Heart Disease

Heart Disease Kayla Tusa Adelphi University Abstract This paper is aimed to view heart disease and show the effects that it can have on the person who has it. The points made in this paper will show what heart disease does to the body. It shows symptoms and treatments that are used with this disease. It mainly shows the facts about heart disease. The illness in my family that I feel poses the greatest threat to me is heart disease. Heart disease has been in my father’s family for a few generations. My father has heart disease and has had two heart attacks during his life.My father had to have quintuple bypass surgery after his second heart attack. My grandfather and great grandfather on my father’s side also both had heart disease and passed away from heart attacks. Since I have all of the knowledge I am aware of this disease and the effects it can have. I also realize the risk I have and take precautions as often as I can. The full name for heart disease is coronary he art disease. This is when there are blockages in the coronary arteries. These blockages are usually cause by atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the buildup of cholesterol and fatty deposits, also called plaques, on the inner walls of the coronary arteries† (A, 2). When these blockages start to form issues come about. Since the arteries are being blocked, it can result in less blood traveling to the heart. If the blood traveling to the heart is restricted then this can cause problems to arise. If the heart does not get enough blood that means it is also not getting enough oxygen and nutrients. One signal that shows this is occurring is chest pains. The name of these chest pains is angina.Another problem that can occur from this blood restriction is a heart attack. A heart attack happens when the heart needs more energy than can be supplied to it from the blood supply it is receiving. There are many factors and causes that heart disease can have. â€Å"The most common risk fac tors include smoking, family history, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, high alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, stress, and hyperlipidemia† (A, 8). Studies have shown that about 54% of cases are linked to smoking, 20% of cases are linked to obesity, and 7-12% of cases are linked to lack of exercise (A, 9).I have asked my father what the causes have been for his heart disease. The causes of my father’s heart disease were smoking, family history, and stress. My father is not able to control family history. He also cannot control when he has stress but he has made efforts to manage his stress better. One thing he has done is that he quit smoking after his second heart attack. He knew that he needed to do this in order to not make his disease worse. A person can also have a higher risk of having heart disease if they have a history of high blood pressure in their family (A, 13-14).There are symptoms of having heart disease. Unfortunately these symptoms are not always not iceable. Sometimes the symptoms are obvious and sometimes there are no symptoms at all. In the early stages of heart disease it is likely for there to be no symptoms. Angina is the most common symptom of heart disease. This is why chest pains are seen as being very serious. The chest pains are felt when the heart is not getting what it needs to function properly. The pain that one experiences differs depending on the person (B, 14-15).This is very dangerous because when the heart is not getting what it needs there may be pains in other parts of the body. The pains do not always occur in the person’s chest. Pain may be felt in the neck, arms, stomach, upper back, or under the sternum (B, 16-17). This is dangerous because one may not realize what the cause of the pain is and may not get the proper treatment for it. When my dad had his second heart attack he did not have chest pains. He had pains in his upper back and was not planning on going to the hospital. He ended up changi ng his mind and was lucky he did because he needed immediate care. Women, elderly people, and people with diabetes are more likely to have symptoms other than chest pain, such as: fatigue, shortness of breath, and general weakness† (B, 20-23). Heart disease cannot be cured, but it has been proved that people can reduce it by making some changes in their lifestyle. One thing listed is a plant-based diet which was shown by Caldwell Esselstyn and Colin Campbell. It states that this diet is â€Å"effective as a treatment of coronary disease, and generalized atherosclerosis† (A, 16-17). Some other changes that can help are weight control, not smoking, avoiding trans fats, consuming fish il, decreasing psychosocial stress, and exercising. When exercising, it is most helpful to do aerobic exercises like walking, jogging, or swimming because it can help decrease blood pressure. When having heart disease, people may take medications as well. One type of medication that is used i s a daily intake of aspirin. Other medications used are usually ones that lower cholesterol. If someone with heart disease has enough blockages in their arteries, they may need to have coronary artery bypass surgery. This surgery is also known more commonly as open heart surgery.This surgery helps clear the blockages that are in the arteries. Another option for treating blockages is coronary angioplasty. This is more commonly known as stents and it is non-surgical (A, 27-29). Multiple tests must be done before heart disease can be diagnosed. Some of the tests that are done are: coronary angiography, echocardiogram, electrocardiogram, electron-beam computed tomography, exercise stress test, heart CT scan, and a nuclear stress test. Coronary angiography is â€Å"an invasive test that evaluates the heart arteries under x-ray† (C, 29). An echocardiogram allows doctors to see the heart beating, and to see the heart valves and other structures of the heart† (D, 14-15). Electr on-beam computed tomography is used to look for calcium. Sometimes there is calcium in the lining of the arteries which increases the chance of getting heart disease. â€Å"An exercise stress test is a screening tool used to test the effect of exercise on your heart† (E, 1). A Heart CT scan is â€Å"an imaging method that uses x-rays to create detailed pictures of the heart and its blood vessels† (F, 1-2).A nuclear stress test is performed to see the blood flow is to the heart both when the body is resting and when it is active. Heart attacks are likely to occur when someone has heart disease. â€Å"Most heart attacks are caused by a blood clot that blocks one of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries bring blood and oxygen to the heart. If the blood flow is blocked, the heart is starved of oxygen and the heart cells die† (G, 3-4). The substance that could block these arteries is plaque. This is the most common cause for a heart attack. When someone has a heart attack the cause of the heart attack cannot always be determined.Heart attacks can happen at many different times. Some of these times are, â€Å"when you are resting or asleep, after a sudden increase in physical activity, when you are active outside in cold weather, or after sudden or severe emotional or physical stress, including an illness† (G, 10-15). Heart attacks can come suddenly and can cause a lot of damage, so it is very important that they are dealt with right away. As soon as someone thinks they may be having issues they should get help and not wait. This is because with heart attacks, the patient is more likely to die within the first few hours of having the heart attack.Some other symptoms of a heart attack that have not been stated are anxiety, cough, fainting, light-headedness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and sweating (G, 30-37). Heart attacks with no symptoms are known as â€Å"silent heart attacks† and are dangerous because the person has no signs. When someone goes to the hospital for a heart attack they will be cared for in many different ways. The patient is first hooked up to a monitor so that the doctor is able to see how their heart is beating.The patient also receives oxygen because it helps relieve the heart and takes stress off of the heart because it doesn’t have to work as hard. The patient is also giving an IV because this gives medications and nutrients to the patient. Some people may receive a drug such as morphine in order to reduce chest pains. Another medication that can be given is aspirin. The medication that is administered to the patient depends on what is safe for the patient. If the patient has abnormal heartbeats then they may need electric shocks in an attempt to fix these (G, 57-62).Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women. Heart disease is deadly and can take someone’s life before they know they are in any danger. My great gr andfather had heart disease and passed away after having a heart attack. My grandfather passed away after having a heart attack as well. He was having a normal day and doing his day to day routine when he had his heart attack. He did not speak of any symptoms and had a sudden deadly heart attack. My father has had two heart attacks in his lifetime. He went to the hospital for his first heart attack because he was having chest ains. He had his second heart attack he went to the hospital because he had pains in his back. Soon after being there he found out he had five arteries blocked and needed to have immediate surgery. The recovery took a very long time for him, but he has made some changes in his lifestyle for the better. Heart disease is a serious illness. It is a disease that has been in my family for generations. I am scared because I feel I am at risk of getting this disease. Although I am nervous I am also very informed on the topic and what steps I can take to try to prevent this disease.I am very cautious and try to shape my life around preventing heart disease from entering it. Works Cited a- http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Coronary_disease#cite_note-Prevent_and_Reverse_Heart_Disease-11 b- http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0004449/ c- http://www. nlm. nih. gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007115. htm d- http://www. nlm. nih. gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003869. htm e- http://www. nlm. nih. gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003878. htm f- http://www. nlm. nih. gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007344. htm g- http://www. nlm. nih. gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000195. htm

Family Issues

International Research Journal of Finance and Economics ISSN 1450-2887 Issue 52 (2010)  © EuroJournals Publishing, Inc. 2010 http://www. eurojournals. com/finance. htm Does Education Alleviate Poverty? Empirical Evidence from Pakistan Imran Sharif Chaudhry Associate Professor of Economics. Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Pakistan E-mail: [email  protected] edu. pk Shahnawaz Malik Professor of Economics, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Pakistan E-mail: [email  protected] edu. pk Abo ul Hassan Ph.D Research Fellow, Department of Economics, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Pakistan E-mail: [email  protected] com Muhammad Zahir Faridi Lecturer, Department of Economics, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Pakistan E-mail: [email  protected] com Abstract Poverty has become a sensitive and ever remained issue almost in all developing countries of the world. Education plays a vital role in poverty alleviation. Therefore, it is important to investigate that whethe r different levels of education or literacy cause to alleviate poverty.The major objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of different levels of education and literacy on the incidence of poverty in Pakistan. Our results suggest that poverty alleviation process would be accelerated if resources are targeted at education sector especially in higher education. Pakistan presents a paradoxical situation. Until the late 1980s Pakistan had achieved a spectacular record of economic growth and reduced incidence of poverty remarkably, but the country had horrible social indicators.However when social indicators began to improve in the 1990s for a variety of reasons, both internally and externally driven, the average rate of economic growth declined. Contrary to the said situation, the general perception about Education is that the role of education in poverty alleviation, in close co-operation with other social sectors, is crucial. This paper is mainly intended to explore the reali ty that to what extent education is affective in poverty alleviation in Pakistan. In addition, some important macroeconomic variables have also been taken understudy to find out the reality of the problem.Keywords: Education; Poverty; Inflation; Economic Growth; Openness; Pakistan International Research Journal of Finance and Economics – Issue 52 (2010) 135 I. Introduction Poverty is a multidimensional phenomenon, encompassing inability to satisfy basic needs, lack of control over resources, lack of education and skills, poor health, malnutrition, lack of shelter, poor access to clean water and sanitation, vulnerability to shocks, violence and crime, lack of political freedom and voices. The poor are the true poverty experts.They assert on material well being, physical well being, social well being, security of food, security of law and order, public safety, safety from violence and civil conflicts, freedom of choice and action, being a part of the decision making body rather to be a victim of decision making body and the security of jobs. Poverty can be looked at from different angles and depending upon the perspective one adopts definitions of poverty may vary. It differs from country to country and from context to context. Poverty may be absolute or relative.Absolute poverty can be eradicated but relative poverty cannot. Relative poverty is a dynamic concept because it involves comparison between groups. It exists in all parts of the world, either in packets or on a much larger scale. In Pakistan both absolute and relative poverty exists normally, poverty is measured in monetary terms. The causes of poverty are also multidimensional. 1 There is no single cause that can explain it fully. Poverty is often related to a number of factors: physical, psychological, economic and sociocultural.Among the physical factors accounting for poverty are an unfavorable natural environment and lack of basic physical and economic infrastructure. These may also relate to poor health and malnutrition. Psychological factors refer to feel of hopelessness, helplessness, lack of confidence in one’s self and poor self-image resulting from inappropriate value system, cultural deprivation and undeveloped potential. These factors may also be related to an inability to participate in democratic processes and behavioral inadequacies aggravated by low levels of literacy and education.Education is the most important factor that distinguishes the poor from the non-poor; according to Pakistan’s Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper 2001, the percentage of literate of households heads is 27 in poor households while for non-poor households it is 52. Though the origins of human capital theory can be traced to the earlier economists – from Adam Smith (1776) to Alfred Marshall (1920) – it is Theodore Schultz (1961) who created a ‘human investment revolution in economic thought’ by emphasizing the role of human capital in e conomic growth.Schultz (1961), Gary Becker (1964), Jacob Mincer (1972) and many others with their voluminous pioneering contributions placed education at a high pedestal in the theories of economic growth. Amartya Sen (1999) rightly argues that education constitutes a part of human freedom and human capability. . Over the period under study many important factors like unemployment, current account deficit and services growth rate have been contributed to why poverty is increasing even though education has increased consistently.We have tried to give a brief description of the debate of researchers that if increased education has significant impact on income and thus poverty or not or whether there are other factors mitigating or attenuating the impact of education on poverty. However in our analysis, the central focus has been on the role of education in poverty alleviation. Education has important implications for the analysis of changes in a poverty profile in a country. Keeping i n view the issues high lighted above, this paper tries to answer following related questions.Does education play its role to alleviate poverty? What is the role of other key macroeconomic variables in poverty alleviation? What can be generalized about the impact of education on poverty? What are the important policy implications? These questions keep their extreme importance as answering the said questions will bring a solution to the hitherto puzzle that’s why Pakistan is lagging behind on the development path as compared to some developed countries who got independence later than us. 1 Technical consultation on literacy as a tool for the empowerment of the poor, Lampang, Thailand, 1997. 36 International Research Journal of Finance and Economics – Issue 52 (2010) To pursue the problem understudy, this paper is technically divided into several parts. Firstly we have attempted to explain the conceptual and theoretical framework of education and poverty alleviation. So f ar as the empirical analysis is concerned, we have divided it into two portions. The first portion presents the descriptive analyses and the second portion presents the econometric analysis which has been undertaken by considering autoregressive regression equations. II.Education and Poverty: A Theoretical Framework The economists often define education as having ‘direct effects’ and ‘indirect effects’. The direct effects of education are the imparting of knowledge and skills that are associated with higher wages. The indirect effects, also often referred to as external benefits, include fulfillment of basic needs, higher levels of democratic participation, better utilization of health facilities, shelter, water and sanitation and the additional effects which occur in woman’s behavior in decisions relating to fertility, family welfare and health.The relationship between education and poverty can also be examined by rate of return analysis, and produc tion function analysis – at individual as well as social/national levels. Rates of return are estimated using either Mincerian earnings function (Mincer, 1972), or using the concept of marginal efficiency of capital that relates costs of education to the lifetime benefits, essentially earnings associated with education. III. Data and Methodological Issues In order to study the impact of education on poverty, the study chooses time series data, for thirty five years (1972-2007) for Pakistan.The poverty data sets are collected mainly from Malik (1988), Amjad and Kemal (1997), Jamal (2003) and various issues of Pakistan Economic Survey since 2005, while the data on other variables is collected from World Bank, World Development Indicators (WDI), April 2008, ESDS International, (Mimas), University of Manchester. To make time series data on poverty incidence, a linear interpolation technique is employed. The selected time period presents the paradoxical situation of Pakistan as bo th growth and social indicators move in opposite directions.That is why it is selected to understand this paradoxical situation. Thirty five years time period is long enough to capture long run effect of most of the variable constructed in this study. We have tried to keep in view the problem of endogeniety while selecting the explanatory variables for our analysis. The study chooses the absolute poverty (poverty headcount index), education literacy rate, primary school level enrollment rate, middle school level and the university level enrollment widely used proxies for education) as the key variables.In addition, some useful variables (Growth rate, inflation rate, and Trade openness) have also been included in our model. In this study, autoregressive models are employed for econometric empirical investigation. In our first poverty autoregressive regression model, growth, literacy rate, CPI, and hcr(-1) are used to analyze while in the second model, some enrollment rates at various levels are considered. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, trade openness is also considered to check the robustness of globalization. Log values of the variables are used in the analysis.We postulate that the incidence of poverty prevailing in the economy is significantly dependent on higher education level. International Research Journal of Finance and Economics – Issue 52 (2010) 137 IV. Results and Discussions a) Descriptive Analysis Our complete data set consist of 35 years of annual observations from 1973-2007 on the selected variables. The descriptive statistic is reported in table 1 which states that the average of head count ratio (HCR) for our study period is 27. 63% with a standard deviation (SD) of 6. 74. The average of primary school enrollment rate is 11316. 8 with 6204. 18, the value of its standard deviation (SD). Middle school enrollment is 2667. 611 on an average and with standard deviation (SD) 1326. 06. The average values for university enroll ment rate, real gross domestic product (RGDP) and openness are 83045. 19, 22879. 24, 33. 81 with the value of standard deviations 65444. 71, 5756. 76, 3. 18 are given accordingly. As far as skewness of variables is concerned head count ratio (HCR), primary school enrollment rate, middle school enrollment rate and university enrollment rate are skewed on the rightward whereas openness is skewed leftward.All the variables are skewed a little. Table 1: Descriptive Statistics HCR 27. 63 25. 20 45. 75 20. 71 6. 74 1. 04 3. 26 6. 64 0. 04 LITR 36. 93 34. 35 55. 00 22. 10 10. 92 0. 24 1. 56 3. 47 0. 18 MIDDLE 2667. 61 2350. 00 5368. 00 963. 00 1326. 06 0. 36 1. 83 2. 84 0. 24 PRIMARY 11316. 78 9827. 00 24465. 00 4210. 00 6204. 18 0. 57 2. 02 3. 36 0. 19 UNIV 83045. 19 65642. 00 296812. 00 17507. 00 65444. 71 1. 76 5. 59 28. 74 0. 00 OPEN 33. 81 34. 35 38. 91 27. 72 3. 18 -0. 30 2. 19 1. 53 0. 47 RGDP 22879. 24 23859. 71 33820. 04 14033. 11 5756. 76 -0. 06 1. 86 1. 97 0. 37 CPI 56. 51 39. 7 3 149. 0 7. 40 41. 73 0. 67 2. 16 3. 77 0. 15 Mean Median Maximum Minimum Std. Dev. Skewness Kurtosis Jarque-Bera Probability Kurtosis is a measure whether the data set is peaked or flat relative to a normal distribution. Kurtosis statistic of the variables shows that only HCR and university enrollment is Leptokurtic (long tailed or high peakedness) and all other variables are Platykurtic (relatively narrower tailed then the normal curve. However the value of HCR is though high compared to the value of Meso-kurtic curve but it is not too high from the value desired for a normal distribution.The Jerque-Bera (JB) test of normality gives joint hypothesis of skewness and kurtosis. Jerque-Bera test of normality suggest that if the computed P-value of JB-statistic of university enrollment rate is sufficiently low as the value of the statistic is very different from zero, we state that the residuals for university enrollment rate is not normally distributed. For all other variables include d in the present study, it is concluded that residuals for these variables are normally distributed. Table 2: Correlation Matrix HCR 1. 00 -0. 35 -0. 37 -0. 28 -0. 30 -0. 9 -0. 53 -0. 27 LITR 1. 00 0. 99 0. 98 0. 84 0. 25 0. 97 0. 98 MIDDLE 1. 00 0. 99 0. 86 0. 28 0. 97 0. 98 PRIMARY UNIV OPEN RGDP CPI HCR LITR MIDDLE PRIMARY UNIV OPEN RGDP CPI 1. 00 0. 89 0. 20 0. 95 0. 99 1. 00 0. 18 0. 84 0. 91 1. 00 0. 39 0. 17 1. 00 0. 94 1. 00 The degree of the relationship of the variables is also estimated and reported in table 2. All the variables are negatively correlated with each other. The results state that openness is highly correlated and primary, middle, university enrollment rates and RGDP are moderately correlated with HCR. 138International Research Journal of Finance and Economics – Issue 52 (2010) b) Autoregressive Regression Analysis In our analysis, we have used a data set using time series ranging from 1973-2007. To investigate the significance of education (literacy) on the incidence of absolute Poverty, we have following autoregressive regression models. The robustness of the models is examined by including and excluding some important macroeconomic variables in our analysis. The model is given as below: The Poverty Autoregressive Regression Model- 1 LHCR = ? 0 + ? 1 LRGDP + ? LLITR + ? 3 LCPI + ? 4 LOPEN + ? 5 LHCR (? 1) + ? i Table 3 presents the estimation results in which head count index (HCI) is the dependent variable and the variables such as growth rate, literacy rate, consumer price index (CPI) and head count index (HCI) for the previous year are all explanatory variables in the present analysis. The value of adjusted Rsquared is 94. 5%, implying that 94. 6% of the variation in the dependent variable is explained by the independent variable. The value of R-squared clearly shows robustness of our results. The value of hstatistic is 1. 8, the results indicates that there is no significant autocorrelation problem in the error. The coeffic ient for growth verifies our theoretical expectations, implying an inverse relationship between poverty and growth. The coefficient for growth is highly significant putting an immense effect on poverty. The results verify the findings of Sarris who could find that overall economic growth reduces overall poverty. The coefficient for literacy is significant in the poverty regression analysis. However the variable is inversely related with the dependent variable which verifies the theoretical relationship of the two variables.The above results follow the findings of Dollar and Kraay (2002) who have concluded that growth is a prominent factor in eliminating poverty and that the impact of low level of educational attainment is not so much important. The coefficient of the consumer price index (CPI) having an expected theoretical sign, implies a positive relationship with poverty. However coefficient is not statistically highly significant. Our results also second the findings of Romer an d Romer who believed that an increase in inflation will be associated with a decline in the unemployment in the short run that may well relatively benefit the poor.The findings of Agenor (1998) also strengthen our faith on the outcome of our analysis implying the fact about the poverty rates to be positively related with inflation. The previous year’s poverty is highly significant with the incidence of poverty. The coefficient of the variable is keeping a postulated positive sign. The best justification of the result is given by the Ragner Nurkse who could observe that a â€Å"country is poor because it’s poor. † Although the theoretical expectations of our present study are fulfilled yet we have included some more important variables pertaining to the human capital.We have included primary, middle and university enrollment rates instead of the literacy rate in our model. In order to check the impact of globalization on the incidence of poverty, we have included the trade openness in our analysis. The coefficient of openness is negative and insignificant. Table 3: Estimates of the Model-I Coefficient 5. 77051 -0. 62553 0. 512801 0. 004567 -0. 123046 0. 713883 0. 94 0. 93 1. 58 Std. Error 2. 62493 0. 300753 0. 263391 0. 085448 0. 137595 0. 094954 t-Statistic 2. 198348 -2. 079882 1. 946923 0. 053446 -0. 89426 7. 518185 F-Stat Prob Prob. 0. 0361 0. 0465 0. 0613 0. 9577 0. 3785 0. 0 99. 93 0. 00 Variable C LLGDP LLITR LCPI LOPEN LHCR(-1) R Squared Adj R Squared h-Statistic International Research Journal of Finance and Economics – Issue 52 (2010) 139 The Poverty Autoregressive Regression Model-2 It is a vivid fact that a problem like poverty cannot be eradicated at all. Owing to the said fact study is intended to explore the answer of the question â€Å"Does education alleviate poverty? † To investigate the query, we have followed the regression model. We have developed the poverty regression model. Primary, middle and university enrollment rates as a proxy for education are used in our model.The model is given below: ? ? 0 + ? 1 LRGDP + ? 2 LPRIMARY + ? 3 LMIDDLE + ? 4 LUNIV + ? Poverty = ? ? ? ? 5 LCPI + ? 6 LOPEN + ? 7 LHCR(? 1) +  µ i ? Table 4 presents the estimation results for the poverty regression analysis where the dependent variable is the poverty had count index (HCI) and remaining seven variables namely log of real gross domestic product, log of primary school enrollment, log of middle school enrollment, log of university enrollment, log of consumer price index, log of openness and the log of head count ratio of the previous year are all independent variables.Note that the adjusted R-squared is 95. 9% implying that the approximately 95. 9% variation in the dependent variable is explained by the independent variables. The coefficient for LRGDP is keeping a negative sign implying the inverse relationship of LRGDP with the incidence of poverty. The theoretical relationship of LRGDP and LHCR also supports the negative relationship of these two variables. But the coefficient for LRGDP is statistically insignificant pervading a little effect on the incidence of poverty.The coefficient for log of primary enrollment rate and log of middle enrollment rate both keep a positive relationship with the incidence of poverty implying that both the standards minutely aggravate the incidence of poverty. The coefficients for both the levels are statistically insignificant which shows lesser nuisance value of primary and middle standards of education. The results also match with the findings of Rodriguez K Smith (1994) and Coulombe and Mckay (1996) who believe that the likelihood of being poor is higher for the lower levels of education.The coefficient for the log of university enrollment rate is statistically highly significant in the poverty regression analysis as shown in the table 3. The variable is inversely related with the dependent variable which verifies the theoretical relationshi p of the two variables. The estimation results verify the findings of all those who believe in an effective role of human development of poverty alleviation. The estimation results stay in line with the findings of Tilak (1994) which emphasize on the role of education.The results also explain that higher education is one of the most powerful means to reduce poverty. Our results also match with the findings of King (2005) who has argued that the agenda of the millennium development goals for education cannot be achieved without giving right consideration to higher education. All the prominent approaches of development like the human capital approach, the basic need approach, the human development approach and the capability approach which recognize the inverse relation of education and human poverty stay in line with our results.The coefficient for inflation rate in the poverty regression analysis for log values has become significant statistically and it is positively related with t he poverty head count index. The postulated positive sign of inflation portrays the fact that inflation is regarded as more of a problem by the poor. The fact was also found by William Easterly and Stanlay Fischer (2001). According to them the rich are better able to protect themselves against, or benefit from; the effects of inflation then are the poor.The coefficient of openness is keeping a postulated negative sign, implying an inverse relationship between the incidence of poverty and openness. The estimation result shows that openness is powerfully influencing the poverty head count index as the coefficient of openness is found highly statistically significant. The results match with the findings of Derek H. C. Chen, Thilak Ranawera and Andriy Storozhuk who argue that high level of globalization, globalization would tend to increase poverty. The coefficient for the poverty of previous year is statistically highly significant, keeping a positive relationship with poverty. 40 Tabl e 4: International Research Journal of Finance and Economics – Issue 52 (2010) Estimates of the Model-2 Coefficient 3. 707976 -0. 205005 0. 060653 0. 042189 -0. 154165 0. 127132 -0. 186327 0. 796384 0. 96 0. 95 -1. 68 Std. Error 1. 937434 0. 246698 0. 1637 0. 190211 0. 04069 0. 0777 0. 110726 0. 081578 t-Statistic 1. 913859 -0. 830995 0. 370514 0. 221801 -3. 788787 1. 63619 -1. 682781 9. 762301 F-Sat Prob Prob. 0. 0663 0. 4133 0. 7139 0. 8261 0. 0008 0. 1134 0. 1039 0. 00 114. 37 0. 00 Variable C LLGDP LPRIMAR LMIDDLE LUNI LCPI LOPEN LHCR(-1) R Squared Adj R Squared h StatisticV. Conclusion and Some Policy Recommendations In this paper, we addressed a key issue in the current debate on economic development: the role of education in poverty alleviation. We have reviewed the empirical evidence on the relationship between education and poverty. The link of education to poverty is one of the most important dimensions of policies towards poverty. Education may affect poverty in ma ny ways. It may raise the incomes of those with education. It may in addition, by promoting growth in the economy raise the incomes of those with given levels of education.To measure education we used, among others, the literacy rate, primary education level, middle education level and university education level as proxies for education. To measure poverty, we emphasized on the concept of absolute poverty, using the poverty headcount index and as a proxy for relative poverty. We have used the econometric techniques to sketch a few stylized facts in a very complex framework of relationship. The present study incorporates macroeconomic, structural and policy variables to poverty headcount index and education.More specifically, the poverty equation links the incidence of poverty to CPI, growth, literacy rate, primary school education, middle school education and university education level and openness. The said relationship thus enables the changes in poverty due to the changes in macr oeconomic or policy variables to be projected. The relationship is empirically estimated using time series regressions, based on thirty five years data of Pakistan from 1973 to 2007, which determined the magnitudes of the effects of the above mentioned macroeconomic, structural and policy variables on poverty.The results from the empirical analysis indicate that the university education significantly alleviates the incidence of absolute poverty. It is concluded that university education comes up with a powerful tool for poverty alleviation, keeping an inverse relationship with the dependent variable. As the higher education increases, the level of poverty decreases in the country. This result confirms the expectations that poverty is highly influenced by education. Local universities help developing countries in improving the skills of human capital which ultimately become helpful in poverty alleviating.University graduates have the specialized skills to earn a living and infuse the ir sector of employment- whether in the private industry, the public sector or civil society-with the enterprise that underpins success. Getting universal primary education, one of the millennium development goals, without the higher education would simply mean increasing the burden of unskilled population on the economy. Some people consider university education a luxury for developing countries. It is not a luxury, it is essential.Our estimation results confirm the best known approaches like the human capital approach, the basic needs approach, the human development approach and the Sen’s capabilities approach as all four approaches mainly emphasize on the attainment of education for economic development. Our estimation results carry an important policy implication-namely that the spread or the distribution of higher education among the population can have a powerful impact on their welfare. A household with no education among any of its members may benefit from even one me mber gaining access toInternational Research Journal of Finance and Economics – Issue 52 (2010) 141 education, beyond the immediate gains to that particular individual. And this is not only the case when an improvement in the education of the family’s children, but also it becomes the better and immediate source of earning opportunities for other members. Our empirical results confirm that education plays an effective role in poverty alleviation. Accordingly, a focus of economic policies on education in order to reduce poverty and to speed up development appears to be justified.Inflation also becomes the cause of poverty while trade openness reduces poverty significantly. Nevertheless, it is recommended that inflation controlled and trade opened policies will definitely and significantly address this issue of poverty alleviation in Pakistan. References [1] [2] [3] [4] Agenor, Pierre-Richard (1998). Stabilization policies, poverty and the Labour Market, Mimeo, IMF and W orld Bank. Amjad, Rashid, and Kemal, A. R. (1997). Macroeconomic policies and their impact on poverty alleviation in Pakistan. The Pakistan Development Review, 36(1), 39-68. Becker, Gary S. (1964).Human Capital. New York Colombia University Press for NBER Chen, Derek H. C. , Ranaweera, Thilak and Storozhuk, Andriy, (2004). The RMSM-X+P: A Minimal Poverty Module for the RMSM-X (May 11, 2004). World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 3304. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn. com/abstract=610349 Dollar D, Kraay A (2002). Growth is good for the poor. Journal of Economic Growth, 7,195-225. Irfan, Muhammad (2001). Global Trends on Education. The Oxfam Education Report (2001), Chapter 2. Jamal, H. (2003). Poverty and inequality during the adjustment decade: Empirical findings from household surveys.The Pakistan Development Review, 42(2), 125-136. Khan, Mosin (1990). Macroeconomic Policies and the Balance of Payments in Pakistan. 197286, IMF Working Paper /90 /78, Washington D. C. Malik, Mu hammad Hussain (1988). Some New Evidence on the Incidence of Poverty in Pakistan. The Pakistan Development Review, 27(4), 509-516. Marshall, Alfred. Principles of Economics. London: Macmillan 1890 (1st edition); (1920) (8th edition). Book VI, Ch. IV, 2, 3 and 4 (pp. 560—566); Chapter XI, 1 (pp. 660—661) and Chapter XII,  § 9 (pp. 681—684). Mincer, Jacob (1972). Schooling, Experience and Earnings.New York: NBER. Mincer, Jacob (1958). Investment in Human Capital and Personal Income Distribution. Journal of Political Economy, 66. Ministry of Finance Pakistan (2001). Combating Poverty in Pakistan, www. finance. gov. pk Pakistan Economic Survey (various Issues), Ministry of finance, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad. Romer, Christina and David Romer (1998). Monetary Policy and the Well-Being of the Poor. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper 6793, November Sarris, Alexender H. (2001). The Role of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction: An Empirical and Conceptual Foundation.University of Athens, Athens. Schultz, Theodore W. (1961). Education and Economic Growth. In N. B. Henry (Ed), social factor influencing education. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Sen, Amartya (1999). Development as Freedom. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. Smith, Adam (1776). An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. London. (First edition). London: George Rutledge & Sons. 1903. pp. 78-79. World Bank, World Development Indicators (WDI). (April 2008). ESDS International, (Mimas): University of Manchester. 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Graphics Communications Industry Essay

Graphics Communications Industry, according to the College of Technology at the University of Houston, is defined as the processes and industries that create, develop, produce, and disseminate products utilizing or incorporating words or pictorial images to convey information, ideas, and feelings. Its products make possible learning, enjoyment, enthusiasm, and business. These products like books, magazine, maps, invitation, etc. are part of people’s daily life. Graphic Communications includes those market sectors that exploit the technologies of printing, publishing, packaging, electronic imaging, and other associated industries. They are often referred to as the graphic arts, print, or imaging industries. Graphic communication companies are entrepreneurial and innovative. Ideas are created on the computer and carried through different stages that can include the Internet as well as printed forms of several types and variations. Due to the emerging technological advances, companies in the business have expanded services such as creative design, e-commerce, web page design and hosting, mailing, fulfillment, and a multitude of services that provide parallel marketing beyond the major printing activity. (Education Summit for the Graphic Arts 1) The field of Graphic Communications is obviously a technology-based system. It includes the developing technologies of computer-age press, image generation, data repurposing, designing and posting internet web pages, interactive multimedia, digital photography, electronic digital imaging, and desktop publishing. Furthermore, it offers a lot of career opportunities. Thus, it contributes a lot to the economy. It needs millions of people in a range of challenging technical, creative, or professional activities. They vary from small companies with a few workers to large plants with several hundred people on multiple shifts. Almost all companies have acquired modern computerized equipment and stay updated with technology changes taking place in the industry. The top ten leading states in total number of graphic communication employees are California, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Michigan. (Education Summit for the Graphic Arts 1) REFERENCES: â€Å"Graphic Communications Industry. † (2006). College of Technology, University of Houston. 7 April 2009 †¹http://graphics. tech. uh. edu/industry/industry. php†º â€Å"The GraphicCommunication Industry: A Quick Overview. † (April, 2008). Education Summit for the Graphic Arts. 7 April 2009 †¹http://teched. vt. edu/gcc/HTML/CareerInfo/PDFs/GraphicCommunicationOverview. pdf†º

Special Populations Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Special Populations Health Care - Essay Example utilizing the resources of Department of Health and Department of Education, involving primary and secondary school administrations, engaging the misinformed parents, and signing up well known and relatable role models. According to the latest statistics from US Census Bureau, the amount of population between 10 to 24 years old is approximately 1,726,672, which shows that there are more than a million individuals above the age of 10, and below the legal drinking age of 21 years old (US Census Bureau, 2010). Furthermore, according to the research conducted by the Department of Human Services of New Jersey, an alarming fact discovered is that the local youth have professed â€Å"experimenting with alcohol at a rate above that reported nationally.† Also, it is found that the average age, among the youth, of consuming alcohol for the very first time is 11 years, whereas, around 407,000 individuals are committing underage drinking every year (Division of Addiction Services, 2008). Additionally, other surveys of New Jersey high school students have indicated that around 72.1 percent have consumed a kind of alcoholic beverage at some instance in their lives, and also, female students reported to an increased underage drinking as compared to male students. At the same time, the white and Latino students professed to a greater alcohol use as compared to African American and other ethnic students (Division of Addiction Services 2009, p. 15). In an another study conducted within the high schools, by the New Jersey Department of Education, it was found that the alcohol related incidents, such as violence and vandalism, have increased 14 percent between the years 2007 and 2009 (Hendricks 2010, p. 8). In addition to the large number of the youth involved in alcohol abuse, the massive cost associated with this societal dilemma is definitely an eye opener. According to the latest research conducted by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, in collaboration with

Port And Shipping Logistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Port And Shipping Logistics - Essay Example Shipping is also not restricted to the availability of infrastructure on the seas as ships ply on shipping lanes on the seas that are merely imaginary lines drawn on the seas. Air transportation is also free from any infrastructure requirements, but the volume of freight that can be handled is extremely limited. In essence, the difference between shipping and other forms of transport is the flexibility that shipping offers in that it can carry small and very large volumes of freight across all seas and oceans. In these times when pollution and global warming come to the fore, the comparison of the various forms transportation in this regard is also useful. Road transport is the most polluting and the largest contributor to global warming of any form of transportation. Air transport is next in line with regard to pollution and contributing to global warming, while rail transport is the least polluting. It is only shipping that contributes to global cooling because the gases that emitt ed by shipping like SO2 and NOX are positive coolants. Therefore increased shipping does not pose pollution or global warming issues. The hub and spoke logistic model is cost-effective for moving small volumes of goods to and from locations through consolidation and transshipment. Short shipping offers the means of reaching goods to any port in a region by the use of small shipping vessels, thereby creating new opportunities for shipping to minimize road haulage, with the difficulties, are faced in the transportation of goods by road.

Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Law - Assignment Example Traditional dating was when a man asked a woman out several days prior to the day they were supposed to go dating if she was interested. The innovations made dating more casual that it was before. However, the question that bugs many people is; are hookups good or bad for women’s rights? According to England and Thomas, hook ups are when two people go out dancing, for movies and later on retire to a more private place for sexual encounters. Such encounters are aided with a lot of drinking. From the research that was carried out, more men enjoyed hookups than women did. The rates of satisfaction in women were low and many were not happy with their en counters. Many of the men hooked up with women that they had never seen before and in the morning, they could not remember their partners. Taking to perspective the fragile nature of the women emotions, it is then appropriate to say that hook ups are not in the best interests of the women. Many of the women leave the encounters emotionally bruised and the fact that they have not achieved the intended felling’s makes it more frustrating for women. As much as there is dating, hooking up or any other form of interaction people need to live together. This is what is called cohabitation; a living arrangement that is facilitated by agreement between two parties. Mostly this happens in members of the opposite sex. According to England and Thomas, the increase in heterosexual cohabitation has led to delayed marriages and an increase in divorce and caused one of the most significant changes in family life, as we have known it. It is believed that cohabitation had decreased the committed that is associated with marriage. Marriage used to be the foundation of sexual relations, living together among many other family related matters. Today people are joining up to live together without even being married. They are having children and even giving themselves names husbands and wives without

The Case for Clean Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Case for Clean Technology - Essay Example Investing on clean or green energy can make a major impact on environmental problems such as pollution and other issues that emerge as a consequence (i.e. climate change). My position is, of course, in support of clean technology. The current interest in this field must be supported by the policy networks, specifically, by providing favorable environment in which this new commercial activities must flourish. Sources Case Study: Shane Eten An important source for this paper is a case study published by Babson College on Shane Eten and his efforts to launch a business venture. What is significant in this case study is the nature of Eten's venture. His project is the FEED Resource, which aims to build an anaerobic digester. The idea is to establish a company called Biospan and build a large anaerobic digester, a facility that would collect food waste from restaurants, grocery stores and even homes to feed the digester and produce compost and biogas. Eten, would, in effect, be taking was te and producing a usable byproduct in the process. The case provided in-depth insights on two important aspects. The first is that the study was able to identify the manner by which entrepreneurs and investors are scrambling to hitch on the clean technology bandwagon, which supposedly started in the year 2007. It cited specific cases such as the investments of Google and Wal-Mart on clean technologies. Secondly, there is the process involved in clean technology entrepreneurship. From research, business development, and management - these were explained and specified according to the clean technology case. These factors show why Eten's initiative will be a success story because it is supported by the goodwill of the public and the serious interest of the private sector. Chialin Chen: Green Product Development A more specific insight on green technology has been provided by Chialin Chen when he investigated the concept of "green product development". This is helpful for this paper be cause the study explained green product design and innovation in the context of consumer demand; the supply side and producer's decision-making; and, the regulatory environment, emphasizing the existing regulatory frameworks and standards. This study was also able to establish the business case for clean technologies by explaining that: 1) consumers are starting to be more inclined to green products; and, 2) the regulatory environment and the policy-networks are increasingly becoming strict on its environmental regulations and supportive of green technologies. This paper cited important cases that are useful to the objectives of this paper. For instance, there is the case of the automobile industry, designing and building cars with green technology specifications. Chevrolet and Ford's example show that as early as 1998, they were manufacturing green or hybrid automobiles successfully sold in the American market. Then there is also the case about the new emission limits for cars and industries as introduced in statutes that

Managing organizational change (MBA course) Essay

Managing organizational change (MBA course) - Essay Example Sandoz was a profit making company that had transparent and defined marketing strategies with a number of products, employing fewer people (69 employees); whereas CG, a loss making company (129 employees) was a laid back attitude and heavily dependant on sale of one product Voltaren, that had generic substitutes, and the marketing was based on giving heavy discounts to achieve quarterly targets. These opposite cultures clashed with the merger. The result was that, feeling strangled, the Sandoz staff left the company through a golden handshake and the CG culture prevailed over NT. The lethargies of CG became the norm resulting in plummeting sales and mounting losses. Under Thai regulations the merger meant merger of Sandoz into CG thereby creating a new entity called NT. This led to the exodus to the Sandoz staff, and the CG culture and practices prevailed. The remaining Sandoz staff were unable to accept this practice and all but 12 left the company, after bitterly criticizing the CG ways and matters deteriorated with the new NT manager also leaving in early 1997. NT was rudderless and without objectives and goals. Fritz the new manager appointed to check and reverse the ills of NT was sent to Thailand in 1998, two years after the merger, with a mandate to raise market share and to improve management effectiveness across the organization. His clear mandate required him to turnaround the company and he handled it initially with the motive of streamlining the operations by first defining the team and team roles. He wanted to establish a hierarchy of reporting that looked like a cobweb with cross reporting resulting in loss of communications. He also found many malpractices that were either a result of corruption in the culture of the company or simply cover-ups for showing improved but false sales performances. He quickly made a situation analysis and identified

Overview of Paternalism Law Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Overview of Paternalism Law - Term Paper Example Several laws and regulations have been enacted that encourage paternalism by the government such as requiring a motorcyclist to wear helmets. These actions by the government have been opposed by several utilitarian thinkers like John Stuart Mill. He is opposed to the actions that led to paternalism by the government based on his autonomy-based argument. Paternalism exists in the form of restrictions or requirements imposed on people to perform in order for the common good to be maintained. In his topic on liberty, Mill argues that the government encourages cyclists to wear helmets to promote a good (Skorupski, 34). The protection of the person from injury is a good that cannot be ignored and it is not that the cyclist does not value his life, but this legislation goes against another good. In relation to the arguments brought forward by Mill, it is reasonable to conclude that Mill supports government actions. The question of self-protection as the basis for justifying paternalism is questionable since an individual is the most qualified person to judge himself/herself. As a result, it true to conclude that an individual is the most interested person in his own well being. ...This is in reference to the fact that Mill argues that no amount of restraint or compulsion by others can stop adults from pursuing their interests. However, in some instances, government interventions do not only restrict a person’s liberty but encourage alternative solutions (Blokland, 78). In relation to paternalism, a person should be an independent and autonomous agent with the ability to choose his freedom. A utilitarian argument passed on by Mill is that of that there comes a time when a person has the discretion of his/her individuality being absolute. However, there are two strains of Mill’s argument with one based on straight forward utilitarian while the other relies, not on the good brought by the free choice but on the supreme value of the choice.  

Reaction Paper #2 Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reaction #2 - Term Paper Example With the progressive change in warfare after the Second World War, more questions have been raised on how to deal with asymmetrical warfare under the Geneva conventions. After this convention of 1949, most nations’ security has been threatened non-state actors organizations such as ISIS and al-Qaeda are not fully covered by the rules of war. The armed groups have over and over again sought to defeat their military weakness by employing strategies that deliberately violet international law. These range from planned attacks against civilians, sexual violence, forced conscription as well as using civilians to guard military objectives (Slomanson, 1999). The risks of civilians are further increased as military superior parties, in fighting the rival that is often tricky to identify, responds with means and methods of warfare that may violet the principles of difference and proportionality, giving rise to further civilian victims. International armed conflict between the states and terrorist non-state actors raises a concern on how states in question should actually respond to these groups considering the fact that they have comparatively few rights under the international Humanitarian Law. There is also a big concern as to whether the wars on the non-state actors are international or non-international under Geneva Conventions. But on the other hand, the involved states also consider these rebellious groups as illicit combats who are dispossessed of any legality; their actions are unsympathetically punished in line with the domestic laws of the state. The context of these armed conflicts is claims of legitimacy, as the state pretends to have a greater claim to legitimacy than non-state actors. States seek to de-legitimize non-state actors’ claim while advancing their own claims of legitimacy (Slomanson, 1999). The non-state actors should not be

Organizational Change Essay Example for Free

Organizational Change Essay Given the complex nature and competitive environment under which modern organizations operate ,the way forward for organization is to adopt strategies ,methods and practices which enable them to be ahead of their competitors. Recently global ,political and economic events such as liberations of economics,arising cost of productions ,global economic downtown ,the many competing and substitute products in the market and the spill over effects of the terrorist attacks in America, have led many organization to retrench adopt stringent cost cutting measures and to think of appropriate measures of attracting the largest number of consumers and secure a leading market share in a given industry . To remain competitive, modern organization should aim at uniqueness and superiority in all spheres of their operations ;in technology ,work procedures ,good and services ,approaches to the various management function of planning ,organizing,staffing , directing and controlling . These changes are only possible through creative and innovative thinking . The survival and continued relevance of organizations in the market place therefore depends on the strategies and survival tactics evolved by these organizations to respond to changes in the operating environment. One of the greatest challenges facing organizations therefore is the management of change in a manner that encourages pro activity and ensures continued relevance . Organization change can be defined from various perspectives . One commonly used definition of change is alteration of existing activities ,change can also be defined as innovative; the basic sense of introducing something new in the organization. Organizational change in the sense of improvement therefore refers to activities aimed at strengthening organizational performance such as new technology, work policy ,procedure,product,work attitudes and structural design . Creativity is the process through which a change can be introduced in an organization. It refers to the generation of new ideas into a real product ,service or method of production . Organization change ,creativity and innovation through creative ideas most be capable of being implemented. A creative ideas work therefore be useless unless it is innovative . Organizational change may be necessitated by pressure from outside or within the organization Cole G. A. 1996), Management Theory and Practice says that external forces for change are those forces which operate from outside organization,These include ; forces of competition ,for example competitors changing their strategies and other methods of operations; economic forces such as poor economic performance may require new cost cutting measures; political and legal forces such as passage of new laws by the government . Economic liberalization policy which no longer affords protection to local firms may require them to adopt new methods in products strategies in order to remain in competitive in the face of the inflow of foreign goods. Technological forces,for example,new technology of a firm obsolete ;social cultural forces such as change as in societal norms,values and altitudes should be accompanied by corresponding changes in goods and services. For example, a changes in taste require that a company must change quality levels,feature of existing products and services or introduce a completely new product in the market;physical forces like change in weather and climatic patterns,for example,adverse weather effects may require a company to adjust its production program. This may be due to shortage of essential agricultural based raw materials. Other external forces for change may be;creditors changing their lending policies which would mean that companies must work harder than before;trade unions imposing new conditions on matters affecting employees;consumer protection organizations insisting on specific quality standards hence the need to be quality sensitive;consumer insisting on quality and efficient services other than low prices or fees charged. Internal forces for change include;existing procedures which have become irrelevant and the existing structures which are too rigid hence the need for flexible structures;centralized systems of authority which is no longer effective after major organizational growth and expansion ;negative working attitudes by workers which need to be changed through new policies,rules and procedures,existing technology which may be obsolete and the organization has to adopt the new technology for it to improve efficiency and the competitive edge against other competitors;existing products and services which are no longer competitive in the market;existing training program which have become irrelevant in light of changes in work methods and technology;existing compensation policy which is not motivational such as automatic salary increment not based on merit. Anew compensation method for example payment by results may be adopted or introduced in the organization n facing up these internal triggers for change,management have to plan how they will respond to them. Some potential changes will have been announced well before hand and in these cases planning is taken care of pro actively . Koontz and Weirich (1995)Management:A global perspective, defined a change agent as any person or a group of people who may identify and recommend the need for change in an organization . Examples include, a committee set by the management, a task force, board of directors,shareholders,managers or individual employees. An employee for example may identify a difficulty or a weakness in the existing work procedures and suggest change to the management. If the change is rather insignificant and may not affect the final results,an employee may just implement such a change without a further consultations. Organizational change may be introduced in a planned or in reactive manner. A planned change is introduced pro actively when the organization identifies the need based on the benefits believed to come from change without disrupting operational processes. All change will incur some direct costs,for example,equipment costs,relocation costs,recruitment costs and possible redundancy payments. There will be also indirect costs such as communicating the changes to employees ,providing appropriate training and temporarily redeploying key managers and staff on change projects. An organization should also consider what might be the costs of not introducing the proposed changes. The resources required are identified in advance,employees trained or prepared accordingly adequate measures put in place to deal with the effects of change such as resistance to change. A reactive change on the other hand is normally introduced in an abrupt manner through a piecemeal approaches. A company waits until the pressure for change becomes too much and simply reacts through measures which can lead to immediate solution of a problem. For example, when there is cut throat price competition , a company may wait until it finds it unavoidable to reduce its prices when it is not able to survive in the market by maintaining its prices. According to Lewin Schein model , a model propounded by Kurt Lewin and Edgar Sshein,German Management theorists ,change can be introduced in an organization through the following steps:unfreezing that is,identifying the need for change and making it clear to employees how the organization will benefit by changing the status quo;change the transition period in the change process when employees abandon the old practices and adopt the new practices or change from the old to new attitudes ;refreezing which are the measures taken by the management which would ensure that employees sustain or continue with the changed attitudes or behavior. Emotional support,encouragement or financial reward may be provided. Through positive reinforcements ,new practices become the accepted ways of doing things in an organization. One of the principal ways in which organization can bring about planned change is by means of organization development. Organization development is a strategy for improving organizational effectiveness by means of behavioral science approaches,involving application of diagnostic and problem solving skills by an external consultant in collaboration with the organizational management. Organization development is an organization wide process,it takes an essentially systems view of the organization;it utilizes the techniques and approaches of the behavioral sciences that is psychology and sociology;it also involves the intervention of an external third party in the shape of a change agent trained and experienced in behavioral science application in the work situation. Organization development is aimed at organization effectiveness that is,it is something more than management development ;it is concerned with changing structures and decision processes as it is with changing peoples behavior. Organization development is about change and this change can be painful especially when it involves peoples attitudes ,beliefs and self image. The organization development is utilized when the senior management of an organization come to recognize that the key components of the organization system are not working harmoniously together. There is no one best way of introducing and designing an organization development program in an organization. It first takes a preliminary stage whereby the senior management team discusses the scope and implications of an a organization development with the change agent. This includes discussion about the aims of a possible program and the means by which it might be achieved. It also includes a consideration of the possible implication for the organization arising from the implementation of a program;it then define the nature of the relation ship between the change agent and the organizations management that is,whether the change agent is to play the role of an expert , a catalyst for new ideas ,educator or some other agreed role. If the agreement is reached about the idea of commencing an organization development program then it goes to the next stage of analysis and diagnosis where the change agent usually takes the initiative by designing appropriate methods for obtaining relevant information for example,interviews and surveys and by proposing a strategy for putting these into operation with the full backing of the management team. The information obtained should clarify the problems facing the organization,and build up a picture of staff attitude and opinions as well as supplying some important suggestions as to how the problems would be solved. On the basis of information received,the management team and the change agent agree their diagnosis of the situation . The management team in close collaboration with the change agent agree on what are the aims and objectives of the program. These aims could be to improve profitability ,secure a share of new market ,improve staff motivation or other desired improve ment. To these ends,specific objectives would be useful,such as to achieve the restructuring of the company along matrix lines over a period of say , one and a half years and obtain the full commitment of all the management staff to an open and democratic style of leadership or to reduce substantially the number of customer complaints about after sale service. The organizations problems have been analyzed ,a diagnosis of the overall situation has been made and agreement has been reached about the aims and the objectives of the exercise,it then behooves a moment of planning the content and the sequence of activities designed to achieve the aims of the programs. Much of the tactics in the planning stage will be influenced by the change agent whose skills and expertise knowledge in behavioral matters will be brought to bear on the manner of introducing the various organizational development activities. These activities will be examined more closely in bits noting the progression. Once the plans have been put into action,it is very imperative that they should be monitored at frequent intervals by the management and the change agent. Difficulties and misconceptions are bound to occur and these must be noted as soon as possible and dealt with quickly. If a particular activity is having adverse results,it will have to be amended or even dropped from the programs. From time to time more substantial reviews of the progress towards the aims and objectives of the exercise will be required ,and this often leads to comparing the results against the benchmarks which are the objectives of the whole change process. In light of the major review it is possible that some important revisions of the aims may be important for which further series of plans will be necessary. The success of any organization development concerning change process in an organization depends largely on the part played by the change agent. The change agent is at the core center of the entire organizations development process. If the change agent is not able to build a firm relationship between himself and the management team concerned,or if he fails to establish his credibility with a range of other groups,his chances of obtaining a sense of commitment required in the whole process are so low. Conversely,if the gains trust and respect both as a person and as a skilled adviser, then he stands a better chance of achieving his own contribution to the aims and the objectives of the program. The roles of a change agent are a multiple ones. These roles range from the highly directive,leadership type of roles to a non-directive counseling role. In the first place,he prescribes what is best for his clients and on the other hand ,he will reflect issues and problems back to his clients without offering any judgment to himself. Qualities of intellect and personality are also important with the change agent in particular the ability to listen and to apply rational approaches to problems and situations;also a mature outlook in terms of awareness and acceptance of personal strengths and weakness. Abilities required are not only those associated with behavioral science knowledge but more general skills such as interviewing skills,presentation skills and the ability to establish and maintain comfortable relationship with a wide cross-section of people. This combination of attributes suggests that a change agent will not always be readily available. It takes a certain kind of character to be able to make the contribution to joint problem solving and decision making that is required in the organization development. The most significant benefits of an organization development program obviously depends on the needs of the organization at the commencement of the program. Organization development enables an organization to adapt to change in away that obtains the full commitment of the employees concerned that is,it instills a mind of change in the employees minds where they perceive themselves as apart of the whole process of change ;organization development can also lead to organization structures that will facilitate employee cooperation and the achievement of tasks in that it brings about the issue of critical thought and mind development whenever the employees swaps between the jobs and the ranks unlike when the the employees would on a p[articular job and role until the retirement hence change brings about new challenges to the employee which eventually turns around the status quo and implement the policies of an enterprise into improvement of services;it also release the ;latent energy and creativity in the organization by way of specialization;it provides opportunities for management development in the context of real organization problems and the way to solve them by involving all the parties concerned including employees in the decision making process;it may also stimulate more creative approaches to problem-solving throughout the entire organization. Finally,change increases the ability of the management groups to look as teams and this will eventually lead to the achievement of longterm goals of the company. Resistance to change has been associated with the change and accepted as a major element of any change process. No matter how change may benefit the organization and individual employees,there will always be a tendency to resist it. Stower J.  F (2000) Management,says that change may result from fear of the unknown ,for example,potential difficulties or uncertainties which may come along with a new method or a procedure;fear of losing power,prestige or status that is fear of perceived inferiority complex towards the subordinates;fear of losing job related opportunities such as promotion or lack of care growth;failure to understand why a change is being introduced due to poor communication;perpetual differences between individual employees ,managers or work groups;fear of losing a job or going for further training when computerization program is to be undertaken or a major change are to be introduced through business process re-engineering . The management should device ways of reducing some of the resistance to change in an organization such ways as;conduct an education and communicate effectively with employees on the need and benefits of change;involve employees in planning the change process ;negotiate with employees or departments which are likely to resist changes ;introduce change in piecemeal manner and provide emotional support including time off during the most difficult period of the change process;selectively use information which gives emphasis on positive aspects of change. Employees likely to resist change may also be co-opted or assigned new positions created during the change process. In order to create an environment in which people think creatively and develop suitable ideas for change ,the management of an organization should take the following measures;develop an acceptance for change,employees must think strategically and believe that change is inevitable for the organization survival;provide a clea r objectives and freedom to achieve them. Organization members who are given clear objectives would be stimulated to meet them . Their creativity will have a purpose and direction ;a conducive environment for creativity is enhanced if individual have the opportunities to interact with members of their own and other work groups. Such interaction encourages team spirit ,exchange of useful information,free flow of ideas and fresh perspective on problems,also make it clear in word and deeds that the management welcomes new ideas. Managers who closely supervise every action of subordinates encourage them to follow orders rather than to experiment with new ideas. Because of tough competition ,resource scarcity and high equipment costs,the only way to ensure survival in any industry is change through creativity and innovation. Any idea that leads to more efficient and effective operation should be explored and implemented,hence a new idea may be a boon in an organization.

Hitler Became Chancellor in January Essay Example for Free

Hitler Became Chancellor in January Essay It signified unity and support behind a cause – unseen since the beginning of the Great War. No longer were nationalists vying for the implausible return of a Kaiser, but joining behind Hitler. Furthermore Nazi support far exceeded that of the parties on the fragmented Left. Whilst in 1930 the SPD retained their lead on the NSDAP by two million votes, in 1932 the Nazi vote was almost double of the SPD’s, with 7 million more votes. By leading the most popular party, Hitler had the confidence of almost 14 million people which was an undeniable force. Then again, Hitler had not gained the 50% majority needed to become Chancellor. Democracy did not bring Hitler to power and 63. 6% of Germans had not voted for Hitler. Debatably, it was only a protest vote. The loss of two million votes from the July to the November 1932 elections demonstrates how the popularity of the party was perhaps more a symbolic facade which Hitler took advantage of. Some would argue that it was not the quantity of supporters that brought him power but the importance of individual groups. Having Nazi supporters in crucial interest groups such as industrialists, the army and Hindenburg’s own family was also important for funding and for political sway. Most important of these was popularity in military circles. Essentially the army’s acquiescence and partial support for Nazis meant that when the SA surrounded Berlin in January 1933 threatening to seize power, Wilhelmstra? e was left with little choice. There was as many as four times the number of Stormtroopers as Reichswehr, although the army had machine guns and flame throwers. The most pressing fact was that General von Hammerstein had told Hindenburg that many soldiers may refuse to obey an order to crush the SA. Whilst the threat of a violent coup pressurized government, that the army was not loyal arguably made Hitler’s appointment inevitable. Ruth Henig argues that it wasn’t the strength of its enemies that brought down the Republic as much as the striking absence of its friends. Not quite a â€Å"Republic without Republicans†, but the political naivety of both parties and individuals in failing to cooperate was a considerable factor in Nazi success. Specifically, the SPD’s refusal as one of the strongholds of democracy: in November 1932 the left combined had 13. 5 million votes, whereas the right had 12 million. By uniting, the Communists and Socialists had potentially the ability to overrule the Nationalists. Stalin’s preference of Hitler over the SPD, who he believed were the real enemy, ensured complete disunity. Arguably a more decisive factor was Von Papen’s active role. His plan to â€Å"frame in† the Nazis to utilize their mass support and then dispense with Hitler was short-sighted and naive. Meeting with Kurt Von Schroder, Papen not only in turn helped solve the Nazi financial debts to ensure the continuation of the party, but presented an opportunity to Hitler which he otherwise would not have been offered. Papen convinced Hindenburg the Nazi support could be harnessed and that its ambitions and extremist policies contained through safety features. The President agreed to only meet with Hitler when the Vice Chancellor, Von Papen, was present. Only two cabinet ministers were included. By offering this, Von Papen made perhaps the most fatal underestimation of the 20th century. He had had the responsibility of being decisive, thorough and unfaltering when Hindenburg could not be and so his weak acceptance of Hitler’s demands – when he was perhaps not even in a position to demand – is surely a cause of Hitler’s appointment. Debatably, this arrangement was a production of Hitler’s own political skill as opposed to, or as well as, Papen’s great failure. Hitler’s opportunism, vehement desire for power and ability to manipulate people was crucial for his success. Meeting with Von Papen in December 1932, he resolutely demanded the Chancellorship. Whereas Strasser faltered in making botched agreements with Von Schleicher for a lesser position, Hitler held out against odds. Additionally Hitler’s chameleon nature meant that he was successfully demanding with Von Papen, yet very respectful with Hindenburg, bowing down to him publicly. Popularity got Hitler through the door, but Hitler’s opportunism and manipulation brought his triumph. In summary, Nazi popularity gave Hitler the advantage. It offered him access to Germany’s leaders so that he was able to exploit the scheming nature of Von Papen and ailing of Hindenburg. Nevertheless, Hitler failed to command a majority and thus his appointment of Chancellor was left to the decisions of incapable and self-seeking men. Perhaps Hitler succeeded because in that dire political situation, those in power could not ignore Hitler’s strength. However the President’s and Papen’s inadequacy and underestimation of Hitler in the face of his resounding obstinacy, as well as the threat his Stormtroopers, were the decisive forces.

The Bodily Continuity Criterion Philosophy Essay

The Bodily Continuity Criterion Philosophy Essay In this chapter I will demonstrate that the bodily criterion alone is not sufficient for continuation of identity, by describing the limits of acceptable physical change. However, I will also show that some form of physical continuation is necessary, such as a persons genetic make-up. Some materialist philosophers (such as Eric Olsen) have claimed that the physical body is the seat of the identity. This view claims that as long as one keeps the same body throughout their life, they are guaranteed to maintain their unique identity. This approach makes identifying selves clear and simple, as we can identify the exact spatio-temporal location of each self, as well as the starts and ends of selves. So, for example, if someone commits a crime, we can easily establish whether they are guilty or not by evidence such a fingerprints and witness testimony. As long as their body committed the crime, we are able to punish them for it. Criticisms, particularly in light of change over time There is a lot of opposition to the view that our identity should be limited to just the physical body. This position is contrary to most religions, which view our immaterial souls as intrinsic to our identities. The religious conception of a soul tends to be like that of consciousness, and some religions, such as Judeo-Christian religions, claim that this part of us continues to live on after the physical body has died. (As Parfitt points out,) The bodily criterion would only allow for a second life in the form of a physical resurrection or reincarnation. We certainly should not dismiss the position simply because it is incompatible with popular religions, though. There are more damning criticisms of the bodily criterion for identity, however. Our bodies are constantly changing- growing, shedding or regenerating cells, etc. So how much of our body must stay the same in order for us to be classed as the same person we were several years ago? For example, a popular analogy was given which describes the philosopher John Lockes favourite pair of socks, which grow holes in from being worn so often. As the holes develop, Locke repairs them with patches. But after a while of repairing his socks, none of the original material remains, and they are simply a patchwork of new pieces of material (Where is this from?). The original debate, of which Lockes example was a variation, is that of the Ship of Theseus, which has its pieces replaced one at a time, as necessary (Plutarch, p?). Many people believe that, at some point, the Ship of Theseus loses too many of its original pieces and ceases to be the same ship that Theseus had returned from Crete in. Simi larly, many believe that Lockes favourite pair of socks cease to exist when none of the original yarns are present. But, if we are to equate identity with the bodys cells, this position claims we must develop a new identity as our bodily cells change during our lifetime. This is a bizarre position to hold, as there would be no detectable change in our appearance or attitude Possible solutions to criticisms, and the success of these solutions But not everyone agrees that this is the case. Many people believe that the gradual change involved in the previous examples ensures that they retain their former identity. In the case of Lockes socks, the consensus tends to be that the resulting pair of socks are indeed the same as his favourite pair of socks, as this is the way we speak of things which have been repaired. Similarly, the gradual change of the Ship of Theseus ensures it retains its identity. As this pertains to the body, it suggests that, despite each of our cells being regenerated every ten years, this does not inhibit us from remaining the same person. This means the gradual change of our bodys cells falls within the acceptable limits of change, apparently saving the bodily criterion for identity. Thomas Hobbes offered another variation upon this theme, whereby the ships planks ere replaced with aluminium (Hobbes, p.135?). The pieces removed from the ship were then reassembled to form a replica ship. But in this example, we are more inclined to state that the replica ship which has been assembled from the original pieces is the same ship of Theseus, while the aluminium replacement is a replica. This is perhaps because a crucial part of the theory of bodily continuity is that it requires we maintain essentially the same genetic structure. This makes the concept of bodily continuity highly supported by the sciences, which tend to view us as biological creatures governed by the physical reactions which occur within our brains. A result of this is that, while our bodies could be perfectly but entirely replicated in a metallic form, these robots would lack our genetic code and would thus be a replica, rather than ourselves. Genetic determinism takes this position further, and claims that who we are is entirely dependent upon our genetics. Genetic determinists suggest that a clone and his original would have the exact same identities. The effect of genetics upon ones identity has been investigated by studies of monozygotic (identical) twins, who are genetically identical. While studies of monozygotic and dizygotic twins have previously suggested that up to 50% of our personality is genetic (ref?), most twins tend to be raised in similar environments, making it difficult to separate the influences of nature and nurture. But studies of monozygotic twins who have been raised separately indicate that only 20 to 25% of our personality is genetic in nature (Ewen, p. 73). So we have established that the gradual regeneration of our cells during our lives falls within the realms of acceptable change, whereas being replaced with a non-human body (for example, a metal one) does not. So where exactly are the boundaries for changes we deem to be acceptable? How much of our body could we lose without losing our identity? Bernard Williams describes the physical spectrum, where a persons body is replaced very gradually. He claims that this example is subject to the heap paradox. In the same way removing a grain from a heap does not stop it from being a heap, it seems that each change is too small to change our identity. Yet by the end of it the persons body has been replaced with that of Napoleons. In this example, Williams describes the physical changes which occur to the subject of this experiment, but not the psychological effects. While his body has been replaced with that of Napoleons, he may well still maintain all the same character traits and memories we associate with his original self. While this is a very radical example, it does have practical implications. If a certain amount of our body is required to stay the same for us to remain the same person, this raises questions about amputees and people who undergo extensive plastic surgery. For example, what if a man had his arms amputated, and then his legs? Would he still be the same man he was prior to these operations? While he may now lack many of the skills he had before, it seems unfair to claim he is not the same man. What if he was somehow reduced to simply his head, though? Some claim that it is not the whole body which is required for continuity of the self, but a very small part of it: the brain. This objection was raised by Sydney Shoemaker, who describes a thought experiment regarding Brown and Robinson. Brown undergoes a brain transplant, and his brain is placed in the body of Robinson. When Robinsons body awakes, it remembers everything of Browns life, behaves like Brown, has the same beliefs as Brown, and even adopts all the mannerisms his family have come to associate with him. It seems that Brown and Robinsons family alike must agree that Robinsons body is now home to Browns identity. While this is a very extreme case, it does demonstrate that the body alone is neither a sufficient nor necessary condition for the continuity. Eric Olson, however, defends the bodily criterion against this criticism, viewing the individual simply as a biological organism. He claims that humans can withstand complete psychological change and remain the same as long as they are alive for. I disagree with this position, however. It seems to me that if you remove a persons personality, mannerisms, memories, dispositions, etc, you have removed that persons very identity. It seems to me that in considering the individual as a human animal, Olson oversimplifies the issue of identity. It is easy to say that the human being still exists despite this overhaul of their mental life, but it is very difficult to substantiate the claim that their personal identity has not been at all affected by this. R. B. Ewen, Personality, a topical approach: theories, research, major controversies and emerging findings, Lawrence Earlbaum Associates Inc Publishers, New Jersey, 1998. T. Hobbes and W. Moleworth, Elements of Philosophy, vol. 4 of The English Works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, London, J. Bohn. J. Locke? H. Noonan, Personal Identity, E. Olsen, The Human Animal: Personal Identity Without Psychology, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1997. D. Parfit, Reasons and Persons, Plutarch, Lives, J. Langhorne and W. Langhorne (eds), Harpers and Brothers Publishers, New York, 1859. B. Williams

Confidentiality of Medical Information :: HIPAA Act

The law does not give permission to the health care professionals to disclose the medical information of the patients. It is the right of a patient to have his or her personal identifiable information to be confidential. This medical information is suppose to only be available to the physician of record as well as other necessary health care and insurance personal. Confidentiality of patient was protected by federal statute, as of 2003. Passing of federal regulations which was the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 was facilitated by the requirement of having privacy as well as protection of personal records and data in an electronic medical records environment and third party insurance payers. The meaning of patient confidentiality is that personal and medical information that are provided to the providers of health care cannot be disclosed to others not unless the patient has provided authorization for the release. In fact permission is not supposed to be granted to health care professionals to disclose the patient’s medical information. This is because there could be professional or personal problems by disclosing the medical information of the patients for patients depends on the physicians in keeping private their medical information, American Psychological Association (2003). Normally it becomes difficult for medical records to be completely sealed up. The greatest factor that affects confidentiality is when clinicians turn to share medical information as case studies. In any case such data happens to be published in professional journals, then the patient’s identity is never divulged and the entire data that identifies the patient become either eliminated or changed. However, if at all the confidentiality is breached, the patient may have the right of suing, British Medical Association (2008). Another greatest threat to medical privacy takes place since many of the medical bills are settled through a particular health insurance, which can be private or public, Radford, Roger, (2002). In this occasion it becomes very hard for the medical information to be confidential. There is viewing of the health records occasionally by just not physicians and their staffs only but as well medical laboratories, employees of insurance companies, researchers, public health insurance and a lot of others. In any case an employer is providing health insurance; the employee files may then be accessed by the employer and designated employees. The requirement of the 1996, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is that every organizations and professionals to guard the privacy of their customers and patients, Carter P.

John Updikes A&P Essay -- John Updike A&P Essays

John Updike's A&P In a small town everything is familiar and often taken for granted. In John Updike’s short story, A&P, the main character, Sammy, discovers a beauty unlike anything he has ever seen in his small town before. Queenie’s simple magnificence so stuns him that he quits his job in her defense. The narrator says: "Around they come, Queenie still leading the way, and holding a little gray jar in her hand. Slots Three through Seven are unmanned and I could see her wondering between Stokes and me, but Stokesie with his usual luck draws an old party in baggy gray pants who stumbles up with four giant cans of pineapple juice (what do these bums do with all that pineapple juice' I've often asked myself) so the girls come to me. Queenie puts down the jar and I take it into my fingers icy cold. Kingfish Fancy Herring Snacks in Pure Sour Cream: 49 ¢. Now her hands are empty, not a ring or a bracelet, bare as God made them, and I wonder where the money's coming from. Still with that prim look she lifts a folded dollar bill out of the hollow at the center of her nubbled pink top. The jar went heavy in my hand. Really, I thought that was so cute." The narrative voice in this selection clearly demonstrates the qualities of the main character, the narrator. Through the diction and tone contained within the narrative voice, it is obvious that Sammy is still in his teens and has a very mature perception of women. It is first helpful to know that A&P is written in the first person and that the narrator is an objective narrator; that is, he relies on his observations and never knows what is going on in the minds of others. Sammy is also a participant narrator because he is in the story he is telling. Because Sam... ...t.† Sammy has the right to be excited by something out of the ordinary, and it is clear in is tone that he is excited. The use of a relaxed tone in a first-person narrative voice simplifies the language to a degree that suggests the narrator is quite young, probably still in his teens. His job at the A&P may be his first real working experience in his small town, and it is evident that he has adopted a certain mindset about the people who come in. When three unique girls (unique among each other and unique to their environment) enter the store in bathing suits and bare feet, Sammy is excited by the change in pace. He becomes so mentally involved with their existence without mentioning any sort of sexual attraction, that even the reader adopts an awe in Queenie and her followers. Sammy is young, but his behavior is most mature, and certainly admirable.

The Magic of a Dog :: Personal Narrative Essays

The Magic of a Dog    I knew he was gone the moment I awoke on Christmas morning. While other families somewhere laughed, smiled, and opened presents, I could only stare listlessly at my own presents, and those placed in the shopping bag in the corner, never to be opened. With the death of my beloved golden retriever, Kennedy, a part of me had also died. For Kennedy was no ordinary dog.    I was born with a disability. Although I have done intensive physical therapy since I was small and have made significant improvements over the years, I find it difficult to do some things which most people take for granted. Until I was eleven, I needed a aide at school. I could not go shopping by myself, or stay at home alone for more than a few minutes.    My disability also resulted in social isolation from others my age; many kids and adults were ill at ease around me. Even my friends were involved with activities that I couldn't keep up with, and I was left behind.    It was with the hope of increased self-reliance that I applied for a service dog from Canine Companions for Independence. Canine Companions (CCI) has been training dogs to assist people with disabilities other than blindness since 1975. Obeying about 70 commands, CCI service dogs retrieve dropped items, open doors, turn lights on and off, pull wheelchairs, and more.    After submitting an application to CCI, I was interviewed and scheduled to attend a training class in December, at the regional center near Columbus, Ohio. CCI's rigorous two-week training program is designed to teach dog training and leadership skills while matching each participant with a loving, loyal companion and helper. For the first two days each person works with all the dogs; on the third day everyone receives their Canine Companion. The remainder of the two weeks is spent learning commands and dog handling skills at the training center and in public places, with your new dog.    In this way, Kennedy came into my life. He brought me independence of the kind I had never known before. For the first time, I could move around the school without an aide following me, because he pulled my wheelchair and carried books in his backpack. I could shop at the mall by myself or with friends, and Kennedy would put his paws up on high counters to pay for things I bought.

Issues Concerning African Americans and Puerto Ricans Essay

There are four major ethnic, cultural and racial groups present in the United States today. These groups which compose the nation’s population are the African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic and Native Americans or the Non-Hispanic Whites. From the dawn of time, issues of racial profiling have haunted the American Society, although United States of America is said to be the birthplace of patriotism unity and believed to be a nation that will adhere to intense dedication to freedom, justice and equality (Feagin, 1978). The vast diversity of the American population which characterizes the nation’s inhabitants has often resulted to disorder and chaos, as discrimination exists across the nation. Although the government has taken some actions and laws have been made and are implemented, they are not enough to counteract the racism problem at hand which is deeply rooted in the American tradition, as a longer time may deemed necessary before the public become accustomed to a racial free society. If the authorities are keen on abolishing and eliminate racial discrimination, it then important that they see to it that the public would have a better understanding and background of the different ethnic and minority groups. Awareness to their values, customs and traditions are small little steps that may eventually lead to these groups coexistence. For this reason, the paper discusses two of the major groups that play important roles in shaping the United States social structure, the African Americans and the Puerto Ricans. The emergence of Africans Americans or the black Americans population, which are United States residents but with blood lineage from the black racial group of Africa, in the United States can be traced back way before 1800’s as majority of black Americans have their descendants in the United States. While White Americans came to the United States voluntarily, their Black counterparts were not given a choice as majority of the black population came in America as slaves (Feagin, 1978). It is noting to know that among the different ethnics group that come and settled in the United States, African Americans are the only group which have come not in accordance with their own free will. They were used as servants in large agricultural fields. It was believed that the first African American that had entered the borders of the United States settled in Jamestown. Their slavery and the hard labors they performed served as their free passage to the United States as they are compared to English poor people. However during the great American Civil War, by virtue of the proclamation signed by President Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans became free. But then the post war era, the restoration period, calls for the segregation of blacks from the whites and deteriorates what was supposed to be period of new beginning for the blacks.. In order to free themselves of troubles and violence brought by discrimination, most Black Americans followed the law which dictates racial segregation. However, as violence related to racial discrimination became widespread, calls for abolishing the racial profiling laws also intensify as growing African American heritage and intellect became more evident. The era of civil rights movement which aimed to promote camaraderie and embed equality by eliminating racial discrimination help largely to the Black Americans cause of seeking dignity for their culture and race. Thus, when the Black Power Propaganda was formed a more complex ideology was born as African American seeks for moral dignity, fairness, justice and freedom from white oppression. Today, free from slavery and contributing vastly to economics and politics and enjoying a legal status, Black Americans have enjoyed a great deal of success as they experienced and enjoyed greater rights, far from what were their ancestors have before. However, complete satisfaction and recognition of their rights will have to wait for another few years as white people and custom is still the dominant culture in the United States. The radical change, however, which started from the nineteenth century are strong indications and evidence of the emerging power the African Americans are obtaining. African Americans now have greater access top higher educations and growth in employment as blue and white collar workers are also evident. Disparity between the poverty of black and people have also reduced and many black Americans now have there owned home. However, the sad part is although continuous improvements are achieved each day, black Americans are still at disadvantage with the white people. It can be observed in issues regarding health insurances and benefits and institutional racism, which is very much present especially in middle school’s class. In fact, a report in Rutherford country showed that massive complaints of racial discriminations are filed as parents are alarmed with the growing numbers of black students that are suspended. Compare to their white counterparts, black students continue to be suspended at much higher rates, raising the question of racial discrimination in imposing discipline among the students. In 2006 for instance, 14. 4 % of black students were suspended in the district, which causes a handful of students to lag behind their studies (Scott, 2007). On the other hand rate of suspension for white students stand at 6. 6% (Scott, 2007). Figures and numbers indicate that the rates at which black students are suspended are more than double of the rate at which whites are. This then has poses an alarmed to the black population as their children are put into a disadvantage situation. Just like the African Americans, Puerto Ricans suffer a great deal of oppression and poverty as they occupy the bottom most part of the United States’ social hierarchy for years (Feagin, 1978). They are considered as one of the world’s poorest groups, however, Puerto Rico posses a great link to the Caribbean world and the developing counties across the globe, which the United States social failed to utilize for their own advantage as it failed to realize its importance to the nation. The emergence of the Puerto Rican Ethnic group dates back to the time when the island which was then named as Borinquen, was a colony under the rule of Spain. For 400 years, Spain uses it as a strategic base. The island was a home for different tribes of Taino, however as the Spanish settle with in the island, population of the Indian tribes gradually diminished as generations passed by. Disappearance was due to the fact that Spain used them for forced labor in mines -which causes natives to acquire disease, massive exterminations and racial intermingling and merging. During that time, where in slavery was widespread, large number of African Americans was brought to Puerto to replace the natives as workers. Thus, the present genetic component of a modern Puerto Rican is a mix of Spanish, native Indians and African American. In 1898, as Spain succumb to American power during the Spanish-American War it surrendered Puerto Rico to the United States. Americans deemed Puerto Ricans as ignorant and as result, self governing was denied to them and Puerto Rico become entirely dependent to the US government. Puerto Ricans were left confused politically and culturally as they desperately ask matters about the issue of their citizenship. US Congress however, denied them of acquiring US citizenship relating that Puerto Ricans and Americans should not be treated as equal and they are inferior compare to them. But a year before the US plunged into the World War I, it granted Puerto Ricans US citizenship. With the booming population and stagnant economics, Puerto Rico became one of the poorest countries around the globe in the 1940’s. In an effort to escape the harsh reality of life in the island, many of the population migrated to the United States, bringing with them the hope and the promise of an American Dream. However, the situation would not be different, as immigrants would fail to land jobs and are exploited. Furthermore, housings were prioritized for Native Americans. Language handicapped was also a barrier, which leads to them being discriminated. Puerto Ricans are also identified with Catholicism and Christianity which is teaching based from Spanish colonial times, and since the structure of the American church is Protestant, conflicts often arise. Businessmen of Puerto Rico descends, would often complain of the difficulty in getting loans. With automation starting to engulf the business and industrial sections, Puerto Ricans further sink to the bottom of the social pyramid as they become more isolated, like the black people. There were no opportunities that were presented for them as they lack the skills to land jobs. But then came the era of being unrest, the emergence of Civil Rights Movement and Anti-Poverty Groups in the 1960’s helped Puerto Ricans stimulate and assimilate into the American society, culture and politics (Nash, 2000). The movement and program covers every Puerto Rican and led to astounding solutions to the problems that result from ethnics and cultural differences and inconsistencies which are related to the failure to be in accordance with the dominant American Culture. The emergence of theses groups had opened the eyes of the Puerto Rican public to seek for fair and just treatment and uphold their dignity. Although they have been successful in appealing for changes, after decades of struggling for political representation, culture and customs respect and their placed into the American Society, Puerto Ricans are today just slowly beginning to achieve and realize the progress and results. Whether it is questions about citizenship status, welfare and housing programs, bilingual and multi-cultural education or electoral power, Puerto Ricans had stood the test of time and has proven it is capable of complex assimilation to the dominant American society. However for Puerto Ricans and other ethnic minorities and racial group in America, being subordinate to the dominant American culture is a continued struggle as still they are treated unjustly. References Feagin. J. (1978) Racial and Ethnic Relations. Englewood Cliffs, NJ Prentice-Hall. p. 212, p. 298 Scott, B. (2007). Daily Race Colors Suspensions. News Journal Murfreesboro. Nash, K. (2000). Contemporary Political Sociology: Globalization, Politics, and Power. Blackwell Publishers.