the Super Bowl XLVI, the Patriots vs. the Giants game. The purpose of this paper is to explore how gender as a social structure is manifested in this context, what generally helps its perpetuation and how women attempt to change this situation. Discussion The Super Bowl case is not only a social context as a whole, but also a mosaic of micro-contexts. One could observe how men and the women relate with each other in this space where the football players create a strong consciousness about ‘masculinity’ on one end, and femininity on the other; the players in action or Madonna’s half-time performance. In Madonna’s performance for instance, it is quite evident how the male and female performers relate on the stage especially on the use of space and what they perform. Men who dance with Madonna are notably taller than she is. Mostly, the women flaunt their hips, while the men flaunt their muscles and do other things including sword-fights. In addition, the body languages seem to emphasize the performers’ femininity and masculinity. Men and women barely share space and performan ce at any particular moment in time. For instance, when the ladies in red-white costumes come on stage to do their â€Å"cheerleading† performance, the men take the background. Risman (431), in her explanation of social and gender relationship, says that the notion of the differences between different genders is socially and contextually constructed. The context shapes what is perceived as gender-appropriate behavior.Advertising Looking for essay on gender studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The players are well built men and they become ‘beasts’ in the field. It is likely that most- if not all, the people start to feel that this is actually how all men should look like. Ladies become conscious of their â€Å"femininity† and long for their men to have the same body type. On the other hand, men who are not built â€Å"well† start to feel inferior as compared to other players. This case whe re a man does not necessarily care to ‘build’ his body, but feels ‘less’ masculine in the presence of ‘built’ men is what has been referred to as a ‘pervasive double-bind’ relationship of men with their bodies (Norman 2). However, such feelings and reactions are not likely to appear in a context where such ‘oozing masculinity’ is not so explicitly displayed. Ridgeway and Correll argue that these â€Å"social relational contexts†, are some of the key components that help keep the gender system as it is, or help change it. The authors observe that these contexts /provide ‘unwritten’ cultural instructions or rules that define the social structure of inequality and difference that many perceive to be gender† (510,511). The ability of the social context thrives on the collective life. The football culture is such a good example. It has the ability to constrain individuals and individualism. The ind ividual internalizes the values and norms that they witness (Risman 431). Individuals define themselves in relation to others. The ‘not well-built’ men here compare themselves to the players. The term ‘structure’ is therefore dualistic, referring to both the constraints that society imposes on the people and the people’s actions in line with or against these constraints (Ridgeway and Correll 510). Evidence of this patriarchal psychology has been found in different social contexts. Such a context like the Super Bowl game is one of ways that boys and girls (4 to 5 years of age) interacted during the opening of an end-of-summer soccer season. However, there are some other notable differences. First, while adults are generally conscious of the notion of gender and the constituting elements, the children are not. Secondly, Madonna’s performance for instance, is intentionally staged. In his study, Messner observes how the children unconsciously â₠¬Å"construct gender† (Messner 765). Messner largely analyses the cases of Barbie Girls and Sea Monsters from the perspective of performative theory. The girls emphasize by performance and femininity in this manner. The boys emphasize by use of their masculine nature to control, constrain, configure and violate (Messner 765; Norman 14). Nevertheless, quoting Walter, he also acknowledges the ‘involuntariness’ of these actions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Gender as a Social Structure specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Generally, his argument is based on social structure theories, which argue that everyday interactions as favored by the prevailing historical, political and social circumstances provide a platform in which gender is enacted (Lorber). On the other hand, while some girls flinch when the boys invade their space, which is in line with the perception of girls as mild and easily trounce d by boys, other girls do not budge. On the contrary, they push the boys from their space. This is largely against expectations. What is interesting in Messner’s account is the way the adults react to this scenario on the whole scene. To them, the scenario displays a clear distinction between the two genders. They keep commenting on how the two groups, the boys and girls, â€Å"look different.† Perhaps the distinction was in the mind of the adults, â€Å"seeing what they wanted to see† (Messner 766). The parents too are most probably victims of the society’s psychology. They insist on viewing the two sexes as the very different. Indeed, the patterns of behavior and thought that parents instill in their children during their formative years will perhaps remain with them throughout their lives and influence the structures of their households (Fox 375). Depending on parenthood, the woman typically cares for the baby, while the man helps the mother and provid es for the family. Generally, the question here is on the presence of gendered labor divisions during the period when a woman transits to motherhood and how these influence the weight of her responsibility. Normally, the welfare of children is the responsibility of the mother (Fox 378). Most studies show that transitioning to adulthood and the responsibilities attached to it also affect women health-wise. For instance, it has been found that female Cystic Fibrosis patients have the lowest chance of survival and of improving their lives than their male counterparts. The median survival age of women has been found to be higher than that of men in most countries and even states. Willis, et al find links between this trend and women’s transition to adulthood (1164). Women have not taken this sitting down and have sought to earn higher education accolades, break into traditionally ‘male’ occupations, and so on. Madonna’s performance displays other elements that reflect women’s rising power over men. For instance, one notices how Madonna apparently rules over the men on stage. She decides to slap and kick men. Rose Weitz presents another way in which women fight back. One of the ways is using their body. For instance, she explores how women use their hair to change the general perception of their beauty and attractiveness. She argues that women’s hair â€Å"is key to defining and establishing their social position† (Weitz 667).Advertising Looking for essay on gender studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Additionally, she explores the way that women seek to gain power through their hairs, the benefits, and limitations of such strategies. For instance, it is generally thought that women intentionally improve their hair by applying chemicals and blow-drying, which also means spending money on it. Thus, in their mind, when beautifully maintains hair, this is thought to give women power. Paula England (149-163) presents arguments on what she perceives as the failure of gender change. She does acknowledge that since the feminist movement began, the economic and social lives of many women have changed (Walters 123). She points out the fact that these changes have been uneven and they mainly occur among certain groups of people and in certain spheres more than others do. Her main argument is that the society remains relatively stuck in the ‘old’ patriarchal psychology (England 158). The different roles that the different sexes perform in the Super Bowl game, from the players, to the audience and performance display this psychology to a certain degree. Acker attributes the gender inequalities in organizations to the gendered minds that construct organizations and have also formulated the theories about them (139). Conclusion In this paper, we have recognized and acknowledged the many social transitions that women have gone through. Nevertheless, we have equally seen that these changes have not exactly broken away from the society’s constraints. The patriarchal psychology of the society remains relatively the same. This has influenced the way the changes occur and which areas experience changes better and faster than others. Works Cited Acker, Joan. Hierachies, Jobs, Bodies: A Theory of gendered organizations. Gender   Society 4 (1990): 139-155. Print. England, Paula. The Gender revolution: Uneven and Stalled. Gender Society. 24.2 (2010): 149-166. Print. Fox, Bonnie. The Formative Years: How Parenthood Creates Gender. CRSA/RCSA  38. 4 (2011): 3 74-388. Print. Lorber, Judith. Night to his Day: The Social Construction of Gender. Mearc. 1994. Web. Messner, Michael A. Barbie Girls Versus Sea Monsters: Children Constructing Gender. Gender Society. 14.6 (2000): 765-784. Print. Norman, Moss. Embodying the Double-Bind of Masculinity: Young Men and Discourses of Normalcy, Health, Heterosexuality, and Individualism. Men and Masculinities , 3. (2011): 12-21. Print. Ridgeway, Cecilia, L. Shelley, Correll. Unpacking the Gender System: A Theoretical Perspective on Gender Beliefs and Social Relations. Gender Society 18.4 (2004): 510-531. Print. Risman, Barbara. Gender As A Social Structure: Theory Wrestling With Activism.  Gender Society 18.4 (2004): 429-450. Print. Walters, Suzanna. Sex, Text, and Context: (In) between feminism and cultural  studies. In Revisioning Gender. California: Thousand Oaks, 2008. Print. Weitz, Rose. Women and Their Hair: Seeking Power through Resistance and Accommodation. Gender Society 15.5 (2001): 66 7-686. Print. Willis, Evan., Rosemary, Miller and Johanna, Wyn. Gendered Embodiment and Survival for Young People with Cystic Fibrosis. Social Science Medicine, 53 (2001): 1163-1174. Print. This essay on Gender as a Social Structure was written and submitted by user Tenebrous to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Our Government essays

Our Government essays I felt the article Superpatriotism: The Importance of Being Number One , by Michael Parenti was a very interesting yet disturbing article. The article interests me because most of the people in my family have the attitude of a super patriot. Coming from a big family all four of my uncles could not afford to go to college in the 50s and 60s. Instead they chose to join the army. All of them fought and survived in the Vietnam War. After reading this article I would consider them super patriotic people. It seems no matter what the situation is, they always support the president and the decisions that our government makes for us. They support anything from tax increases to waging a war. They all have their own flag dangling neatly from their home and they all claim to love their country. There is nothing wrong with this attitude however this article makes me wonder how a person can love their country when 90 percent of the things that go on in America is morally wrong or against t he law. How can someone love a country where the crime rates increase every year, murder rates increase, thugs are on every corner, and big corporations launder millions and millions of dollars without getting caught. The article says that these patriotic people claim to love America because of the freedom we have here. Some freedoms however are limited. According to the article, saying certain things could possibly get you fired from your job which should not be the case if we really had the freedom of speech. Also, economic freedom is more centered on those who already have money than those that are poor and want to work for their money. What I found most interesting was the section of the article that discussed the number one syndrome. It also struck me as somewhat disturbing because our political leaders always pump the message into our minds that America is number one when there is no basis for this superior ran...

Horror story with vampire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Horror story with vampire - Essay Example The raws looked like the jaws of a shark; only difference was that the teeth were a sheer white, and the bordering gum line had a crimson hue. â€Å"There’s no use panicking, Rob† Mike said, stepping back. â€Å"Let’s weigh our options. We can run to the car and let him chase us, or we can race to the cafeteria, grab the knives and garlic and fight him. Rob patted Mike’s hand. â€Å"We’ll fight him.† Then, he suddenly bolted towards the cafeteria. As Mike charged behind him, he heard the noise of flapping wings. He rushed into the cafe, banging the door shut behind him. Mike heard the monster’s voice even as he turned from the door, breathing heavily. It had taken the form of a bat, and swooped down from the window, towards Rob who stood in the front side. The monster regained the form of a man as it touched the ground. Jaws clenched, his lips parted to reveal the pairs of fangs in his mouth. Rob cowered, falling to a corner of the cafà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s pantry, as the creature seized him by bending down. â€Å"A puncture by my fangs,† it said, â€Å"is all it will take for you to follow me like little pups.† His voice sounded as if it were coming from some deep void within earth’s womb. Fingers of his left hand, gripping Rob’s throat, tightened. The long nail of his thumb dug into his Adam’s apple, and Rob squirmed like a worm trying to extricate from the trap of a lizard’s mouth. The stench of rotten blood gushed into Mike’s face; he held his breath and struggled to break free. The more he tried the tighter the monster’s grip became. Mike had read that the vampires are affected and finally killed by sunlight. But it was a far cry; morning was several hours away and by that time the monster would have done away with both of them. What could they do? Then, suddenly, as if out of the blue, the idea struck him. Mike raised both his legs up to his waist high and threw his right leg across the kitchen sink,

Quantitative Methods and Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Quantitative Methods and Analysis - Essay Example In correlation research, information is normally gathered through questionnaires, interviews or through secondary sources. The variables in a correlation study are usually selected through a given rationale (Cohen, 2002). For instance one can seek to examine the attitude of students towards math and their mathematical modeling ability in the workplace. In that case one will seek to find out whether the two variables are correlated in any way. A correlation coefficient is then computed which is a quantitative value and will indicate the direction and the size of the relationship between the two variables. The two variables are chosen because in one way or another there may seem to be a relationship between them. The results obtained from a correlation survey are very relevant and practical in the workplace. For investment purposes, the correlation between different portfolios can be determined so as to diversify and avoid investing in similar ventures. A business can also use correlation analysis to find out how different factors affect the sales volume. In the evaluation of learning, the study of correlation can effectively illuminate various issues that account for the disparities in learning abilities of the students (Adrich, 2008). The study of correlation is therefore very relevant not only in the social sciences but in entirely all sectors of human

Marketing Plan for Coca-Cola Co Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing Plan for Coca-Cola Co - Term Paper Example To create awareness about a healthy lifestyle should be the focus of its strategy and the sales would automatically follow. Regular monitoring is essential to know where the strategy is moving. 1. Company History Started in 1886, Coke was marketed as a tonic containing extracts of cocaine and caffeine-rich kola nut until 1905 (Bellis 2011). As the popularity of soda fountain declined, the company released the â€Å"New Coke† formula in 1985. Today more than one billion drinks of Coke are consumer every day. In 125 years of its existence the company has developed more than 160 low and no calories drinks in its range of products (The Coca-Cola Company 2010). It currently has more than 500 brands and is available in more than 200 countries across the world. Coke now plans to launch an energy drink in the UK market and since the market is already saturated, it has to evaluate the market characteristics, which would help the company to formulate the marketing strategy. 2. Environme ntal Analysis 2.1 Economic Analysis The UK is one of the most globalized countries and its economy is the sixth-largest economy in the world. The UK has a GDP of 1.353 Euro or 23.300 Euro per inhabitant, which is the European average (Senior Watch n.d.). The UK has the opportunity to invest at the national as well as the individual level. The UK economy is just recovering and hence even short-term tax imposed on soft and energy drinks could jeopardise the fragile economy recovery (BSDA 2011). The food and drink sector represents over 15% of manufacturing turnover and employment (IfM 2010). Its output was not affected even during the recession. The weekly earnings of people employed in this sector are above average and the job tenure is over nine years; the sector has only 6% temporary workers. 2.2 Social Analysis The wealth of an individual elderly person in UK is high (Senior Watch n.d.). The education level of the people is also high in UK. Obesity levels are very high in UK. Almo st two in every adult in the UK are overweight. The quality of food and drink, as well as the sedentary lifestyle has been identified as the reasons for overweight in UK (EMIS 2008). UK soft drinks consumption has gone up by 4% since 2009 as per chart shown in Appendix A. People are keen to include daily exercises and workout because of this the health and energy drinks market has high growth potential. 2.3 Political analysis The UK does not have a President and historically most British governments are composed of ministers from a single political party although at times there is a small opposition party (Darlington 2011). Generally the UK enjoys high political stability and hence the regulations for sectors such as food and drinks sector would not change drastically. The three parts of the UK have their own local administration and responsibilities. 2.4 Legal and regulatory analysis Since soft drinks contain high caffeine levels and since their popularity is growing, the BSDA (Bri tish Soft Drinks Association) has released a code of practice stating how the drinks should be labeled and marketed so that consumers have all the information. The labels are also expected to carry the statement, â€Å"Not suitable for children, pregnant women and persons sensitive to caffeine†

Cultural Differences Between Countries

Cultural Differences Between Countries Abstract Objectives To explore to what extend the cultural differences between countries affect the education of emigrant children and also address the issues related to it. Background The importance of cultural differences is getting more and more in the present age. There exist a number of multi-cultural societies and a lot of people have to work or collaborate across geographical or cultural borders. This phenomenon is also affecting the educational system of countries around the world. The children from a different cultural background have to face a number of issues while studying in a foreign school. Nevertheless, emigrant children have equal rights to study in a school. Education is a fundamental right for children regardless of their cultural background. Methods Literature search was done on Pub Med, Google books, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Questia.com and ZETOC. The key words that were used for searching were emigrant, education, cultural differences, and cultural issues. Selection Criteria Several studies were selected for critical appraisal which has different methodological approaches. The study made use of qualitative, quantitative as well as mixed approaches. A scale was used in the quantitative research study which displayed the critical analysis done by the author. Introduction The world has now turned into a global village. The advances in information technology have made it easier to travel across geographical borders and communicate across time and space. But unfortunately the technological revolution hasnt done anything to facilitate better communication inter-culturally. In order to have an effective collaboration between cultures, efforts must be made to develop common shared meanings. For that purpose, we have to understand the cultural differences among us and share cultural information. Background Globalization has lessened the importance of boundaries between countries. People now travel across borders for job, education, trade, and leisure. The past decade has witnessed an immense increase in the number of emigrants in almost all developed countries. Countries like USA and UK are flooded with emigrants. Majority of them reach here for job assignments and business purposes. The new environment may not be quite welcoming to these people. They may find a number of factors there that hurt their cultural values and beliefs. For this purpose, most of the companies provide cross-cultural training for their expatriate employees. But the effect of these cultural differences on their family members is often neglected. The most affected group among the emigrant population is the children. They often have to face a variety of issues while studying in a new educational system. And they are the most affected by these cultural differences. Adler (1997) proposed that culture, values, attitude and behaviors are interconnected and influence each other in a society. Values are aspects that have a direct or indirect impact on our decisions. Values can be both conscious and unconscious. Values of an individual are affected by his culture. It is through attitudes that a person expresses his values and makes us react in a particular manner. Thus a persons attitude is being revealed indirectly through his actions. Any form of human action can be considered as behavior. Thus the overall culture of a society is affected by the behavior of its people. Hence culture cannot exist without peoples behavior. The education system of each country is different and is influenced by the native culture and norms. Hence the emigrant children will be encountered with certain issues that could happen due to these cultural disparities. The situation of emigrant children into schools and other educational institutions will be depend upon the type of school, duration of attending, evidences for achievement etc. In some countries like Germany, migrant children enroll at a late age and at a lower rate compared to their peers. Another aspect that invites criticism regarding enrolment is the placement of emigrant children in lower than their age-appropriate schools. This situation cannot be avoided in schools where they are no transitory classes. But with this the emigrant kids remain in this situation due to lack of motivation and support for catching up with native kids of same age. Hence these kids end up as low performers with less academic qualifications. They are considered as secondary citizens. Even when this is an issue that needs immediate concern, there is a dearth of research being done in this area. Critical Appraisal There has been many studies done on the cultural issues of emigrants but research on the specific cultural problems affecting the education of emigrant children is limited. Culture itself is very sensitive area. Huijser (2006) defined culture as a groups set of shared norms and values, expressed in the behavior of its group members. According to Schein (1991), culture is the shared norms, values and modes of behavior that characterize a group of individuals. His model views culture at three levels-the visible artifact level, values, and basic underlying assumptions. The first level focuses on the visible aspects of culture like food and clothing. The second level is mainly concerned with the beliefs about what is right and wrong. The third level reflects on the basic beliefs about human nature and its relationship with others. The emigrant life as well as that of expatriates can be related more to the artifact or value levels. A number of writers have applied the culture concept to national cultures and have developed dimensions on which national cultures differ (Trompenaars, 1993) There are six dimensions on the basis of which cultural differences can be analyzed (Adler 1997). These dimensions are: Understanding the nature of people The persons relationship to the external environment The persons relationship to other people The primary mode of activity. Peoples orientation to space The persons temporal orientation. Apart from the above, language and communication skills can also be considered as dimensions to cultural differences (Gudykunst, 1986; Tannen, 1990). An emigrant can be defined as a national who is living in a foreign land on a temporary basis for work reasons (Sayad 2004). The extent to which the cultural beliefs are different from one country to another is known as cultural distance (Kogut Singh, 1988). Thus cultures vary from country to country based upon the dimensions (Brouthers Brouthers 2001). The cultural distance can be challenging for emigrants since they have to adapt to a new different culture (Black Mendenhall, 1992). The work performance, ability to accomplish tasks as well as socialization is being affected by this cultural distance (Stahl Caliguri, 2005). It is always useful to identify and understand the personal characteristics of individuals who could reduce the distance between the emigrant and the natives since the emigrants would get into close ties with these people (Harrison, Shaffer Bhaskar-Shrinivas, 2004). If there is high cultural distance, that means there exists customs and values which are unfamiliar to the emigrant. Gaining experience in different cultural context would help the emigrant to develop a global mindset and can cause an overall transformation of identity (Kohonen 2005; Sanchez, Spector Cooper, 2000). Adapting to a different environment demands the emigrant for self-examining ones own behavior and as the disparity between home and host culture increases, greater the need for self-examination. A sense making process is considered to be behind this event and there also exists a sense of coherence which integrates the personal characteristics with ones own previous experiences (Glanz, William Hoeksema, 2001; Stahl, Miller Tung, 2002). Those individuals who are capable of adapting effectively are considered to be social brokers who could integrate the opinions and suggestions obtained from people with local interpretation schemes or cultural expectations. Those who have migrated to a destination country at a younger age and completed primary and high school are mostly economically powerful as they know the language and are culturally inclined (Chiswick and Miller, 1996). In US studies related to the immigrant children have shown that blacks and Latinos have lesser grades than natives, while a child of second generation born to a native mother also has a higher chance of attaining graduation (Bankston and Zhou, 2002). Educational and societal systems in a country affect the immigrant children in a wide variety of ways (Dronkers and de Heus, (2010)). Educational systems in different countries are organized in different ways. The performance and achievement of emigrant children with respect to education is measured based on standardization, differentiation and the availability of resources in the destination and origin countries (Shavit and Mà ¼ller, 1998; Wà ¶ssmann, 2003; Buchmann and Hannum, 2001). If a countrys educational system is more differentiated taking into account the social characteristics, it is seen that the native students outperform immigrant students in the country (OECD 2007). A study by Ammermà ¼ller (2005) showed that those students who have options to choose different school types have a better chance of performing well. In order to study the effect of characteristics of both origin and destination countries and the educational system in these countries, Levels et al. (2008) took into consideration the political, cultural and economic macro-characteristics. Educational performance of immigrant children is affected by the countries educational system only if the child has received a part of the education in origin country. According to Rumbaut (2004) there is difference in the academic performance of immigrant children who migrated at an early age to the destination country and those who have migrated at a later age. The choice of schools and educational institutions and their differentiation is largely influenced by the choices of parents in case of younger children (Pfeffer 2008). Thus the knowledge of parents in this respect is an important resource. It is also observed that those immigrants who have are of a lower class in the society in terms of education, economy and knowledge of educational ins titutions etc. will choose a lower stream of educational institution for their children. The lack knowledge of the language and culture acts as a base for this to happen. (van de Werfhorst and van Tubergen, 2007). Dronkers, (2010), revealed that the individual cultural and family background of the students influenced the way they performed in the academically. In case of education system migrant students are always at a disadvantage. The scientific performance of students in politically unstable countries is poor. The scientific literacy of immigrants are influenced or in one way affected by the cultural, social and economic characteristics of the origin and destination countries. There exist a large difference in the culture of one country and other, these results in less understanding among the different groups in the country and the immigrant population (Owen, Eisner and McFaul, 1981). Conclusion There are various issues the affect the emigrant children, one of the most important issue concerning them is their education. Numerous studies and researches have been conducted in this regard. Cultural variations in a country affect the educational performance of emigrant children. Religion an important aspect of culture in a origin and destination country also effect the emigrant education (Dronkers Fleishmann (2010). Researches done in Europe to a large extend cover the countries both in Europe as well as outside Europe. Important countries where researches were done are Canada, England, France and the USA. Various scientific studies have been carried out in this aspect based on these countries in Europe. One of the main drawbacks in this kind of a study is that not many countries are included in the study and not all groups of emigrants are taken into consideration. APPENDIX Policy Framework There are many frameworks of policies in the western countries including UK regarding protecting the rights of immigrant population. Discrimination of immigrant people especially children are addressed through various laws formulated in the country. Government has certain policies and rules that help the immigrant population to blend with the culture of the host country; this is to prevent the immigrant children from feeling the discrimination that can affect their educational performance (Portes and Zhou, 1993). Migrant Integration Policy Index(MIPEX), this helps the national governing bodies measure the access the migrants have in politics, labour market and other spheres (Niessen, Huddleston and Citron, 2007). Thus it is noted that the immigrant children perform well academically in a country where the immigrant policies are well established. British Race Relation Act and European Union Council Directives help provide equal treatment for all in the country.

Gustave Caillebottes Paris Street; Rainy Day Essay -- Paris sous la P

Gustave Caillebotte's Paris Street; Rainy Day The first thing that strikes me is the size of the work. About seven feet tall and nine feet wide, this painting dominates its gallery and overwhelms the viewer. The couple in the foreground of the painting is nearly life size, and with the man poised to take another step it seems he might climb right over the frame and walk right into the gallery. The bold perspective thrusts the scene outward, and with details such as the sharply receding roofline of the main building and the acute tilt of the street, geometric and visual effects are created which push and pull the viewer and instill the painting with action. This work is more complex and detailed then one might first imagine, and with such a rich surface and vast array of minutiae it truly requires an "in person" viewing for full comprehension. Painted in 1877 by the wealthy painter/impressionist connoisseur Gustave Caillebotte, Paris, A Rainy Day is a depiction of a familiar five-way intersection in a wealthy area of Paris near the artist's home on a rainy and overcast day. A host of characters are dispersed throughout the canvas, strolling about and engaging in usual daily activities. The expansive street and uniform architecture, common in Paris after Haussmann's renovations, are accentuated, and in many ways the work is a verisitic snapshot of modern everyday life. In the foreground a well to do couple with interlocked arms and a shared umbrella walks towards the viewer. By noting the angle of reflections from the lamppost and other figures it seems as if the painter is taking his view from directly in front of these persons, and being the most prominent figures they certainly warrant a more detailed discussion. The man gazes to his right. His eyes are a soft grayish hue and he walks assertively. The gaze on his face is difficult to read; perhaps he is longing or being contemplative, in any event he seems detached. It seems reasonable to label him the protagonist. The woman tilts her head as well, and is most likely observing the same object or event as her companion. Observed close up she appears to have an emergent smile on her comely face. The dots on her veil, a dazzlingly white earring (likely a diamond) and an azure blue tuft of cloth noticeable at her neckline are particularly striking, and provide vibrancy... ...e men from the title of flaneur. In the expression on their faces it almost seems as if there is some yearning for prior times. Because this painting is a modern cityscape it is ipso facto a painting of modernity (one thinks of Baudelair) and a record of the fashions of 1877. By recording the actual events of his own time, Caillebotte was part of a somewhat radical new type of painting. His figures are shown accurately in contemporary dress, and he has essentially taken a mundane and fleeting moment and captured it eternally on a monumental scale. Celebrating modernity, while simultaneously casting a critical eye, is one of the signature hallmarks of impressionism and inchoate modern art. Paris, A Rainy Day is a complex work of both technical virtuosity and implied thematic elements which synthesize to engross the viewer visually and entice them mentally to think about urban life and feelings of alienation. The painting conflates multiple issues which surround and form the foundation of the art historical study of the Impressionists' Paris, and remains in its grandeur as a historical visual document, a commentary on urban life, and a testament to modernity.

Disease Trends and the Delivery of Health Care Servies Essay

INTRODUCTION Americans use health care services every day, and they use them for a number of different reasons. Whether it is for preventing or curing illness, mending broken bones, delivering infants, or perhaps long term care in a nursing home there has been and will always continue to be a consistent need for the health care industry. According to an article published by the National Center for Health Care Statistics, there are a number of different factors that determine how much health care people use, the various types of care that they use, and the timing of care that they seek (Bernstein, Hing, Moss, Allen, Siller and Tiggle, 2003). These factors could include many different variables; however, for the purpose of this paper we will discuss how trends such as the aging population, and the growing rate of obesity in America are likely to influence the delivery of health care services in the future. THE AGINING POPULATION The population of the United States on April 1, 2010 was 308.7 million people. This is according to an article regarding the 2010 Census report (Howden & Meyer, 2011). In the same article the age composition of the population is broken down. It shows that those aged infant to 18 accounted for 24.0 percent of the country’s population. In addition citizens between the ages of 18 and 44 represented 36.5 percent, and those 45 to 64 made up 26.4 percent of the population. Finally, individuals aged 65 or older accounted for 13.0 percent of the United States population (Howden & Meyer, 2011). These numbers are expected to change significantly over the next few decades. More specifically, the older population which consists of  individuals 65 or older is expected to grow rapidly. This expected growth is largely in part due to the generation known as the baby boomers. This concept is supported in another article published by the U.S. Census Bureau. It states, Between 2010 and 2050, the United States is projected to experience rapid growth in its older population. In 2050, the number of Americans aged 65 and older is projected to be 88.5 million, more than double its projected population of 40.2 million in 2010. The baby boomers are largely responsible for this increase in the older population, as they will begin crossing into this category in 2011. (Vincent & Velkoff, 2010, para 2). In addition, there are other factors that support the population growing older. These factors include a decline in fertility rates, and an increase in the age of average life expectancy. It goes without saying that older generations have different medical needs then do younger generation. Furthermore, as the populations grows older there will be a greater demand for health care services. According to a summary report published by the University of Albany it is estimated that 84 percent of people 65 or older are likely to suffer from at least one chronic medical condition. Such conditions include cancer, heart disease and diabetes to name a few (2006). Along with rising health care needs there will be a greater demand for prescription medications as well. In conjunction with these factors the need for long term care facilities will grow also. As we know already when there is a demand for something there must also be an adequate supply. There is great concern that as the population ages it is probable that the supply of health care services may not be enough. In the same summary published by the University of Albany it states, The expected growth of the older adult pop ulation in the U.S. over the next 50 years will have an unprecedented impact on the U.S. health care system, especially in terms of supply and demand for health care workers. The supply of health care workers may decrease as they age and large numbers retire and/or reduce their working hours. At the same time, older adults consume a disproportionately large share of American health care services, so the demand for health services will grow. The aging population will also affect the nature of the skills and services the health care workforce must be equipped to provide, and the settings in which this care is provided.  (2006, page 2) In addition, there will not just be a greater need for health care professionals such as psycians, nurses, lab technicians and more. There will also be a large necessity for advancements in health care technologies and facilities. We know that there is nothing that can be done to stop the process of aging itself; however, there are measures that can be taken to reduce the health complications that are related to aging. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a few opportunities to improve health and quality of life in older generations include promoting healthy lifestyle choices such as quitting smoking, and increasing the use of preventative services (2011). THE GROWING RATE OF OBESITY Obesity is a disease that is associated with having an excess amount of body fat. It is condition that has been linked to a number of different medical issues including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and stroke to name a few. As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over one-third of the population is considered obese costing the United States an estimated $147 billion in 2008 (2013). Although the numbers are already astonishing they are only expected to grow in the future. An article featured in the American Medical News predicts that if the obesity trends continue to rise by 2030 an estimated 50 percent of America’s men and 45 to 52 percent of its women will be obese (Henry, 2011). There are many factors that contribute to the growing trend of obesity. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the environment around us does not support healthy lifestyle habits (2012). This is because we live in a world with advance d technologies and conveniences. With busy schedules it is often easy for people to give in to fast food or microwave dinners because they are quick and easy. It can also be difficult for people to get physical exercise because many neighborhoods around the country lack safe places for recreation, or affordable gyms (The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012). A few different demographic factors linked to the obesity trend include age, sex, and race. As mentioned previously, Americans spent as estimated $147 billion for health care services in 2008. This number is expected to grow substantially  over time. One author wrote that the cost of obesity is expected to reach $344 billion by the year 2018 (Thorpe, n.d.). These numbers are outrages. In addition to the rising health care cost that stems from obesity we have to be concerned about the health complications that can come with the disease. Obesity has been linked to an insane number of health conditions including type II diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, some forms of cancer, sleep apnea and many more. There are steps that can be taken to prevent obesity, and the health issues that are associated with it. Eating healthy is vital, and not always as easy as it sounds. It can be so very easy to fall into food traps but we should focus our time and energ y towards foods that are rich in nutrients and low in calories. These foods include lean meats and proteins, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. It is also important to exercise on a regular basis. Exercises such as walking, swimming, or running are excellent. In addition, reversing the obesity epidemic in America is going to require a community effort. Schools, places of business, and government agencies should all be involved in this mission. CONCLUSION As our population ages, and obesity rates rise in America there is no doubt that the health care industry will need to adapt. These issues will require many advancements is medical technology, as well as a larger supplies of health care professionals including doctors, nurses, mental health providers, lab technicians, long term care providers, and administrators. The list could go on and on. Therefore, in the next few decades it will be important for the industry to recruit, and adequately train new health care professionals as the baby boomer population nears retirement. Moving forward, it will also be important for the community, and not just the health care world, to implement new ways to encourage preventative care. This will require many different organizations to become involved, most especially schools because the key to prevention is education. If the younger generations are taught the healthy way to live, and if more parents lead by example the future of this country would i n turn be much more healthy. The world of health care is ever changing, and there are many different  trends that affect it. As the future rolls forward it will be most interesting to see how health care professionals adapt to each trend. REFERNCES Bernstein, A. B., Hing, E., Moss, A. J., Allen K. F., Siller A.B. & Tiggle R. B. (2003). Health Care in America: Trends in Utilization. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/misc/healthcare.pdf Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/aging.htm Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). Obesity and Overweight. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html Henry, T. A. (2011). U.S. Obesity Rate Expected to Reach 50% by 2030. Retrieved from http://www.amednews.com/article/20110912/health/309129951/4/ Howden, L. M., & Meyer, J. M. (2011). Age and Sex Composition: 2010. 2010 Census Briefs. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-03.pdf Thorpe, K. (n.d.). New Data Shows Obesity Costs Will Grow to $344 Billion by 2018. Retrieved from http://www.fightchronicdisease.org/media-center/releases/new-data-shows-obesity-costs-will-grow-344-billion-2018 University of Albany. (2006). The Impact of the Aging Population on the Health Workforce in the United States: Summary of Key Findings. Retrieved from http://www.albany.edu/news/pdf_files/impact_of_aging_excerpt.pdf U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2012). What Causes Overweight and Obesity?. Retrieved from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/causes.html Vincet, G. K., & Velkoff, Victoria A. (2010). The Next Four Day Decades the Older Population in the United States: 2010 to 2050: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/p25-1138.pdf

Essay on World War I and Military Voters Act

Essay on World War I and Military Voters Act Essay on World War I and Military Voters Act Early in the war, Canada had experienced little difficulty in attracting sufficient numbers of new recruits to maintain the army in the field. Popular enthusiasm for what was expected to be a short but glorious war, high levels of unemployment at home, and a surplus of young single men all combined to create a rich environment for recruiting. Wages offered by military serving were generally attractive in a depressed economy. Among French Canadians recruiting was much less effective, due in no small part to ham fisted direction by Sam Hughes who had a long history of fanning anti-French, anti-Catholic sentiments for political gain.[1] Opposition to conscription did not mean opposition to the war. In the February 1917, there had been a very successful campaign by the Patriotic Fund in Quebec to donate one day’s pay. Both Le Devoir and La Presse had donated space to support the campaign in the spirit of what was described as â€Å"bonne ententism†, and almost 2/3 of t hose who subscribed were French Canadians.At the same time it had become increasingly clear that volunteers alone could no longer meet the demand for reinforcements for the Canadian Corps. By April recruiting had fallen to 5,530, increasing only slightly in May with the news of the Canadian victory at Vimy Ridge. In that same battle, almost twice that number had been killed or wounded. Borden who had been in Britain with other Commonwealth leaders returned from a visit to troops in France convinced that conscription was the only solution. Seeking to bolster support for conscription, Borden reached out to the opposition to form a union government. Laurier refused, fearing loss of his political base to Henri Bourassa, who led opposition to the war in Quebec. The Liberal party split over the issue with many liberals joining the union government to fight the election. In June, the Union government put forward legislation that would have enabled the government to conscript every male between 18 and 60. Opposition to conscription was not limited to Quebec. Many farmers opposed the measure arguing that they needed their sons at home if they were to meet the rising demand for agricultural production. Labour leaders supported the conscription of wealth arguing that burden of service should be shared by the wealthy as well as the working class. Still others opposed the war as a matter of conscience or saw the measure as an offense against Canadian democracy. Among visible minorities denied political equality there was also objection to being called to

Production management quality management systems. Case study of IDT Australia limited.

Production management quality management systems. Case study of IDT Australia limited. Introduction Historically, manufacturing management concept was coined by Adam Smith in eighteenth century in his contribution to specialization of labor in manufacturing. Adam Smith indicated that industrial jobs can be broken into smaller jobs and laborers were recommended to specialize in areas that they deem perfect, skilled and efficient (Anon, 1998).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Production management: quality management systems. Case study of IDT Australia limited. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Accordingly, Fredrick Taylor coined the scientific management theory and implemented Adam Smith’s recommendation to manufacturing set up. In this respect, organizations in the service and manufacturing industries have a production or an operation department. The departments are significant in that they provide the services or the goods that translates to organizations’ revenues. Production or operati ons management is the process through which inputs resources are combined and transformed in production synergies of the organization, to provide value added outputs in a planned and controlled criteria, utilizing organizations’ policies and procedures (Anon, 1998). Essentially, production is that part of organization concerned with bringing inputs together and transforming them into a range of quality output product. Production entails a set of interconnected activities to create a product. Production management refers to activities of manufacturing of goods while operations management involves activities in the delivery of services. Applying the scientific management theory, managers in the contemporary industries have adopted to techniques and procedures, concentrating on increased quality and economic efficiency in manufacturing products. According to Llopis Josà © (nd), research shows that laborers in organizations are focused in waste reduction and realizing high leve l of efficiency and quality. The paper focuses on the production management in a case study of IDT Australia limited. Importantly, the case study provides a detailed analysis of quality management in organizations. In addition, a recommendation or suggested strategies to improve current situation is also provided. Research objectives The objectives of the study include: To establish quality management process and the vital quality management activities in organizations To elaborate the concept of standards, assurance and control to organization quality management To explain organizations quality measurement and limitations in total quality management To bring forth suggestion on the improvement of the current situation in quality management in IDT Australia limited IDT Australia limited Institute of drug technology Australia Ltd (IDT) operates in a highly monitored and specialized field of manufacturing pharmaceutical drugs and substances. Based in Melbourne, Australia, IDT is Aus tralian pharmaceutical contract manufacturing organization for over 25 years of experience in production for local and international markets.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The company possesses international recognized pharmaceutical producing facilities. According to company profile, the company is primarily committed to supply of drugs and provision of research and development and other technical services. The company commits its resources in four activities that include; new drug development and scale up, clinical research services, API manufacture and pharmacy services. According to the AusBiotech (2009), the company’s â€Å"state of art† facilities are developed and designed to conform to the international regulations and standards GLP/GMP requirements. The company’s 15 manufacturing suites have been purposely constructed as contained s uites, enabling the production of highly potent and cytotoxic drug in a human health conducive environment (AusBiotech, 2009). IDT has employed approximately over 100 employees where around 65 staffs are engaged in manufacturing and the other 35 staffs employed at the clinical facility. The company does not face stiff competitions since it has a distinct competitive advantage. Among its competitive advantage include; confidentiality in drug development and manufacture, access to the most prominent clinical facility nationally and overseas, access to large database of clinical trials volunteers and experience of over 25 years in drugs manufacture and research contract (AusBiotech, 2009). Production management Anon (nd) defines production as â€Å"the step by step conversion of one form of materials into another form through chemical or mechanical process to create or enhance utility of the products to the user†. Ideally, production can be seen as a function in organizations th at convert inputs into outputs that are of high quality level (Bagad, 2008). Similarly, production is a process of adding value to inputs. The figure below shows an example of production process adopted by most of manufacturing industries including IDT Company. Figure one: production process diagram, source (anon, nd)Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Production management: quality management systems. Case study of IDT Australia limited. specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As the above diagram indicates, manufacturing is a system that comprises transforming inputs into outputs through a certain process and management of the system to produce high quality products economically and efficiently. The continuous monitoring of the production process is one of the most important function of management (Hakes 1991). Ideally, management team concentrates on Demand Forecasting, Aggregate planning, Inventory management, material Requirement Planning (MRP), Constraints and bottleneck managemen,t and Quality management. Quality management The term quality is frequently used in production processes. Departments of trade and industry define this term as â€Å"delighting the customers by fully meeting their want, needs and expectations† (Anon 1998, p.12). Radziwill (2005), argues that quality is an indicator of high and improved performances, whether in relation to the individual performance, teams, products or the whole company. Quality can also refer to free from deficiencies or abnormality of products, or leading to total satisfaction to the expectation of the end user. Organizations evaluate or measure quality through their performances, costs, prices, supply time, consistency, accessibility, and upkeep of customer relationship. Thus, organizations must first recognize customers’ expectations and need to deliver quality to the market. Market research becomes significant process of establishing products features and the customers’ expectations. Quality management entails the process of planning. Organizing, staffing, directing and controlling quality system s in organizations to meet products requirements and customers’ expectations. Radziwill (2005) defines quality management as to involve developing and applying quality management and control systems in production, operations or delivering substantial satisfaction to the customer. In other words, quality management system can be viewed as tailored tender of principles into a collection of standards, policies, procedures, tools and methodology implemented to achieve quality goals of all industrial participants (Radziwill, 2005). Markets acts as interface between customers and organizations and grounds of evaluating quality of products offered by different organizations. Market environments are ever dynamic and organizations must be vigilant in supplying and maintaining quality on their products. Competitions in the market have changed directions and quality provision is now a competitive strategy. Macro-economic factors are still changing and enforced through rules, requirements and procedures. International standards of organizations have brought forth another approach to enforce quality in organizations. In this regards, organizations qualifying to promote and maintain quality are recognized as ISO quality certified.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Moreover, there exists interconnectedness between all participants in a production process to ensure total quality control. Various interfaces exist in the process such as customer-organization interface and supplier-organization interface (Hakes, 1991). Thus, cooperation of all is vital to enhance a total control system. Therefore supply chain management becomes a significant approach to managing total quality. Customers and suppliers in quality management Basically, organizations must understand who their customers are, what are their needs and expectations and how the organization can find out these. Again, the firm must know how to evaluate the ability to meet these wants and expectations, is the organization capable to meet these?, can the company continue to meet these needs and expectations in long run?, and how the organization can control and evaluate the performance in meeting customers’ needs and expectations (Hill et al., 2001). Similarly, organizations are custom ers of a certain suppliers. Therefore, for organization to improve the supply chain and achieve quality management objectives there is a need to understand it’s internal and external suppliers. Organizations must know who their external and internal suppliers are, and what are the organizations needs and expectations from suppliers, and how to effectively communicate these needs. In additions, organizations must evaluate whether potential suppliers are capable of achieving their needs and expectations and strategize on the effective approach to communicate any change in expectations. As noted by Bagad (2008), the realistic perfect situation is an open partnership relationship between all parties where share and benefit concept exist. This means that as the organization is aware of the customers’ benefits they must conversely appreciate the expectations of their suppliers. Quality planning Managers frequently argue with their counterparts on how essential quality manage ment is vital as competitive edge, yet relatively a very small percentage know how to implement it in their organizations (Bagad, 2008). By committing organization to quality management, staffs must also understand systems necessary to upgrade the production process. In his research on quality management in organization, Anon (nd) indicated that quality is synonymous of integrity, standardization in production process and the customer trustworthiness towards company’s products. To achieve organization goals, mission and realize vision, planning is the first function of management and unto which all other functions depend on. In this regard, as Bagad (2008) suggests, without adequate planning for quality management, control and assurance becomes problematic to organizations. Proper total quality planning provide avenue to quality control and assurance translating to objectives accomplishment. Quality control A proper quality management system enhances firms to accomplish objec tives targeted and sustain the strategy. As Bagad (2008) states, it is imperative for organization leaders and managers are responsible in monitoring the quality journey. Once the quality management strategy is implemented, it needs performance evaluation to control the policy. Through monitoring and controlling, the desired level of performance is realized and also sustainable in long run. Quality Control should be established in all levels of organization’s management. Ideal control is undertaken by quality control team via activities of performance evaluation and monitoring (Bagad, 2008). Quality assurance and standards pqcassist, (nd) indicated that, companies committed to inspiring confidence to customers and staffs, break barriers between organization departments and achieve business goals must have quality assurance and standards systems. According to Bagad (2008), standards are requirements, frameworks or procedures that must be adhered by the individual, government, firms, and industries and are usually enforced to achieve specific targets. Policies in organizations enforce standards for either operating business activities or implementing certain managerial plans. Standards can only change under a formal framework and passed by key stakeholders of framework. As argued by Radziwill (2005), organization quality systems are focused to attain conformity, reduce variation, eliminate non adding value activities, waste reduction, minimize/prevent workers error and increase integrity thereby improving productivity and customer satisfaction. All organization objectives are attainable by implementing a dynamic, up to standards and assured quality management system (Bagad, 2008). International organization for standardization is the reputed standard body for quality assurance to partners in all industries across the world. Another is the fair trade partnership agreement. Quality management system certified to ISO 9001 or 9000 refers to organization benef its in achieving consistency business processes and ambitious measurement/evaluation, and cost leaders or performance perfection. IDT Australia is among over one million companies certified for ISO 9001 and 9000 certification across the globe. For quality assurance the company must be ISO 9001: 2008 certified. The certification is the world’s leading quality management system for assurance and standards. This certification refers to company assurance in quality standards in areas such as customer focus, leadership, involvement of people, and continuous improvement in quality systems (pqcassist, nd). In addition, the company either small or large must poses realistic approach to decision making, improve in process method, system approach to management and shared beneficial supplier relation must exist (pqcassist, nd). Current situation in the company Emphasize on innovation has increased in Australia for the past and recent years. Understanding the quality management concept o n managers and employees is much emphasized under industrial research and development. IDT Australia managers are well conversant with the quality management in production and all other areas. The company has employed over 25 PHD doctors and researchers to facilitate the creation and development of effective quality management in assurances and control. As an international competitive organization, adherence to different quality management standards and policies is pivotal to its success. The company measures its total quality management by a basis on analyzing customer requirement, defining its processes that bring out products and services to the customers and provisions implemented in retaining a quality control system. IDT organization structure and its functional units are accorded quality control manual and assurance department is instituted in all key quality adherence units. Quality assurance unit in the company concentrates primarily on the customer handling, proper books k eeping, products quality and handling and the safety of organization physical and non-physical assets. Current total quality management system implemented by the organization is comprehensive process of stakeholders’ satisfaction. Stakeholders include the customers, shareholders, suppliers, the government, and the employees. The quality control starts with implementing supply chain effective to meeting both the needs of customers and the suppliers. The company manuals indicate total quality management process comprises of quality assurance to the manufacturing activities and the customer service delivery at the clinic unit. Basically, IDT Australia limited assurance and control systems ensures that the process prevent problems or issues that may arise, detecting them in advance, identifying accurately their causes, providing remedies immediately, prevent future occurrence and enhance quality progress. As the objective of the company total quality is providing products of high quality that provide value and meets customers expectation, its system is derived from ISO 9001 certification and framework supplemented by the customer specification requirement (Hill et al., 2001). Currently, the company upholds its ability to provide continuous improvement in quality and increase individual goal accomplishment. The quality manuals state that, â€Å"Quality management system shall promote guidance for the continued efforts including customer satisfaction, quality and reliability of products, process and all attached services† (MarketPublishers, 2011). Data analysis The above literature review on production and quality management systems, and the current IDT Australia limited situation has left very many questions unanswered relating to the company’s quality management. The literature brings unclear contribution of quality issues in the organization achievement. Fundamentally, it is important to understand the various factors that influence the quali ty of firm’s products and the satisfaction of the customers. The influence of either internal or external factors and the unanswered question persuade the study to carry out more research and conduct a data analysis. Specific objectives of the study are; a) To establish quality management process b) To elaborate the concept of standards, assurance and control c) To evaluate organizations quality measurement and limitations d) To assess and provide suggestion on the improvement. In general, the concept quality is a multidimensional term which can be measured and evaluated by many factors and indicators that are associated with customer satisfaction and the supply chain quality. In this study, the analysis on the quality management in IDT Australia limited focuses on customer needs fulfillment and satisfaction. Investigating the impact and the quality level of IDT limited by applying customer response is more acceptable than taking the whole supply chain fulfillment. In this re gard, to identify and analyses customer related issues and complaints in the study, freely and accessible information or data is utilized. As Radziwill (2005) supports, Critical Incident Technic (CIT) is the appropriate methodology employed to categorize and systematically analyze customer related issues and complaints from the standpoint of IDT Corporation. The following table provides categories of quality delivered by the company and the associated group of benefit. Table 1: quality categories and the benefit group Quality category Service issue and complaint Quality benefit group Service or staffs competence Staffs are well qualified and can solve problems. Over 25 staffs are PHD qualified Customers Research partners Service and product availability High customers response Experience of over 25 year Customer loyalty. Less competition Customers Government Research partners Other suppliers Product fulfillment No over production Customer complaints handled by professionals Retailers End users International clients Delivery No delay in delivery No wrong product and service delivery Drug distributors Contractors Government Patients-customers Product quality(goods and services) Performance is consistent Control mechanisms are excellent ISO quality on drugs certified Manufacturer Employees customers Source: MarketPublishers (2011). The analysis done identifies that there are certain reasons that make companies become ISO certified. These factors include the relationship with customers, and include internal factors and the external factors. Among all the factors, internal factors are the most preferred. In addition, the relationship with customers may neither be influenced by the quality control, nor quality system be influenced by customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction and requirement fulfilling may be influenced by the internal marketing strategies. Furthermore, quality management literatures show that external factors and internal factors lead to companies’ certification. From the table the analysis concludes that, it is imperative for the organization to provide continuous quality improvement criteria where controls and assurance can be benchmarked with their competitors in the global arena. As presented in the literatures, the issue of identifying, assessing quality based on customers’ satisfactions is not adequate. In this respect the research require full primary data collection consideration. Recommendation Generally, the adoption and application of ISO 9001 and 9000 in health services and drugs, and the utilization of customer specification is justified by the organization quality management manuals, issues may arise in quality control and assurance. This way organization is driven by many factors in seeking for certification from either ISO, trade fair or from the government. In certain circumstances, internal factors are largely depended on when seeking certification. Internal factors include th e level of employees performance, level of company performance financially and quality of the management. As argued by Llopis and Josà © (nd), successful implementation of quality management system to organization may reveal benefit of low cost and also differentiation. Therefore, adapting to ISO 9000 is much fair in terms of environmental factors. Essentially, internal factors contribute positively to internal organization improvement, while external factors contribute into good relationship with the external environments. Llopis and Josà © (nd) indicate external benefits as increasing market share, improved customer satisfaction, attracting new customers and retaining the relationship with customers and suppliers. Internal factors positively lead to increased staffs motivation and productivity, true and fair books of accounts presentation, efficiency achievement and lowering production costs. The motive of organizations is to make profits and increase shareholders wealth. Based on this, companies that are certified due to internal factors makes higher profits that those certified due to external factors. Therefore, IDT Australia limited should be more focused on internal factors rather than external factors. Essentially, the reason why firms seek certification depends on the amount of internal managers’ dedication to the internal factors. Therefore, internal factors are vital and most recognized influences of certification and quality management systems. Conclusions All organizations consist of departments, customers, suppliers, and customer supplier system. Supply chains are exhibited by the suppliers, departments and customers’ interfaces. The objectives of a supply chain monitoring are achieving just in time delivery and meet customers’ expectations through quality products. Poorly established supply chain translates to poor quality and customer dissatisfaction. Therefore, to achieve total quality throughout the company operations, every participant in the supply quality chain must be focused and trained on customer- supplier relationship. Fundamentally, quality management system can be implemented through a supply chain system. In this perspectives, internal factors, external factors and the customer relationship with the organization is taken into consideration. The fact that IDT Australia limited has been certified for a long period of time and it has experience of over 25 years does not have an impact of the profits. The firm size qualification quality management is far much influenced by its internal functioning and other internal factors that accelerate quality control and quality assurance to internal and external observers. List of References Anon (1998) Production and operations management: An international journal of the Production and Operations Management Society, Volume 7. Production and Operations Management Society, University of California. Anon (nd) Introduction to production and operations ma nagement. Web. Available from: masterproductionscheduling.com/int-production-management.pdf . AusBiotech (2009) IDT Australia Limited Contract cGMP manufacturer of high-potency and cytotoxic active pharmaceutical ingredients and finished solid dosage forms. Web. Available from: ausbiotech.org/directory/details.asp?companyid={9E71A623-89B9-4168-BF64-688A3E279E72}returntourl=%2Fdirectory%2Fsearch.asp%3Fpg%3D22 . Bagad, V.S. (2008) Total Quality Management. Vienna, Austria, Technical Publications. Hakes, C. (1991) Total quality management: the key to business improvement: A Pera International executive briefing. Canada, Springer. Hill, N., Self, B., Roche, G. (2001) Customer satisfaction measurement for ISO 9000:2000. Oxford, Butterworth-Heinemann. Llopis, J. and Josà ©, T. J. (nd) The Importance of Internal Aspects in Quality Improvement. Web. Department of Business Management, University of Alicante. Available from: http://rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/1673/4/The_importance_of_i nternal_aspects_in_quality_improvement.pdf . MarketPublishers (2011) IDT Australia Limited Fundamental Company Report Including Financial, SWOT, Competitors and Industry Analysis. London, Business Analytic Center (BAC). Pqcassist (nd) Standards Australia – Quality Management Systems: Industry News. Web. Available from: http://pqcassist.com/pqc/docs/QMS%20Standards.pdf . Radziwill, N. M. (2005) Quality Management in Astronomical Software and Data Systems. National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont Rd., Charlottesville VA 22903. Available from: gb.nrao.edu/~nradziwi/v8adass.pdf .

A letter to the editor of Wall Street Journal Assignment

A letter to the editor of Wall Street Journal - Assignment Example It can be argued that the next election will see a wide gender difference among the voters. Republicans have tried to come with measures to appeal to the female voters as the Democratic Party strives to take advanatge of the female vote by promoting economic policies that are more likely to favor women including equal pay protection and increasing the minimum wage. This is not the first time the Democrats have employed this strategy to campaign against the Republicans. I agree with the fact this is not simply about the social isssues but about the economic issues affecting the population. Furthermore, there is a clear diffrence in views on whether it is possible for individuals to succeed in the US. Most men agreed to the proposition that anyone could compared to 37 percent of women (Hook and Timiraos). A study conducted by the NBC Survey/new journal found that most women believe that the recession has not yet ended as compared to 43 percent of males (Hook and Timiraos). This explains why 70 percent of the women are of the view that increasing that minimum wage would result to an improvement in the economy (Hook and Timiraos). This letter confirms the facts stated in the paper on the disparities between the economic views between men and women and how it influences

Utopian community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Utopian community - Essay Example Utopian Communities came into existence mainly in the early 19th Century. Most of the utopian communities were the outcome of the disruption caused in the society because of the development in commercialism and capitalism. The main idea behind forming these communities was to form an ideal and perfect society, which would act as a role model for the world.These utopians were condemned as heretics and were looked down upon by the other members of society. Yet these people were not discouraged and strove hard to run it.Utopian communities disintegrated after few years as their lifestyle was strongly opposed by the other members of society. One such example is of Brook Farm, a utopian community, which was formed by a group of transcendentalists who were great scholars and personalities of high demeanor. They too wanted to set an example of a perfect society by experimenting to form a community.Although, the Brook farmers did not leave their traces behind, we learn about their lives at B rook Farm, from the memoirs written by the members of Brook Farm. The members like Margaret Fuller, Elizabeth Peabody, Mr. Dwight, Mr. Emerson and Mr. John Van had written biographies or articles in journals that became the primary sources of knowledge about Brook Farm. It is because of these great literary people or scholars that we readers have got the benefit of knowing about the Utopian Community. The articles written by these members gives detailed accounts of how the community was formed, what were the reasons that prompted the head of the community to take such an extreme step of separating from the society and forming a different world. According to these sources, Brook Farm was founded by George Ripley, a transcendentalist from Boston. The community was formed as a joint stock company. In the book written by Rose, Anne titled 'Transcendentalism as a Social Movement,' we find a detailed account of the social reform movement initiated by the transcendentalists and also about how the Brook Farm Community was formed. Before the community was formed George Ripley was a Minister of 'The Purchase Street' in Boston. He was against the views of Andrew Norton, a biblical scholar, of separating the pastor of the church from the sympathies of the people and confining him to a sphere of thought far off from his interests and reducing his services to being a mere educationist (Gordon). Norton too was against the idea of Ripley forming a new Church of his own. He considered this act of Ripley as injurious to the religious belief of the people. But Emerson supported Ripley's decision of forming a new church because he thought that Ripley's church would be "something more than mere Sunday gathering place" (Gordon). He decided to resign from the ministry. In his letter to the Congregational Church in Purchase Street, George Ripley clarifies his aim of breaking free from the hypocritical American Society, which has lot of vices like discriminations and inequalities, false pride, lack of concern for common man, unhealthy competition, lack of desire for the redemption of the masses and tendency of fulfilling selfish motives in the name of God. Thus Brook Farm was established by a group of seventeen members including George Ripley and his wife Sophia Ripley. In his letter to Emerson, he has stated his goal of establishing Brook Farm. In this letter he has very clearly stated that the transcendentalists in this community had dreamt of living a life, which would be devoid of prejudices, and there would be no discrimination as such. All the members, no matter to which fraternity they belonged to, be it writer or poet had to labor in the field. They will get the much-desired mental freedom and will be given an opportunity to